Chapter 5. Dear Friends (3)
Chapter 5. Dear Friends (3)
As soon as I entered the Ancient Booklet, General Sallin-nim was about to give Sura his next main quest.
"Sura. About that Ash-colored Orb we found in Morcan last time. It turned out to be a more incredible item than I thought."
"What is it?"
"It seems to be a Devil's Relic."
"What is a Devil's Relic?"
"It is an item containing the power of a Demon Duke. Well, it doesn't have much power left. Still, the fact that it's a Devil's Relic is what's important."
Saying so, General Sallin-nim handed over a small box locked with a padlock.
"This is the Ash-colored Orb from back then. Deliver this to the cathedral in the capital. The distance isn't that great, so it shouldn't be dangerous to get there."
[Main Quest Chapter 2. To the Capital.]
The main quest notification sound rang, signaling the start of the quest.
"Can't it be handled here at the cathedral?"
General Sallin-nim nodded.
"The scale here is too small, after all. To seal it, it needs to be at the level of the cathedral in the capital. There are many capable priests there."
Pointing his finger at the box in Sura's hand, General Sallin-nim said.
"This... it's only temporarily sealed. If you go too late, it will have a negative influence on you as well. Though, since you are Lunance-nim's apostle, I suppose I worry less about that."
"Understood. I'll head out immediately."
"You might have to stay in the capital for a while. It's farewell until then."
General Sallin-nim showed genuine regret.
It was likely because he enjoyed receiving lessons from a swordsman superior to himself, and he had grown somewhat attached to Sura.
"Well, keep practicing your swordsmanship diligently until then. Even if you master only half of it properly, you won't die anywhere."
"I shall keep that in mind."
General Sallin-nim affirmed without getting angry at Sura's playful tone. Seeing this, the Tusu denied reality, saying General Sallin couldn't possibly be like this, but reality was reality.
"I'll head out with Roland right away."
"Do that. Well then. See you next time."
"Yes. See you next time."
Waving his hand and leaving the spot, Sura looked for Roland, who had disappeared somewhere.
"Roland! Where are you!"
"Sura! What's going on?"
As soon as he was called, Roland popped out from somewhere with a tuk.
The Tusu made various guesses about Roland's suspiciousness, but Sura didn't care. It was because his sixth sense was telling him that Roland wasn't a bad person.
Above all, he had the confidence to win even if Roland attacked him.
"General Sallin-nim gave me a mission. He said we have to go to the capital."
"Oh! The capital! It's a very good place. Leave the guiding to me, your squire!"
"Sure, sure. Roland. Let's go quickly."
Just as the two were about to leave the village, they saw Arianne and Mistel passing by. Mistel had decided to help Arianne and Uban-ahjussi until she took on her next job after the mission.
Roland was the first to greet them.
"Ooh! Mistel! Arianne!"
"Oh! Sura! Roland!"
"Ah! Roland-ahjussi! Sura-oppa! Hello!"
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute. Why am I the only ahjussi?"
"An ahjussi is an ahjussi..."
"E-heu-heuk!"
While Roland was being comforted by Mistel, Arianne effectively killed Roland with her words and approached Sura, taking his hand.
Whether Roland was discouraged or not, Sura lifted Arianne up with one arm. Lately, Sura and Arianne had become quite close.
"Sura-oppa. Where are you going?"
"I think I'll have to leave the city for a while. General Sallin-nim gave me a mission."
"Ah..."
When Arianne looked disappointed, Sura smiled and stroked her head.
"I'll come back when my business is done. I'm not the type of person to die somewhere, am I? Until then, get along well with Uban-ahjussi and your family."
"Ing... but..."
Arianne had settled in Mopran after the incident in Morcan village.
She was working under Uban-ahjussi, who had opened a magic-related shop, and was living happily with her family.
Since Arianne looked so disappointed, Sura lightly pinched her cheek.
"I'll be back before you forget me. Don't worry."
"You pwomise... (You promise.)"
