Living with a Greatsword Is a Dream and a Romance

I stepped out of the alchemy workshop and back onto the street. With nothing else to do, I simply wandered aimlessly. 'Hmm, maybe I should train or something?'

To be honest, ever since I got the System, I've grown pretty lazy about training. 'Can't be helped. Leveling up makes me stronger for sure, and it only takes a second.'

Someone might ask why I don't just practice swordsmanship instead of physical conditioning, but... 'The only greatsword techniques I know are vertical slash, horizontal slash, and thrust. The so-called Three Talents Sword Style! That's the extent of my sword knowledge—the same Three Talents Sword Style that shows up in every wuxia novel.'

Greatsword techniques have a notoriously high difficulty curve from the start. They're all about using raw strength to handle a heavy blade, so there are tons of recoil-based moves. Not exactly beginner-friendly. That doesn't really apply to me anymore, but I can't deny that greatsword arts are genuinely difficult. No matter how strong I am, if I can't wield it properly, swinging it around is pointless.

'Still, if you've got the power, that's basically a win.'

I raised my arm, carefully examined the state of my muscles, then swung it backward with full force.

Thud—!

With a heavy impact, I sent flying the person who had been trailing behind me.

Boom—!

The straw pile behind him exploded on impact.

"Why do you keep following me? Got some business with me?"

"You've grown even stronger than before, Nix."

"Tsk, of all people, it had to be you."

The man who emerged from the scattered straw, brushing himself off, was Liman—Dorua's infamous womanizer and the guy who had taken a serious interest in me.

'Right before my attack landed, he relaxed his body to absorb the impact. His technique's gotten better.'

Tap tap—! Liman dusted the straw from his clothes, then flashed a sly grin as he stared at me sharply.

"Ugh, gross."

"That kind of reaction hurts a guy's feelings, you know."

"Then stop giving me those greasy eyes, or fix that sleazy way you talk."

"Your tastes are quite unique. Most women would be absolutely crazy about me."

"That's because they're normal women. Me? I get goosebumps all over my body, okay?"

Even before I regained my past-life memories, I found his flirtatious vibe repulsive. Now that I remember I used to be a man? It's a thousand times worse. 'It's like hundreds of snails crawling down my spine! I hate it so much.'

It seemed like becoming good friends with Liman would be impossible.

"Your tsundere attitude is pretty charming too."

"Please just go die somewhere."

Seriously, please go die. You're wasting oxygen.

"Come on, Nix. Why don't you give me a little of your time? You look like you're just wandering around with nothing to do."

"Even if I have nothing to do, I don't want to spend time with you. Go find someone else."

You've got plenty of women chasing after you already.

"Hehehe, are you sure you won't regret this? I was thinking of inviting you to a rather nice place."

"Buzz off. Whatever you've prepared, I'm not inter—"

"Even if it's the underground magic stone mine?"

"Magic stone... mine?"

Wait, what did he just say?

"The magic stone mine. The lifeline beneath this very city of Dorua."

The magic stone mine—the place that justified the entire existence of Dorua. Originally, this land where Dorua now stood had been completely ignored. It was crawling with monsters, so its reputation was in the gutter. Then they discovered a massive magic stone deposit here. And not just any deposit—it came with a Mana Spring.

"Are you serious?"

"Of course. I pulled some strings to get us two spots."

Well, I couldn't possibly turn that down. 'If I can get inside the magic stone mine, that's a jackpot!'

Some might think I'm overreacting, but they just don't know. A magic stone mine discovered alongside a Mana Spring is like an endless oil well. The spring's mana continuously refills the stones, so even the kingdom treats it like a national priority. Dorua alone supplies thirty percent of the kingdom's magic stone market. That's why people always pull every trick in the book to get inside.

"And you're saying you'll take me there? Who the hell are you? Or do you have connections with some big shot?"

"Just as I don't know everything about you, you don't know everything about me."

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

"So basically, you can't tell me."

Full of secrets, aren't you. Well, prying any further would be rude, so I changed the subject.

"So when are you taking me?"

"Hmm, right now?"

"...Do you have no concept of time?"

I was grateful he was taking me, but what if I had plans today? The guy didn't even consider that.

"It's fine. The date doesn't matter."

The date doesn't matter? So I could go in whenever I wanted? 'Just what kind of connections does this bastard have?'

Anyway, thanks to Liman's invitation, I gained entry to the magic stone mine. The security check to get inside was ridiculously strict.

"Try not to cause any trouble in here. They're extremely strict..."

"What? Why?"

"Where the hell did you get that pickaxe? I'm sure nothing like that came up during the inspection."

