Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.23)

Sanson as pure Heltant man, unconditionally agreed, and another little special, but also pure Heltant man, Karl, is hesitating, but it seems that he can't resist the temptation of revenge too.

"Ah..... It's better for us to leave quietly."

"Not quite right. They might send soldiers after us. It's better to settle things down clearly. And the municipal government here is tantamount to the false Baron's puppet, so if we want a good ending, then, we find the Baron."

"Isn't that too dangerous? There are a lot of private soldiers in the baron house."

"Are you talking about those useless private soldiers? They must be sleeping deeply now. Those guys could even say," We were sleeping when the trolls came out, so we couldn't help"kind of thing, couldn't them? Those guys would not wake up until we set fire to the house."

I continued to convince Karl. The reason I do this, is to get a clear explanation on being imprisoned, and the subsequent prison break events from them, and if incidentally revenge is included, that should be good right? I persuaded Karl, and Karl finally made his decision.

"Then we give it a go."

"Great, we should back to the Hostel of Dozen first. We have to get our luggage back."

We rode to Hostel of Dozen. Sanson asked Iruril to sit behind him, but Sanson looked overwhelmed. Conversely Iruril naturally grabbed Sansoni's waist, Sanson seems to be the only one who believed himself did something bad, kept being excited. Sigh, he should get a wife, sigh!

There is no light in Hostel of Dozen, except a lamp in the lobby on the first floor. We quietly went to the window of the lobby. Jusina is sitting in the lobby, looks like there are some account books on the table in front of her. She is looking at the ceiling blankly, I knocked on the window.

Jusina startled, she looked at the window, and startled again.

"Hu... Huchi?"

"Hello! Tonight is going to be a good night!"

"Huh? How did you escape?"

"Can you believe that? I just spilled the bottle of strong wine on the wall, and it melted."

Jusina is so surprised that she doesn't know what to do. But then she ran over and opened the door for us. We went inside quickly. Jusina carefully checked out our body, and then said:

"Why? Oh, I mean how could escape from....."

Karl shook his hand.

"We don't have time to explain. Is our luggage still in our room?"

"Ah, I moved those."

We followed Jusina, and then picked up our own luggage. Cherine and other manservants should be sleeping, so we don't see anyone else. When Sanson was filling his water bottle, and I talked to Jusina:

"Well, listen, but don't interrupt. We broke from the prison, and now we have to leave this city. But before that we need to deal with someone, so we are going to find him first. How much is the room rate ? "

Jusina didn't answer me, and said something irrelevant.

"Are you leaving? Now?"

"Shall we leave when the warm spring comes?"

"...Your mouth is really....."

"Oh, really what? Do you want a goodbye kiss?"

Jusina's cheeks turned red, and then she received the hostel fees from Sanson. We are leaving with the luggage quickly. At this time, Jusina came out from the hostel and gave a basket to me.

"Time is too hurried, there is nothing I can give you. Here is some food, you can enjoy on the road." 

"Thank you. No wonder people say, after visiting this hostel, no matter where you go to the land, you can tell people the good memories here. Thank you again, the noble lady Jusina. Well, please say thank you to your brother for us too. "

Jusina seems to want to add something. Time is running out, why is she dragging, sigh! In the end Haltent girls are the best. Because they are straightforward and simple. 

"Jusina, you better finish your words now. Even cursing would be better than regretting not finish your words in the future, Hurry, because you didn't get a good chance to scold me, so you are behaving like this now right? "

Jusina's lips suddenly became flexible again. 

"You... Bad man, give me back my heart!" 

"....What?" 

My "What" sounded even weaker than the night breeze. Karl and Sanson also seemed to get hit by a hammer. I managed to cleared my throat, and ask a little louder: 

"What did you say?" 

Seems I am not loud enough. Jusina began crying. 

"Hum, hum, it's like all the legends! Hum, a girl working in a hosel, hum, a traveler stole her heart, But then the traveler left the city, and never came back again. The girl will wait for a lifetime. Hum. She might marry another man, and have children, hum hum, but she misses that traveler for her whole life. "

Wow ah! I can't take this anymore. Really! This girl is making story between her and me. Sounds like a really story, but only making up everything with her imagination! Such imagination is usual in puberty. I wiped the tears for Jusina, and then asked her: 

"Hey! Weren't you so angry that you wanted to kill and swallow me?" 

"That's exactly the beginning, you abducted my heart. I knew it. When I was very rude to you, I had the feeling, you would be the man who abducts my heart. Alright, you must be, I know I've met my Magical Autumn, once a lifetime. "

Magical Autumn... I am getting crazy! Hey, you were the one being rude first, that's probably because you were pissed off by that drunkard. What the hell is happening? 

"And, that morning, you fought against those trolls in order to save the people you don't know, but those people still treated you cold, and you were wounded, I looked at the man, I knew my heart would never turn back. "

Gran Elver, please! After I screamed a few times in my heart, finally forced myself to say calmly: 

"Jusina, stop your nonsense imaginations. You and I just met each other for three days, and two days of those I was in the jail, you have no way to get to know me. I'm not a good man. The feeling you have on me, 90 percent are from yout imagination. "

"No, this is my fate! But I will not stop you from leaving. Since she has given her heart to the traveler, of course, she will get punishment. Go, I won't grab your legs. Though you are taking away the most precious thing I have, and never come back again. But I don't blame you."

She seems to love the story. Jusina seems to want be a "after her heart got stolen by a traveler who left with the autumn, the girl missed the man in every autumn throughout her life." Then I certainly d should not shovel the reality into her mind. Jusina will feel stupid after a while. Although she could be very sad from now until then, she can keep her beautiful fantasy. 

I rode on Jamini without saying anything. The they people are surprised but they also got on their horses afterwards. I looked down from the horse, and said: 

"Hey, Jusina!" 

"....Huh?" 

"You will find a good man. If you get a son, and if his forehead looks trouble-making, name him Huchi, okay?"

Karl and Sanson are groaning. My uncles! This makes me sick too. But I think Jusina would like to listen to these words. As I expected, Jusina blushed and nodded. Oh, ridiculously! Her husband will probably strongly oppose. This little girl! But I nodded with a very solemn expression. 

Jusina suddenly moved her hands close to my neck. 

"This, keep this for me carefully. Don't forget me." 

It's a necklace. ...... My head is expolding. The necklace Jusina gave me, there are shiny beads on it. It's the kind of necklace that I fear people would notice and hence won't put on my neck. 

I didn't shout, "Oi! How could I wear this vulgar childish necklace!" ! On the contrary, I accepted that thing, worn it around my neck. Then I rode away without a word. "That traveller did not speak further, marched in the autumn night and disappeared, He never returned. Yet that man who stole my heart, Can I not hate him? Certainly I hate him." ...... Think of here, I am full of goosebumps! 

As not to disturb Renus citizen's sleep, we rode quietly for a while, and I turned back. Jusina is still standing in front of Hostel of Dozen like a stone. Did someone say "Tonight is going to be a good night," but, sigh. After riding some time, Sanson began to talk to me: 

"Oi, Huchi," 

"Stop! I did what the girl wanted, and I couldn't take that too. So don't you try to mock me with that." 

"...... You shouldn't play around with innocent girl's heart." 

"Then what do you want me to do? That girl doesn't really like me, she just put me as a prince in her puberty dreams. So what can I do? I just accomplished the girl's dream, spoke some touching words and then leaft. If I didn't, I would probably feel guilty. Damn, I don't love her at all, no guilty! "

Karl nodded, and Sanson closed his mouth. Iruril behind looks like that she totally cannot understand what we did. But soon Sanson said in a low, butvery clear voice: "Of course, your heart is already at home, no, it's at this horse you riding...." 

"Grrrrr! Sanson!"

Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.15)

Sanson didn't draw his sword. He said to the soldiers:

"You insulted my lord, so I have to duel with you. Do you want to come one by one, or once together?"

The soldiers looked at each other. Anyway, if they so many people are going to fight against a person, it would hurt their dignity. One of them, that soldier who got his halberd broken by me, took over another soldier's halberd, then took a step forward. This man seems to be their leader. He looked at me standing on the stairs above, said:

"Hey, do you want to come down?"

"Why should I go down? Ah, are you begging me to fight with you?"

Thay guy grunted, and then suddenly stabbed with his halberd towards Sanson who hasn't drawn his sword. But Sanson has been monitoring his footsteps, so before he could move his arms, Sanson had already read his intentions. Sanson gently stepped back, and then kicked the ground with the same foot, then charged towards the soldier who lost his balance. Sanson sent a heavy punch. Bang!

"Ah!"

That guy was hit right in his face, he looks like that he is going to faint, and began to retreat. Sanson said:

"Did you really close your eyes? This guy's foundation is too bad."

Sanson then drew out his sword. That is the sword our thane spent almost all his money to purchase, in order to deal with Lycanthropes, it's coated with a layer of silver, so it's a very beautiful sword. The soldier also waved his halberd nervously, Sanson held his sword horizontally, and then parried the halberd. The halberd hit the sword, emitting scrubbing noise, and then bounced away. It takes time to lift the heavy Halberd again, Sanson took a step forward and gently stabbed. The soldier's hand immediately stopped moving. Sanson pointed his sword at the guy's throat. Simply, the duel ended.

"Ah, ah -"

That guy emerged bloodshot in his eyes, watching the sword pointing at his throat. Sanson shaked his sword around a few times and said:

"I will not kill you if you apologize. But if you want to die, you should know what to do."

"Damn you!"

Another soldier waved his halberd suddenly, and Sanson took a step back swiftly. Then, the soldier who lost raised his halberd again.

"You son of a bitch! Do you know who we are!"

All the rest of the soldiers swarmed over. I have never seen such despicable persons. I raised my bastard sword and the then jumped forward. Because I was standing on the stairs, so I can jump quite high. I pulled out my sword in the air, and then held the blade and scabbard with my hands.

"Ah ah!"

Using the power of jumping off, I destroyed two halberds with this strike. I cut one with my sword, and broke another one with the scabbard. Then, after I was standing on the ground again, I immediately performed 'Unaware Slash', because both of my hands are raised, so it's easy to follow the center force, I again destroyed two other halberds. Although they don't act like human, I wouldn't have a single thought of stabbing their bodies with my sword. This is not for these guys, but for myself. So I swing my scabbard.

