8. You Have No Talent.
Three days after conquering the dungeon. Today, we headed out to the southern streets of Tronen.
Keep going south from Tronen, and you'd hit the border with the Empire. Maybe that's why the southern district bustled with a pretty big market.
Bella wandered around excitedly, gawking at everything. Cheong-ah trailed behind her, rejecting whatever Bella tried to buy on sight.
"Oh, hey. Check this out. Isn't it cool? What do you think, Cheong-ah? Let's get one."
"...Hmm, not really my thing. Put it down, Bella. I'm not buying."
"Aw, why? Hey, Ian, what about you? This ain't bad, right?"
Pulling me into it at Cheong-ah's words, Bella shoved the item she'd been eyeing right in my face. In her hand was... yeah. Something pretty grotesque and niche-looking. What the hell was she even planning to use it for?
"Don't bring that shit over here. Put it down. I don't like it either."
"Tch... bunch of buzzkills."
Bella grumbled as she put it back, and we moved on toward our original goal.
"Let's buy what we planned first, then browse."
"Yes, husband."
"Yeah, whatever."
The reason we'd suddenly hit the market? That was yesterday.
I was going through my usual routine—Cheong-ah's idea of "training" to protect myself, which was basically torture—when it happened.
Squeezing every last drop out of my stamina with sprints, push-ups, and other bodyweight exercises for strength and endurance. Once that was done, Cheong-ah finished with wooden sword sparring. Me with a wooden sword and shield against her.
She swung saying I needed to at least block this much, but I'd already taken a dozen hits and was yelling surrender. That's when Bella, who'd been watching from the shadows, piped up.
"Hey, why're you putting Ian through that kinda training? Running and strength stuff I get, but why the sword?"
"And what's your problem, barging in after slacking off?"
"Ain't a problem. Just curious."
"It's so husband can protect himself and escape no matter the situation, obviously?"
"Yeah? But Ian's got no mana anyway. Train all you want, he'll just get his ass beat."
"Hmph...? So, Bella, you have some better idea?"
Cheong-ah snorted and asked. Bella nodded, eyeing me.
"Duh. Hey, Ian."
"What?"
"Ever thought about something besides a sword?"
"Something else?"
"Yeah. Do you really have to use a sword? Be real—you got no talent. You know that, right? Cheong-ah, you know it too."
"...Fucking harsh. Yeah, I know."
"...That's true. Husband has no talent for the sword."
Bella's point was something I already knew all too well. Yeah. I had zero talent for swords.
If I did, even without mana, I could've at least hit Copper rank as an adventurer.
So why stick with it? Simple reason, no choice.
Cheap to maintain—just sharpen on a whetstone and you're good. Versatile in any terrain. And every blacksmith near a guild sold swords.
Plus, figuring out what weapon I did have talent for wasn't easy.
So I'd just gone with the most common, universal choice everyone else used.
"So what? You saying I should try a spear or something?"
"Jeez... You think spears are easy? Sure, you'd improve quick at first. But then what? No mana—you're screwed. Face it, you're not cut out for close combat. No mana's the killer."
Bella shrugged, stood, dusted off her ass, and walked over. She held out her palm to me and beckoned.
"What?"
"Gimme that."
"Uh, here."
I handed over my sword and shield. She tossed the shield aside like trash, gripped the wooden sword, and took stance.
"Watch. Close combat's like this."
Vmmm—
Red mana rippled around Bella's body, flowing into the sword to form thick sword aura.
"This. That's what it takes. Got it?"
"Yeah, you're great. So what's your point?"
"Point? Simple."
She dispersed the aura, chucked the wooden sword next to the shield, and said,
"Hey, use a bow. Crossbow's fine too."
"A bow? Crossbow?"
"Listen. No close combat talent? Fight from range. Duh? And what's your role in the party anyway? Buff us and hide in the back, right?"
Lightning struck my brain at her words. She was right. Why hadn't I thought of this sooner?
Before Cheong-ah, sure—sword was my only real option. Bows and crossbows cost way more to maintain than swords, all things considered.
But now? With Cheong-ah's money freeing us up, and my vague party role... no reason to cling to swords.
"Definitely... not a bad idea."
"Right? So, Ian. Even your wife's on board. Whaddya say? Try something new."
"Yeah, I'll do it. Seems solid. But hey."
"Huh?"
One issue with Bella's bow-or-crossbow plan.
"I've never shot a bow in my life. Crossbow neither."
Sure, guns back home—but unless you're some hunting enthusiast or archer dude born in Korea, when do you touch a bow or crossbow? Hell, even guns I only shot 'cause of mandatory service.
Bella waved it off like it was nothing.
"Psh, what's to worry? Practice."
"I'll practice, obviously. But bows don't get good overnight, right? What if I miss and hit you guys?"
"Who cares? You'd hurt."
"...Huh?"
"We fight, you ain't buffing us?"
"Of course I would."
"Then no problem. We get hit? Buff bounces it or whatever—pain goes to you anyway."
True. In real fights, with buffs on, any hit they took just transferred to me. No worry about friendly fire.
Pretty damn solid. I nodded, warming to it—then Bella added unnecessary salt.
"Plus, some noob like you firing mana-less arrows? We'd dodge easy."
Her smirk—one corner curled, sneering you? like I was trash. Infuriating.
Fuck, that smug bitch.
Recalling yesterday fired me up. Annoyed for no reason, I hurried after Bella, who'd taken the lead.
Positioned just behind and to her side, I called out.
"Hey, Bella."
She started turning—
"Huh? What...?"
I swung my palm hard, smacking her plump, jiggly ass.
"I'm out!"
Smack—!
"Aheeeek?! You crazy fuck?!"
I bolted forward. Pressure chased me—Bella, eyes blazing, face twisted, hot on my tail.
This could end in death if caught. Market crowd everywhere, stalls blocking paths—hard to sprint!
"Stop, you dog bastard...!"
"Waaah!"
"You dare smack my ass?! In public like this...! You're dead if I catch you!"
Shit, bad idea?! She charged like a bull seeing red. Regret hit, but I couldn't help it.
Not just payback for her snark—watching that ass sway in front of me? Had to smack it once.
Run max speed...!
Didn't last. Bella grabbed me soon enough.
"Huff... huff. Gotcha, you little shit."
"Damn, caught already. People in the way right then...!"
"Huuuh... Ready for what you did to my ass?"
No regrets. That satisfying smack on her cheeky rear? Felt damn good. Different from Cheong-ah's.
Like a knight captured by orcs pre-rape, I hung my head.
"Kill me."
"Oh, I will. You cheeky fuck. Time to test this arm you fixed—properly."
Bella panted, grabbed my collar, raised her fist to brain me—
Then a tiny kid wedged between us, hugging my chest.
"Finally, we meet, Yeonja!"