Episode 135: End of vacation (1)
The sword master and Charon stared at each other for a long time. Their gazes alternated between Kanggeomma’s face and “Andvaranaut.”
“I really thought you could do it… … .”
The sword master muttered. He had made the suggestion to Kang Geum-ma, but since he knew the content of the long-cherished wish, the ratio of trust to distrust was 7 to 3.
A fight with oneself.
It was a literal meaning, not a common idiom.
He enters a place similar to subspace and fights with his own clone.
They had to fight like dogs, biting and tearing each other until one of them died.
It’s no different from playing rock-paper-scissors in front of a mirror. However, as the battle continued, the intensity of the battle gradually tilted toward the clone.
The fierce battle continued day and night for three days. Zigg was trying to draw, but ended up losing.
His mind still vividly remembers the unsullied swordsmanship of his clone.
It was clearly Zeke’s own sword, but the attack that came pouring down like a shower was bold and unstoppable.
It was a sword skill that seemed to show him in person, as if to say, ‘This is your true swordsmanship.’ This greatly enlightened Zigg.
He applied his enlightenment to reality, practiced it, and kicked it out. And so, at the age of thirty, Zigg finally won the title of the strongest man in the world.
‘There is no better teacher than oneself.’
That was the meaning of the ‘compensation’ that the sword master had eagerly promised to the sword master.
Of course, I also intended to provide him with material support, and I did so immediately.
While the sword master was carrying out his long-cherished wish, he anonymously transferred a large sum of money to the Joaquin Academy Foundation.
’10 billion.’
A sum that takes into account the unscrupulous cost of living at Joaquin Academy. At least it was enough money to ensure that there were no financial problems while attending school.
The reason I didn’t reveal your name and sent the money to the foundation is because I was afraid that it might hurt Ganggeomma’s feelings.
Even if it is purely good intentions, it is something that can be unpleasant as it makes you feel like you are being treated like a beggar. This is especially true for the prickly-tempered Ganggeomma.
However, even though he is an adult, Kang Geum-ma is still a teenager who has not yet reached his prime.
Because we don’t know much about the boy’s spending habits, the academy’s foundation provides him with a monthly living allowance in the form of a scholarship.
The remaining money will be transferred in full to the boy’s account when he graduates from the academy.
The swordsman looked at the swordsman. The boy stared blankly into space.
“… … .”
“… … .”
I didn’t call him on purpose. The boy was probably thinking back on the past right now.
‘Even though you’ve achieved so much, you prioritize regret over joy.’
A shallow laugh escaped the inspector’s lips. Then he slowly lowered his gaze.
In Andvaranaut, the light gradually faded and the box lid sank down on its own. It seemed as if it had a will of its own, like a living thing.
The inspector smiled bitterly. His mouth felt bitter, as if he had eaten an unripe persimmon.
‘If I don’t pass the test, does that mean I’m not worthy of seeing it…?’
But this was a given. It was a privilege that only the winners could enjoy. If you share it, its specialness fades.
The inspector shook his head and shook off the small regret that had lingered in his chest.
… On the other hand, Kang Geum-ma was deep in thought with his eyes slightly open. The gold-plated object was out of sight.
The ring in Kanggeomma’s hand was a worthless object. Something more important came to mind.
* * *
[【???】 You have obtained the first fragment of memory, ‘The Girl with Stars in Her Eyes’.]
-Pfft!
== ==
“There was a girl with eyes that sparkled like stars.
He was of a status far from nobility.
Those were the days of carrying water in buckets, filling cow troughs, and milking sheep.
One day, the girl set out on a journey armed with an iron sword. It was a whim of the time, but she did not stop walking.
I looked up at the night sky and moved forward on the map of constellations.
After three years of walking aimlessly, the girl met a man. He had a dark expression like the middle of the night.
From that day on, the girl chased the man instead of the star.
He became his first disciple.
== ==
[NEW! The system suggests the direction to go forward.]
[The second memory fragment can be obtained by approaching ‘Artifact: Monolith’.]
[Access the seven artifacts that exist in this world!]
