Chapter 74: The Nation's Best Swordsman (3)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 74: The Nation's Best Swordsman (3)
I think I overdid it for the first time in a while.
"Phew."
To cool down my heated body, I stepped outside the restaurant. I let out the breath I had been holding and caught my wind.
My knuckles tingled from the sudden rush of extreme fatigue. Leaning back deeply against the bench in front of the restaurant, I muttered.
"...I'm really something else."
Was it because the stage had finally been set for me to properly use a knife after so long?
In less than a single minute, I had sliced three whole fish into sashimi.
Simply put, I had gutted, filleted, and sliced each one in under twenty seconds.
Speed was one thing, but in the end, the most important aspect of food was taste. My nimble knife work had perfectly preserved the freshness of the fish.
As a result, I had stepped outside, exhausted from the barrage of praises and handshake requests from the customers.
One of them had even called me the Messiah, claiming I had resurrected a dead fish.
"I know it's meant as a high compliment, but..."
I smiled faintly and spread my palm. The sensation in my hand felt incredibly sharp.
With this current sensation, I felt like I could slice a single grain of rice with my eyes closed.
After constantly slicing unpleasant things like magical beasts or humans, handling fish felt absolutely wonderful.
At first, I thought it would take time to readjust, but once I actually got to work, it quickly came back to me. In fact, I felt like I had surpassed my prime.
"Should I really open a raw fish restaurant after graduation?"
As I was thinking that, I sensed someone approaching.
I turned my head to see who it was. To my surprise, it was Nox.
"Oh, what's up? Weren't you busy?"
"Thanks to you, Geomma, all the food has been served. The owner said he would wrap things up. Your friend is handling the serving. I only came out because Chloe told me to check on you."
Nox said so and sat down next to me. He untied the bandana wrapped around his head and shook his hair to get rid of the sweat. I stared at him silently.
Despite being drenched in sweat, a pleasant smile played on his lips.
In his eyes, which used to be so dull, there was now a vibrant gleam.
I feel somewhat proud.
When I stared at him, Nox stopped wiping his sweat with the bandana and flinched.
"Do you... have something to say?"
His tone was still stiff, like a character in a historical drama. But his voice was completely devoid of hostility.
"By the way, why are you suddenly working a part-time job?"
"...Kang Geomma, did you not say so? That if you work up a sweat, you will gain something."
I tilted my head. But soon, the words I had said flashed through my mind like lightning.
"Ah, right. I did say that."
"Don't tell me you forgot?"
Nox asked, dumbfounded. I shrugged.
"Of course I remember. Man, you sure have great initiative."
Nox scratched the back of his neck awkwardly. The corners of his mouth twitched visibly. Sensing my gaze, he put on a blank face and quickly changed the subject.
"Ahem, ahem. Kang Geomma, I am not admitting that you were right, but... I did indeed gain something. I have learned the value of working up a sweat."
"Well, that's good."
Nox was talking more than before. He asked me several questions about work. Since he was quite enthusiastic, I responded sincerely.
Most of it was just small stories from my working experience, but Nox listened intently, hanging on every word.
"I still cannot believe you are the same age as me. You didn't lie about your age, did you?"
"...Would it hurt to just say I have a lot of life experience?"
When I said that, Nox withdrew his suspicious gaze. Just as I was about to stand up, thinking the conversation was mostly over—
"Wait, I have something to tell you."
At his serious expression, I sat back down.
He parted his lips once before continuing.
"Normally, disclosing family matters to outsiders is a grave crime. That is why I tried to convey this through Chloe, but she did not answer her phone. Anyway, that is not the important part."
Nox took a deep breath. His eyes, filled with determination, were steady and calm.
"The Auditore family's investigation on you has concluded. Fortunately, there were no suspicious circumstances. Therefore, the request commissioned by the Academy's Council of Elders has been canceled on our end. In fact, the Head of the Family has started an investigation into the Council of Elders instead. Fabricating a request is a deception to us. The Auditore is not their hunting dog, but strictly a group for order."
I listened quietly. It was quite a serious matter.
Nox furrowed his brow and spoke again.
"Probably the largest investigation team in history will be formed. Since the target is who it is, it will be carried out thoroughly. Of course, I have also decided to lend a hand to that investigation team. The story has gotten long. Anyway, I wanted to tell you this."
"..."
As he finished speaking, I quietly organized my thoughts. The conclusion was that the Auditore would not target my neck. It meant I didn't have to worry about the possibility of the Auditore yielding to the power of the Council of Elders.
It felt like one troublesome matter that had occupied a corner of my mind was finally resolved.
Well, a larger-scale event where the Auditore investigates the Council of Elders would happen, but...
Since it had nothing to do with me now. Having finished my thoughts, I reached out my hand to Nox.
"Thanks. It must not have been easy to tell me."
He stared at my hand for a moment, then shook it.
"There is nothing much I did. Rather, on my part, th—"
Nox trailed off.
At that sight, the image of Chloe and Nox inside the restaurant just a moment ago came to mind.
Perhaps because they were siblings, they worked in perfect harmony, taking orders and serving in a flash.
It seems his relationship with Chloe has improved a bit.
I smiled silently and lightly patted his shoulder.
He lowered his head in embarrassment. Then, I dusted off my pants and stood up.
"I'm going in first. Rest a bit more before coming in— Ah, right."
Just as I was about to open the restaurant door halfway and go in, a question suddenly arose.
Although I hadn't used honorifics from the start, Nox was a senior in a grade above me.
Furthermore, as a member of the Auditore family, he belonged to the Tiger Class. I opened my mouth to clear up the question floating in my mind.
"Nox, do you know Senior Hana?"
