episode_0012
by fnovelpiaThe path to the open field.
Ermé stood there, her face drained of energy.
“Huh? Where are you headed now?”
“Going out to train.”
“Train? Then you must be heading to the Adventurer’s Guild. Why not come with me? I was just about to go stretch my legs too.”
Ermé’s face brightened at my words as she spoke.
But does the Adventurer’s Guild even have a training ground?
“……Ah, I forgot to explain. Should I tell you on the way?”
“Sure.”
Ermé stuck close to my side and began talking.
She had just been in the labyrinth, handling various tasks, but she smelled nice—as if she’d sprayed perfume.
With a soft smile, she stood beside me.
Her mannerisms were no different from a fox’s.
“First, let me explain about the Adventurer’s Guild. The Adventurer’s Guild… was originally a massive profit-driven organization formed by clans banding together.”
In the early days of the labyrinth.
There were those who sought to explore it. But the Empire and the Kingdom were already locked in territorial disputes over it.
“So, they formed a guild to stand against them.”
It was a foolish notion, really.
Because adventurers were usually those who couldn’t become knights.
Things are a bit different now, but that was the perception back then.
“So, the higher-ups were pretty furious, I hear.”
It was only natural.
They had always seen adventurers as disposable soldiers for emergencies. But as adventurers delved into the labyrinth, they grew rapidly stronger.
“At some point, they became strong enough to wipe out an entire kingdom.”
That was the beginning of the Adventurer’s Guild.
An event significant enough to draw the attention of both the Empire and other kingdoms.
It also marked the turning point in how adventurers were perceived.
“The Empire and the kingdoms joined hands and struck a deal. In exchange for learning their techniques and secrets to strength, they allowed the Adventurer’s Guild to enter the labyrinth.”
That’s how the Adventurer’s Guild became what it is today.
Maybe that’s why.
I always thought the guild was unusually large.
‘Did they build it so big to rival the Empire and the kingdoms?’
There might be other reasons too.
Lost in thought, I arrived at the Adventurer’s Guild.
“Ah, the loot distribution is all done, but what should we do about it?”
“You can give Teresa an extra 5%.”
“Huh?”
“Earlier, she helped carry the bag when I said it was too heavy.”
“Ah, the one with the corpses.”
Ermé trailed off, then turned her back to look at me.
Her crimson eyes gleamed mischievously.
“But are you really okay with leaving everything to me?”
“Hm?”
“Normally, you’d want to inspect everything yourself. Aren’t you trusting me a little too much?”
Ermé giggled as she asked.
I already knew she wouldn’t do anything.
‘She’s just that kind of person to begin with.’
Since my friend had talked about her nonstop.
Even if she did betray me, there was nothing I could do.
‘If she betrays me, I’ll just stab her in the back later.’
With that mindset, I trusted her completely.
But.
Saying all that out loud felt a bit much.
Instead of that—
“I trust you.”
“Ehk…!”
Wouldn’t those words leave a deeper impression?
Just as I thought that, Ermé suddenly turned her head and pointed to the side.
“The training ground is that way. I have other things to do, so I’ll leave first.”
“Alright.”
For some reason, I just went along with what Ermé said.
‘Why is she so shy all of a sudden?’
Her ears were red to the tips as she ducked her head.
As I walked toward the training ground, Lissiel appeared beside me.
-This place… has a lot of strong people.
Is that so?
-I’d heard humans were strong, but not to this extent. Most of them are stronger than even elves.
Lissiel chattered away.
-But you, is there any chance my identity might be exposed?
Hard to say.
In this world, people possess powers in the form of Gifts.
In a world like this, it wouldn’t be strange if someone had a Gift that allowed them to see Lissiel.
After all.
‘Stealing souls, stealing obsessions…’
There’s even a Gift like Absolute Theft (S).
But this Gift is really weird.
‘Of all things to steal, why this…?’
No, it’s fine.
In the end, it wasn’t such a bad thing.
