87
Buy a sword
After making the safe, I took a short break and then headed to Jackson.
Since everything was slow in the Middle Ages, it was necessary to place the order in advance. Kanna tried to follow, but was stopped by Hannah grabbing her by the nape of her neck.
In front of Jackson’s house, a polite middle-aged man stood guard.
No matter how you look at him, he seems weaker than Jackson, so the word bodyguard doesn’t suit him.
“Not now.”
“why?”
“···There is something going on.”
At that moment, a familiar voice was heard from inside.
“No matter how much my father tells me not to, I will become the shadow of Cassidy! I have already made a promise with Aaron! Aaron will be in the sunny side of Cassidy! I will be in the shade! To rule!”
That stupid voice was definitely Scar’s.
How could a man of his age and even a wife say something like that… I couldn’t help but feel sorry for Jackson.
“Ahem… Anyway, today won’t do.”
The middle-aged man coughed awkwardly.
“I guess I should go in? That’s the Cathedic sundial you’re talking about.”
I said lightly, grinning.
“How old are you! Are you still talking nonsense without coming to your senses? I told you, it doesn’t suit your aptitude! If you just go to work at the woodworking shop properly….”
“You say I have no aptitude! I already have twenty mouths! Twenty mouths! And does my father have the right to say such things?! The reason I chose this path is···.”
As the conversation inside became more heated, the middle-aged man’s face became more pleasant to look at.
“It’s harder than it looks to be a gangster. It’s also harder to pass it down as a family business.”
“Ahem… Go back.”
“I’m the partner of that Cassidy Shadow Aspirant over there. If you let me in, I’ll preach his dream together with you.”
The middle-aged man glared at me with a frown, but the mood was broken by Scar’s next words, “Dad, you don’t know shit!”
bang!
Scar, with a bruised face, opened the door roughly and came out.
“···Aaron?”
“Yes, Scar. There’s strong opposition from your family.”
“Don’t worry. My will won’t be broken to this extent.”
I had a hard time telling whether he was joking or being serious, looking at the serious guy’s face. I hoped he was joking, but the way my heart was pounding against my chest told me he was serious.
‘The ruler of the back alleys who fights against the opposition of his family… Oh my god.’
I couldn’t just laugh because the place where the back alley ruler was active was where I was on guard duty.
“······Let them in.”
A thick voice came from inside.
I tapped the middle-aged man on the shoulder and passed him by.
The middle-aged man frowned, but tried to suppress it. He was a well-trained dog.
The inside was a mess.
‘Well, it was a mess to begin with.’
The filthy office of Scarnom resembled Jackson’s.
“···Aaron.”
Furry Jackson opened his eyes wide and called me.
“Yeah, Jackson. Are you having trouble getting your child to do what you want?”
I spoke with a bitter smile.
“Even the emperor can’t do as he pleases with his own children. ···You may not know this, though.”
Jackson put a pipe the size of a man’s forearm into his mouth and exhaled smoke.
“Yeah, whatever.”
I answered nonchalantly, but my mouth felt dry for no reason.
“···What brings you here?”
“Oh, I was thinking of buying a sword.”
“knife?”
“Oh. Something good.”
The hairs above Jackson’s eyes rose sharply at my answer.
“···What do you think of me?”
“Retired father of a long-haired man.”
“It’s a long-term father···.”
Jackson, who had been mumbling softly, started laughing loudly.
The laughter was so loud that it shook the room.
“You’re crazy. Was it that shocking to have your child inherit the family business? If it were me, I would have taught you some household secrets. Like how to grab the nape of your neck so that you can spit out more money.”
“Isn’t that your specialty? You’ll definitely pass it on to me later. Anyway, it’s a sword···”
Scar’s muttering reminded me of Kanna, who had been following me around, carrying stones and making a safe, and I felt uneasy for no reason.
Suddenly, I imagined Kanna swinging her fist with a frown on her face, but I shook my head forcefully.
‘Hey, even so···.’
