Scolded the Weapon Shop Owner and Bounced! Master and Slave Sweet-Talking Without a Care Despite the Psycho Magic Sword's Arrival
[──Beware── If you make eye──contact with this──]
"It's just looks like that—it's not a real eye, so relax."
[...I── shall receive── that── curse── I am── the recei──ver of curses── ma──gic sword──]
"If it were real, I'd have gouged the damn thing out..."
[──Kuhuhu── Do you think a── sword like me── feels── pain──]
"Do you have to drag out every damn syllable like that...?"
Jin Yuseong scowled as he took the sword from the weapon shop owner. Sylvia, meanwhile, didn't seem remotely put off by its bizarre speech pattern—she just blinked her eyes wide in curiosity.
To me, this thing looks like a total dimwit, but she sees it differently? Jin thought, glancing at her.
...No way she's bonding with it just 'cause it seems dumb? Now that I think about it, Sylvia's got low self-esteem... Pretty boy like her slave, a witch treated like bottom-tier looks despite being a beauty, and now this weirdo magic sword. What a freakshow party we've got.
The shop owner, on the other hand, looked relieved to be rid of her headache. Sure, she'd sold it dirt cheap, but offloading it at all was a win in her book.
"Alright, deal's done. No returns at my shop—keep that in mind."
...Jackpot! That's my payback for her dissing Sylvia—wrapped up neat!
Jin snatched the sword with a flourish and bellowed,
"What? No returns less than a minute after buying? The hell?! Aigoo, no wonder the place was a ghost town!! Never coming back, bitch!! Ptooey!"
"Wh-what the—?!?!"
Thud-thud-thud! Before the owner could react further, Jin bolted out the door, dragging Sylvia with him. She stumbled along in a daze, hand gripped tight in his, until they were well clear of the shop. Only then did she snap out of it—and burst into peals of laughter, her pretty face lighting up.
Seeing her shed her earlier unease and sparkle with life melted away the sticky frustration in Jin's chest. He started chuckling too, then full-on roaring with laughter alongside her. It hit him anew how stunning she was when she laughed, and his desire to make her smile like that anytime swelled even bigger.
"Kekekeke! Sylvia, you see that auntie's face!?"
"Ahahahahaha!! Yeah, I saw!!"
"Heh, why's our master so damn happy?"
[──Kuhuhuhu── Enter──taining──]
"Shut the fuck up. Hey, eye-ball. Quiet down."
[───My name── is not── eye-ball── it's── Da──rk──Bri──nger──!?]
"Quiet! Down!!!"
Bam!!! Jin slammed Dark Bringer into the ground to shut it up, then lunged at his giggling master's belly for a merciless tickle assault.
"Kyahahahaha! Tickles! Stop it! Ahahaha!"
Tickle-tickle-tickle!
"But seriously, our master! That auntie treated you like shit. Huh? Sylvia! You're nobility, right? No urge to smash her at all?"
"Pfft, haa! Haaah! Tickles! Ah! Yuseong! It tickles!!"
"Sheesh... Our adorable master Sylvia. You really not pissed?"
Am I the only one mad? Is this normal for her? Jin pitied his beloved master, who'd claimed most of his heart in just a day. Witnessing that treatment firsthand? Unbearable.
Sylvia clutched her belly, panting raggedly, then grabbed his hand to stop the tickling. Sudden silence fell. Their eyes met. The brilliant, powerful yet slightly introverted noble witch Sylvia gazed up at her slave, cheeks flushed, a shy smile blooming.
She answered his question with a laugh.
"...Because Yuseong got mad for me."
......Whoa... Feels like I've seen this scene somewhere... And now it's happening to me IRL...
"So, like... I'm fine? Don't get mad, my slave?"
Her ruby eyes—more precious than gems—looked up at him, crinkled with a playful curve. Meeting that gaze washed away his anger.
Heh heh heh... She really lived like a total loner virgin all this time...?
Her voice dripped with coquettish charm, forcing Jin to fight back a nosebleed. Even in this isekai world, people called his face "cute"—he couldn't afford to get uglier.
The fury from her being dissed at the shop melted away like winter snow in spring. Jin spoke in stunned awe.
"Hah. Magic~. Your face is pure magic~."
"Huh? My face? What about it?"
"Our master Sylvia's so gorgeous, it wiped away all my anger. Whew... Your beauty's the stuff of legends, for real."
"......Hngg...♡ Really? Every time you say sweet stuff like that... I get a little scared it might be a dream...."
"Oi, Sylvia. What dream? Want me to pinch your cheek to prove it's real?"
"...N-no? Not that. Prove it's reality... by hugging me tight?"
Haa... Sigh... Jin slapped a hand to his forehead and tilted his head skyward.
Damn, hearing that from such a smoking hot girl. Fuck, what do I do? She's so cute I'm losing it.
He lowered his head slowly and asked,
"Our master—yeah, Sylvia. Where'd you learn all that? You said I'm your first everything. No dating experience, right?"
"Learned? Wha—at?"
She knows she's cute, doesn't she? Totally doing this 'cause I keep reacting. Jin's lips twitched upward. He bit them to hide the grin.
"Cheeky."
"Hm~?"
Whoosh! He scooped her up in a surprise hug and spun like a hurricane.
"A flirt like you needs—this!!"