-Hey, you. Ignoring me is going too far, don’t you think?
If I talk here, I’ll just look insane, so of course.
As I listened to Lissiel, I spotted what looked like the training ground.
“Hoh? A new face, I see.”
At what appeared to be the reception desk sat an old man.
‘…What kind of physique is that?’
It was monstrous.
Even sitting down, he exuded an overwhelming presence.
His entire body was packed with muscle, and the thickness of his arms seemed larger than Ermé’s waist.
-A terrifyingly strong opponent. Even if I were in my prime, I might have to stake my life on this fight.
“What’s your business, kid?”
The old man grinned as he looked at me.
His eyes were sharp.
To put it nicely, that is.
To put it another way—
‘He seems kind of dangerous.’
The kind of aura that made it seem like he wouldn’t bat an eye at killing a few people.
Maybe others sensed it too. People around us whispered as they watched.
“What’s that old man doing at the training ground reception?”
“Hilda must be off today. But that newbie’s unlucky to show up now.”
“Look at him, black hair and black eyes… Isn’t that the ‘Ear-Slayer’?”
“Ear-Slayer?”
“The scavengers say he’s insanely good at killing elves.”
At the last remark, everyone looked at me with interest, wariness, and curiosity.
‘…Did things work out?’
Judging by the reactions, it seemed like those guys had done me a favor.
“Ah, judging by your looks, you must be that famous guy?”
“Famous?”
“Yeah, heard there was some lunatic who flaunted his aura on his first day at the guild, evaluating the strong ones. Came to check it out myself.”
The old man hummed, sizing me up with an appraising gaze.
His eyes sparkled, like he’d stumbled upon a gem while walking.
“Quite the catch we got here.”
“……”
A catch, huh?
Since I had my Fatal Constitution turned off, it’d be hard to judge that.
‘Is there a Gift that lets you see others’ Gifts?’
Or maybe he was just probing.
Under that gaze, the old man suddenly chuckled and stood up.
…It felt like a giant had risen.
‘He’s over 2 meters tall, isn’t he?’
The old man looked down at me and spoke.
“Kid. You seem decent enough, so I’ll teach you a thing or two.”
“……”
“W-Wait, the Sword King is offering to teach someone?”
“That kid’s lucky. I’m jealous.”
I looked at the old man.
He seemed like a truly formidable figure.
The reactions around us changed drastically at his words.
‘An opportunity.’
A chance to grow stronger.
I’d have to struggle, but in other words, if I could endure it—
‘That experience.’
I could already feel the dopamine rush of growth.
I accepted the old man’s offer.
“Good. Then let’s head inside.”
The old man smiled in satisfaction and led me deeper into the training ground.
But the reactions around me were strange.
At the entrance, people had looked envious, but now—
“How’d he end up in that crazy old man’s hands…?”
“Say what you will about him, but his reputation is no joke…”
“Well, it’s true that anyone who survives his training comes out stronger.”
A man chuckled.
Our eyes met. He didn’t do anything else, just quietly made a gesture as if praying for my soul.
…What’s this?
Only then did I sense something off.
Normally, people train hard to get stronger, right? So why were they reacting like this…?
“We’re here.”
The old man led me to a spacious area.
A ring-like space with ropes around the edges, like a boxing arena.
‘But those ropes are unusually long.’
If normal arena ropes were meant to keep spectators out,
these seemed more like they were meant to trap someone inside.
“Step in.”
The old man grinned at me.
How could a person’s smile be so ominous?
‘Did I step into something bad?’
But running away wasn’t an option.
I wasn’t the type to care about that and flee, but—
I doubted I could escape from this man.
I crawled into the arena.
“A man slinking in like a woman? I don’t like it.”
“……”
“Whatever.”
The old man reached toward one of the walls.
Then—
Whoosh!
A wooden greatsword flew into his hand as if summoned.
Some kind of power.
But what caught my eye more was—
‘How big is that sword?’
It looked taller than me.
