episode_0002

After my declaration of selling them, the swords that had been pouring out words without a break fell silent in an instant.

Whether they had received a considerable shock or not, no one responded in any way.

Did I go too far?

Just when I thought that, they all started to rampage, saying that their personalities wouldn’t stand for it.

“Hah! Are you trying to sell me, the noble Holy Sword? Did you hurt your head somewhere while I wasn’t looking?”

“Unbelievable! Are you saying that the one who boasts of being the strongest sword in the world is not needed?”

“Master, saying that you want to sell me is a reckless statement that cannot be taken lightly. If you sincerely apologize now, I will forgive it as if I didn’t hear it.”

“How can you even think of selling us! I hate you, brother!”

“I thought there might come a day like this, but I didn’t expect you to be such a stupid brother to actually say such words. Even the last ounce of arrogance has fallen away.”

“Selling us? Your power…?”

As expected, the swords went wild, pouring out all kinds of insults and curses at me.

I had wondered what would happen if they cried and begged me not to abandon them, but I shrugged it off.

They were shameless swords that shattered even the slightest glimmer of hope.

Thanks to them, I felt like I could leave them behind without any regrets.

“There’s no turning back. I plan to sell everyone without exception, so keep that in mind!”

“…Lian, are you serious?”

“Do I look like I’m joking around with you guys? All kinds of harsh words are pouring out, so why would I lie?”

“Will we never be satisfied with any other sword but you?”

“Have you ever heard of the Sword-Saint Unity? My body is the sword itself now, so I don’t need you anymore.”

“No matter what, there must be limits to what a broken human body can do, right?”

“I finished the verification by fighting the demons alone the day before. Even without a sword, I can handle the sword energy, so I’ve said all I need to say.”

“Even so, there’s no need to sell the Eccl, right?”

“What exactly are you guys unsatisfied with? Is it because of our childish antics? If that’s the case, it’s disappointing. It means that our brother is such a narrow-minded person that he would sell us because of a child’s tantrum.”

“This is ridiculous. I can understand if it’s just a day or two of tantrums. But 365 days! Non-stop nagging alarms, lullabies, and complaints? That’s not a tantrum, it’s a challenge to test my patience!”

“A challenge…? Can I gain strength if I win…?”

“Ah, damn it!”

I pounded my chest with my fist, expressing my frustration.

I couldn’t live with the swords anymore, as they were doing things even demons wouldn’t do.

I’d rather use the male organ attached to my lower body as a sword.

“I have my limits too! You crazy swords!”

Venting my anger, I thoroughly ignored them and went to the Tongs Trading Post, where I used to frequent.

I consulted with the head merchant about putting the swords I had cherished up for auction.

Although the head merchant of Tongs Trading Post expressed concern, my mind was made up.

After going through all the formalities, I was now facing the time to bid farewell to the swords.

“Phew…! Upon calm reflection, it was a rare piece of good news to be able to part ways with such a fickle man. When I return to the Holy Kingdom, there will be much better heroes waiting for me.”

“I hope your judgment improves. Don’t accept bastards like before as heroes, choose someone decent.”

“What did you say!”

Alaina convulsed at my sincere words.

However, the Holy Sword had already left my hands and was being moved to the auction house.

I had considered sprinkling salt on the Holy Sword, but I gave up because it might seem strange to others.

There are a lot of swords that need to be sent off in the future.

“Master, you will regret this decision.”

“Why would I?”

“Because you sold the strongest sword in history! Even if you come back crying and begging, I will never forgive you, so be prepared!”

“Is that so? I’ll be sure to keep that in mind.”

“Profit!”

Seeing a mocking smile, Skaha also flared up like Alaina.

However, there was no need to fear the retaliation of a sword that couldn’t move on its own.

Without erasing his smile until the end, he waved his hand and sent off the Dragon Slayer Sword as well.

“Master… No, should I call you the former master now? Thank you for everything.”

“Your farewells seem cleaner than the others?”

“Well, even if the master changes, I can still end up on a battlefield overflowing with blood. Your gentle touch was nice, but it’s worthless compared to my purpose.”

“Alright, farewell.”

The insane Greatsword, who always wanted war, slaughter, and a festival of blood, finally disappeared.

Just knowing that fact made my mind feel refreshingly clear.

This is happiness, and sex.

“Hmph!”

“Why are you like this again?”

“Sister said she doesn’t want to talk to you at all.”

“Well, I can’t help it then.”

“Hmph! Ickle will definitely meet a master who will play with her much better than you and live happily!”

“You said you wouldn’t talk to me…?”

“It’s common for sister to change her mind, right? After all, you have no interest in us, so it’s natural for you to react like that.”

“By the way, you don’t call me ‘uncle’ anymore?”

“Do you want to be called that after betraying us? It’s not just a matter of conscience, it’s non-existent.”

“Alright, that was my mistake. It was nice meeting you, let’s not see each other again.”

The noisy but cute twin daggers, Ickle and Lips.

It wasn’t that I had no interest in them.

It’s just that my fighting style didn’t match the dual blades, so I didn’t use them often.

Still, I diligently maintained and cleaned them.