"Kyaa!?"
"Time for punishment for being too cute!!"
"Kyaaaaah!?!?"
Spinning in place with his master hugged tight, Jin reveled in it. Sylvia was so light that even his strength hoisted her waist-high effortlessly. She wrapped her legs around him, arms around his neck, squealing in delight.
Then—a scream erupted from the sword lying nearby.
[──Kraaaagh──Stop── In front of me── Da──rk──Bri──nger── Don't do──that── Before I──lay the──curse──!]
Jin gently set Sylvia down.
"Ugh, this eye-ball's killing the vibe."
She soothed him with a smile.
"Haa... haa... I kinda like the kid, haa. And it can't even cast curses despite the talk. It's joking. I don't sense anything but speech ability."
"Hmph. That thing's gonna cockblock us someday, mark my words. No proof, but gut feeling says so. You really cool with leaving it like that, Sylvia?"
"......Then smash it."
[───]
"O...."
Dark Bringer seemed to flinch at her sudden icy vibe. Probably just his imagination since it was a sword. Jin shuddered too. For a split second, this cute girl looked scary... Nah, total illusion. He hypnotized himself into ignoring reality.
Embarrassed at being briefly cowed, Jin casually scooped up the sword he'd slammed earlier. The moment he gripped the hilt, it started yapping again.
[──Prove──your power── gir──l── Or I cannot──grant it──]
"Yeah, fuck off. What kinda bullshit is 'prove your power' to get power...?"
[──Gir──l──Do you──not want──power──]
"No thanks, asshole eye-sword. You're shelf decoration till I need you."
Everything was peaceful now—no real need for power yet. If it wouldn't just hand it over? He didn't want it. That was Jin's take, assuming such power even existed.
Plus, he despised haggling culture. Dark Bringer pressed on, as if truly regretful, like this chance wouldn't come again.
[──Kuhuhu──Kuhuhuhu──One more──time──]
"No? Persistent fucker."
Sylvia asked,
"Dark Bringer. What's this power you're dangling?"
[──One who──has not──proven──cannot be──taught──power──]
"Ah, wanna hammer the flat of the blade right in the middle, Ohammer-style."
"Dark Bringer. I sense nothing. Can't you drop even a hint?"
At her persistence, it relented slightly.
[This body── The power──of Da──rk──Bri──nger── who cleaves──all── It is──]
"......Don't tell me it's 'the power to cleave all—of the sword that cleaves all' bullshit?"
[Wha──t── How──!? Surely── from the start── you were──fated to──wield me──]
"Sigh, this guy."
Definitely chuuni sword syndrome. Jin's head throbbed. Like sleazy Yongsan merchants hawking junk parts or overpriced thrift clothes... He shook his head, dredging up pet peeves.
Not a huge sum, but maybe a dud? Unease crept in. To mess with it under pretense of weight-checking, he swung it around. Felt lighter than half a K2 rifle, but still tiring. Dark Bringer mocked him.
[──Kuhuhuhu──Futile───I am──Da──rk──Bri──nger]
"From now on, your name's 'Eyeball.' Got it?"
[Do not──deny──my true──name── gir──l──My name──is──Da──rk──Bri──nger──]
"Shut it. Eyeball. How do you even say that cringey name without dying? Bury it in your eyeball."
Stunned by the roast, it shut up briefly. Sylvia tilted her head at Jin.
"Yuseong, you think the name's weird? I thought it was fine."
"Ugh. Sylvia, just drop it. Imagining someone asking 'What's that weird sword?' and answering 'Oh, Dark Bringer' gives me chills."
She rubbed his arm, confirming the goosebumps, and gasped in awe.
"Whoa, it's all prickly!!"
"Yeah... That's Dark Bringer's 'true power.'"
"Huh? For real?"
"Nah, joke. Chills are real, though."
[──My power──is not──mere──such──]
Jin had triggered goosebumps with Sylvia plenty already. Still, "Dark Bringer" was tough to say aloud.
"I like it though—it's unique."
"If my master's cool with it... Impulse buy or not, I'll carry it well."
[──Gir──l──Excellent──judge──ment──]
"Don't yap too much. Makes me wanna confiscate your mouth."
[──If you──become──my true──master──I shall──comply──]
"Ugh, fuck... You're a 4-gold shit-sword I bought. Already mine. True master my ass. Shut up in public. Damn, regretting the buy more."
[──Kuhuk──So──it──is──Then──as──subordinate──]
"This fucker. Master, can we fix its speech?"
"Hmm~ Artifacts are tricky. Non-physical attack magic that hits spirits..."
[...No need. This body was forged as a high-intelligence intelligent sword, fully capable of rational discourse with humans.]
Dark Bringer cut her off hastily. Not only did the dragging stop—its pace sped up too.
"This asshole... Heh heh. From now on, watch your step around our master Sylvia! Don't wanna taste 'quiet down' and get your body smashed?"
[...Child's play for this body.]
It sensed "quiet down" spelled trouble, knowledge or not. Jin still found its tone annoying, but the dragging was fixed—so he let it slide after the scare.
The group—now a trio—wrapped up and moved on. As Sylvia said, holiday crowds thronged the shops. Weaving through, they reached a potion stall. Another fantasy-style sign caught Jin's eye. He read the engraved letters.
General Store.