A massive greatsword, no exaggeration, as if it could lift me whole.
“What happens here stays here.”
Now that I thought about it, there wasn’t a single other person around.
The only gaze I felt was the old man’s.
“So, show me everything you’ve got.”
The old man spoke as if he could handle anything I threw at him.
‘Do I even have that?’
I thought about it.
But the truth was, I didn’t know the extent of my own strength.
I drew Bloody Dagger and Whisper of the Wind.
“Dual-wielding, huh? Most who use two swords are trash.”
“I never learned properly.”
“Hah, fine. Show me what you’ve got.”
The old man’s eyes cooled slightly. I immediately activated Fatal Constitution.
“Oh?”
The old man’s eyes began to gleam.
Brighter and brighter.
Like a gamer who’d finished all their favorite games only to hear a sequel was announced.
‘…Is dual-wielding that rare?’
Thinking that, I studied my opponent.
Now, I could see him more clearly. Where to strike for a fatal blow.
‘…Just the heart, neck, and face.’
In other words, he was so well-trained.
That alone spoke volumes about his strength.
“Ready?”
“……”
I stared at the old man.
I could see his weak points, but—
“Ah, right. Forgot to introduce myself.”
“Introduce yourself?”
“Yeah. My name is Vulcan.”
“Han Yuseong.”
“Brat’s got a short tongue. Whatever. Come at me.”
Vulcan wiggled his fingers at me.
But I couldn’t move.
Cold sweat dripped down my back.
‘What is this?’
Even if I charged, I’d just lose.
It felt like facing an insurmountable wall.
‘Lissiel wasn’t this strong.’
But I couldn’t just stand here forever.
I rushed at Vulcan.
The crimson arc of Bloody Dagger.
The emerald arc of Whisper of the Wind.
As Han Yuseong swung both swords, their trajectories aimed straight for Vulcan.
‘Hmm, thought this’d just be a warm-up.’
Vulcan suppressed a laugh.
From the start, it was like this.
The moment the fight began, the kid’s razor-sharp reflexes made his heart race for the first time in ages.
‘Like a pufferfish or something?’
His entire demeanor changed.
So, Vulcan had been excited.
But the kid’s movements fell short of expectations.
‘Strange.’
It felt like he’d learned something but hadn’t mastered it.
Most of his movements were beast-like.
‘But.’
After clashing blades a few times,
his swordsmanship began to change. It grew more refined with each swing.
‘What the hell is this kid?’
Swordsmen could recognize a school of swordsmanship just by crossing blades.
After all, schools were things swordsmen spent their entire lives creating and refining.
So, Vulcan could tell what he was using.
‘…This is those pointy-eared bastards’ swordsmanship.’
There was no way the elves would leak their techniques.
And they’d never teach a human.
The decisive factor was that the kid didn’t seem like he’d been formally trained. He swung his swords on instinct.
Which meant—
‘This brat stole the elves’ swordsmanship.’
Vulcan’s grin stretched ear to ear.
Even he found their swordsmanship inscrutable. It incorporated the elves’ unique traits into their blade work.
That’s why, even among humans who stole others’ techniques,
none had ever managed to replicate the elves’ swordsmanship.
He’d thought it was an insurmountable racial gap.
Until he met this kid.
Vulcan adjusted his stance.
This had started as a light diversion.
But now, it couldn’t stay that way.
‘Show me.’
Kid.
I’ll take everything you’ve got. Just as Vulcan’s anticipation peaked—
Han Yuseong raised both hands.
“I surrender.”
“……What?”
“I think I’m still worn out from the labyrinth today.”
“…….”
“I’ll take my leave now.”
Vulcan could only watch, dumbfounded, as Han Yuseong scurried away.
[Encounter Quest]
You have encountered the Sword King, Vulcan.
Find a way to either capture his interest or make him lose it entirely.
Reward: ???
Failure: No penalty.
‘That was close.’
For a second, I thought I wouldn’t get the reward.
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