170. Festival of the Sword (13)
#170
The day dawned. As always, Farzan’s sky was a clear blue. The wind that had been blowing strong all night had calmed down.
The participants started walking as soon as they finished breakfast. The last base was located not far from the summit, so we had to climb the mountain for quite a long time.
This time, the leaders of the procession were Ronan and Nabirose, who walked quickly. Ronan opened his mouth with his eyes focused on the summit where the shrine was located.
“This hike is over now.”
“There is still a shrine left. Of course, based on the last base, if you fall, your nose will be within reach.”
“Well, it was like that.”
“By the way, you came home quite late last night. What happened?”
Nabirose asked a question. Although Ronan was taken aback by the sudden question, he tried to keep his expression as if nothing had happened. After drinking and drinking all night long, he returned to base at dawn. Ronan, who was quickly thinking, hinted.
“Uh… I just came back to get some air. “Someone asked me to teach them how to use a knife, so I taught them.”
“Right. Did you enjoy the time you spent with that cat?”
“Well, it’s okay in its own way…huh.”
Ronan took a deep breath. Nabirose was still walking straight ahead with a grave expression. Ronan swallowed thickly and opened his mouth.
“···Did you know?”
“It’s strange not knowing. “How many times do you think I competed with that cat?”
“sorry. “I’m afraid they won’t like it if I tell them.”
Ronan scratched his head as if feeling embarrassed. She didn’t know if all swordsmen had good senses, or if only those with good senses became swordsmen. After a moment of silence, I opened her mouth.
“done. You say you want to be friends, but it can’t be helped. But it would be good to keep in mind what I said before.”
“What did you say? Oh, I heard that Jaifa is a dangerous guy.”
“okay. Just remember that I’m not saying this because I simply hate that old monster. Who caused the canine night? Hatred is like a plague and is easily contagious.”
“Hatred?”
Ronan tilted his head at the meaningful-sounding words. Butterfly Rose did not respond but walked ahead of him. He said it was okay, but he also seemed displeased with playing with Jaifa. I was wondering how to solve it. A familiar voice came from behind.
“hey.”
At the same time, someone’s palm was gently stroking her buttocks. For some reason, it seemed like his hands were becoming more sinister. Ronan turned his head with a look of disdain. Sure enough, Rin was putting her hands on her hips.
“Aren’t you going to take your hand off?”
“I couldn’t ask you yesterday. “Do you like me that much?”
“What does that mean all of a sudden?”
“I know everything. “You were trying to impress me.”
“So what?”
“It’s weird. “I caught a hundred fish by myself during yesterday’s test.”
Rin poked his side with her elbow as if it was enough. Ronan laughed. It seems to be true that people laugh when something is so absurd.
“Did I eat something wrong?”
“Hmph. It was old-fashioned, but it didn’t have a bad appeal. “I will consider your proposal positively.”
Lin smiled. It seemed obvious to her that she had picked up something strange on her own this morning. She slapped Ronan’s butt and walked ahead. Before she knew it, Schlieffen, who had come up right next to her, was passing by and muttering.
“I feel sorry for the student council president.”
“f*ck, why are you even doing that?”
They arrived at the final point in the afternoon. It was similar in size to the bases I had visited so far, but the facilities were the best. Ronan, seeing several people already walking around, shrugged his eyebrows.
“It looks like they came first.”
Regardless of age or gender, their spirit was extraordinary, truly befitting a survivor who had passed three tests. However, the overall atmosphere was dramatically different from that of the participants from Gran Farzan.
He spoke little and had no one to go around with. The fact that he was walking around with a stiff expression on his face gave the impression that he was intimidated. People who noticed the difference whispered.
“Why is the atmosphere like that over there?”
“I heard there is a scary guy. Is it because of him?”
“Shouldn’t I take the blade away? “I feel like I’m going to commit suicide at any moment.”
It was definitely strange. Ronan shook his head as if he sympathized with her.
Now that I think about it, the guy who is supposed to be the devil hasn’t been seen yet. I think it would be good to at least see their faces before the sparring begins. Ronan, who was looking around, caught a man walking nearby and asked him a question.
“Hey. They say there’s a scary guy over there. Do you know where it is? “The one with pure white hair.”
“…Why are you looking for that bastard? “I don’t know!”
The man waved his arm as if to shake it off. Ronan frowned at her unexpected nervous reaction. He suddenly noticed that other participants from Aran Farzan were glaring at him.
“What are you looking at?”
Even if I suddenly pulled down my pants and peed, I didn’t think they would look at me like that. Russell, who saw that, muttered as if he was talking to himself.
“I think it’s worth trying at this level…”
“ok?”
Russell’s eyes were quickly scanning the participants of Aran Farzan. It sounded somehow suspicious. Ronan asked.
“What’s worth trying?”
