Chapter 9
Chapter 9
The Sub Protagonist and the Sword Saint
“I’m sorry! I’m truly sorry!”
Even in the noisy festival atmosphere, Lin’s voice rang out loudly.
The pickpocket had already been taken away, leaving only me, Rene, and Lin—who was kneeling on the ground.
People who had seen everything from the beginning had already left, but newcomers were now staring at us with confusion.
Damn it. This is bad. It feels like I’m being branded as some trash who forced a blind woman to kneel and apologize.
“It’s fine, just calm down and get up. Don’t do this in the middle of the street.”
“B-but…!”
“Apologizing like this doesn’t really make me feel better. And even if you apologize a hundred times, it won’t bring back the money that got cut to pieces, right?”
“….”
“Instead of wasting time apologizing, wouldn’t it be better to talk about how you’re going to repay what you lost?”
“…You’re right.”
Only then did Lin stand up, brushing the dirt off her knees.
It seemed I had managed to settle things before they got worse.
Though she still kept her head lowered.
“First, I sincerely apologize again. Due to my circumstances, I cannot repay you immediately.”
“Is that so?”
I remembered her background.
A younger sister with a rare illness.
Most of her income went to medical expenses.
She lived miserably—sleeping outside to save money, eating scraps of bread.
If there was one truly pitiful character in this story, it was her.
“Please give me one day! I will earn the money somehow!”
“Do you even know how much you owe?”
“…How much?”
“I don’t remember exactly, but at least 42 gold coins.”
“…Forty-two?!”
Sweat ran down her forehead.
Considering a laborer earned about 2 gold a day—
It was an overwhelming amount.
“…Then please… one and a half days…”
Even that wouldn’t be enough.
But at least she was realistic.
“And why should I trust you?”
“I have nothing to prove it… only this sword, my father’s relic, and my body. But I swear—by my blade—that I will repay you.”
She held her sword close to her heart.
A swordsman’s oath.
If broken—
She would pierce her own heart.
Her expression sharpened.
She was serious.
“How will you get the money?”
“I’ll go to the guild and complete every request available.”
“And you think you can make it in time?”
“…I’ll try my best.”
“…Fine.”
I paused.
“Then I’ll give you two days.”
“…!”
“Until the night after tomorrow. Pay it back by then.”
“Thank you! I won’t betray your trust!”
She rushed off immediately.
Probably to the guild.
Hopefully she didn’t mess things up in her haste.
Rene tilted her head.
“Are you sure it’s okay to let her go like that?”
“What choice do I have? I can’t hold onto someone with no money.”
“Still, shouldn’t you have taken collateral?”
“She made a sword oath. You saw it.”
“That alone isn’t enough to trust her…”
“It is.”
I knew her.
She wouldn’t break it.
Rene glared slightly.
“You trust her a lot… considering you said I wouldn’t earn a single coin.”
“Well… I don’t know you yet.”
But Lin—
I knew everything about her.
Especially since she was deeply tied to Bern’s story.
A girl who betrayed humanity for her sister.
A man who would kill for his goals.
Different scales—
Same nature.
That’s why their story intertwined.
Their first meeting—
Was a battlefield.
Assassin versus protector.
Steel clashing in darkness.
At first, Lin overwhelmed with swordsmanship.
But Bern surpassed her in strategy.
The fight became even—
Until reinforcements arrived.
Their next meeting—
At the academy.
They didn’t recognize each other.
Instead—
They became friends.
Close ones.
The kind of bond that warmed readers.
Until—
The author ruined everything.
A demon spy.
Artifacts.
Mind control.
Lin became a puppet.
Then—
She faced Bern again.
He realized the truth.
But also—
That her blade resisted.
She wasn’t completely gone.
So he fought.
Freed her.
And just when things seemed hopeful—
An arrow.
Cursed.
Aimed at Junhyuk—
But hit Bern instead.
No—
Lin pushed him away.
Took it herself.
She died.
In his arms.
One of the few truly great scenes.
The community exploded.
People begged for her return.
Called her Bern’s true partner.
Analyzed everything.
But the conclusion was simple—
Because it was Bern.
He suffered.
“…Tch.”
“Can’t I be jealous?”
“That’s not why I clicked my tongue.”
“Then why?”
“Just… felt bad for her.”
“Her?”
“Or maybe… more than one person.”
Rene too—
Was one of them.
A tragic character.
And now—
Connected to me.
“…What a mess.”
But one thing remained clear.
I gripped my sword.
I would give Bern—
A happy ending.