Ch.19Chapter 19. Be Careful with Terms and Conditions!

Ego Weapon.

A term referring to weapons with their own will, always classified among the highest tier of equipment in this world.

Even mana, the primary energy of this world, exerts power guided by human will, so isn’t it extraordinary for a weapon to independently manipulate it and create synergy with its owner?

Approaching such a weapon with my existence and imprinting myself as its owner would be remarkable in itself.

Yes, I certainly thought so, but…

“Since you seem excited, I should tell you that the ability to forcibly contract with an Ego Weapon is more curse than blessing.”

“What? A curse?”

“Whether holy swords or demon blades, Ego Weapons are typically stubborn about the purpose they were created for.”

She examined the mythril spear in her hand carefully while continuing her explanation.

“For example, demon blades inevitably go berserk if not regularly stained with blood, and holy swords have an obsession with fulfilling their mission, which they tend to impose on their users. What do you think happens if an owner tries to wield that power arbitrarily without fulfilling such purposes?”

“…Does the weapon try to kill its user?”

“You might suffer something worse than death. You could become a puppet whose mind is consumed by the blade, or be punished for not following its will, or in extreme cases, be sealed away with just enough life to survive…”

Just hearing these examples made my throat go dry.

Seemingly indifferent to my urgency, she casually tapped the tip of the spear with her finger.

“Moreover, unlike humans, Ego Weapons only care about their created purpose, so their obsession with their contracted partner reaches fanatical levels. That’s why when handling an Ego Weapon, it’s ideal to use it as a collaborator only when interests align, rather than trying to establish yourself as its owner.”

Right, in my excitement about encountering such a precious weapon, I momentarily forgot.

My ability is far from gaining someone’s favor just because I become their memory.

Given that I’m already on the Adventurer Guild’s blacklist without even intending it, how could I remain excited after hearing this?

“So, this weapon in my hand…?”

“Don’t worry. While Ego Weapons need to grow to properly awaken their consciousness, this one was made recently and only has instinct without self-awareness. If there’s a problem, we can just melt it down and make a new weapon.”

“…Is it okay to melt down an Ego Weapon so easily?”

“Not normally. A mature Ego Weapon would resist fiercely once it realized you were trying to kill it.”

No, I meant it more in terms of it being a precious item…

But the reason she mentioned posed an even greater problem than I had imagined.

According to rumors, a berserker consumed by a demon blade slaughtered an army of a thousand, or a holy sword carved out the heart of a Demon Lord’s executive… If such formidable weapons went berserk, the devastation wouldn’t end with just the surrounding area being razed.

“Still, it seems a waste to just send it back like this.”

She casually handled such a dangerous weapon, then smiled slightly and pointed the spear’s handle toward me.

As if suggesting I should grasp it.

“I’ve never seen an ability that affects an Ego Weapon just by holding it… Since you haven’t properly handled this power either, you probably don’t want to let this opportunity slip away, right?”

Once again, she encouraged me to grasp the spear.

But this time, it probably wouldn’t end with a simple test.

Though not yet confirmed, I might be given another chance to handle this precious weapon with my own hands.

-Thump, thump.

With such anticipation swelling in my chest, despite the warnings, my hand gradually reached for the spear’s handle.

Beyond the material itself, I was feeling greatly attracted to the existence of an Ego Weapon.

Though the risk was great, so was the potential return…

Above all, having discovered a use for my ability, even if not as much as I’d hoped, how could I easily dismiss this opportunity after spending two years in this world as a lowly Foreign Laborer?

“…What would you like me to do?”

Yet despite everything, I couldn’t help hesitating to grasp it.

Life rarely goes as expected.

Given that I don’t know what she’s thinking while making this offer, wouldn’t it be thoughtless to eagerly take and use it?

“Nothing much.”

To my cautious self, she maintained her posture with the spear shaft extended, speaking nonchalantly.

“I’ll just lend you this spear for a week, then you come back and return it to me.”

“Lend it?”

“It’s good for you because you get to experience a weapon you couldn’t afford right now, and I get to see how your ability affects an Ego Weapon I created… Isn’t that reason enough for a deal?”

Lending, not transferring or selling…

Though merely an experience, it might be the most ideal outcome at this point.

It’s too precious to give away just out of interest, and I don’t have enough money to buy it.

“You can refuse if you don’t want to. This is just an offer, not something I’m forcing on you.”

Tachia spoke casually to me as I hesitated to grasp it.

Along with that, I began to feel strength gathering in her half-closed eyes.

“But if you accept, you should know this: for those who don’t keep their promises, anything that happens shouldn’t be surprising.”

“…Anything that happens?”

“Yes, anything that happens.”

At that moment, her voice carried a weight that made her previous indifference seem meaningless.

With that, a chill ran over my skin, raising goosebumps, and I began to recall what the old man I met before coming here had said.