"Uh ah!"

The soldier who got hit in the cheek by me, even had his teeth popped out, and he fell to the ground. I put my sword back into the scabbard, and then started waving. I hit two other soldier's arms, they are scared and retreated. I hit their arms like chopping with an ax, they should be very painful  right? Are their arms broken? They should be able to live in this lesson in a month.

Sanson looked at me and seemed to understand my intention. Similarly, he withdrew his sword back into the scabbard, and then waved it. Before that, I hadn't felt that Sanson even tried, but once the sword was back into the scabbard, Sanson's moves became very cruel. Because there is no further consideration, he started hitting neck or chest or other important parts. So even it's a scabbard, among the soldiers who got hit, no one didn't faint after screaming. Sanson thinks those fallen soldiers are clumsy, so he kicks them away, or simply steps on them, and then continues to attack the others.

So the two of us are crazily beating them with our scabbards. After a while, on the road in front of the hostel, there is no healthy soldier left. The eight soldiers are all lying on the ground together and groaning.

I kicked the guy who tried to ambush Sanson and said:

"You bastard, I'm an ogre killer. How dare you!"

Come on, I've dueled with Ogre, Gargoyle and Gorgon, those monsters illusion, and even fought with real Orcs, Urcs and Trolls. Although my foundation is poor, in fact these soldiers are in similar level as me. But compared to them, I have those horrible experience. So probably because of those experiences, I am able to  defeat them so easily. I aggressively scared them, Sanson stopped me.

"Stop, Huchi. If they are as capable as us, then it doesn't matter. But their foundation is really poor, I start to feel sorry doing this."

※ ※ ※

Cherine standing on the stairs is looking at us blankly. Soon Jusina called some servants to help the soldiers. But Jusina seems to don't know what to do, Sanson as well. Sanson frowned at the achievement me and hims have just done, he said:

"If we leave, it creates no problem to us. But Cherine and Jusina have to do business here, things must end satisfactorily. Let's move them to the lobby."

Jusina gratefully looked at Sanson. The following servants helped to move the soldiers into the hall.

Once we entered the hall, Sanson asked the guy who looks like the leader to sit down, together with Karl and Cherine at the same table, while the other soldiers are taken to other few tables, sat by me and Iruril. Jusina brought mugs of beer to us and the soldiers. She seems to want to treat this as a simple matter like a fight between energetic teenagers in a village, and now it should end with a smile. In fact, no one suffered from serious fatal injuries, so Jusina's action received very good results. What a calm girl, she can catch the essentials! Soldiers don't seem very happy, but they didn't refuse the beer.

Karl and Sanson are talking with the leader(his name seems to be Hanster?). Hanster although looks miserable, I can still feel his anger. Sanson also looks angry but  is suppressing himself. Karl and Cherine are trying to coordinate between the two of them.

I took the beer mug and stand against the wall, monitoring the soldiers sitting there and drinking the beer. Iruril is standing beside me, against the same wall. The soldiers have been staring at me, whether they are enemies or not, I really don't want that kind of expressions while enjoying beer.

"As long as you keep your hands on the table, plus, do not stand up, I will not interfere you." The soldiers heard me and smiled a little. Some soldiers are touching their abdomen, some stroking their cheeks, and sipping beer.

One of them said to me:

"Hey, lad."

"Why, please call me Huchi."

"So your name is Huchi? What a funny name, I am called Kelly. Why do you have such a big strength? Also, you mentioned that you are an ogre killer? You mean you've killed an ogre?"

"I have fought against ogres, gargoyles , gorgons, hobgoblins, minotaurs, also nine Urcs at once, and trolls this morning. Trolls are the most annoying, they just keep regenerating. "

The soldiers are all surprised. Kelly said:

"Kid ....Are you bragging?"

"You should have seen the trolls we killed. The others are also true. Why would I lie to you?"

Kelly didn't reply. I stated a long list of monsters, looks like they haven't even seen them. I am surprised to say:

"Aren't you mercenaries? You got to be useful so that you were selected, right? Why are you so surprised?"

Kelly unhappily smiled, and then replied:

"Lad, if it's not redneck like you, no one dares to touch us. We have never thought that someone would really mess with us, so we just relaxed our guard."

"Really? Sanson and I had sufficiently warned you, and you were still relaxed?"

"...... Although I don't know whether you can keep this arrogant attitude, if our troops are all deployed, you'll be finished in a minute. So stay happy when you still can."

I am not very happy about those words. But this time Iruril spoke first.

"Then I would like to ask a question, why weren't you deployed when the trolls were breaking out?"

"We were sleeping! It's early in the morning!"

The soldier replied unhappily. But I am very angry. That was already long after dawn. I recalled our hometown guards, who wake up for training before the sun rises in order to protect us. I said:

"What? Don't you have sentry? And before we started stopping the trolls, they had already come out for a while. And then we fought for a long while. In such a long period, you should have had some men here! "

Kelly hesitated to answer:

"Where we live is far away from the market place."

Heard these words, Jusina laughed. The soldiers looked at Jusina ferociously, but Jusina came closer to me without looking at them and said to me.

"Silikan's mansion is just next to the market. Oh! It's so far away! About one minute away."

I'm really speechless. I finished my beer.

"Well, thank you, Miss Jusina, please give me one more."

Jusina smiled and picked up the mug. However, Iruril said:

"Please don't drink anymore. You have been drinking since you sat down, totally six pints."

I didn't have time to reply before Jusina's words, she said:

"Ah, he can drink whenever he wants to. That's none of your business right?"

Huh? Wow, really powerful businessman spirit. Do you want to make money so much?

"No, it does not matter, Jusina. I shouldn't drink anymore indeed. And well, do you have to be so blatant of your business mind?"

Jusina looked shocked and looked at me. Why are you so surprised? Then Jusina suddenly changed her face and shouted at me:

"You Retard! Do you think that I want money from you?"

Jusina ran away. I am tongue-tied. Huh? When your mind is exposed you should escape quietly, why the hell she shouted retarded at me so loud? Really sinister girl. The soldiers are tittering. What are you laughing at?

I leaned against the wall, and then pulled out my sword and checked the blade carefully. This sword has slayed trolls, crashing with halberds. After the few battles, I want to see if there are damaged areas. Fortunately, the blade is still intact. Ah, thinking carefully, this sword hadn't crashed with metal before. However, when the soldiers saw me looking at the sword, all of them became tensed. So I put my sword back into the scabbard. Kelly again said to me with an unhappy voice:

"You lad, you may be able to gloat around with your strange strength, but if you meet magic, can you still be so easy?"

"Do you know magic?"

"Ha! Mr Baron employed Aphnaidel the Archmage! Aphnaidel will be dealing with you people, and maybe he will suck your soul out before killing you. If we let Aphnaidel know what you've done on us, he will! "

"Ah, an Archmage...... Not a good news."

Really bothering. I think of Tyburn, he can make the trolls flying to heaven, summon Balrog to kill Taurens, and also make a lot of horrible monster illusions. But now this is not even an ordinary wizard, but an Archmage!

Sanson shouted to me:

"Oi, Huchi! Let's go."

"Where are we going?"

"We should go to visit the Baron. Talking to his men is not enough."

"Ah? We are walking into the enemy's camp?"

Sanson heard what I said, and immediately smiled.

"Come on man. Of course we have go to make this clear. We helped to handle the trolls, but he sent the soldiers to seek compensation, sure, we don't feel good. Although we won't ask for rewards, we should make our reasons clear, and we should send these soldiers back nicely, so that they won't say anything. "

"Wait a minute, wait a minute! I just heard that there is a wizard! No, a nArchmage!"

Sanson although looked lost, he turned calm shortly.

"So?"

He asked me, I have nothing to say.

"Then let's go. The Archmage is waiting for us!"

Cherine nervously held Sanson's shoulder, said.

"Are you really going there? Do you think if you go there, he would apologize and repent their faults? Don't you think you are silly doing that? Just leave this town. You don't have to do it for us... And the Archmage, Aphnaidel is a very cruel man. It's because of this Aphnaidel, the Baron gained such a power in this city."

"We certainly know it could be dangerous, but if we go with his soldiers, try to talk with him, he shouldn't be severe on us."

Cherine shook his head.

"Is it that simple?"


　※　　　　　※　　　　　※

Chapter Two: The Difference Between a Kettle And a Brain (Pt.13)

※ ※ ※

After a commotion and Karl's explanation, I finally realized that the taste was not poison  but the original taste of that thing. Jusina's eyes became colder, and Sanson is laughing to a extent that he can't breathe. What a shame, shame! But why would people want to drink this thing?

Anyway, after the breakfast, we went outside. Sanson is going to buy a horse with Iruril. Karl and I are going to the market. But Iruril felt that we better go together. She also wants to buy something, so she suggested to come with us. I borrowed a wheelbarrow from Jusina, Jusina seems to think that I will break the wheelbarrow, took it out unwillingly.

"Going to the market?"

"Yup."

Jusina's face grew worse, she repressed her anger and said:

"Hum, how unfortunate that I'm going to market too? Follow me!"

"Oh, are you? Great! But are you going alone? This large hostel should need a lot of supply right?"

"Humph! Hick. You can simply make an order. Then they do the shipping."

"Oh? Really?"

Under the guidance of Jusina, we easily found the market. Jusina separated with us once we arrived.

We bought flour, dried meat, bacon, vegetables we can eat tonight, salt and some others. The price level here is really low. Those are cheap prices that can't be imagined in our village. Especially paper is incredibly cheap here. Karl dragged me to buy a lot of paper. Paper should be useful wherever!  At least it can be used to record something. I also bought pen and ink. I put them into the barrow and asked happily:

"Why are things so cheap here?"

Karl replied with a smile.

"You should have said things are so expensive in our village. Because merchants don't often enter our village. But Renus City is close to the Hudyne river waterway, it's also a gateway of the Central Avenue, so goods are rich here. Hence of course, the price level will be very low."

"If we eliminated Amurtaat, our village would become a gateway of the Central Avenue too,  then there would be much more goods in our villages, prices would become cheaper too, right?"

Karl just smiled quietly. Iruril then said:

"Huchi, the reason you want to eliminate Amurtaat is to get richer and happier? "

"The reason we want to eliminate it is not to be so pathetic."

