Episode 113: Castle Sigurd’s Daily Life
Four days have passed since arriving in Switzerland.
This is how things work in the Nibelungen.
Wake up at 5am.
Before the rooster crows, he washes his body with cold water to drive away drowsiness. The reason for the cold water is that the old pipes do not provide hot water.
I understand, since the building is old.
Breakfast starts at 6 o’clock.
Meals are simple, with rye bread and cheese.
It’s a simple table setting for a nobleman, but I guess that’s to be expected.
I guess not all nobles eat lavishly, and I’ve come to realize that the Emperor is a bit stingy.
After breakfast, at 7 o’clock.
We cut firewood for use as firewood. Abel and I take turns doing it every other day.
Some may wonder, what kind of firewood is there in August when the heat still lingers?
I agree with that statement, but only in the case of ‘Republic of Korea’.
But here, Castle Sigurd is located just below the Alps.
Even though it is late summer, the peaks of the mountain range are covered with white veils of snow. That means that it is bone-chillingly cold all year round.
So, in this place where there is no Korean ondol, they use firewood to light the fire in the brazier, just like they used to light a fire in the old days.
I am once again feeling the advancement of Korea’s heating system.
‘If it’s this cold before fall even comes, how do the people living here survive the winter… …?’
By the way, the Nibelungs only have two employees.
The members are a middle-aged male butler and a young female maid.
The butler’s name is Caron.
Should I say that he has the exact impression of a butler? He is probably the middle-aged butler you imagine. Even the cliché of a one-eyed butler. He was perfect.
The role is the general manager of Castle Sigurd.
He takes care of most things, including food supplies, cooking, gardening, facility maintenance, and entertaining guests.
A butler who does his job so well that it is admirable. My first impression of Caron was that he was like a Taoist monk practicing silence.
Minimum speech. Answering questions with a nod. A typical example of a taciturn butler.
Next is Maid Shail. A stunning beauty with a bob cut, she takes care of everything other than the butler Cain’s work.
For example, cleaning, laundry, hunting, security, and crime prevention.
The only unique feature is that he wears a holster with a metal skewer strapped to his thigh.
Because of her extraordinary nature, I asked Abel about her on the first day of arrival.
– Shail? She’s the maid who took care of me since I was little, but she’s really young. She’s four years older than us, so she’s probably around twenty-one. … But why Shail… … ? T, Sword Maid… You, could it be Shail too?!
Abel suddenly lost his temper. He asked out of curiosity, but why is he so oversensitive?
I’ve heard that in the West, asking for personal information is considered very rude.
It must be unpleasant for Abel, the employer.
anyway.
Shail had a chic attitude, but he was actually kind. He was the type to take care of things without saying anything.
If you need anything, just have it waiting at the door before you even say anything.
―Knock, knock, knock. After knocking three times, she left. Even if I opened the door right away, she disappeared right away.
It seemed as if he was not willing to give words of thanks, leaving only the lingering scent of footsteps, like a ghost.
Although not as good as Auditore, Shail’s blocking and footwork were also extraordinary.
‘The aura she gives off is unusual. And isn’t it normal for maids to be in charge of hunting wild animals or keeping the public safe? … ?’
Well, as a member of the Nibelungs, he must have had basic military power. I don’t know to what extent though.
Butler Caron and maid Shail.
The work of the two people I watched for four days was quick and accurate.
Even though there are only two of them, this castle is kept clean.
But no matter how well you do things, almost to the point of being superhuman, you still only have one pair of hands.
With just two hands, there is a limit to how far you can reach.
‘The mansion of the true and highest nobleman has so few employees, huh?’
I guess it’s because of the hikikomori personality that is unique to Siegfried. He had an obsessive dislike for crowds.
So, aside from the duties of Charon and Shail, Abel and I help out with the rest.
For example, chopping firewood or occasionally going grocery shopping.
Everything was fine up to this point. Since I was going to pay for the meal anyway, I came prepared to do some housework.
