Chapter 129: Patchwork (9)

Everyone stared at me in a daze. The skill had activated naturally, leaving everyone bewildered.

"Master, can you understand all of this?"

"Well..."

I felt a little awkward under their intense gazes. I had spoken as if it was obvious, but in truth, I could only understand these schematics because of the Starlight Azure Fox, who had died inside the Kraken’s belly and sunk to the ocean floor.

"

Ah

. I'll explain it."

I broke it down as simply as possible, leaving out unnecessary details and focusing only on the parts relevant to combat.

With each explanation, a ding sounded, and notifications appeared. Rena’s Affection increased. Chandler, Christina, and even Yube Jinney's Affection rose quickly.

Knock knock.

Just as I was wrapping up my explanation, someone entered the reception room.

"Jinney, sir, a message has arrived for you."

"A message for me...?"

"Yes. Someone introducing themselves as member number seventeen is waiting in front of the castle."

When he heard that, Yube suddenly shot up from his seat, his eyes widening.

"Damn...! It seems I must leave immediately." Chandler bowed slightly in gratitude. "We will send your payment through the guild for the materials you delivered."

Yube nodded but cast an almost regretful glance at me before leaving.

"It's a shame to leave so soon. Please do contact me sometime. You won’t regret it. I could introduce you to some far more useful friends."

"Useful friends?"

He nodded, his eyes locked on me even as he stepped toward the door.

"Remember the black card! I'll be waiting anytime, so once you’re done here, don't forget!"

Before I could respond, he hurriedly disappeared out the door.

"Must be something urgent..."

But the remaining three quickly refocused. I resumed my explanation.

"In the end, you need to strike here, here, and here."

The key was how much force we needed to damage the golems and how quickly we could evade them.

"The rotation radius of the joints is..."

Of course, theory and practice were different. But just visualizing the enemy's movements in our minds would be a huge advantage in real combat.

Although Yube had left abruptly, his schematics detailed the golems' attack range and patterns. We could perform perfect evasion and repeatedly strike their weak points to wear them down. However, a single misstep could result in Chandler, Christina, or Rena being crushed instantly.

"An explanation isn’t enough. Starting tomorrow, let’s train.”

Chandler responded immediately. "I will have the training grounds prepared. But for today, please rest well."

I nodded. As if already arranged beforehand, a butler escorted me to my quarters. They treated me with utmost respect.

The castle itself was so modest that there was no extravagant banquet or feast. Still, Rena and I were given an entire special guest room. The butler seemed particularly concerned with serving us properly.

"You may remove your armor. Only the most trusted maids will be attending to you."

"They know my identity?"

"They are aware of Chandler’s family curse. There's no use hiding things from those close to us, so we only employ the most loyal and discreet people."

"I see."

Clank.

I removed my armor. The butler mentioned that dinner would be served soon and left. But Rena didn't look well. I wasn't the best at reading human emotions, but she seemed strangely downcast.

"Something wrong?"

"Well..."

Rena's eyelids drooped slightly, giving her a sorrowful appearance. She looked so pitiful that I couldn't ignore it.

"Tell me."

Rena hesitated before speaking softly, "I guess, I just... I wish you were teaching only me."

"...What?"

Seeing my confused expression, she quickly continued, "I mean, I know this is necessary. But watching you patiently explain everything to others... It made me feel strange."

"

Hmm

."

It was hard to understand. I turned to face her fully and scrutinized her expression.

"...It’s just how I felt, that’s all. Sorry. You're not just

my

master, after all." Rena muttered, her words trailing off.

I felt like I should say something, but in the end, all I could offer was the obvious.

"This is just to complete the quest. And for your promotion. You know that, right?"

Rena’s face softened, her round eyes widening slightly.

"Maybe... I shouldn’t have asked to become a guild leader."

"Don't say that. It’s nothing to worry about. In the end, you’re still my only student."

Just then, the maids entered with trays of food.

"

Heh...

"

Rena let out a small chuckle. The aroma of soup must have lifted her spirits a little. But another problem quickly surfaced. As the maids set the dishes on the table, they looked troubled.

A short-haired maid standing in front of me wiped the sweat from her brow and hesitantly asked, "

Um

... You won’t be eating, will you?"

I nodded. She quickly slid my soup bowl over to Rena. Now, she had two bowls in front of her.

"I also prepared an aperitif..." The maid lifted a bottle of white wine, still looking conflicted. "You don't drink, either, do you...?"

I picked up the wine glass and moved it toward Rena as well. Her once somber expression brightened instantly.

"Wait... What is this? Why does this taste so good?!"

"This is Kazuarin soup, seasoned with vermouth. And this is lobster grilled over charcoal with pistachio butter..."

One by one, the dishes arrived, each one carefully prepared and elegantly plated. Though there weren't many, each dish was meticulously crafted. Every time a plate was set down, I slid it toward Rena. And each time, her lips curled into a grin she could barely contain.

"Thank you, Master!"

"Yeah."

Rena devoured everything, savoring each bite.

I have no idea where all of that food is going...

"This too! This is amazing! So good...!"