He seemed to be acting younger on purpose, as if he was being childish, but he was a smart kid who could survive among the gangs. He was completely different from the stupid, big, and innocent Ska.
“How much sword do you want?”
“About 30 gold.”
“It’s a lot of money, but it’s not enough to buy a famous sword.”
Jackson, who had been silent for a moment, puffing out smoke, continued speaking.
“As you know, the famous sword is managed by the Empire. It’s not impossible to take him out, but since the price is very high… it’s quite inefficient. It’s a waste.”
Jackson waved his palm, which was as big as a pot lid.
“But the magic sword is different. The Empire is lenient on magic swords. Because of that, even if they have the same performance, the price can differ by five to ten times.”
Jackson held the pipe in his mouth and swung it lightly in his hand like a sword.
‘···Demon Sword?’
These guys here are weak to superstition, so if the owner of a sword falls off his horse and dies repeatedly, they call it a demon sword. Even if it was called a demon sword in the first place, it was likely just a slightly unlucky item.
I already had the devil’s handprint there, so I wondered what the devil’s sword had to do with it…
‘Even so, the devil’s handprint and the magic sword…? Isn’t this a bit much?’
I had a feeling that something was seriously wrong.
“Surely you are afraid of the Demon Sword?”
I nodded at Jackson’s strangely off-putting words. It was my chance to bargain.
“Of course. Why would it be a magic sword? Ugh… This is unsettling.”
“Ugh… I’ll lower the fee a bit. For 30 gold, you can get a really nice magic sword.”
“I said it was awkward. And I’m an honorary monk. Would I be able to use a magic sword if I carried it around? I guess I’ll just have to be satisfied with the sword for now.”
“···I’ll lower it a little. I’ll get you something that suits you very well.”
I looked at Jackson, who seemed to be trying to push it in somehow, and ran my finger over his chin. The amount was large, but Jackson was strangely aggressive. Jackson turned his head and avoided my gaze.
“I received a request to sell this magic sword?”
“Khuhhhh···.”
It was clear that someone had posted a request to sell the Demon Sword. The reward would be quite high. Otherwise, Jackson would not have been so active.
Jackson avoided my gaze with an ‘ugh…’ sound, and I waited for him while fiddling with the oddly shaped iron on the display case.
Knock knock.
Jackson’s mouth opened after the sound of iron striking was heard.
“Yeah! I got the job! You go around imitating stupid things all over the neighborhood, but you’re really witty!”
Jackson, who had been avoiding eye contact for a long time, suddenly shouted.
Jackson was the type who would rather keep his mouth shut when he got extremely angry. His acting was clear.
‘When did I ever imitate something stupid···.’
I was wondering how much I could cut.
“If it weren’t for the magic sword, I would have received 200 gold for it. Are you going to miss out on this great opportunity to purchase such a famous sword for 30 gold?”
“No. It was originally 30 gold, but with the Imperial Premium, it’s now 200 gold. You have to do the math correctly.”
I wiggled my fingers and retorted.
“···Imperial Premium? Anyway, you said you needed a sword! Do you have 200 gold? No, you don’t? What kind of sword can you get with just 30 gold!”
“I have a sword. My best friend gave it to me as a gift. And the magic sword is a bit much for me, as an honorary monk…”
“This guy is an honorary monk! It’s time for the empire to fall!”
There was a sharp exchange of words, with prices fluctuating as they brushed against each other.
However, since Jackson’s hand had already been revealed as he had already received the request, the sword hilt was on my side. I leaned my back against the bookshelf behind me, and Jackson leaned forward as if he was going to get up from his chair.
“······20 gold.”
Jackson’s mood suddenly became heavy and he became quiet.
‘Is this the Maginot Line?’
I nodded, smacking my lips again.
“What is the dignity of an honorary monk?”
Jackson asked, the fur above his eyes twitching.
“Dignity does not come from the outside, but from the essence of a person.”
Uduk.
The armrest of the chair Jackson was sitting on was broken like a piece of tofu.
“Oh, but how did the owners of those magic swords die?”
