Chapter 13 |
“Disgusting.”
Seated in a chair, I looked at the ego sword and grabbed a clean cloth.
As I wiped the rusted dagger meticulously, fragments of iron, left neglected in the rain for over ten years, crumbled away like powder.
‘With a bit more oil, it will shine soon enough.’
“Wait a moment.”
I shook the bell, summoning Selly who had been waiting outside the door. The young girl entered with a disgruntled expression and asked in a business-like manner.
“Did you call for me?”
“I’m going to clean the sword. Bring me the tools for oiling it.”
Selly turned to fetch the items.
-W-wait! Don’t I also need a suitable scabbard?
“…You have many presumptuous demands. You should be grateful I’m even cleaning you.”
Selly stopped in her tracks and spun around, looking as if she had heard something disturbing.
She must have overheard my conversation with Donatan.
“…Excuse me?”
“I wasn’t talking to you.”
“Then, who were you speaking to?”
“Never mind. Just hurry up and get the tools.”
Selly shot me a narrowed look, as if I were a lunatic, then quickly vanished from sight.
-Will you be alright?
“What?”
-Humans care about their reputation. Mumbling to yourself isn’t going to look good.
“It doesn’t matter. The kid already thinks I’m a lunatic.”
-Humph… But what about in front of others?
Trying to pull a trick on me?
Seeing through Donatan’s intentions, I glared at him.
Though he pretended to be concerned, I knew there was a reason for his persistence.
As I maintained silence, Donatan revealed his true intentions as expected.
-Make a contract with me. We can communicate without speaking.
He was trying to secure an unbreakable bond, fearing abandonment.
“A soul contract… huh.”
This was a high-level contract, usually with a spirit, only breakable by the death of one party.
After a moment of thought, I replied carefully.
“Isn’t it too early for that?”
Even if it’s an ego sword, if it can’t be used or isn’t useful, it would just be an annoying noise.
“First, let’s see your abilities. Isn’t that right?”
-How dare you question my abilities!
“You have a poor attitude. Should I just discard you?”
The sword, having shouted in anger, finally lowered its tail.
I took out paper and a pen from the drawer, then looked down at Donatan, speaking in a business-like tone.
“Let’s start the interview. You pass if you score over 80. Answer sincerely.”
-…Arrogance knows no bounds. To defile the name of the Incarnation of Thunder…
“The dust that fell off when I wiped you earlier, was that your manners? Minus 20 points for poor attitude.”
I accurately drew a horizontal line and wrote the number 20.
While Donatan stuttered like a novice, I continued, imagining myself as a strict interviewer.
[Why did you apply to this company?]
“Why do you want to come to me?”
-Because the one who could hear my voice… died long ago.
“So you’re saying I’m your only option… A plus 20 points for that, it’s perfect for exploitation.”
Next question.
[What position did you hold at your previous job?]
“What did you do when you had an owner? Any achievements?”
-Th-that…
“Hesitating isn’t good. Minus 20 points.”
-W-wait! I protected my owner. I am a sword that guarded the strongest swordsman of my time!
Blatant lies.
If he were such a great person, he wouldn’t carry around a rusty old sword like this.
“Lying, minus 20 points.”
Donatan almost went insane from my ruthless scoring.
-Another 20 points? This is unfair. At this rate, I’m already disqualified.
“There are bonus points, so don’t give up yet. Here’s the final question. Take this chance.”
So far, there wasn’t much I liked about him. I pondered how to sell him off, then asked the crucial question of this interview.
[What skills and capabilities do you possess? For example, any certifications?]
“Tell me your skills. If it’s useful, I’ll give you 100 points.”
Perhaps motivated, Donatan raised his voice confidently.
-Of course, I will pass! My true value is incomparable to the skills of ordinary swords!
“That sounds interesting. Explain it well.”
-I have said it many times. My owner was called the Sword Saint. I fought many fierce battles with him, learning his near-perfect swordsmanship.
“Oh….”
-I will train you similarly. Though you may not reach his level, you could still make a name for yourself on the continent.
“I’m intrigued. How?”
-First, I need to assess your body. Quickly, grab me.
Following Donatan’s instructions, I grabbed the sword. I felt a weak current run through my body.
-Your bone density is excellent, but your muscle strength is negligible. What have you been doing all this time?
Bone density? Muscle strength?
Is he some kind of body composition analyzer?
-Next, let’s check your aura. As expected, narrow pathways, tsk tsk.
This time, the current felt like it was flowing along my veins. It wasn’t painful, just a bit tingly.
After a minute, Donatan gasped.
-……..
“Why are you silent?”
After a pause, he answered seriously.
-Your aura pathways are severed. Not from battle scars, but decayed. What did you do to end up like this?
That’s what I want to ask.
“Well, I suspect one thing. It’s probably because of the drinking. Consuming terrible alcohol every day for years.”
Not me, Hersel.
