Chapter 58
Chapter 58
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 58
Chapter Title: Festival (2)
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A festival was in full swing within the Heavenly Demon Cult.
'Was this place always so lively?'
Given the town's nature—a closed community high up on Mount Heaven—the usual atmosphere wasn't very bright.
In fact, if you dug deeper, it was a place where discrimination based on strength and a clear hierarchy were prominent, as befitting a group that worshiped simple martial prowess. Crime was also quite common.
The resulting social problems, combined with the isolated and closed-off geographical environment, created a host of chronic issues.
Contempt for the weak, crimes of power, violence, and so on.
As a mere blacksmith, there was nothing I could do, so I just ignored it and lived my life.
But today, even amidst that gloomy village atmosphere, lively laughter and conversation filled the air.
As it was the grand festival celebrating the Cult's founding, the fact that the Heavenly Demon Cult's warriors were vigilantly maintaining security must have played a part.
Hyeon-a, walking with me through the market street, spoke in a suggestive tone.
"Hey, is there anything you want to eat?"
I answered curtly.
"Not really. I just came to clear my head. I don't feel like eating anything."
"What about that?"
Hyeon-a pointed to a stall selling seasoned lamb skewers, which Yuhwa, exhausted from training, was staring at, drooling.
The Sword Demon noticed Yuhwa's gaze and immediately bought one for her.
"Proprietor, one of these, please."
Seeing the skewer steaming, fresh off the grill, Yuhwa licked her lips and offered a big thank you.
"Thank you, Master!"
"Of course. There's plenty of good food around, so take this chance to eat your fill."
The Sword Demon smiled warmly as he watched Yuhwa.
It seemed he was pleased to see a young child—his one and only disciple, no less—rejoicing so purely.
Watching the two of them, I felt greatly inspired and pondered how I could use this for the next demon sword.
Just then, Sohwal approached the Sword Demon and spoke quietly.
"Lord Sword Demon, it is time to go. The other Seven Demons should be gathering at the main hall by now."
"Ah, it's that time already. Very well."
Hearing Sohwal, the Sword Demon came over to me and said.
"I have some business to attend to, so I must be going."
"Is something the matter?"
The Sword Demon grinned at my question and replied.
"Come to the plaza in front of the main hall this evening, and you'll find out."
He beckoned to Yuhwa.
"Disciple, let's go now."
"Yes, Master!"
Yuhwa gulped down the lamb in her mouth and followed the Sword Demon.
"Be sure to come to the plaza tonight. You'll get to see something interesting."
"To be honest, I'm a bit tired. I'm not sure if I can stay that long."
Hearing this, the Sword Demon glanced at Hyeon-a.
Catching his gaze, Hyeon-a quickly bowed her head and replied.
"I'll make sure to bring this blacksmith with me, even if I have to drag him."
"Hey, what are you..."
Before I could say anything, the Sword Demon nodded and replied curtly.
"Reassuring. I'll see you later, then."
The Sword Demon turned, waved, and went on his way.
Hyeon-a bowed to him as he left, and once we were alone again, she spoke in her usual playful voice.
"So, it's just the two of us now, huh?"
"I didn't come to the festival to be alone with you."
Hearing my quiet mumble, Hyeon-a pouted.
"Hey, you punk, am I that much of a bother? Is this all our relationship amounts to?"
I looked at her with an exasperated expression.
"Don't be ridiculous. I'm just going to look around a bit more and then head back, so you can... oh, right."
I quickly glanced around, and realizing no one was nearby, I leaned in close and asked in a low voice only Hyeon-a could hear.
"Did you bring 'that thing'?"
'That thing' referred to the Preta Path's red orb.
Hearing my words, Hyeon-a grinned and replied.
"Well, that depends on how you treat me today."
"What?"
"If you have a good time with me today, then I'll have brought it. But if you upset me, let's just say I dropped it somewhere on the way here."
"What kind of bullshit is that..."
"Uh-oh, are you trying to upset me?"
As Hyeon-a teased me with a mischievous look, I had no choice but to play along with her for the day.
"No, sigh... Fine."
"There we go. That's more like it. So, shall we get going~?"
