episode_0092

“What’s this?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“It’s a letter. There are quite a few. They all seem like women’s names. It’s a lot, isn’t it? It’s a lot…”

Tran Silvia turns her head, clicking her tongue in annoyance.

Ignoring the sarcastic remarks, she starts tearing open the letters one by one.

Starting with Cornelia’s letter.

“10 of them?”

Just 2 weeks and already 10 letters.

She seems to understand the reason for Tei’s extreme fatigue.

She unfolds them one by one in chronological order.

– Regular report. The Saint has already had two consultations with legal advice. I found out this time that the Saint knows a lot of things about you that are wrong. She thinks you can’t handle a sword well and that you don’t even go to dungeons at all? She seems to be quite sharp about your personality… It’s strange. I’ll contact you again.

– Regular report. The Saint is considering having the Holy Knights search for you. Of course, I tried to stop her from using the Saint’s power unfairly… I’m worried that she might do something unexpected at any moment. I’ll contact you again.

The early letters are all about business.

But…

– Regular report. Actually, it’s a lie. There’s no new information to update, but… I just wrote a letter out of boredom. I miss you.

– Eugene. I feel like I’ll forget your face. I know you’re busy, but can you stop by König when you have time? I miss you.

As time passes, the letters start to lose their flavor.

She should visit König when she has time.

And take a bunch of checks with her.

Next is Alicia.

– 11th. Fox is suspicious of the situation in Elvengard. The likelihood of choosing to go to Elvengard is high.

– 12th. Fox has decided to go to Elvengard.

– 14th. Fox…

Fox is a code name for Yerina.

It’s like being a soldier to thoroughly investigate without ever breaking the code.

Of course, it was almost useless for me to keep updating Yerina’s whereabouts without being able to confirm it right away.

Now that I can receive real-time contact from Linda, Alicia’s reconnaissance should be helpful.

Lastly, Mia.

It’s time to look at the letter from the Goddess of the World Tree.

– A new prophecy has come down.

A new prophecy.

The prophecies of the World Tree usually come down once a year.

How long has it been since another one came down already?

Is it because the situation is changing rapidly?

The prophecies of the World Tree accurately predict the future.

Knowing them could be very helpful.

“…Communication. It’s here.”

At that moment, the sound of a device next to me comes through.

Mijung hands me the handset of the wireless communication device.

In this world where wireless communication is not yet commercialized, there is only one person who uses this frequency.

I take the handset and readjust the frequency.

The buzzing noise turns into a clear voice.

“Ah. Can you hear me?”

“I can. Go ahead, Linda.”

There seems to be a slight mechanical sound in Linda’s voice, but the sound quality is excellent.

No, was Linda’s voice always mixed with a mechanical sound…?

In any case, the sound quality is perfect for communication without any hindrance.

“I contacted you because a letter just arrived here. It’s from the Saint of Elvengard.”

“What does it say? Read me the details.”

“A new prophecy has come down again. I can’t tell you the details, but it’s quite serious, so please come as soon as possible.”

Another prophecy in such a short time…

And this time, with the added explanation that it’s quite serious.

Considering Mia’s no-nonsense personality, it seems like a really alarming prophecy has come down.

The future that the prophecy points to may be tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. It’s best to hear it as early as possible.

With two prophecies stacked up, there’s no more time to delay.

“I have something to do in Elvengard.”

“Elvengard. It’s a place with abundant mana, perfect for practicing swordsmanship. If it’s urgent, head to Elvengard first. You can always teach the basics after resolving the issue.”

“That’s true… But hey, are you okay with going to Elvengard?”

“Why all of a sudden? Ah…”

Tran Silvia tilted her head, then suddenly realized and smiled.

“I guess I need to change my outfit.”

Tran Silvia had a history of committing murder in Elvengard.

***

“Your outfit is too flashy.”

“What’s wrong with it?”

“Anyone can tell you look like a character from a martial arts novel. Try wearing this.”

“…That’s my… clothes.”

Inside the running carriage.

Tran Silvia caught the flying clothes and unfolded them.

The color combination was truly tacky for a hoodie.

She didn’t like it, but she had no choice.

The clothes she was wearing now accentuated her pale complexion.

If she entered Elvengard like this, she would be caught immediately.

Tran Silvia silently took off her original clothes and put on the hoodie.

While changing, Yu Jin, who had been talking to Mi Jeong, turned around and nodded approvingly.

“It fits you perfectly. Try wearing the hoodie too.”

“Ugh… I guess I need to let my hair down.”

As she tried to put on the hoodie, her tied-up hair stuck out awkwardly at the back of her head.

Tran Silvia untied the hairband and let her long silver hair flow down.