Iruril seems not to understand what I meant. But I don't want to discuss Amurtaat during this pleasant shopping. How is my dad doing now? He might be locked up in a goblins cave, eating disgusting food. Damn it! While I am here happily shopping for cheap stuffs. Dad, how come your son is like this?

Just when I was thinking of that.

"Ughhhh!"

Screams! Are we in Fief Haltant? The atmosphere of the market suddenly changed. People are escaping crazily.

People are running around here and there. Sanson immediately found the source of the screams.

"There. What's going on?"

"Let's go and see."

Karl ran in front. We continued to hear more screams, and the sound of things falling apart. And the direction we are running to, there are a lot of people fleeing  The faces of the people are eclipsed because they are terrified. What happened? Then we saw the things chasing after the people. Damn! I feel like I have experienced the same thing somewhere before.

Three trolls are running over.

"What? Trolls! Why would they appear in a city?"

Sanson hurriedly draw out his sword. People are running around in a panic, but I saw a burly man actually bumped down an old lady in front of him. That old lady fell to the ground and is unable to get up. She seems to have an ankle injury. She is trying her best to stand up, nonetheless she can't because of fear and pain.

"Did you see that happen?"

No, how could that be! In our village, burly guys will come forward to help even if they'll die. In fact, not long ago I experienced the same thing in our village. My body is faster than the my thought.

I stood in front of that guy. He wanted to push me away rudely, but I clutched him and said:

"Hey! Help that old lady!"

"Kid, are you nuts? Are you her grandson?"

"No, I am not her grandson, but you can not do that!"

The man didn't answer and is trying to punch me. This asshole! I grabbed the man's wrist. The man's arm suddenly got blocked, he now looks like his shoulder is falling down. He fell to his knees after screaming stridently.

Although I wanted to punish that man properly, but more urgently I need to punish the trolls. I threw the man away, and then ran to the old lady.

"He - Help!"

That old lady crying for help with tears.  The trolls are ferociously running over. I found the troll holding a stone axe making a strike,  I grabbed the old lady's feet before her head gets chopped in half, pulled her away. I managed to save the old lady and put her behind me.

"Can you run by yourself?"

That old lady struggled to run. Then I pulled out my bastard sword and blocked the middle of the road. Well, bring it on! Men of Haltant do this! How much time can my life buy? Oh! Who can I tell my last words to now?

"Hey, you monsters, how long you think you need to take to kill me?"

Becuase I have OPG, so I dare to be so fearless. Meanwhile, the old lady has already long gone away.

Fortunately, I still have my reinforcements. Another man of Haltant came and stood by me. Sanson did not say anything, he pulled out his sword and brandished it. The arm of the troll holding a stone ax immediately got stabbed, a wound which bone can be seen is made. Sanson shouted with a low voice:

"I only got one life! So it's very precious! It's unique!"

Good, well done! Nice stab.

"Ah, ha, my unique move 'Unaware Slash'!"

My best and only trick! The troll is subconsciously swinging its stone axes, it got blocked by my first strike, and I chopped its arm off with the second strike.

"Pop!"

That monster hurriedly backed off. But in addition to the one Sanson is dealing with, there is another one trying to attack me from the side. Suddenly a dazzling light flashed in the middle of us.

She's Iruril. Iruril is performing a very rare swordsmanship with her left hand dagger. She's like peeling an apple, raised the dagger and aimed at the troll's arm, effortlessly cut down its arm muscles like dried meat, . How calm do you have to be to perform this move?

"Gahhhh ahhhh!"

That troll staggered backwards. Its wound is regenerating fast. Damn, after all, it's a troll. I have to pass this monster to Iruril, then focus on the one without arm in front of me. That troll's arm hasn't been respawned, but another arm without the stone axe is punching towards me.

"Wow!"

My belly got punched hard. My body is flying backwards. The reason I didn't die is only because of OPG's blessing. Thank you, Tyburn. I almost fainted, but that would then make me die. I stood up after tumbling.

I noticed someone were looking at me. I shouted at them:

"Please help!"

However, when they heard my voice, they were like hearing some kind of signal, wildly turned and ran away, some entered into the next building, and even shut the door. This is really ridiculous! The noise of banging door came one after another.

"Nedval! "

Hearing the voice of Karl, I finally got my mind back. That troll is now charging towards me. It has somehow  regenerated its arm, looks like it's going to give me a hug.

"Go to hell!"

I hold the sword body with one hand, clutch the hilt with another hand, then rolled forward. The troll missed its punch, and I got to the trolls' feet. Then I didn't even get a chance to get up, didn't look behind, I waved my arm. I don't know what I just hit.

"Gahhhh!"

Seems like I chopped that guy's inner thigh. I rolled forward, then again stood up. The troll struggled to turn around, we are now face-to-face. I can't give it the opportunity to regenerate!

"Unaware Slash - Sideways!"

I am spinning my bastard sword horizontally, and spinning my body. But this time I knelt down after I finished a lap. The second slash I chopped very low to tilt my waist backward, this time I hit the troll's feet. Don't you run fast! I immediately straighten my knees and waist and spin again. I can feel that my ankles are broken, but I still managed to jump forward, successfully made my third strike.

The troll's head flew away. Then I directly bumped into the troll's body with no head on it. The troll finally fell down, its blood sprayed into my mouth. Wow! Damn. And I don't know the condition my ankles. I held the pain of my ankles, stamped on the troll's corpse. I then looked at the situation around.

Sanson is dueling with one troll, he made thousands of wounds on its body with his ogre-like strength.  If it is a human, one of those wounds could be fatal. But the troll is stilling swinging its stone ax to force Sanson to step backward, in order to allow itself to regenerate its body. On the other end, Iruril is dodging around easily, moving between the back and side of the troll, but definitely not battling with it face-to-face. Whenever the troll tried to attack sideways, Iruril would cut its arm with her dagger, or stab it exposed waist or back with her estoc. But for trolls, wounds can be regenerated even they were made by Sanson's long sword, not to mention those by estoc. Those are just tiny wounds. Who should I help first?

I was thinking and stood up unconsciously. I feel serious pain on my ankles, almost felt to the ground.

"Hmm...."

Karl thought we were coming to the market for shopping, so he doesn't have his longbow, he hurriedly came to hold me. I grabbed Karl's shoulder, looked around angrily. Such a big city, with majestic buildings and wide roads that our village wouldn't ever have, why I can't even find one person? I really don't see anyone.

However, when I looked upward, I found on the second floor and the third floor there are people watching. Looking closely, every windows there are people looking at us.

Disgusting.

"Uh ahhhhhhh!"

I waved my sword, jumped a step forward. There's a troll with its back in front of me, it is chasing after Iruril. I lifted my foot, then jumped up with another foot without any hesitation. I turned the blade downward, stabbed the bastard sword into the troll's back.

"Galalalallaa!"

"Ahhhhh!"

I used all my strength to pull the sword down, I feel like something keep hitting my sword, and then suddenly, the feeling on my hands was gone, the sword is now outside the troll's body. The sword actually went through the troll's waist. It immediately fell forward. I stood on the troll's back, began to stab on it.

"Uh ah! Uh ah! Uh ahhhhhhhhhh!"

I don't know how many strikes I did. The back and neck of the troll have completely turned into minced meat, its blood is all sprayed on my body. Finally, I grabbed the head of the trolls. Because there is no hair, my fingers penetrated into the capsule. Because it's waist was completely destroyed by me, I pulled up only its upper body, and then cut its neck with my bastard sword . I then threw it to the side.

Iruril wasn't looking at me, she is still calm. She has begun to help Sanson. Iruril from behind barbed the troll's knee from behind, forcing the troll to knee down. Sanson then split troll's head into two halves. Bone and blood are all around. But Sanson and Iruril still have their bodies clean, I am the only one who is completely covered with blood, there is even flesh on my face and hands. I am still sitting on that troll.

Sanson approached and held out his hand. I grabbed his hand and stood up. My foot is still hurt and I almost fell, but Sanson held me.

"Feet injured?"

"Sprained. It doesn't matter."

"Luckily, we don't have any serious injuries."

"But aren't there any guards in this damn city?"

"Maybe it takes a while for them to mobilize."

I blankly looked around. The windows of surrounding buildings started opening. Then people started coming out. Now you come out! Ha! Are you going to help now? Those people are frowning and trying to block the blood with their feet to prevent it from flowing to their doors, they are even wiping those blood and flesh off the walls and doors angrily. I looked at the scene.

"Sanson, let's get back. Hurry."

"Hurry?"

"If we stay here any longer, I may kill some persons."

Sanson nodded silently. I began to walk forward under the arm of Sanson. Karl pushed the cart over. And Iruril came over, started to wipe the blood off my face with her handkerchief

"It doesn't matter, Iruril. It's not easy to clean anyway."

"You can walk only when your eyes can see, isn't it? Okay... Now your face look better."

"Thank you. I'll definitely buy you a new handkerchief."

Iruril didn't answer, just smiled. The road to the hostel is really damn long. When I think of walking there with this foot, my eyes goes yellow. Legs injury is not a trivial thing. Only one injured leg makes it so troublesome and inconvenient, not to mention Tyburn who is blind, he must be more frustrated. Tyburn! If you were here, you must be able to cleanly and simply get rid of those trolls. And we wouldn't have to see such a disgusting scene.

"Mr Nedval?"

Who is that? Who is calling me so brusquely? I parted away the bloody hair attached to my face, in order to find out who is in front.

"Oh, the Mighty Noble Lady!"

Jusina in a corner of the market is looking at me with a frightened face. I don't care what she wanted to say and said.

"I won't dirty the hostel with this blood. If that happens, I will be clean that up by myself."

"Ah, no, Huchi, ah.... I understand. "

I don't understand what she is talking about. Jusina swiftly ran away. Hmmf! She looks that she doesn't want to get stained by the blood so she ran back to the hostel. I looked back a bit and saw my footprints on the road. Bright red footprints. Footprints linked up. With such obvious red footprints, even not well-trained soldiers can easily track me down!

My footprints, really? That's my footprint.

So dizzy.