Looking at Arianne, who couldn't even pronounce properly because her cheek was being pulled, Sura laughed.
Whether the Tusu were talking trash or not, Sura even made a pinky promise with Arianne.
A promise to definitely return.
"See you later for sure!"
"Safe travels, Sura! Roland! I'll be looking after Arianne!"
"That's a relief. Mistel. Thanks."
"Stay well, both of you!"
Leaving behind Arianne and Mistel, who were waving and shouting from afar, Sura and Roland moved on. Roland's gaze was unusual.
"Tchet. Arianne. She didn't even say things like that to me."
"Don't be jealous over something like that, Roland. It's pathetic."
"Eek! You damn popular guy!"
Thus, the two left the village and headed toward the capital.
There were carriages going to the capital, but they decided to walk. It was thanks to Sura's wish to see the scenery inside the game Ancient Booklet.
But before that, there was something to do.
['TellMeHowToParryMagic' has donated 10,000 won!]
"...Ah, right."
"It's not that simple. Since I can't exactly parry magic right now, I'll give you a condensed explanation and tell you in detail when the opportunity arises later."
Sura pressed the pause button.
"It's simple. You imbue Chivalry into your sword, and if it's fire, you imbue the corresponding Chivalry elemental type, and then you receive and deflect the magic as if you're embracing it with the sword."
"Kkeu-eung. It might be a bit difficult. I made it to counter things like finger techniques or palm techniques when I was in Murim."
"I'll explain it in more detail when I get the chance next time. It's hard to explain in words."
Unpausing the game, Sura began to look at the scenery along the road.
"Wow. The scenery is beautiful."
"This much is nothing. Sura. You should see Maias Mountain."
"Maias Mountain?"
"The perpetual snow there is truly beautiful!"
The debate over Roland's identity flared up again among the Tusu, but Sura was busy looking at the in-game scenery.
The great plains leading to the capital were a refreshing sight that made one's heart feel open.
While the two were walking and chatting, something appeared in the distance.
"Hey! Hand it all over!"
"Hi-e-e-eek!"
Bandits were threatening a passerby.
Seeing as there were as many as 15 of them, they seemed to be a professional bandit group.
"That's strange."
"Why? Sura?"
"There are guys doing banditry in such an open place?"
"...You're right?"
While Sura was questioning it, the Tusu's chat was unusual.
Regardless of what the Tusu were doing, Sura spoke to Roland.
"Let's go back. Or let's hide until they're all gone and then go."
"Huh? Is there a need to do that?"
"It's too suspicious. They're practically shouting 'I'm suspicious' out loud."
While Sura was telling Roland to back off, the voices of the bandit group could be heard.
"Hehe. We've been trying so hard to catch you since the mountain. We finally caught you."
"Hi-e-e-e-eek! What are you talking about? I was just desperately running away!"
"Don't make me laugh! Boys! Attack!"
The moment the surrounded man was about to fall into a crisis, the man sighed.
"...Ha. Those guys. They won't even help."
As soon as he finished speaking, the sword at the man's waist was drawn, and in an instant, he slit the throats of the bandits.
The bandits' bodies froze, and gazes went back and forth between the man and their comrades who had become corpses.
"It's an assassination request. Bandit leader Masias. Die."
The man, who had pulled out a piece of paper from his chest and was reciting it, threw a dagger at the bandit leader as soon as he finished speaking.
"Keu-aa-aa-ak!"
The bandit leader, Masias, wailed with one eye pierced by the dagger.
In the meantime, the man's sword took on a black light as he laughed gloomily.
"Don't even think about running away. You're going to die anyway."
"What do we do! Sura! Let's run away quickly!"
Roland was already grabbing Sura by the collar and shaking him back and forth.
Regardless, Sura watched the man's movements in the distance intently.
'That guy is strong.'
He wasn't as strong as Lunance, the strongest in this world, but excluding her, he seemed stronger than General Sallin-nim, who was the strongest among those Sura had seen.
"Roland. I can run away. But you won't be able to."
