Chapter 96
Chapter 96
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter Title: The Nightmare that Swallows the Night, the Wolf that Spits Fire
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"Disciplinary action has been decided. Until the refugee unrest settles down, you'll be reassigned to K District."
"...Understood."
Aselrika, who had summoned Han U-sol to her office, delivered only the curt result after a long meeting. Han U-sol simply nodded briefly in response.
"You know this is for the best. Take some time to cool your head."
"......Yes."
"And... while you're in K District, Ronel will be your superior. This was also decided in the meeting. You get what that means, right?"
Aselrika gave a subtle glance, and Han U-sol nodded faintly as if he understood.
Ronel was the Association's watchdog. Having Ronel as his superior meant that, during his time in K District, Han U-sol would be under even tighter control from the Association than before.
This decision stemmed from the concerns of the Association executives, who worried Han U-sol might engage in reckless actions even in K District.
'...That's just the official reason, though.'
Aselrika wasn't thrilled about it.
They claimed it was to prevent his impulsive behavior, but to her, it looked like nothing more than a fancy excuse.
'They just want to manipulate him to their liking while he's in K District.'
Though she didn't like it, it was too ambiguous to oppose outright, so Aselrika had no choice but to nod along with the Association's decision.
"If you understand, get out."
Aselrika waved him off, and Han U-sol bowed his head before leaving the room.
The moment Han U-sol exited, Aselrika slumped over her desk, lost in thought.
...No matter how she looked at it, that guy Colton was suspicious.
The instant the disciplinary decision was made and discussions on procuring weapons began, Colton had started gathering arms more aggressively than anyone.
Unlike the other executives who desperately wanted to pull Han U-sol to the center, Colton seemed eager to keep him sidelined.
'...Something's off.'
Aselrika felt a strange unease. It was blatantly suspicious behavior.
There had been hints of this before, but not to this extent recently.
Above all, what she'd sensed in Colton's eyes during the meeting was a sharp resolve.
His gaze was slightly different from the other executives'.
It was clearly ambition, a will directed at something specific.
'...I need to put some surveillance on him.'
It felt like he was about to make a move soon.
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"Han, take a look at these."
I summoned several weapons and laid them out on the floor with a clatter.
I used to only be able to summon low-level gear, but now that I'd fully regained my strength, I could even pull out max-level weapons.
The reason I'd suddenly hauled them out like this? Just to brag a little.
Collectors don't just get satisfaction from hoarding—they thrive on showing off to others.
Even more so when the audience wields a sword like you do.
To tease Han specifically, I'd summoned only swords and spread them out. A dazzling array of blades adorned the floor.
"What do you think?"
"........."
Han didn't reply. He just silently stared at the neatly aligned swords on the ground. At a glance, he seemed disinterested, but his unblinking eyes betrayed his envy.
"This one's called Epithis. It means 'Nightmare that Swallows the Night.' And this is Pierikos, 'Wolf that Spits Fire.' Then there's this one..."
A gracefully curved black sword and a katana painted in vivid crimson, like flames roaring wildly. These were my favorites from the game.
I introduced each of my precious babies to Han one by one, smirking obnoxiously as if to say, Jealous much?
"Pretty badass, right? Bet you're envious."
".........No, not really."
Han shook his head, denying it with effort. His gesture screamed he wouldn't give me the reaction I wanted.
"All that gaudy ornamentation—flashy but no substance. The names are pretentious nonsense too. 'Nightmare that Swallows the Night,' 'Wolf that Spits Fire'... Just childish."
"What?"
Han scoffed dismissively. His unexpected response made me furrow my brow.
"Compared to those, my sword's far superior. No fancy name, plain and crude in appearance, but it's honed purely for cutting—true to its essence, unlike these showpieces."
True to form, Han got chatty when swords came up.
"Envious? Not at all. I'm proud of my blade. A true sword stays faithful to its core."
Han drew his crude, straight sword from his waist. The way he gazed at it was as upright as the blade itself.
It was the eye of a true swordsman.
For a moment, a jolt hit me like a hammer to the head.
