181
Eye level education
‘Why is this guy here···.’
I hurriedly looked through the swordsmanship Daiso.
The guy was surprisingly in the same condition as last time.
The circumference of his arms, his cheeks, and even the length of his hair were all the same as back then.
‘No, the left arm is a little different.’
“We knew each other.”
My thoughts were broken by Dalus’ voice from behind me.
“Wow-! Aaron! Long time no see!”
Ted, who was in the arms of the swordsman Daiso, ran to me.
‘···This guy only catches knights.’
I pressed Ted’s head, recalling the nature of the swordsman Daiso.
Kensul Daiso stared at me with his eyes that were not deep enough to be seen from his seated position. He didn’t seem to have any intention of doing anything, but I felt even more nervous.
“Does stew not suit your taste?”
Dalus asked Kensul Daiso in a dry voice. In front of Kensul Daiso, a wooden bowl filled with stew was still there.
“Grandpa can’t eat stew!”
Ted answered instead. Kenshu Daiso nodded.
“If you tell me separately, I can make it to suit you. I have a lot of materials stored up.”
Dalus was an executioner and was looked down upon by the townspeople, but he was the most agreeable of all the men I’ve ever met.
Of course, his joke skills weren’t that great.
“Okay.”
Sword Master Daiso shook his head slightly.
“Then I’ll eat it.”
He sat down across from the swordsman Daiso and brought a bowl. It was not a very nice sight, with the oil floating on the surface as it cooled down.
“Oh, I’ll reheat it for you.”
“Why bother heating it up? It’ll be the same once you get inside.”
I kept my eyes on the swordsman Daiso and poured the stew into my mouth. It was greasy and moist, but it was still delicious because Dalus was such a good cook.
The bastard’s wife was left wondering why she ran away and left him.
“It’s delicious. Do you have some more?”
He slipped the bowl to Dalus. Dalus took it and headed towards the fireplace. A long shadow formed behind him.
I nudged Ted’s back as he stood next to me, chattering away. Ted took a quick look and then turned to Dalus.
Swordsman Daiso’s gaze followed Ted. Knock knock, it was an obvious opening, but he didn’t draw his sword.
I wasn’t sure I could beat Daiso in swordsmanship, and besides, Dalus quite liked the hut.
If they caused any trouble and damaged the cabin, they would not be able to enjoy the delicious stew any more. Dalus’ cabin was a pleasant place in its own way.
“Are you okay, sir?”
At my question, the eyes of the swordsman Daiso turned to me again,
‘What kind of eyes are those…’
I stuck my tongue out at those indescribable eyes. Those eyes were so deceptive that I couldn’t tell what they were thinking.
“hmm.”
Instead of answering, the old man made a small sound. It was neither a yes nor a no answer.
At that moment, Dalus, who had returned, placed a bowl in front of me, brought a silver cup from inside, and poured wine as well.
The wine that Dalus had aged was superior to the others in taste, but the time was not right.
I nudged him towards the sword shop.
“Why don’t you drink, sir? The wine from Dalus is incredibly delicious.”
He asked, turning the stew around. The fragrant smell of meat stew filled the surroundings.
The smell was so delicious that it made his stomach shake, but Daiso the swordsman didn’t even blink or swallow.
He just stared at me with those heavy eyes.
‘That’s strange.’
It was strange how I could smell this stew on a snowy day and not even flinch.
I clicked my tongue and slurped the stew into my mouth. The hot heat traveled down my esophagus, invigorating me.
“He’s a stranger.”
At that moment, the swordsman Daiso opened his mouth. It seemed to be an answer to Dalus’ question earlier.
“Why are you being so upset? I’m putting what you gave me to good use.”
“What a shameless guy.”
The swordsman Daiso’s gaze went down. The old man’s gaze landed on my right arm. I let go of the hilt of my sword and smiled.
“Because it’s a habit.”
I pointed to the swordsmanship daiso with my chin while looking at Dalus. Dalus, who had been drinking the wine with smoke rising, opened his mouth.
“I met you when I went into the forest to get firewood. You seemed lost, so I guided you home.”
He was a useless big shot. No matter how old he was, he brought a big, armed guy like that to his house. His personality didn’t match his job.
‘···So you’re going to keep going around Cassidy?’
I heard that during the last raccoon incident, the sword master Daiso dismantled the three Bori brothers.
Of course, thanks to the clean cut, I was able to reattach it neatly without any aftereffects, but even so, quite some time had passed, and it was still around.
“Do you have any ill feelings toward Cassadic?”
I asked, putting down the empty bowl.
