Ch.88. Uncomfortable Meal (1)

Kwaaaar-!

The monster’s roar struck my ears like a hammer. Though I’d inflicted a deep wound, its killing intent remained unbroken. These creatures didn’t whimper and flee just because they lost a leg or an arm. With each new wound on their bodies, they foamed at the mouth and fought more desperately. Rather than living beings, monsters were better described as killing beings. They preferred killing over living. These ones in particular would lose their minds and charge at any human they saw.

Thud-

I dodged its front paw. It missed me by a hair’s breadth, creating a small crater in the ground just a step away. The monster I was currently facing, the Ash Bear, was enormously large. Bears I’d seen in photos before being possessed were just fluffy gym balls, but this—I’d freeze to death before finding words to describe the pressure emanating from that bulk. It was like watching a small hill move on its own.

“Damn bear cub.”

The Ash Bear wasn’t just big; it was fast too. Its swinging arms were devastating the surroundings like siege hammers. Looking closely, it was different from bears I’d seen in photos. No bear I knew had such abnormally long front legs or Mount Baekdu-sized pectoral muscles. The Ash Bear briefly glared at me while catching its breath, then charged toward me, knocking down trees in its path.

Kwaaaarrrng-!!

Rolling sideways would likely get me caught by those front legs, and retreating wasn’t even an option. Jumping upward seemed risky as the bear might grab me, and I couldn’t exactly disappear by digging into the ground like a mole. The only choice left was to dive inward. As I slightly moved to the left, the Ash Bear’s right front leg spread wide, creating a space for me to slip between its limbs and body.

“B-be careful…!”

As always, Daphne Ephiphone was with me today. She had grown significantly over the past few days. She no longer panicked on the battlefield under normal circumstances. Though she still failed when trying to cast magic on monsters, the protective spells she cast on me had become quite stable. I felt the magical barrier surrounding me was quite reliable. I could probably take a hit from this damn bear if I made a mistake.

Trusting in her protective magic, I charged straight at the charging bear. I gritted my teeth and threw myself into the gap between its outstretched arm and body. The pungent smell of wild beast rushed past me. The bear’s forward momentum was too great for it to retract its arm. The bear, which had only been howling until now, growled in apparent confusion as it tried to brake suddenly.

“…Do I really have to go this far?”

For someone possessed as a hero, this was quite a pathetic situation. After rolling once with the momentum of my dive, I extended my left foot firmly to stabilize myself. My foot dug into the ground like a wedge, spraying gravel and dust into my face. I had no luxury to spit out the sand entering my mouth. I chewed the soil particles between my molars while eyeing the bear’s exposed torso.

“Hup-.”

I raised the tip of the Holy Sword and gripped it as my body instructed. My left arm balanced the sword’s center of gravity, while my right arm prepared to shoot the tip forward like an arrow. I felt something other than blood flowing from my pounding heart. Mana. Mana could be drawn out and cultivated through special breathing techniques. The hero’s body had accumulated quite a lot of mana, which was incredibly fortunate for me.

Crack.

Muscles and bones contracted, gathering strength. Before the Ash Bear could recover its stance and attack me again, I released my mana and thrust the Holy Sword with all my might. The unleashed power tore through the air as it flew toward the bear’s flank. Perhaps sensing its end, the bear roared more fiercely than ever, and my Holy Sword pierced through its hide—tougher and stronger than steel—delivering the impact directly to its heart. I didn’t stop at penetrating its body but continued to slash upward, cutting deeply into the Ash Bear’s body multiple times.

Wooooo….

With that mournful sound, the Ash Bear fell backward with a thud. I exhaled the rough breath I’d been holding back due to tension, simultaneously spitting out the dirt in my mouth. Blood flowed from the now-lifeless bear’s body, forming a small pool. My clothes and face were a mess of dirt and bear blood.

“Damn, that was tough.”

The Ash Bear was in a different league from the monsters I’d faced before. Wild boars or feral dogs were manageable even in packs, but a Level 1 danger monster was different. If I were to enter a battlefield where The Seven Calamity lurked, these creatures would pour out by the dozens or hundreds. At this point, how the “Third Calamity” was defeated remains a mystery to me.

“…Ilroy.”

With rustling footsteps, Daphne approached from behind. Her face was full of concern. I waved my hand dismissively to show I was fine, but Daphne still looked worried as she carefully placed her hand on my face and turned it slightly to examine it.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. Thanks to your protective magic, I’m not injured at all.”

Daphne kept her hand on my face and slightly raised her head. Her violet eyes—they surprise me a little each time I look into them.

“Really?”

“Yes, really. I’m perfectly fine.”

After I reassured her with a casual laugh, Daphne finally stepped back, her face turning slightly red.

“…Ilroy is strong.”

Daphne murmured, turning her gaze toward the Ash Bear’s corpse behind me. I followed her eyes to look at the fallen bear and shook my head.

“Strong? I barely managed to take down just one bear.”

“But you don’t have a single scratch. Even in the entire kingdom, you could count on one hand the people who could defeat an Ash Bear alone without taking a single hit.”

Daphne was awkwardly trying to comfort me. More than the comfort itself, I was glad that she had become relaxed enough to offer encouragement during combat. I sheathed the Holy Sword and cracked my neck from side to side.

“I was lucky when I defeated the ‘Third Calamity.’ There’s no guarantee it’ll happen again, so I’m struggling however I can right now.”

Yes, in the original story, everyone in the party was inadequate when they defeated the “Third Calamity.” Aryen Elmione was weak, George Gunther too, and Isis Blume as well, not to mention that magician who’s currently on leave. Ilroy goes without saying. As a result, thousands died when they brought down the Calamity. At the mention of the “Third Calamity,” a shadow fell across Daphne’s face.

