Chapter 127
Chapter 127
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 127
Chapter Title: Onward to the Eastern Continent
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East Continent.
-What a ridiculous situation.
The Holy Sword quietly stated the plain fact.
-The guy holding the Holy Sword, saying, "Actually, I'm not the Sword Hero."
'Be quiet.'
I inwardly told the Holy Sword, who was dredging up a fact I'd been trying hard to forget.
No, it really was ridiculous.
I'd never wanted the Holy Sword in the first place.
On the contrary, it had come to me through Diego.
-Heh heh... Even as you say that, your body was honest, wasn't it?
But the Holy Sword just laughed at my words.
'Where did you even learn to talk like that?'
-From a guy who's mastered the hero's swordsmanship, footwork... and even breathing.
'......'
I had nothing to say to that.
But I did have my own retort.
Because.
'You were the one who told me to learn it in the first place.'
You provoked me endlessly, and when I mastered it in one go, you complained to me about it.
-You shameless bastard! Do you even know how good what you stole from me was?
'That's why I became a thief—to steal it.'
-......
I could clearly feel the Holy Sword's bewilderment.
......Did I go a bit too far?
I'd deal with this later.
I looked at the two of them, who wore dazed expressions.
The princess and the crown prince.
They stared at me with the blank looks of people who'd been suddenly smacked in the face with a pillow in the dead of night.
"The Thief Hero? You?"
"With the noble blood of the empire, you seemed far more suited to the Sword Hero competition."
I said that and stepped back.
Then I grabbed Cheong Yurang and retreated further.
More precisely, it was a getaway.
'......Dealing with these people is such a pain.'
High-status folks were tricky to handle. Especially the upright ones who knew they were upright and hid it well...
'I really hate it......'
To be exact, they made me deeply uncomfortable.
As I stepped outside, Ermé came into view, her face full of shock.
Why was she making that expression?
Puzzled, I followed her gaze to Cheong Yurang beside me.
"H-How... how did you two get so close?"
"Hm? When I went to the beastkin country."
"Master, who is this woman?"
Cheong Yurang eyed Ermé with a cold glare.
"M-Master?"
[Tears. Master ignores my opinion and makes a battle-ready pet.] Cheongju flailed its arms in protest.
'......'
If anything, it was an offensive-type pet.
But Cheong Yurang was a beastkin. She probably wouldn't like being treated like a pet...
-......You're truly impressive. I acknowledge you.
The Holy Sword spoke to me in a rare tone of genuine admiration.
'Don't.'
Because.
The Cheong Yurang who'd just been called a pet by Cheongju.
'Why is she making that face?'
She looked utterly blissful. Her cheeks were flushed pink, the corners of her mouth twitching upward in a grin.
Her eyes curved into happy crescents.
I'd never seen that expression on her before...
"That robot over there... has sharp eyes for a consort."
[Contempt. A beastkin thrilled to be called a pet. Estimated to be a real dog.] "What? Cheong Yurang here inherited canine lineage from the beastkin bloodlines."
Ermé chimed in.
Her eyes sparkled. Then her gaze flicked to me briefly.
As if wondering how we'd gotten so close.
"But what the heck is this robot?"
[Affirmative. I am Cheongju, the most loyal robot to Han Yuseong's master. My rank is higher than yours, so show respect.] "Can I smash this tin can?"
Cheong Yurang asked me with dead-serious eyes. She looked ready to stomp it flat the moment I nodded.
Go easy on it...
-This is absurd. Normally, women compete over who's the girlfriend, not over who's the pet?
"......"
I had no reply to the Holy Sword.
*
We managed to stay the night in the city after some back-and-forth.
The princess had argued fiercely, but for some reason, she yielded whenever she looked at me.
Anyway, after spending the night in the city, we slipped away in a carriage.
Strange presences lurked now and then, but they never showed themselves.
Because Volkan handled them.
[Oh ho, this one's decent against you.] It kidnapped dozens and pitted them against others.