Unlike me, who used any melee weapon that came along, he'd devoted his life to the sword. Sure, he had his dim-witted side usually, but his approach to blades was deadly serious.
Deeply moved by his sincerity toward the sword, I said in admiration,
"A conviction sharpened as keenly as your blade... In this era, are there any swordsmen as genuine as you? I'm truly impressed, Han."
"You're too kind."
Han bowed his head slightly in humble reply.
"That said, it's a shame... I was thinking of giving you one of these. But if your convictions are that firm, no helping it."
"I'd gladly accept if you offered. Truth be told, I thought they were awesome from the start."
"There it is—your real feelings. Yeah, I was bluffing too."
"What a coincidence. So was I."
"........."
This guy. I stared at Han in disbelief as he flipped his attitude like a pancake.
"A swordsman speaking out of both sides of his mouth? Not embarrassed?"
"Not at all. Truth is, I'm not a pure swordsman—I’ve used guns plenty too. Back when I was running missions for the Association, I fired more bullets than I swung steel. Kinda disqualifies me from 'lifelong swordsman' status."
"You... you sneaky bastard!"
I shot up from my seat, pointing at him accusingly.
I'd pegged him as a romantic, steadfast swordsman who'd walked the blade's path his whole life. He always carried that worn, crude sword like a treasure.
"I just carried it because I didn't have anything better."
But no—it was just a default pick because he lacked proper gear.
This traitor! I'd thought he was a fellow melee main!
"Have some pity on a broke guy who can't afford weapons and toss me one."
As I trembled in shock, Han pointed at the pile.
This jerk had just called it a bluff moments ago, now flipping again. Furious at his shamelessness, I declared firmly,
"No way in hell! Not a single blade for a cowardly DPS scrub like you!"
I hurriedly scooped up the weapons from the floor. Han watched me blankly.
"...You're really not giving any? Sorry for lying. Just one, please."
"Scram!"
While yelling and snatching up the swords in a frenzy, my hand slipped, dropping one to the floor right in front of Han.
Han picked it up and asked me,
"...What's this one's name?"
"......Lapis Lazuli."
I answered grudgingly, eyeing the sword in his hand.
Lapis Lazuli. The first sword Han U-sol ever made for me.
"Not a bad blade, but it pales next to the others."
Han muttered as he inspected it.
Indeed, compared to the other max-level weapons, it fell short.
After all, Lapis Lazuli wasn't from the game—it was handmade by Han U-sol. He'd upgraded it a bit as his skills grew, but it still lagged behind the rest.
"I won't ask for one of the fancy ones. This'll do—can I have it?"
"......I'll give you something else, so hand that back. It's got sentimental value."
A sword that gave me real accomplishment from effort, not fake monitor-gazing highs.
The first blade that made me feel acknowledged and trusted by someone.
Things were twisted now, but Lapis Lazuli still held good memories for me.
"I see. Here."
Han handed it back without protest.
[Gia Anise]
The inscription on the blade—still meaningless to me. I stared at it briefly before stowing the sword.
"Uh, I actually liked 'Nightmare that Swallows the Night' and 'Wolf that Spits Fire.' Pretended otherwise, but they're badass. Can I have one?"
"Wanna die?"
I shot him a glare in disbelief, and he averted his eyes slyly.
Is this guy insane? Even a thick face has limits.
Just minutes ago, he'd sneered at the names as childish and flashy.
I picked two decent high-level swords I didn't care much for and chucked them at him.
"Thank you."
"Whatever."
I snapped at Han as he bowed gratefully.
Han twirled the swords I'd given him, examining them, then suddenly spoke up.
"Oh, right—Camilla mentioned something fun's coming up soon."
"...What kind of fun?"
"One of the Association executives accepted Camilla's offer and betrayed humanity."
"...And?"
"Just that."
"No, I get the betrayal— but what's this 'fun' thing coming up?"
"Dunno. I don't know either."
"What an idiot."
Irritation boiled over, and I spat a curse.
"...Well, Camilla and Betty have been so busy running around, I haven't had time for details."
Han looked dejected.