Chapter 111: A Matter of Mood (2)

"Is it because of this?" I asked and pointed to the split boulder.

Rena bowed her head deeply. "Yes. I want to learn swordsmanship. If you teach me even a little, I will do whatever I can for the rest of my life. If you command me to die, I will."

The atmosphere was too serious.

I stammered, "

U-Uh

... You were watching?"

Rena nodded with an embarrassed expression. I realized she hadn’t gone to wash but had been secretly watching me from the bushes.

I shrugged slightly.

Clatter.

"This is something I can teach easily. Offering your life... Your life is far more valuable. Never compare it to something like this."

I meant it. If she were to die because of me again, I wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Rena flinched. "

Ah

..."

Her eyelids trembled slightly. Beneath them, her deep black eyes wavered violently. I could see a storm of emotions raging within her.

"Why? Didn’t you ask me to teach you?" I asked.

"Yes!" Rena replied.

"Well, is there something wrong?"

"No! Thank you! Truly, thank you!"

Rena bowed deeply, and she rose to formally bow.

I reached out and stopped her by grabbing her head.

Blocked mid-bow, Rena looked at me with puzzled eyes.

"Don’t bow your head," I commanded. "You are my companion. You don’t need to bow to anyone."

Rena’s gaze wavered even more, and her hands trembled slightly. She looked as if she couldn’t quite understand what I was saying. Seeing her frozen like that, I realized what I had done wrong too late.

Of course.

I was the only one who considered our bond to be deep. After all, I had explored countless dungeons with Rena. I knew her well—her speech patterns, her facial expressions depending on her mood, the way she set traps, and how she slit men’s throats with a flick of her wrist.

We had even died together twice. I recalled the moment before we reached Purson’s altar when she desperately pleaded for us to run away together. We had once been that close. All of that was still fresh in my memory.

However, from Rena’s perspective, I was nothing more than a suspicious Skeleton Soldier who had left her hanging in the air just the day before. It hadn’t even been long since we had agreed to be allies.

Clatter.

A mix of bitterness, regret, and relief swirled inside me.

Looking straight at her, I said, "You want to learn swordsmanship? Let’s start now."

I took her hand and pulled her up. Her gaze shifted to the sword in my grip.

Sizzle...

Damn.

While I had been lost in thought, the blade had begun to smoke. It was because of the attribute imbued in it.

[Deactivating Acid Lv. 5!]

I need to be more careful.

If I kept the attribute active for too long, the blade could corrode easily. I turned it off and practiced toggling it on and off. Then, I felt confident in controlling it.

Still, I doubted I would ever get used to Rena’s expression as she stared at me. It was a mix of awe and disbelief. Seeing her look at me as if I were a ghost gave me an odd sense of responsibility.

***

Two days passed in the mountains. The moment I told Rena to start training had already become a distant memory because Rena’s dedication was astonishing. At first, she was excited and grateful for my guidance, but as she immersed herself in training, her expression grew more focused.

She swung her sword tirelessly without resting. When exhaustion set in, she briefly soaked in the cold stream before resuming her training.

Whoosh!

Rena’s sword cut through the air. Teaching was more enjoyable than I had expected because Rena’s enthusiasm was infectious. Over those two days, she showed incredible improvement in swordsmanship. Her innate talent was overwhelming.

So she wasn’t just good with daggers...

She wasn’t only skilled at slashing. She was also particularly exceptional at thrusting.

Swish!

Her blade pierced through empty space.

Impressive.

One thing that concerned me was her weapon. A thinner, sharper blade seemed more suitable than a typical longsword or greatsword.

It’s not quite a rapier either, though...

I wanted to let her practice with different weapons.

We’ll need to buy some.

We were also running low on the food we had taken from the adventurers.

"Let’s head down," I said.

"Yes! Master!" Rena exclaimed.

"I told you not to call me that..."

"What if I want to?"

Rena’s Affection level had skyrocketed to twenty-nine during our two days in the mountains. However, her attitude toward me felt slightly different from before, even at similar Affection levels. She was more serious this time.

