Chapter 108: I Knew You’d Say That
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 108: I Knew You’d Say That
“Ugh, gross…!”
“Brother! Put it away, quickly!”
“A-Alright, I get it…”
The three of them acted as if they’d seen something truly revolting, covering each other’s eyes and grimacing in anger. Only after I retracted the arm I had grown did they finally let out a long sigh of relief.
Walter seemed just as startled; he began fluttering his wings and chirping incessantly.
“How could you just show us something like that without warning?!”
“Haha, sorry. I didn’t think you’d hate it this much.”
“Of course we do! Who would’ve thought it would sprout out like that? All crunch-snap and disgusting!”
It wasn’t like in a cartoon where a perfectly formed arm just pops out by magic. Since it was part of my back, the process started with peeling back the skin, splitting the muscle in half, and exposing the ribs to the open air.
From there, I had to set the basic skeletal structure and layer on muscle fibers and tendons. I had even skipped the step of forming skin over the muscle-covered bone. Yeah, I suppose it was pretty gruesome.
“If anyone else had seen that, they would’ve attacked you on sight! You looked like a total monster! A freak!”
“Hmm… was it really that bad?”
“I’m telling you, it was!”
Sitting on the edge of the bed, I turned my gaze toward Sera. She met my eyes and gave a slow, solemn nod.
“Yoo Eon… let’s make sure you never show that to anyone else….”
“Tsk. Fine, I understand.”
Come to think of it, Theodora had been absolutely repulsed the first time she saw it, too. Nothing for it, then. I’d have to find somewhere secluded to practice.
“Sister… I think I’m going to have nightmares tonight….”
“Now that you’ve said it, I’m scared to go to sleep too….”
As Tresha and Ravi trembled while heading back to their room, Sera sighed and pulled them both into an embrace.
“Shall we all sleep together tonight, then…?”
* * *
“You’ve arrived, Aven.”
“Delbaheim, it’s been a while.”
I was meeting Delbaheim again after a few days. Some time had passed since our last spar, and I also needed to thank her for acting as a one-day mercenary so I could keep my dinner plans with Sera.
“Thank you for the other day. You even called a carriage for us. I hope the extra work wasn’t too taxing?”
“Hehe. Not at all. My body may look like that of a delicate woman, but I am still a Palladium-grade explorer, am I not?”
“Well, that’s true.”
She was a Palladium-grade explorer with physical capabilities far beyond human limits. Delbaheim was someone who could endure grueling labyrinth expeditions for months at a time; there was no need to worry about her being tired after a single night’s work.
“Still, I’m grateful nonetheless. Delbaheim, you said you had a favor to ask?”
“Ah, well. Nothing in particular right now. I shall let you know if I need something later.”
“Is that so?”
Delbaheim sat down and let out a small chuckle.
“Have you never heard the saying: ‘Never trust an Elf’s later’?”
“Pardon? What does that mean?”
“It is a proverb born from the difference in how Elves and Humans perceive time. There is a humorous story about an Elf who promised to pay a debt ‘later,’ only to disappear and finally show up at the man’s funeral to settle the bill.”
“Haha, I see. But in this case, I’m the one who owes you, Delbaheim.”
“Pfft, it is hardly something to call a debt.”
Smiling brightly, Delbaheim rose from the desk and moved to the sofa across from me. She brought over a kettle of warm tea, set a cup in front of me, and began to pour.
“So, you have a significant other.”
“Ah, well….”
“Hmm? Given your vague reaction, it seems complicated.”
“Ha, man. I honestly don’t know what to say.”
Sera clearly had feelings for me. And of course, I liked her too. She was beautiful, had a great figure, and was an amazing cook. She was domestic and diligent—to the point where there wasn’t a single man in the neighborhood who didn’t like her.
The problem was whether I was the right kind of person for her.
“So that is what you are worried about.”
“Yeah… I’m nothing special, so why would such a kind, wonderful girl like her…?”
“Hmm.”
Delbaheim sat with her legs crossed, taking a sip of tea and closing her eyes to savor the aroma.
“You take the other person’s goodwill far too lightly.”
“What? No way. If anything, it feels too heavy—”
“Do you think she likes you because she has failed to notice your flaws?”
“That’s….”
“If she is aware of the shortcomings you are thinking of… then perhaps her affection is great enough to embrace them.”
“Hmm….”
Delbaheim might be right. Sera had a proper home, a family, and lacked for nothing. Compared to her, I didn’t even have a place to call my own, nor did I come from a stable background.
I had no relatives to speak of, and I worked as an explorer—a profession where it wouldn’t be strange to die any day. Thinking back to my life in South Korea, a man with such terrible "specs" couldn't possibly exist.