He nodded at Jackson’s satisfied reaction and handed over five gold coins as a deposit.
Jackson wasn’t an idiot, so he didn’t answer anything that was obviously going to be a flaw after the first time.
Jackson, who had been collecting gold coins, opened his mouth.
No, the hair that was supposed to be the mouth part moved.
“I heard it was a costume shop.”
Instead of the anger that had filled his voice just a moment ago, there was only laughter.
‘There was a reason it didn’t sell.’
There was no way that the uncivilized medieval people, who blindly believed in superstitions and for whom child-making was their greatest pastime, would have purchased such a thing.
If I hadn’t been a person who doesn’t believe in superstitions, it would definitely not have been sold even if I died.
‘I guess I could have cut it a little more.’
When I let out a sigh of regret, Jackson waved his hands.
“I’ll get the item to you as quickly as possible.”
Jackson’s fur opened and his yellow teeth were revealed.
‘Was it acting?’
I looked at him and smacked my lips.
***
The next day, when I arrived at headquarters, Brick, who had become thinner than before, greeted me.
“Captain, are you okay?”
“···okay.”
Charlotte fed the baby fish bread three times a day, and all the fat on her cheeks had disappeared.
“Master, marriage is a really good thing.”
Brick muttered a spell next to me as I changed my boots. His lifeless eyes and dry voice were strangely chilling.
“What’s going on?”
“Nothing much. I’m happy. Marriage is the best. I hope the team leader gets married too. No, not just the team leader, but I hope all the other team members get married too. Just me… Just me…”
Brick suddenly trailed off as he spoke.
Brick, who had finally returned to his usual smile, continued speaking.
“I can’t be happy.”
At that voice of determination, I shook my head and got up from my seat.
Afterwards, I reported to the captain, and he said that the inner quarters were looking for me.
He told Brick to go to the gate and watch the inspection, but Brick shook his head roughly and told him not to leave him alone.
The child seemed to have a breakdown, so I hit him on the head.
Then the fixed Brick headed bravely towards the gate.
I looked at him and headed towards the inner castle.
In front of the castle, the illegitimate child, Jace, was standing on duty with another guy.
“Because you’re a commoner, you learn slowly.”
Jace, who seemed to be his successor, was teasing him with a very cocky expression on his face. He was a guy who couldn’t get rid of his bad habits.
“Hey, ‘Bastard Squared’ Jayce!”
“···Don’t call me by my nickname.”
Jace, whose face suddenly turned like he had chewed shit, waved his hand.
Brick appeared on that unlucky face.
“But are you having a good time with that ‘shit-spraying’ woman?”
“···I told you not to call me by my nickname.”
“I guess it didn’t work out. I offer my condolences.”
“···Just go away.”
“Actually, I guessed it. Your personality is just so···.”
“Get in! Get in! Damn it! You honey-sucking foreign guards!”
I patted Jace’s shoulder as he cried out in sorrow over the separation and headed inside. The successor next to him grinned, but then changed his expression when Jace turned his head.
Knock knock.
“Come in.”
When I opened the door and went in, Nova was working in the same position as last time. It was a space where time seemed to have stopped.
“You said you had a cold, but your complexion is good?”
“Etchi.”
“At least show some sincerity in imitating.”
Nova said, frowning.
“Each!”
As I shook my head, Nova twitched the corners of her mouth and turned her head.
“But why did you go to Karzan if you had a cold?”
Nova asked, her face returning to its original coldness after a while.
“Carzan is very famous for its cold medicine.”
“···Karzan?”
“uh.”
Nova frowned. He furrowed his eyebrows accordingly, and Nova turned his head and took a deep breath.
“They say there was chaos in Karzan because of the vampires. Is he okay?”
Nova asked, returning to her usual cold face.
“Oh, that. I heard that the legendary vampire hunter Takgu took care of everything.”
“Table tennis… table tennis… table tennis?!”
Nova, who had been mumbling, got up as if in a fit and shouted.
He must have been surprised at that too, because he sat down again, then slowly got up and calmly asked, “Table tennis?”
