Chapter 18 : It’s quite useful .
by fnovelpia
“It’s somewhat useful, after all.”
Plop.
The sheer disappointment drained all the strength from my body.
‘…Did I just get scammed?’
I totally got scammed.
“Life…”
As I slumped down in despair, the two subordinates watching me quickly moved to support my head.
“P-Please don’t be so disappointed, my lord!”
“My lord, I will use the pendant!”
I glanced at the Death Knight.
‘…But his skills definitely include—’
“Grasp of the Dead.”
A unique Death Knight skill.
If used on the dead, it allows them to be controlled. If used on the living, it forcibly manipulates them alive—a truly terrifying ability.
And its effect?
Permanent.
‘…But this pendant?’
Not even close.
At best, it lasts a week.
And in my quarters, there was no reason to have a skill meant for manipulating corpses.
Hwarang, on the other hand, could summon his minions infinitely, making it even more useless for him.
“…Shit.”
“…!!”
“My lord, such crude language does not suit your esteemed position!”
The Death Knight gasped in alarm, urging me to maintain my dignity, while Hwarang beside him looked like he couldn’t believe his ears.
“…You really don’t need this?”
“…….”
“…….”
Both of them avoided my gaze.
So they really didn’t need it.
At least Sword Ghost happily accepted my gift.
I turned my eyes to the sword that Sword Ghost had discarded.
[Supply Sword (Rank D)]
[A mass-produced weapon used by lower-rank Sword Ghosts.]
[No special effects.]
‘So it was trash to begin with.’
Still, I felt somewhat justified in spending money.
Sword Ghost helped me the most, after all.
I didn’t mind investing this much.
Of course, that meant I wouldn’t be able to pay salaries for a while.
But that wasn’t important.
What kind of tower climber wastes their tower coins to get stronger through loopholes?
Training is what matters.
I nodded to myself, convinced.
“…Sigh.”
“My lord, I will at least wear the pendant as an ornament.”
After a long silence, the Death Knight spoke up.
Then, he put the pendant around his neck.
“…How does it look?”
“…It suits you.”
I smiled slightly.
I could tell he was trying to cheer me up.
“I will cherish this as a symbol of my bond with my lord.”
“…Yeah, thanks.”
“Yes, my lord.”
As I patted his shoulder, the Death Knight knelt on one knee and presented the pendant to me.
“Will you put it on me?”
“Yes, my lord.”
“Alright.”
I chuckled and fastened the pendant around his neck.
Whoosh!
Suddenly, something ignited within him.
The empty sockets of his eyes flared with blue flames.
“…I thought I would never serve another master again.”
“Thank you, my lord.”
“This time, I will protect you without fail.”
He truly looked like a knight, showing utmost respect.
‘…Whoa… so cool.’
I swallowed my reaction and turned to the remaining bow.
“…I’ll accept it too, my lord.”
“Really?”
“Yes. This is the first gift you’ve ever given me. I will treasure it.”
Hwarang gazed at the bow with a smile.
“The bow bestowed by my lord is too precious to even use.”
“…What? That’s ridiculous.”
“Ridiculous?”
Hwarang chuckled.
Then, just like the Death Knight, he knelt on one knee.
His traditional Korean hanbok fluttered slightly as he did.
‘…This is that Eastern aesthetic… Whoa…’
Again, I swallowed my reaction and picked up the bow—its deep green wood shimmering mysteriously.
“Take good care of it.”
“Yes, my lord.”
Hwarang took the bow, his expression one of steadfast loyalty.
[Death Knight has sworn loyalty to you!]
[Elite Hwarang of the Unified Kingdom has sworn loyalty to you!]
“…? What’s this?”
“When commanders swear loyalty, a system message appears.”
“Commanders?”
“It refers to boss-tier military-type monsters, my lord.”
The Death Knight explained patiently.
“Oh… I see.”
“That’s likely why you didn’t receive a message from Sword Ghost. She’s neither a commander nor a military-type entity.”
Now that I thought about it, there really hadn’t been any message for Sword Ghost.
So that’s how it worked.
“Alright, that’s everything. You both may return.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“I’ll come visit often.”
The Death Knight gave a respectful nod, while Hwarang grinned and said he’d stop by frequently.
“…Why visit often? Shouldn’t you be guarding your floor?”
“Are you embarrassed, my lord?”
Apparently, he had entered playful mode.
I flicked him on the forehead.
“Enough joking around. Go back to your station.”
“…Ugh… I’m going now…”
“Take care. I’ll call for you again later.”
“Yes, my lord.”
“May you be at peace.”
As the two commanders bowed, I waved at them casually.
“…It was useful, after all.”
Since they pledged loyalty, I convinced myself that the gifts weren’t a waste of money.
