Chapter 89
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 89
Chapter Title: Not Quite Human
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89
Not Quite Human
“That’s why I’m telling you, joining now is a huge advantage. You just don’t understand…”
Watching Adolgu explain with such a passionate voice, I seriously pondered.
‘Does Kaeseodik only attract rejects?’
Thinking back, every person I’d met here had a screw loose somewhere.
‘Well, it is the frontier.’
Kaeseodik was not only on the frontier, but it was also a useless place blocked off by a mountain range. Anyone who ended up in a backwater like this was either demoted or exiled.
“Look closely. This is a statue I specially commissioned from a Kangu member… if you touch it like this! See! The hand holding the sword turns!”
This knight, proudly pulling out a small statue and twisting its arm, was likely both.
‘Then again, all knights are weird.’
The Imperial Knights were a bit more stoic, but even they had a psychopathic vibe.
“I’m politically neutral, so I can’t join something like that.”
“Po… litically… what?”
I refused with the most sophisticated words I could muster.
Adolgu’s eyes widened as he mumbled my words.
I’d noticed it before, but knights, despite being dumb, liked to act knowledgeable. If they heard a difficult word, they’d pretend to understand.
“Aron! You’re here?”
Just then, Hana greeted me with a bright smile, allowing me to escape from Adolgu.
The hall was empty. In front of the main entrance stood the Weasel, sword drawn, a serious expression on his face. He looked ready to cut down anyone who opened the door, but I knew it was just an act.
“Thanks to Aron’s Vault, business is booming. Here you go!”
Hana handed me a mug of beer brought over by the trio of chumps.
Hana talked about the new tavern she was opening. It seemed she was pushing herself a bit to get it open before the young lady’s upcoming birthday.
“Kuuh!!”
“Kuuh! Kangu member!”
Beside us, Kanna, wearing a bucket on her head, and Adolgu exchanged salutes.
Adolgu asked Kanna something with a serious tone, and Kanna, glancing at me, answered in a small voice. Then Hana joined them, and it turned into something resembling a meeting.
The words I occasionally overheard were bizarre, but since Deokgu was a dead man, it didn’t matter. Besides, Hana was giving me a decent cut of the profits.
Hana was a gold mine in many ways.
An silver-copying machine that endlessly duplicated silver coins just by being near her.
“I said no! The hero Deokgu is politically neutral!”
“Po… litically neutral? What’s that?”
“Ahem… It’s a thing. Ah, thank you.”
It was rather strange to see a knight conversing so easily with a commoner woman. I watched him for a moment before heading to the backyard.
I was there to check the vault, but there was a black figure on top of it.
The figure wore a black hood, but the build was familiar. And seeing the sauce stains splattered all over the black hood, I was sure it was the dumbass young lady.
“Ahem… I have come to challenge the opening of the vault.”
The young lady, having spotted me, said in a low voice.
“We’re closed for the day.”
I replied, pretending not to have noticed.
“What?! Closed?!”
But it was hard to play along when the young lady lifted her head, revealing her face completely.
“Ah! Lady Vivian?!”
“Huhu… Are you surprised? I apologize if I startled you too much.”
The way she immediately put on an arrogant smile made me mutter “dumbass” under my breath.
“Unfortunately, we are closed for business.”
“Oh! No! I came because I heard there was a new game!”
The dumbass young lady looked crestfallen.
‘Isn’t she a bit of a risk?’
I didn’t know her exact physical specs, so I hesitated, but I had a device in place for unforeseen situations.
She was a dumbass, so I doubted she could open the vault anyway, and there was no sense in getting on her bad side.
After a quick calculation, I nodded.
“Very well. It’s 10 silver.”
“What?! 10 silver?!”
‘Did I ask for too much?’
From the perspective of noblesse oblige, I thought it was a fair price, but her reaction suggested I’d overshot. Just as I was about to lower the price—
“That’s so cheap! I heard there’s a mountain of gold coins inside. What are you going to do later? You’ll get in big trouble at this rate! Big trouble.”
The young lady waved her arms around, genuinely worried.
She took out some silver coins from inside her black hood and handed them to me.
‘Hmm… nobles will be nobles.’
Quietly admiring her noble sense of money, I showed her the handle of the vault.
“Huhu- I’ve been learning a musical instrument lately, so my arm strength has gotten quite formidable.”
The young lady flashed a confident smile and bent down to grab the vault’s handle.
