325 – The Holy Sword Contest -2-

Today, the mansion remains peaceful.

“Ricardo.”

“Yes.”

“Where are you going?”

Startled awake by the rustling sound, the young lady blinked at me, her head adorned with a question mark as I packed my bag in the corner of the room.

“Are you… running away?!”

“Huh…?”

With wide, round eyes, she wore a quivering expression and spoke to me.

“I’ll just eat a little! Don’t run away!”

“…Huh?”

“I… I’ll even share my chocolate…!”

I was taken aback by the fact that this overly delusional young lady could utter something so objective, yet her words floated like clouds in the air, leaving me with an awkward expression.

I had been saying it for a week now, but it seemed to have completely slipped her mind. I was sure I had mentioned it just yesterday.

“Waaah!!!”

I sighed as I looked at the young lady clutching her collar. I couldn’t tell if she was pretending to forget or if it had genuinely vanished from her thoughts. Regardless, she was cute, and that lifted my spirits.

I chuckled softly and pressed my hands against her cheeks.

“Ubuububub”

“I told you a week ago, didn’t I? Just stepping out for a moment.”

“Ubuubububub! (Was that so?!)”

Pouting like a fish, the young lady scrunched her brows in annoyance.

“I said I might be away for about three days because something came up.”

“Ubuubup… (Right. That was it.)”

With her shoulders drooping in disappointment, she sighed deeply and murmured.

“It’s because Ricardo isn’t playing with me that I forgot.”

“I’ll make sure to have fun with you when I return.”

“What if you leave me behind!”

“I won’t leave you. I have a mountain of unpaid wages piling up; where would I go?”

“Hehe, that’s true! I’m in debt.”

Her cheerful smile as she confessed her debts made me burst into laughter.

“Honestly, I can’t just leave you alone.”

The young lady gently grasped her collar and said.

“Then can’t you take me with you?”

She glanced at me, biting her lip, but regrettably, I shook my head, delivering a negative answer to her hopeful plea.

“Forgive me.”

“Why?!”

‘Because it’s dangerous.’

How could I express such a thing? I shook my head slightly, offering a vague answer that I hoped the lady would understand.

“I’m going to a place where they only eat grass.”

“Grass?”

“Yes, a famous chef is giving a lecture. The main ingredients are mostly vegetarian, so it seems like I’ll be eating grass all day.”

“Really…? But I like grass.”

“How about paprika and spinach?”

“Ugh…? I don’t like that.”

“Exactly.”

The lady, having grasped my words, nodded slowly and released her grip on her collar. In her hesitant gaze, I sensed an inexplicable foreboding. It was a look that seemed to question whether I should be sent away.

“Ha…”

With a long sigh, she looked at me and asked,

“It’s not something dangerous, is it?”

As expected.

‘She’s not easily deceived.’

I offered a sheepish smile in response to her question and nodded. It seemed she didn’t quite believe my clumsy excuse. Perhaps no matter what excuse I made, she might have seen through to the core of it. After all, she was sharper than I had anticipated.

I smiled gently and spoke honestly. The lady preferred straightforward words over awkward embellishments.

“I’ll have to use a kitchen knife. I might hurt my fingers.”

“…”

“And since I’ll only be eating grass, I might lose some weight.”

I patted the lady’s head, filled with concern, smiling to convey my reassurance. A small smile bloomed on my face as I felt the softness of her hair.

“You don’t need to worry.”

She took my hand and spoke in a soft voice.

“If it’s dangerous, don’t do it.”

“I understand.”

“Don’t get hurt.”

“I promise.”

“If you think you’ll be late, let me know.”

“Of course.”

“And…”

The young lady cast a sly glance at me before she began rummaging through her treasure pouch.

“Profit…”

“What are you looking for?”

“Uuuh…”

With a furrowed brow, she searched for a while before pulling out a small object, like a cat robot with a fourth-dimensional pocket, and held it out to me.

Crimson.

Shaped like a dragonfly’s eye.

Hmm. This is…

“Miss, this is underwear.”

“Eh?!”

Startled, the young lady quickly stashed the underwear back into her treasure pouch and produced a tiny doll instead.

“This.”

“What is it?”

“Me.”

“…?”

“I think it’s a talisman.”

“You made it yourself?”

“Uh-huh.”

Truly, her craftsmanship was a disaster.

I looked at the doll she had crafted, a playful glint in my eye as I said, “It’s not a cursed doll or anything, right?”

“Uuuh!!!”

“Ha ha ha!! Just kidding.”

A doll.

It’s been a while.

I stared intently at the doll in my hand before tucking it into the pocket of my outer garment. From the hair made of white yarn to the body stuffed with cotton from a sock, I was grateful for the gift imbued with the young lady’s effort.