-Foolish. Neglecting training, you soaked your body in poison… Look at your state now. A body ruined to the point of being called a wreck. Even if you practice the most refined techniques, it will be in vain.
His grim news made my shoulders droop.
To survive as a swordsman in Asares, aura was essential. I had to give up that profession.
“So, your abilities are not useful to me?”
As I adjusted to my disappointment and was about to deduct points, a spark of static electricity tightened my grip.
-W-wait!
I frowned at his sudden action.
“…What did you do?”
-I sent an electric signal to your hand muscles. I can teach you swordsmanship this way.
“But without aura, it’s useless. Even if I learn, would I be able to dodge or cut anything properly?”
-…
Learning great swordsmanship without aura is like dancing.
Unable to refute my logic, Donatan spoke in a calm voice, as if resigning himself to fate.
-You are right. We are not a match. It seems this was just a passing encounter.
The recruitment seemed to be falling apart.
Feeling a bit sorry, I decided to give him one last chance before putting him back in the box.
“If you have no other skills, that’s how it will end. Just tell me anything. Any skill at all.”
But he spent this precious time whining like a drunkard.
-I was never a great sword. Compared to the other ego swords my owner had, I was insignificant. My only skills were detecting people nearby and serving my owner’s sleep.
Hmm?
-Do you know what other swords called me? A sleep sword. A guard dog protecting its sleeping master, that’s all I was worth.
Wait, what?
-Hmph, laugh if you want. Anyway-
“That’s good.”
-W-what do you mean by that?
I stood up and clapped my hands.
“Congratulations, 100 points.”
-W-what?
Selly, who was bringing back the requested items on a cart, was startled at the door.
She saw me conversing with a decayed dagger, then standing up and clapping, laughing like a madman.
***
“Congratulations, 100 points.”
Today, the young master seemed crazier than usual.
How could someone be so refreshingly mad?
Honestly, it’s frightening.
Each day, his madness reached new heights, presenting a new and unknown fear.
‘…It’s giving me chills.’
Selly steadied her trembling shoulders and pushed the cart smoothly towards Hersel.
She then quietly closed the door, hiding her contemplative expression.
Thunk—
***
A delicate hand reached for the vase on the desk.
The lady gently stroked the petals with her thumb.
‘We had something similar at our house. Except it walked on two legs…’
The lady thought Hersel was like a flower with a thin stem that would break with a mere tap from a child’s hand.
Yet, despite filling its soil with poisonous fertilizer and pruning it heavily, the stem remained unbroken, and the leaves stayed lush.
Remarkably, even the roots, gnawed at by assassins, were eradicated.
“But why…”
Though it should be annoying, why did the corners of her mouth lift slightly?
It felt like finding a stimulant in boredom.
Thinking that the seemingly insignificant one had hidden potential made it more impressive.
‘I feel like I’m climbing stairs. Towards the same level as me…’
The lady plucked a petal as if harvesting a ripe crop.
Unconsciously, it expressed her desire to step forward from an observer to a direct participant.
…But that’s still premature.’
Regaining her reason, she relaxed her grip.
Ending it hastily would lead to an unsatisfactory conclusion, unworthy of the term “festival.”
Moreover, the remaining assassins in the warehouse deserved their fair chance.
She decided to watch a bit longer and looked at the mark etched on the calendar.
‘Speaking of which, isn’t it time for him to receive his punishment soon?’
The day after tomorrow.
Hersel would leave the mansion and embark on a perilous path where his disappearance would be considered natural.
She couldn’t imagine him surviving.
The perfect stage, but this time the sent assassin was of a different caliber than before.
***
The cookies were sweet, and the tea was bitter.
I thought life, too, was sweet and bitter.
“Do I really have to go?”
“The Duke ordered it as a severe punishment, so you must go.”
Without needing to emphasize “absolutely,” Selly’s solemn expression conveyed it.
It was truly unfair. Why did I have to bear this punishment?
I, who only typed on a keyboard, now had to work in a mine in Tenest’s direct territory.
Once a month, and that was tomorrow.
Not a pleasing situation.
The stage was set. The lady would certainly have another scheme.
“What did I do to deserve this punishment from Father?”
“Do you not remember?”
Selly inspected my face with an incredulous look, then sighed deeply and spoke. My face must have shown that I really didn’t know.
“Ah, you were drunk and said this to the noble lady who visited the mansion… ‘Is she the whore my father called? Ditching that stray cat, a new stepmother wouldn’t be bad.’ Do you know how angry the Duke was? Even I, who worked far away, felt my skin prickling.”
I almost spit out the tea I was drinking at Hersel’s shocking conduct. If it weren’t for the noble blood, I surely would have.
My God.
Given the high rank of the guest, even if he was drunk, calling her a whore on their first meeting was outrageous.
Considering the rudeness of his actions, working in a mine was a lenient punishment.
“…He really was a madman.”
Selly looked surprised.
“You were aware…”
“What?”
“Nothing…”