episode_0030

Volkan stared at the ragged straw scarecrow with a sullen expression.

I did break it because my strength control was a bit off, but do you have to look that sulky?

Is it alive…?

He let out a sigh, looking at what had now become a complete pile of scrap metal.

Well, we’re both members of the same adventurer’s guild—he’ll probably let it slide.

Someone of Volkan’s caliber wouldn’t be stingy over something like this.

But damn, that thing must’ve been expensive.

Besides, this whole mess started because Volkan suddenly decided to test me out of the blue.

I did nothing wrong…!

“Haah… The guildmaster’s going to chew me out again.” “Well, nothing we can do about it.” “For the guy who broke it to act this shameless—no, never mind. It’s my fault, so I’ll let it slide this time.”

With that, Volkan sighed deeply, exhaling as if he’d let everything go, then turned his gaze back to me.

“But you,” he said, “you’re damn skilled for an archer.” “You think so?” “Still, there’s one drawback. That purple lightning you gained from your level-up is way too flashy.”

I nodded quietly at Volkan’s words. Not suited for ambushes. Still, when it comes to intercepting from afar, nothing beats it.

“This time, attack me properly.” “As fiercely as I want?” “……Why do you suddenly look so pleased? The lightning arrows are banned.” “Tch.” “Did you just click your tongue?” “No, I didn’t. Fine, I’ll try an ambush.”

I suppressed my presence and melted into the shadows. Volkan’s expression shifted to one of admiration.

Broad daylight isn’t ideal for this, but…

Nonetheless, the peak of my thief mastery concealed my position. Volkan stood with his eyes closed.

…Huu.

Hiding in the shadows—to be honest, I wasn’t confident I could land a decisive blow on him.

My archery’s still lacking.

I focused.

The pinnacle of thievery granted me a sleight of hand so refined, magic itself paled in comparison.

The bowstring drew back without a whisper.

I took aim—

Swoosh!

The faintest whisper of wind. The arrow aimed straight at Volkan’s head—

“Not bad, kid.”

—was useless, naturally.

Tch. Missed.

“No, ‘not bad’ is an understatement. Erme said you were at least a level-three archer, so I expected something decent…” “Expected…?” “You exceeded those expectations. Enough that I’m starting to think I could pass things onto you someday.” “Not interested in that sort of thing.” “Yeah, figured. You don’t strike me as the sociable type.”

This old man…?

I glared at him flatly. Volkan grinned sharply and continued.

“Right—let’s get you a bow first.’” “What kind?” “A longbow.” “A longbow then.”

“Something I noticed during your ambush. Unlike those purple arrows, stealth alone isn’t enough—your shots lacked firepower. If they didn’t even hear the bowstring, you should double down on concealment.”

Erme nodded in agreement at Volkan’s reasoning.

Seemed like she also favored me switching to a longbow.

Well, I should probably follow the experts’ advice.

Even the peak of thievery seemed to endorse it.

Guess a longbow really is the answer for me.

Time to go check one out.

“W-Wait a second.” “Hm? If you’ve got business, spit it out quick.”

In response, Erme pulled out a wrapped bundle.

At first glance, it looked like plain cloth, but—

Something’s off.

My instincts screamed that this bundle was special.

Volkan narrowed his eyes, staring at it as though confirming those instincts.

“This is…?” “Something we found when we were ambushed by the Sprout Snatchers on our way here.” “……Haah, so some of those bastards are still around.”

Volkan scowled in irritation.

Oh, right—we were supposed to talk about the nail when the time came.

And that time is now, apparently.

Well, if it involved Volkan… maybe he was trustworthy enough.

From what I’d observed since arriving, he’d earned his place as one of the reliable figures around here.

“So what’s in it?” “You’ll see faster if we just show you.”

Erme unfolded the bundle.

Inside lay an ominous, unidentifiable nail—exuding an aura of menace just by existing.

Volkan stared at it impassively.

“Sprout Snatchers, you said?” “A guild tied to the Scavengers. Their leader was a level-two mage named Hanul.”

Erme’s voice trembled as she spoke.

Why is she shaking? Sure, Volkan had a scary look on his face, but—

—Because he’s unleashing his killing intent.

Killing intent?

I didn’t see any movements, but even then, why couldn’t I sense it—

Wait, no—I can sense it.

Without realizing, my own killing intent had been repelling Volkan’s.

Erme had shaken at first, but she didn’t seem rattled now.

She must know how to use killing intent too.

…Isn’t killing intent way too commonplace here?!

—What nonsense! Being able to wield killing intent is something only a rare few can accomplish! If anything, the fact that you can do it now is abnormal in itself!

Richelle’s voice screeched in my head.

Well, maybe she’s right.

On one side, we had Volkan—a top-tier adventurer bearing the title of Sword King.

On the other, there was me—a cheater whose talents came from a system.

And Erme, a monster capable of challenging the pinnacle.

Looking at it like this, having killing intent doesn’t seem so strange.