“Hmm, is this Cassadic? It’s smaller than I thought.”
Kensul Daiso answered in his characteristically suppressed voice. I wondered if he was joking.
Judging from his expression, he seemed serious, but when I thought about the content, it couldn’t be true.
“This is not Cassidy’s cabin, this is my cabin, sir.”
While I was pondering, Dalus kindly answered.
“I see.”
“Yes, would you like some warm wine?”
“It’s okay.”
At Daiso’s refusal, Dalus sipped his wine again.
I scratched my head at the stupid conversation.
“Where were you going, sir?”
First, I asked him where he was going. If he asked if it was Cassidy, I would take out some swordsmanship and send him far away with a decent guy attached to him.
‘It might be a good idea to send it to the capital.’
He was a decent old man, but it was a bit awkward to keep him around Cassadick because of the three Bori brothers.
Also, since he likes knights, if you send him to a capital city full of knights, the old man will live the rest of his life happily.
It was a good deal that satisfied me, satisfied the old man, and safe for the three Bori brothers.
However, the answer from the swordsman Daiso was different from what I expected.
“I don’t know.”
“······yes?”
I found myself asking a question in response to the confident answer from the swordsman Daiso.
‘It was a free trip.’
He seemed like a romantic old man. Since there were many things to see in the capital, he went to the capital.
“Do you know?”
At that moment, the swordsman Daiso asked seriously. When the old man with the strange eyes asked, the question sounded quite philosophical.
Of course, it was clear that he simply had dementia.
“How would I know your destination, sir?”
“I see.”
I scratched my beard at the clear answer from the swordsman Daiso. It was a conversation flow that seemed familiar.
“Then, can you recommend a good sanatorium for me?”
“It’s okay. I like it here.”
As a parent raising three Bori brothers, I couldn’t let something like this run loose in the yard, so I tried to make a joke, but Swordsman Daiso shook his head.
“They look alike.”
At that moment, Dalus suddenly said something strange.
For a moment, I felt bad. They said that I had some scratches on my face and that I looked like an old man with dementia.
However, looking at the old man’s face-.
‘······They do look alike.’
When I looked closely, I found some subtle similarities.
However, the overall atmosphere and lines were different. In addition, the unique atmosphere of the swordsman Daiso was so strong that it made me feel like it was similar.
“You have good eyes. Do you see a lot of blood?”
Sword Master Daiso looked at Dalus and asked.
“Yes, I live by cutting off people’s heads and eating them.”
Dalus spoke cautiously, his voice strangely low. These guys seemed a bit nervous, as they would spit on executioners at first sight.
“Who doesn’t? We all live off the blood of others. It’s just a matter of whether we recognize it or not.”
Sword Master Daiso answered nonchalantly. Dalus’ expression changed subtly.
‘···Don’t be moved there.’
I clicked my tongue slightly at the bond that was forming between the two.
“Still, it’s better to deal with the neck last.”
“Isn’t the neck the cleanest?”
“Beating the neck is too light.”
“Oh, is that so?”
Even though their pints were subtly different, the conversation went smoothly.
Dalus asked various questions politely as if he was meeting his senior, and Swordsman Daiso gave short answers.
Contrary to the conversation, I got up from my seat in a warm atmosphere.
“It’s been a while since we last met, so how about we meet up?”
I asked, tapping the handle of the knife.
The swordsmanship Daiso experienced last time was clearly beyond my current level, but he was quite lenient.
It seemed like he was keeping the situation in his hands, thinking that it was not a knight’s work.
The swordsmanship I received from Daiso was so useful that I couldn’t help but feel hungry. I swallowed my saliva without realizing it.
[Stop taking it! How much do you have to take off to be satisfied! You idiot!]
The voice of Wayne, the gambler who taught her the art of dagger fighting, seemed to be heard from afar.
However, thinking back to last time, it was clear that the swordsmanship Daiso would reject. That time, I had refused for no reason, but gave in to the provocation of the child next to me and ended up giving in to the sword.
‘This time, give Ted a hint…’
However, the old man’s answer was different from what I expected.
“Okay.”
The swordsman Daiso who answered simply got up.
The corners of his mouth were twisted and strangely eerie.
***
‘Still the same. Old man.’
I adjusted my grip on the sword as I looked at the old man standing a little way away.
I was suspicious because he accepted surprisingly easily, but I couldn’t miss the opportunity to shop at Daiso.
I told Dalus that I was going out for a bit and asked him not to let Ted come. Considering the severe beating he had received the previous time, it wasn’t good for the child’s mental health.
‘The atmosphere is strangely different.’