There is a thing called ‘eye-catching rice’. If you eat rice without doing anything, it is more like a bed of thorns.
‘People have no shame.’
Besides, since it’s not just me, but Abel and the swordsman are also with me, I have no resentment or complaints.
For someone like me who has been working in society since I was seventeen, something like this is not even considered trivial.
Up until now, it’s been a satisfying day.
My lungs felt cleansed as I breathed in the clean air, free from the stale fine dust.
Above all, it is a pleasure for the eyes. If you just roll your eyes, there are magnificent views everywhere. At first glance, you can see why Switzerland is considered a good country to live in.
But just one thing.
There is something I absolutely cannot stand―
* * *
In the basement of the castle, the sword master’s personal training room.
A gloomy atmosphere and suffocating silence descended.
“… … .”
It’s so quiet that my ears are ringing.
What are you doing here? I’m sitting cross-legged and meditating with the sword master.
That too – I’ve been doing this for four hours, since breakfast.
My knees are numb to the point of numbness, and my lower back is cramping up.
He opened his right eye slightly and glanced to the side.
The sword master was meditating solemnly. He was in the same posture as four hours ago, without a single flaw.
I stared at the sword quietly and then sighed softly.
The sound of breathing echoed in the suffocating silence.
‘I came all the way to Switzerland to meditate.’
If I go back to the root of what I am doing, it is the first reason why the swordsman brought me to Switzerland.
‘I promised to guide you through training and cultivation for the succession of Chilseong.’
He is the personal instructor of the sword master who has reigned over the title of humanity’s strongest swordsman for decades.
It is an extraordinary privilege that will make others’ mouths drop open when they hear about it.
And as a fellow swordsman, as a senior who has eaten more sword rice than me.
I was secretly hopeful that I would be able to learn and become enlightened a lot.
The value of teachings from a great teacher is something I learned from my first teacher.
So, I was secretly looking forward to those contents… … .
In reality, it is a daily practice of meditation while sitting in meditation and meditation.
Until lunch, a whole four hours.
The censor’s remarks on this point are as follows:
― The foundation of your protection itself will be complete. However, its power is too strong and primitive to handle easily. In this situation, increasing force is useless. It is a priority to adjust the protection to suit you through conversation with yourself. I will spend the first week here for that.
To summarize the explanation, it is about sharpening and refining the ‘Protection of the Sword God’ that is close to raw through ‘meditation’.
The intention itself is good. No, you could say it’s right.
The inherent potential is sufficient, so it is just a matter of regulating it through meditation. However… … .
“eww-“
A groan escaped from his teeth. The inspector dismissed it with his eyes closed.
“Don’t joke around. I’m like this today and tomorrow, so how can a young person do that?”
“…yes.”
“Just hold on a little longer. Just thirty more minutes.”
“… … .”
‘You have to do it for thirty more minutes?’
I sighed inwardly. It was too painful.
After sitting cross-legged for hours, I can feel the crucible wearing down.
My back aches, my pelvis trembles, and my buttocks quiver against the cold stone floor.
‘Oh, crazy. A rat is here.’
Rather than having a conversation with myself, I wanted to get out of this situation as quickly as possible.
For that reason, the swordsman is standing too firmly by his side.
How could a young child like me throw a tantrum when a seventy-year-old man is still there?
dripping-
Two knocks broke the silence of the training room.
The inspector’s eyes slowly opened. He quietly got up and headed toward the door.
I also tried to get up, but the cold glare from the inspector made me stay in the cross-legged position.
Add some lies, it’s as painful as the first manifestation of the Sword God’s protection.
The inspector opened the door.
-Squeak
Butler Caron stood in the gap between the old hinges and the noise they made. There was a considerable look of bewilderment on his face. It was clearly different from his usual expressionless face.
“Excuse me, Your Majesty. May I borrow your ears?”
Caron whispered softly to the inspector. He was curious about what was going on, but he looked away.