※ ※ ※

Chapter One: Riding Towards the Dawn (Pt.24 Final)

In the candlelight wholeheartedly making the sword belt, is this girl really Jamini? She is fully focusing on the needlework, her face muscles are all relaxed, revealing a serene face. I unwittingly said:

"My destiny... Really strange. Even in Summer, I couldn't imagine that I actually would be going to the capital. And now because it's Autumn..."

Jamini is stitching while answering:

"Because it's Autumn?"

"Yea. Into the Autumn, Cathselprime appeared, I became a wizard's assistant, Dad became Amutaat's captive, and lastly I have to go to the capital. I had heard that Autumn has magic..."

"What do you mean? Why do you say that Autumn has magic?"

"This is Autumn. During Spring and Summer, the vitality of all lives on the earth burns vigorously. But once they're touched by the hand of Autumn, this vitality disappears. And soon after it'll be Winter, which represents death. So Autumn is very mysterious. The dying life. The looming death. In the short while between the vitality disappears and the death comes, all mysterious things will happen. That is the magical time appears in Autumn."

"Magihal Kime? (Magical Time?) "

Jamini is trying to cut the thread with her teeth, so the pronunciation is a bit strange. She could wait until the line is cut before she spoke, but she just said it out. Really cute. I smiled. I tell her the story about this magical time that Karl likes a lot.

"In different places, this so-called Magical Time is different too. What can be determined is that, it must be in a certain period during Autumn. If someone happened to get to a place which's in Magical Time, he will meet  a variety of rare things. In the short autumn, from the fallen leaves covering the earth, until the first snow descending, this person will get a memory that remains forever, that sometimes he himself may not notice. He might just remember what happened in that Autumn, after a few years, or when he gets old, he would suddenly found the time special. But in case someone know that he has entered the Magical Time, from the fallen leaves covering the earth, until the first snow descending, he can achieve something amazing. "

"Oh my god ..."

"When King Rhuterino started the Glorious Seven Weeks War, it was also the time that leaves started falling. You should know the story of him defeating Dragon Lord? In the end of the tragic war, Dragon Lord finally fell down. But then snow began floating down from the sky. As a result, King Rhuterino couldn't even lift his sword, so Dragon King just fled. And King Rhuterino could no longer use a sword since then."

"So, that period was..."

"The Magical Autumn of King Rhuterino. Before the onset of Winter, he completed the greatest thing in his life, but at the same time that thing is also uncompleted."

Why does Karl like this story? I wonder if it's related to this incomplete ending? I don't like this kind of stories. I like the one which is simple and complete. But this story seems to suit Jaimini's taste. Jamini is holding her cheeks, made an expression showing that she's immersed in the fantasy. Then Jamini seemed to suddenly awake, and said:

"Done. Put it on and have a look. "

I looked at the sword belt that Jamini made for me. She's not able to make a delicate belt that can be worn around the waist, so this is just a thing that is attached to the scabbard, and can be hung on the shoulder. Once I put the bastard sword on my shoulder, Jamini said like apologizing:

"It'd be great if it can be tied on your waist..."

"Not at all. Now my both hands are free, I also feel very comfortable when I walk. It's fine."

I put on this thing, and then tried to pull out my sword, managed to pull it out uneasily. What do you expect? this is not an ordinary sword, but a 2 cubits long greatsword. I bothered for a while, then moved my left arm around to the back, pulled down the scabbard and tried to pull again. This time I pulled it out smoothly. I suddenly feel great that I don't have a shield. I deliberately showed Jamini that I can pull out the sword easily, and then said:

"Clang! Not bad huh? It suits exactly with the length of my arm. Thank you."

Jamini chuckled. I plugged the sword back again and said:

"It's very late already. You should go. Go home, I'll take you back."

Jamini picked up her shawl on the bed, wrapped her head and shoulder. I took a lamp and went out.

"Do you want to try riding?"

Jamini riding on Jamini. Ha, really interesting. Although Jamini looked a bit scared, she agreed.

I took the horse over, made it stood still and then looked at Jamini. Jamini looks a bit embarrassed. In fact, so am I. I grabbed Jamini's waist, lifted her to the horseback. It was a simple task for me, moreover I have OPG now, she is even lighter. Jamini is sitting sideways on the horseback, I gave her the lamp, and then grabbed the rein and began bringing the horse to walk. In the wind of the autumn night, the rare crunch sound makes people feel very unique. If it's winter night, the leaves will be like going to fall, issue buzzing sound, but autumn night is not like this. We are listening to the sounds of crickets, walking into the woods. Jamini on the horse is holding the oil lamp, the light shines us into a gray. The surrounding trees also seem to absorb the light directly.

But I feel very happy. Tomorrow, I'm going to depart. While we are going to be right back, but even just for a while, the scenes around seem to become brand-new, are approaching to me. I plugged one hand in my pants, and another hand is grabbing the rein, walking while whistling. The horse is very well-behaved and obedient. Does this guy know Jamini has the same name as it? Why is it so docile? Jamini who's sitting on the house is stroking the horse's mane, and also singing along with my whistles. Occasionally her hand would block the light from the oil lamp on her another hand, she would see the shadow and scare herself, then quickly put her hand down. Whenever this happened, Jamini would nervously scream, and I would giggle.

Joyce said that the two of us are like a noble lady and a knight apprentice? Now this scenario seems to be really alike. I have nothing to say.

※

Huh? Strange. The road became shorter? We can now see Jamini's home in front. I scratched my head, and let the horse stop, and then turned my head and stretched out my arms. Jamini didn't think anything and jumped down. At the moment I seized Jamini's waist in the air, a plan emerge in my mind.

I grabbed Jamini but didn't put her down, I said:

"Oh really. Jamini?"

"Huh?"

"Do you want me to give you a suggestion?"

"What?"

"You have to be careful, don't put yourself into a situation that you can't escape."

Jamini didn't understand what I'm saying, but I still followed my plan. Jamini is now in my arms, where can she escape? Jamini's eyes suddenly widened...

※

....After a while, I put Jamini down, then picked up the lamp she dropped on the ground, rode on the horse and ran away like lightning. Than Jamini began to yell:

"Hey! Huchi! Your bad! Ahhhhhhhhhh!"

That's why I told her not to fall into a situation that she can't escape. Even so, I'm no where better than her. Judging by I think Jamini is beautiful this fact, I will probably be her knight for a lifetime. It seems that this is my miserable fate.

※ ※ ※

The next day before the sun rises, in the gray dawn, I nailed up my house's door.

I thought I am doing something awesome, but think about it carefully, I'm just nailing up a door. But the problem is, this is the home I've stayed for 17 years since I was born.

I heard that our king had a bad brother. This brother should have been the king. But he has a very bad personality, his behavior is also a mess, so the House of Lords banished his identity, put his brother into the seat of the Crown Prince.

The story of this banished Crown Prince reminds me one thing that is very consistent with my current situation. This banished prince nailed up his room one day. The internal staffs of the palace were surprised, and asked him the reason, he said:

"My future is out there somewhere, so I have to go outside, but the past I cherish is inside here, so I will come back before I die. Without the past there will be no future, so I want this room sealed until that time."

Then he ran out of the palace, on that day he got banished by the House of Lords.

Yes, no matter what kind of wanderer, in the end there is a place for him to go back. Maybe the home he escaped from, or homeland, even orphans, he has somewhere hiding his precious memories. He will yearn this place throughout his life constantly, and gain the power to continue travelling from the yearn. Conversely, to nail up his own past, means that he is going to put himself to an adventurous future.

Ah! I'm too good in speaking. Because my heart was strangely excited suddenly, I accidentally hammered my finger twice.

I tossed my finger while locked up the workshop, then I put on the harnesses on the horse, began to go to  Karl's home. While the morning mist shrouded around, I've never got lost because of this.

Karl is doing the same works as I did before. He stopped and noticed me, then showed a smile.

"Ah, you are really early, Nedval."

I smiled, took the hammer with nails from him, nailed one in each room. Carl shook his head with a smile.

"You can now control your strength very well. Looks very natural huh?"

"Because I received that kind of ridiculous training everyday. What's on your back?"

There's a longbow on his back. Karl shrugged his shoulders, said:

"Because, after all, it's a trip, we have to be armed, don't we? I still know a little archery."

"But where's Sanson?"

Then there was a sound of hooves, Sanson's shadow appeared in the fog. He hastily stopped the two horses and then jumped down.

"Hah..Hah.... Sorry! You waited long?"

"No, no. We were just ready."

I looked at the face of Sanson, almost laughed out loudly. Sanson's eyes are red. He probably cried in the morning when he stepped out from his home. No, no. Hum, how would he let his father Joyce see him like this... Ahhh!

I approached Sanson. Sanson saw me making a sinister smile and walking towards him, immediately put out a vigilance expression. I suddenly drilled my nose to Sanson's chest, Sanson was scared and stepped back.

"Ah... It smells so good!"

Sanson not just swallowed my bait, even peremptorily swallowed the hook.

"Hey! Huchi, what, what's the smell?"

"You turn really fast! Hehehehe! "

He must have hesitated for a long time, then finally sneaked to see the girl on the way to here.

Then he must hugged and cried with her. I deliberately imitated the sound of a man and a woman said:

"You've just came back, now you are leaving again!"

"I'm sorry, but I am a soldier..... Wouuu, in fact, I don't want to leave too, Wouaaaa!"

"Ah, so this is our destiny? We should use love to face this punishment bravely!"

Sanson's face is turning red and green, I laughed and got on the horse. Karl got to know which one is his horse, then loaded his stuffs on it, then got on the horse with skilled actions. Really good at riding. Envy. But Sanson is still dejected, with a depressed expression. Karl found that Sanson looks lost, began as if to cheer him up.

"Percival, don't worry. We are not going to do something like fighting Amurtaat, are we? And if you can perfectly fulfill your duty in this mission, then its the greatest loyalty to our thane. '

"This, this is certainly! I'll lead the way."

"Do you know the way?"

"Last night I read the geography books until late night. So the path, time, necessary supplies places and estimated speed are all considered."

"Then I trust you, we'll just follow you."

Sanson even made a salute, and then began to walk in front of us. The fog is very thick, and it's forest, so there is no way to run. Therefore, we are slowly walking out of the village.

