Chapter 14 - The Mercenary's Sword
The Mercenary's Sword
Translator : Elizabeth
Chapter 14. The Mercenary's Sword
The first morning greeted after obtaining Aura was different in every way from before.
Starting from the texture of the air inhaled after opening the window, it felt different.
If the air before was just a colorless and odorless gas inhaled for survival, now the sensation of minute mana particles mixed in the atmosphere tickling every single lung cell felt vivid.
When I stood in front of the mirror after washing away the black impurities discharged from my body that filled the room right after awakening, I saw a vitality different from before dwelling in my eyes.
Above the gaze of the bottom that endured tenaciously like a weed, a sparkling white energy was now seated.
But this power was still an unripe fruit.
If I rashly release Aura in the belly of this giant monster called the Ashuhalt Duke's residence, my tail will be stepped on at once by 'real monsters' like Veron or Vince.
'I must hide it for a while. It makes no sense to obtain Aura in just one day.'
Let's get out for now.
Resolving so, I immediately sought out Lorraine's office.
"I came to get permission for a brief outing, Lady."
Lorraine raised her head from among the pile of documents and books and welcomed me.
Perhaps thanks to the victory won in high society a few days ago, her complexion had become noticeably brighter.
Because the sensation of being acknowledged by someone is intensely addictive.
"An outing as soon as you arrive? It happens that major schedules are sorted out, so it doesn't matter. But Danel, somehow your atmosphere has become a little…… strange?"
As expected, a sharp woman.
I tilted my head and casually changed the subject.
"It seems life in the Duke's family fits my constitution quite well. Rather, Lady Arisa visited, didn't she?"
It was obvious without seeing.
At my words, Lorraine couldn't hold back and burst into pleasant laughter.
"Yes, truly, I don't know how much of a fuss she made. She held onto my skirt for a long time whining to 'hand over that mercenary'. I didn't know Arisa, who treated me like air, would change like that. Of course, since you are already 'my person', I firmly nailed it down that I couldn't grant that."
'My person….'
I chuckled and continued.
"A wise judgment. Even if Lady Arisa doesn't stand perfectly on Lady Lorraine's side now, at least she won't block Lady Lorraine's path ahead."
Lorraine stared intently at me as if fascinated.
"What on earth did you do to that child? Arisa was a child who didn't torment me much within the family, but she wasn't the type to be obsessed with someone like that. Yesterday she even praised my eye saying 'Sister picked a person really well'."
"It is because she is a pure person."
"Pardon?"
"Well, let's call it the purity of a warrior."
Lorraine nodded as if understanding.
Before leaving, I brought up the main topic I had prepared.
"I will return in about three days. Ah, and before I go, I want to make one proposal."
"A proposal?"
"About the scented candle business. One cannot let an item whose value is sufficiently proven rot like that. I will share the core process of the production method, so please select people Lady trusts and set up a workshop."
Lorraine's eyes grew round.
She put down her pen and leaned her upper body toward me.
"You're saying… you'll give me the production method? Danel?"
But I had already finished the calculation.
If I monopolized and sold scented candles that noble families were eyeing, a knight from a noble family might step forward directly if I was unlucky.
Didn't Corin also say he sold the scented candles as if extorted by Julia Helmon.
"There is a clear limit for a mere mercenary to sell them directly. Nobles won't pay the proper price for goods sold by someone from the bottom, and those trying to extort by force will twist around. But if the Lady leads, the story changes. Because the name Ashuhalt is not a threshold that can be looked down upon so lightly."
I looked straight into her eyes and drove the wedge in.
"You just need to share a certain percentage of the profit with me."
"Will you be okay with just a percentage distribution? It seems like a losing business for you…."
"Didn't you say I'm your person?"
When I asked back like that, the Lady's face flushed red.
"T-That is…… you are teasing, Danel…."
Pink, pink.
'……So that is the effect for being shy.'
I said, trying hard to ignore the effect.
"Lady, please focus on economic power for now. No matter if the Ashuhalt family is the ruler of the North, that huge money line cannot be eternal. Even if it's a world ruled by martial power, ultimately it is money that maintains that power and moves people."
I paused for a moment and examined her reaction.
I confirmed ambition dwelling in her eyes.
"Look at 'Cator', the top merchant guild of the continent. They bought the title of Empire's nobility solely with money, and rose to a position ordinary nobles cannot treat carelessly. If the Lady wants to voice out within the family, financial power comes first. Martial power… I will handle that for you."
Lorraine's expression gradually changed.
Vague fear disappeared, and eyes discovering a clear goal hovered.
'She's a strong woman indeed.'
"I understand, Danel. Leave it to me."
"Don't feel burdened though. Then I'll be back."
"That word is more burdensome. At this rate, who is the employer…."
"I'll take that as a compliment."
