The Eastern Continent Swordsman

After defeating the Eastern Continent swordsman Tairen (zombie), we dragged our exhausted bodies back to the trading city of Nao. By the time we emerged from the dungeon, the sun had already set and night had fallen. We hadn't entered the final gate among the three—the red one. If another monstrous creature waited beyond it like the ones we'd faced, battling it in our depleted state would be no different from suicide.

'Tairen's Fang...'

Elsid gazed at the Arming Sword at his waist and thought. He never imagined the sword Vandel had left as a gift was forged from the fang of Tairen, the mountain god. The realization brought a fresh wave of emotion. Of course, for a half-baked swordsman like him, the day he could properly wield this fang seemed distant. Especially while he still carried the problem of being unable to cut living beings ever since 'that incident.' The fight against zombies had been an exception.

"Mr. Jin-gwang, we're back!"

Lost in thought, they arrived at the orphanage. Rain waved and greeted Yu Jin-gwang, who stood outside the building.

"Welcome. You're quite late."

Yu Jin-gwang, who had been rubbing his sleepy eyes, ushered them inside. At this hour, the orphanage children were already asleep in their beds.

"So, how was the dungeon?"

"Well... It might take a while to explain. Is that all right?"

Yu Jin-gwang guided them to the kitchen table and handed each a warm glass of milk while asking about their dungeon experiences. Elsid noticed a cloth and tape bandage wrapped between the index finger and thumb on Yu Jin-gwang's hand. He observed the minor injury before turning his attention back to the conversation.

"A lot happened. We experienced more today than in the entire year of adventures we've had so far."

"Tell me everything. I've got plenty of time."

With Yu Jin-gwang's permission, Rain launched into a detailed account of their dungeon ordeal, including everyone involved.

"Hundreds of zombies, a chimera with a cow's upper body and a horse's lower body! And Tairen turned into a zombie...!"

Yu Jin-gwang reacted with genuine surprise and expressive reactions.

"What happened to Tairen?"

"Elsid took him down with some incredible throwing technique that burned him up."

"I see. So you defeated Tairen..."

Yu Jin-gwang turned his gaze toward Elsid.

"Thank you. For completing the request..."

After a brief pause, he smiled at Rain again.

"Let's discuss the reward tomorrow. It's late now, so get some rest."

He rose from his chair.

"After what you went through in the dungeon, you must be exhausted. The rooms are the same ones you used a few years ago, so no need to search."

"Thank you, Mr. Jin-gwang."

"It's been a while since I slept here."

Rain offered his thanks while Arke seemed lost in nostalgia as they left the kitchen.

"Oh, and Robin, you can sleep in the empty storage room on the second floor. Figure it out yourself."

"Yes, yes, even that's a blessing for someone like me. Sigh."

Robin, assigned the storage room, sighed and followed the others out.

Now only Elsid and Yu Jin-gwang remained in the quiet kitchen.

"Aren't you going? Oh, I haven't told you where the guest room is yet."

"The Eastern Continent's swordsman."

Yu Jin-gwang flinched.

Elsid had muttered the words, and Yu Jin-gwang's body trembled for an instant.

"It's you, Mr. Jin-gwang."

Elsid didn't miss the reaction.

"No point hiding it. How did you figure it out?"

"Thanks to Robin's story, I already knew you were human from the Eastern Continent. But..."

Elsid pointed to Yu Jin-gwang's hand.

"What confirmed it was that cloth on your finger."

When he served the tea earlier, cloth had been stuck between his index finger and thumb. It was a simple emergency treatment Elsid's grandfather had taught him as a child—medicinal herbs good for recovery and adhesion, pounded and applied to cloth. And that particular spot was...

"That area is where people who use iaijutsu often injure themselves."

"You know Eastern Continent swordsmanship well."

"My grandfather was a renowned swordsmanship collector. Whenever he discovered an interesting technique, he'd leave home for days and return talking about all its characteristics."

One day, he spent the entire day describing a special sword technique devised to deal with large monsters.

"So, do you have Vandel's sword?"

Elsid cut straight to the point. That ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was why he had sought out the Eastern Continent swordsman.

"As expected, you knew Vandel too. I guessed from the sword, but it seems you're the 'tenacious bad connection' he mentioned."

Elsid gripped the hilt of the Arming Sword at his waist, wondering what nonsense Vandel had spouted.

"I remember. When we obtained Tairen's fang—the material for that sword—I was there too. I heard a bit about you then. Something about giving an excessive gift to a friend who would return later."

Yu Jin-gwang spoke with a gentle expression, like soothing a child, recounting that time with Vandel. And Vandel had been Vandel—even in the story, he was unpleasant.

"It happened to be Tairen's shedding season, once every ten years, so we easily obtained two fangs. As payment for helping, Vandel forged a sword for me from the remaining fang."

Elsid looked him over but saw no sword on his body. Maybe stored elsewhere?

"You asked if I have Vandel's sword earlier? Of course I do. I never let it leave my side."

But his assumption was wrong. Yu Jin-gwang said he never parted from the sword.

When Elsid tilted his head in confusion, Yu Jin-gwang suddenly started feeling around his neck.

"It'll be faster to show than explain."

There was a cross-shaped necklace around his neck. Yu Jin-gwang removed it and held it in his hand.

"A katana?"

Elsid muttered unconsciously, recalling his memories.

"Not just swordsmanship, but you even know the sword of my fallen country. Impressive."

Whoosh.

Yu Jin-gwang showed the katana before transforming it back into the cross necklace and hanging it around his neck.

"Fallen, you say."

"Yeah. It was several years ago."

Yu Jin-gwang shrugged as if it was nothing.

"After giving a good punch to a nauseating superior, I ended up here. Life turned out more comfortable than expected. Though my country became a colony, making it better to live than before, I don't know whether to laugh or cry."

It was indeed something hard to decide. Thanks to outsiders who weren't his countrymen—invaders, even—making life better. Something he'd never experienced.

"More importantly, there's one thing I want to ask, young ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠man."

Yu Jin-gwang dismissed his country's story as irrelevant and called Elsid "young man."

"Would you like to have a match with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠me?"

After talking about his country's fall, he suddenly proposed a fight. Elsid couldn't grasp his exact intention.

'Find your own path with the sword.'

And why did his grandfather's last words to him come to mind now?

There were questions, but it didn't take long to decide.

"Yes, I'll do it. Let's have a match."

Elsid accepted Yu Jin-gwang's proposal ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠after brief consideration. Honestly, even without his grandfather's words surfacing, he would have accepted this fight. Because Elsid had never avoided any fight he'd faced so far.