Chapter 33: Shall I Suck the Sweet Juice Dry?
Varen, who had been about to leave the room, stopped in his tracks.
“There’s something I’m curious about.”
“...What is it?”
Glancing back over his shoulder, Varen let his gaze settle on Balmung, leaning at an angle beside the bed.
“Where did you get that sword?”
Damn it. For a second, Kael nearly stopped breathing.
His heart felt like it might leap straight out of his mouth.
Had he finally been found out?
His mind went blank, but Kael forced his mouth open and blurted out whatever came to him.
“...I got it as a gift.”
The moment the words left his mouth, regret hit him hard.
Hell, what kind of excuse was that supposed to be?
“A gift...? I see. Then you received a fine gift.”
But Varen didn’t pry any further. He only gave a small snort of laughter, opened the door, and walked out.
...What the hell was wrong with that guy?
Had he taken a hit to the head or something?
Kael stared after him in bafflement.
* * *
Meanwhile, Varen had closed the door behind him and was wearing a faint smile.
“I asked something rather rude.”
That sword, crude as it looked, was no ordinary thing.
He couldn’t feel any mystical aura from it.
But just from the hardness required to endure those monstrous sword strikes...
It can’t be a common blade.
If he had to guess, it was probably a sword bestowed by a master.
Sword and swordsmanship were practically one and the same, after all.
...I’ve never heard of swordsmanship like that.
Just recalling it made his skin crawl.
Those indifferent, arrogant eyes.
And the sword that came at him in a straight line.
It had felt as though it were asking him, how dare you stand in my way?
Varen looked down at his own hand. It was trembling faintly.
...Clench.
He curled his fingers into a fist. A dry thirst rose in his throat.
Part of him wanted to finish the fight they’d been forced to leave unfinished.
His excitement still hadn’t died down.
But no matter how much he loved a good fight, he wasn’t petty enough to force one on an injured man.
...When was the last time I felt like this?
He chuckled under his breath.
Come to think of it, the losses were considerable.
He had already wasted a great deal of time coming all this way, and now he’d agreed to move twice for no reward at all.
Given his skill and the standing of one of the Imperial 5 Swords, that was a huge loss.
And yet.
...Even after all that, the gains were more than enough to make up for it.
Kael.
Who would have thought a monster like that was hiding in Nox?
Simply knowing of his existence, and making his acquaintance, was more than enough to offset every loss Varen had suffered so far.
“Interesting.”
The Empire’s current situation was more chaotic than it had ever been.
The Emperor was gravely ill, the national treasure had vanished, and the Imperial 5 Swords had betrayed the throne.
Was that all? Neighboring nations were beginning to bare the fangs they’d hidden for so long, one after another.
The fact that one of the Seven Deadly Sins had attacked the capital alone was proof of how disordered the Empire had become.
And at a time like this, a strong figure like Kael had stepped onto the board.
Now no one could predict what would happen next.
It was chaos, pure and simple. And Varen found that kind of situation thoroughly enjoyable.
* * *
“...He’s gone?”
Yes. Didn’t I tell you there was no need to worry? Honestly, men are such cowards...
“Old man. Up until now, I’ve been too polite with my words, haven’t I? Maybe you really need to go through a proper toilet to clear your head...”
Enough! That was my mistake just now! I admit it!
“Last chance.”
Kael narrowed his eyes in warning.
Once Balmung fell silent, Kael looked down at the potion he’d been given as a gift.
A liquid with a faint reddish sheen. Depending on the angle, the color looked subtly different.
“...Is this really okay to drink?”
Something about it felt a little unsettling.
Don’t worry. You already drank an elixir, and you’re acting all dramatic over a mere potion?
“An elixir? What the hell are you talking about?”
What, you didn’t know? Back when you fought that brute before coming here, the white-haired woman fed it to you after you passed out. If not for that, recovery wouldn’t have been so easy.
An elixir? He’d never even heard of it.
And yet something that absurdly valuable had gone into his mouth?
Didn’t you think it was odd? No matter how talented you are, growing at that speed is beyond reason.
“Really? And here I thought you’d been telling me all along that I was still below standard.”
Hmph.
Balmung coughed awkwardly.
In any case, Kael had no idea. He’d drunk an elixir while he was unconscious.
No wonder I felt like my stamina was rising unusually fast.
He had just assumed it was his talent at work.
This world already defied common sense; it wouldn’t have been strange for him to have an advantage like that. But it seemed he’d also gotten help from an elixir.
Still, not a bad windfall.
Now that he’d been told it was safe, there didn’t seem to be any reason to hoard it.
“I can just drink it now?”
Yes. Drink it, then quietly do as I say. The last time, you were so out of it that it was hard to get the energy to settle properly, but this should go much more smoothly.
“Hold on. Let me take my clothes off first.”
Kael began stripping off his clothes in a flurry.
What are you suddenly doing?