“…Why are they called Calamities?”

The seven threats that would destroy the world. Seven threats that have existed since mythical times. Defeating them was humanity’s long-standing aspiration and challenge. The First and Second Calamities were defeated in the past by kings and heroes with tremendous sacrifice. The Third Calamity was also defeated by an inadequate hero with an equal number of casualties.

“I wonder about that too.”

I bitterly agreed. Thinking about the might of the remaining Calamities as described in the original story, I realized even more that I couldn’t afford to just sit around like this. I sighed and looked up. In just a few days, the days had grown longer. Perhaps I had a bit more time. I approached a tree trunk knocked down by the Ash Bear and sat on it. Daphne came over and sat beside me.

“What was the Third Calamity like?”

Daphne, who had been sitting quietly for a while, asked.

“…The Kraken. You know? It was an enormous octopus. So large that sailing ships looked like toys in comparison. Anyone prone to seasickness probably couldn’t even get close to it.”

I answered, but since I had never actually fought the Third Calamity, I couldn’t provide any detailed experiences. I roughly sorted through information from the original story, avoiding specific details and being vague. As I continued to evade the topic, I caught Daphne’s steady gaze and swallowed dryly. Oh no, was I acting too suspiciously?

“…I’m sorry for bringing up painful memories.”

Oh. That’s not it.

Daphne was biting her lip, genuinely apologetic. She seemed to have interpreted my lack of detailed storytelling as reluctance to recall those events. When I didn’t respond out of confusion, Daphne’s expression became even more dejected.

“I… should have thought more before speaking.”

Her voice became small. Though I felt sorry for Daphne, I hoped she would just accept it and move on. It felt odd to add unnecessary explanations, and it was strange to keep talking about events I had never experienced.

“It’s okay. I don’t mind it that much anymore.”

Daphne nodded timidly at my response, and an awkward silence followed. Though Daphne was generally quiet, I had never found it uncomfortable being with her, but now I became conscious of this silence because of our recent conversation. I looked around, trying to think of something to say.

“By the way, your magic has really stabilized. When I first received it, it was constantly trembling.”

As the topic changed, Daphne’s expression brightened.

“It’s thanks to you, Ilroy. Until now, whenever I tried to cast support magic on someone else, I kept failing, but when fighting with you, I can focus solely on you…”

Daphne, who had been uncharacteristically pouring out words with excitement, suddenly closed her mouth and hung her head. Worried about what was wrong this time, I approached her, but Daphne quickly moved away from me. Her face, visible beneath her light pink hair that had parted like a curtain, was the same color as her hair.

“B-by the way, why doesn’t Ilroy use aura?”

“Aura?”

Daphne nodded.

“Other skilled individuals with mana control like Ilroy mostly use aura, but even when facing the Ash Bear today, you didn’t seem to use it.”

“Ah… aura.”

I chuckled dryly and looked down at my waist. The pure white Holy Sword hung there from tip to hilt. Aura, huh? I could probably form it with another sword. I had enough mana and knew how to handle it. Well, it’s a meaningless assumption anyway.

“It’s not that I don’t form an aura; it’s that I can’t.”

“What…? Is there something wrong with your health…?”

“It’s not a problem with me that prevents me from using aura; it’s a problem with this guy.”

I tapped the hilt of the Holy Sword as I spoke.

“You can’t overlay aura onto the Holy Sword. Not even the most skilled swordsman can.”

It’s a sword that chooses its master. Naturally, the sword has its own consciousness, and it’s as ancient as it is powerful. Just as I can’t overlay aura onto someone else’s arm, there’s no way I could overlay aura onto the Holy Sword, which has formed its own consciousness.

“Then…”

Daphne’s eyes seemed to ask why I would use a sword that couldn’t be enhanced with aura. I drew the Holy Sword and placed it across my knees. No one knows what materials were used in the brilliantly white blade of the Holy Sword. Its appearance was far from ornate. Apart from its pure white blade, it looked like an ordinary sword in every other respect.

“You’ll find out the reason later.”

I murmured, stroking the hilt of the Holy Sword. It felt cool to the touch.

The Holy Sword is powerful. That’s certain. Even without aura enhancement, it can easily pierce through an Ash Bear’s hide and also channels mana to strengthen its user. But the true power of the Holy Sword doesn’t stop at that level.

‘I wonder when it will awaken.’

I hope all this rough tumbling I’m doing isn’t in vain. I sighed as I resheathed the Holy Sword.

==

“Yes, you may enter.”

Somehow, I managed to get through today safely too. As Daphne’s magic gradually stabilized and I became more accustomed to combat, the number of monsters we could take down in each outing increased. Of course, Daphne hadn’t completely returned to normal yet, and I had my own concerns, so I couldn’t be too optimistic.

‘…I need to work harder.’

“Good work today.”

“You too, Ilroy.”

Daphne and I exchanged exhausted greetings. I wished that satisfaction would become a larger component of the expression on her face. With that modest hope, I was about to move when I sensed someone approaching us.

“That’s…”

My eyes widened as I identified the source. A middle-aged man in black priestly robes was approaching, waving his hand from a distance. While Daphne beside me tilted her head slightly in confusion, I quietly clicked my tongue.

“Well, Hero. So this is where you were.”

There were only two clergymen a hero would know. It couldn’t be the monarch of the Holy Nation, the Pope of the Blue Orthodox Church, so it had to be the other one.

“It’s been quite a while since we last met, hasn’t it?”

Bishop Andre Zabine. The man who sent Isis to the hero’s party. I frowned sourly as I met the bishop’s narrow eyes.