I could send them off coolly because I didn’t remember their kindness, but at the same time, I felt a bit sad.

“Grislas, you’re the only one left now.”

“……”

“Do you have anything to say to me?”

“Umm…?”

“…Just go.”

Unlike the other swords, Grislas was a greatsword that didn’t complain, but had no sense of tact.

Every time I saw a sword asking if it could absorb power from me regardless of time and place, it felt like chewing food without swallowing.

Still, even if I ate quickly in the future, I wouldn’t choke as much.

With Grislas being taken away by the auction house staff, I was finally completely freed from the tiresome swords.

“Lian, the auction registration is complete. Please accept this.”

“What’s this?”

“Since the swords you registered this time are so famous, I have estimated the profits roughly on this statement.”

The paper handed to me by the auction house had countless ‘0’s written on it.

An astronomical amount, even if all the money I earned from selling swords so far was combined, it was much less than the amount I would earn this time.

Enough to build a mansion and live without doing anything for three generations.

However, although I had the talent to handle swords, I didn’t have the ability to manage assets.

“I’ll only take a portion of the auction money and leave the rest to your company.”

“I-Is that really true?”

“Yes, if you promise to maintain 80% of the principal, you can use it as the company’s investment.”

“I promise to maintain 80%! Thank you so much!”

“It’s fine, consider it a reward for the trust you’ve shown me so far.”

I patted the auction house manager’s shoulder and turned away, asking for his understanding.

Money is money, but I wanted to savor the joy of having taken care of all those swords that were trying to kill me.

“Um, now that you’ve become a big shot, what are your plans for the future?”

Despite the interference from the busybody behind me, I could afford to be generous.

I was in a very good mood right now.

“I plan to live quietly for a few years with the money I’ve earned this time. I’ve seen everything the world has to offer, so now it’s time for me to take a break, don’t you think?”

“I see.”

“So, take care of my money well!”

With those words, I left for a remote land where there were no people and lived a carefree life.

***

Eight years have passed since then.

By now, rumors of my death circulating in the world wouldn’t be surprising.

But I, far from being dead, am living peaceful and healthy days in a foreign land where not even footprints can be seen.

Except for the top brass of the Tongus Merchant Guild, no one knows where I live, so no guests come looking for me.

I believed that I would continue to live peacefully in complete isolation from the world.

“I should have stayed that way…”

The broken furniture scattered around, the floor and walls covered with sword marks, and bodies piled up in layers everywhere.

In front of me, a man was kneeling, trembling.

Sitting on a tilted table, I looked down at him.

“Why do the assassins know my hiding place?”

“Ugh…!”

“You really won’t tell me? Then you’ll end up like the piece of meat next to you, all chopped up and unrecognizable.”

He pointed to the piece of meat, which used to be his friend.

It had been torn apart and minced like meat, making it unrecognizable.

Witnessing the horrific sight of his friend, the man trembled in fear and finally opened his mouth.

“The, the information came from the top brass of the Tongus Merchant Guild!”

“So, my friend sold my information? That’s quite unexpected.”

“I heard that the Tongus Merchant Guild got involved in salt trading with the Eastern Kingdom and lost all their ships, leading to their downfall. The top brass had to flee with whatever was left of their wealth, and your information was probably sold to cover their expenses…”

“Ah, I see.”

As soon as I heard the man’s words, I could picture in my mind what had happened.

The top brass had cleanly swindled my investment fund, leaving with the remaining money, and then sold my information to various people.

In essence, they had requested a contract killing.

“Wow, in the old days, I wouldn’t have even dared to imagine doing such things. It seems like I’ve aged a lot. Do I look like a toothless tiger now?”

The man in front of me vigorously shook his head in denial.

It was a natural reaction.

Having single-handedly killed over 50 assassins, I didn’t appear weak at all.

At the man’s straightforward response, I smirked.

“In fact, even if the top brass ran off with my money, I still have plenty of it. I haven’t spent much money living abroad. I’m not in dire straits, so I don’t need to chase after the top brass to get my money back. But, you see…”

Crack!

I crushed the table I was holding with my strength.

Standing up and dusting off my buttocks, I approached the man and placed my right hand on his forehead.

“I trusted you to the end, but you betrayed me and ran away. That really pisses me off.”

If the top brass had honestly admitted their failure, I would have stopped at a few punches.

But he had resorted to treachery, even revealing my whereabouts to those who were after my life, forcing me to end my life in hiding.

After experiencing such betrayal, was I supposed to forgive the top brass and find a new hiding place?

I’d rather bite my tongue and die than reveal information I don’t know.

“Oh, by the way! Thanks for spilling all that information I didn’t know!”

I grabbed the man’s hair tightly, as if pulling a sword out of its sheath, and yanked his head out.

Throwing his head, which was attached all the way to the spine, into the corner of the room, I slammed the door shut and stepped outside.

As I left the house filled with the smell of blood, the fresh and cool air welcomed me.

It was very refreshing, but the feeling of dirtiness didn’t seem to go away.

“Has it been 8 years……”

Selling off my swords and going into hiding for about 8 years.

I stepped out into the world once again.