Once we are outside of the village, Sanson began to accelerate, made the first step to the capital with the speed of a rushing horse. Now the sun is rising, the road ahead us is dyed golden. Such a starting really give us a very good mood. The fog instantly dispersed, we all increased our speed all a sudden. The pain yesterday came back again. My waist is very painful, but because Sanson and Karl are running easily, so I can't be left behind alone too.

The sun is irradiating at our eyes, the wind is striking at our eyelids, it feels warm and cold.

The three of us began riding towards the dawn.

※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※  End of Chapter One  ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

Chapter One: Riding Towards the Dawn (Pt.23)

After a day of work, the adults sitting on the chairs in front of their houses, all widened their eyes greatly. The children in the village are screaming and running in, girls are clenching their hands, looking at us with surprised visions.

My body aches haven't been eliminated, even I'm sitting on the horseback, my whole body is still in pain. And the horse is also same as me. Sanson and I are riding the horses walking on the main road of the village.

"Wow! Noble Lady Jamini's Admirer Knights Huchi is riding!"

I made a miserable smile to the cheering villagers. My whole body is stiff, and I can't control my arms too. Then I saw Jamini who has a flower on her head, playing around with the children in the village. Ah! Really can't take her anymore. Jamini seemed to notice the noises here, turned her head, so the four eyes of us are intersecting.

"Wow!"

The villagers are cheering. They probably think that I'd be like in the stories, picking up Jamini and let her sit on the saddle, and then riding towards the sunset. But in fact I don't have this idea at all. Even if I really want to do this, I can't. Because my body's pain is almost killing me!

Jamini looked at me with astonished eyes, and then came up to me. The villagers originally stood between me and Jamini immediately retreated to both sides. God, these people's actions are really unified. Jamini hesitantly walked over, and then touched the horse's cheek.

"Really beautiful... What's its name?"

"Jamini."

Jamini (The human!) blushed, the villagers began chuckling. In fact she didn't know why I name the horse like this! Jamini with the red face didn't know what to do, looked around for a while, and then touched her head. Then she finally realized there is a flower on her head. Gosh, really stupid.

Jamini took this flower off, put it on the ear of the horse. Surprisingly, Jamini (The horse!) actually stood obediently there and let her put the flower on! How could there be such a guy? Then I found a frightening fact. That is when girls want to turn into another look, they can immediately turn. Jamini who was bouncing around with the village kids just now, now actually turned into some kind of saint, said with a very slim and elegant voice:

"A horse with the same name as me. I'll give you this flower, you have serve your master nicely."

The voice trembled a little, but it's very clear from the beginning to the end.

Then Jamini turned back and ran away. The villagers are cheering again, and I just want to pass away.

I almost got immediately arrested by these people to Sinderella's Song. If it's not Sanson, I would probably be drinking there all night. Sanson said there are a lot of things to be prepared, gently sent away the villagers swarmed around us, I finally managed to escape from there.

Sanson went into the grocery store, asked the boss for the things we need. Tools like bags and ropes on horses, oil lamps, a few bowls, flint and ignition device, needle and thread, knives, iron bars, and a tripod for cooking, kettles, three large buckets... It will take forever to name them all. Anyway, we tied and put all these things on my horse, Sanson's horse, and the horse of Karl that we brought along. And then I followed Sanson to his home.

Blacksmith Joyce didn't say anything, just gave us an oil lamp, pots and pans, knives and hand axes, and gave us some plasters and herbs. Then Sanson's mother gave us some kelp, bacon, flour, corn flour, salt, pepper... Why am I naming them again? Anyway she gave us this kind of stuff. We put these categorized things on the horseback.

Sanson's mother asked me to stay at her home for dinner and sleep for the night, but I declined. Because I still want to tidy up my home a little bit, and I should nail the door, and lots of other things to do. The most important thing is, I want to have a good sleep in my own house today. So I am riding on Jamini, began to go back to my home.

I had stayed in the castle for the past several days, returning home after this long period, it should be quite deserted. Anyway, just take a sleep tonight, going to depart on tomorrow morning, so I don't want to clean up much. Maybe just make a fast dinner, eat and then go to sleep will be fine.

But when I went near my home, I was shocked.

The lamp is lit.

Is that father? No. Father was captured by Amurtaat. I got off from my horse, tied it and pulled out my bastard sword, and went close to my house. Perhaps my father escaped? Although I don't believe that will be the case, soldiers should first go back to the castle. Is that a thief?

Not possible. There is nothing to steal in my home, and in fact there is no thief such kind of characters in our village. A thief probably will not go to such a ghastly place like our village to do business.

So, is that a tramp nearby found that here's empty, so ran into it? This is possible. Our house is quite remote, plus I'm not here for a few days, the atmosphere looks very like an empty house.

"You're a dead. Watch how I finish you."

I'm sneaking up to my house, and then went close to the door. I'm ready to kick the door and rush in, but the door suddenly opened.

"Ah! Hey, Jamini? Uhhhhh!"

Gosh, really awful! Jamini opened the door, and then splashed water, that was all splashed on me. This stupid girl, actually didn't see me standing outside in the dark, and didn't notice me until she splashed all the water in the pot.

"Ah! Huchi, What are you doing here?"

"This question should be asked me!"

"That ask!"

"Uh! Jamini, what are you doing here?"

Don't know why, I feel like I am an idiot. Jamini giggled, then immediately handed me a towel hanged on the wall. I smiled, took off the hard leather, then wiped my body, and then began to rub my armor. Gosh, My hard leather! But this girl, what did she actually do in someone else's home?

"What are you doing here?"

"Preparing dinner! I heard that you are going to the capital tomorrow? Therefore I want to make something tasty for you."

"... You have just washed me, now you can chop me into pieces?"

"Oi, Huchi! You should go to take a bath!"

I stood up and muttered.

"Thank you so much."

"If it's not me, who else will help you to prepare these?"

I smiled, and went outside. Just got splashed by the water, took off my shirt and immediately went outside, so my body is shivering. Oh! Really cold. I deliberately waved my arms, and then went to the bucket nearby and began washing my body.

Ahchooo, ah, so cold.

I generally took the bath, and then went to the woods, brought the other Jamini who was tied back.

Oops, there's actually no place that I can be tie a horse around my house? I worried for a while, and first I unloaded all the things on the horseback, then I found a long rope, tied to the horse's rein, then carried it to the workshop. Because the rope is long enough, if it gets hungry it can go outside finding grass to eat, it can also drink water when it's thirsty.

※ ※

I suddenly envy the Jamini eating grass outside so much, but in order to keep my manner, I said to the Jamini in front of me:

"Thank you, I'm full. It's really a pleasant meal."

This is not a bad thing that someone make a farewell party for me when I leave the village. Even this person's cooking skill is bad enough, but I should be very grateful on her sincerity alone, shouldn't I?

Jamini told me to scoop some water for her, then began washing up the dishes. Well, she looks ridiculously beautiful at the moment. I have to stop thinking this, so I picked up a grindstone, began to grind my sword. Blacksmith Joyce has sharpened it very well, so there is no need to spend much time to grind it. This kind of daily grind, is to prevent it from rusting, and its life can be extended.

Then Jamini was like recalled something, patted her hands.

"Hey! Huchi, don't you feel bothered holding this sword with your hands and running around?"

"Huh? What, I have to do that."

"But you can't travel like this. Let me see... Do you have any leather band or spare belt?"

I tilted my head, went to the workshop and picked a leather band over. Jamini immediately came up with a needle and thread, started making a belt tying on my scabbard.

Damn. She is so beautiful.

※

Chapter One: Riding Towards the Dawn (Pt.18)

"Oh! Noble Lady Jamini's Admirer, Knight Huchi!"

"Ughhhhhhhhhhhh!"

I actually charged into those kids in the village, even I feel myself very outrageous. The problem is my mouth. Why did I shout that name? Probably within three months, I would be called the Noble Lady Jamini's Admirer Knight Huchi.

I saw Karl walked out from the bookstore. He raised his hand and said to me: "Hey, Knight Huchi!"

...It might be for my entire life.

"Karl! Don't say that!"

"Well, are you denying the truth you shouted in your last minutes?"

"At that minute I was crazy! My brain was burned out! No, you know, people with such a stupid mind like me, sometimes would say something inexplicable."

Do I have to belittle myself like this? Karl smiled slightly, and said to Tyburn behind me:

"How are you, Tyburn. Today you are going to continue that kind of training? Then I would also like to watch."

"Come if you want to watch. Don't you see the large group of people behind us?"

That is true. A large crowd of villagers is behind us.

The fall harvest was over, so the people in the village don't have much to do, hence my training process becomes their great time killer. So every morning, once Tyburn and I left Sinderella's Song, we would surely hear someone yelling "Oh! Noble Lady Jamini's Admirer, Knight Huchi", then the residents would gradually gather and follow us. Well that's fine, but someone even carried a picnic basket and came, what the heck is that? Karl seems to come to the village to look for some books, then he heard the news. He is very pleased to join our team. Once he joined, old Métis from the brewery asked:

"Hey, Karl? Which side will you bet on?"

"Bet what?"

"Bet whose name Huchi will shout today. Because Jamini is now dominating the vote, so if you bet on other people, the potential winnings is very high. Don't you know? Recently, many little girls came to seduce Huchi, also begged him to shout their names. "

Karl turned to an ironic expression, and I was staring at Métis, can't wait to bite him. But Métis looks like he doesn't care at all. Another man next to him said:

"Oi,  Métis, Huchi should be dead today, right?"

"Should be. Tyburn said he is going to summon Chimera."

I would probably go mad, jump around and then prematurely die because of a heart attack. Tyburn isn't even helping me to learn how to adjust my strength. In fact, we can see a lot of monsters in our village every day, but everytime he could summon something we have never seen, extremely tough to fight phantoms of monsters. Because those are just illusions, although it is not really deadly, but the fightings are very vivid, which makes me very nervous.

"Why don't you summon something like Kobold?"

"Aren't you wearing OPG? At least have to find something well-matched with you."

"Do you mean Chimera is well-matched with me?"

"You won't die anyway, what are you complaining about?"

"But the feeling of getting killed is very bad!"

