Chapter 119
Chapter 119
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 119
Chapter Title: Omen
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"C-Calm down. Here, take a deep breath..."
"Do I look like I can calm down right now?! That bastard toyed with me! He knew how much I cherished this sword... Aaaargh!!"
-Bang! Bang! Bang!
I kept my mouth shut quietly as I watched her pulverize the ruin's wall with the broken sword, making sure I didn't become the next target.
People need to vent their anger properly from time to time, after all.
It definitely wasn't because I was scared.
Nuh-uh.
-Clang! Clang!
After backing away with a rustle, about ten minutes passed as I watched Ye So-cheon let off steam.
"...Hoo. I feel a bit better now."
Ye So-cheon swept back her hair with the back of her hand, looking refreshed.
"...Is that for real?"
"Yeah, well... It was my fault for not noticing such an obvious trap. That guy must have figured I'd lose my head at the sight of my sword and set it up that way... But if you'd just think about it properly, there's no way my sword would be in a place like this. How precious it is."
"Is it that valuable?"
It looked extraordinary from the start, but as someone who didn't know much about swords, it didn't really hit home for me.
In a fantasy world, maybe, but honestly, weren't swords in the murim world just about having a sharp edge, not rusting easily, and being durable?
I even wondered if weapons mattered much at Ye So-cheon's level.
So seeing her so obsessed with it, I thought it must have some special sentimental value, but apparently there was more to it.
"Yes. To put it simply... it's a sword that amplifies my power. It's one bestowed directly by the Lord of Heaven and Earth."
"Ah..."
Of course the saintess would get a holy sword as a gift.
'But if it's a holy sword, doesn't that make her the hero instead of the saintess?'
The thought crossed my mind for a second, but the saintess's role was to serve as the vessel for the god's descent to earth, so there was no need to nitpick.
"But how did you lose a sword like that..."
"Yep! I got robbed because I was an idiot! That's why it took me until now to find it! After ten years! And it was a fake!"
"...Yeah."
I regretted opening my mouth.
Maybe seeing me shrink back, Ye So-cheon sighed and tossed the half-broken sword to the ground.
"Whatever. It'll be there at the end anyway. Let's just keep going. We're almost there, right?"
"...Um, but... I have a question."
"What is it?"
"Are those gold bars over there real?"
I pointed to the gold bars that had been with the swords at first.
Lumps of gold shining brightly even in the dark ruins.
-Gulp
My eyes had been glued to them since earlier.
How much would they fetch if I sold them?
If I couldn't carry them, converting to points would still net a hefty amount.
Gold coins work, so gold bars should too.
'Booze... eat all the stuff I've been craving... get a safer, bigger house...'
I was already imagining myself lounging on a pile of gold, mentally checking off my bucket list that I'd only dreamed about.
My heart was pounding that hard.
"...You're wondering about that right now?"
"Money matters!"
"Haa... Hold on. Let me check."
Ye So-cheon approached the pit, picked up one gold bar, and seemed to weigh it.
But my hopes were dashed in an instant.
"It's gold-plated."
"What?!"
"Not real gold. The kind you were so excited about."
"Ah..."
-Thud
A wave of emptiness hit me, and my legs gave out as I sat down right there.
"What? Were you that hyped?"
"It was the most gold I've ever seen in my life..."
"Hmm... But if you're expecting that much, you might be pretty disappointed."
"Huh?"
I snapped my head up at Ye So-cheon's ominous words.
'No way there's more bad news here...?'
And her following words shattered my dream of a mountain of gold.
"Shin Tu... he didn't steal much in actual goods, surprisingly."
"Why, why not?! Didn't you say he stole tons of stuff?!"
"Who knows? I did hear he said plain money theft was no different from a petty thief... But I told you, he's an eccentric. A thief with principles like that, I guess."
A thief with beliefs like that? What the hell.
I was too dumbfounded to speak.
"Still, as Shin Tu, he must have accumulated some wealth... but not to the level you're hoping for. Instead, there are plenty of treasures and manuals from other sects, so if you sell those..."
