Chapter 300: On the Owner's Consciousness
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 300: On the Owner's Consciousness
Choi Seulgi and Jang Ye Ri, also curious as to why Isaac would leave a spirit form to create items, were casting subtle glances his way. Noticing this, Isaac began to speak again, his haste making it obvious he was desperately trying to change the subject.
- To explain one more thing, most weapons that have undergone the Owner’s Rite possess emotions. Of course, they can't express them, nor can they speak. Some don't even have a will of their own. It's quite fascinating... to think they can feel emotions without having an ego. This is a puzzle that even I have yet to solve. Just imagine, Blood Dagger, that the weapons you carry right now have feelings.
“How strange. Can you feel them?”
- Not precisely, but of course I can. It’s something I only realized after becoming a spirit form myself.
For a topic chosen to deflect from the question of why he became a spirit form, it was remarkably interesting. His words meant that he could understand the current thoughts of Levatain and Dainsleif.
If Isaac’s claims were to be logically documented and presented to the magical academic community, it would surely cause a massive uproar.
- First, the Reaper’s Scythe held by the large-chested woman is extremely grateful to you. It seems to have been in a bad mood recently, but it’s thankful to be under your command. It appears to be recalling a time when filthy hands kept touching it.
“Is that so.”
Jang Ye Ri nodded, looking satisfied. I had a feeling I knew what Isaac was talking about. He was likely referring to the time when Jang Gi Hoo, Jang Ye Ri’s brother, used the Reaper’s Scythe.
- And it’s the same for the dagger Choi Seulgi uses. Hmm… it says it’s grateful for being wiped clean every day. However, it also says it’s heard enough stories about Kim Taesung and wishes she would stop.
“Wh-What? You can tell things like that?”
Choi Seulgi’s face flushed with embarrassment. It seemed she talked about me every night while polishing her dagger. Isaac nodded at her words and spoke again.
- In comparison, Levatain and Dainsleif are incredibly angry. As if sensing their chance, I can feel a constant wave of negative energy from them.
For some reason, I felt a sense of unease.
- If I were to translate it into human language… Levatain is… jea-jealous that you use weapons as… pro-promiscuously as you handle your relationships with women. Phht. It says it is a noble being and will not forgive you if you abandon your first wife. Phht…
Unfortunately, my first wife was the Greatsword Too Large to be a Sword. But as soon as the thought crossed my mind, Isaac spoke.
- Phahahaha. It seems to think that greatsword, the hammer, the dagger, and the spear are all just children who haven't even grown up yet. It calls you a pervert. Pfft. It says serving a master like you was a mistake of a lifetime. Phht…
He was laughing, clearly enjoying himself. He must have remembered how I’d teased him in the Secret Magic Tower and saw this as his opportunity for revenge.
- Dainsleif says it likes you, but… pfft. It says that one day, it will make you into a body that cannot live without it… Phht. Furthermore, it’s waiting for the day it can drink all your blood and become one with you… Phahahaha. It says it will wait for the day you live inside it.
Considering the penalty of Dainsleif, that could very well happen.
- Levatain says if you ever dare to look at that crazy bitch again, you won’t even leave bones behind. Phht… And Dainsleif says if you don’t look only at it, it will shatter all the other weapons around you. Heeheehee!
He was now clutching his stomach, doubled over with laughter. To be honest, it was starting to get annoying. I glanced around and saw that even Choi Seulgi and Jang Ye Ri, whom I had trusted, were smiling. I couldn’t take it anymore. I narrowed my eyes and spoke to Isaac.
“Alright. Now that I’ve heard the thoughts of my two lovely weapons, I’d like to hear about our newest addition: you. For what purpose did you leave your spirit form? And why did you enter the staff?”
- F-First, let’s talk about the Holy Sword.
“No. I can’t stand not knowing, so you might as well speak freely.”
Only then did Isaac’s expression crumble. He realized, caught up in the moment, that he had made a mistake. The atmosphere suddenly grew heavy.
- I-In my case…
And so, Isaac’s story began. It was a much heavier tale than I had imagined. He claimed he had trapped and sealed himself for the sake of humanity. If Mev had been here, she might have shed a tear, but that couldn’t have been his only reason. If that were truly the whole story, he wouldn’t have reacted the way he just did.
On the contrary, he would have told his story with great pride. Furthermore, there would have been no need to include a kiss in the Owner’s Rite.
- So I remained in the tower and waited for humans. It was an incredibly long time, but I managed to endure.
Seeing Choi Seulgi nod, he might have thought he’d won, but I still had my trump card. I turned to Isaac and spoke again.
“That’s an order, Isaac. How about you skip that part and tell me your true feelings?”
Isaac’s face twisted. He would probably have to speak now, even if he didn’t want to.
- W-Well… the truth is, there were a lot of things I wanted to try…
“I’d appreciate it if you’d be specific.”
He was on the verge of tears now.