The old man felt strangely different. He seemed to be standing there proudly, staring at me, but-.
‘Why are the corners of your mouth going up?’
I pulled out my sword, enduring the discomfort. The black blade was pulled out with pleasure, pushing away the snowflakes around me.
‘You have good cooking skills.’
There were days when the sword fit my hand like fishing. Just as fish are caught easily on days when the hand is good, on days like this the sword easily cut through my opponent.
There was no need to rush.
I adjusted the hilt of my sword and examined the old man. The old man was simply standing there without even drawing his sword, but I felt something strange.
It seemed loose, but at the same time, my instincts kept warning me. To be careful.
There was nothing more I could understand just by looking. I had no choice but to collide.
“after.”
I took a deep breath and kicked the ground. There was no one watching, so I had no intention of hiding it.
The snow below scattered around with a pleasant sound. The distance between them was shortened in an instant as the body of the knight who had caused the aura was in close contact.
My eyes were stinging from the wind blowing at me, but I gathered my strength and stared at the swordsman Daiso.
‘It will be different from last time.’
Of course, I didn’t think I would win. Although my body had gotten stronger since then, the gap between me and the old man wasn’t just a matter of strength.
He just wanted to pull out as many as he could. He was sure that his body, which had gotten stronger since last time, would make it possible.
The old man’s eyes widened slightly. A vivid emotion appeared in his unidentifiable eyes.
That was disappointing.
A cold sensation came over me, but I didn’t care.
I slashed my sword in a long stroke. I was so focused that I could see the falling snowflakes slowly being cut by my sword.
The old man slowly drew his sword. Just when I thought it was a little too late, the old man’s sword was already blocking my sword.
It seemed like he was trying to brush it away, but it was the swordsmanship I had taken with me last time. And since I had used it quite often when dealing with knights, I knew what was lacking.
I twisted the sword slightly and poured more force into it.
The swords clashed and red sparks flew. I pushed the sword away. This was the most embarrassing response I had when dealing with a knight who had caused an aura.
However, the old man shrugged his shoulders as if he had expected this.
It was a small action, but the situation changed in an instant. It was clearly a situation where I was pushing forward, but it changed into me digging in because I was losing my balance.
‘Well, you know better than me.’
I clicked my tongue and quickly pulled my sword. At that moment, I was slightly scratched by the old man’s sword, which was twisted, and time was delayed.
The old man’s elbow swung at my head. I gritted my teeth and pushed my head in.
Bang. My mind was shaken by the sharp pain. However, I was able to endure it thanks to the point of impact.
My judgment was clouded for a moment, but in these fleeting moments, the sweat I had accumulated over time took effect.
Thud. My knee, which had unconsciously risen, was blocked by the old man’s sword hilt. Thanks to this, the entangled swords were released. The swords scraped against each other and sparks flew again.
Beyond the small flame, the old man’s face was visible. The old man’s expression was the same.
My heart started to pound, but I held him back and kept my composure. Excitement was not good.
He tried to thrust the drawn sword again, but the old man’s sword blocked it naturally as if it had always been there.
A subtle sense of foreboding made itself felt. It was as if I was acting according to a script written by an old man. It felt as if every decision I made was being read.
At that moment, the old man’s sword moved at a strange angle. The trajectory was far beyond my expectations.
A line drawn in a strange trajectory in the air.
The end was aimed at my ulna.
‘This is death.’
I felt a clear ending to the strange trajectory that made it hard to tell if it was a stab or a cut.
The old man’s cold eyes beyond that looked like Dalus on the gallows.
I don’t know why the old man, who taught me kindly by just beating me up last time, is trying to kill me.
My head spun in the face of the clear-cut death.
All the cards I had flashed through my mind.
If it were normal, I would have taken out the aura, but-. Considering the old man’s obsession with the knight, that was the worst option.
So there was only one option left.
‘hey.’
– i get it.
The sudden surge of excitement made me feel like time around me was slowing down. The expanding field of vision was something completely out of the ordinary that I couldn’t get used to.
The old man’s sword was held in his eroded left hand.
Even though I was holding a sword without an aura, sparks flew fiercely.
Shards from the old man’s sword flew around.
The tip of the old man’s sword that I caught was piercing right through the gap in his breastplate.
‘So you really meant to kill me.’
Yellow eyes appeared on the eroded left hand. The slightly turned yellow eyes focused on the old man.
Even though it was covered, the old man’s face was visible.
The old man was smiling with satisfaction.
“hmm.”
The old man twirled his sword in a low voice.
The sword that had been caught wriggled and escaped as if it were alive. It was something incomprehensible, like a snake.