Tyburn is just giggling. The moment of death feels really bad. No matter it's got hit the paws of a Gargoyle, rolling on the ground and watching the Gargoyle flying up, or caught by tail of a Lamia, hearing the sound of my broken ribs, feeling the breath blowing from the Lamia to my face, the kind of frightening and nasty feeling really can't be described in words. Ah, here I want to defend for myself. I actually chopped off the head of the Gargoyle finally, and the naked body of the Mermaid... It's a bit embarrassing, so I ran to its back, pulled off its wings. They are just illusions, is there anything to fear? My wounds are also illusions, I won't actually get any real injury.

However, today Tyburn is going to call out the illusion of Chimera . God. Just kill me directly. I wanted to beg him to at least let me die with a bit dignity! But the villagers simply disregarded my feelings, came to watch like going to picnic, so I feel even more miserable.

"Don't be so sad. You have now improved so much."

Jamini gently patted my shoulder. Well I now rarely carelessly turn my body because of my strength. To some extent you can say that I can already manipulate my power. But I'm just a candle maker! Not a formally trained soldier. Even I am wearing OPG, there is no way for me to defeat a Chimera.

"Huh? What's that sound?"

Tyburn suddenly said the strange words. I looked at Tyburn.

"Hustle footsteps, should be soldiers. What happened?"

After a while, I actually saw many soldiers running to us. His ear is really good! The soldiers saw the villagers and Tyburn stood in front of them, they ran more hastily and cried out:

"Mr. Tyburn! Urgent, there is a critical patient!"

What? Critical patient?

"Tyburn, I carry you!"

Apart from anything else, I put Tyburn on my back immediately. For the weight of Tyburn, I don't feel heavy at all, I started running and shouted:

"What critical patient could be inside the castle? "

The villagers were also shocked, hurriedly began to run. The soldiers ran to me, talked to Tyburn who's on my back:

"This morning a soldier from the crusade came back, but he is seriously injured. Deacon Hamel told us to hurry up and get Mr. Tyburn there..."

What? Crusade? Is that the Amurtaat crusade? Not just injured, but only one soldier. The other people, including the commander didn't come back, but only a soldier came back? Tyburn behind me said gloomily:

"I have a bad feeling about this."

Once we arrived the castle, we found that Deacon Hamel were already waiting for us impatiently at the mansion's entrance. Deacon Hamel saw me carrying Tyburn, immediately opened the entrance door, took us into the hall. And he didn't allow other poeple in.

"Patients need to a quiet place, you surely must want to know what happened immediately. But please bear with me first."

"Wait a minute! Mr deacon. You said only one person came back? What happened?"

"Please calm down. I will explain later!"

"Hey! Then who came back? You should tell us this first?"

Hamel silently shook his head, looks like he only wants to let Tyburn in. Deacon Hamel saw me carrying Tyburn, made an unhappy expression, but I am now not just Tyburn's eyes, but also his legs. So finally Hamel let me in. Then Hamel looked at Karl.

"Karl, you may come in too."

Karl nodded his head, and went inside. After the three of us entered, Deacon Hamel "bang" and shut the door, and then we didn't have time to listen to the noises made by those residents outside, the soldiers brought us upstairs.

I can't control my tension. Could he be dad? He must have to be dad! Though he's seriously injured, but still better than never coming back. But when I went in, who lying on the bed in the second floor bedroom is a young soldier. He is even an unknown heavy infantry from the capital.

He looks nothing like a dying man. Although I don't know how should a dying man look like, his face has nothing unusual, he not just didn't sweat, but also didn't moan. However, when the maid removed the sheet,  moan came from my mouth.

"Why are you yelling?"

I can't answer Tyburn's question. The soldier's face is pale, but he is still with a calm expression. However, there is a very serious wound starting from his chest to his abdomen. It's not several wounds, but only one wound, now we can even see his ribs. I put down Tyburn, my head is dizzy.

Karl seized Tyburn's hand, and brought him to the soldier, although I am dizzy, I followed them. Tyburn touched the wound with his fingertips. The soldier wrinkled his brows, but didn't reveal any expression of pain. Instead, he asked Tyburn first:

"You are the wizard deacon mentioned?"

"Yes. How did you actually become like this? No, now it's not the time to speak. Huchi!"

"Yes, I'm here!"

"The hot water should be ready?"

"There it is."

I wet the towel, wanted to hand it to Tyburn, but I soon decided to wipe the wound of the soldier by myself. While I am wiping the wound, Tyburn began to cast. In the few days with Tyburn, I found that when he's casting a simple spell, he doesn't use the power of the tattoos on his body, it seems he doesn't even need to recite the spell. But when he's using a complex magic, for example, calling Balrog or a series of spells, his tattoos would glow.

Now Tyburn's tattoo are emitting a very strong light. So, if his body is glowing to this point, he should also need to recite a long spell. His tattoos continued to glow, he put his hands into the wound of the soldier, the soldier is just blankly watching Tyburn plucking his wound. Tyburn couldn't see, but Karl and I are almost fainted because of the endurance of the soldier.

"Really amazing. A worthy soldier of Earl Huritchell."

Karl is praising the soldiers that when someone is repairing his internal organs, the soldier didn't even make a single cry. Surprisingly, the soldier actually made a wry smile. Is this really a human? I looked at his broken organs getting pushed back by the hands of Tyburn, I am simply almost scared to death. I retreated with a sallow complexion. Tyburn continued his work at hand, and asked Karl:

"Although the artery is not injured, the problem is muscles. Karl, do you want to prepare a bit?"

Karl nodded, immediately remembered that he needs say "Yes", then began asking needle and thread from the maids, also mentioned the names of several herbs, asked them to bring those over quickly. As far as I know, Karl read many medical books, but the several herbs he assigned, are common things that even I know. Although the wound is terribly large, in fact it's very simple, so the herbs needed are simple too.

The maids hurriedly ran away, Karl immediately took a bowl and cooked it in the boiling water.  The maids brought back a lot of herbs, Karl wanted crumble them by himself, but he changed his mind and said:

"Knight Huchi can you help? Please help me to make these into powder. Wash your hands first."

I washed my hands, then knead those things into powder. My gloves are stained with herb powder, but does it matter? After I made them into powder, Karl immediately mixed them up, put them all into the water and cook. So even the proportion of the prescription is very simple. Karl said to Tyburn:

"It's ready."

"Good. Cook the needle and thread a bit."

Karl already put the needle and the line into the boiling water. The flashing light on Tyburn's body suddenly disappeared, he pulled his hands out from the wound. I glanced the soldier's face, he was admiringly looking at Tyburn's clever hands which played in his wound, seems to feel very interesting. God... Then Tyburn stick his tongue helplessly.

"This wound is really strange. Anyway, my eyes can't see, there is no way to sew it. Karl?"

Karl went to the front and began to sew the wound. The maids next to him are turning to blue faces, I think my face is probably not much better. The flash reflecting by the needle going through flesh made us almost fainted. But Karl is just quietly stitching, the soldier watching the needle going through his own flesh, is like looking at a seamstress sew his clothes. Karl looked at the soldier and said:

"You're really amazing."

"I'm flattered."

After Karl finished, Tyburn instructed the maids to wrap the wound with a bandage, then moved to the back. I shifted a chair, let him sit down.

"This wound is really strange."

"This soldier should have been dead. Look at the wound, looks like it's been there for three or four days, he may never live up till now. Shouldn't we feel marvelous at human's potential?"

Tyburn shook his head like he couldn't understand. The soldier heard these words and smiled, but he was drinking the drug tuned by Karl, so he didn't answer. I brought a bowl and went to Tyburn, Tyburn washed his hands and said:

"Because I've treated it, so he wouldn't die. But his visceral injuries are heavy, it's not possible to reinstate as before. He won't be able to eat and digest properly. Muscles will have problems too. Looking forward to once again taking a sword to battle? That could be unreasonable... Because of this injury, it would be difficult for him to do even daily things. Might just as we often see, he'd become a beggar in the name of  'A brave wounded warrior' ?"

Then Karl spoke.

"Fortunately things will not be that bad. Tyburn you can't see, but this man has an identity. He is wearing a ring with a family emblem on it."

The soldier shook his head, wanted to say something, but Tyburn spoke faster:

"Is he? Then he would become a cumbersome aristocratic home patient."

The soldier made a wry smile. Tyburn continued to say outspokenly:

"I probably can guess the situation."

I swallowed.

"This wound is not caused by weapons. Certainly it's Amurtaat wanted him to bring some messages, so she made this soldier half dead half alive, and then sent him back."

Clatter! I dropped the bowl to the ground. Tyburn stared at me with his non-functional eyes.

"That... That means, we lost?"

Chapter One: Riding Towards the Dawn (Pt.17)

※ ※ ※ ※

The next day, I went to Sinderella's Song with the uneasy feeling.

Tyburn clearly said he'd help me, that probably means teaching me. Become a wizard's disciple... Sounds awesome. Although he is blind, and he is a sorcerer, he actually is able to arbitrarily dictate Balrog, he might also be versed in some kind of blind swordsmanship. I don't know whether there is blind swordsmanship such a thing on the world, but it seems often appears in stories, doesn't it? So I fully armed and went into Sinderella's Song.

On the main road in the village, finding that people fled quickly and quietly once they saw me, I sighed. Hum, anyway, when I entered Sinderella's Song, I found that Tyburn is just as usual, drinking milk.

"Tyburn! Let's go."

"Okay. Really, why are you so excited today?"

Then it's the same routine like everyday, we went to the castle first. I am with a excited look, nonetheless Tyburn is yawning, walking slowly. When we arrived the castle, the guards were as usual, finished breakfast, leaving the castle. Tyburn said:

"I said I'd help you right? Oi, Turner, is Turner here?"

Turner ran over. Tyburn heard his footsteps, said before he began:

"I have one thing to request you! Can you sort out the training ground?"

"Huh? What do you want..."

Tyburn whispered some words with Turner, Turner showed a surprised expression.

"Huh? How could..."

"Because this guy's brain, we have to do it. Yesterday you should have heard of what this guy stirred up?"

"Really. You are really eccentric. I understand."

Tyburn then crossed his arms, and began to wait. I looked at Turner blankly, and Turner looked at me with his eyes saying sorry, then said:

"No choice. Listen! All guards on the training ground, form four rows, sit down at the left side in the training ground."

"Why?"

"Mr. wizard said he is going to show you a great show."

The soldiers moved to the back with expectant faces, after the whole team sat down. Turner said:

"We're ready."

