Chapter 42 — Oppa, Guess What This Is Made Of?
Chapter 42 — Oppa, Guess What This Is Made Of?
Translation: GodTL
It wasn't until the fifth day of staying at Rokan's Lair that I finally regained my full strength.
At first, I'd vaguely hoped I'd recover within a day or two and return home soon, but my recovery progressed more slowly than expected.
Looking back now, part of why I'd thought that way was because I'd placed too much faith in Rokan.
Even if my condition was poor due to recklessly using Dragon Words, I'd assumed Rokan's healing magic would restore me to normal in no time.
"But the fact that my recovery was still this slow means... my condition was that serious, right?"
As I changed from patient clothes back into what I'd originally worn, I asked Rokan, who stood nearby.
"Serious is an understatement, but it was also an exceptionally rare case. You collapsed from overusing Dragon Words, so you couldn't use Dragon Words to heal, and since it wasn't a simple physical injury, recovery magic had its limits too."
Hearing it laid out like this made me realize anew just how dire my state had been.
Anyway.
Now that I've fully recovered, all that's left is to return to daily life, alternating between training and conquering Gates to grow stronger.
Even if incomplete, I did manage to wield Dragon Words at least once, so I can consider this as having overcome a major hurdle in my growth.
My heart raced with eagerness to test the extent of that growth.
Ah, right.
"Lord Rokan, by the way—where's my sword?"
I'd forgotten about the Dragon Bone Sword I'd left in his care.
It had been so severely damaged that even Rokan couldn't guarantee restoring it to its former state. I wondered how it had turned out.
"I did my best, at least."
Rokan retrieved my Dragon Bone Sword from his Subspace.
At a glance, it looked identical to its pre-damaged state, but judging by Rokan's tone, it hadn't been fully repaired.
"However, I couldn't fix it perfectly. At best, it'll only wield about 60% of its former power."
"I see..."
Even at 60%, considering the sword's original power, its performance objectively wasn't bad—but I couldn't help feeling disappointed.
Should I just use it as is?
But asking outright, "Couldn't you just give me a new sword instead?" after he'd painstakingly repaired it would frankly be shameless.
I considered asking Sia if she happened to have another spare Dragon Bone Sword... but thinking about it, that would be just as inconsiderate.
After breaking the sword she'd gifted me, asking, "Got any extras lying around?"—if I were Sia, I'd definitely be upset too.
While lost in these thoughts, a call came in from Sia.
"Hello."
As soon as I answered, Sia's face appeared on the monitor.
Maybe it was just my imagination, but she looked noticeably more gaunt than before.
[Oppa, good morning! How are you feeling today? Better?]
Because my recovery had been slower than expected, Sia had been worrying a lot about me.
Was that why her face looked so hollow, with dark circles under her eyes like that?
"Grandfather says I'm fine now. He told me I'm fully recovered and can go home."
[Phew, what a relief. Above all else, health comes first, so take care of yourself, okay?]
Just hearing her voice made me feel energized.
[And Oppa, I prepared a gift to celebrate your discharge.]
"A gift?"
[Mhm. I bet you'll be really surprised.]
I had no idea what kind of gift she'd prepared, but Sia was already grinning widely, as if looking forward to my reaction.
[Is Grandfather with you right now?]
"Yeah. He's right here."
[Then ask him for the gift I prepared.]
Before I could say anything, Rokan—who'd been listening in—pulled something out from his Subspace.
"...A sword?"
[It's a Dragon Bone Sword! Grandfather told me. Your sword broke, right? Why didn't you say anything to me?]
I'd asked him to keep it a secret from Sia, but it seemed Rokan had gone ahead and told her everything.
When I turned my gaze toward Rokan, he gave me a broad, unapologetic grin.
"It wasn't something worth hiding. You and I both know Sia's temperament. Did you really think she'd be upset over something like a broken sword?"
"Well, that's true, but..."
Still, if possible, I'd wanted to resolve the issue through Rokan before Sia found out.
["Well, since it's come to this, I made it myself. How is it?"]