The old man turned back without any regrets. The old man who was standing at a respectful distance stared at me. There was a subtle pleasure on his face, unlike before.
‘You’re not a demon racist.’
Well, he was an old man who acted like those guys called Hoe. If he had been an uncivilized demon racist who didn’t know that even demons had their own stories, he wouldn’t have acted like Hoe.
I exhaled softly and released my left hand.
The arm, clearly belonging to a monster with bulging eyes, was a horrifying shape, but it had its own charm.
‘Is the left arm close to the handprint the limit?’
When I did it consciously, the erosion was much more noticeable than before.
It seemed to have a similar effect to when the aura was raised, but the tenant showed no sign of fatigue.
Now that I feel like I’m finally using my powers in the right way, I feel a sense of refreshment that I never felt before.
“Do you know why humans use swords?”
At that moment, the old man suddenly said something unexpected.
“I don’t know.”
I answered while swinging my left hand around. It felt less burdensome to raise only my left hand. I also felt confident that I could quickly turn it around if I consciously did so.
‘You can freely manipulate erosion. You are a great demon.’
I muttered a joke and giggled.
“Because humans don’t have claws.”
The old man who gave a short answer changed his posture.
He raised the sword diagonally and lowered his center of gravity, holding the sword with one hand and making a fist with the other.
It was more like a beast about to pounce on its prey than an inspector. It was a rough and raw stance.
“You have claws.”
The moment I was about to answer, the old man jumped forward.
An old man who had come near suddenly swung his sword roughly.
It was an extremely rough attack, closer to a punch or an axe swing than a swordsmanship attack.
Kwaang. I bit my lip and blocked it with my left arm. For a moment, I missed the movement.
If it weren’t for the eyes on my left arm-.
‘I almost died.’
I grabbed the old man’s sword with my left hand, but the old man spun around lightly.
The sword slid in a smooth transition that made its destructive power pale in comparison.
With that bizarre sword drawn again.
‘Twice.’
The feeling of having multiple eyes was unfamiliar, but I had to endure it. As long as I endured it, nothing mattered.
The old man was still visible beyond the strange vision.
Even the twitching muscles of the elderly-.
‘It’s visible.’
I swung my left fist towards the old man’s waist.
Ppaang-. The air screamed and tore. The old man’s eyes widened slightly. The old man’s leg muscles bulged.
It seemed as if he was going to hit the ground. I roughly twisted my left arm. The uneroded pectoral muscle was torn.
He didn’t stop even as he screamed in excruciating pain. The old man grabbed the sword with both hands and thrust it towards the fist.
Crunch. A large spurt of black blood burst out from his left fist. The old man’s sword that had been stuck in his left fist slipped away. The strange sword that was visible once again.
‘three.’
I drew my sword, straining my eyes. The strange sword path of the disheveled old man unfolded through my hands.
It was a great swordsmanship, but a look of disappointment appeared on the old man’s face. It seemed as if he had come up with the wrong answer.
The black one was blocked more easily than I expected.
It had to be that way.
Because it originally belonged to an old man.
“You have claws.”
The old man, speaking briefly, lowered his center of gravity again.
That posture is better than the inspection-.
‘This old man···.’
I muttered, wiping the black blood from my left hand.
The old man rushed in again without saying anything.
The series of movements that followed were as friendly as a swordsman’s instructor.
I wanted to change the flow, but I was already in the same situation as before. I felt helpless, as if I was being forcibly dragged into the old man’s script.
Black blood bursting from his left fist, and the eyes of the old man retrieving his sword were filled with desire.
It was obvious why the old man was showing a strange posture that did not suit the examination. Also, why he was holding the sword with one hand – and why he was suddenly throwing a punch.
‘Tsk.’
I clicked my tongue and twisted my left hand.
However, it wasn’t as easy as I thought.
How can you use your hands to practice swordsmanship? But the old man did not have enough patience to listen to complaints.
As always.
I had to do it somehow.
The gap between the swords the old man held out was exactly the same length as my left hand.
‘This is a claw.’
He gritted his teeth and moved his left hand.
His left hand struck the old man in a strange path. The old man drew his sword, but unlike before, his left hand did not slip away.
With a thud, the old man took his first step back.
I raised the corners of my mouth, holding back my vomit.
“Not bad.”
The old man, who had given a brief impression, returned to his usual space.
The old man lowered his posture again and stared at me.
My heart was twisted by the eyes filled with an unprecedented desire, but I couldn’t spit out what I had given just because of my mood.
I crouched down, following the old man. My center of gravity was better than in my original position.