Hyeon-a started ruffling my hair haphazardly.
"Ah! You're messing up my hair!"
She always bugged me like this, even though we weren't that different in height.
"It's fine. You still look good even with your hair a little messy."
And with that, Hyeon-a thoroughly messed up my hair and started walking.
"Come on~ let's go! It's a once-a-year festival, so we have to enjoy it to the fullest!"
"..."
My shoulders slumped as I stared blankly at her back.
'I'm already feeling tired. I haven't been sleeping well lately.'
Hyeon-a seemed to be in an especially good mood today, but honestly, my body and mind were too tired to keep up with her.
From the recent lack of proper sleep, my stomach felt nauseous and my head was hot.
Still, I wasn't cold-hearted enough to cruelly ignore Hyeon-a, who was so looking forward to spending time with me.
When I sighed wearily, Hyeon-a glanced back and said.
"If you're late, I might get upset, you know?"
"Alright, I'm coming. I'm coming."
I trudged after her.
Hyeon-a looked around the food stalls and asked me.
"Don't you have any favorite foods?"
"Hmm, I like seasoned meat."
"Oh, really?"
At that, Hyeon-a looked at the seasoned lamb skewers at the stall right next to us.
"What about those, the ones the Sword Demon's disciple was eating earlier?"
"I don't know. Normally I'd like them, but I don't have much of an appetite today."
"Oh... is that so?"
Seeing my low energy, Hyeon-a sounded a little disappointed.
"Then should we just walk around for a bit?"
"Sure, why not."
And so, the two of us walked through the market street, looking at various goods.
A liveliness I'd never felt on these streets before filled the air.
But amidst it all, I didn't really feel it.
We stopped by shops selling all sorts of curious items and looked at restaurants with unique atmospheres.
Hyeon-a seemed quite fascinated by the things and foods she'd never seen before.
It seemed there were some goods and foods brought from the Central Plains, which made it fun to browse.
For me, however, it held little excitement.
We wandered the festival streets of Mount Heaven until evening approached, but I didn't feel any particular interest.
It felt like this wasn't the place for me.
As if sensing my mood, Hyeon-a said to me.
"Is it too loud here? Should we go somewhere quieter?"
"Maybe. We're going to the plaza soon anyway, so let's hang around nearby."
"Okay."
Hyeon-a and I headed straight for an open lot near the Heavenly Demon Cult's main hall.
Normally, it was an empty space where warriors trained, but now it was filled with several tents and temporary wooden structures.
There were people, but it was quiet compared to the market street.
I decided to rest in a pavilion in front of a small pond.
'I was tired. I should rest here for a bit before going.'
After thinking that, I closed my eyes quietly, enjoying the cool breeze. But Hyeon-a suddenly sat down next to me and asked.
"Of all days, why are you so down today? You're usually so energetic when you're making weapons."
"I'm not making weapons, so I have no energy."
Hyeon-a studied my face for a moment, then asked.
"Why, is something not working out lately?"
"I can't think of what story to put into the next weapon."
"Hmm, didn't I give you a lot of stories? Is there not a single one you like?"
"The stories you gave me are good. But this time, I was hoping for something that wasn't as violent or aggressive as before."
Hyeon-a seemed to think for a moment before speaking.
"It really is time for you to take a break. When you're like this, it's best to just rest without thinking about anything."
"That's why I came out today, but for some reason, I feel even more tired."
Hearing this, Hyeon-a asked.
"So, besides making weapons, is there nothing else you do at all?"
"Well, yeah."
Even if I try to do other things, there's nothing to do.
In my past life, there was so much entertainment like games and movies, but none of that exists in this era.
On top of that, the closed-off geography of Mount Heaven meant there was even less to do.
The food and drinks were mostly the same, and everyone was obsessed with strength and fighting. None of it suited me.
Even now, when I close my eyes, memories of my past life sometimes surface.
'I wonder if everyone is doing well.'
My body is here, but my mind has always been elsewhere.
I wondered if this was the same reason I became so engrossed in my demon sword 'game'.
My quest to escape a dull and uninteresting reality in search of new and fun stories was a bit like a child playing games to avoid studying.