As she bent over, the area around her chest was clearly revealed.
My gaze, being directly in front of her, was momentarily drawn in.
When I came to my senses, the young lady was lifting the stone. Lifting it high, like a weightlifter who’d just won a gold medal.
‘Damn… was that a feint?’
My mind snapped back to reality, but the vault was already wide open.
“Wow! There really are gold coins!”
The dumbass young lady’s eyes went wide as she peered inside the vault.
‘How? I’m sure…’
I tried to retrace the situation, but my mind had been elsewhere, so I couldn’t remember it clearly.
‘Strange.’
I had rolled around in the gambling dens where all sorts of dirty tricks were rampant. I had seen every kind of bullshit people pulled to cheat, yet I fell for such an obvious trick.
‘Curious.’
No matter how beautiful, it was just a shell.
I suspected there was something more to the young lady.
They said she was beloved by mana; it seemed there were side effects.
In any case, a promise was a promise.
Watching the young lady step inside the vault and play with the gold coins with a smile, I nodded.
The magic sword was a bit of a shame, but I was sure Jackson would take care of that.
“Since you’re in there, you can just bring it out with you.”
“What? All of it?”
The young lady asked back with a dumbfounded look.
“Yes, you opened it.”
“B-but isn’t this a huge amount?!”
For some reason, the young lady didn’t seem pleased.
“Still, a promise is a promise, so please bring it out.”
“No! This isn’t right! It may not be a lot to me, but it’s a lot of money for you! A lot!”
Her face flushed, the young lady grabbed a handful of gold coins and showed them to me.
“You opened it, so it’s yours now, my lady. That’s the rule.”
“…I don’t want it!”
The young lady shrieked, looking like she was throwing a tantrum.
“Pardon?”
“I don’t need it! The gold! I don’t even have anything to spend it on!”
‘Then why did you do it?’
Her lips were pouted out, clearly unhappy with how things were progressing.
“I have plenty of gold! Instead of the gold, how about you grant me a favor later?”
The young lady suddenly threw out a demand.
‘So the favor was the goal.’
I tapped my fingers, calculating quickly.
In a deal like this, the one who shows their hand first is at a disadvantage.
If I played my cards right, I might get away without giving her the gold.
“No, thank you. Please take the gold.”
“What?! Why?! Gold is precious! Everyone likes gold!”
“How can I promise when I don’t even know what the request is. I’d rather take my chances with the gold.”
I put on a brave face, letting the corner of my mouth curl up slightly.
As if I had already won.
But I couldn’t help the anxiety churning inside.
If the young lady got pissed and chose the gold, it would sting quite a bit.
Besides, whatever favor that young lady asked for wouldn’t be a big deal anyway.
“Oh! I won’t ask for anything weird!”
“I don’t know what the favor is, so how would I know if it’s weird or not.”
“Umm…! But! I haven’t decided what to ask for yet!”
The young lady furrowed her brow, looking as if she were in deep thought.
A moment later, she clapped her hands with a *smack!* and looked up at me.
“Then later, when I tell you my favor, you can grant it if you think it’s okay!”
The dumbass young lady made her stupid suggestion with such confidence and assertiveness.
‘I can hear it and then refuse… isn’t that just a request?’
“Yes.”
I quickly nodded.
“Huhu…”
At my answer, the young lady smiled brightly and clapped her hands with another *smack!*
The moment a light flashed from her hands, I shielded my eyes with my forearm.
Even with my arm covering my face, I could feel the world brighten.
When I finally lowered my arm, I saw the back of the dumbass young lady hastily running away in the distance.
‘Magic? Who gave the dumbass a flashbang…’
It was like handing fireworks to a reckless child.
***
As if the previous major commotions had been a lie, time passed without any particular problems.
The wall was steadily rising, and Kanna had started drawing a large picture on it, as if she saw the entire wall as her canvas.
It seemed even the Lord hadn't expected this; the magistrate came to see him, let out a groan, and left. Then the Lord himself came out, watched him for a long time, and went back.
I periodically visited Google to search for various things. According to Google, the Imperial army had entered the east. With the Imperial army on the move, it was certain that the Black Blood was completely finished.
‘Those wicked Black Blood bastards! They should have lived righteously!’
I sat in a tavern, drinking beer and doing my patrol rounds as usual.
One of Jackson’s guards approached me.
