Don't Casually Turn Someone Else's Sword into a Holy Relic
Three days had passed since the abomination of Orobas had been "dealt with." In that time, the collapsed palisade had been rebuilt, and the village's reconstruction was progressing swiftly despite the damage. By some miracle, Eugene had survived, but he still hadn't regained consciousness.
Meanwhile, there was someone who had stayed by the side of the unconscious Eugene for all three days. Naturally, it was his wife, Selene.
Squeeze...
Gently holding Eugene's relatively unscathed left hand, Selene gazed at his body, marred with bruises and wounds everywhere. Soon, thick emotions welled up over her eyes, and with them came the memory of a scene from two days ago, when she'd been pinned under building debris, her consciousness fading.
'Hey! You horse-headed bastard!'
The moment she'd truly been in danger, Eugene had thrown himself at the abomination without a second's hesitation. It wasn't just an answer—shown through action—to the question she'd posed back on the carriage to Iron Valley, a question she hadn't gotten a verbal reply to then. It was, once again, tantamount to saving her life.
Now in debt to him twice over. Dark elves never forgot a grudge—or a favor. In that moment, Selene made a vow. Even if Eugene never woke from this bed, she would stay by his side for the rest of her life. And if he did awaken, she would do her utmost as his "wife."
Fuck, I'm gonna die.
The burning thirst and my bladder on the verge of bursting screamed for me to open my eyes right now. But the pain radiating through my entire body was far worse, leaving me unable even to twitch a finger.
Lost in that hazy consciousness, unable to do anything, that's when it happened.
"Ugh..."
"Eugene! You're awake? Are you okay?"
No sooner had a groan of agony escape my lips than a familiar woman's voice came from right beside me. At the same time, her cautious hand rested on my left forearm.
"Ack!"
Even that light touch sparked excruciating pain, drawing out a reflexive groan.
"Ah, sorry..."
She quickly pulled her hand away, apologizing in a flustered, subdued voice. Meanwhile, scraping together what strength I had left—just like before I passed out—I barely managed to spit out one word.
"Hea...ler..."
Then I slipped back into unconsciousness to escape the pain.
. . .
A refreshing energy would occasionally sweep over my body, accompanied by the bitter liquid poured into my mouth that I swallowed down. I repeated cycles of waking and sleeping countless times. No idea how much time passed like that, but finally, the horrific pain subsided to a bearable level.
A moment later.
"Mm..."
I struggled to lift my stiff eyelids, dry as if coated in grass. First came the wooden ceiling and the dim, blurry outlines of the room. As my focus sharpened and things grew clearer, my widening field of view caught a familiar silver hair at the edge on the left—and Selene's face, nodding off in sleep.
Even seeing her again, she was perfection sculpted by the gods themselves, her beauty ethereal under the moonlight filtering through the window. It was so overwhelming that I lost myself gazing at her for a while.
But then, a new emotion I'd never felt before stirred in a corner of my chest. It wasn't mere admiration for her looks. Added to that was the memory, from my foggy consciousness, of her always being by my side. Under the silvery moonlight, the dozing Selene started to look different from before.
More than her straight nose or plump lips, her long eyelashes trembling from exhaustion tugged at my heart. Looking closer, the green stains lingering on her clothes etched her devotion straight into my heart.
'She said she'd do everything to save me... and she meant it.'
. . .
Selene slept with exhaustion plain on her face. I couldn't bear to wake her, so I reflected alone on the emotion I'd just felt, trying to pinpoint what was making my chest ache faintly yet itch pleasantly.
'Not exactly camaraderie.'
It went beyond the tight bond of those who'd fought side-by-side in a life-or-death struggle. This feeling, where I'd sacrifice everything for her... as far as I knew, it was love. I'd never experienced it myself, but it matched others' descriptions.
Was I mistaken? I double-checked my judgment.
'Maybe I'm still half-asleep, but still, this is—'
"Hua..."
Selene stirred awake on her chair with a slight shiver. Her sound struck me as oddly cute, and my lips curled up involuntarily.
Rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand, she naturally checked on my condition—and our eyes met.
Her eyes widened hugely, her silver pupils trembling for a moment. Then she leaned forward until I could faintly feel her body heat.
"You're conscious? No dizziness or anything wrong?"
Her voice mixed joy and relief as she asked after me. Not her previous stiff formality, but the casual tone from the fight with Orobas's abomination.
Maybe because I'd just realized I felt love for her? I panicked and bungled my response spectacularly.
"Uh... yeah— no, I mean, uh... I'm fine... right?"
"You're really fine?"
Haa... fuck, kill me now.
. . .
"You're really okay?"
"Yeah, totally fine. Earlier, I just got confused for a sec 'cause you dropped the formal talk."
Selene had been worried my head injury messed with my language skills. It took a while to reassure her, her brows furrowed the whole time. By then, the morning sun had risen, its rays entering through the window to bathe us in pleasant warmth caressing our skin.
In that moment, my eyes caught some junk on the table behind Selene. A helmet cracked and shattered in places. Leather armor shredded beyond repair. Chain mail with only half left. Dented shoulder pauldrons and greaves. All my gear wrecked in the fight with the abomination.
'At least the shield's intact... but where's my sword?'
. . .
From Selene, I learned I'd been out for six days. The abomination's remains had all been incinerated with holy water and fire. This was inside Lord Noden's castle. And about my missing sword—the only thing not in sight.
"Two days ago, while I was away briefly... that vice priest and a priest you saw before came and took the sword."
While I, the owner, lay unconscious in bed. That priest shows up like a thieving cat only to snatch my sword when I needed it...
"Grit— ngh..."
My teeth clenched unconsciously, rage surging. My blood pressure spiked, darkening the bandages over my wounds with crimson stains.
Selene hurriedly stroked my shoulder gently to calm me.
"Hey, hey, no getting worked up, Eugene... I already sent someone yesterday to chew them out, and they said they'd come here today to discuss compensation."
. . .
About thirty minutes after finishing breakfast—a thick, stew-like gruel. Right on time as Selene predicted, came the knock. Knock knock.
"Brother, it's truly a blessing you've awakened. Lady Iliana saved you from the brink of death—what greater grace could there be?"
A half-bald priest spouted bullshit as he entered the room. Behind him, the vice priest from the church last time awkwardly held my sword like a treasure. I openly showed my displeasure and confronted the priest.
Even if it was the Church of Light with influence across nearly the entire continent, in this situation—which was basically theft—I held the upper hand.
"What the hell did you take my sword for? Put it back where it belongs first, then we talk."
"Haha, brother, calm down first..."
"Calm down? Even if you're a priest no lord can touch, this is straight-up theft. Get caught, and your hand's gone."
"Theft? We merely received the holy relic that slew Orobas's abomination. And today, we've come to show a small token of appreciation to the one who donated it."
With those words about a "small token," the priest handed me a small pouch. Then, with a forced smile, he asked,
"Your heart to aid in exorcising demons and spreading Lady Iliana's grace far and wide—it's still there, right?"
The next instant.
My expression did a 180 upon peeking into the pouch he'd offered. Not just that—my sharp tone and attitude softened completely.
"I'll gladly donate it for demon extermination and the church's prosperity."
It wasn't big enough for even one apple, but packed full of gold coins. Too much money to refuse.
Hmm... but Selene's giving me a weird look from the side... must be my imagination, right?