Of course, the doll’s sharp-eyed gaze made it seem like a cursed object, but I held it close to my heart, filled with gratitude.

“Thank you.”

“Ungnya.”

All was packed.

Spare clothes and a sword.

Potions I had crafted myself.

And a map marking the location of the holy sword.

Among other things.

With a smile, I brushed the hair of the girl carrying the enormous backpack.

“Then I shall be off.”

“Ungnya.”

“Is there anything you want me to bring back?”

“Beef jerky and chocolate.”

“Puhaha… Understood.”

The backpack on my back felt lighter than usual today.

‘The Sword of Dawn.’

Simply put, ‘the holy sword.’

If I could just see this task through, perhaps I could find a moment’s rest.

*

“Huah…”

The North, after so long, remained unchanged.

Breath visible in the frigid air.

A biting wind pierced my skin, and everywhere was blanketed in snow.

It felt like just yesterday I had dealt with the Apostle of Mercy here, yet time had slipped by so swiftly. I often felt a pang of regret at the fleeting nature of time.

That aside.

“What is that?”

[★★Northern Gukbap★★]

“…Hmm?”

I furrowed my brow at the massive banner hanging in the heart of the northern town. I wore an expression that seemed to ask, ‘Why is that here?’

“Puahahahaha!!!”

This was what made it amusing.

I never expected the recipe I had casually shared would become such a resounding success. It was astonishing to learn that a character, whose obituary had been the only mention in the novel, was now running a thriving business in the North, and I had never imagined it would gain such popularity. Laughter bubbled forth, refusing to cease.

“How fortunate.”

I thought it a blessing that warmth was being shared from the barren North. As I gazed upon the highest peaks of the Northern mountains, I began to plan to share the recipe for a side dish akin to cubed radish.

‘Andes Mountains.’

A towering, distant range.

The Andes, teeming with countless monsters, was the resting place of the Holy Sword. It was a significant location in the tales, holding grand episodes within its icy grasp. An episode featuring not one, but two Apostles.

‘Yuria, Mikhail, Malik, Rowen, Ruin, Shartia.’

A multitude of protagonists harmonizing to commence an episode. It began with the schemes of heretics, yet concluded with the Academy’s triumph.

This episode commenced as the heretics, having uncovered information about the Holy Sword, began to disseminate it.

The imperial goal was to reclaim the Holy Sword.

The heretics, too, sought to retrieve the Holy Sword to alleviate their burdens. Yet, they layered one more objective upon this: to eliminate the Academy’s top students.

Their schemes aimed to bolster the morale of their beleaguered order, which had been battered by continuous failures, while simultaneously sowing discord within the Empire to gain the upper hand. It seemed their plans might succeed, but with Mikhail wielding the Holy Sword, they found themselves pushed back instead.

Such is the nature of the episode.

A tale common in any novel.

The reason I had ventured to the North was singular.

To prepare for any unforeseen variables. If the Apostle of Temperance were to arrive with archbishop-level figures, the scales would tip heavily against us.

If our protagonists, ill-equipped to face an archbishop, were to confront one alone… it was clear that disaster would ensue.

While Mikhail and Hannah might manage to contend with an archbishop, ‘Yuria’ and ‘Ruin’ were woefully inadequate to face one on their own. Moreover, the temple sealing the Holy Sword was fraught with variables that could not be dismissed lightly. For the sake of contingency, I needed a safety net.

If the heretics were to gain possession of the Holy Sword, the risks we would face could not be taken lightly.

“Before that… for now.”

I turned my gaze back to the banner I had seen moments ago.

[Free Hamburger Steak Available.]

“Shall we grab a bite?”

Even the most majestic mountains are best enjoyed with company. With thoughts of filling my belly, I stretched and took a step forward.

Upon arriving at the restaurant, I was greeted by a familiar voice.

“Dad!”

“Haha! Where’s your boyfriend? There are a few things this father wants to ask!”

“Ugh, come on!!!”

Yuria.

“Brother.”

“Indeed, the flavor has deepened.”

“Keep it down. It’s embarrassing.”

Malik and Hannah.

“I’m trash.”

Ruin.

“You fools, this isn’t a vacation.”

Shartia.

And then.

“Hohoooom. Quite a few rivals, aren’t there!”

“…?”

An unexpected presence emerged.

I lowered my head at the unwelcome sound. There, I spotted a noblewoman with purple hair styled in rolls.

She wore a thick fur hat atop her head.

“Hohoom.”

The woman, clad in a heavy fur coat, peeked into the soup house beside me.

I looked at her and thought.

‘…What are you doing here?’

The biggest variable had appeared.