- I… I wanted to make friends, and go on adventures, and I wanted to w-walk around outside. Sob… sniffle… I wanted to eat d-delicious food, too…
He started listing things one by one, trying to stall for as much time as possible. Just as I was about to speak again, I heard a voice as small as an ant.
- I… I wanted to try… k-kissing… and… l-lose… my… v-virginity… sob…
It was a voice so quiet I would have missed it if I hadn’t been listening closely.
“I’d like you to speak up.”
- I wanted to lose my virginity! Sob… sob… ughhh…
The atmosphere became quite heartbreaking. I hadn’t expected it to turn out this painfully, but the emotion Choi Seulgi and Jang Ye Ri were sending Isaac was unmistakably pity.
The anguished tears of Isaac, who had lived for a staggering ten thousand years, fell continuously to the floor.
- Sob… ughhh…
At this point, it was only natural for me to feel sorry for him.
- I’m sorry… sob…
“…”
I didn’t think it would come to this. I cleared my throat and opened a window to change the mood. Only after Choi Seulgi and Jang Ye Ri had comforted Isaac did the atmosphere finally begin to settle.
“If you grow just a little more, you can become a fine woman, so you need not be so sad. No, perhaps not just a little…”
- …
It was ambiguous whether that was meant as comfort or an attack on Isaac, who could no longer grow, but in any case, this meeting-that-wasn’t-a-meeting was getting back on track.
“My apologies. Ahem… I didn’t realize you had such a sad reason.”
I actually knew, but it was best to feign ignorance. I expressed my sympathy while looking at Isaac, who was still clutching his chest and sniffling. He gave a slight nod.
- I… I accept your apology.
He was still sniffling. Seeing this, I decided it was time to steer the conversation back to the original topic. I watched his reaction and immediately spoke.
“Ahem… Let’s go back to the beginning. I’d like to hear how it’s possible to separate the Holy Sword from her.”
- I… I understand. Ahem… First, I mentioned three types before. Does everyone remember?
Jang Ye Ri and I immediately nodded.
- The Holy Sword that the woman named Ha Yuri possesses is the third type. It wasn’t intentionally created by someone, nor did it gain power from being used for a very long time. I don’t know where she obtained such a weapon, but it’s likely a weapon that, like your Levatain or the Reaper’s Scythe held by that kind, large-chested woman, either fell into this world or was born into it at some point.
“Understood.”
- A good student. It’s the same for other weapons, but the third type is extremely picky when choosing a master. They don’t betray their chosen master and will follow them until death. Some even vanish from the world entirely after their master dies, hiding themselves until a new master appears.
“Even if we manage to separate the Holy Sword from Ha Yuri, if it just disappears… that would be a shame.”
“Especially since we don’t know when the undead will arrive,” Jang Ye Ri added.
- I can’t guarantee what will happen. From what I’ve sensed, the Holy Sword is obsessed with Ha Yuri. There’s a high probability it will disappear even if you manage to separate it from her. Of course, I don’t know why the weapon chose her… but I can make a rough guess.
“Hmm…”
- Levatain was captivated by your passion, and Dainsleif thought your nature could give it what it desires. The Reaper’s Scythe chose the will for revenge in that kind, large-chested woman, and in Choi Seulgi’s case, it was her will to achieve her goal. The Holy Sword must also want something from the woman impaled on the spear…
“And the answer is?”
- To become perfect. To become complete.
I felt like I was starting to grasp the situation. It fit perfectly with the sin Ha Yuri possessed: Pride. Ha Yuri thought of herself as a god and was trying to become one. In fact, she had grown close to being one.
She had become incredibly numb to the concept of humanity.
- It seems you’ve caught on.
“You could say that.”
- The Holy Sword has defined that woman on the spear as the most perfect human. No, rather than the most perfect human, the human closest to a god. It may sound ridiculous, but she is qualified. She loves no one but herself.
“You’re right. I don’t know if she’s close to a god or a perfect human, but Ha Yuri is certainly lacking in many emotional aspects. She feels no guilt and probably doesn’t even consider herself human. That makes sense…”
Even when Jeong Ji-young risked his life for her, Ha Yuri was busy calling him useless. She felt nothing even as she drove tens of thousands to their deaths. I, too, have killed many, but the Holy Sword and I are different. In a way, I am human. I become emotional easily and think of those around me.
But Ha Yuri is not like that. She is arrogant, believes she is different, and thinks of herself as a god. I am a different being from other humans. They all live for my sake. The world revolves around me, and I am its master. That’s probably what she thinks.
“So the method is likely…”
- The more you teach her the emotions that humans feel, the more the Holy Sword will waver. Any emotion will do. Anger, sadness, despair… it may be faint, but the more you shake her, the higher the probability of success. Though it seems she’s already feeling a bitter amount of anger…
“I see…”
Isaac paused for a breath before speaking again.
- And I guarantee, among all of them, the most effective will probably be…
“Probably?”
- Love.
At Isaac’s words, I nearly choked. A Holy Sword and love? The mission felt next to impossible.