Chapter 67
Chapter 67
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 67
Chapter Title: The Thief, and (3)
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'Just as I thought...!'
At first, he'd had that misconception. That Kishin's effect ended simply with strengthening his body. But on second thought, that couldn't be right. His demon qi, his blue flames, could become flames that incinerated enemies before his eyes or a gale at any moment he wished.
He gathered the flames shooting up like a fountain into the sky. It felt somewhat awkward, like moving a sixth finger, but it wasn't all that different from handling qi.
Moments ago, the demon qi that had pierced the heavens had slowly shrunk down small. A faint blue glow lingered over his body, and the blade was soaked in demon qi as if dipped in deep blue paint. Outwardly, it looked like his power had weakened, but Arotep heightened his tension even more. Between a peacock with puffed feathers and a tiger with hidden claws, which was more dangerous went without saying.
The tiger lunged.
'!'
Instead of blocking or parrying, Arotep threw himself aside to dodge. And that was the right call. A massive slashing wave tore across the cavern along the trajectory of Ban's blade.
Kwarung! With the deafening roar, the cavern walls shook. The thought that they might collapse vanished before Ban's sword. That sword was more threatening than the cavern crumbling.
'His speed has slowed.'
Arotep's eyes gleamed. There had to be a price for wielding that much power. Indeed, Ban's swordplay was definitely slower than before. His stamina hadn't visibly dropped in the interim... It seemed he'd focused the demon sword's power more on the blade.
In that case, victory was still possible. As long as he thought of it as just endless swinging of that blade, reading the trajectory would make him an easier opponent than moments ago.
He had to be.
'...No openings to intervene.'
Arotep's face quickly paled. It was strange. Ban's body wasn't what it had been. He was fatigued, slow. The blade he'd barely been able to track before was now plainly visible.
Yet that sword was still difficult.
It wasn't just the energy imbued in the blade. Ban knew exactly how to exploit the fact that Arotep no longer had options like 'block' or 'parry.' He possessed the shrewdness no swordsman his age could have, the experience no talent could substitute for—hundreds, perhaps thousands of years' worth.
Deflections and thrusts, slashes interwoven masterfully, eliminating every gap in his offense and defense. The speed not being lightning-fast didn't matter. Every slash and thrust served both attack and defense, and Arotep couldn't match the paths Ban traced with his sword.
It was the epitome of swordsmanship. Keeping distance from that storm-laden sword was suicide. Closing in didn't yield any clever counters either. Unless he could directly clash fists with the storm, all Arotep could do was aim for nonexistent gaps and tumble over.
'Are you trying to help me too, Kishin?'
Coincidence? Or was Kishin deliberately showing him? Right now, every time Ban swung his sword, he stood before the vampires Kishin had faced. Among them were terrifying vampires even Arotep wouldn't dare face.
Confidence welled up. Ban's greatest trait as a swordsman was his ability to adopt any style on the spot. Against fist fighters, he became their worst nightmare; against vampires, the bane they dreaded most.
Thus, he could become the natural predator of all.
"Keuk... Don't get cocky! I still have a hidden card..."
"Then you'd better play it soon."
Ban twisted his lips.
"Because I'm thinking of ending this fight now."
"...Arrogant. But I'll admit it. You have the strength to back it up. Seonwoo who reads the sword... You'll become an even more fearsome swordsman in the future..."
Arotep's expression turned grave.
"But today isn't the day I lose."
A bloody aura oozed from Arotep's body. Something ominous and incomprehensible was stirring. Ban broke into a cold sweat but forced a smile. If his opponent grew stronger, all the better. After cutting him down, he'd grow that much stronger himself.
Tension hung in the air. The next moment, only one of them would live. That certainty swept through the half-collapsed cavern.
And then, Munet stepped in. With a voice laced with contempt, as if utterly fed up with the two fools beside her, she spoke.
"You two, you do remember why you're fighting right now, don't you?"
Naturally, both had long forgotten. Munet sighed and turned to Arotep. She glared at her father with cold eyes.
"I've told you a hundred times he's not husband material, so why are you showing such an embarrassing display to my guest... Care to explain?"
"...Munet, this is..."
"This, that—whatever."
Munet drew her rapier.
"Stop it now. Unless you want to see my face again someday."
"...You really don't like him?"
"Look at that guy's face. Who'd like such a dumb face?"
"That's true, but..."
"Wait, why's my face suddenly the topic here?"
"You shut up too. Don't butt in."
Munet snapped sharply, then turned back to Arotep.
"This proves your skill plenty, doesn't it?"
"You really think this is enough? You're still too weak to uproot her."
"If we clashed head-on, maybe. But I'm a thief. I don't do stupid things like that. I'll steal it. Without anyone knowing."
"...Let's move somewhere else first."
Arotep drooped his shoulders. His elongated nails shrank back to normal. He eyed Munet's shabby clothes and said.
"I'll prepare food and tea."
§
Ban felt a subtle regret that the fight had ended midway, but it wasn't entirely disappointing. He'd gained something. Confirming he could wield the Storm Sword he'd only imagined meant his combat power was secured in the night realm.
