Chapter 29
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: I Want to Stake My Life
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Hama refused to leave my side.
Still, it seemed to know better than to get too close while I was swinging the pickaxe.
Kuuu-.
Feed me!
Thanks to Silver Star's help, I could tell exactly what Hama wanted.
It often said it missed its mom, but once I explained why I'd brought it along, it stopped fussing.
Whenever we entered the mine, it scampered around playing everywhere, but the darkness meant it kept bumping into things here and there.
"Come here. There, there-. You'll hurt your head like that."
I attached a glowing stone infused with divine power to Hama's head.
After that, the headbutts into the rock walls dropped off sharply.
Even when the other miners took breaks, we kept going.
"Requiya, come at me."
"As you command."
There were wide-open spaces at intervals along the tunnel.
I practiced spear techniques with the lever Andre and Bong had left behind.
The goal was to ingrain martial arts into my body and temper it, but it also loosened up the stiffness from all the pickaxing.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwak-!
It wasn't called a lever for nothing.
The thick, hard rod was heavier and tougher than any ordinary wooden staff—it wouldn't snap no matter how hard we clashed, even when Requiya channeled mana and I drew on the elixir energy in my body.
I reviewed the spear basics I'd learned in the sanctuary, focusing intently on every motion.
At first, I sparred in the humble stance of a student learning from Requiya.
What a humble stance!
'I'm Luke Seid, but not really Luke Seid.'
He claimed there was no weapon he couldn't handle, and sure enough, Requiya had real skill with the spear too—at least from what I could see.
But his trash talk was still the best part.
Swing! Waist!
"Blocked it, huh? No way, right?"
Overhead strike! Head!
"Dodged it, huh? My head's small, huh?"
Thrust! Throat!
"Deflected it, huh? Demonic talent, huh?"
This little demon bastard—did he eat his age out of his ass or something? Seriously...
Someday, I'd smack that mouth of his.
For now, we were evenly matched, so it was impossible.
Whenever his demonic yapping nearly threw me into a trance, I felt the urge to activate Blue Eye, but I held back for the sake of real improvement.
When I handed Suhes the paper listing my iron ore haul, he settled my pay on the spot.
"You young folks do fine work-. So, found that ability yet?"
"Not yet."
I hadn't found the ability, but I'd picked up pickaxe swordsmanship.
Lever staff techniques too, and even patience against that demon brat's provocations.
The ability's coming soon!
'Yeah. I worked spots with the strongest smells on purpose. It was getting thicker by the day.'
It might not be a common one! It was buried in rock, so the smell was faint!
'Agreed.'
Anyway, the fact that the ability's aura seeped out to the surface meant the miners had stripped away a good layer of surrounding rock as they dug in.
Today, working a spot where the ability pulsed strongest, I was convinced.
'Just like Silver Star said, it'll turn up in a few days.'
Even if it turned out to be junk unlike my hopes, this was my first ability hunt—I'd stick with it till I found it.
So what if it wasn't valuable?
'Staying in the mine keeps me free from the Queen too.'
After work, we had potato stew for breakfast on the first floor.
Only one item on the menu—no agonizing choices, which was actually nice.
Whoa! What's this! So good! Dip your bread in the broth too! Ooh-! So moist!
Silver Star was thrilled with the new experience.
I couldn't show it the wide world just yet, but at least I was keeping my promise somewhat—that was a relief.
"Will you sleep through the day again today, sir?"
"Rest if you're tired. I'm heading to the training grounds."
"I'm not tired. I'll follow."
The training grounds I'd asked Suhes about turned out to be pretty sizable.
Apparently, it was where the city's security force—basically its military—and the vigilante militia trained.
Without a citizen ID, you had to pay a usage fee.
Requiya paid up and grinned happily.
"Nice city."
"Is it?"
"The stew's got chunks in it, and the facility fee's cheap."
I nodded silently.
If my Earr predecessor said so, who was I to argue?
Still, this guy seemed like he'd get scammed anywhere.
His goofy grin made me sigh involuntarily.
"What's wrong, sir?"
"Nothing."
This city survived on revenue from the iron mine and forges, so it didn't fleece travelers too badly.
Or so Suhes had boasted.
'Still fleeces 'em, though.'
Andre and Bong fleece too! They fleece hard!
I grabbed a practice wooden sword and repeated the drills from the sanctuary.
Thrust. Slash. Block.
Pouring my whole body and mind into every move.
Requiya eyed me sidelong, mimicking my training.
He had that look like he figured I had some edge over him, but aside from basics, I had nothing special.
Thrust, slash, block.
Fast, precise, powerful.
Luke had said basics were everything, but that just sounded like bragging from a hotshot.
'Not easy. Is my form off?'
It felt like I'd regressed compared to training locked in the sanctuary.
The body is a funny thing.
A slight shift in foot placement, arm angle, knee bend—tiny changes yielded totally different results.
"Chief, care for a practice spar?"
I nodded at Requiya's offer, reading my expression.
Nothing beat sparring for training.
Requiya raised his wooden sword into stance.
'His form's wrong. Is he trying to point out my mistakes?'
Lies.
He was just mimicking what he'd seen me do.
I used Requiya as a mirror to correct my own stance and motions.
'Oh-. Straightening up lets power flow better into my body.'
Don't forget! Proper form leads to fast! Precise! Powerful strikes!
The wooden swords clashed dozens of times.
Each time, I adjusted my footing, corrected my shoulder and wrist on the fly.