Of course, her face was already red.
As I stared without answering, her face grew redder and redder. I opened my mouth because I felt like I would burst if I kept on like this.
“Oh, table tennis. The legendary vampire hunter.”
“There was a day… You didn’t have an accident, right? No, last time I went to Karzan… How big of an accident did you make? Did you burn everything? It’s important to Cassadic, so tell me straight.”
I was dumbfounded by the attitude of asking when he was already sure that I had an accident.
“What an accident. They hunted vampires. Everyone was so happy and it was chaos. If there were reviews, it would have been 5 stars.”
“What the heck are you talking about… Anyway, so you’re saying nothing happened? Look me in the eye and tell me.”
“Aside from a few minor things, everything was ok.”
He looked straight into Nova’s orange eyes and spoke.
“minute?”
“Those vampire bastards went crazy and burned the imperial flag and destroyed the inner castle. Those bad guys! I hate black blood!”
“···?”
Nova’s eyes widened at the habitual slogan. She crossed her arms, wiggling her fingers and tapping her chest lightly.
Noise, noise.
The clear sound, like the wind chimes hanging from a temple, cleansed my mind and body. I meditated quietly to it.
“The Empire is moving…. Not bad. No, rather, it’s good.”
When I opened my eyes a little later, Nova was smiling brightly.
“Did you leave anything behind?”
Nova asked, tapping my chest.
I thought about it for a moment and then nodded.
All that was left in Karzan was the nobility of table tennis.
“Yeah, whatever the intention, it did a good thing for Cassidy.”
Nova let out a small breath as if relieved, smiled like a teacher giving me a ‘good job’ stamp, and started patting my chest.
Kkung kkung.
A slightly more flashy performance, a confident smile, and even a slight shake of the body.
‘···Why is it like this?’
Although I was embarrassed, I couldn’t pretend not to see a foreigner playing the Jajinmori jangdan, so I clapped my hands to the beat.
After the passionate Jajinmori Jangdan performance, Nova wiped the sweat from his forehead and smiled brightly.
“That’s it. I have to go see the lord.”
Nova passed me and went outside, her smile similar to that of a dancer who had just finished dancing. Her smile and her steps were full of confidence.
‘hmm···.’
It seemed like Nova took the laughter for granted and took it in a different way.
I shook my head, brushed him off lightly, and walked away.
As I left the inner castle and headed toward the castle gate, I saw Brick talking to a carriage driver.
“You’re married? Yes! You’re free! Come in! We’re comrades! Comrades! You’ll have to go in and be quarantined for a few days… Quarantine! Damn it! I’m jealous.”
It seems that the brick’s condition was a bit strange.
I knew the coachman wasn’t a vampire, but the quarantine was an order from above. So I sent the coachman to the quarantine facility and called Brick.
“What’s wrong with you?”
“···Chief.”
“okay.”
“Women are really scary.”
Brick’s body shuddered.
“Sir… Do you have any more of that chili powder?”
At Brick’s desperate question, I took out the vampire fang that was stuck in my waistband.
Could goblin pepper powder have any effect on stamina? The odds were slim. Brick, being naive, believed my words so firmly that he must have been properly affected by the flamenco effect.
“What… is this?”
“These are the fangs of a very annoying vampire. They belong to a very energetic creature that sucked blood from both men and women. Just by wearing them around your waist, your strength increases unbelievably.”
Brick’s eyes immediately changed at my words. Brick stroked his fangs with a trembling hand, as if he were a thirsty person who had found an oasis.
“Cheer up.”
I patted Brick’s shoulder as he held Fang in his arms.
Thanks to the fangs, Brick’s slumped shoulders gained strength.
It had the largest fangs, but it couldn’t be valued as a male. This was an existential concern that only males could share.
“How much should I give you?”
“2 silver.”
I quickly grabbed the silver coin Brick offered me.
***
“The walls are painted with the faces of some strange being! How can this be possible! And is it only Deokgu who has to face the great darkness! And the knights of the House of Fener….”