So Affection is an aggregate of various emotions...

First, we needed to retrieve the buried silver ingots. With Rena around, exchanging them wouldn’t be an issue.

Carrying only a single sword each, we left all other junk behind in the mountains and walked lightly along the path.

***

It didn’t take long to reach the location marked by Yublam’s administrators. However, the hiding spot had been well concealed, making it difficult to tell where the ingots were buried just by looking.

𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"I don’t see anything. Do you know where they are, Master?"

Calling me Master again...

Rena looked at me with baby eyes. Failing to find them now would be embarrassing. Fortunately, I was confident. This was exactly why I had skills like this.

Detection.

[Detection Lv. 5]

[Activating detection mode!

Skill efficiency increased by 1,000%!

Consuming 0.0024% of current health per second.]

I had developed this skill to a high level by tracking countless mechanical insects across the wastelands. As soon as I activated it, I immediately detected human footprints. In one particular spot, I noticed concentrated digging marks. Though they had attempted to conceal their activity by covering the area with dirt and scattering debris, their trickery proved futile against my Lv. 5 Detection skill.

Thud!

I plunged my sword deep into the ground.

Clink.

The blade struck something different from the soil.

"Here, dig it up," I ordered.

Rena blinked a couple of times before she carefully scraped away the dirt with a blunt dagger.

After a short while, she found something.

"

Oh

? This... This is—!" Rena exclaimed.

"Is it there?" I asked.

"

Oh

... It’s real! It’s really here! Master, how do you even... How do you know things like this?"

Rena held up three silver ingots that sparkled and twirled in excitement. I had seen gold ars stamped with the emperor’s seal before, so I wasn’t particularly impressed. However, I felt content watching Rena dancing happily in the moonlight.

Rena neatly placed the three ingots before me. "Master, what will you do with these?"

"Do as you like," I replied.

"Does that mean..."

"Use them as you see fit and meet me on the third floor of the Yublam Inn tomorrow."

"Tomorrow?"

I nodded. "Yes. I have something to do."

Rena slightly pouted. "

Hmm...

"

In just two days, she had grown quite attached to me.

She isn’t worried, is she?

"Don’t make that face. I’ll be back soon, so just rest," I said.

"Understood. You must come back."

Clatter.

I nodded. It was about time Rena rested after two days of relentless training, and I had something to do on my own.

Sprint.

Swoosh!

I parted ways with Rena and ran.

Glancing back, I saw the autumn moon casting its glow over the mountain. Behind me lay the direction of the Barren Underground Tomb.

A shiver ran down my spine.

Clatter!

As long as I avoided the Barren Underground Tomb, I would also avoid three monstrous figures: the marquis, the fox-masked lady, and Gith-Za-Rai.

Good. I’m on the right track...

My destination was the wasteland between Yublam and the Spider Den, a desolate place where few people roamed. By tomorrow morning, a group of humans would pass through that area. It would be a perfect opportunity to test my newly acquired skills.

I had already split a boulder and briefly tested other abilities while training Rena, but I needed real combat experience. I needed to face a group armed with steel and malice.

Rena should be fine.

I looked in the direction she had gone. She would have entered Yublam without any issues, just as always. There was another reason I was going alone, aside from letting her rest. This... was about Rubia.

***

Damn it! Is the captain really making me go there too?

The self-proclaimed artist Cromel had disliked this mission from the start. Standing over 190 cm tall, with his waist thick as a tree trunk, he possessed surprisingly delicate hands despite his imposing size. As one of security chief Asphode’s trusted aides in Yublam, Cromel held a special role as a torture technician.

The Spider Den is such a bore...

His job was to round up Yublam’s rebels and deliver them to the Spider Den. Every single guard under Asphode’s command had to participate in this mission.

Cromel let out a small sigh. "

Ugh...

"

Cromel had no interest in watching humans get crunched and devoured alive. The starving spiders were too impatient; their kills were too fast.

It should be slow, painstakingly slow.

