Chapter 44: Preview

 

After returning from Shax’s dungeon, we rested in our quarters.

I decided to think about the dungeon and the future later, and I decided to do the most important thing first.

“Training, Lucius!”

“____Huh?”

I attacked Lucius’ bed from the crack of dawn.

I didn’t just wake him up, I stepped on his bed and kept kicking him with my feet.

“What are you staring blankly at? I said training!”

“Are you talking about physical training?”

“No!”

Honestly, it wouldn’t matter if the physical training was a little less.

I know that because I used Lucius’ body myself.

What Lucius needed was mental training.

“Mental strength training!”

“__Mental strength?”

“Yes. A mindset that doesn’t waver in any situation. A calmness that doesn’t waver even when the enemy is right in front of you. And…”

I lightly tapped my temple with my index finger.

“While I use your body again, don’t lose your mind and focus on me. That’s your new mission.”

“…That’s it.”

Lucius seemed to have a lot to say.

It didn’t seem like he had simply lost consciousness, but he seemed reluctant to say it out loud.

Did you see my true identity?

No.

Even if my soul had taken possession of Lucius’ body and was using his, it wouldn’t make sense for Lucius to have seen my true identity all this time.

It was impossible to begin with.

Just because you’re using the same body doesn’t mean you can’t see another person’s soul or memories.

If we had experienced it together, then maybe not.

Or.

“Is it because you feel wronged that you don’t remember everything I’ve done with you? Huh?”

“__Master.”

“Yes, that’s true. It’s really unfortunate that you didn’t get to see my splendid swordsmanship skills. Hmm. Shall I show you one more time?”

“Ha, one more time?”

Lucius slowly began to react.

“Yes. As long as my body is safe, I can use this often without much trouble.”

“Isn’t this a technique that uses a lot of life force?”

To say that mana is life force.

That means that Lucius knows how precious mana is to me.

“You are amazing, Lucius. But my lifespan is not important. What is important is how much strength and skill you can acquire with your body.”

If I can raise Lucius, defeat Zephyr, and regain my body, then even if this body’s lifespan ends, it doesn’t matter.

 

“So Lucius, wake up soon. Today, after light mental training, we have to go to the Adventurer’s Guild.”

“Today?”

“Yes. Now that we’ve met all the achievements, shouldn’t we play in the big waters?”

E-class was such a trivial place.

“Starting today, we’re also D-class.”

“D-class.”

“Let me make one thing clear. This D-class has nothing to do with the Holy Sword.”

That was clear. I pressed Lucius’s spleen with my big toe.

“These achievements are purely your achievements that you’ve built up with your swordsmanship, the hunting skills you’ve built up while living as a hunter in the village. Even without my help, you would’ve become a D-class adventurer.”

Even if there was a time difference, with Lucius’s skills, he could quickly go from D to C.

“You probably think that your achievements are thanks to the power of the Holy Sword. But no. You became a D-class on your own. So…”

Bang.

I lightly tapped Lucius’s side with the top of my foot.

“Congratulations on your promotion in advance, Lucius.”

“Thank you, Master.”

“Aren’t you grateful? Even so, thanks to me, you got promoted in a week instead of three? Hehe.”

I was the same.

“After the evaluation, since we’re here for the rest of the time, let’s eat something delicious. What do you want to eat?”

“Um…. Can’t you let Master choose?”

“Me?”

“Yes.”

Lucius didn’t seem to have any particular thoughts on the type.

“You’ve always just eaten the food we pick for you. This time, I think it would be better if you eat whatever you want, Master.”

“I’m not picky. I’ll eat anything.”

“But don’t you have a preference?”

“Um…”

I don’t really have a preference on the type of food.

I don’t really have a big appetite.

But…

I do have a preference on the type of food.

I don’t know if Lucius or Rosemath will like it, but I’m the one paying for this party anyway.

Rosemath lost all his money when he returned from the Orc village, and only received a small amount of support from his elven acquaintances.

It was impossible for Lucius, who left the village with only one holy sword, to have money.

What we earn through our adventures is not only magic stones, but also our food and lodging expenses—money.

I manage that money.

“Have I usually given them too little for food?”

It’s not enough to cut a thick steak, but I think I gave them about five silver coins a day.

“I gave them enough for food and tea time! They must have eaten well.”

“Okay. But first, I’ll discuss it with Rosemath.”

“Rosemath?”

“Then we should eat Rosemath too. Even if it’s our promotion celebration, did you plan on having Rosemath separately?”

“Oh, no. Haha…”

Aha. I think I understand why you’re so embarrassed.