So Sia had personally forged this sword.
I accepted the sword from Rokan and examined it closely.
At first glance, this new Dragon Bone Sword clearly showed far more meticulous craftsmanship than the one I'd used before.
While my previous sword had been quite elegantly designed, this one bore evidence of even more painstaking work.
Just looking at the scabbard design showed as much, and the blade appeared to have been sharpened to an even keener edge than the last one.
Perhaps that other sword had been made by a different Dragon, whereas this one was personally crafted by Sia—for me.
And then, there was one more thing.
<MJ♡SA>
Perhaps because it was a gift Sia had made for me, the hilt bore large engraved initials.
Not just my initials, but also those of its creator—Sia herself.
She probably wanted not just me but everyone else to know she'd forged this blade.
I understood the sentiment, but wasn't this a bit too blatant?
'Wait.'
As I noticed this and continued inspecting the sword, an ornament on the opposite side of the hilt caught my eye.
[How is it, Oppa?]
There, carved just as prominently and intricately as the initials I'd just seen—
Were depictions of Sia and me.
"Sia, this is..."
[I knew you'd remember! I engraved it based on that photo from our first date. Do you like it?]
No wonder it looked familiar.
I might have preferred this carved somewhere other than a sword—having such engravings on a blade created a slight cognitive dissonance.
Frankly, looking at just this, it gave the impression of being a decorative sword rather than one meant for actual combat.
"Yeah. It feels like a really special gift."
Still, since Sia had carved this out of affection for me, I couldn't possibly say I disliked it.
It was awkward, but feeling Sia's love so plainly was nice in its own way.
[I'm glad you like it. And Oppa, this is the most important part.]
After a deliberate pause, Sia dropped a bombshell completely at odds with her innocent smile.
[It's actually made from my bones!]
"...?"
For a moment, I nearly dropped the sword in shock.
I must have misheard. Yeah, that had to be it.
Rokan said I'd fully recovered, but maybe I was still suffering hearing damage from the aftereffects of that time.
"Sia... what did you say?"
[It's a sword made from my bones!]
Ah.
So I hadn't misheard.
...Bones?
Dragon Bone Swords were originally said to be forged from Dragon bones.
Sia was a Dragon.
So Sia had personally made this sword—from her own bones?
...Not from some other, deceased Dragon's remains?
Come to think of it, Rokan had once mentioned something like this:
'Occasionally, some among our kind take up the eccentric hobby of carving swords from their own bones, so don't pay it much mind.'
At the time, though I couldn't comprehend it from my perspective, I'd just accepted it as one of those things.
I'd thought it had nothing to do with me.
But.
Now that it concerned me directly, the story felt different.
Sure, the sword I'd used before was probably made from some nameless Dragon's bones too, and I hadn't felt any particular aversion to that.
But a sword made from my girlfriend's bones was a bit...
I'm not some psychopath.
[I tried to upgrade it from your previous sword in both performance and design. If I was going to make one, I figured it should be the best, so I put a lot of care into it. How is it? Do you like it?]
"Shocking..."
For a moment, I almost blurted out the wrong words.
But the answer that left my lips had been predetermined from the start.
[Huh? What did you say, Oppa?]
"It's shockingly... good. Thank you, I'll use it well."
When Sia pressed, I managed to mumble a response.
At first, I'd genuinely liked it—but learning this uncomfortable truth left my mind blank.
Still, I couldn't very well say I disliked it.
Yeah, this was what they called a white lie.
Whether she failed to notice my dishonesty or not, Sia's eyes sparkled, relieved that I liked it.
[Oh, Oppa. Since it's come to this, why don't we make matching couple swords?]
"Couple... swords?"
What was she talking about now?
As my mind went momentarily numb, I grasped one possibility and urgently asked:
"You mean making another sword just like this one?"
[Yeah!]
"And the materials would naturally be..."
[My bones again, of course!]
Times like these always made me feel slightly unsettled.
[I can't very well use your bones, right?]
...Did I just hear something incredibly disturbing?