The reason he speaks so quietly is probably because it is a personal story. It is not something that an outsider like me should be interested in.
Because that wasn’t the immediate problem.
‘I can’t feel anything in my lower body.’
My lower abdomen is empty. The feeling of numbness has completely taken over my lower body. How can I get up…? I can’t use my strength?
-That moment.
“What?! Richa, that crazy bastard!?”
The sword master, frowning, shouted. For me, who had only ever seen stern figures, this was a first-time sight of his expression.
“I- My lord. Behind you is the swordsman Kang Geum-ma.”
“Ah, ahem. I got excited for a moment.”
The inspector cleared his throat and softened his tone. However, his face remained stiff.
I looked at the two people from afar, then thought about the name that the inspector had spat out.
‘…Richa.’
Although the last name was omitted, it was easy to guess who the person was.
The only person in this world who uses that name. There is only one person who can make the sword master so angry.
Rachel’s great-uncle and a giant who holds the Seven Stars’ Hanseok.
Richard de Murat, the Spear Saint.
Although his status was somewhat inferior to that of the swordsman, it was said that no one could compare to him in terms of physical strength. The logic was that he made up for his lack of technique with his strength.
They say that if you take over a B-class government in one go, your head will burst like a watermelon.
Rumor has it that he’s a lion in human skin. I’ve never seen him in a game, so I don’t know if it’s true or not.
However, in terms of physical perfection, he must be the best among the Seven Star Heroes, to the point where such rumors are circulating.
‘But why is Changseong’s name mentioned?’
The swordsman said to Caron.
“I have some urgent business to attend to. I might be home late, or maybe even a little later. So, let the kids eat first.”
“Yes, my lord.”
After saying that, the inspector quickly left the training room.
The sound of someone climbing the stairs echoed. When the sound was no longer audible, I got up, pressing down on the floor.
… that’s exactly what I was trying to do.
“… … .”
I met eyes with Caron, who was standing with his back to the ground.
His sullen eyes lowered even lower.
“There are still 15 minutes left.”
“… … .”
“Your Majesty the Sword.”
Sigh- I laughed weakly.
Then he immediately straightened his back. He was in a perfect sitting position.
Only then does Caron nod.
Inflexibility is the same for both employees and butlers.
…shit.
* * *
“Ugh… … .”
A groan escaped my teeth. After four days of crossing my legs, I felt like my internal organs were being twisted.
I skipped lunch too. I was hungry, but my legs were numb and sore.
I buried my back in the bedsheet. All I could see was an unfamiliar ceiling. As I stared into the empty space, my mind suddenly flashed.
“Now that I think about it, Switzerland is close to that dungeon.”
His upper body shot up. He then opened the carrier and took out Murasame.
Looking down at the half-bladed blade, a smile appears on my face.
“What a lucky coincidence.”
The vacation that I would have spent just training has now found purpose.
However, prior preparation and party members are essential to enter the dungeon.
“At least three people were required to enter… … .”
Not only the entry conditions but also the defense must be secure.
The path is rough, and above all, the devil is in the hidden space… … .
I don’t even want to set foot there, but what can I do?
Since we prioritized strengthening our armament, we’ll have to eat mustard while crying.
‘This is where one of the few magic stones in the world is located… … .’
When you are shedding a worried sigh.
Knock—knock—knock—
As usual, there were three knocks on the door.
“I guess it’s already time for dinner.”
I didn’t respond because I thought she was Maid Shail. Even if I spoke to her, there was no answer.
Knock—knock—knock—
But again the knock came.
I opened the door, tilting my head.
An unexpected person was standing timidly in front of the door.
“… What is it? Why are you here?”
It was Abel. She was holding a glossy blanket in her arms.
“Yes, I have some things to return.”
“… … ?”
Abel raised his eyes slightly. His golden eyes sparkled brilliantly between his eyebrows.
“I have something to talk about… … .”
Abel asked, pushing his side hair behind his ear.