While I was lost in thought, Volkan closed his eyes. Then he spoke.

“First, as a member of the adventurer’s guild—thank you. I hadn’t realized scum like this still existed.”

His smile was chilling.

Then he reached out to me.

“Show this to the workshop craftsman. He’ll recommend a suitable bow and arrows.” “……”

It was supposed to be guidance—

But given the situation, I decided to shelve my protests and accept.

“Also, invoice the arrows. You can take up to a hundred.”

Thud.

At Volkan’s words, Erme nodded vigorously before I could react.

“And for you—take this.” “……Holy crap.”

When Volkan handed over something, Erme instantly dropped all formalities, eyes gleaming.

She never drops honorifics unless it’s something really big.

“Ahem, thank you. Not that I was expecting compensation, but—” “Want me to take it back?” “N-No! Gifts from the Sword King must be accepted with gratitude!” “Honest brat.”

With that, Volkan vanished—whoosh.

And I mean literally.

I blinked, and he was gone.

No residual mana, no traces—just sheer physical speed.

That old man’s a damn monster.

With that brief impression in mind, I checked what Volkan had left behind.

A hundred arrows, huh?

Enough for about three full quivers.

If even he put a limit on it, they must be absurdly expensive.

Maybe because customizing something as small as arrows takes a ridiculous amount of craftsmanship.

Still, I set off happily to go shopping.

—

Back at the workshop, the place was packed with adventurers.

Pulling up my hood, I headed to the counter.

“How may I assist you?” “I was told to show you this.”

I handed over the emblem Volkan had given me.

The attendant’s eyes bulged, and he bowed deeply.

“Confirmed—first-class recommendation. What would you like to see?” “A bow… and a hundred arrows?” “A hundred arrows?”

When the attendant’s eyes widened, Erme smoothly stepped in and showed him Volkan’s note.

“Ah, guests of the Sword King. Understood.” He guided us upstairs.

Unlike the bustling first floor, the second was serene—populated by adventurers decked in gear worth fortunes.

Perhaps noticing my stare, Erme whispered with a grin:

“Only true adventurers can access the second floor.” “True adventurers?” “The guild’s elite. Unlike those who could turn scavenger at any moment, they’re nurtured meticulously. And now, so are we.”

Her smile widened.

“Anyway, want to check out that bow?”

She tugged my arm, leading me to a sleek black longbow.

“A bow favored by elite archers around level three. The draw weight’s intense, so it requires serious strength…”

She glanced at me meaningfully—

Implying my strength wouldn’t be an issue.

“Can I try drawing it?” “Certainly.”

The attendant nodded politely. I drew the bowstring.

Creeeak.

Stiff, but manageable—nothing I couldn’t handle.

About twice as tough as usual.

Probably impossible to shoot silently, but I could minimize the noise.

I like it.

Nodding in approval, I earned a bright smile from the attendant.

“Shall we proceed to arrows?” “Any recommendations for longbows?” “We have enchanted variants.” “Hmm… Yuseong doesn’t need those. Something metallic and sturdy would suit him better.” “Moon-silver arrows, perhaps?” “Whoa—you have those?” “About ten. We also have arrows made with Luminite and…” “Don’t suppose you have any starforged iron arrows? Even just a few…” “Indeed. In that case, how about—”

Erme and the attendant launched into a high-level negotiation.

I couldn’t follow, but the peak of thievery filled me in.

Luminite absorbed light—perfect for assassinations. Moon-silver purified evil. Starforged iron, tempered under starlight, was ten times tougher than regular steel—with unmatched resilience.

Also costs over a hundred times more, but details.

Extremely rare due to the production process.

But hey, I had Volkan’s endorsement to burn.

“Seventy Luminite arrows, ten moon-silver, twenty starforged iron—thirty gold coins total.”

I barely held back a wince.

That’s a staggering sum.

And that was just the arrows. When I asked about the bow, the attendant replied with flawless cheer.

“Fifty gold coins.” “……Adventurer gear is no joke.” “But well worth it for a champion’s weapon.”

In other words, fifty gold gone in a flash.

All that dungeon-earned cash nearly evaporated in one go.

Thank god for Volkan.

After securing the bow and arrows, Erme bought herself a backup sword—elegant yet functional.

“A spare, but the best I could find for my style.”

With shopping done, we returned to the inn.

—

Lounging on the inn’s bed, I savored the rare downtime.

First proper break in forever—pure bliss.

Waking up lazily.

Eating well, exploring with Erme in the afternoons.

…Come to think of it, Erme’s been paying for everything.

Does that make me a trophy husband?

…Is this the trophy husband life?

The realization brought guilt—

And yet.

Honestly?

It feels…

Pretty damn good.

Part of me wanted to keep this up for a decade.

Of course, reality prevailed.

This was an investment—Erme believed in my potential.

After a day of leisure, Sunday arrived:

Our party’s official dungeon re-entry day—with Rozenta joining.

Except—

“The dungeon’s closed?”

Something must’ve happened.