Liman stared at me in utter disbelief as I casually held a mining pick.

"Idiot. A person should always be thoroughly prepared."

In truth, I'd bought this pickaxe in advance for when I explored dungeons. I also had a shovel, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠by the way.

"What I'm saying is, where were you hiding that... Never mind. I don't need to know. Hand it over."

"Ah, no way!"

My dream of scoring magic stones!

"You can't just mine magic stones recklessly. If you're caught smuggling them out, it's a death sentence."

"Can't I just sneak them out?"

"Of course not. Enough. Just follow me quietly."

Following Liman's lead, we descended deep into the mine. The entrance looked like any ordinary mine, but the deeper we went, the more breathtaking the scenery ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠became.

"Whoa, this view is incredible."

Blue magic stones glowing softly and illuminating the surroundings, along with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠waves of blue mana flowing to nourish them. It was exactly like a scene straight out of a fantasy fairy tale.

"So you are a woman after all. Getting lost in a view like this."

"Anyone, man or woman, would be amazed by scenery like this, you know?"

That's why tourism thrives, after all.

"This is the spot."

When we reached the deepest level after descending a stone staircase, I saw people bustling about everywhere. There were heavy mining machines working on the stones, and even a mage drooling with an ecstatic expression on his face.

"That guy showed up again. Drag him out!"

"W-wait! Just a moment!"

The mage from earlier was dragged away in tears. Hmm, was it really that bad?

"If you go a little deeper, you'll find the Mana Spring. There are even more people there."

The Mana Spring—the source that produces the magic stones and the dreamlike fountain everyone yearns for.

"Every year, countless squires come here looking for it."

To become a knight, one must sense mana and refine it using an Aura Cultivation Method. And the Mana Spring was a place where mana gathered in such absurd abundance that it practically stagnated and rotted.

"It's even liquefied."

Just how much mana had accumulated for it to turn into liquid? This place was seriously insane.

"But isn't this gift a bit much? I don't have anything I can give you in return."

"To win someone's heart, you have to invest. That's how it works."

"Ugh, you're still not over it? Can I just leave?"

"Are you really going to leave?"

To be honest, leaving wouldn't have been a big deal. I could raise my aura through leveling up anyway.

"To become a knight, don't you need to sense mana first?"

He had a point. To become a knight, you had to be able to sense mana. Only then could you accumulate aura and perform in battle.

"This place is perfect for learning to sense mana."

Well, for a normal person, this would be an incredibly tempting offer.

"But I can already sense mana."

"What?"

"I can sense mana itself just fine. I just don't have an Aura Cultivation Method, so I can't create aura yet."

My stats are over 15, you idiot. Does my mana sensitivity, amplified fifteen times over, look like a joke to you?

"...I didn't know that."

Liman's face showed complete surprise. He went out of his way and ended up embarrassing himself. Sigh, poor guy.

Still, he'd gone through all this effort for me. It felt wrong to just brush it off. I really am too soft-hearted. Sob sob.

"I'll give you a full day."

"A full day?"

"Since you went through all this trouble for me, I should give something in return, right? So I'll generously offer you one whole day of my precious time."

"Hmm, a day seems a bit short..."

"Oh? You don't need it? Okay, got it."

"—is what I won't say. I'll gratefully accept. See you in a week, then. I have some things to prepare for you as well."

Liman turned on his heel and left without another word. What a gust of wind. Is that why they call him a womanizer?

"Hehehe."

I smiled while looking at the magic stones sparkling with an ethereal glow before me. Smuggling magic stones was originally a serious crime punishable by death, but only if you got caught.

"Inventory, I love you forever."

My inventory could hold every visible item. Without lifting a finger, I had secretly swiped every magic stone that entered my field of vision, one by one.

"Hmm. Now, how should I sell these?"

Selling them at a regular shop would draw way too much attention. If they asked about the source, I'd be in serious trouble with no good answer.

"As someone who dreams of becoming a knight, stealing feels a little wrong, but... eh, I can make up for it later by contributing with my strength to the city."

After all, these magic stones could be mined endlessly if given enough time.

"Wait a second, how much would I get if I sold them through the shop window?"

It was a question that didn't need any agonizing. After all, I had the shop window.

"Sell magic stones."

I quickly opened the shop window and clicked on the sell menu.

I owned ten magic stones. Selling them all would net me a hundred million won.

"I can buy it."

It was a lower-grade one, but I could finally purchase an Aura Cultivation Method. Unable to contain my excitement, I immediately made the purchase.

At long last, an Aura Cultivation Method was in my hands.