“hmm···? Alas, the participants over there are in a timid mood, so it looks like they will be able to pass the final exam with ease. “If that happens, you lose before you even fight.”
Russell smiled and answered. It was a smile that seemed somehow awkward. Ronan said as if warning.
“Don’t make a fuss. “It will all be over tomorrow anyway.”
“Would it be possible? Come on, let’s go unpack first.”
Russell, carrying his backpack again, took the lead. The dumbfounded participants followed him one by one. Ronan continued his steps even though he felt uncomfortable. As he said, it would all be over tomorrow.
****
It was evening. The prediction that he would not be able to exchange a single word with Aran Farzan was spectacularly wrong. The woman she was talking to sat across from Ronan, widening her eyes in admiration.
“Ah, you were the one who caught a hundred fish in the third test. We saw that they had taken some monsters with us, so we wondered what was going on. “It’s amazing.”
“It wasn’t a big deal. “Who caught the most there?”
She was one of the contestants from Aran Farzan. Throughout the restaurant, participants from both sides were naturally conversing. Because Ronan finished training a little late and came separately, the other party members were not visible.
The biggest contributor to improving the atmosphere was the fermented barley drink. As we naturally mingled and drank a glass or two of beer each, conversation became more natural.
There were several lodgings, but there was only one restaurant, so the participants had to eat together, and the fact that the devil didn’t show up at the restaurant because he was living off the dew was also a big help. The woman who had been pausing opened her mouth.
“···You know, it’s the devil. “It was the last order, and all 97 remaining animals were slaughtered.”
The woman twisted her mouth as if she was tired of it. This young lady also seemed to have a fairly stereotypical nickname, considering what her devil was doing. She took a swig of her beer as if trying to wash away her terrible memories.
“What have you done that has so many people curled up? “That one looks pretty strong too.”
Ronan said, pointing to the necklace she was wearing. A piece in the shape of a burning flame was crafted in silver. It was the symbol of the Flame Knights, one of the ten most powerful military groups in the Empire.
It was one of the few knights that Ronan had known since his previous life, and just belonging to it was like proving his skills. I think I’ve been eating Kalbap for quite some time. The woman fiddling with her necklace smiled wryly.
“Ahaha… I thought so too, but it was a different level. “You should have seen it for yourself.”
“Where are you now?”
“As soon as I arrived, I locked myself in my dorm and didn’t come out. It was always like that. “It’s rather fortunate.”
She described in detail what the devil had done during her three trials. In her first test, she cut off the wrists of all the remaining participants, and in the second battle for the flag, she killed not only the opposing faction but also allies who got in the way, under the pretense of an accident. Because she cleverly killed with a sharp sword, she was not sanctioned at all.
And in the third test, as we just heard, 97 monsters were killed, and the carnage was so horrific that it was impossible to look at it with one’s eyes open. Indeed, as Russell said, his actions were worthy of being called the devil. The woman, who took another swig of her beer, continued her words.
“Puha… One thing is clear: he is related to the explosive sword Croden.”
“Croden? “That guy who was a sword saint?”
Ronan raised his eyebrows at the sudden sound. I definitely remembered talking about it with Schlieffen during the first test.
A bastard who killed all the other contestants because they were not chosen for the Holy Sword. The culprit who made the identification process so thorough that it was annoying. Her lady nodded her head.
“yes. Everyone who remembers him is sure of that. Either a disciple or a hidden child. Otherwise, it is impossible to look like that. Even his monster-like skills are convincing.”
“Why are they so similar?”
“Everything.” “The way he wields a knife, his brutality, and his appetite for eating only raw meat… the only thing that makes him different is his quiet personality.”
The woman unraveled the story related to the Takuryu Sword in a voice filled with anger. Ronan giggled as the story progressed. It was not because she was funny, but because she was so vicious.
He did not hesitate to burn down a rural village on the false accusation of hiding the devil, or to rape a woman he liked. He was also famous for his unusual eating habits, eating only raw meat with dripping blood, and rumors even spread in the public that he was a cannibal.
At this point, I felt like I could understand why Nabirose, who had brought Croden down from his position as a sword saint, was revered so much. The woman clapped her hands after she finished explaining.
“That’s right, I heard that Nabirose participated. Is that true? By the way, you said he was from Phil Leon Academy, right?”
“yes. “We came up together.”
“Kyaa! Who are you in reality? We can meet tomorrow, right? Since I was a child, I was entrusted to the Order of Knights, so I never had a chance to see him in person. Thanks to that person, I have a sword…”
The woman’s gloomy expression instantly brightened. Seeing her change into someone else, I felt quite envious of her. She was in the middle of praising her Butterfly Rosé. Someone shouted from a corner of the restaurant.
“Riley, leave it at that! “You were in a meeting!”
“Ah, okay!”
