Chapter 296
Chapter 296
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 296
Chapter Title: The Prophecy Points to Death (8)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ "So, no special advice?"
Cardi turned around, stirring the thick green tea vigorously. There sat Raniel, pinching her nose as if she didn't even want to smell the tea's aroma.
"Advice?"
"Yeah, advice."
Raniel nodded.
"Like how to take down the Sword of Death, or its weaknesses—something like that. There has to be at least one, right?"
"You think?"
Cardi let out a hollow chuckle.
"A monster like that having a weakness?"
"Still, if we look hard enough, maybe there's something?"
"Who knows. At least in the hundreds of years I've watched, nothing showed up. Might be worth a shot if you dig."
"Tch..."
As Raniel smacked her lips in frustration, Cardi exhaled shortly.
"It's actually better off now, relatively speaking."
"What?"
"That guy's replaced half his body with beast parts, right? Probably pieced together from the Beast King's corpse by Glerea or whatever."
"Beast King?"
"The beast called a calamity back in our active days."
A grotesquely terrifying beast.
It devoured humans and adorned itself with their bones. A beast it was, yet it yearned to become a human with intellect.
"Born in shadow, yet it spoke human tongue, loved humans, and envied them. It tore off its own hide and grafted human flesh in its place."
"...Loved humans?"
"Hard to explain. In the end, it even gripped a sword and traded blows with Ganikalt. According to him, it was superhuman."
A beast, superhuman?
Raniel blinked in confusion, and Cardi snickered.
"Lost my train of thought there, but anyway—that Beast King's flesh makes up half of Ganikalt now."
"...So he's stronger than back when he was the Hero?"
"Doesn't seem like it."
Cardi shook his head.
"I told you—he was originally right-handed."
"Ah."
"His final strike was with the left, but the swordsmanship he created centers on the right. So, compared to his prime, he might be weaker now."
"Weaker...? That...?"
Swinging a sword once to cleave a canyon?
Cardi decided not to mention Ganikalt from the Demon King battles, watching Raniel mutter. It was impossible now anyway.
He wrapped up the story neatly.
"...Technically speaking. In terms of raw power, he might be stronger now."
"Sigh..."
Raniel let out a long sigh.
"I ask for strategy advice, and you brag about your old comrade. Hey, I'm the one heading out to stop that monster. Can't even cheer me on, just scaring me."
"Sorry about that."
Advice, advice.
Muttering to himself, Cardi fell silent for a moment, as if struck by a thought. Raniel's eyes lit up as she glared at him.
"Think of something?"
"Not really advice, but there is something."
"What?"
Propping his chin, Cardi spoke.
"I mentioned Ganikalt had a disciple once, right? Grace."
The lord of the North, Grace.
A boy whose talent Ganikalt acknowledged.
And the swordsman who inherited Ganikalt's blade.
"When he returned the Holy Sword to the sanctuary, he left some words. I checked them later myself..."
Words glimpsed centuries ago.
But elves never forget what they see or hear. Cardi recalled and recited them.
"Death never forgets pride."
"Show pride before death."
"For death is the noblest swordsman."
Words left by Grace on the brink of death.
Muttering them, Cardi added,
"Or so it goes. I don't know much about a swordsman's mindset, so I can't say much."
He set down the swirling green tea.
"Ganikalt always longed for something. Even as the Hero, he yearned desperately for it, and in the end, fell without finding it or sharing it with anyone."
"What was it?"
"No idea. But..."
Cardi gazed at the teacup.
Watching the thick powder settle, he murmured,
"He once said he shows respect to those who possess what he desires. He even sheathed his sword before the Beast King."
"I ask you. Are you a swordsman?"
"Human, I have gripped the sword. I have pulled my claws and torn off my beastly arms to stand before you. You alone are my equal. Then, am I a swordsman?"
"Then, you are a swordsman."
A brief exchange.
During that exchange, Ganikalt showed more intense emotion than ever. He even warned his comrades not to interfere.
"...That's the gist."
Recalling the past, Cardi exhaled shortly.
"Drink up."
"This? Me?"
"Who else?"
Cardi placed the watered-down green tea before Raniel and gestured. She recoiled in disgust.
"Drink."
"No way. Why would I?"
"I watered it down. Drink."
"No, I said no. Just looking at it turns my stomach."
"It's good for you. Drink..."
After a prolonged back-and-forth, Raniel finally downed the green tea. Regardless of its health benefits, the taste was utterly revolting. For a while, even the sight of anything green made her queasy. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 2.
"...No, this really is a health drink?"
"What are you talking about?"
Raniel blinked. She'd been pulling all-nighters for days and felt exhausted, but after chugging the mysterious green brew, her fatigue vanished.
'...Maybe ask Cardi for some to bring back?'
The taste was so awful she never wanted to touch it again, but it'd make a fine gift for her overworked subordinate. Raniel glanced at the subordinate sitting across from her.
"Hey, Kalt."
"Yes, Senior?"
"You feeling beat lately?"
"You call that a question?"
Kalt smiled.