“He is looking for you.”
‘…The hell is with this ‘he’ crap.’
His serious expression was absurd, but I gave a rough nod and followed him.
Jackson’s house was as messy as before, but there was a new person there.
‘Gray hood, a staff. A mage?’
The small frame suggested it was likely a woman.
I habitually took another step forward. When dealing with mages, it was important not to give them distance.
The gray hood flinched and took a slight step back.
Knowing about distance meant this was a mage accustomed to combat.
“Sizing up the distance as soon as you arrive. Truly a ruffian to the core.”
Jackson said, his voice laced with amusement.
“I tend to be shy around strangers.”
“So shy you have to eliminate the source of your shyness?”
“Hm.”
When I let out a soft groan, the gray hood yelped and hid behind Jackson.
“This person delivered the magic sword you ordered. Relax your eyes.”
“Using a mage as a delivery person?”
“Magic swords are usually sensitive, but this one is especially dangerous. Don’t scowl. The other party is covering the cost.”
Jackson gestured behind him.
After a moment’s hesitation, the mage went to a long wooden box on the table. As the mage muttered something and waved a hand, the wooden box opened.
Inside the box was a deep black longsword.
Its color was so dark that no light reflected off the blade.
‘A magic sword.’
The sword was rough and large with no particular adornments, yet it immediately and powerfully captured my gaze.
It was a sword that perfectly fit the term ‘magic sword.’
I clenched my twitching hand to calm it and nonchalantly pulled a gold coin from my pocket.
“It looks cruder than I thought. Is 20 gold correct?”
“I already saw your eyebrows shoot up to your forehead, so there’s no use in acting.”
Jackson chuckled and waved his hand.
I licked my lips and handed over the gold coins.
Jackson gestured as if to say, ‘take it,’ or perhaps, ‘get it out of here.’
I took the sword from the wooden box and slowly examined it.
‘It’s long. A claymore?’
It was about a hand’s length longer than my sword.
I was bigger than the other medieval dwarves anyway, so it fit my hand better than the sword I had been using.
‘The grip is exquisite.’
The corner of my mouth lifted on its own at the grip that fit so perfectly, as if it were whispering that it was a sword made for me. As Jackson had said, it was well worth the 20 gold price.
If Jackson had shown me this sword first, I would have offered him my entire fortune, not just 20 gold. I liked it that much.
“Hmm… That’s not a pretty face. Why don’t you do that alone in your room.”
Jackson’s words brought me back to my senses.
He was shaking his head with a look of disgust.
“Hm.”
I wiped the drool from my mouth and nodded.
I took a silver coin from my pouch and flicked it at the mage. With just enough force to sting a little if it hit.
The mage yelped in surprise and raised her staff.
The silver coin hit something invisible and fell to the floor.
‘The shield is fast. She’s too skilled to be a delivery person.’
The hood she wore slipped back slightly, revealing the mage’s face. She had a very gloomy aura, giving more of a witch-like impression than a mage.
“What is this…”
“A tip. It’s a tip.”
I nonchalantly raised both hands.
“To think there’s someone who tips a mage… This mage’s monthly salary is…”
Jackson chided me, but his eyes were studying the mage.
“Ah… th-thank you…”
The mage expressed her gratitude in a stifled voice and picked up the silver coin from the ground.
“So, are you leaving right away? Ah, I’m asking because I’m a guard. Checking on outsiders is mandatory.”
“Ah… n-no… I plan to stay a little longer…”
Her habit of starting every sentence with ‘ah…’ was truly frustrating. It was a bit unsettling, but it was awkward to press her further here, so I backed off.
“Ah… You shouldn’t keep the sword close to you when you sleep… It’s really dangerous…”
As I was leaving, the stifled voice stopped me.
“Ah, I bought it to use as a body pillow.”
I said it jokingly, but judging by her muttering, she seemed to lack a sense of humor.
“Ignoring a mage’s warning rarely ends well.”
Jackson said with a stern face, but.
Unlike the primitive medieval people, I didn’t believe in superstitions.
***
The magic sword, ‘Shapers Vessen Shape Velhepoer Andier……’ opened its eyes to the warmth of a body after a long time.
It had taken the names of its previous masters as trophies, so its name was too long to recite in full.
Its favorite master had been a woman named Shapers, so Shapers had decided to call itself Shapers.
Shapers preferred female masters. Men tended to break so quickly that there was never enough time to properly savor them.