The woman who answered nervously stood up. She smiled at Ronan and spoke in a voice filled with regret.
“sorry. “I think I should go soon.”
“it was fun.”
“Ahaha… me too. “I hope to see you at the sacred place.”
The woman turned her back. Ronan turned her head in the direction she was walking. In that corner, five men and women were whispering. Judging by the unfamiliar faces of all of them, they seemed to be participants from Aran Farzan. Except one person. Ronan narrowed his eyes at her after spotting an unexpected person.
‘When did that bastard become that close again?’
Russell was talking intently, even making hand gestures. A woman named Riley sat down between them. She clicked her tongue as if she felt sorry for Ronan. Now she’s conspiring with her to figure out what she’s going to do.
He quietly emptied the remaining glass and returned to his dorm. He was wondering how to free Rosé, the sulky butterfly, and he was glad he did. It would be better if I told them that I had found a devoted believer.
Ronan, after a quick wash, lay down on the bed. Perhaps because her hike was long, she felt drowsy as soon as she closed her eyes.
****
“Uhm…”
Ronan opened his eyes. Her body was cold, probably because she had slept with the blanket kicked off all night. He raised his upper body, looked around, and sighed.
“···I woke up too early.”
The dark blue night sky was shining outside the window. Judging by the faintly bright colors, it seemed like the sun would rise soon. Schlieffen, who shared the same room, was fast asleep in his bed.
Ronan left the dormitory with quiet steps. I was planning to go in and light a cigarette. The moment I opened the door, the air suddenly became cold. While rummaging through his pockets, he let out a curse.
“Shit.”
There were no pipes. Only then did I remember having my cigarette pipe stolen from Nabirose. At the time, I just passed it on because I was in the mood, but when I think about it, there was no such absurdity. Ronan, who had been muttering while kicking a small stone, was relieved of her anger only when he remembered her naked body.
“…Because there was no damage.”
Ronan had his hands in his pockets and did not take any steps. Since she was awake anyway, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to go for a walk. As she took a deep breath, the dawn air swept through her lungs. Ronan looked around the silent street and muttered quietly.
“It was long.”
It was finally today. Once this exam is over, I will step on that famous shrine. The secret about the devil would be revealed in just a few hours. Ronan wandered around aimlessly, remembering the conversation he had with Jaifa the night before. It was a car he had been wandering around in for about ten minutes.
“···hmm?”
Ronan sniffed. The wind that passed by her nose was filled with a mixture of foreign scents. Ronan turned his head in the direction from which the wind was blowing. Before long, the wind came again. His eyebrows furrowed.
“···Smell of blood.”
There was no way I was confused. It was an intensely familiar scent of fresh blood. Ronan changed her direction and walked quickly. A premonition that something was wrong with her prickled her temples.
‘What the hell happened again?’
Ronan, who was walking faster and faster, eventually started running. The sound of his footsteps echoed across the silent street. The smell of his blood was getting stronger.
“Huh…f*ck.”
Ronan finally stopped and raised his head. A log cabin that served as a food warehouse was built in a cluster. The scent of blood was coming from inside. It would be nice if you were taking care of a freshly caught wild animal.
Ronan took a deep breath and pushed open the wooden door. The unlatched door opened with a creaking sound. The accumulated bloody smell covered Ronan like fog. I could see sacks of sacks stacked up to the ceiling, shelves filled with ingredients, and a side door leading to the meat warehouse.
It was the car that Ronan was about to step into. Something touched his feet. Ronan’s face hardened as he lowered his gaze. One of his hooded heads was rolling around on the floor.
“Russell.”
Ronan opened his mouth reflexively. She was definitely Russell. Next to her head, her headless body was strewn like trash. Her heart started beating so fast it felt like it was going to explode.
His face was so distorted that it seemed like he had suffered terribly before he died. Both hands were missing from his body lying in a pool of blood.
Russell was not the only corpse. A total of six corpses were lying around the warehouse. The head and both wrists were cleanly separated from the body. Among them was a female knight named Riley, who had been talking to Ronan last night. A sharp dagger had pierced her mouth and exited the back of her head.
“What the heck is this…”
The sword marks left on the cut surface were familiar. Squeak – At that moment, the side door inside the warehouse opened and a young man walked out. His lips were constantly gurgling as if he was eating something, and the corners of his mouth were covered in blood. His white hair was wet with blood and stained a little red. It wasn’t that difficult to figure out the young man’s identity.
“hmm?”
The young man, who belatedly noticed Ronan, turned his head. The two people’s eyes met. He swallowed what he was chewing and spoke in an annoyed tone.
“What are you?”
“You f*cking bastard.”
The presence or absence of sparkling mana was not important. Anger, almost instinctive, moved my body. The demon’s eyes widened as Ronan grabbed the hilt of her sword. The sound of metal clashing between swords shattered the silence of the dawn.