"Can't even remember the last time I slept more than three hours. Starting to think I'll keel over from overwork. Just got back from a northern trip too—nearly died. For real."
"Right?"
Propping her chin, Raniel said,
"So, sit out this subjugation."
"Yeah, I should rest... Wait, what?"
Kalt blinked.
Raniel flipped through documents without meeting his eyes, casually tossing out the words.
"Rest. Take some vacation and sleep it off."
Raniel smirked.
"You blocked three calamities in a year to become a Guarder. Block four, and what next?"
She pointed her pen at him.
"Rest, you fool. Don't even think of showing up."
"...Aren't we mustering all forces?"
"The muster guards the evacuating northern civilians. Facing the Sword of Death is small elite squad only."
It was obvious.
Numbers meant nothing against the Sword of Death. Knights or not, one swing would wipe them out.
"Me, Kyle, Sara, and the elf. That's it. More would just get in the way."
"...But."
"Want me to spell it out?"
Raniel narrowed her eyes.
"You show up, you die."
"......"
"You became a superhuman to face Uncle Kuntel. Stick to your goal. Don't throw your life away pointlessly."
Kalt stared at Raniel silently.
Then, bluntly,
"Senior, you going to die?"
"What the hell?"
Raniel's eyes widened.
"You jinxing me or what?"
"Ow!"
Crack! Raniel twisted his joint viciously.
Kalt screamed, clutching his knee and crumpling. It hurt so bad tears welled up.
"No, the vibe! People say doing unusual stuff means death...!"
Raniel nodded as if to say "go on." Knowing more meant another hit, Kalt shut up.
"Sigh..."
Raniel sighed deeply.
"I won't die. Won't, so do your job. Can't die even if I wanted to right now. And..."
Hated to admit it.
Just thinking of him pissed her off.
"With that Kyle guy around, it usually works out. Gives us several times more options."
"...High praise for Kyle?"
"What? I've always rated him highly."
Raniel grinned mischievously.
"Highly enough to put up with his bullshit for years."
The supreme Hero, Kyle Toven.
Over a year and some months since leaving the party, Raniel would stand on the battlefield with him again. The fact stirred complex feelings.
"...You okay with that?"
A question without subject or object.
Raniel smiled wryly.
"Who knows."
Propping her chin, she murmured,
"Maybe this time we can actually talk properly."
She'd never really talked with him in years. Yelling past each other didn't count.
'Maybe.'
This time, perhaps a productive conversation. The thought crossed her mind. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ 3.
"Won't get through."
"What?"
"No idea what you're expecting, but you won't get through to Kyle."
In the carriage heading north, Sara said,
"After clashing with the Demon King, and you fully leaving the party, Kyle's been off. Can't read him at all."
Kyle had changed.
At some point, irrevocably.
"Expressionless. Like a doll. Sometimes creepy. Hardly smiles like before. Like his emotions died."
"...For someone emotionless, he was pretty fired up around me. Saw him yelling at me plenty."
"Only about you."
Sara sighed.
"Kyle only shows emotion about you. Oh, right—remember that pendant I gave him last time? What's with it?"
"Why do you care?"
"Sigh, forget it. Don't tell me."
"Picked it up from my hometown ashes. Like a memento."
Not expecting honesty, Sara eyed Raniel suspiciously. Raniel snapped back and continued,
"No clue why he gave it to me. Doesn't seem enchanted."
"...I see."
"So you're sticking with an uncommunicative guy for years?"
"Yup."
"Not tired? You hate fatigue. Thought you'd drop first."
Hmph, Sara snorted.
"Unlike pleasure-chasing Remia, I'm pure love. No switching. Till death do us part."
"Subtly dissing the elf?"
"Your twisted personality makes it sound that way. Me and Remia get along."
Sara crossed her arms and smiled.
"What about you? Still single? Virgin mage?"
"Wanna die?"
"Figured. Wasting your life."
"Voluntary celibate. More circuits, more research instead of dating. Romance is life's waste. You're the one losing out."
Conversations from before.
Raniel spouts seemingly logical nonsense, Sara counters with mockery. Then both smirk.
"Anyway."
Sara tsked.
"What a pain, really."
Propping her chin, she gazed out the window.
Scenery rushed by. Without looking at Raniel, still staring out, Sara spoke.
"Raniel."
"What."
"Obsessed with Kyle?"
"As if."
"Wearing you down mentally?"
"I'm not crazy."
"Regrets?"
"......"
After a pause, Raniel spoke.
"Regrets? Yeah. A bit."
A bit.
Her prideful phrasing drew a faint smile from Sara.
"I regretted a lot."
"You? Bullshit."
"Who said for you?"
Sara turned.
With a bitter smile, she said,
"That I should've become like you. Kyle needed another you. That's my regret."
She knew regrets were pointless, that no effort would make her that. Still, she'd thought it.
"Anyway, zero awareness."
Like a clueless virgin mage.
No wonder no guys chased her looks. Sara snorted inwardly.
"You little shit."
Raniel reached out and yanked Sara's hair. Sara's shriek echoed in the carriage. ◇◇◇◆◇◇◇