Chapter 114: The Spear Saint, Richard de Myura (1)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 114: The Spear Saint, Richard de Myura (1)
Click, clack.
The sound of footsteps echoed down the quiet hallway. The source of those footsteps was Abel.
With a slightly tense expression, she took one step after another, heading toward the room where Kang Geomma was staying.
'If I'm going to return it, now is my only chance while Grandfather is out.'
Her grandfather rarely went out. He claimed it was because he didn't want to be apart from his lovely granddaughter, but...
Abel knew he was just being lazy.
Of course, his love for his granddaughter was genuine—if anything, it was a bit excessive.
It had already been four days since Kang Geomma began staying at Castle Sigurd. Yet, she had barely found a chance to talk to him, all because of her doting grandfather.
He had lectured her on the concept of namnyeo-chilse-budongseok—the traditional rule that boys and girls should not sit together after the age of seven. Since it was an old Korean proverb, she didn't know its exact meaning, but she understood it as a warning to keep her distance from men.
Suddenly, the Sword Emperor's advice came to mind.
"My dear, you must never trust men. Especially hot-blooded teenagers—you must be careful around them, and you must absolutely avoid men who chase after women."
"Oh, come on, Grandfather! How long are you going to treat me like a child? Do you really think I don't know that? I can take care of myself!"
"Haha, of course you can. You're my precious granddaughter, after all! But Abel, remember this. The most dangerous ones aren't those who are overtly lustful."
"Then what kind of...?"
"Men who show kindness without any hidden intentions."
"What? Why is someone who shows kindness the most dangerous? Shouldn't they be praised instead? ...Or do you mean I should be wary because I don't know what they're secretly thinking?"
At her question back then, her grandfather had shaken his head.
"Mindless, unconditional kindness breeds misunderstanding. When that happens, people naturally flock to them. And among those people, of course, are members of the opposite sex. Yet, the person showing the kindness remains completely oblivious. I believe college students these days call such a person a 'neon-ssi-nun'—a clueless idiot."
"Ah..."
She never expected the word neon-ssi-nun to come out of her grandfather's mouth. She wanted to retort, but she kept her mouth shut at his proud smile.
Abel simply engraved the danger of half-baked knowledge into her mind.
"But don't worry, my dear. As long as this grandfather of yours is alive and kicking, no man will ever get near our Abel."
To conclude the conversation, her grandfather had laid down the law.
"Well, unless you bring home a man stronger than me, but I doubt that will happen while I'm alive. As you know, your grandfather is the strongest, hahaha!"
Abel smiled bitterly. Her grandfather's ultimatum meant she shouldn't even dream of dating unless the guy was stronger than him.
'Dating... Well, it has nothing to do with me anyway.'
It was better to swing her sword one more time instead. Thinking so, Abel tightly hugged the rabbit blanket.
The blanket Kang Geomma had draped over her on Avallon. Thanks to Abel's meticulous care, the fur gleamed.
Abel smiled softly and stroked the fur. A pang of regret bloomed at the thought of returning it for good.
'Still, I've made up my mind to return it.'
Abel repeated those words to herself as she kept walking. ...But thinking back, the "most" dangerous type her grandfather had mentioned—
'A man who shows kindness without any hidden intentions...'
—Isn't that exactly Kang Geomma?
A hot-blooded teenager who showed kindness to everyone regardless of who they were, threw himself into danger to save others, and constantly attracted girls around him.
Everything fit a single person perfectly: Kang Geomma.
Especially the part about being incredibly clueless!
Abel's gaze instinctively dropped. This blanket, which she had been using as a makeshift duvet, was also proof of Kang Geomma's kindness.
"……."
Suddenly, her cheeks puffed up in a pout. But the emotion quickly subsided. Abel covered her forehead and let out a deep sigh.
"Why am I being like this again..."
It was childish.
Getting so distracted by such trivial things.
Feeling a sense of superiority just because she was staying under the same roof as Kang Geomma...
She resented Kang Geomma for making her feel this way.
Not a lot... just a tiny bit?
Lost in her thoughts, she kept walking.
Before she knew it, she arrived in front of the room where Kang Geomma was staying.
It was her own home, yet it felt unfamiliar.
