Chapter 95
Chapter 95
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 95
Chapter Title: Hero
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Hero.
"What are you talking about?"
"Let's have a spar."
"...Didn't you say you met the Sword Genius Killer? Wouldn't fighting her be better?"
Diago added one more thing as he said that.
"I'm more of an instructor who dabbles in politics these days than a proper knight."
Don't overwork a guy like me.
Diago sighed.
He had a point.
Diago hadn't changed much since the first time I met him.
From what I'd seen hanging around him, he did train, but...
'It's more like just maintaining the status quo.'
Diago might even be weaker now than when we first met.
That was the feeling I got.
"Judging by that look in your eyes, you don't want to deal with the Genius Killer, and picking me specifically... You don't want to get tangled up with her either."
Diago had accurately grasped my situation.
Getting involved with the Genius Killer seemed like it would be a huge hassle.
"In that case, I'll handle that for you."
"Handle it?"
Did he mean take her out?
Come to think of it, Diago had said something like that before.
The existence known as the Genius Killer was a Sword Hero created by the nobles.
Since the nobles had made her, the imperial palace wasn't thrilled about it.
But the palace had still helped her.
In case she truly became the Sword Hero, they could use her as their own power.
That's why Diago had proposed to me before.
Why don't you become the Sword Hero?
'Veronica said something similar.'
At this point, Diago might think her existence was unnecessary.
"But can you win?"
"...?"
Diago tilted his head at my words, then looked at me with an incredulous expression.
"You don't think I'm going to just brute-force it like some dumb brute knight, do you?"
That wasn't it?
I stared at Diago in shock.
Diago quietly sighed and shook his head.
"No, this might be my fault for my wording. Anyway, don't worry, it's not like that."
Diago gave me a strange look as he said that.
"The conversation got a bit sidetracked... Let's get back to the point."
"You want a spar."
"...Go easy on me."
Diago let out a deep sigh.
"That wouldn't be good for me at all. And more than that... Fighting you right now doesn't seem like it'd end well for me."
"We fought just fine when we first met."
"I didn't know anything back then. And I was confident I could beat you at the time."
"But you lost."
"...I consider that a fluke. Too many variables caught me off guard in that fight."
"Variables, huh."
It probably did feel that way to him. I'd just learned Hyuncheon back then.
Diago had been tormented by the Holy Sword.
And on top of that, his disciple Ermé had burst in suddenly.
"Anyway, let's drop it. I'll take care of the Genius Killer issue."
Diago waved at me and left as he said that.
*
I was doing some light stretching.
I wanted to loosen up, but there was no suitable sparring partner.
'Should I go find Volkan?'
That old man might accept with a grin.
Or maybe not.
Lately, he'd been giving me more astonished and worried looks.
'Especially since I leveled up recently and learned a bunch of new stuff.'
Since Diago said he'd find the item I wanted when I came here,
I figured I'd just wait patiently.
With that in mind, I entered the Adventurer's Guild.
'...'
The atmosphere was different from usual.
The adventurers were clearly tense.
As if someone important had arrived.
The air was thick with tension.
'Who could it be?'
Heading inside, I saw Volkan sitting there.
Across from him at the table was an old man.
If Volkan had a fierce, rugged face,
the old man opposite him was neat and tidy in appearance. Though not his body.
'Another one like old man Volkan.'
His uniform hid it, but the edges of his clothes gave it away. That old guy had arms as thick as my waist.
'...What, over two meters tall?'
Even sitting at the table, his overwhelming bulk was impossible to hide.
Sitting there with that build, the chair looked like a toy.
"My god, for him to come here...!"
A familiar shocked voice.
Following it, I saw Glasses.
"What are you doing here?"
"Oh, Yuseong."
"How do you do, boss."
Finn was there next to him too. He bowed at a perfect ninety degrees the moment he saw me.
"Who's that guy?"
"...You don't know him?"
When I asked about the old man, Glasses responded in a thoroughly flustered voice.
Was he famous?
But I didn't know him. Because I'd never seen the guy before.
'...Huh?'
I looked at the old man.
At first, I'd focused on his build.
I looked at the old man again.
He gave off a strange feeling. Even just sitting there, it felt like a chill of sharp intent was directed at me—an eerie illusion.
"The empire's duke, once one of the greatest adventurers in Cradle... the Black Fog Duke."
"Black Fog Duke...?"
"Yes, one of the pillars supporting the empire, and when it comes to the sword, no one claims to be second to him."
Glasses was chattering excitedly about the Black Fog Duke.
'...I've always thought this about him.'