Before, I made weapons to survive and to avoid being looked down upon. Now, it felt like I was making them for my own mental rest and escapism.
Hyeon-a gazed at me as I spaced out, then asked cautiously.
"You know... there's something I'm curious about. Can I ask?"
I turned my head slightly to look at Hyeon-a.
Instead of her usual playful expression, her mood was a bit serious.
"What is it?"
She hesitated for a moment, then slowly spoke.
"What's your name?"
"..."
I remained silent.
"We've known each other for a while now, but strangely, I don't remember ever hearing your name."
"Is that so."
Thinking about it, I realized that no one had called me by my name since I came here.
When I first opened my eyes in this world, I had no parents; it was as if I'd just dropped from the sky, so I didn't have a name.
Everyone just saw me as 'the blacksmith,' and whenever someone asked for my name, I'd usually just mumble something and move on.
I thought for a moment before answering.
"I don't know."
"Huh? You don't know your name?"
"I forgot. I used to have one, but no one ever called me by it, so I think I've forgotten it."
Hearing this, Hyeon-a looked at me with a strange expression.
I replied nonchalantly.
"But is it important? It's not like anyone cares."
"..."
"My role is just to make weapons anyway, and no one was ever curious."
"I am."
I stared at Hyeon-a and replied.
"That's strange. My name, huh..."
"Blacksmith."
She called out to me, her tone serious, unlike before.
"Even the cruelest people in the world know their own names. And if they don't, they make one up."
"Is there really a need to go that far?"
After a moment of silence, Hyeon-a spoke.
"You always dive into other people's stories. But that's not you hiding from your own, is it?"
Hearing that, I frowned and said.
"Why are you saying such difficult things? It's not like you. I'm just playing around there because reality is boring."
Just as I finished speaking, a murmur arose from the direction of the plaza.
I turned my head to look and saw that a large crowd had gathered, though I don't know when they arrived.
"Hey, looks like something is finally starting."
I got up and headed toward the plaza.
Hyeon-a watched me in silence for a moment before getting up and following me.
Making my way through the crowd to the front, I saw warriors dressed in black martial arts uniforms.
I couldn't get to the very front, but thankfully, I wasn't short, so I had no trouble watching.
"Are they going to spar?"
It looked like warriors were about to have a martial tournament.
As I voiced my question, Hyeon-a, who was beside me, answered.
"Every year at the festival, those who aren't official Cult warriors gather for a tournament. If you perform well here, you get a chance to become an official warrior of the Cult."
"They have something like that? I had no idea."
"Have you ever actually come out for the Cult's founding festival before?"
"Can't say I have."
"Then how would you know?"
I'd always stayed in the smithy, so I never knew about this tournament.
"There's an official test day, but this is more like a competition."
"I see."
These were things I didn't know because I had no interest in becoming a warrior.
Just then, I spotted a familiar face among the warriors.
It was Yuhwa, a girl in a neat black martial arts uniform.
Right before the tournament began, an announcer came out and gave a brief opening remark, followed by a procession of the Cult's executives.
I wasn't really interested, but when the Sword Demon appeared at the end, it was quite a sight.
He usually seemed ordinary, but seeing him in a formal setting like this gave off a completely different impression.
Moreover, compared to the other Seven Demons next to him, his handsome features made him stand out even more.
I wasn't the only one who felt that way; I could hear people around me whispering as they looked at the Sword Demon.
"Is that Lord Sword Demon?"
"He looks incredibly young for someone who has reached the state of demonic transcendence."
"He's an amazing person."
The Sword Demon himself, however, was smiling warmly at Yuhwa before scanning the crowd.
Then he saw me and gave a light nod.
I bowed my head in return.
Once the announcer's opening remarks were more or less finished, the tournament was about to begin.
'I might as well take this chance to see how real warriors fight.'
Hyeon-a smirked beside me and said.
"Go on and watch. It'll be pretty entertaining."
"Is it very flashy?"
"Not exactly."
She replied in her usual cheerful tone.
"Isn't it most fun to watch a bunch of amateurs fight each other?"