Chapter 160
Chapter 160
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Reunion on the Highland
Highland.
"Hello!"
Ermé greeted me with a bright smile.
Was it because we'd been apart for a while?
Her hair, which had reached her shoulders before, seemed a bit longer now.
"What do you think? Doesn't it suit me pretty well now?"
Ermé tilted her head slightly to show off her hairpin and looked at me.
I nodded and glanced at the group standing in front of the clan building.
There was Volkan, Cheongju, and Rishiel along with Ermé.
"Haven't seen you in a bit, and your complexion's improved even more."
Volkan said as he looked me over.
Complexion? Not sure about that.
Well, I'd been eating, sleeping, and training, so maybe it had.
'Wait a second.'
Looking at the old man more closely...
-Has his height increased?
'Seems like it.'
I silently agreed with the Holy Sword.
So it wasn't my complexion that had improved—it was the old man's.
From the way he was grinning, it seemed like he'd noticed my reaction.
"Yeah, yeah, this Cheongju guy's really something."
"Cheongju isn't for sale."
"Hmm, must be because he's made of retinal alloy?"
"Well, that's part of it."
Retinal alloy cost more than one platinum coin per kilo, so it was insanely expensive.
And I'd grown pretty attached to him too.
'Who else is gonna do the housework without retinal alloy?'
Cheongju was an essential part of my comfortable lifestyle.
In that sense, selling him was out of the question.
"That's right! Cheongju's our precious chef now for the trip to the Giant's Highland!"
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Denial. I'm exhausted now.] Cheongju said that before hopping up onto my back.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [From now on, I'm going on strike. I won't do anything.] He'd seemed a bit more rebellious lately. Could a robot even get tired? Well, mental fatigue was still a thing.
'Just how hard did they work this guy?'
I shot Volkan a look, wondering what had pushed Cheongju to this point.
Volkan just chuckled heartily.
"Don't give me that look. Cheongju and I just bonded over our friendship."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Denial. Poor me was just used all day long, I testify.] "I supported him with everything he needed for cooking."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ [Confirmed receipt of cooking tools worth a few platinum coins.] "See? That's me treating him fairly, right?"
Well, if he'd gotten cooking tools worth a few platinum coins, I could see why he wouldn't complain too much.
Still, overworking him would just make him unappreciative, so I took Cheongju inside with me.
"Ugh, guess I'll have to eat bland food for a while."
"It's not that bad."
"We stuck around precisely because he could cook like that. We even skipped all those closing ceremonies and whatnot because they were a hassle."
"True, the alcohol tasted great with Cheongju's cooking."
Ermé smacked her lips as she said it.
"That's why I specially shelled out platinum coins for a time-related artifact to age the booze."
"How much money did you blow on alcohol...?"
I stared at Volkan in disbelief, but he looked back at me like I was the weird one.
Not weird, exactly.
'What the hell.'
It was the look of someone treating me like a clueless kid who didn't know booze.
Unbelievable.
It had been ages since I'd touched alcohol since coming here.
But there was a good reason.
A very simple one.
'The booze here is trash—how am I supposed to enjoy it?'
The alcohol in this world was pathetically underdeveloped.
They didn't even have proper seasonings; without an A-rank gift like elven brewing techniques, it was hard to make anything tasty.
Make good booze in a world like that?
'Not even MSG exists here—what was I supposed to expect?'
Fruit wines and such weren't bad sometimes.
But compared to my past life, this world's alcohol fell woefully short.
Proper aging methods weren't passed down well, and without decent seasonings, that was inevitable.
But that wasn't the point.
I let out a deep sigh and led Cheongju away.
"Quit wasting energy on dumb stuff and help with the move already."
"Why me?"
"Because I'm taking Cheongju."
"...Ugh."
Volkan groaned and eyed Cheongju.
Then he looked at the clan building.
"I'll provide an escort."
"That's a steep price."
"Cooking every meal too much for you?!"
No, it wasn't really a hassle.
Just...
'I'd like a little help along the way.'
I held up an index finger.
"Nothing major. I'll cook for you myself, so help with some training."
"You're my disciple, so whipping you into shape so you don't embarrass yourself out there? Piece of cake."
I shrugged.
Volkan looked utterly deflated.
"Wait, no?"
"To keep me from embarrassing myself out there, don't we need the clan to level up too?"
"Tch."
Volkan clicked his tongue and added,
"I'll train the others since it's you asking, but I won't bother with anyone below par."
"Can't be helped."
We'd been selective from the start, so they might meet his standards.
With that settled,
I asked something I'd been wondering about.
"So, who became the Sword Hero?"
"...You're asking that now?"
Volkan looked incredulous.
Fair enough.
The city must have been buzzing with hero talk lately.
This world was more advanced than the modern one in some ways—or at least similar.