[Wouldn’t you learn more about yourself then?^^?]
[※ Total Acquisitions (1/7).]
“… … .”
I read the passage with a half-hearted look for several minutes. After a while, the impression I made was short.
‘Plague.’
The status window, which had been quiet for a while, has been appearing unusually frequently lately.
Yeah, I just passed over it because it was like a history book. It wasn’t that strange since it said it was a memory of something.
It’s a list of academic words, but it’s just a kind of explanation and not the main point.
I scrolled down with a wink.
‘Approach the artifact monolith… … .’
This part was tricky. I don’t know the exact location of the monolith.
‘I don’t care what you tell me, fucking shit.’
His expression naturally rotted away. He just threw a quest at me and told me to find it. And in this world with 7 billion people and the demonic realm of Gehenna, it was like that.
At least give me a clue as to which side it is on. This is just like looking for a grain of sand in a desert.
And above all, the two adorable sentences at the very bottom. They were clearly meant to be teasing people.
‘Eye smile? Are you smiling?’
It was ridiculous. Looking back, this system. It was as if it had some kind of cognitive ability, and it was gently scratching people’s insides without them knowing.
At first I thought this guy was the ‘God of Swords’ or ‘G.M.’, but I ruled that possibility out.
I concluded that the former would be more of an internal entity within this world, while the latter would be an external entity.
But neither of them ever appeared in my dreams, nor did they ever reveal themselves openly.
I was only able to poke around, but I felt like I was blocked by something and couldn’t intervene in reality.
In that respect, the ‘system’ was clearly heterogeneous.
〈God of Sword〉 〈GM〉 〈System〉
Of these, only the system has any effect on reality, unlike the other two.
‘and…….’
What all three of them have in common is that I don’t know if they’re good or evil. But the system seems to be an ally…
Aside from the subtle way he speaks to tease people, he also drops clues here and there.
But that guy’s eye smile really makes people uncomfortable. This is exactly what it means to buy something and get cursed at.
Isn’t that woman’s voice that keeps lingering every time you activate [Protection of the Sword God] saying, “May the protection of the God be with you.” also a system?
Then, wouldn’t that system have a human form? Where it’s watching me like a pervert, and occasionally throwing out hints and bait.
That’s a pretty plausible guess.
While I was resting my chin on my hand and sorting out some things, Caron asked about my well-being.
“Your Majesty, are you okay?”
Well, it was strange that he was standing still like a barley sack that had been placed on the ground, and that he was quiet for several minutes. Rather, I felt that he had waited bravely for that long.
“Yes, I think so.”
“Then. So you passed your wish… …?”
I nodded. Charon’s mouth opened twice as wide.
“Huh!”
Charon swallowed his breath in vain. His eyes wavered back and forth.
Until a few days ago, I thought he was a Taoist monk who practices silence, but he is an old man with great reactions. If Speed Weapon’s reactions were like a joke, Caron was a bouncy real-life person.
‘He’s a guy who has a certain sense of humor.’
Charon pushed back his tilted monocle and asked again.
“So what’s different from before?”
“ah.”
Before answering, I looked at the inspector’s face. His complexion was ambiguous. I turned my gaze back to Caron before opening my mouth.
“It’s a secret.”
“… … .”
Charon was taken aback by my answer. A pleased smile appeared on my lips at the reaction I had hoped for. Then, suddenly, something to say to the inspector flashed through my mind.
“Oh, Your Majesty. Can I ask you a favor?”
“Ah, tell me.”
“It’s not that difficult of a request… … No, is it difficult? Anyway, I really hope you’ll listen.”
“If it’s possible, I’ll listen.”
I focused my gaze on the small box in my hand. The reward was rewarding, but the experience I gained through my wish was equally rewarding.
‘This isn’t just something I need.’
I took my eyes off my hands.
“Do you know a guy named Leon at our academy?”
“If you’re talking about a warrior candidate, I know.”
I continued talking, rolling the ship around on my palm. It felt rusty against my hand.
“It’s an artifact so it can’t be taken outside, so I’d like you to bring that guy here as well.”
“… … !”