You need a house to live in, and money to eat and dress. I had worked like a dog to earn money for those things, both in my past life and here.
“Getting married without even owning a house…?”
Honestly, I couldn't imagine it. Would we just stay at the Mounted Goat Inn after getting married? What about a car? I’d need a carriage… no, that felt a bit different. Still, wouldn't I need at least one high-quality steed? Since there were no imported cars, should I get an imported horse?
Anyway, you need a private vehicle in this world too. After traveling around, I realized having a carriage would be nice, but do normal households even own one? Maybe I was thinking too much like a South Korean—the idea that the man has to provide the house, the car, and the dowry…
“Whew, my head is starting to ache.”
“Is that so? Then let us head out. Moving your body might help clear your thoughts.”
“Yeah. Let’s do that.”
* * *
“I trust you haven’t been neglecting your sword practice.”
“Yeah, I’ve been practicing as hard as I can. Though I’ve had quite a few things to work on lately, so I’ve been a bit short on time.”
Delbaheim spoke while gripping her sword and shield. We were at the same massive training arena as before, but since other guests were conducting important business in the center today, we were practicing off to the side.
Looking at the center, it seemed a small-to-medium clan was holding an entrance exam.
—Now, we shall begin the entrance test for the 44th class of the Royal Guardians Clan!
—When your name is called, step forward for a one-on-one duel! The brackets were chosen at random without any bias, so do not complain about your opponent!
‘Royal Guardians, huh?’
I thought the name sounded familiar. Wasn't that the clan Lance had joined? He had begged me to return that expensive rare-metal sword he’d bought with clan funds. They were just people passing through, so I didn't really remember their faces.
“Aven, is that a clan you are familiar with?”
“No, not really. I was just wondering if all entrance tests felt like that.”
“The Royal Guardians… they are known for their quite rigorous training.”
“Oh? Really?”
“Indeed. Among the recently established clans, they possess a significant number of talented and excellent explorers.”
“Hmm… I see.”
If Delbaheim said so, it must be true. Regardless, I hadn't come here to watch the Royal Guardians' entrance test. I was here to test the swordsmanship I’d learned from her.
“Alright, here I come!”
“Come at me. I shall not hold back!”
I shifted my stance, leaned forward, and kicked off the ground with power, charging toward Delbaheim. As the distance closed in an instant, Delbaheim raised the shield in her left hand into a defensive posture.
“Hup…!”
Clang—!!
Delbaheim effectively blocked my forceful swing. She used her round shield to deflect the blade, then slid to the side, launching a lightning-fast thrust.
“Ho, you dodged that.”
“Haha…! At least this much…!”
Without retracting her sword, she swung it through, following up with a threatening strike. Detecting that my center of gravity had shifted as I leaned away, Delbaheim extended a long leg and pushed against my knee with her toe.
“Whoa—?!”
“Focus.”
My body stumbled. By the time I managed to steady myself and stand, Delbaheim was already before me, the tip of her blade pointed at my throat. Man, Palladium Grade definitely isn't a title just anyone can earn.
“Aven, are you placing some sort of restriction on yourself?”
“What do you mean?”
“There is no sincerity in your combat. The way you fought before… it was more, how should I put it…”
Delbaheim placed her index finger against her forehead.
“It felt like a person with horns. It was far more precise, and far more terrifying.”
“Maybe it’s because I’m not using my skills.”
“And why are you not using them?”
“Well, because… I’m practicing swordsmanship…?”
Delbaheim tilted her head as if she didn't understand.
“Then do you intend to fight with only swordsmanship and no skills in a real battle?”
“Well, no…?”
“Exactly. One must train as they fight. If you spend long hours practicing the sword without skills, only to use them in actual combat, the discrepancy will only make the swordsmanship you’ve built up feel clumsy.”
That made a lot of sense. If I was going to use a sword in a real fight anyway, I needed to learn how to link it with my skills. I had been too focused on the sword alone; it was a foolish decision.
“Then I guess I should use my skills during training too.”
“Naturally. Surely you aren't refraining because you're afraid of hurting me again?”
“Haha, of course not.”
I knew better now. Even if I gave it my all, it would be difficult to actually injure Delbaheim.
“Whew, practicing so many things at once is tough.”
“You mentioned you were practicing more than one or two things. Are you working on something else? I would like to see it.”
“It’s related to a skill. I’m sure you’ll hate it and find it gross, though.”
“Hehe, Aven. You underestimate me. Do you have any idea how many gruesome sights I have seen in the labyrinths—”
Crunch-snap.
“...Yes. That is a bit unsightly. Please put it back in.”
“I knew you’d say that.”