< Chapter 97 - Interlude >
Chapter 97 – Interlude
Strengthens an already completed Sword Origin.
That too, the Sword Origin that is one with Uther.
It was a question that made one wonder, ‘How?’, but Cassius answered it coolly.
“It’s a kind of enchantment. It adds the power of the Ancient Black Dragon to the Sword Origin, while also changing its composition. If you add horns, claws, and scales, your body will become much sharper and stronger when you activate Sword Origin.”
‘So, how do you do that?’
Because Sword Origin was one with Uther himself.
Surely it’s not like Yuder himself is refining his entire body?
“Huh? No, that’s not true. It’s right to refine your entire body.”
Cassius spoke cheerfully, reading Juder’s expression.
“But instead of melting you in molten iron and hammering you… I’m going to magically refine you. To be honest, this is a refinement that requires more skill as a wizard than as a blacksmith.”
“Hmm… I see.”
I still didn’t feel it, but it was important that it was possible to strengthen it anyway.
[The future is truly simple.]
“I’m intentionally being simple······.”
I hate it when you inject a part of Malekith into my body!
It’s better to just think about it simply because it’s more painful if you think about it like that.
“How long will it take?”
“Time? Well? About three months?”
“Is that so?”
“As I said before, this requires magical refining. It’s no different from transforming your body into an ancient dragon, so it’s bound to take a long time.”
“Hmm… I see. Then, will it be difficult for me to do any activities or anything during those three months?”
“Oh, of course. I guess it’s better to just think of myself as a semi-vegetative person for the next three months?”
Cassius laughed coolly again and continued speaking while patting Uther on the back.
“Oh, and I forgot, but as with all weapons made from the soul and flesh of a dragon, you need the dragon’s factor to handle them properly. I think you already have it, so it shouldn’t be a problem.”
Although the requirement to use Sword Origin was added as ‘having the dragon’s factor’ like Ascalon, Uder accepted it lightly.
It would be understandable if Yuder himself could no longer use it, but it was an excessive luxury to worry about passing it down to future generations when the conditions for use had already been met.
‘As long as it’s not me, it’s fine.’
No, I just need to be able to use it.
There was a moment when it seemed as though Yuder might be mistaken for trash.
[Hereditary, Hereditary, are you planning to make it exclusively for Hereditary now? So that no one other than Hereditary can use it?]
“Yes? Um… Is there anything you don’t like…?”
[No, it’s okay as long as you take full responsibility. And don’t double-cross me.]
“Um, yes. Okay.”
Of course, if a really urgent situation arose, I would consider taking on two or three roles.
‘Something doesn’t seem right.’
I have a feeling that the possibility of misunderstanding is increasing in my choice of words.
But Uder quickly dismissed the thought.
As I have said repeatedly since before, what is important now is the strengthening of Sword Origin itself.
“Then please do so.”
“Okay, I’ll refine you properly.”
Perhaps because he had promised to provide a lot of materials for the Ancient Dragon, or perhaps because the witch was with him, Cassius’s reaction seemed much more cheerful than in the original.
‘By the way, Cassius was a devil. Then who is the enemy that Cassius is trying to defeat? Normally, it would be an angel, but as the witch said, Cassius is a good… It’s strange to use the modifier ‘good’ for a devil, but anyway, if he’s that kind of devil, could it be the overlords of Hell?’
It seemed to make some sense.
It was also explained that the demon Cassius was in the human world and not in hell.
‘Hell was the domain of the overlords. It wouldn’t make sense to think that they were growing in power by taking refuge in a place that the overlords couldn’t reach.’
If that’s true, then the enemy of my enemy is my friend, so wouldn’t it be possible to build a stronger relationship in the future?
It was while Yuder was thinking about this and that.
“But, witch.”
“Speak, baby rabbit.”
When the witch blew her breath into her ear, Cordelia flinched and tried to suppress her urge to run away before asking carefully.