The swordsman’s eyes flashed open. His pure white eyebrows shot up. Then he grabbed his forehead and burst into laughter.
“You are truly unpredictable, but you are a real man!”
“Is it possible?”
“It may be a bit against the family code, but it is nothing compared to what you asked for.”
A refreshing answer. I laughed quietly.
“If possible, I would appreciate it if you didn’t tell me that I asked you to do it.”
“Okay, I promise.”
I learned from my first teacher that I should share even a single bean. Moreover, Leon is also starting to grow slowly.
Helping the main character wouldn’t cause much of a twist in the plot. That was the best I, as background character A, could do behind the scenes.
* * *
At the same time, on the luxury street in Geneva, Switzerland.
A long line of famous luxury stores lined up on both sides, each with a name that you would recognize. Even the signs were flashy.
I couldn’t help but exclaim “Wow!” at the sight of the shoes worn by the mannequins in the store window. The tag attached to the shoes had seven digits of zero.
It was a luxurious space that no one could enter. However, such things are just superficial. If a person is a luxury brand, don’t they say that whatever they wear is luxury?
Here are two women walking down the street of luxury. They are Abel and Shail. All eyes and attention are drawn to them like a magnet.
“Miss! Do you want to go to that store? It looks like they just released a new item!”
“Oh, yeah.”
Shail’s eyes sparkled. Abel, on the other hand, simply felt awkward. It was hard to understand how he could burn tens or hundreds of millions of dollars on his clothes.
‘Wouldn’t it be better to use that money to strengthen your armament?’
In the meantime, Shail held Abel’s arm tightly. She spoke in an excited voice.
“That looks good too, but no, next year’s S/S has already arrived there!”
“What is S/S? Are there grades for clothes, like weapons?”
Well then, that’s a bit refreshing.
“S/S is a combination of the S in Spring and Summer. Simply put, it’s a general term for spring and summer clothes.”
“Ah… I see.”
Abel felt slightly lethargic.
When she actually arrived, there was nothing on the street that caught her interest.
‘Still, I feel good seeing Shayle so happy.’
Abel had a faint smile on his lips. It was the hour he had been swept away by Shail and was looking around the store.
“Huh? Miss. Look over there.”
Where Shayle pointed with his index finger, a shabby old woman was sitting on a carpet. The old woman was mumbling a spell while caressing a crystal ball.
It was a strange sight, with a sense of disconnection from the flashy streets.
“Is this the person who reads my fortune?”
“But would anyone want to get their fortune told here? It’s a bit out of the blue.”
It was then that the old woman turned her gaze this way. She glared at Abel and Shail with fierce eyes.
Then he grinned. The teeth that were revealed were white and neat, not matching his wrinkled skin.
The old woman said.
“Would you like to have your fortune told by this brave fortuneteller? I have inherited the spirit of the Alps for 30 years. A Taoist, a Taoist.”
The old woman waved her hand as if to tell Abel to come over. Shail whispered to Abel.
“It looks fun. Why not take a look?”
“Well… … Most of those street vendors just do it half-heartedly. It’s a bit much to waste money on something useless.”
While the two were talking, the old woman blurted out a word to Abel.
“There, little one.”
“If you’re young… me?”
“You still have the oil dripping down your face. Anyway, I’ll only take fifty dollars for the lottery.”
“No, it’s not about money, it’s just that I don’t believe in that kind of thing—”
“It seems like there’s someone you’re worried about these days.”
The old woman stroked the beads with her eyes closed. Then she muttered her fortune.
“Ah, I see it. I see it. That’s a very unique impression. But… tsk tsk tsk, there are too many women entangled around him. I’ve never seen such fortune in my entire life. With people entangled wherever he goes, it must be hard to get by.”
“… … .”
“Ah-ah-! But I can see it. It’s a hole, but there’s a way out!”
The old woman opened her eyes. Abel was crouching down in front of her. She handed me a picture of Shin Saimdang.
“… Korean money is acceptable too?”
The corners of the old woman’s mouth rose high.
“Of course, is there a place in this world that doesn’t accept won?”