Then, I glanced at the last remaining item.
“…This isn’t trash too, right…?”
[Dragon God’s Sword]
A higher-tier weapon than the Dragon Slayer Sword—the one that had left me in awe when I first saw it.
My heart pounded as I alternated my gaze between the treasured sword and the room.
“…They won’t reject this, right?”
Clutching the two swords, I stood before the door of the private chamber.
Knock, knock, knock.
I gripped the handle and knocked.
From inside, Hunter Hanseong opened the door.
“…Gumiho?”
A grain of rice was stuck at the corner of his mouth.
It was funny—seeing the number one Hunter scarfing down food as if he had been starving.
Sword Ghost’s cooking was excellent.
I couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Does the food suit your taste?”
“Oh, yeah. It’s delicious.”
“That’s a relief.”
As I smiled, Hanseong stepped aside, gesturing for me to enter.
I bowed slightly.
“Excuse me…”
“…Wasn’t I the guest here?”
“O-oh, right.”
I was so nervous I started speaking nonsense.
Seeing my flustered state, Hanseong laughed.
And for some reason, that irritated me a little.
“…Is this how you treat someone bringing you a gift?”
“A gift?”
Hunter Hanseong’s face filled with curiosity.
There was no point in hiding it now that I had come all this way.
Without hesitation, I revealed the two swords I had been hiding behind my back with a flourish.
Even though I probably hadn’t managed to hide them properly—given how tall he was—Hunter Hanseong still reacted with surprise.
“This… is a gift?”
“Yeah… Do you not like it?”
I was a little worried.
Looking again, his reaction seemed somewhat indifferent.
Did he already have better swords?
He simply stared at the swords without saying a word.
Feeling nervous, I stole glances at his expression.
After a long moment of silence, Hunter Hanseong finally spoke.
“…This is really a gift?”
His voice was completely devoid of emotion—heavy and serious.
As if he were thinking:”You call this trash a gift?”
“I could slit your throat right now, you damn fox.”
I had a bad feeling.
‘…I’m screwed…!’
He seemed really upset.
I immediately thought I needed to bow my head and apologize.
“I-I’m sorry…!! If it’s not to your liking, I can take it back right awa—”
“You’re seriously giving this to me?! This top-tier sword?!”
“…?”
“Top-tier…?”
“…Are you taking it back?”
We spoke at the same time, staring at each other in confusion.
A brief silence passed.
“…Do you like it?”
“Who wouldn’t like this? I’d be shameless if I didn’t!”
Hunter Hanseong beamed and started excitedly explaining the swords.
Seeing him light up like a child over them made me feel proud.
“Look at this blade—it’s a work of art!”
“See this scale-like detail here?”
“And if I infuse my mana here—look, the blade changes to match my magic color!”
The crimson sword slowly turned a deep blue.
When I clapped in amazement, he eagerly picked up the other sword to show me more.
“Wow… the buffs on this thing are insane.”
“Is it really that good?”
“Yeah, compared to the sword I was using before, that thing feels like trash now.”
“R-Really?”
“Of course!”
Hunter Hanseong grinned, genuinely grateful.
Seeing my friend so happy with his gift made me smile too.
Of course, listening to his endless sword-related enthusiasm and trivia cost me my lunch break… but it was worth it.
***
“Phew… I’m full.”
I scraped up the last bits of my slightly cold meal.
Even though it had cooled down, Sword Ghost’s cooking was still amazing.
I patted my full belly, satisfied.
“…At least everything turned out to be useful.”
The sly grin of the wandering Merchant lingered in my mind.
And then there was my empty balance screen.
“No matter how useful those things were, this empty feeling won’t go away.”
Of course, once the next Merchant arrived and scammed me again, I’d probably get over it.
I stared blankly at the number 104 for a while.
CRASH!!!
RUMBLE!
ROOOAAARRR!!!
Of course, the sight of the Dragon God manifesting and the chilling energy filling the courtyard quickly blew away any lingering regret.
Hunter Hanseong and Sword Ghost had been hyped up ever since they got their new swords, and they had been training nonstop all day.
“Ugh…! You’re getting pretty good at this.”
Hunter Hanseong and Sword Ghost were both drenched in sweat.
But their expressions were refreshed, as if they were enjoying themselves.
I took a sip of tea while watching the dust-filled courtyard.
Seeing them use my gifts so enthusiastically made me smile.
And at that very moment.
BOOOOM!!!!
With a single strike from the Dragon God, half of my house was blown away.
Oh well.
Not my problem.
It’s not like I was going to fix it.
“How peaceful.”
I grinned as I watched the scene unfold.
Hoping that this peaceful life would continue forever.
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