She alternated her gaze between the two maids serving her food, flashing a bright smile as she repeatedly praised how delicious it was.

If anything ever happens... I should just feed her.

Meanwhile, the maids, seemingly uncomfortable with leaving nothing on my side of the table, began placing decorative plates with flowers and ornaments near me.

While they fidgeted nervously, I casually chatted with Rena, maintaining a relaxed atmosphere. As the meal wrapped up, Rena gently stroked Bamtol, who had climbed onto her lap.

"I wonder where that merchant went? He really seemed flustered when he left..."

Just then, one of the maids, who had stepped out after serving the meal, returned.

"I-I have prepared the finest bedding for you!"

"Bedding? Why?"

The young maid's face twisted into a look of sorrow.

"You... You don't sleep either... do you...?"

Clatter.

I nodded. Her expression crumbled further. Was I doing something wrong?

"T-then, how about a bath?! I'll prepare hot spring water infused with herbs!"

"Just say yes quickly, or she's going to cry." Rena whispered hurriedly beside me.

"A bath? Of course. I've been waiting for one."

"Understood! I'll prepare it immediately!"

The young maid, now fully determined, bolted out of the room. The maids led Rena and me to separate baths.

Rena once mentioned wanting to visit a hot spring together someday.

As I soaked in the water, memories of my many lives with her resurfaced.

***

"Would you like to join? We don't have to stop at just a bath, you know."

"I'll pass."

"Aww, a dark beer and a bath are a perfect combo. You sure?"

That time, I had left her behind in the spider’s lair and died alone in flames.

"Going with me now might be an irreversible choice. I have a bad feeling about this."

"That guild... I don't care about it much..."

"I don't want to rely on the favor of some deceitful being I don't even know."

***

That version of Rena had been melted away by the slime. The Rena of then and the Rena of now were one and the same—yet entirely different. Our relationship had changed. The circumstances had changed. The past would never return—perhaps, neither would everything else.

How bitter...

When I stepped out, my armor had been polished to a gleaming shine. There wasn't a single speck of dust left. It was as if someone had given everything they had, like this was all they had left.

"That girl from before cleaned it for you."

Rena, who had finished bathing first, pointed at the armor with a fair, refreshed expression.

"Impressive."

I considered asking for her name, but ultimately decided against it. That nameless young maid, too, would eventually be consumed by war or sacrificed when the Demon King descended. I had no power to save her. There was no room for such thoughts.

"..."

Morning arrived. The butler led us to the private training grounds behind the castle.

"This is separate from the parade grounds at the front, where the guards assemble. It is exclusively used by the family. There are no windows overlooking this area."

"So whatever happens here stays here, right?" Rena interjected.

"Exactly."

The butler nodded, and Chandler placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Thank you for arranging this."

"Everything here is yours, Young Master. Please achieve what you aim for."

The training grounds were shaded and enclosed, yet well-maintained. It was spacious, equipped with various training tools, and in the center, something large was covered with a cloth.

"What is that?"

Chandler walked toward it.

"Two months ago, when I started having dreams about you... my father began preparing this for today."

With a solemn expression, he pulled away the cloth.

"

Whoa

."

Christina let out a small gasp. Rena also furrowed her brow slightly in silence. Standing before us were four golem models, each over three meters tall.

"We couldn't build the insides, but we recreated their exterior. This is the craftsmanship of our artisans."

"Weren’t you worried about leaks?"

"They're just metal shells bolted together. There’s no secret to leak."

"This will be good practical training."

Rena was already measuring the distance, sword at the ready.

"Well then..."

Chandler turned his bright eyes toward me. And he wasn’t the only one. Rena and Christina were also looking at me expectantly.

What do they want from me?

Rena was the first to bow her head.

"Please guide us!"

One after another, Chandler and Christina followed suit. With no other choice, I approached the golems. Chandler had crafted a solid metal shell, but no one knew how the real golems would move or where to strike them. That was where I came in.

Reading the schematics and explaining yesterday was nowhere near enough. This was just a training prop, not a self-study tool.

"Here, here, and here."

I raised a practice sword and pointed out the weak points I had identified in the golems' structure. I had already handed my old, worn sword to the butler. I would get a proper weapon from the Hall of Ancestors later.

Even though this was a dull practice sword, it was incredibly sturdy and well-balanced. The grip felt excellent in my hand.

"Strike here. The pins need repeated impact for the body to collapse."

Rather than explaining further, I decided to demonstrate.

CRACK!

The blunt practice sword pierced through the metal plating with ease. The three-meter-tall golem model shook violently from the impact. I pulled the sword free, then immediately turned and stabbed another golem in its joints. With the hilt buried deep, I yanked it out and delivered a kick that sent the golem toppling over.

CLANG! CLANG! CLANG!

In the blink of an eye, three of Chandler’s golems had collapsed.

The heat in their six gazes intensified. Feeling somewhat overwhelmed, I awkwardly lifted the fallen golems back up.

"This is just to get a feel for it."

"Master..."

"What?"

"You've been hiding your skills, haven't you?!"