Because it was a game world.
Newspapers and such existed.
'I just haven't checked yet.'
Half-secluded training meant I hadn't caught up on news.
At most, I'd crawl out occasionally to cook or brew.
Volkan gave me a weary look at my reaction.
Meanwhile, Ermé's eyes sparkled.
"As expected of Yuseong... always focused on your own goals."
"Your eyes must be seriously out of whack."
Volkan looked exasperated.
Then, after a pause, he told me.
"The Sword Hero is..."
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Heroes.
Sword Hero, Thief Hero, Mage Hero, and Saintess.
These four heroes were meant to stop the Demon King.
But they'd rarely faced him directly.
Not even his minions much—most heroes focused more on labyrinth monsters.
Anyway, they all received divine artifacts.
Holy Sword, Holy Bow, Holy Staff, Holy Scripture.
These four held the goddess's power.
I had the Holy Sword and Holy Bow.
The crown prince and Diego said I didn't have to return the Holy Sword to its owner.
'Like that's gonna happen.'
That was why, despite the clan's tight finances, I'd dipped into my own pockets to support the members.
I needed to milk the Holy Sword for everything ASAP.
Honestly, I'd hoped Ermé would win.
She didn't need the Holy Sword much.
Soyeonhwa had been eyeing it greedily.
"Hehehe, I lost."
But Ermé lost to Soyeonhwa.
And Soyeonhwa became the Sword Hero.
'Beating Soyeonhwa looked tough anyway.'
She was strong to begin with.
And maybe because I'd taught her a bunch of stuff.
-Karma for you.
The Holy Sword said in a sullen voice.
-But don't worry too much. This body will return here soon enough.
-You could just set up a new household elsewhere.
The Holy Bow snorted at the Holy Sword's resolute tone.
She'd been hanging out with it lately, so she was getting snarky more often.
'But how?'
There wasn't much to learn from the Holy Bow.
I shot better than past heroes, handled traps fine, used poison well.
Spirit arts were the only appealing thing.
-Spirit arts aren't bad, honestly. Great fuel efficiency for magic.
'Tempting.'
Too bad you needed the World Tree's blessing, so I gave up cleanly.
Anyway.
"Lend me the Holy Sword quick."
"..."
Soyeonhwa was right in front of me.
Asking to borrow the Holy Sword.
'Isn't this backwards?'
I handed it over with a reluctant expression.
"Looks like an ordinary sword."
Soyeonhwa's curt impression.
Then she squinted, staring it down.
With her usual blank face.
"So this is how you've been talking."
"Pretty much."
-Just stick to her forever.
The Holy Bow half-cursed.
"Where are you headed?"
"...?"
Soyeonhwa tilted her head at my question.
"...?"
Her weird reaction made me tilt my head too.
It was like we were supposed to keep traveling together.
'No way.'
-Yeah, it's not like the old days with the Demon King reviving, so heroes traveling together... oh.
The Holy Bow trailed off in despair.
-So I have to stick with that Holy Sword forever?
-Pretty much.
The Holy Sword sounded smug.
'...?'
I'd clearly handed it to Soyeonhwa.
Why could I still hear it?
'Oh.'
It used to talk to me even when Diego had it.
I rubbed my face with my hand.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ Our move was decided swiftly.
Giant's Highland.
We'd planned to go there anyway, and preparations were done, so we mobilized in no time.
Loading gear and people took six wagons.
'This should hold us for a while.'
The remaining issue was settling in at the Giant's Highland.
Not a big deal.
They revered martial prowess, so the Sword Hero showing up would smooth things over.
Soyeonhwa would follow me for now anyway.
More importantly.
"Heh, we get to bring our brother along."
"Hehehe, and not an elf, but the Thief Hero...!"
"Ah, shame he's a thief, but can't be helped."
I saw Gotash and Burkan with genuinely regretful faces.
I let out a hollow laugh.
Why was I their brother?
"Hehe, sorry."
Ermé approached, cutely sticking out her tongue.
She'd probably sweet-talked them.
Not bad for me, though.
As I thought that, I filled Ermé in on recent events.
Killing the Black Heart Sect Leader and absorbing the sect.
How to handle it.
"...The hottest topic right now, the Black Flame Archmage—no, Fist Demon was you, Yuseong?!"
Ermé let out a hushed scream.
How do you even do that quietly?
Still, I'd quickly blocked the surroundings, so no sound leaked.
"Dunno how it spread, but yeah, Fist Demon's me."
"How did you... no, it's Yuseong, so you pulled it off somehow?"
I scratched my head as Ermé looked confused.
'Wanted to keep it under wraps if possible.'
I'd spread the Fist Demon moniker myself.
But it got stuck with that chuunibyou Black Flame Archmage title.