Nostalgia
I successfully executed an eco-friendly Battōjutsu draw using the dragon vein, sheathing the swung katana back into its scabbard as I surveyed my surroundings.
'Dead.'
The overwhelming presence that had crushed down on me just moments ago had now vanished completely.
I didn't even need to go check—there was no doubt in my mind that Robo was gone.
Even for a magic beast, surviving that hit would make it a phoenix, not a wolf.
'That aside, what a mess.'
The dense forest, thick with trees before Robo and I clashed, now looked like the scalp of a balding patient.
As I glanced around the flattened land that had once been woodland and started toward Robo's corpse—
Rank: A+
Stab the katana into the ground to draw up the power of the dragon vein, convert it to aura, and fire it at the enemy through the vein. Without the meaningless motion of stabbing the katana into the ground, you could have unleashed the same power twice more.
Another one of those ridiculous transparent windows popped up, blocking my path like it always did.
Meaningless motion? There are no meaningless motions in Battōjutsu.
How could it not understand that the friction from stabbing and pulling the sword creates kinetic energy for an even stronger slash?
I figured it had come to irritate me as usual, but for once, there was something I actually liked.
You have successfully acquired a derivative skill higher-ranked than its base skill.
Battōjutsu rank increases.
Derivative skills, whose rank increases were restricted due to insufficient base skill rank, now rise in rank.
By mastering a derivative skill ranked higher than the base Battōjutsu, the core skill's rank had gone up.
Battōjutsu
Rank: A++
The technique of instantly drawing a sheathed sword to strike the enemy. If you'd learned any other swordsmanship instead of Battōjutsu, you'd have the Sword Saint in your pocket by now….
It had that annoying footnote, but a rank-up for Battōjutsu was good news anyway.
Now at A++, just a bit more and it'd hit S-rank. Still a long way from the EX it deserved, but huge progress from the start.
'Aim for S-rank steadily first….'
Once it reached S and could slice lightning itself, everyone would recognize Battōjutsu's true value.
To get there faster, I needed to fight stronger warriors right away and hone my skills.
This battle showed just how much life-or-death struggles with the strong boosted growth.
If I'd just practiced draws alone without fighting Peter or Robo, I wouldn't have mastered the dragon vein this quickly.
'But Peter's level won't even tickle anymore….'
Of course, I'd get revenge for the rumors separately, but for growth, sparring him wouldn't yield much.
'Then first up, the next Sword Saint candidate… no, who knows when she'll show. Maybe the prince's guard knight or the demon mine.'
Either way, no point thinking now. I headed toward where Robo had flown off, my original goal: recover the corpse.
The dragon vein Battōjutsu had cleared all the trees, making the path easy to walk.
Looking at the total devastation, I worried the corpse might have vanished without a trace.
"Phew…."
But contrary to my fears, it had defended itself mid-flight—the body was scratched up but surprisingly intact.
'…Shrunk a lot. This its real size?'
With the magic beast transformation undone, Robo had shrunk from over 5 meters of absurdity to Silence's size.
Still bigger than a normal wolf, but without that oppressive aura.
'Good thing. At original size, just moving it'd be a hassle.'
Robo, who'd guarded its master's tomb faithfully for 200 years without fail, was finally free from the yoke called loyalty.
I couldn't read wolf expressions, but the way it lay there like it was sleeping felt somehow peaceful.
'Now a new mission awaits, though.'
As I prepared to leave the forest with the corpse—
'That's the guy….'
Thanks to awakening the dragon vein's power, I could sense the earth spirit's presence, which I shouldn't have been able to.
Without taking my eyes off Robo's body, I addressed the spirit watching from somewhere.
"Here for revenge for your friend?"
"No, I'm not human enough for such folly. Quite the opposite—I'm grateful."
"Grateful?"
"Yes. After Pier died, Robo suffered too long. I sincerely thank you for granting rest to an old comrade."
Spirits must feel differently from humans. To it, I was the enemy who'd killed its friend, yet no hostility.
Its voice brimmed with genuine gratitude.
Caught off-guard by the unexpected response, it continued.
"And if possible, I have one request."
"…Spit it out."
"Would you yield Robo's body? I want it to sleep beside Pier at the end. Not all of it, of course."
The spirit wanted everything except teeth and claws for my new katana— the rest.
Fine by me; I didn't need the hide anyway.
"I only need materials for a katana, so sure."
"Thank you…. And not as payment, but please take Pier's gear."
"Pier's gear?"
That reminded me of Pier's statue from earlier.
Pier von Pier, slender rapier at his waist, riding a wolf with staff raised.
'Staff and rapier….'
Regrettably, useless to me—I only used katanas.
If I used them at all, it'd be dismantled for katana materials.
"If I use them, the originals won't survive…. That okay?"
"…Pier left them, so not without attachment, but incomparable to Robo's rest."
Not thrilled, but reason accepted it as best.
"Gonna extract teeth and claws now. Look away if you can't watch."
Not sure if "look away" fit a spirit, but it'd get it.
No one wants to see a comrade harvested. I quickly pulled Robo's teeth and claws, bagging them.
Normal wolf now—or close enough post-transformation—easy work.
"Done."
"…I see. Then I'll guide you to Pier's tombstone. Sorry, but carry the body there."
Not hard. I hoisted Robo over my shoulder and followed.
Pretty far—after a long walk, no tombstone yet, so I asked.
"So, what kind of man was Pier?"
"…What kind?"
"Exactly that. Robo's master—got me curious. Strong?"
Even pre-transformation, master of such a beast—intriguing.
"…The man Robo served as master and I chose as contractor. Of course strong. Swordsmanship rivaled the Sword Saint."
"Swordsmanship? With 'Sage' in the name, figured magic specialty."
"Distorted later with the 'Sage' moniker. Magic was auxiliary—Pier was swordsman, not mage."
The title came from wisdom that pierced the future, it said.
Pier excelled not just in scholarship but invented conveniences like magic tools and personal ciphers.
"Sage" for smarts, not magic prowess.
"I see… Bit awkward, but why'd such a great guy die in this forest?"
"…Can't reveal a contractor's shame. Understand."
Firm refusal—must be circumstances. I dropped it.
We walked silently toward the tombstone. After ages, a long stone appeared afar.
"That's Pier's tombstone. I made it."
"…Weapons not buried with him? I'd have to dig."
"No worry. Clothes buried, but weapons set aside near the stone."
Coming from a Confucian land, digging graves creeped me out—relieved, I kept going.
At the stone, the carved text froze me.
"…What's wrong?"
"…You carved this?"
"Yes. Pier's favorite cipher in life. His last strength etched it in the dirt before death—I carved it. His will, essentially."
"Ha, haha…!!"
"Wh-what's with the sudden…?!"
I burst out laughing, ignoring the spirit's panic.
Why hadn't I noticed at the village statue?
Pier von Pier using a rapier—obvious now.
"…'The rapier is the manliest weapon, scientifically proven fact.'"
"H-how do you know Pier's catchphrase…!!"
The absurd line shook the ground as the spirit reacted wildly.
"Guess he was from the East."
The "cipher" Pier loved? Korean script to me—nostalgic as hell.
"Anyone who reads this, don't get married. Why? Fuck, just don't, you bastards!!"
"Wrote… such a long message dying."
Staring at homeland script after 20 years stirred nostalgia and trivial memories.
Pier and I had met once—not here, but back home.