Chapter 173 – Hardeon (5)

The boy could not understand the current situation.

Those two people who had come to the sword hall on business. He had just thought they were acquaintances of the director.

But after the director returned to the sword hall, the words the man uttered were utterly shocking.

“As of today, take down the Rade Sword Hall’s sign.”

It felt like a judge pronouncing a sentence in a dignified tone.

He wondered what kind of bullshit this was.

‘Did the director get into gambling debt or something?’

A plausible story suddenly formed in his mind: the director had taken on a large debt using the sword hall as collateral, and soon the debt collector had come to demand the land of the sword hall.

In fact, the director was famous for liking alcohol, gambling, and women.

But the director’s reaction seemed completely unrelated to the novel in his imagination.

“What the hell is this bastard! Where did some half-wit scumbag come from to spout such nonsense!”

Of course.

No matter how much of a scoundrel the director was, he was not that far gone.

And the man’s next words were utterly absurd.

“The instructors have all quit anyway. So, let’s take this opportunity to close the sword hall as well.”

“What? Who quit? What kind of bullshit is that!”

“Haven’t they all been out of contact since this morning? They’ve surely disappeared from their homes as well.”

“Th-that’s!”

He did not know if they had really all quit their instructor positions, but what the man had just said seemed to be true.

It seemed the director really could not get in touch with them.

“They’re buried in the back mountain right now.”

“What?”

“Well, it’s not like I killed them. Their heads are sticking out, so it should be about time for them to be discovered.”

He spoke so confidently that it felt like it was the truth.

And at that moment, one of the sword hall’s manservants came running in, out of breath.

“Director. We’re in big trouble!”

The manservant was panting as he struggled to get the words out.

Just what story was he trying to tell that he had come running so urgently?

The director also seemed to be on edge at the unusual atmosphere.

“Big trouble, what on earth is it! Hurry up and tell me!”

“The instructors!”

“What about the instructors!”

“It seems they were buried in the back mountain all night!”

For a moment, the boy looked at the man.

What he had said was true.

“What on earth does that mean! Tell me slowly and clearly!”

The manservant stammered as he continued his story.

A passerby had discovered the instructors buried in the back mountain all night and reported it. They were all unconscious and had now been taken to the clinic.

At the manservant’s words, the man’s lips curled up slightly.

“Then let’s resume our conversation. If you just close the sword hall quietly, I promise there will be no more bloodshed.”

“Don’t give me that crap! It seems you heard rumors about the instructors somewhere. Are you dying to die?”

CLATTER! CLATTER!

Suddenly, some objects fell from the man’s hand to the ground.

From their appearance, they were identification tags.

The director picked one of them up and soon had a bewildered expression.

“N-no way!”

That reaction suggested it was an instructor’s identification tag.

“Then I’ll give you one last warning. Close the sword hall.”

Instead of answering, the director drew his sword.

He had known it would come to this.

That man had crossed the line, and far too much.

“Whether what you’re saying now is a joke or you’re serious, I will kill you!”

He did not know what had happened to the instructors last night, but those two, a man and a woman, seemed too reckless.

To think that just the two of them would provoke the director by crossing the line.

Although he was a boy who had only lived for fourteen years, the director was the strongest gladiator he had ever seen.

He was the number one with no rival in this town, and perhaps the result would be the same even if the range was extended to the next town.

Of course, there would be many stronger people if he went to the capital, but at least those two did not look like it.

‘Reckless.’

Although this Rade Sword Hall was a rotten and dirty place, the reason the boy had no choice but to endure was that the director’s skills were the real deal.

“If you really want to do it this way, I’ll play along.”

Finally, the man also drew his sword.

“Stop with the tricks and come at me at the same time. I’ll tear you to shreds.”

“No. I’ll fight alone.”

The boy did not quite understand.

To say he would fight alone when it would not be enough even if they combined their strength.

Did he do this without even knowing the director’s skill?

Nevertheless, the sword looked good.

“If you want to die first, I’ll grant that wish.”

The director’s killing intent exploded, and his final technique was immediately deployed.

He was thoroughly enraged.

If the director came out like this, this fight could not last long.

‘Thanks to him, I get to see a good show.’

The boy could not help but worry about the man’s well-being.

CRASSSSH!!!

A roar that seemed to tear through space erupted, and the fight was over in an instant.

But the prediction was only right up to the speed of the fight.

The result was completely different.

The director dropped his sword and collapsed, and the tip of the man’s sword was aimed at the director’s throat.

“Now, as of today, the Rade Sword Hall will take down its sign.”

“What’s the reason! Why!!”

In fact, the boy was also curious about that.

Just what was the inside story that made that man act like this.

“Because this place is too rotten.”

“What?”

“You’ve been too tyrannical in the name of teaching the sword. A person who lives by the sword shouldn’t do that.”

“It’s not like we’re the only ones doing it!”

“Because I think my heart will be a little more at ease if I cut out even one rotten place.”

With that, the man retrieved the sword that had been aimed at the director’s throat.