"Hi-e-e-e-e-eek! Sura, if you leave me behind, I'll curse you even from hell!"
"Who said I'm leaving you behind? Forget it and draw Durandal. Let's get ready to fight."
In the meantime, the man had killed all the bandits and was taking the leader's head.
"Hmm. I guess I can just take the head."
Pak! Pak!
The man cut off the leader's head with an axe the bandits were holding.
He took out a bundle from the bag he was carrying, put the head in it, and then put that back into the bag.
As if his business was done, the man looked at Sura and Roland.
"Hmm. All witnesses must die."
At those words, Sura remembered the name of a person Roland had mentioned before.
"Roland. Is that person by any chance the 'Darhan' you mentioned before?"
"...Ehehe. No way..."
Regrettably, the answer to that question was given by the man.
"Oh. You know my name? Unfortunately, I am that Darhan."
"Hi-e-e-e-e-e-e-e-eek! Please save me! Please! I didn't see anything! I don't even know that you are the leader of Dear Friends, the Prince of Massacre Darhan!"
"...Roland. I think that's enough for anyone to know everything."
"What are you talking about! I don't know that person, Sura! I don't even know that Darhan's hobby is pretending to be a loser who hides his power!"
"...You're doing this on purpose, aren't you?"
While Sura narrowed his eyes in suspicion and Roland desperately avoided his gaze, Darhan laughed.
"Haha. You know too much about me."
Darhan spoke while briefly stroking the blade of his sword.
"Well. Whether you know me or not, dying is the same. When you go to hell, give my regards to Sorana-nim."
"Hmm. That's what I was going to say."
"Sura?"
"When you die, give my regards to our Lunance-nim. And don't be too surprised when you see her. She's quite an incredible person."
[Fufufu. It is good to hear, Champion.]
Lunance responded, having been awake at some point.
"Ah. I thought you were sleeping, Lunance-nim."
[I can sleep later.]
While Sura and Lunance showed their closeness, Su-han typed in the chat window.
[Su-han-su : Sigh. Look at him picking up girls. He lowkey attracts women well.]
[Su-han-su : He strangely attracts women. Does he have some kind of peach blossom luck?]
While Su-han was talking with the Tusu, Sura drew Lunance's sword.
"Let's fight, Darhan."
'He's strong.'
That was the conclusion Darhan reached after fighting for over 10 minutes.
This guy. He was strong. He wasn't just normally strong.
A sword's murderous intent as if it had passed through a picture of hell.
It was a similar atmosphere to his own, but the depth of it was different.
Where did such a guy pop out from?
'This... reminds me of a High Lord or a Knight Lord.'
But what was also strange was that only his swordsmanship and murderous intent were incredible.
His endurance and mana didn't match up to them.
He seemed to have obtained Chivalry, but as time passed, he appeared to be saving mana by using it only for very brief moments at certain points.
'And yet, he's covering for it with pure skill. Incredible.'
While he was paying respect to his opponent, the sword came for his vital point again.
Chaeng!
Having parried it, Darhan opened his mouth.
"Incredible. You. By any chance, do you have any interest in joining our 'Dear Friends'?"
"...."
But strangely, there was no answer from Sura.
While the Tusu also found it strange and even Roland was restless, Sura's mouth opened.
"Where does a cowardly assassin scumbag bastard like you think you're..."
There were largely two branching points for Dear Friends.
Joining the group, or killing them all.
Right now, Sura was choosing the route to kill them all, which anyone could see.
It was the route that no one took because it was damn boring and had no charm!
"The things I killed like dogs when I was in Murim were assassins."
Sura hated assassins immensely.
The guys who were always spraying poison and trying to kill him.
He remembered the hardships he faced from assassins hired by someone after he killed demonic cultists during his early days in Murim.
"But there's a better way."
In Murim as well, after killing the assassins who came at first, Sura had chosen another way.
"You, become my subordinate."
It was a statement that made the Tusu watching the broadcast, Su-han, and even Roland facepalm.