“So… after you left us in the forest, what happened to you then?”
If you think about it, it was something that happened almost a year ago.
The witch laughed at Cordelia’s question and then whispered again.
“I was hiding and recovering my strength. Thanks to that, I was able to touch this baby rabbit.”
Cordelia flinched again as the witch patted her belly, but she continued to say what she wanted to say.
“Witch. Then from now on······.”
“I need to regain my strength. I need to rebuild my body. I still have a long way to go.”
The witch who had Cordelia sitting on her lap and caressing her here and there was currently without a body. As the spirit of a very powerful witch, she had maintained her form, but in order to continue to maintain her intelligence and exert greater power, she absolutely needed a body.
‘Wow… Anyway, I guess it turned out well?’
I couldn’t ask the witch for help right away, but in the original, the witch was at odds with the overlords of Hell.
It was as if a powerful ally had been created that did not exist in the original.
‘Maybe I can get some help in stopping the Great Summoning.’
No, given her witch nature, she would definitely help.
“Helena!”
It was just then.
Cassius, who had been talking to Yuder for a while, looked this way and shouted loudly.
“Pack your bags! I’m going to be out for a while! I’m going to go to this kid’s house and eat and live there for a few months until I finish my work!”
Cassius, who had said that, laughed heartily like Landius and patted Yuder on the back.
And at that sight, the witch smiled elegantly.
“It really is a good feeling. Isn’t it?”
“Oh, yes. I think so. But, Witch. With Cassius······.”
“He was one of the demons I made a contract with. He’s the only demon I have as of now.”
Looking at her eyes, it seemed like there was some kind of long story behind it, but the witch was not the type to talk about her story in detail.
He closed his lips tightly, making Cordelia feel sorry, and slowly got up from his seat.
“Well, let’s go then, little bunny. That idiot Cassius often forgets that I don’t have any luggage.”
In any case, it seemed clear that he was close friends with Cassius, so Cordelia didn’t think about it any further. After all, it was Jude’s job to think about it in the first place.
‘That’s right, that’s right. You think, I do. Right person, right place, right time, right?’
Cordelia shrugged her shoulders, looked back at Cassius’ workshop, and smiled faintly.
‘Anyway, it’s a power up.’
I’m also going to get new, good equipment.
It’s good for Uther to strengthen Sword Origin, it’s good for Cassius to get a lot of materials, and it’s good for Cordelia herself to get new equipment and the witch’s teachings.
[Now, wait a minute. Surely I won’t be buried any deeper than I am now, right? Yes?]
Now, as Melissa, who was inserted into Moonlight, a piece of equipment that was soon to be replaced, raised questions in a small voice, Uther and Cordelia left Cassius’ workshop.
&
Three days passed again after Uther and Cordelia returned.
Large ships came and went busily every day at the Argonne port, carrying an enormous amount of valuables.
“Not only will we recover from this damage, but the Southern Seven Clans… no, all of the Southern Six Clans will take great care of it.”
There were dozens of adult dragon corpses.
“Then what about us?”
“Should we build a few castles?”
Cordelia burst into laughter at Uther’s playful answer.
That’s because Uther and Cordelia had become incredibly rich overnight. In the entire kingdom of Cailun, there were no teenagers richer than them.
‘Still… I plan to use it mostly for making equipment.’
It was obvious that they would rush in with a huge amount of gold from the magic towers of each place, but equipment was more important than money.
There was a lot of equipment that couldn’t be bought with money.
‘I guess I just need to take care of my father-in-law.’
There were so many things I received in the past and even these days.
Like eel, oyster, or ginseng.
However, lately, I have been feeling that the effectiveness of things that are thrown out randomly have been biased towards a certain direction.
“Ahem.”
“Huh? Why?”
“No, just. It’s nothing.”
Uder kissed Cordelia’s forehead a few times as she danced her shoulders and looked back toward the dock.