‘First of all, Geral.’
Fullfoot nodded without listening to the end of Gerel’s words. Adela interrupted Gerel’s words, but he didn’t bother to listen.
As Geralt finished speaking, Pulpouts pointed to Nova.
“In return for the painting of Hero Deokgu, high-quality stones are being supplied quickly. In addition, a wall with the painting of Hero Deokgu is being built, and the number of travelers has increased compared to before. The two knights who belong to the Pulpuch family were also greatly influenced by Hero Deokgu.”
Pulpouts nodded in satisfaction at Nova’s answer, which was the exact opposite of Geralt’s.
Although Nova was a bit excessive when it came to ‘Hero Deokgu’, Geral and Nova had completely opposite opinions.
There was no need to rack my brain.
If the wall was built in the first place when the surrounding situation was chaotic, it didn’t matter what kind of picture was drawn on its surface. If a proper picture was hung, it wouldn’t matter if only the surface was cut off later.
‘No. Since Deokgu is officially a hero who died for Cassidy, shouldn’t he be treated a little better?’
Nova will draw up detailed plans later.
Pulpouts gestured to signal for them to move on.
Ugh···.
Geralt made a strange noise and crumpled his expression.
“The following is a discussion about Vivian’s birthday.”
A low, sobbing voice flowed through Nova’s words.
‘It’s my birthday… the timing is not good.’
Pulpouts stroked his beard and collected his thoughts.
The eastern part of the empire was suffering from vampires.
In this situation, how many people would participate in holding a birthday party?
“As you all know, the current situation is very chaotic. Considering that our Cassidy suffered relatively little damage, you can get a sense of how dire the situation is. However.”
Nova paused for a moment, looked around, then continued. Judging by the way the corners of her lips went up, she must have brought good news.
“According to recent news, the Black Bloods have declared war on the Empire. Because of that, the Imperial Army will immediately…”
‘Declare war on the Empire? The vampires are finished too.’
Fullfoot guessed what would happen next.
The moment the empire entered, anything was over.
“···No matter how long it takes, it is certain that the vampire situation will calm down before Young-ae’s birthday. The ‘White Leaf’ guild expected that the Black Bloods would hide before then. The timing is very good.”
Everyone nodded at Nova’s words.
‘Coincidentally, it works well again.’
Pulpouts frowned, feeling that bad luck was always turning into good luck. Playing dice was bound to result in a loss someday.
“The Fener family has already sent their intention to attend Miss Vivian’s birthday. No, they said that the eldest son of the Fener family, who is related to her by marriage, regardless of the vampire, will definitely attend.”
Geren said with a proud face.
“By the way, I heard that Fener’s Bolt Castle suffered little damage this time?”
Fullfoot asked back, feeling somewhat uneasy.
“Yes, I guess it’s because it’s difficult to enter Bolt Castle.”
“···It is difficult to get in.”
Fullfoot muttered softly and wiggled his fingers.
It was true that the Bolt Castle was more difficult to check than the Cassidy Castle, but it didn’t have enough checks to weed out vampires.
‘Count Berhard was also having a hard time, but Marquis Fener easily stopped him···.’
I was suspicious, but it wasn’t something I should bring up in a place like this.
“Yes, the inspection of the Bolt Castle is famous.”
Pulpouts wet his mouth with wine and waved his hand.
The meeting continued.
Most of the story was about preparing for Vivian’s birthday.
The meeting went on longer than expected due to Geralt’s nagging, but Pulpouts watched him while sipping his wine.
I felt relieved because everything was working normally.
‘Fener···.’
If it had been a transfer, I would have carried out the marriage with Fener. But things were different now. Unlike then, now there was a capital of knights, and Aaron was there too. It was worth a try if it actually happened.
Of course, if a territorial war broke out over a broken engagement, it would certainly be laughed at by the world, but there were always plenty of excuses to make.
‘···I guess it was two years at most.’
Pulpouts muttered as he swirled his golden goblet, the blood-red wine swirling around in small vortices.