'About 6-Star swordsman level... I think.'
Just reinforcing his body with Kishin's demon qi could bring him near 6-Star strength. And the Storm Sword was a technique far more efficient than mere body enhancement.
Arotep was surely a swordsman who could reach 6-Star. His nails weren't just about biting on contact; they carried a 'curse' concept too. Factoring in that sinister aura at the end...
'...I won't let you get away with just showing it.'
Ban's resentful glare turned to Munet. She furrowed her dark brows and met his stare.
"I know what you're thinking, so restrain yourself. You have your own goal."
"My goal?"
"...The Guardian's Sword. Don't you have to find it?"
"Ah, right, yeah... I do."
"How did I end up traveling with a guy like this..."
They sat in the drawing room, quenching their thirst. Ban marveled at the lavish interior, rivaling any mansion except for the lack of windows, and stuck out his tongue.
"Never imagined a place like this underground..."
"My father's not just in Kultan—he's a grand thief with branches all over the south. This hardly counts as luxury."
"...I didn't know you were the daughter of such a great bandit lord. And, uh, a vampire's daughter too."
As Ban spoke, he sneakily glanced at Munet. Catching the implication, she glared incredulously, then pinched her lips with two fingers, pulling them back. Fangs no sharper than a normal person's stared back at him.
"Happy now? See? Not a vampire."
"Who said you were? I knew you weren't. Really."
"...Vampires can't have kids in the first place. So don't worry. I won't suddenly awaken as one and suck your blood later."
"Can't have kids...?"
"I was six."
Munet leaned back on the sofa, gazing at the ceiling. As she stared at the familiar ceiling shadowed darkly by torchlight, she spoke nonchalantly, like listing favorite foods.
"My father stole me. Like a proper thief."
"..."
For that moment, even Ban didn't know what to say. Despite wielding a sword that could contain a storm, right then he felt as powerless as a child clutching candy.
"That must've been tough."
"Stopping the fight earlier wasn't for you or my father. It was for me. If he dies, it has to be by my hand. So don't get any ideas. Get what I'm saying?"
"Just to ask since it's now..."
Ban rested his chin, looking at Munet.
"What's your relationship with Elder Erock?"
"...Not quite 'relationship.'"
"But you protected him so fiercely? Maybe... a young girl's crush?"
"Cr-crush? Don't be ridiculous...!"
Munet flushed red, a rare sight, and snapped. But there was no clearer answer. Ban nodded, then grew serious.
"Well, an elder like that is worth falling for... Wait, isn't the age gap hundreds of years? At that point, isn't it a bit problematic? Even if he looks no different from us on the outside."
"Don't read too much into it! My feelings for the elder are pure admiration—n-no, respect and joy..."
Just talking about Erock made Munet ramble like this. Watching her was quite amusing. Who knew this cold, sharp woman could turn fragrant like spring catnip.
Truth be told, he envied her a bit. If he could be as humble before love as she was, perhaps he'd be living a different life now.
'...No use thinking about it now.'
Ban focused on teasing Munet. But that didn't last long. Her flushed cheeks darkened and stiffened as Arotep entered, draped in desert robes adorned with jewels, gazing at them.
"Well. Rested enough?"
"Doesn't feel like rest here."
Munet replied quietly.
"So let's get to the point. Can you tell us Root's location?"
"...One question first. Stealing 'eternal life' would've been easier than Root. Why go for Root specifically?"
"Don't want to answer that."
"Then I'm in a bind too. Can't send my daughter into danger without reason, as a father."
"...If you think me calling you 'father' means I truly see you as such, and delude yourself into thinking you qualify as one, then I'm just as troubled."
Munet said coldly. Ban watched the father-daughter standoff awkwardly. A family that fought as a hobby, it seemed—verbally or physically. Arotep glared angrily at Munet, then finally slumped into his seat.
"...Do you know what Root is?"
"That it's the source of vampires' power, more or less."
"Root is a corpse."
Arotep added.
"And the queen of vampires too. When she grows strong, so do we; when she weakens, we weaken with her. When she grieves, we weep without reason, and vice versa. That's the kind of existence."
"And she drinks blood for eternal life, so you don't die either?"
"...You're misunderstanding something."
Arotep smiled faintly, his face utterly unlike his daughter's, stroking his chin as he spoke.
"Vampires don't drink blood to avoid death. They drink blood because they don't die."
"...Isn't that the same?"
"Let me put it simply. Eternal life isn't obtained in exchange for blood. She held eternal life from the beginning. Until one day, before her lover cursed her thus."
Arotep cleared his throat. Like a stage actor, he raised one hand to the sky and intoned solemnly and gravely.
— No matter how much blood you drink, you shall never quench your thirst.
— With every step you take, you shall lose that life.
— All food shall taste like sand, and your flesh shall rot in the sun.
— Thus, I say: As long as life clings to you, you shall forever dread the coming of tomorrow.
That commanding tone toward the world, the confidence his absurd decree would come true. When Arotep's brief drama ended, Ban finally understood: Erock hadn't stolen eternal life. Instead, he'd turned them into vampires.