In his view, the slower the death, the better. Cromel preferred prolonged torture. He enjoyed the trembling nerves and muscles of his victims. He found pleasure in watching them lick his boots, begging for mercy. Even more so, he found greater satisfaction in those who clenched their jaws, trying to swallow their screams.

Such a waste...

The citizens being dragged away as rebels could have suffered so much more. They had yet to be properly broken. To Cromel, that was a terrible shame.

This is a waste of resources! When will the captain go on another human hunt? I wouldn’t mind if he let me handle the education myself...

Lost in deep thoughts about his crimson-colored future, Cromel snapped back to reality when the group came to a sudden halt and he crashed into the soldier in front of him.

"

Whoa!

"

"

Oof, oof...

"

Yet, no one turned to scold him, not even the bald-headed captain who chided him for his foolish stumble. The air had turned cold.

What’s going on?

Everyone was tense. Confused, Cromel looked ahead.

Who the hell is that?

A knight stood in the middle of the wasteland, clad in a full plate armor set that could be easily found in any city. The knight’s helmet completely obscured their face, making it impossible to discern their identity. The knight's sword sheath, old and chipped in several places, suggested they were not a formidable opponent.

That knight can’t even maintain a sword properly...

The armored knight took a step forward.

Clank.

Without even drawing their sword, the knight casually addressed the captain. "Hey, you!"

What? Who the hell is this guy?

Cromel was bewildered, not because of the knight’s tone, but because the knight had called out Asphode directly from all the guards present. It was as if he already knew who was in charge. His confidence in doing so was unnervingly natural.

Asphode warily placed his hand on the hilt of his sword, and the scabbard ratted.

Clank.

The other guards tightened their grip on their spears. Cromel clenched his halberd too.

"Where are you from? Who are you?" the captain asked.

If the knight were weak, the captain would have killed him on the spot. However, even the captain was cautious. The knight might have powerful connections, perhaps even ties to the Necron Society and their business partners. They needed to be certain before acting.

"Me? Just a traveler passing through." Then, pointing westward, the knight said, "There’s an opium den over there. That yours? Got a report about it.”

The captain gestured with his hand, and the guards moved quickly. Cromel also stepped into position, albeit a bit sluggish. It was a signal to surround the knight before he could flee.

Asphode pressed further, "What? You said report?"

"Yeah, a report. That’s your operation, right?" the knight replied.

Clank. Clank. Clank.

Twenty guards completed their encirclement.

The knight took another step forward. "Article three, clause six, section one of the Imperial Narcotics Act: Anyone who imports or cultivates opium shall be sentenced to no less than five years of hard labor!"

Asphode drew his sword. "What the fuck? Who the hell are you?! Take off that helmet!"

Clink! Clink!

The guards wielding swords unsheathed them. The ones with spears aimed their tips. From behind, Cromel raised his halberd.

However, the knight wasn’t finished speaking. "Clause 2: Those who profit from the trade shall be sentenced to life imprisonment. Habitual offenders shall be executed."

"Kill that bastard!"

The three guards closest to Asphode lunged at the knight with their spears.

Clang! Clang! Clang!

All three spears, coming from different directions, struck the knight’s raised scabbard but were suctioned to it.

"

Huh?

What the hell?"

"Captain! I can’t pull it off!"

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The knight swung the scabbard left and right. The three guards were thrown around helplessly, tumbling to the ground in a mess.

"

Ugh

, dammit!"

Sensing the captain’s glare, they hurriedly pulled out their swords and charged again.

Clang! Clang!

Once more, their blades stuck to the scabbard. Now, six weapons, three spears, and three swords were firmly attached to the old, tattered scabbard. It was an eerie sight.

The knight murmured, "

Hm,

this works well."

The knight finally drew his blade from the scabbard.

The three guards’ arms were severed instantly, blood spraying into the air.

I... I couldn’t even see it!

The dismembered guards collapsed, screaming in agony.

"Let’s take this slow, shall we? We have plenty to test."

The knight swept his gaze across the guards, holding a battered sword in one hand. For a fleeting moment, his eyes met Cromel’s. A terror so visceral gripped Cromel’s heart as if his very soul was being crushed in the knight’s grasp.