Just as humans ate bread, Shapers ate its master’s dreams. It would enter their dreams, take on the form of their greatest desire, show them their greatest joy, and feed on something that seeped out from it.
It took Shapers quite a long time to realize that this something was emotion.
Emotion was sweet and powerful.
Having been trapped for a long time, Shapers was thrilled at the prospect of a meal after so long.
Even better, this new master was a knight.
Knights were very easy and produced an excellent taste, making them Shapers’ favorite kind of master.
Shapers looked down.
It saw a tanned, sturdy body.
It was the form its master desired most.
Shapers slowly walked toward where it was being drawn.
A small mountain of indiscriminately piled corpses.
At its peak, a man stood tall, staring somewhere.
Looking at him, Shapers felt something was wrong.
There was no taste coming from him.
[The sweetness is all gone. This is perfect.]
Startled by a voice from somewhere, Shapers turned its head. There was nothing there.
Shapers turned its gaze back to the man and walked slowly.
Shapers stepped on a grotesque corpse wearing a crown and climbed upward. Various corpses were displaying themselves in various ways.
Shapers diligently climbed the corpses.
Soon, it came face to face with the man.
His face was stained with blood, but it was smooth.
Unlike the scar-filled face outside, this one had no wounds.
The scarless face looked terribly weak.
Almost as weak as the boy who had accidentally picked it up during the war long ago.
Truly weak.
“One remains.”
The man stared at Shapers.
In an instant, scars spread across the man’s face.
Without opening its mouth, Shapers spread its arms wide.
To show all of itself.
It showed what its master desired.
“Yes, I’m glad to see you too.”
A suppressed voice was heard.
And the man hugged Shapers tightly.
The emotion that came from the man was so rich, exuding a tremendous flavor. But before Shapers could taste it, it vanished somewhere.
The man hugged it really tight.
So tight that Shapers’ body burst and collapsed.
Shapers couldn’t understand.
It was certain that it was in the form its master desired most.
So why was that man wringing its neck?
It couldn’t understand at all.
This was a first for Shapers, so it blinked its eyes.
“Hoo…”
The man, letting out a long, low breath, stood up and dusted himself off.
He slicked back his disheveled hair with his blood-stained hands, then glared at something.
Shapers smelled the strong scent wafting from the man.
It was a pungent fear.
The man trembled once, then slapped his own cheek. With a small cry, the man slowly walked toward that darkness.
With every step, the terribly rich flavor of fear wafted strongly. Though he was clearly afraid, the man walked toward the darkness without rest.
As he got closer to the darkness, the man’s frame grew smaller and smaller, until…
He vanished as if consumed by the darkness.
[I was getting a bit bored, but thanks to you, the flavor has improved.]
Shabert trembled slightly at the sound of laughter right next to it.
***
*Knock, knock.*
I opened my eyes and immediately looked for my sword.
As the sword fit snugly in my hand, my mind quickly calmed.
‘They said not to sleep with it next to me… primitive fools.’
My mind felt a little calmer, but otherwise, it was no different from usual.
It felt similar to the superstition that you’ll die if you sleep with a fan on.
I slowly caressed the 20-gold sword with a pleased smile and slung it onto my back.
With the 20-gold magic sword on my back, my spine tingled and my posture straightened on its own. It felt like carrying a foreign luxury car on my back. My shoulders naturally squared up.
“A fine dawn for prayer.”
After receiving the NPC-like greeting from the Abbot, I woke up Choco and headed to the backyard.
The heat had subsided a bit, so it was a good day for a morning workout.
“Your sword has changed.”
Bermunt remarked quietly, looking at my sword.
“Yeah, isn't it cool?”
I drew the sword and swung it lightly in the air.
The perfect grip in my hand.
The sensation of truly cutting the air.
It was truly admirable.
“A sword is but a tool. What’s important is one’s own martial strength.”
Bermunt drew his crude sword and aimed it at me.
However, his gaze was fixed on my sword.
‘Well, Bermunt’s sword is good too.’
It looked rough, but it was a sword that hadn’t broken despite going through countless battlefields. It was no ordinary sword.
‘But not as good as my twenty gold.’
I raised my sword to the upper right. The sword was large and long, but it was as light as the one I used before.
I held it at an angle, shaking it slightly to confuse his sense of distance, then gave a nod.