Leaving the Duke's residence, I headed straight to the 'Forest of Silence' in the west.
From the sensation of running on a horse, it was on a different dimension from before.
The subtle recoil emitted from my lower body synchronized perfectly with the horse's movement.
It felt like even the horse's muscle fatigue was transmitted through my fingertips.
After wandering a bit deep into the forest, I could meet the guy I wanted.
Ice Bone Bear.
It seemed to be the husband of the one I caught a few days ago.
So it must be wandering the forest like this.
A high-rank monster I barely beat using dozens of traps, poison, and terrain features.
'I wonder how it will be now?'
Expectation began to fill my whole body rather than fear.
Kooooong—!
"Kyaooooooo!!!"
The earth rumbled, and a giant white beast appeared breaking the old trees of the forest.
It must have smelled the other Ice Bone Bear from me.
"Shall I test it. Let's go, Hayang (Whitey)."
I drew 'Hayang' strapped to my waist.
The treasured sword Arisa gave me.
Because its blade was like beautiful white ice, I named it 'Hayang', a word from my hometown.
It's like a puppy, cute and nice. 'Whitey' is a bit meh.
My naming sense is like that.
I slowly flowed the white mana condensed in my dantian into the blade.
Vwooom—!
The blade vibrated minutely and held a dazzling white haze.
For me, still at Novice level, this was also an amazing thing.
"Krooooo!"
The Ice Bone Bear slammed down its giant forepaw.
I didn't dodge.
Instead, I swung my sword from the front and countered its forepaw.
Slash—
The result was astonishing.
"Kuaaaaaa!!!"
The giant monster's forepaw was cut off like a sheet of paper, and fresh blood scattered in the air.
A wound that required binding feet with traps and stabbing dozens of times before was created with a single Aura strike.
"Ha, hahaha……!"
It wasn't just that the destructive power became stronger.
When the Ice Bone Bear screamed and rushed again, the senses heightened by Aura raised my unique ability 'Trace' to a dimensionally different level than before.
The moment its back muscles twisted, the trajectory of the coming attack was drawn in my mind as a 'red line.'
Although it was still a fleeting power, the sense was peeping into the future like precognition.
I instantly dug into the bear's bosom and drew the sword vertically up.
Zap—
A sensation as if drawing a vertical white line on the Ice Bone Bear with a brush.
The giant ice monster collapsed on the floor, split into two vertically without even being able to scream.
Thud—!
"Phew……."
I exhaled rough breaths and sheathed the sword.
After finishing the hunt, I sat next to the bear's carcass and fell into thought.
I obtained the Aura Cultivation Method.
But the problem was the 'Swordsmanship' to contain this energy.
'Swordsmanship is ultimately a tool. A tool to optimally release the power of Aura.'
I closed my eyes.
Inside my head, the techniques of numerous mercenaries I saw, stole, and learned with my life as collateral for 10 years swirled.
The ignorant axe swing smashing rocks Captain Barkas showed.
The trajectory of a dagger bending soundlessly that an unknown assassin aimed at my neck.
The ugliest yet most efficient gestures shown by hundreds of 'weeds' who died on the battlefield.
I turned my 'Trace' inward.
I began to forcibly transplant Ashuhalt's precise Aura operation method into those rough movements I had already optimized.
'Knights' swordsmanship presupposes beauty. But my swordsmanship presupposes only results.'
I rose from my seat and grabbed the sword again.
It wasn't the standard stance of knights.
A bizarre stance unique to mercenaries, bending knees low and twisting the upper body to be able to bounce off in all directions at any time.
A stance always thinking of survival.
Maintaining that stance, I pulled up Aura from the dantian and explosively transferred it through the spine to the shoulder, elbow, and wrist.
Zap—!
It was a simple horizontal slash, but the white sword energy emitted from the sword tip cut down old trees within a 5-meter radius at once.
"……Crazy……."
I felt a chill.
When 'Aura', monopolized by knights, was injected into the 'crude mercenary techniques' ridiculed by knights, it transformed into something deformed yet fatal that didn't exist in the world.
Now I knew.
Why the knights' techniques looked noble.
It was because 'there was no need' for otherwise.
Mercenaries without Aura face fatal wounds or death if they allow an attack unexpectedly.
But a knight doesn't need to.
Swordsmanship that just needs to emit power as if showing off oneself, most nobly and most elegantly.
How can even swordsmanship be so arrogantly noble-like.
But my swordsmanship is not like that.
There is no such thing as honor of a noble or a knight.
Mercenary swordsmanship aiming only for efficiency, killing, and survival.
I decided to name this new path 'Acies Style'.
Swordsmanship containing the souls of my annihilated mercenary corps.
I looked at the setting sun between the pile of cut trees.
'Watch me. How I use everyone's techniques.'
This swordsmanship of mine will be a requiem dedicated to them.