Yu Jin’s eyes widened at the long silver hair that reached her hips.

“Shouldn’t you just cut it off?”

“Hey! I said I’m a noblewoman! How could I cut off these precious locks of hair!”

“Well… Were you from the North?”

“Yeah. My name was originally in the Northern style, but I’ve long forgotten it. Tran Silvia is a name given by people, but I haven’t found a better one to use yet.”

The North corresponds to the East in Earth terms.

It seemed like her outfit and appearance were reminiscent of an Easterner.

Yu Jin felt a slight sense of camaraderie with Tran Silvia, especially in the need to hide their origins and adapt to a foreign land.

“Besides, since vampires are already dead, once you cut the hair, it won’t grow back. You can cut it anytime, but you can’t undo it, so be careful.”

“W-what… It won’t… grow back?”

Mi Jeong’s mouth hung open.

She touched her short hair, which had stiffened.

Yu Jin looked at Mi Jeong, sat her between her legs, and stroked her hair.

“Short hair is better. It’s easier to wash.”

“You guys talk too much, you ungrateful children.”

How can one be filial to already deceased parents?

Mi Jeong had that question, but she decided not to voice it out.

After living for hundreds of years, her stubbornness must have grown equally strong.

Speaking out would only hurt her pride.

“Ah… The world has changed a lot. In my time, even if vampires had some reason left and pulled out their fangs, they weren’t just simple targets for extermination. Now they’ve become pets.”

“P-pets… No.”

“Then what are they?”

“…Companions.”

“What’s that?”

The world is truly coming to an end.

Tran Silvia shook her head, tucking her hair inside the hoodie.

There was still plenty of time before reaching Elvengard.

Yu-jin closed her eyes as if trying to take a short nap, soon starting to breathe comfortably.

It seemed like she was trying to rest, but Yu-jin was actually on guard even while sleeping.

The vampire girl opened her eyes wide and continued to stare at Tran Silvia.

“There are no openings.”

Of course, there were no openings in the story of the vampire girl.

It was the story of Yu-jin, who appeared to be sleeping peacefully.

She might seem to be sleeping normally, but it was not the case in Tran Silvia’s eyes.

Yu-jin never let go of the tension even while sleeping.

Just raising a hand to the sword would make Yu-jin open her eyes in an instant.

“Indeed, he is a talentless fool.”

She had only seen a brief moment of this race’s swordsmanship.

It was just a single move of the Dakiaryu 0th form.

But that was enough to evaluate Yu-jin’s swordsmanship.

In Tran Silvia’s eyes, who had wielded a sword tirelessly for hundreds of years.

Seeing a part was enough to see the whole.

Yu-jin was not what one would call a genius.

Unlike those born with the soul of a swordsman from the beginning.

Yu-jin had no talent for the sword at all.

None. Absolutely none.

Not even a little bit, absolutely none.

She was just someone who would excel at sitting in a boring office doing paperwork.

“It’s just a skill honed through hard work. She has nothing of her own.”

In Yu-jin’s swordsmanship, there was only a solid foundation honed through effort, not innate sharpness.

While a lazy person relying solely on talent might surpass her, someone who possessed both sharpness and solidity could not be defeated.

A genius adjusts the swordsmanship to their body.

A criminal adjusts their body to the swordsmanship.

A genius creates new swordsmanship.

A criminal learns swordsmanship and ponders how to utilize it.

Yu-jin, no matter how you looked at it, was clearly a criminal.

It was hard to imagine her creating new swordsmanship with her body and talent.

If she poured hundreds of years of effort into surpassing her lack of talent, who knows.

It might be impossible for someone of this race to adjust their body to the swordsmanship.

“But what if she makes it her own?”

Dakiaryu is originally an unfinished swordsmanship.

It was born from the fingertips of a genius long ago.

It even bloomed into the flower of martial arts through Tran Silvia’s hands, but now it remains unfinished, unused, and forgotten by anyone.

The existing swordsmanship has been perfected through the hands of many swordsmen.

There are no shaky parts or contradictions, it is perfect.

Fitting oneself into that swordsmanship is almost an impossible story.

But if it’s the Dakiaryu, which is full of gaps and uncertainties due to being unfinished.

If there is room to fit and amend by filling in the gaps.

Maybe that criminal could catch up to the genius’s footsteps.

Just like Tran Silvia herself, who reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship after hundreds of years of relentless training without talent.

Perhaps this race could also break through the barrier of talent.

With that thought, Tran Silvia felt a fleeting sensation of her long-stopped heart beating.

“I don’t know. Let’s try practicing first and then think about it.”

Of course, how pathetic that person would be would only be known once they started training.