"Are you? Huchi, you go to stand in the middle of the training ground."

Although I don't know the reason, I obediently went over where he said. Wow! Really lonely. Standing in this position, every movement will draw all the attention of the people around. Tyburn nodded to this embarrassing face that he couldn't see, then he put his hands together, began to cast. What does he want to do?

"Wow, look at that!"

The soldiers are all showing amazed expression. Once Tyburn started reciting the spell, something drilled past immediately underground in front of me. The dirt bounced and popped up, small stones are splashing everywhere. I was shocked, so I stepped back. A graphic began to emerge on the ground. The graphic is a great circle, there are also other complex patterns and text inside it.

Once the graph was completed, black smoke started quacking, there is the smell of sulfur. Ah? Isn't it a show? Is he going to call Balrog again? I am staring at the graph, my eyes are almost protruding. Then the pattern started glowing, glowing in all directions like a circle, after a while, the light disappeared completely, I found a thing standing there.

That's Sanson! No, no, Ogre!

The frighteningly wide shoulder, thin waist, thighs as thick as my waist. Looks like the whole body is filled with the word "destruction". Strong physique, even if estimates carefully, it has six cubits height, the shoulder has three cubits wide. The ugly head is scarily big, but compared with the shoulder, the head looks a bit small. The weapon in its hand, can't tell it's a sword or an ax, looks like a Khopesh. A normal sword has its blade and shank separated, but a Khopesh has its body and handle made out of the same piece of iron. The destructive power of such weapons is not on their blades, but on their weight. Seems to be suitable for an ogre?

I did really think so many things in a glance. Tyburn asked Turner:

"Seems it has came out, hasn't it"

"Yes, yes, yes, you really want to summon this thing?"

"Yes. Huchi? Go."

He, he, he said what? What did that mean? Told me to go to fight a ogre?

"Ah, forgot to tell you one thing, that glove is OPG."

"OPG?"

"Ogre Power Gauntlet."

"Huh!"

God! Why didn't I think of it? I now remember one thing Karl told me:

"Nedval, monsters are different from human even on their own subjectivity. Mankind, take you as an example: Imagine one day when you go on a road, found a man with exactly the same appearance as you are, the tone of his speech is also the same. He saw you then he would be startled, and asks you who you are, then what would you feel? You might go mad. But human's mind is flexible, so after the surprise disappeared, you would probably start thinking about how this could happen. For example, you might think that you have a twin brother never met before. But monster's mind is not flexible like human. When their own subjectivity got threatened, they will blindly want to kill each other. So if you get items with monster ability it could be good thing, but at the same time it is also a dangerous thing. People with the "Heart of Salamander", they don't have worry even got spit by flame of a Red Dragon, but if they get into  Salamanders, it may be dangerous. While people with " Ogre Power Gauntlet" can compete with Golems, but once they met Ogres, they will have to fight until one side is dead."

Fighting to the death? God! That ogre is shocked, looked around, and then it started staring at me in front of it. In that moment, the ogre's temple started to wiggle.

"Gal lah lah lah... That glove!"

I will give it back to you, I am so sorry, I originally didn't know that this is OPG, which was given by that blind wizard to me. You look at that wizard, doesn't he look treacherous? Compared with him how do I look, you've probably never seen such an extremely innocent face right?

Why it doesn't say anything? The ogre seems like it has no comment, and raised its Khopesh, began roaring.

"Gung ah ah ahhhhhhhh!"

"Ty - Burn -! I -Must - Slaughter - You!"

The ogre saw me wearing OPG, didn't even ask why, started waving its Khopesh to me. This time my crotch  didn't get wet, but I pulled out my bastard sword, Actually I feel a little proud. Because the Khopesh is moving very slowly, so I could barely see it and to geared it down. Bang! Is it the sound of sword collided with sword? I feel as if all my joints are scattered.

Don't know what Tyburn is happy about, he giggled, then went into the building. What surprised me was, Turner actually just sighed a bit, and then went to sit in front of the soldiers.

"All of you just quietly stay here and watch. Pass these words to the next person."

Turner finished, and then said something to the leftmost soldier, and then they passed it accordingly. All the soldiers turned to a surprised expression, started discussing.

"Although the wizard's temperament is very weird, this is too..."

"Ah, so it means, if Huchi dies then he can't help, if Huchi survives, then he can start making guidance, right?"

"He said if Huchi is dying, then we help?"

"Yes, Huchi, in order to make us a little easier, even if you are going to die, please bring it some injuries before you die."

I am going nuts, the truly most poisonous curse emerge from my mouth:

"All of you, at the wedding night, will be - Im - Po - Tence! "

The soldiers began laughing. Damn it! The soldiers would help when I am dying? Isn't it now? The ogre is not lenient for a second, as if it's anxious to see my body divided into paragraphs, charging straight over, I hastily waved my arm to block it. From a dispassionate observer, it would be a nice show. Unfortunately, I am not a dispassionate observer, but the victim involved. Plus I still don't know how to adjust my strength, so once I fully waved my arm to the right, even my whole body would begin to turn right. Because I took these strange actions, so the ogre's Khopesh either hit an unexpected place, or blocked my sword in an unexpected place. But speaking of the feeling of the weapons colliding... If it's not OPG, my arms would have long been cut off, but now my strength is same as the ogre's.

Huh? Oh right. Our strengths are the same, aren't they?

"You piece of crap! I am as strong as you! So... Go to hell!"

"Quack!"

Wow, I am shocked. Because I saw what I've done. I am too surprised, so my whole body tensed up. I drew a beautiful wound on the ogre's waist. The ogre began spurting, it hesitated, and began to recede. If I was a little experienced soldier, I wouldn't miss this moment, but would rush to finish it, but I just lost my soul and wildly standing there.

"Huchi! Come on! Charge now!"

Because of the soldiers' cry, I suddenly returned to sanity. But the ogre has also set its posture, pointed its sword at me. Aw, what a shame! I have no choice, only can act like it, pointed my sword at it, and entered a state of confrontation. We casually waved our weapons for a while, then the battle entered the second stage. The ogre and I are very carefully moving our steps, began to walk around a circle. Certainly the ogre is more careful, I am just with a crying face, moving in the opposite direction of the ogre. But if we take away my face, this is still a very exciting scenes. Soldiers said admiringly:

"Nice! This footwork is pretty good huh?"

"Your feet should stick more closely to the ground, walk like sliding!"

I chest almost exploded with anger.

"Don't just sit there and move your mouths, come and help me, you are all murder accomplices!"

"Hey, did a dog bark? Or chicken?"

"Because of Tyburn's request, we can't help you. When you are going to die, we will go to help."

"Hey, we should decide, if Huchi unfortunately died here, who is going to notice Jamini? Why don't we ballot?"

"Ah! No. I am always the worst luck in ballots!"

Are these guys human? I swear to Helkanes, if I don't die, I will definitely not let these soldiers away! No, should I do it now?

"Hey, Ogre my friend. I have to go to deal with those soldiers first, I'll come back and play with you, okay?"

The ogre's answer to my proposal, is raised its Khopesh aloft and chopped down heavily. Ha! I'm well prepared for this! I mean, I have determined to make use of the fact that "As long as my arm waved, my body would turn". So I swang my sword upward from the bottom, bounced off the sword of the ogre, followed the momentum to do a backflip, again strike upward from the bottom. The ogre was afraid of it's chin getting cut by my sword, quickly stepped back. Why is my sword so short!

"Wow!! Awesome, Huchi!"

I gasped and moved back. In fact, even I've already done it, I'm still very doubtful about the move. Did I really do it? But the evidence immediately emerged. My lower back is pain like it's broken.

"Woo... This is really not kidding."

Once waist is paralyzed, the whole body can't move. But ogre's chin almost got cut off, so though it's very angry, it doesn't dare to rush in. It seems to find that if its slow sword can't strike me in one hit, it will be in danger. The ogre started to measure the distance. Ah! This is bad, its arms are much longer than mine! If it's given a proper distance, it will even be more unfavorable to me. If this's the case, then I will take the initiative to grab the distance suits me!

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!"

I'm charging straight forward. If I can get over its sword, that's within the length of the ogre's arm, it won't be able to do anything to me. Didn't Sanson do this when he was fighting the trolls? I am readily waving my sword, rushing forward.

But that guy is much more experienced than me. Woo, shit, its foot suddenly kicked me. My stomach was kicked by a leg thick like a column of the castle, so I flew back. Rolling on the floor, in my eyes, emerged the backlit shadow of the ogre jumping up to sky. Looks like it wants to slash down with the momentum. But at this moment.

"Go to hell!"

No matter how strong it is,  it's difficult to move the body in the air. So I straightened my back, stabbed my sword straight upward.

"Goo Woo!"

Before the Khopesh split my head, I utilized its falling force to pierce its abdomen. The ogre's mouth began to bleed. I did it!

But even the ogre has been stabbed, it still raised its sword. Ah!

"My sword is stuck in its stomach. What are you still doing there? Save me now! Ah, no time!" 

The ogre made a strange cry, slammed the Khopesh down.

"Jamini - !"

Goodbye, those, compared to close, I rather say foes-like, friends. Goodbye, my, compared to beloved I rather say appalling, 17 years of life. Goodbye, my candle pot. Now, who else would get you polished shiny? A candle maker should live like a candle maker, why ran to be a disciple of  a wizard... I am now experienced with death, I can tell you, the so-called death is... Huh? Jeering by soldiers, sitting on the ground blankly?

I still maintain the posture of stabbing my sword to the sky, sitting in the central of the training ground confusedly. The soldiers began rolling on the floor and laughing. Turner laughed and said:

"Oh, oh, boy. That's fake."

So-called fake means that's not real, if it is not real, then it is fake...

"Illusion!"

Plop, I threw myself on the ground. Tyburn! Tyburn! This damn old man, actually tricked me! Ah, I feel so unfair! It's dead unfair! The soldiers started to make real fun of me.

"You heard that? 'Jamini -!' That's so cool."

"Sure. Aw, really envy. Whose name should I shout when I'm going to die? Mom?"

"Oi, Huchi. You shouldn't shout like that at the time. In fact you should learn the knights who say:" The noble lady who owns the key of my soul, Jamini!"