Even though I usually just found Sia adorable, hearing her say things that were incomprehensible from a human perspective...
At times like this, I could truly feel that Sia was a Dragon—different from me.
[Officially, you're a mage too, and realistically you'll probably never use it... but still, having one more couple item wouldn't be so bad, right Oppa? Right?]
"...Right."
At this point, I decided to give up on understanding.
[Then Oppa, let's meet again soon! I need to go make my sword now. Heehee.]
After thoroughly shaking my mental state until the very end, Sia hung up.
I tentatively gripped the sword hilt Sia had personally crafted for me from her own bones.
'Ugh...'
I wonder if my facial expression is holding up right now.
Just imagining myself swinging a sword made from Sia's bones to cut down monsters, watching their blood soak into the blade—it sent shivers down my entire body.
But.
What could I possibly do when there were no other options?
It's not like I could ask for a different sword now. Maybe someday I'd get used to wielding it, but...
Honestly, I don't think I'll ever get used to it, at least not for a long time.
"It seems you're quite fond of the gift our Shasha gave you."
While I stood there awkwardly gripping the sword, Rokan approached and asked.
"Huh? Oh, yeah."
"Well then, you've got a new sword now, and your body's fully recovered too. I believe your next task is clear."
Wait, don't tell me...
"To get accustomed to that sword, how about doing some light training here before you leave?"
Though Rokan wore his usual benevolent smile...
For some reason, today, that smile felt more like the wicked grin of a demon.
"R-right now?"
"Indeed. Let's begin immediately. Didn't you say yesterday that you were itching to move around after being confined to bed all day?"
There's no way I would've said that...
...Ah, wait, I did.
Why on earth did I say something like that yesterday and bring this upon myself?
"Wait, I'm not ready yet—"
"Tsk tsk. Why so hesitant? This isn't like you—the same person who's always burning with enthusiasm, saying you need to master the power of a Dragon as quickly as possible."
Well, he's not wrong, but I'm not mentally prepared to wield my girlfriend's bones yet!
Whether he knew my feelings or not, Rokan grabbed my hand and dragged me toward the massive cavern used as a training ground.
I only found out later...
Rokan had been fully aware of how uncomfortable I was the moment I received that sword made from Sia's bones.
And yet, the reason he dragged me straight to training was simple:
He just wanted to mess with me a little.
...This is giving me cognitive dissonance.
After delivering the sword she personally crafted to Min-jun through Rokan,
Sia was basking in a mix of pride and euphoria.
'If I'd known Oppa would love it this much, I would've made it sooner.'
Min-jun's reaction had been different from usual.
Though he hadn't said it outright, his eyes had clearly shown deep astonishment.
Had she observed more carefully, she might have noticed that his surprise wasn't exactly what she assumed it to be...
But uncharacteristically, Sia failed to pick up on it.
Instead, she firmly convinced herself that Min-jun liked the gift far more than usual.
You know how sometimes people are so happy they're left speechless?
That's what she believed it was.
Of course, people can also be left speechless from overwhelming sadness... but why would anyone be sad after receiving a gift?
Besides, ever since Sia first decided to make a new sword for Min-jun, she had poured all her focus into crafting it—barely sleeping except when talking to him.
After dedicating so much time and effort into painstakingly creating it, how could she not assume he'd love it?
But her ambitions didn't stop there.
"Should I make something else too?"
After finishing the sword identical to Min-jun's, a new desire sprouted within her.
Though less well-known than Dragon Bone Swords, some Dragons occasionally crafted not just weapons but also accessories—necklaces, rings, earrings—from their bones, following a similar principle.
They might not be as significant as a Dragon Bone Sword, but they'd still make meaningful gifts for Min-jun.
They'd offer some minor help in wielding Dragon power, and he'd surely be happy to receive new couple items—or so she thought.
"Heehee."
Though her eyes were hollow from days of sleep deprivation, the corners of her lips curled skyward at the thought of creating another masterpiece.
Imagining Min-jun wearing bone-crafted accessories not just in the Gate but in everyday life too...