"I'd get dragged away, right...?"
"You know it."
"...Haa."
No matter that the main goal was to divert attention from my rumors, this was still Shin Tu's secret vault. Famous Shin Tu's vault that we'd be raiding—I had high expectations, naturally.
Raiding a dungeon for treasure is every guy's dream, isn't it?
"If you need money, just say so. Even if not me, Dang Ayoung, who's living with you, has tons of it. She'd give you whatever you ask for. What's there to worry about?"
"That's different from this..."
I sighed, slumping limply, and unfolded the map again.
This expedition would be over after a bit more anyway.
Measuring roughly...
'Sleep tonight... arrive tomorrow.'
This boring exploration was nearly done before I knew it.
Tomorrow we'd reach the treasure, then just head back the way we came.
No way anything would happen in between.
'Maybe there's a pill to fix my dantian.'
Harboring faint hope that Shin Tu's vault might have something like that, I folded the map and resumed the exploration.
-Slice slice
"No, that's not it, Flora. You don't hold the knife like that—you hold it like this."
Barshutain scolded Sword Flower, who was cutting her steak across the table.
"...Doesn't it just need to cut the meat?"
"No, that's a result-oriented mindset for rude folk. Now that you've become a vampire bearing my blood, even I can't compromise on this. Table manners are a noble's second heart. Fail to uphold them, and you're unworthy of being a vampire!"
-Snap!
Barshutain pointed a slender finger at her accusingly.
Sword Flower thought inwardly that she never wanted to become a vampire, but sighed to herself and gripped the knife as Barshutain instructed.
To her, this sword with its weird name and shape was utterly incomprehensible.
A blade made solely to elegantly slice meat?
'Total luxury.'
-Slice
The steak parted smoothly under her knife.
No matter how unfamiliar the shape, it was still a sword.
Finding the knack was quick.
"There we go. Now it looks decent. Still rough around the edges, but a huge improvement from before."
"Do we really have to follow this?"
"Manners maketh man. Manners make the man. Ah, think of manners as etiquette."
"...Etiquette?"
Slicing bloody undercooked meat with a palm-sized sword and elegantly putting it in your mouth—that was etiquette?
It had to be an exhausting world.
"Anyway, I like everything about you, but being from this world means there's so much to teach. Can't be helped, growing up in this barbaric place."
"..."
Words that could feel insulting, but she'd grown used to them living with Barshutain, so she showed no reaction.
Besides, she had no attachment to this world anymore.
If he'd badmouthed Yuseong, it would have been different.
"So, any inconveniences lately? Speak up anytime. I like you. Raising you is fun..."
-Thud!
"Lord Barshutain! Urgent message from Lady Carmen..."
"Who said you could interrupt my meal?"
"Gah!"
The man who burst in clutching a scroll sprayed blood and collapsed.
"You should know this is one of the things I hate most—interrupting meals."
"Guh... Grk... My deepest apolo..."
"Who gave you permission to commit a mortal sin? Your life is mine. Don't presume to weigh my property against your sins."
"Grrrk..."
A cold, pitiless demeanor unlike his usual gentleness toward her.
Sword Flower quietly sliced another piece of steak and ate it.
She'd thought it odd at first, but it was starting to taste decent.
"...Well, I'm in a good mood today, so I'll let it slide. Count yourself lucky."
"Cough... Hack... Th-thank you."
"Right... What's the news this time..."
-Rustle
Barshutain didn't bother helping the man up, just snatched the scroll and unrolled it himself.
How much time passed as he read silently?
"Khuh... Kuhahaha!"
Suddenly, she burst into laughter.
"Amusing... Very amusing... Ah, I shouldn't laugh alone. Curious about the letter's contents?"
"...Not really."
"No need to hold back. It's just a funny tale. Something about ten of my invested underlings turning to bloody pulp."
"...?"
"Hah... Exactly. Only then is one worthy of the name 'demon.' Utterly delightful."
Unaware or uncaring of Sword Flower's disinterest unless it involved Yuseong, Barshutain began explaining on his own.