'So this is what it feels like to truly embody the stone wall inscriptions.'
The energy in my body boiled up.
Different from just warming up with exercise.
'What is this?'
Toolsep! It gets pulled out like a magnet whenever you get stronger!
Thwack! Thwak! Thwack!
Each fierce clash made the Toolsep energy surge hotter.
A power that felt like it would burst through my skull—I pushed it down with my breath, letting it ride my blood to flood my whole body.
'Getting stronger's great, but it's making me dizzy.'
Focus, focus! Flow state's dangerous for noobs! Sanctuary said so!
'Right.'
Silver Star snapped me back to my senses.
I inhaled sharply through my nose, cooling my overheated head.
Requiya's eyes, fixed on me, shook unsteadily.
No trash talk this time.
Blood dripped from his hands, and if you looked close, his legs were trembling too.
I slowly exhaled, lowering my sword.
"That's enough."
"Whew-. Good work, sir."
Stance, breathing, focus.
I'd fixed my form first, then my breath midway.
If I'd lost control of my breathing, Requiya could've gotten hurt. Demon or not, a wooden sword could still...
'Wielding true martial arts under my own will is way harder than I thought.'
I'd nearly let the sword steal my mind, hijacking me through that damn stick.
Luke's sword-loving nature had run wild on its own.
That greedy trait sucking in foreign sword styles.
The possessive instinct that made even the saintess—who everyone adored—his woman in the end.
'He suppressed those traits to survive, but once he tasted blood, those terrifying Red Dragon Knights got shredded.'
The great holy knight Luke Seid!
Surviving mattered, but how you lived mattered too.
I'd smash anyone threatening me, but I didn't want to turn into a murderer.
'I like being me.'
Silver Star likes Andre and Bong too!
'Even starving, rolling in the dirt, breaking bones—steering my own life is what counts.'
Can Silver Star steer someday too!?
I hadn't thought about that.
Silver Star had no body. Couldn't give it mine either.
'Hmm...'
It's fine! I'm happy!
Its forced cheer made me chuckle too.
That was when I was watching Requiya's torn palm regenerate with fascination.
A group of over ten approached from afar.
The guys in back were unremarkable, but the one in front had a different vibe.
"I figured as much—you're no ordinary merchants."
I sensed faint hostility from his entourage, but I didn't care what they thought of me.
My focus was solely on the black-haired man at the front.
'I can feel auras from his attendants, but...'
One thing I'd learned since dropping into Earr: how to gauge an opponent's presence.
Even without Blue Eye, I could sense mana, killing intent, and such through my skin.
Courtesy of Luke's lingering traits.
'Is he too advanced for me to read? Or hiding it?'
I'd only stuck around the city to try ability hunting—nothing exhausting, thanks.
As I pondered leaving sooner than expected, the lead man introduced himself.
"No need to tense up. I'm Fred Shobiding, captain of the security force."
"Requiya Lance."
"Andre Bong."
Fuck, Requiya.
Giving me a shit name like that to troll people.
'Pissing me off all of a sudden...'
Hold it in!
Still, it was a name someone had given me, called me by—no qualms lying with my own mouth.
"Heard you work the mines at night, train by day—youth is wasted on the young."
"You didn't come here to wax poetic about springtime of life."
"Hahaha-. I said no need to tense."
Fred held up both palms.
"Not stabbing your watchers first means I've been patient enough."
"Watchers? Must be a misunderstanding."
Fred scratched the back of his head.
His smiling eyes looked shifty, ramping up my wariness. Smiley types were bad news.
"I'm security captain. Wary of strangers is my job."
"Then keep watching."
"Watching you got my blood pumping despite myself. Was training time for my men anyway, so here I am."
Born warrior, huh.
The man, who looked late forties in our years, exuded an energy that cleared the air like mountain breeze as he chatted.
No killing intent mixed in.
'Not dangerous.'
I exhaled lightly, shaking off tension.
"You want to cross swords with me."
Fred grinned and nodded.
I reached toward the man on his right.
The quick one tossed me the sword he'd been holding, like he'd been waiting—I caught it, drew in a flash.
Shing-.
'Felt like something was missing sparring Requiya.'
With Blue Eye, I could even counter a master's deadly strikes—no reason to refuse.
Above all, I didn't want to lose this hard-won clue to progress.
'Fail to get stronger, and I die.'
Sightseeing was fun, daily joys too—but better dead than dragging miserably.
In a world where the sword was power, dying sword in hand wasn't so bad.
Like a firefighter with no regrets dying on the job.
At least dying while striving to grow gave an excuse.
"Come on, Fred."
"One bout, if you please, Andre."
Andre fuck! Requiya fuck!
I channeled rage into my blade.
Clang! Claaang-! Kaak-!
We exchanged a few light passes before parting.
Just probing.
No need to go all-out in a friendly spar.
"Ooh-, feels like parrying Yete's club with a sword."
Fred Shobiding laughed, shaking out his wrist.
'What's a Yete?'
Silver Star doesn't know either!
Requiya caught my sour look and grinned.
"High praise. Like a potbellied giant from the caves who dabbles in magic—raw power."
Ah, Yete noted.
This was the fun of learning a new world!
Mood lifting suddenly!
"Another round, Andre Bong?"
Mood tanking.
Suddenly, I wanted to stake my life.
Andre Bong fuck!
Requiya's naming sense fuck!
"My name is-!"