It feels like it was tailored just for me.
‘It was eye-level education.’
At that moment, the old man kicked the ground.
The speed was much faster than before.
The old man was laughing so hard it was burdensome.
***
“Are you alive?”
I opened my eyes to a dry voice.
Before I knew it, I saw Dalus, wearing a black coat and a bowler hat pulled down low under the darkening sky. He must have been standing there for quite some time, because snow was all over his shoulders and bowler hat.
I coughed harshly at the question from the gloomy-looking man. Red blood kept spewing out from my mouth.
“Unfortunately.”
Phew-, I answered, spitting out sticky red spit.
“That’s a relief. I thought you couldn’t keep your promises.”
Dalus, who had made a boring joke, held out a leather canteen. It looked exactly like a monster’s urine pot.
It was disgusting, but I didn’t have any choice so I put it in my mouth. Contrary to its appearance, the drink tasted quite sweet.
“You must be strong, old man. For you to be scolded so harshly.”
I nodded at Dalus’ muttering.
The old man was definitely strong. Not the fraudulent strength that comes from devil candy or auras, but intrinsic strength. The old man was just strong.
“What a useless, energetic old man.”
I handed the empty canteen to Dalus. Every part of my body screamed.
I think he was a bit more lenient last time, but this time he’s been quite persistent.
‘It’s a claw…’
It wasn’t bad, since I had learned a more effective method than before. Anyway, the physical pain and suffering were all momentary.
“What about the old man?”
“He’s playing with Ted. He said he’ll stay until the snow stops.”
“Tsk, you’re so energetic.”
I woke up clicking my tongue. My eyes must have been buried in the snow for quite some time, because my hazy eyes suddenly fell down.
“Are you going to eat dinner and then go?”
“No, Kanna is waiting. She’ll come back tomorrow.”
I waved at the guy and headed towards Cassidy.
Dalus turned his head to watch Aaron’s back as he walked away.
‘···You did a really great job.’
All the trees that had been around were uprooted or broken. The snow on the ground was dug up in places as if wild beasts had been running around.
It looked like dozens of trolls were rolling around. I wondered how humans could create such a disaster.
Dalus watched him for a moment and then gathered up the broken pieces of wood.
At this point, it seemed like we wouldn’t have to worry about winter firewood.
***
The Eastern Management Office has been quite peaceful lately.
Avery was also dispatched, and the East was not included in the problems that arose here and there after the Palace Incident.
Gesher Wind was very pleased with the Eastern Management these days.
Gesher Wind had been struggling to get out of the East, the graveyard of the Administration, but after experiencing Avery and Selena, the East felt like a resort rather than a graveyard.
‘And it’s better for the continent to stabilize and rise. If we rise now······.’
With the union of nobles, the religious order, and the newly formed Magic Tower Union, as well as an unknown rumor that the production of knights in the Empire was being blocked, new incidents occurred every day.
All other administrative offices except the Eastern Administrative Office have entered emergency mode.
‘The Eastern Management Office might not be so bad······?’
Gesher Wind thought seriously. It was a given that Avery would either get killed by Selena for being a jerk outside like that, or he would kick Selena out and get promoted, and Gesher Wind would be promoted back to interim director.
The interim director of the Eastern Management Agency wasn’t bad. Sinan Halina even made him coffee.
‘···It was a little thick.’
At that moment, the door opened and Sinan Halina came in with an irritated expression on her face. Although the Gesher Wind was high, she sat up straight for no reason.
“Avery has received orders.”
“You moved towards the Western Management Office and the Demon of Despair. What orders did you give?”
“I don’t know, read it yourself.”
At the sharp voice, Gesher Wind quickly took the paper.
There was nothing written on the paper. Gesher Wind snapped his fingers in a familiar manner.
After a while, words appeared on the paper.
‘The number of demon fragments underground is not correct? Among them, there is a Primordial-level… suddenly?’
Gesher Wind racked his brain as to why Avery had sent him such a letter.
‘The Devil’s Fragments are the Imperial Knights and the Directors of the Administration Bureau······.’
It was clear that Avery still had his sights set on Selena.
‘During the comprehensive investigation into this incident, it was revealed that the quantities were not correct···.’
The Devil’s Fragment was a very sensitive topic, so if it actually revealed a connection to Selena, it could be quite useful, but there was no way it would have left a trace.
In the first place, all major cases went through Selena, the director of the Central Management Bureau. Avery probably knew her too, but he had no idea what she was thinking.
‘I’m sure Avery knows.’
Gesher Wind crumpled up the paper, threw it into the trash can on one side, and yawned deeply.