"Are you talking about San Hana?"
Nox asked back vaguely. I nodded in affirmation and added,
"Yeah, Senior Hana joined our club this time. Since she's in the same class as you, I thought you might know her."
"It's unusual for you to show interest in others."
"...Is that the kind of image I have to you?"
"From what I've seen of you so far, you don't seem to pay much attention to others. Far from being 'selfish'... how should I put it, it feels like you came from somewhere else entirely."
For a moment, I flinched. It felt like a small secret had been exposed. It was quite awkward for me that Nox, who had only seen me a few times, had noticed it.
Maybe because he's from an assassin background, he's quick-witted.
Or maybe he felt a sense of incongruity when they investigated me.
Kang Geomma—that is, my past—was cleanly erased.
There was no way the Auditore's intelligence network would miss that part.
That must be why he had been staring at me with a questioning face. Since I tried hard to hide my expression, Nox couldn't ask either.
Still, his mouth seemed to itch, as he glanced at me.
A brief silence. It was Nox's voice that broke the subtle atmosphere first.
"Anyway, San Hana is in the same class, so I know her. She is a female student with no major characteristics, who just quietly reads books in class."
"Even if she has no major characteristics, everyone has some unique points, right? Is there nothing like that?"
When I asked, Nox stroked his chin and thought deeply. He narrowed his eyes.
"Hmm, now that you ask, something comes to mind. I don't know if it's a unique point, but... San Hana is a student who is always at the midpoint in class."
"Midpoint? What does that mean?"
"It means literally. In all areas such as written exams, practical exams, practice, and training, she is always in the middle rank. It would be hard to do that even on purpose."
"I see."
As he spoke, Nox shrugged. It was a gesture indicating he had nothing more to say.
When I turned my head slightly, I met Nox's eyes.
His questioning eyes were staring at me. It was a face that had many things to ask. Soon, Nox's lips moved.
"...Kang Geomma, you—"
But I quickly turned around. A gentle night breeze blew in my wake.
"Anyway, thanks for telling me. I'll go in first."
"..."
Aside from being grateful, there was no reason to reveal more about myself than necessary.
A highly practical judgment, not coldness. I didn't want to create a sense of incongruity by speaking lightly.
Ignoring his gaze, I opened the restaurant door. The pungent smell of alcohol wafted past my nose.
* * *
Only when it was close to midnight did the lights of Korean Sushi turn off.
The customers who had been drinking and pouring left the restaurant one by one, licking their lips in regret. Among them, the elderly gentleman who had tasted the sashimi first kept grabbing my hand and said,
"Young man, make sure to contact me. I will treat you generously."
"Ah, yes. I will contact you when I have time."
I bowed my upper body and head. Only then did the elderly gentleman smile with satisfaction and get into his car. The shiny black sedan gave a rough estimate of his wealth.
Once the commotion cleared, the owner, Mansur, approached first.
"Master, I really learned a lot today. It's a bit much to call it a return gift, but please accept this."
He held out a well-maintained sashimi knife. But I frowned and said in a low voice,
"To a swordsman, a knife is life. Is it okay to hand it over to someone else so easily, Boss?"
Mansur, caught off guard, waved his hands in dismissal and spoke.
"Ah, ah, I'm sorry if I offended you, Master. It's not for any other reason, but this knife is too good for me. I have always only sharpened and polished knives, but only after meeting Master did I realize. A master must develop his own skills rather than rely on equipment...!"
Mansur clenched his fist, reaffirming his resolve. He offered the knife with both hands in a humble manner. I let out a short sigh and nodded.
"Well, if that's what you mean, I won't refuse."
When I said that, Mansur bowed repeatedly. His eyes were sparkling like a child's.
"Ah, it is truly an honor that you accepted my knife, Master!"
"...Can we do something about that 'Master' title?"
"Oh, by meeting Master, I have restarted my life of making a living with a knife. It wouldn't even be enough to serve you as a parent—"
"Just call me what you used to."
People who are overly dramatic are always tiring. I let his words go in one ear and out the other, then fixed my gaze on the sashimi knife.
Light flowed from the blade, making it obvious to anyone that it was an expensive item. In terms of craftsmanship alone, it was close to an armament.
Even though I said that, a swordsman always craves a good knife. I cleared my throat and gripped the hilt.
"Ahem, hum."
It was the knife I had been slicing sashimi with so hard just a moment ago. But thinking of it as mine made the sensation feel unfamiliar.
As I gripped the hilt firmly, my first master came to mind. He was a man with a severe obsession with knives.
He talked so much to me about how a master doesn't blame his tools.
Whenever my master got a shiny sashimi knife from somewhere, he would always name it. At that time, in response to my question, he replied like this:
—A good knife is like a chef's alter ego. Giving it a name imbues it with that person's determination.
He said it so coolly, and then named the sashimi knife something like 'Supreme Sashimi Machine'.
Although I looked at him with pitiful eyes back then...
"Um, Master. What's the matter? Do you not like the knife by any chance?"
"No. I was just thinking of a name to give it."
"I've never even thought of such a thing. As expected of Master, you are different."
Mansur said, buttering me up. I smiled bitterly, but pondered alone for a long time. Several words floated in my mind.
"...Frost."
I muttered suddenly. Was it because I wanted to leave a trace of my parents here? Suddenly, the word that came to mind was Kang Geomma's clan origin, Seori. As I made up my mind, strength entered my gripped arm.
"......Ten-Thousand-Year Frost."
I grinned. It was definitely not because I was satisfied with the name I gave.
Like master, like disciple, I reflected on myself for criticizing my master's naming sense.
In addition, I silently thanked my parents here who had given me the name Kang Geomma.