Probably the son of some empire noble. He had that refined upbringing vibe, which made it odd that he chased his dreams as a mage, delving into the Labyrinth nearly every day.
As I thought about Glasses,
some eyes were fixed on me. Red gem-like pupils.
"...Hey."
Staring right at me.
I reluctantly greeted So Yeonhwa.
"Not in the mood."
She ignored my greeting and just looked at me.
"How'd you do it?"
"Do what?"
"That movement when you dodged me. I can't replicate it."
"You can't do it?"
This was unexpected.
That she couldn't mimic the hero's orthodox footwork.
'When the Holy Sword taught me, I got it on the first try.'
He hadn't shown me anything. He'd just explained it.
I'd replicated it just from hearing.
'Even if it's not easy to copy perfectly, it should at least make some difference.'
Was that my misconception?
Or maybe the footwork the Holy Sword taught was more impressive than I thought.
"You couldn't copy it?"
A new voice came from beside me.
At some point, the old man called the Black Fog Duke was standing right in front of me.
"Yeonhwa, did you see it yourself?"
"Yeah, I saw it. But I can't copy it. Couldn't even catch up."
"Couldn't even catch up?"
"Kuhahaha! See that, you old fart! That's how great this kid is!"
Bam! Bam!
Volkan slapping my back with his palm. Ow, you old geezer! That hurts!
"Heh heh, looks like we win this bet."
"Nonsense. Your disciple might've learned something impressive, but in the end, our Yeonhwa will win."
"You hyped her up as the empire's hidden sword genius, got everyone's hopes up, and now she's admitting she can't copy it? You really trusted that depressed girl that much? Puahaha!"
Volkan was laughing at the Black Fog Duke like he was genuinely delighted. Laughing like he had no business acting his age.
"So when did you learn that footwork?"
"Figured it out on my own."
"Is that so?"
The old man eyed me up and down. An ambiguous gaze. Like wondering what the hell I'd been eating to get this strong.
'Hmm.'
I looked at old man Volkan.
He used to feel impossibly distant.
'What the hell with this old man.'
How strong was he exactly?
I thought I'd gotten pretty strong myself.
'...This guy's just a Sword King?'
Gifts indicate professions too.
Sword King, Volkan.
As his nickname suggested, Volkan had obtained the Sword King profession.
And that title had stuck to this day.
But I had this strange conviction that Volkan had reached something beyond that.
"So what was that footwork?"
So Yeonhwa asked me.
"You can't just ask for someone else's secrets like that."
"I'll pay you."
"You think everything's for sale with money?"
"One hundred platinum coins."
One hundred platinum coins was roughly ten billion.
"..........................................................................................................You think I'd waver for something like that?"
I'm not a man who bends for mere money.
"He's wavering hard, isn't he?"
The Black Fog Duke was looking at me with a baffled expression.
"I knew he was weak to money, but this is worse than I thought."
Volkan muttered in disbelief.
Everyone has a weakness to money.
"But this kid..."
The man called the Black Fog Duke looked at me. His eyes gleamed with interest. But there was something negative there too.
As if I were some dangerous entity.
He was wary of me.
"If you like money that much, I could give you some."
"Ah, but that's a bit much."
"?"
"Money doesn't just get handed out for free. You're obviously up to something."
I said to the Black Fog Duke.
Chasing freebies gets you burned. Free lunch is nice, but...
"...It's not without strings. How about five platinum coins?"
"For what?"
"Spar with our Yeonhwa once."
"Pass."
No way I'd fight that girl for just five platinum coins.
No matter what, if it turned into a proper match, there'd be a clear winner.
'...Even if I threw it on purpose.'
I couldn't fool these old men's eyes.
Then I'd get all the empire's attention?
'That'd be a real pain.'
And more than that.
I didn't want to become the Sword Hero.
If anything, I'd go for Thief Hero.
'...No point picking a fight with a hero who graces the game title.'
Above all, the Holy Sword had said that if she became a hero, she'd be extraordinarily powerful in combat.
Better than this Genius Killer or whatever.
I didn't know what that meant, but I had no desire to interfere.
Maybe he read my intentions.
The Black Fog Duke looked at me like I was a huge annoyance.
"That girl over there..."
"My name is So Yeonhwa."
"...I don't want to fight So Yeonhwa."
"Why?"
Why?
I looked at So Yeonhwa. She stared back blankly, like she had no idea.
"Ah, but it's not up to your will anyway."
"...?"
"Because it's about to start."
"What's starting?"
"The tournament to select the heroes."
Volkan grinned mischievously as he said it.