She hesitated to knock.
'Should I just go back?' she thought, but her grandfather being away from home was a rare occasion.
"Phew."
After taking a long, deep breath,
Knock, knock, knock.
She knocked on the door three times.
"……."
The response she got was silence. He could have opened it out of curiosity, but it was a flat-out ignore.
Abel stood dazed for a moment, then shook her head.
'He probably thinks I'm Shail.'
Abel cleared her throat with a soft cough and knocked again.
This time, there was a response.
Thud, thud. The sound of footsteps approaching the door drew closer.
In that brief moment, Abel quickly checked her appearance.
She smoothed out a single wrinkle on her top.
Click!
The moment the door swung open, Abel froze.
She peeked up, her eyes meeting Kang Geomma's.
Seeing his face up close for the first time in four days filled her with immense joy.
She stared blankly at him. Her clueless heart hammered against her ribs.
A brief silence ensued. Kang Geomma spoke first.
"...What is it? Why are you here?"
Abel, who had been standing with her mouth slightly open, flinched.
'Right, I came to return the blanket. I just need to hand this over and leave.'
Keeping that inner voice to herself, she finally parted her lips.
"I-I have something to return."
"……?"
"And I also have something to talk to you about..."
Contrary to her resolve, her mouth moved on its own.
"...Can I come in for a moment?"
* * *
My surprise at Abel's sudden knock was short-lived. Since she said she had something to talk about, I let her in for now. ...But.
"……."
It wasn't a figure of speech; the air was suffocatingly awkward. Even more so than when I meditated with the Sword Emperor.
Abel sat gently on the edge of the bed, her eyes fixed on a corner of the ceiling.
Thirty seconds passed like that.
She did nothing but twiddle her interlaced fingers.
We just sat there. Since it didn't look like this silence would end anytime soon, I spoke first.
"What is it that you wanted to return?"
An imaginary exclamation mark popped up over Abel's head. Only then did her gaze snap to me.
"T-this. I came to return this."
"Ah, that."
The thick blanket cradled in Abel's arms. No wonder it looked familiar.
It was the rabbit blanket I had personally tanned during the uninhabited island survival training. I had completely forgotten about its existence, but seeing it now made me quite glad.
The fur looked glossy, as if it had been very well cared for. I smiled to show my gratitude.
"I'd forgotten all about it. Thanks."
"Y-yeah."
"Anyway, didn't you say you had something to tell me?"
Abel's shoulders flinched at my words. She then fidgeted with her fingers and rolled her eyes, looking as if she were choosing her words carefully.
After a long silence, she spoke.
"...If you're free tomorrow afternoon, would you like to go somewhere with me?"
"Where?"
When I tilted my head and asked, Abel flared up.
"Hey! I asked you first! Are you free tomorrow or not?!"
"...I only have meditation in the morning, and I didn't have any plans for the afternoon."
Abel stared at me with wide, clear eyes. I scratched the back of my neck and continued.
"I'm free."
"……!"
Her pure gold pupils dilated to the size of saucers.
Was being free really that surprising? Well, she probably thought I was sparring and training with the Sword Emperor all day. She wouldn't imagine that I was cooped up in a basement room meditating.
'Besides, if I keep doing nothing but meditating, my lower body is going to go numb. I need to walk a bit.'
She asked.
"Then what time should we head out tomorrow?"
"Since we're going out, how about we leave around four and grab dinner too? We're in Switzerland, after all. I'd like to try eating out at least once."
Abel's face seemed to brighten for a moment, but she quickly composed her expression. She nodded.
"S-sure, let's do that then. Coincidentally, I heard a famous sushi place opened in Geneva."
Sushi in Switzerland is a bit... Since we're here, we should try the local food.
"Are there any good local Swiss restaurants instead of a sushi place?"
"Huh? Why? Do you dislike sushi?"
"...No, it's not that I dislike it... it's just that I ate it not too long ago with my club members. Switzerland is expensive anyway, so if I'm going to eat, I'd rather try a variety of things."
"Club members... you mean Saki?"
Abel pronounced Ryozo's surname with sharp pauses. Her brow furrowed deeply, and her tone turned icy.
'...Do they not get along?'