Bermunt didn't refuse and charged at me.
‘He’s definitely gotten faster. His movements are smoother, too.’
‘Sharpened’ was the right word. Bermunt’s rusted blade was now as sharp as it had been on the battlefield.
Bermunt stopped just outside my range and kicked off the ground. Mud splattered as he leaped forward.
However, his speed was beyond what I had expected.
‘Was he holding back?’
On the battlefield, Bermunt had always insisted on straight lines and fair fights, so this didn't suit him. In fact, this was…
‘Something I would do.’
Realizing this, I let out a small sigh of admiration.
Bermunt had taught me in the desert. Though his method was closer to beating and bullying than teaching, I had certainly learned from it.
But to lose to the one you taught is damaging enough to one’s pride, yet he had learned from it and applied it…
‘…He’s changed.’
The brilliant Fifth Star would never have shown such behavior. I didn't know if the Imperial life had been sweet, or if the fact that he lost to me had been bitter, but…
‘But to use it on me.’
I smiled bitterly and swung my sword.
Bermunt, startled, angled his sword to deflect.
It seemed he had judged that a direct clash with my sword would be dangerous.
Not a bad judgment.
Of course, he would be caught by my follow-up thrust…
‘?’
I had expected his sword to be deflected and was preparing a thrust, but my sword suddenly shattered Bermunt’s.
*Thunk.*
Bermunt’s sword, neatly sliced.
Bermunt, narrowing his eyes, looked back and forth between the fallen piece and the half-sword in his hand.
‘Hmm… this sword is very good.’
I nonchalantly sheathed my sword and looked away.
“My… my… my… sword…”
Bermunt, with a trembling hand, picked up the fallen piece and tried to put it back on his sword.
He then blew on it, ‘hoo hoo…’, but of course, it wouldn’t stick. When he let go, the piece tumbled to the ground again. After staring at it for a moment, Bermunt looked at me with a truly complicated expression.
Bermunt opened and closed his mouth as if to say something, then closed it again, and opened it once more.
“Hmm… It’s split exactly in half. How about taking this opportunity to learn dual wielding? I once met a guy who used two swords, and he was really annoying.”
“Th-th-th…”
An expression I had never seen before appeared on Bermunt’s face.
I was about to say something to him, but instead, I scratched my cheek, drew the sword from my waist, and handed it to him.
Bermunt stared at me with unfocused eyes.
“A very close knight friend of mine left this to me as a memento. I’m giving it to you specially because it’s you. Please carry on his will.”
“…”
Bermunt, having received the sword, nodded with a complex expression.
He looked down at his shattered sword, still in a daze.
So I moved to the side and swung my sword in the air.
The sword I used before had felt a bit short, but this one felt like it was made for me, fitting perfectly in my hands.
So much so that it was fun to swing.
The sword made a soft *whoosh-whoosh* sound as if it were cutting the air.
After swinging it for a while, I sheathed it.
“…What was his name?”
Bermunt asked, his face still blank, but his focus had returned.
“Aron.”
“…No, not your name. Do you think I don’t know your name? I mean your friend who gave you this sword.”
Bermunt asked, showing me the sword he had received from me.
“What was it again.”
I scratched my head.
“…Didn’t you say he was a close knight friend?”
“Ah, it was James.”
“James? A common name.”
Although the sword Bermunt had been using was good, it was rusted and in bad condition. The sword I gave him was certainly much better.
After muttering for a moment, Bermunt went up first.
After he left, I used the vault for strength training.
Kanna, looking extremely sleepy, stood next to me, then took out her own vault and started copying me.
‘This is a bit…’
I watched Kanna struggle to lift the vault for a moment, then shook my head.
“You’ll throw out your back like that. Straighten your back.”
“…Straighten.”
After a simple morning workout, I rinsed my mouth with an ice-cold beer.
Hana, with a slightly arrogant look, told me the new tavern would be opening soon.
It seemed she had finished just in the nick of time before the young lady’s birthday.
I nodded at her insistence that I must attend the opening ceremony and downed the rest of my beer.
It was time for work.
***
As I was changing into my boots at the headquarters, the Weasel arrived late.
The Weasel reported on the movements of Ska’s crew and the guys from Sector 6.
Ever since returning from Karzan, the Weasel had been insisting that we needed to increase our forces ‘to fight the Empire,’ and had been visiting Ska’s crew and the Sector 6 guys every day.