The boy swallowed hard.

It was the moment when the strongest person he had ever seen with his own eyes had changed.

***

After completing the request in one day.

When I went to see Renoi again, the rumor had already spread.

“Wh-what are you!”

“I told you. I’d handle it by today.”

“So how is that possible! What on earth is your identity!”

“K’s colleague.”

It was a very convenient setup.

The warrior from the Gwangun Sword Family, called K here, must have also shown an extraordinary side.

“K, and you too, what were you doing and where did you suddenly appear from!”

I just chuckled.

“Just tell me. Where do I have to go to make contact with the White Code?”

“Before that, let me ask you one thing. What’s your reason for trying to approach the organization?”

“Why are you curious about that?”

“From the looks of it, you seem to be a high-level gladiator, so why are you trying to approach a mage organization? If you’re thinking of getting information about the organization and wiping us out, you’d better forget it. It’s not for nothing that we change our identities and operate as a cell organization.”

“There’s no need or obligation to answer. Your role is only to verify me and entrust me with a request. If you worry about more than that, will the organization run well?”

“Th-that is…”

That is what a cell organization is originally like.

Your role at your position is strictly defined, and exercising discretion beyond that is dangerous.

What is important is principles and procedures.

Moreover, for a secret organization like this, this principle must never be broken.

Renoi finally nodded as if he understood and answered.

“Go to the temple in Roland Village and meet the priest. He is using the name Miruel right now.”

“Is there no password?”

“There’s nothing I can tell you from my level. But you should know this one thing. The White Code side will conduct a much tougher ideological verification on you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Thus, the first button was fastened without any trouble.

The quest here in Hardeon was to obtain one of Erter’s Relics.

This relic was made during the age of mages and has now disappeared.

The clue to its whereabouts could be found by contacting the Blue Code.

Just as the Gwangun Sword Family warrior had done.

And my purpose for coming here was to find a clue about the zombies.

The Gwangun Sword Family was clearly connected to the zombies in some way, so I might be able to find a lead in the process of carrying out this quest.

For now, I should go to Roland Village.

***

“Sir!”

Before leaving the town, I decided to see the boy from the sword hall for a moment.

My heart had softened, as he had suddenly lost the place where he could learn the sword.

I decided to briefly guide the fiend in swordsmanship.

The boy’s name was Roy.

As I had felt at the sword hall, he was not only bold but also quite a clever fiend.

Because I was short on time, I taught him briefly with a one-point lesson, but he understood it right on the spot.

Me getting rid of the sword hall might actually be a boon for this fiend.

He was a talent who could grow much bigger if he did not stay cooped up in this countryside and went to the capital to broaden his horizons.

“You’re amazing, kid.”

“I’m not a kid. I’m already fourteen.”

“Right, if you’re fourteen…”

It was the time when I had already matured into the realm of a Sword Expert.

“Anyway, I won’t forget what you’ve done for me today. By the way, if I go to the capital, will I be able to meet many people like you, sir?”

“I wonder.”

That would probably be impossible.

No matter how much this Hardeon was an empire of gladiators, meeting a Sword Master would be a once-in-a-lifetime stroke of luck.

Since he had already used it once in this town, it would be difficult for a while.

“Then I must be going now.”

“Wait a moment, sir.”

With that, Roy took something out of his pocket.

A small stone with a brilliant color.

“I don’t have anything to give you, but this is a gift to show my gratitude.”

“Thank you, but I’ll just accept the thought.”

I did not know what the item was, but I did not want to receive a tuition fee from a young kid.

There was no reason to receive it either.

Except for the quest reward, I would not be able to take anything I obtained here back to Earth.

“I learned that there’s no such thing as a free lunch in this world. In order to cherish what you taught me, sir, I believe I must pay a fair price.”

“So you’re determined to give that to me?”

“Yes.”

Roy’s expression was firm.

“I received it from my uncle who lives near the capital.”

“What is this?”

“It’s a volcanic rock. It’s known to have a mysterious power, but honestly, I don’t really know. Anyway, it’s a very rare stone.”

“From what I hear, it seems like a precious item, so why this of all things.”

“Because your teaching was precious, sir. I just want to pay for it with a fair price.”

Even though I refused, this little fiend was so stubborn that I ended up accepting it.

As he said, if he cherished today’s teaching, it would indeed have a value incomparable to this small stone.

But at that moment.

‘Huh?’

I felt a strange energy from the stone in my hand.

When I had only looked at it with my eyes, I could not detect any feeling at all.

If it was something that could not be perceived even by my senses, then it was an impossible task for anyone else in the world.

It was a strange experience I had never had before.

‘The arrangement of mana is formed in a way I cannot comprehend.’

A volcanic rock…

“Did you say you don’t know what it’s used for?”

“Yes. Since they said it’s a rare stone, isn’t it just for ornamental purposes?”

A stone that held such a unique form of mana being for ornamental purposes? That was unlikely.

In the end, I would have to ask mages about something like this.

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