I had been at the Academy for about four months now. I had occasionally seen female students who were close suddenly fall out.
Perhaps that was why Ryozo had applied for reassignment to the Wolf Class. It was a pretty plausible theory.
I scratched my temple and replied.
"It wasn't just her. Speed Weapon and Chloe came along too."
"...By Chloe, do you mean that red-haired girl?"
"Yeah, that's right. Chloe and I have similar tastes when it comes to fish, so we went to a sushi place."
"……."
Abel's expression grew even stiffer. It seemed I had rubbed her the wrong way... but as a lifelong solo, there was no way I could understand a teenage girl's psychology.
"Hmph."
A sharp snort. Abel handed the blanket to me—or rather, she threw it.
Striding toward the door, she turned her head halfway back.
"Anyway, make sure you're at the main gate on time tomorrow."
Abel spat out her final words. Though her voice had softened slightly, her tone was still cold. I nodded hesitantly.
Slam!
The door slammed shut irritably. I stared blankly in that direction and muttered.
"...I'm still a bit awkward around her. Maybe it's because of how we first met..."
I let out a sigh. The rabbit fur gleamed under my breath.
I realized once again that she had taken incredibly good care of it.
A chuckle escaped my lips.
* * *
At the same time, at the Swiss President's residence.
"Ugh... when will he get here?"
A man paced anxiously outside the office door. His name was Allein, the Chief of Staff and the closest confidant of President Gaines.
Allein tapped his wristwatch repeatedly with his fingernail. Impatience was written all over his fingertips.
Step, step.
Footsteps echoed from the end of the hallway. Allein looked up, and joy instantly flooded his face.
"Sword Emperor! You've come."
"Skip the pleasantries. Explain the situation first."
"...It is exactly as you were reported. That Person suddenly arrived and demanded to know who the guest you brought was, asking the President out of nowhere..."
The crease between the Sword Emperor's brows deepened. Seeing his reaction, Allein waved his hands and quickly added:
"B-but the President kept his mouth shut. Even when he was grabbed by the collar and had his shirt buttons ripped off, he just smiled and refused to say a word. At that, That Person flew into a rage, shouting, 'Are you afraid of Nibelung, but think Myura is a pushover?!' and then..."
Allein hung his head. The Sword Emperor patted his shoulder.
"That's enough of an explanation. I'll take it from here."
"I know you hate getting involved in these matters, so thank you for coming."
"Come now, you've accommodated me so much over the years. How could you say such a thing? I'm here now, so do not worry."
Allein sobbed quietly. Glancing at him once, the Sword Emperor hardened his expression and opened the office door.
Creeeak. The sound of the hinges. Instantly, a tidal wave of battle spirit surged through the gap in the door. It was a monstrous pressure that felt as if it would crush the entire area.
"Hah."
The scene inside was even more spectacular.
With an oval round table in the center, men were lined up in rows on both sides.
The Federal Chancellor, ministers of various departments, the President of the Senate, and the Speaker of the House. They were the heads of the government. Yet...
"Gaaah..."
They had their heads planted on the floor with their hips thrust in the air, forming triangles with their bodies. It was the posture known as the "headstand punishment."
"……."
The Sword Emperor raised his eyes and stared directly at the end of the round table.
A giant of a man sat there, resting his chin on his hand while gripping the shaft of a spear.
He was endlessly arrogant. But then, that was his trademark.
The Spear Saint, Richard de Myura.
He possessed a face like the king of beasts and was clad in monstrous muscles.
The Spear Saint bared his teeth, welcoming the Sword Emperor.
"Long time no see, Nibelung. Hasn't it been nearly ten years?"
The Sword Emperor gripped his hilt tightly and spoke in a low voice.
"What is the meaning of this outrageous behavior in another country? And since when did we exchange friendly greetings?"
"Bwahahaha!"
The Spear Saint suddenly burst into wild laughter, his mouth stretching from ear to ear.
"Losing an arm has made you feisty. You used to be so prim and proper, like a little girl."
"……."
A vein throbbed violently on the Sword Emperor's temple.
Step.
The Sword Emperor took a step into the office.
"As you've grown older, Richard, your tongue has grown as long as an old hag's."
Hummmm.
With that, he drew his sword.