Chapter 151 Other Stories (4)
#8 Other Stories: An old man’s story
“I have arrived sooner than expected.”
I sighed as I looked at the small village afar. I had asked Merln for a battle, had been refused, fought against the demons, and fell asleep due to my wounds and fatigue. However, everyone had gone when I woke up. They had somehow managed to slip by me, and I had to admit I had let Merln run away from me.
I had walked desolately to home, or to be more exact, a burnt site of where my home had been. The wheat fields had also gone to black ash, and I felt empty at seeing everything gone in such a short time. I realized that I had to leave this place also at that same moment.
I went to the dwarf village, and people were surprised to see me come back so quickly.
“I had to come back early due to certain situations.”
The elder who had made me my sword welcomed me first.
“How was it?! Did you beat that weapon?”
His eyes were expectant, but I had to admit that I had not kept my promise. However, as I had used my sword and Merln his bat in battle, I had to explain the difference between our weapons. I spoke in front of the three elders of the Red Hammer Clan, and they were good listeners.
“The weapon you made had been amazing.”
“Yes, but your skills were also impressive. However, Hectare with the silver weapon can fight too.”
“Who is Hectare?”
“We call your Merln Hectare. We gave him that name after he became an honorary elder of the Dwarf clan. He made evil weapons, but that silver one had been the worst of all.”
I had to think things over as the dwarf elders laughed among them. What kind of a life had Merln lived?
“What did he do to warrant that reputation?”
“He made the Metal Bat.”
The dwarves did not say anything else. I decided that not knowing would be better for my mental health and remained silent. The elders talked among them.
“However, it was fun when he suggested knew weapons to us.”
“Yes, while he could not make weapons on his own, he had a good imagination.”
“Us dwarves are happy when making new things.”
“His weapons gave safety to other villages.”
“Yes, he had saved our friends from slavery. Rare for a human.”
“Yes, that Metal Bat…”
“……”
The elders became silent at those words like magic.
“I will return this.”
I handed them my sword in the quiet room and apologized for not keeping my promise. The elders only stared at me.
“Yes, you do not have the right to have this sword because you did not keep your promise. A dwarf’s promise is sacred. We will take your sword.”
While I was sorry to see it go, I did not regret the act as I had been the one who had broken the promise.
“All right, will you stay here for a while?”
“You seem to be thinking the same thing as me.”
“Hey, hey, I had been the first one to meet him.”
The elders went out of the room with the sword, and it took them ten days to come back after that announcement.
“Have this.”
“This one, too.”
“Just because I am empty-handed, that does not mean I had not worked to make these swords.”
Their faces looked tired but also satisfied.
“This sword is named Selflessness.”
“This one is called Heavenly Ascent.”
“Use them to go to a new level.”
“Elders…”
I felt something fill up inside me with warmth.
“While we will take your old sword, you have to have these new ones!”
“Let the world know that we are better than anyone in making weapons!”
“However, can we beat that metal bat?”
“……”
I laughed out loud at the silence that fell in the room after that magic word.
#9 Other Stories: The Current Holy Sword’s Story
“Thank you!”
I nodded to a smiling young man and went outside the store. I walked a few blocks, checked that there was no one around me, and sighed deeply as I continued to move my legs. Howling, an evil syndicate had been crushed. While it had been the crown prince’s great achievement with the emperor’s backup, I had lost something in the aftermath.
The host club I had gone to had closed down. It had been the best in the empire, and now only illegal ones remained. I did not care to go to those places as they were seedy and unenjoyable. Why could not host clubs follow the gentrification methods that Howling had taken? Now was the time to step up! I had placed enough money to buy a few counties and fought exhibition matches to earn the funds as the current Holy Sword.
I was not the only one to spend such money and had lost to a few who had spent more than me. I sighed again and left the village to go to a nearby club that was said to be good. If this was a dud, I was serious enough to go to another country.
“What?”
However, it was then I felt a chill. I had only felt this tinge when a sword master who had nearly mastered the craft was near. Becoming a swordmaster was only the beginning, and one needed talent and severe training to become truly powerful. There would be less than ten in this country.
“Come on out.”
I went to an empty lot and spoke. It seemed that the individual was challenging me because I was the most famous and easy to find. While I would expect to be paid, today I wanted to relieve my stress.
“Spoken like the current Holy Sword.”
“You are…”
However, I recognized the old man with the warrior’s physique as he came out. The two longswords hung behind his back were unfamiliar, though.
“Steon del Lebeiteon?”
The previous Holy Sword, who I may have lost if he had not used a stick.
“Right.”
“Have you come back to take back the t.i.tle?”
“No, I have come…to let the world know.”
He took out two longswords from his back as I stared at him warily.
“These are Selflessness and To the Heavens. Dwarves made them.”
“What?!”
He had walked about with a stick saying that swords were a luxury! He seemed very dangerous.
“Therefore, I want to fight with you to test these swords.”
“I would rather refuse…”
He rushed at me before I could continue, and while I thought I had blocked his attack, I felt blood spurt from my cheek. I saw that one of his swords faded away from sight, and the other attack faster than the other.
“They are not normal swords!”
“They are magic weapons.”
Steon spoke with a pleasant smile as I shouted while avoiding the attack.