Pulpouts did not believe that such a healthy and pretty child could die in just one year.
The Swallows who told the story also thought that it was possible. In addition, if you collect all the wild stories you’ve heard so far, it’s all in one cart.
Fullfoot asked Swallows to keep the secret and conduct a detailed investigation. Although he was annoyed by the welcoming attitude, he had no other choice.
“Make it as big as possible so that even the residents can enjoy it. Even if it costs a lot of money.”
Pullputs raised his hand to stop the conversation and spoke in a tired voice.
After that, Pulpouts remained in his seat, pressing his temples as his headache grew worse.
So the discussion about Vivian’s birthday ended and the last thing that came up was…
“Aaron, the captain of the outer wall guard, took a few stones from the wall. For now, he left them there as ordered by the lord, but···.”
“···rock?”
The sheriff’s hoarse voice caught Pulpouts’ attention.
“Yes, I heard they made a safe.”
“A safe made of stone? I heard there’s a little wizard kid there, so he uses magic?”
“It’s not magic, but it’s said that he made the door so heavy that no one but himself could lift it.”
Fullfoot had to chew over the sheriff’s words several times before he could understand them. They weren’t difficult words, but they were so ignorant that it took quite a while for him to understand them.
“Look… If I open it, it’s a safe! Other people can’t open it!”
Nova, whose face had turned red for some reason, hurriedly continued speaking.
‘···Aren’t you misunderstanding the concept of a safe?’
Fullfoot swallowed the ignorant words that were on his lips. His own words were heavy here.
“His strength is incomparable to that of any other. He may seem a little… a lot… ignorant, but since there is no one stronger than him in Cassadic, the effect is certain to be outstanding.”
Nova spoke with unusual excitement.
When everyone was silent about it.
“He’s the strongest! What do you mean by that!!”
Adela suddenly shouted.
“That’s right! The eldest son of the Fener family is also very famous for his strength!”
Geralt’s response continued.
‘The surname is really··· well-received.’
Pulpouts pressed his temples.
***
‘Hoooo… This is for the magic world.’
Kkwobarou… No, Swallows took a deep breath and steeled himself.
Right now, the most basic thing Kanna had learned was light magic just by watching hand gestures, but this stupid, stupid young lady was still holding onto him.
‘How could such a stupid, stupid woman···.’
Swallows felt truly sorry for Youngae as she concentrated. Even if Mana was a mischievous girl, this was an extremely annoying prank that went too far.
‘Why haven’t I heard back?’
I added that I would add more, but I was annoyed that I couldn’t write more stupid things because the paper was too small. It seemed like the seriousness of the situation wasn’t properly conveyed to the other person.
‘He who receives Mana’s love.’
Swallows gulped as he looked at Youngae’s left breast. If he were to give that to Kanna… Thinking of Kanna, his angry heart calmed down a little.
Swallows, too lost in thought, didn’t notice Youngae’s shoulders twitching.
“Okay!! Okay!!”
Swallows came to his senses at Youngae’s bright voice.
Contrary to what she said, there was nothing in Youngae’s hands.
‘···What happened?’
When Swallows clicked his tongue, Youngae, who had her eyes tightly shut, shouted loudly.
“light!!”
A small sun rose in Youngae’s white hand.
Swallows’ vision was filled with white as a dazzling light filled the world.
Of course, there wasn’t much of a problem with basic light magic since there was no heat.
When I finally regained my sight, Youngae had disappeared.
‘What a ridiculous amount of mana.’
Swallows looked at the empty space and thought back on what had just happened.
Even though it is basic light magic, the amount of mana it uses is monstrous, making it a completely different magic.
Seeing him in person only strengthened Swallows’ resolve.
‘It’s my birthday soon.’
Swallows stared across the room with sunken eyes, then rose from his seat.
It was time to go teach Kanna.
When I thought of him, I felt like all the pressure inside me was released.
Swallows hurriedly walked, stroking the area near my forehead.
Today it was time to move the fire beyond just holding it in place with the wind.