Under the watchful eye of the Holy Cross Guardians, the sailors unloaded their cargo, which was almost entirely the remains of the ancient dragon Malekith.
“Are we going back now?”
“Okay, let’s go home.”
A mansion of the spirit world that I have never entered before.
The home of Uther himself and Cordelia.
‘Well, we’re not going to live alone.’
Not only Cassius and the witch, but also Landius, Lena, and Kamael decided to go together.
‘There are even dwarves here.’
My father and father-in-law said they would be together for a while to take control of the territory, so it seemed like things would be noisy for at least a couple of months.
“But Yuder.”
“Oh, Cordelia.”
“You have an older sister and an older brother. You said it would be about four months from now, right?”
The marriage of two people.
And the next things that fathers keep mentioning subtly.
Instead of saying anything else, Cordelia leaned into Uther’s arms, and Uther hugged her tightly.
And the next morning.
Near the north gate of Argonne Harbor.
“Bye! If you need help at any time, just let me know! Even if it’s the end of the world, I’ll run to you! I’ll train hard, too, you know?”
So that we can stand shoulder to shoulder next time.
Not just to receive help, but to be able to give help.
As Caesar, who had come out to see them off, waved his hand loudly and shouted, the last of the carriages departed – Cordelia, who was riding in a large four-horse carriage, also stuck her head out the window and shouted.
“Goodbye, Caesar! See you later!”
“Yes! Of course! Let’s have fun together again, including that girl Scarlett!”
“Okay! Got it!”
It was too childish for a conversation between girls in their late teens – and it seemed like a conversation between boys, too – but there was nothing that could be done about it for Kaisa and Cordelia.
“Cordelia! And don’t forget! Do exactly as you read in the book! Just as you read! Got it?”
“Yeah! Thanks, Kaiser!”
For a moment, Uder remembered the book inside the paper bag and tried hard to ignore it, but Cordelia, unaware of this fact, continued to wave her hand.
And in another carriage.
Helena, the witch of the Western Forest, who was sitting across from Cassius, who was already starting to doze off, lit the bear’s ash and took a deep sip. She looked out the window, acting like a living person with only her soul.
Last year.
In fact, as I told Cordelia, I didn’t just hide and regain my strength.
Because she also felt uncomfortable.
A little bit of doubt.
Something feels strange.
And finally, the witch was able to somewhat understand the source of the discomfort she had been feeling for the past year.
Landius and Lena.
The witch herself.
Sebastian Le Guin and the many people of the South.
A faint smile spread across the witch’s face. She exhaled a long puff of smoke from her cauldron, looked back and forth between the sky and the ground, and then smiled again.
“indeed.”
It’s different, it’s different.
Things have changed.
When I first met Uther and Cordelia a year ago.
I couldn’t understand it at the time.
Cordelia knew about the seal and the witch herself, but did not know about the witch’s power.
Likewise, Yuder, whose knowledge was unbalanced.
But now I knew. I could guess why it was so.
‘Still, I guess I should check a little more?’
Whether the witch’s own hypothesis is correct.
And if that’s true, how could such things happen?
The witch, who had once again vomited out a long white smoke, looked away. With her mysterious green eyes, she looked at the distant monastery of Saint Croot—the land where the young god Atalia slept.
&
Time passed quickly.
Winter passed and the thawing spring arrived, and with the changing seasons, the earth also changed its clothes.
The Kingdom of Seilun also experienced many changes.
In the south, a new order was established centered around the Marquis of Orphan, and in the north, trade between the inhabitants of the wild lands and the northerners began.
Henry II worked energetically. It would not be an exaggeration to say that people had changed since the rebellion of the Guardians. Under his leadership, the center became much stronger and more solid than before, leaving no room for the empire to invade.
About a month passed like that.
Three months had passed since the final battle with Malekith.
A letter arrived for Uther and Cordelia, who were now eighteen years old.
It was an invitation to Gail and Adelia’s upcoming wedding.
&
< Chapter 97 - Interlude > End
