episode_0101

After witnessing the secret hobbies of necromancers, I quietly returned to my bedroom.

I expected Scathach to greet me at the entrance, but she returned to her sword form and was placed next to the bed.

What kind of change has come to your heart?

I lay down on the bed, scratching my cheek.

“… … .”

silence.

I looked at the ceiling and waited for Scathach to speak.

However, as time passed by, Scathach did not say anything.

I would understand if he was sleeping, but the concept of sleep does not exist for swords.

Even though he was conscious, Scathach remained silent.

“Why aren’t you saying anything?”

I thought he wouldn’t say a word until he fell asleep at this rate, so I spoke first.

Then Scathach’s sword body trembled slightly.

It seems he didn’t expect me to talk to him first.

After gathering himself, Scathach polymorphed again and answered my question.

“Lord, I thought the owner didn’t want to talk to me.”

“Why did you think that?”

“I came to think that he hated me so much that he ran out of the room as if running away.”

“You said you were going to the bathroom, right?”

“I know you didn’t go to the bathroom.”

“… … I’ll admit it, the bathroom was just an excuse and I actually ran away.”

“As expected… … .”

“But you also misunderstood something. The reason I ran away was never because I hated you.”

“Then?”

“In an awkward relationship, you suddenly ask me to touch your breasts, so I can’t help but feel embarrassed.”

I was tired of talking back and forth anymore.

So, I expressed my thoughts honestly and honestly without worrying about what others thought.

When I looked at Scathach out of the corner of my eye, I saw that her face had turned as red as her hair, as if she was aware that she had committed a bold act.

It was to the point where I couldn’t tell which part was the hair and which was the face.

“Foot!”

“Ooh, don’t laugh!”

“If you were going to be so embarrassed like you are now, why did you tempt me like that? It’s funny just looking at the cancer.”

“I have prepared myself hundreds of times in my heart… … !”

Scathach didn’t just cover his face with his hands, he lowered his head.

The feeling of self-destruction must have been so strong that I could barely control my trembling voice.

I was obviously as embarrassed as she was until I left, but the situation was reversed.

My laughter aroused Scathach’s shame, so I stopped immediately after seeing water forming around her eyes.

“The owner is grumpy… !”

“Sorry, I made fun of you with all my sincerity without realizing it.”

“Heung!”

“It looks like you’re very upset. Then it’s difficult… … .”

As I was scratching my head in frustration, Scathach glanced at me.

I sincerely asked him if he had no intention of causing me any trouble, but he also had no intention of forgiving me easily.

“What are you in trouble for?”

“I wanted to use this opportunity to have an honest conversation with you face to face.”

“Honest conversation?”

“I heard your story through Sephira, but I didn’t hear it from you, right? So, I wanted to take this opportunity to talk openly with each other.”

The atrocities committed by the swords of the past do not disappear.

However, they all appeared before me, saying they had fully reflected on their actions and expressed sincere remorse.

I, who was obsessed with the past, cut off the favor of the swords early and treated them harshly.

It was not too late to make a judgment after hearing their entire story, but it was a bit hasty.

So, I was planning to listen to all the stories the swords had in their hearts even now.

“Good. I, too, have always wanted to have a proper talk with the owner.”

“Then, shall we start by sharing the story after we broke up?”

“Yes!”

Scathach and I had a long conversation on the bed.

Unlike my boring daily life of staying in the snowy mountains and constantly training, what Scathach experienced was truly stimulating.

This is a story about the lonely days of being left alone in a nobleman’s treasure trove and the near-torture that came with being used as a laboratory for countless magic tricks in the Magic Tower.

It was a treatment that made both sides laugh bitterly.

The atmosphere gradually became heavier, and towards the end, Scathach began to shed tears like chicken shit.

“The owner was taking good care of me! Hi! I deny the owner’s words and continue to be greedy… !”

“Ugh, you idiot! So I told you so many times, right? If you had listened carefully back then, this wouldn’t have happened.”

“I’m sorry… ! Hi! I’m really sorry… !“

“Ugh, that’s enough. I said I realized it painfully through this incident, so that’s it.”

“But… !”

“Just don’t repeat the same mistake. Because it never happens twice. Got it?”

“Yes… !”

“Come here.”

I hugged Scathach and patted her back.

Scathach, who was in my arms, was holding on to her clothes tightly even though her hands were shaking.

Her grip was so strong that her nails dug into my back, but I quietly accepted it.

Scathach did something wrong, but he was punished more than that.

Eight years of lonely loneliness and terrible torture mixed together.

It must have been a lot of heartache.

I had no intention of pitying him, but I also had no intention of making fun of him for looking good.