“What do you mean? If I do it while I’m wearing clothes, they’ll get dirty.”
Where exactly did you pick up nonsense like that? It’s not entirely wrong, but it doesn’t apply to you right now, so put them back on quickly.
“Oh, really?”
Feeling a little embarrassed, Kael put his clothes back on.
In martial novels, when people absorbed spiritual medicines, impurities were supposed to come out of their bodies. Apparently he wasn’t at that level yet.
Kael opened the stopper on the potion and tossed it back in one go.
The taste was... how should he put it?
Like cold medicine from childhood mixed with spices?
In other words, it tasted awful.
Get into position.
Kael grimaced and took the stance Balmung told him to.
The path has already been prepared. You only need to move as I instruct.
Kael closed his eyes and focused.
The potion slid down his throat, and a current of energy began to seep out from within.
An odd, tingling sensation spread through his body.
Hold it in.
I am.
Kael moved the energy exactly as Balmung commanded.
It was easier than he’d expected.
As the potion’s power slowly spread through his entire body, the pain gradually faded, almost as if by magic.
“Hoo...”
Kael exhaled deeply.
Then he slowly opened his eyelids.
“Whoa. That’s seriously incredible.”
The praise came out on its own.
His body, which had hurt like he’d been beaten with a club, was completely healed.
He felt in peak condition.
His body seemed lighter than before.
“Money really is the best, huh?”
...
Balmung fell silent.
It was true that he’d guided Kael, and true that the path had already been prepared, but he hadn’t expected him to execute it this perfectly.
The original purpose of a potion was simple: healing.
In truth, even if one merely drank it, wounds would heal at remarkable speed.
But that method was far too inefficient, which was why Balmung had supported Kael and guided the potion’s energy so it would circulate through the whole body rather than linger only around the injured area.
Easy enough to say in words. Actually doing it was harder than one could imagine.
He had thought it would be a good result if Kael managed to absorb even half of it.
And yet Kael had absorbed almost all of it.
What an absurd bastard.
He’d known the boy was talented, but the more he watched, the more common sense seemed to collapse before his eyes.
“...I’m suddenly starving. Is that a side effect?”
Now that he’d recovered, an intense hunger came crashing over him.
With a bit of exaggeration, it felt like his stomach had shriveled and clung to his spine. He needed to stuff something into it immediately.
As Kael clutched his empty belly, someone knocked on the door.
Knock, knock.
“...It’s Dining.”
At the name, a strange sense of anticipation stirred in him. And sure enough, when Dining opened the door, he was carrying a generous spread of food. Kael’s eyes widened at once.
“I heard you were injured. I prepared a meal just in case.”
“What, did I do something to offend you or what?”
“...Is that how you take a gesture of goodwill?”
“Sorry, I wasn’t expecting this kind of service, so I was a little surprised.”
“You look healthier than I expected.”
“Yeah, well. Hand it over first, will you?”
Kael dove into the food Dining had brought, eating like a man possessed.
Watching him with a slightly flustered expression, Dining let out a small sigh.
“I’m glad you’re enjoying it, but please do take your health seriously as well. You’re no longer on your own, after all.”
“...What kind of wife talk is that?”
Kael made a face of disgust, and Dining gave an awkward cough.
That was true. He had gone a bit too far just now.
“Then I’ll take my leave.”
Dining left the room, and Kael polished off every last bite at shocking speed.
Normally, it would have been enough food to leave him stuffed and sluggish, but now it merely filled the gnawing emptiness in his stomach.
All right. My condition’s back, and the hunger’s gone.
Kael pushed himself up from the bed.
He stretched, loosening his body, and his joints cracked loudly.
It had only been a short stay in bed, yet he already felt like he was getting stiff from disuse.
See? I really am not built for beds.
There were plenty of things about this age that were inconvenient, but at moments like this, he really appreciated living in the medieval era.
If this had been modern times, they would have dragged him straight onto an operating table.
He truly hated the thought of that.
Once he was ready, Kael fastened his belt and strapped Balmung to his waist. The weight of the blade settled there with a strange sense of reassurance.
When he stepped into the corridor, he saw the new recruits busy with cleaning.
“Huh? Boss. You’re up already?”
“I was getting stiff just lying around. Any unusual developments while I was out?”
“Nothing in particular. Well, those guests who came by did throw a tantrum and say they wanted to use the training grounds for the time being...?”
They claimed there was nothing unusual, and yet they let that slip way too easily.
Frowning, Kael asked, “They threw a tantrum?”
“Yep. You know, that short woman with red hair? It was her.”
“Really? Got it. Thanks for telling me.”
Kael patted the recruit on the shoulder. The polite newcomer bowed at the waist, ninety degrees.
Look at these guys?
Give them guest treatment, and now they were aiming for his inner room too.
As Kael started down the corridor, the corners of his mouth slowly rose.
The Imperial 5 Swords should have plenty of money.
Now then, why not try sucking the sweet juice out of them dry?