It seemed he had gotten quite close to them through constant drinking sessions. I didn't know what he wanted to do with thugs like them, but it wasn't my problem to worry about.
The Weasel and I headed to the Captain’s room.
“My most trusted Jojang Aron. And Dylan.”
“Yes, hehe. My most respected Captain, second only to my big bro.”
The Captain’s face soured as the Weasel spoke, rubbing his palms together.
The Captain warned that with the young lady’s birthday approaching, dignitaries might be visiting, so we had to be careful with the inspections.
“Hmm… Dylan, this one’s face isn’t suitable for inspections. It might displease the nobles. Let’s switch him with someone else. Kel.”
At the Captain’s words, the Weasel’s face twitched almost imperceptibly before he broke into a wide smile and nodded.
“A man ought to have a commanding presence like you, Captain, with thick eyebrows, a bit of hair loss, and a sagging belly to have a good impression, right? Hehe.”
“…Hmm.”
At the Weasel’s subtly-toned follow-up, the Captain waved his hand dismissively.
As soon as we were out, the Weasel drew his dagger, pointed it at the Captain’s room, and said.
“Big bro. Isn’t it about time we took over the guard? Just say the word, and I’ll take care of that bald pig. You become Captain of the Outer Wall Guard. And I, as your aide, become Jojang of Squad 4. It’s perfect.”
“…Perfect, my ass.”
I smacked the Weasel, who was randomly stabbing the air with his dagger, on the head to shut him up.
‘Why is he so good at stabbing?’
The Weasel was clumsy in all his movements, but strangely, his dagger thrusts were incredibly clean.
I sent the Weasel to patrol and pulled Kel for inspection duty.
I stood at the gate with Kel.
The number of cart drivers was even greater than yesterday, so the income was decent.
Just then, a cart driver I was inspecting shared news from the surrounding castles. With the Imperial army on the move, all the undesirable elements in the east had either disappeared or been burned…
“So you only have 50 copper?”
“Ahem… You haven’t seen Bizant Castle! The Imperial army was tying up the living and burning them. It was so horrific! I had no choice but to flee!”
The unibrowed cart driver shivered. His acting was so good that I could almost empathize, but…
“For someone who fled, your cart is pretty full.”
“W-well, I left in a hurry! Because I was in a hurry! I just packed everything I could, valuable or not!”
“Is that so?”
“It’s true! Look here! Aron! Am I a man who would lie!”
“Didn’t you say last time that you couldn’t bring any money because you were in a hurry after your brother died? But I heard you were seen coming out of a brothel.”
“You still remember something from a year ago…”
The cart driver’s cheeks quivered in disgust.
“Hey, Kel. You need to check under the cart too. The Lord is very sensitive these days.”
“Yes, sir. Should I break it?”
“Yeah.”
“W-wait! If you break that, how am I supposed to carry anything! Calm down! Aron! Here, 50 copper!”
“Your math is wrong. You only paid 30 copper last time, didn’t you?”
“That was a year ago, and you still remember the amount… You vicious…”
“Should I break it?”
“You haven’t broken it yet?”
“*Creaaak.*”
At my question, Kel made a wood-breaking sound with his mouth.
“Aaargh! Fine! I get it! You vicious… no, perfect guards! Here! Here!”
The cart driver handed over the silver coins as if having a seizure.
“When a man lies, his tongue becomes heavy.”
I patted the cart driver on the shoulder and let him pass.
“Don’t be too down. We have to make a living too. In return, I’ll put in a good word with Rosa for you, so come by later.”
Kel sidled up to the cart driver.
As I continued the inspections for a while, a carriage approached from a distance. The emblem on its corner was that of the Penereu family.
At the very front of the carriage was a knight on a black horse.
The man pulled on the reins as if to show something off.
The horse leaped and changed its footing in mid-air.
The horse stretched its long legs and approached powerfully.
As it drew near, the horse’s rippling muscles became visible.
‘That must be very expensive.’
As I was thinking that, the knight in black armor on the horse lifted the helmet covering his face.
A handsome, yet annoying face, with a cool smile.
“It’s been a while, my friend.”
The guy who always collapsed so pathetically.
Ben of the Penereu family, the one who was not quite human.
“Yeah, it’s been a while.”
I returned his honest smile with one of my own and greeted him.
‘His forearms have gotten a bit thicker.’
I habitually sized him up.