At some point, I'd been sparring with Volkan nonstop.
'......I just want to land one hit.'
Panting, I thought as I eyed Volkan.
More like, land one solid blow.
-Give it up. Ever since you openly beat him last time, he's been on high alert around you.
'Knew it.'
After falling for traps and such before, Volkan sparred with me in extreme caution.
'It's seriously exhausting, like I'm gonna die.'
-But the results are undeniable.
As it said.
Stats that only rose through level-ups were climbing significantly.
It was some consolation.
And the reason I could force myself through this grueling training.
We traveled like that for a while.
"We've finally arrived."
Volkan said in a complicated tone.
"So many things happened on the way to the capital."
......Really.
I sighed deeply as I thought about it.
Still, being able to do all sorts of things had its upsides.
'Now we head to the East Continent to fight.'
Getting to the East Continent would be quick, they'd said.
By riding some airship or flying machine.
"So, what are you gonna do?"
Volkan asked, eyeing me.
The question came because two people were staring at me intently.
The crown prince.
And the princess.
Though I'd tried to sneak away, they'd followed somehow and were insisting I become the Sword Hero.
'......Being the Sword Hero isn't bad.'
And right now, I felt I could do it easily.
Genius Killer, Soyeonhwa.
I already had a win over her.
She was growing stronger too, but she didn't have that invincible image compared to me.
Difference in learning speed, perhaps.
The gap that had existed was widening further.
'Well... she still has plenty hidden up her sleeve.'
I glanced at Soyeonhwa.
She tilted her head with a blank look when she noticed my gaze.
"Alright, let's get ready then. The empire's handling the airship, so we just need to show up."
"Having people and supplies from the empire makes it easier now."
"Finally free from cooking duty."
As soon as I spoke, gazes poured in from all sides.
Starting with Cheongju.
[Denial. I can't do it alone.] "Of course. And no one else would satisfy them with your cooking on the way here."
I glanced around.
The crown prince and princess smiled awkwardly at me.
'......Are those the same two who were bickering like crazy in front of the inn?'
I gave them a meaningful look and sighed.
'Hang in there, Cheongju.'
-You do nothing yourself, yet you act like you hate it so much?
'Nothing? I do plenty.'
-Training with Volkan, rolling around in bed, and making one meal out of three...
'You just don't understand the human heart, Holy Sword.'
Even that was exhausting as hell.
Anyway, we headed toward the airship.
'Wow.'
I marveled at the airship.
Its size was enormous.
"That thing can fly?"
"It has level 5 equivalent mages aboard, so no issues."
"Looks like it since the empire runs it directly. They built it huge for some imperial prestige crap, even if it's stupidly slow."
Volkan and the princess responded to me.
I stared at the airship. It was cruiser-sized; perfect for a luxury cruise.
'The fact it flies at all is impressive.'
Magic power, I suppose.
With a thousand-year labyrinth history, plenty of top mages made sense.
As we approached, quite a crowd was already there.
"Nice timing. Looks like it's about to depart."
Volkan's face lit up.
"How long do you usually wait?"
"Bad timing, and you might camp out here forever."
Volkan spoke with clear distaste for lingering.
Makes sense; someone like Volkan would attract all sorts of connections.
'At least on par with Black Nether Duke.'
We boarded the airship.
Given our status, our clan got a VIP suite.
"Crown prince privileges."
"Excellent, Your Highness."
"......"
The crown prince stared at me blankly.
"You're truly inscrutable."
"What?"
"Petty bourgeois mindset... hating fame despite your skills... acting disgusted by it, yet surprisingly down-to-earth."
From his perspective, maybe.
After years swept up in turmoil, I'd ended up like this.
We boarded.
Entered the suite: a lavish room welcomed me.
'......Damn, this rivals a decent suite hotel.'
That's why I was surprised.
An airship—what was it but a flying ship? Yet this treatment for me, the crown prince's group.
'Probably thanks to him.'
I flopped onto the bed and passed out.