‘That friend is extremely sensitive about promises, so if you have to make one, do so carefully.’

Make promises carefully…

If that wasn’t just a courtesy warning, it would certainly apply to the current deal.

It’s not just the danger of the Ego Weapon.

If I accept the deal but don’t return the weapon Tachia lends me, then anything could happen—that risk exists too.

“…Well, will you do it?”

Am I prepared to experience this weapon while risking both its dangers and my own safety?

Or should I just refuse and leave with ordinary weapons and armor?

“I…”

The answer to this crossroads of choice came after considerable time had passed.

Weighing desire against safety was something that needed to be decided with great caution…

****

“Still smoking every time I come by, I see.”

How much time had passed since then?

While leaning against the entrance smoking a cigarette to pass the time, someone made their presence known in front of the smithy located in a secluded alley.

The tapping sound on the street was quite familiar to Tachia’s ears.

“…If it isn’t the kid.”

“Tsk tsk, I’m probably the only one who calls the veteran of this street a kid.”

The old man commonly known as Jean the Alley Boss laughed good-naturedly, and Tachia clicked her tongue in annoyance and asked:

“So, kid, what brings you here? Lost your way?”

“I’m not senile enough to lose my way. I’ve merely come to request repairs for an item bestowed upon me by a great being.”

Saying this, Jean pulled over a worn chair nearby to sit on and handed over the cane he had been tapping on the ground.

Looking down at it, Tachia frowned and said in a sharp voice:

“Did you stick it in some magical apparatus?”

“You can tell just by looking?”

“Human aura doesn’t make such precisely measured wounds.”

Unlike tools that regulate mana flow consistently, human will is extremely fluid.

Guessing this, Tachia grumbled and soon brought her thumb to the handle of the cane.

-Crunch.

As the dented part expanded with the pressure of her thumb.

After briefly checking its condition, she tossed the cane back to Jean and took another drag from her cigarette.

“Use it moderately. I didn’t make it for you to abuse.”

“Haha, you’re saying exactly the same thing as before.”

“Well, did I say that about 300 years ago?”

“If you met me then, that would have been my ancestor, not me.”

A voice too blunt to be a joke.

But even that couldn’t be called an exaggeration by her standards.

After all, she was someone who had been bound to this world for a time incomparable to humans.

For someone like her, even he was just a passing encounter. His significance might be less than a maple tree seen while walking by.

“By the way… did someone named Hyoseong Woo come here?”

What about the person he introduced?

“Yes, he did.”

At this immediate answer, Jean couldn’t help but widen his eyes and stare at her.

For someone who couldn’t properly feel the passage of time to immediately recall someone’s name upon hearing it—wouldn’t that surprise anyone who knew her true nature?

“…It’s strange. The older I get, the harder it is to remember people, but that young man seemed familiar as soon as I saw him.”

But there was also something vaguely familiar about him.

Stroking his beard, Jean soon began to examine her expression with half-closed eyes.

“I wonder if it was the same for you?”

“…Hmph.”

No answer came.

She merely shifted her unpleasant mood elsewhere, losing interest in him at some point.

“Hey, kid.”

“Call me Jean. We’ve known each other for over half a century, isn’t it time you remembered?”

“Do I need to remember the names of short-lived species that don’t even live a hundred years?”

Despite all their achievements, they’re just insignificant beings who briefly flourish in an era.

Of course, the human who passed through here before was quite interesting, but even that was only somewhat noteworthy due to the variables of being from another world.

At least for now, he was just familiar, not someone who could be called special.

“Anyway, didn’t I tell you not to bring troublesome people here?”

“Troublesome people…?”

Jean flinched at her irritated voice.

He wondered if she meant the young man he had introduced earlier, but soon he too stiffened as he sensed the presence approaching.

“…I see.”

Not one person but several…

This wasn’t the first time such a thing had happened, so he had some idea.

“I’m sorry. But you know, don’t you? Just as you made a ‘promise’ with that person, I too have promises with him. How could this old body control all the unsavory things that arise in that process?”

“…You only talk about promises at times like this.”

Such impudence from a short-lived species.

Clicking her tongue, Tachia removed the cigarette from her mouth and spoke to the leader of the group entering the alley.

“Sorry, but we’re not taking customers today. If you have business, maybe make an appointment for later…”

-BOOM!

Before she could finish speaking, a burst of flame erupted.

Tachia’s body was pushed back by the flames and crashed deep into the workshop.

In the place she had been, flickering flames remained, and a body completely charred to the point where nothing was left to burn.

“Who dares to speak without permission in my presence?”

Despite burning a person in such a manner, the voice of the man who had intruded on the scene was utterly cold.

Yes, he had the right to do so.

That fact was evident just by seeing that the flames flickering on his body did not burn his skin.

“Do not annoy me, insignificant mortal.”

The basis for that smile of ecstasy on his face.

It must surely be due to the Ego Weapon burning in his hand.