“You must be scared that I’ll ask you to go to a vegetarian restaurant.”

I understand.

“Don’t worry.”

I gave Lucius a thumbs-up.

“I’ll eat beef no matter what.”

“Ah.”

Lucius’s eyes sparkled.

As expected.

The man is happy.

The Adventurer’s Guild was bustling with people since morning.

I waited in front of the guild before it opened in order to proceed with a quick screening, but more people than I expected entered the guild.

I went in, but didn’t come out.

“What could it be?”

“I don’t know.”

Rosemath had been quite gloomy since morning.

She was watching me for some reason and couldn’t open her mouth.

“If you have something to say, please tell me. If you don’t say it, no one will know?”

“Well…then.”

Rosemath took a deep breath.

She wondered if she really needed to take a deep breath.

“Does the witch… use magic at the cost of her life?”

“Huh?”

“That’s, it’s just like the mana around the witch…”

“Ah. That.”

She caught on exactly.

“It’s roughly similar. It’s hard to say the specific principle, though.”

 

“Ah…!” Rosemath pursed her lips with a shocked expression.

“T-then you’re fighting without using mana….!”

“How can a wizard fight without using mana? Spear techniques? Those all use mana. Since my body is weak, I have to compensate for all the martial arts with mana.”

Even breathing requires mana.

My body is weak.

“In that sense, if my mana runs out… um… it’s basically the same as dying.”

“Witch.”

Rosemath grabbed my hand with tearful eyes.

“I’ll do my best to make sure you don’t use mana, Witch. Just give me orders from behind, Witch.”

“Th-thank you.”

For some reason, Rosemath’s feelings changed overnight, and she began to feel quite favorable toward me.

‘It’s not that bad.’

She likes Lucius but hates me? That doesn’t make sense.

-Lucius. Master, you actually… What did you say? Master, I didn’t see it that way, so you’re disappointed.

-No, what did I do to make you do that? Rosemath, are you framing me right now?

-Gyah! I’m, I’m sorry, Master…!! I won’t do it again!

-Master-Oh, no! Lucius! This is a misunderstanding!

The people in the hero’s party like the hero, but hate the hero’s teacher?

A scenario is drawn where they betray the hero and get the hero’s teacher kicked out of the party.

‘No way. Our team is a party centered around Lucius, but I’m the one who created the party.

I won’t be kicked out by the talent I recruited.

Be respectful.

Treat me as your teacher.

Don’t try to use Lucius for your own purposes.

As long as you keep these three things in mind, I don’t care what you do with Lucius.

“Rosemath. After today’s evaluation, we’re going to have lunch. Do you not eat meat by any chance?”

“Yes, yes. I…only eat vegetables.”

“Okay. Then I’ll treat you to something delicious today. Something just for Rosemath.”

“Master?”

Lucius approached from afar.

The door to the Adventurer’s Guild opened just then, and we went right in.

Buzzing.

There were still a lot of people inside.

I wondered why there were so many people in the early morning breeze, but somehow I soon found out why.

“The branch manager is here.”

Branch manager.

The head of the Normans branch of the Adventurer’s Guild.

The man whose hair was particularly shiny headed toward the bulletin board with a black parchment.

“Black?”

Something, it seemed very ominous.

Buzzing.

As soon as the branch manager put the black parchment on the bulletin board, the adventurers began to talk one by one with worried voices.

Monsters.

Large numbers.

Attacks.

Acedia.

“Ahem. I have something to inform you all. While the Mercenary King was investigating the commotion that happened last time, he discovered an element that could pose a great threat to Normans.”

“Threat?”

“Yes.”

The branch manager raised his voice, wiping his sweat with a handkerchief.

“I have received intelligence that Acedia is preparing a large-scale monster attack targeting Normans. The number is as many as…”

“Ten thousand.”

The man whose upper body resembled a black crow smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the swarming demon beasts.

“If we take over the human city with this and hold a bloody festival, he will definitely like it.”

Scratch.

The black crow licked the red magic stone with its tongue and grinned.

“A bloody festival. A bloody banquet to celebrate his descent.”

Caw.

“In honor of the resurrection of the great demon lord Bel Pegor, I will lightly release ten thousand demon beasts into the human city and slaughter them.”

Caw.

“Ah, Bel Pegor. Are you listening? A mere crow that was nothing more than a decoration for the demon lord’s castle has now become a demon leading ten thousand demon beasts.”

Caw.

“I will please you with a feast of blood.”

“This, Mine Malphas.”