I just hope that through Scathach’s painful experience and sincere consolation, a much better sword will be born again.

“Are you feeling better?”

“Yes… . Thank you, master. Thanks to you, I feel much relieved.”

“Then I’m glad.”

After crying so much, the area under Scathach’s eyes became red and swollen.

Scathach turned his back, probably feeling embarrassed to show his haggard appearance.

Her back looked cute as she desperately wiped away the moisture remaining around her eyes.

That doesn’t erase the fact that I cried just a moment ago, though.

To distract Scathach from the fact that she was crying, I changed the topic slightly.

“Anyway, I’ve always been curious about this. Why were you so stubborn about wanting to kill the dragon?”

“That’s because if I don’t kill the dragon, my rank will drop.”

“If you don’t kill the dragon, your status will drop? Isn’t that the first time ever?”

“You know that swords also have ranks, right?”

“Of course I know.”

The iron sword Stella, who had no special characteristics, gained personality after being with me.

The main material was just iron, but the iron deteriorated as the blood of the powerful enemies it defeated seeped into the sword.

Moreover, he absorbed the power of powerful enemies and made it his own, awakening into a meteor sword.

In short, it meant that the sword itself also had its own rank.

“As a dragon demon sword, I heard that my rank would drop if I did not consistently absorb dragon blood. It was said that if your rank drops, your spirit will drop significantly and you will not even be able to maintain your character in the end. After hearing that story, I became impatient, thinking that if I lost any value, I would probably be thrown away.”

“Who said something so absurd?”

“Hmm, if I remember correctly… … .”

It seems like it’s an old memory so it doesn’t come to mind quickly.

Scathach, who had been groaning for a while, seemed to have suddenly come to his senses and his eyes flashed.

“It was Hibana!”

***

The Demon Continent, the Demon Territory, where screams and thunderbolts never cease.

In the middle of the continent, a castle stood tall for the devil, known as absolute evil.

The Demon King always sits on the throne located on the top floor and looks at the world with his burning red eyes.

His body would not fall from the throne until the time of destruction arrived.

Therefore, there was a need for someone who could bring chaos to the world on behalf of the immovable Demon King.

Through the overwhelming support of the demons, the demons who were appointed as the demon king’s closest associates performed that role.

“Did it fail…? … .”

“Yes, he succeeded in injecting the blood of the evil dragon into the dragons of the East, but he succeeded in suppressing all of them. Moreover, all but one of the demons who infiltrated the East were exterminated.”

“The Eastern countries cannot be taken lightly either.”

A man clad entirely in black armor was receiving a report from a goblin messenger.

An archaic and powerful magical aura that comes out just by breathing.

Behind the man’s back, a multi-layered knife was sticking out like wings, and blood was flowing from the blade.

The blood that fell made a sizzling sound and slowly corroded the floor made of mithril.

The goblin messenger who was watching this swallowed his saliva and trembled.

“So, will the invasion of the Eastern countries be postponed?”

“No, it is foolish to change your choice just because you have talent. However, it would be too early to start an invasion right away.”

“Are you seeking to overthrow the country by deploying additional agents?”

“There is no need to waste useless talent when war is approaching.”

“In that case, what should I do?”

“Most demons don’t know this, but there is a demon that has been living quietly in the eastern countries for several decades.”

“Is that really true?”

“Okay. He was originally scheduled to become the demon general and lead the army. However, he refused that position and handed over the position to General Yong, who died at the hands of Geomseong.”

“Why did you make that choice?”

“He wanted to become stronger and walk a simple but difficult path, so he headed to the Eastern Country. There, we absorb the overflowing energy of nature, replace it with demonic energy, and continuously train ourselves. You were strong enough to match me before you left, so you might have surpassed me now.”

A man in black armor clenching his fists.

The man’s fists were shaking, and he was ecstatic as he remembered his rival becoming stronger.

He is so strong that not even the second-highest-ranking member of the Demon Clan can guarantee victory.

Even the goblin messenger smiled evilly at the fact that the Demon King’s army’s secret weapon was hidden in the Eastern Kingdom.

“I will go to him right away and tell him my plan!”

“There is no need for that. That guy must have figured out what we meant just by making the dragons of the East run wild.”

The dragons of the Eastern Kingdom played the role of managers who controlled the energy.

However, due to the evil dragon’s blood, they were unable to perform their original role.

The demons, who were normally devouring metallurgical energy, will not miss the opportunity and will suck in a huge amount of energy in one go.

The moment all the absorbed vital energy was replaced with demonic energy, the future of the Eastern country filled with blood and ashes was clearly visible.

“The day is not far when our demons will conquer the world.”