I blinked, and stood up. The soldiers' laughter gradually stopped. After a while, these soldiers looked at me with uncomfortable eyes.

"Huchi?"

I made the most scary face I could make.

"Now you are going to try, whose name you will shout when you're going to die!"

Charge! The soldiers started running in the training ground, and I am chasing them grimly. But the soldiers are still at ease while escaping, keep making fun of me.

"Jamini! Your knight is coming to kill us. Help!"

"Wahhhhh! I will never let you escape! "

Why doesn't OPG accelerate the speed of a person running? In that morning I finally realized, to catch up a soldier who practice running everyday, is not a easy task!

Chapter One: Riding Towards the Dawn (Pt.13)

※ ※ ※

In the end Jamini is still coming with me. She looks like that she has to watch how I spend this money. But for me, once I got this large money on my hand, my eyes are completely dark. Usually I wanted to get a lot, do a lot, but once I have the real money, I don't know what to do.

"Weapon... Equipment... Weapon... Equipment... Right, buy a sword!"

I always wanted to get a good sword. In my age, boys without such a desire, where to find? But what driving me crazy is, I can't think of any place to buy a sword at the moment.

"Are you going to the blacksmith shop?

Gran Elver! You finally did something right! Among all the innocent girls you bless, the most silly one, actually got the phrase! But that's not my thought.

"No. We should go to the tavern. Making one in the blacksmith shop takes too much time... In the tavern, there are swords mortgaged as the paid for drink, we can get one easily."

Actually, I put my idea on the bastard sword of Auntie Hanna in "Sindirella's Song". Now she treats the sword as an useless object., however, why would she attempt to tell the blacksmiths to forge it into wine cups! Fortunately, Sanson's father Joyce, which is the boss of the blacksmith shop stopped her immediately, told her that this steel can't make cups. As a result, she muttered to blame whether herself was crazy, actually received something useless to offset the drinks, then threw it to somewhere. That was a long time ago, but I can still remember.

I guess no one would take it, so it should still be there. All the guards of the city have great weapons (weapons from deceased), so they won't move that thing, Apart from them, who else would want it?

※

"What did you just say?"

Aunite Hanna's eyes opened widely. I shrugged and answered:

"You didn't get what I said? I said I will pay you a lot of money, please give that sword to me."

Jamini beside is looking at me with admiring eyes. Jamini is afraid of her own mother, so she is always timid in front of middle-aged women of a similar age. I dare to make deals with Auntie Hanna like this, she immediately looked at me with infinite respect.

"That thing is still here... What do you want it for?"

"All you have to do is accept the money. What do I want it for, should be my own business right?"

See, Jamini. I am such a man. I am an awe-inspiring awesome man. Although you have a very good vision, and actually dare to like me, but for you, I am like an unclimbably tall tree.

Yes, Huchi. I was too stupid. The naive young girl doesn't realize the thing in front of her eyes is a sun fell on the ground, if try to touch it, of course she will be hurt. My heart hurts too, all of these are due to my behavior. Please forgive me, woo woo.

No. Poor girl. My fate makes me continue to hurt girls like you. I'm really sorry.

But I have no choice. You can only blame that I am too handsome.

"Why are you keeping your mouth open like this?"

Uh, what was that. I went too far. Auntie Hanna is looking at me and the bastard sword in her arms with a worried face. the sword. When I held out my hand to the sword, Auntie Hanna slapped my hand.

"Ouch!"

"You lad! I had definitely never thought of giving this thing to such a naughty kid like you, but you should now also want to protect yourself. If you don't want to make candles for your entire life, then this might be useful to you."

"Are you selling it or not?"

"I don't plan to sell it. Take it, I wanted to give it to you anyway, didn't expect that you would come to get it by yourself. Take it."

Auntie Hanna said, while handed me the bastard sword. I looked at Auntie Hanna with surprised eyes, and then said:

"A mighty warrior should pay the price for his weapon, so..."

Whack! Ouch, my head.

This thing is really troublesome tough. I want put it around my waist, but my belt not just doesn't have any sword holder things on it, it's also very fragile. So I not only will often touch the blade, it may even fall to the ground any time. And I know that belt with scabbard must have to be strong. I don't know. I have to hold the sword with my left hand and run around like this.

Even knowing my situations, Jamini is still looking at me almost with respecting eyes. I noticed that her line of sight, so my body is even straighter, walking forward proudly. Jamini doesn't dare to come close to me, so she is following me with a distance. She took a deep breath, then looked at me.

"Hmm, hmm, Huchi, where are you going?"

"Grind my sword."

"Then, then you are going to the blacksmith shop?"

"Sure."

Jamini heard my short and cool answers, she seems a bit cringed. Ah, feel so good. I lifted my chin, deliberately not looking at Jamini, continued to walk.

I probably lifted my chin too high. Doh! Aw, damn! Whose horse! Dare to shit on the way of a warrior? If I find it, then I'll immediately put it.... No, no, first find out who is its master, then put it..."

Jamini laughed her ass of, then came to help me. I completely flushed, grabbed her hand and stood up. Then I took the hay from Jamini who is still laughing, used it to wipe my pants. It's the historic day of me wearing a sword for the first time, why is it like this? All people around is scoffing. Jamini blushed and said:

"Don't laugh! Is it funny?"

Jamini is actually helping me, I really appreciate it, alright, I decided. Jamini, I will sacrifice a bit. Probably there won't be any stupid man want you to go with him. Only if I get a wife earlier, the rest of men on the world will feel relieved, so I am seriously considering to get marry with you... God, looks like I got crazy.

※ 

Blacksmith Joyce saw a 17-year-old boy came, said to him with a cool face:  "Grind the sword for me.", he expressed all his confusions with a simple sentence.

"Who are you delivering it to?"

"This sword is mine!"

"...If you want to use one, compared to this, how about that sword?"

I saw the wooden sword Sanson's brother used to play, but I didn't get angry. I came up with a simple solution. Joyce saw the 100 Purcell gold cion I took out, scratched his head.

"Damn. It may take a whole day to give change to you."

Hey, this uncle saw such a valuable gold coin, actually only reacted like this? I didn't say anything else, sat down on a wooden barrel nearby. Jamini saw the flying sparks, the noisy sound, so she doesn't want to come close, but watching a few steps behind me.

Joyce is muttering while checking the sword. Suddenly his eyes emitted strange colors.

"This is a sword in fantasy."

I swallowed nervously. Joyce stared at the blade with sharp eyes and said:

"If this is a sword, then an air rifle is a siege weapon."

Jamini laughed loudly, thumped my shoulder. I am half sad, half angry, and discouraged to say:

"Really that bad?"

"Just kidding."

"......"

Is it funny? Joyce winked at me, then Jamini laughed even louder.

"It should be that sword from Hanna right? This is a sword that had been used for a long time. If you want to treat this kind of thing, it's bit bother. Because it's too stiff. And looks didn't get good care, just got casually put somewhere. If you want to use a sword for a long time, you have maintain it everyday."

Then Joyce took out a hammer without saying a word, pulled down the tack on the sword grip. Then he put my sword into the furnace. After plugging it in, Joyce immediately picked up other materials, and began to craft other items. Uh, uh, if this continues, my sword will totally melt! Although I am very anxious, but I am still sitting there. Because someone helped me to cry out. Jamini said:

"Keeping it there won't be a problem?"

Hearing Jamini's question, Joyce nodded. He spent quite a while to craft a sickle, and I am so anxious that all my organs almost exploded, Joyce then finally gave a glance to the furnace, and then slowly put on his gloves, clipped the sword out with the pincers.

I am surprised and gazed at sword.

The bastard sword is blazing and emitting white light, like a sword-shaped flame. In the dark blacksmith shop, Joyce who is holding the shining sword, looks really like King Rhuterino. Other blacksmiths are also looking admiringly at the sword Joyce holding. Joyce smiled and said:

"Not bad. If you don't do this, then the sword can't be used."

Joyce muttered something that I don't understand, then place the sword on the anvil and began tapping . Clang! Clang! Clang!  Hey, what's happening? Looks like he is making a new sword?

"No tenacity. Surface is very uneven. The latches are a little crooked. "

Joyce appropriately tapped a few times, to flatten the surface, the crooked latches are also knocked back to position, then he clipped the sword to into a bucket. Quenching? But Joyce isn't quenching as many times as usual, just soaked into the water twice. He said to me:

"Now it's the final step. Don't need to quench anymore."

"Huh... Huh?"

Joyce took out a grindstone. Sa..Sa.. Started to grind the sword when he replied:

"In face a completed sword can't be put into the fire again. But this one hasn't been maintained for too long , it's blunt, unlikely to sharpen it's blade as original with grindstones. It had no tenacity too. This metal is steel from Zypern. The weapons from Zypern usually didn't get quenched enough, so their swords are unlikely to bend, but also because of this, if they slash with it a lot, the steel will lose its tenacity, so sometimes when it encounters bones or armors, it won't even bend if they are bad luck, but directly breaks into fragments. Only with a good quenching, steel can become durable. "

Joyce's note with the 'Sa Sa' sound of grinding, sounds a great sense of rhythm. Jamini was scared when she heard the sentences about slashing bones, she grabbed my shoulders. But my concern is something else.

"Do you mean that, the one who used this sword before, used it for a long time?"

"Right. So he used it very conveniently. Had maintained pretty good in the beginning."

Joyce grinded my sword a few time like joking, and then clipped the grip on it, fixed with nails. Joyce put the sword into a scabbard, and then gave it to me.

"Try to pull it out!"

I swallowed, and then held the grip. Cling!

Woo, wooah. My God, my heart. All the hair on my arms erected. The sword issued soft sound, after played around a bit by Joyce, now when I pull, it emits the sound that stimulates my heart. Jamini simply pasted on my post-shoulders, is revealing only her eyes looking, while gasping loudly. She made my neck itchy, at the same time hindered my action of pulling out the sword.

I pulled the entire sword out, then Joyce told me worriedly:

"Do not imitate those soldiers touching the blade with the thumb. This sword is now sharp enough to shave."

Oh, I am shocked. Because my hand is going to touch the blade. I'm embarrassingly watching the sword thoroughly. The chill issuing from the blade freezes my heart, the shining surface can even show the reflection of my face. Joyce gave me a whetstone and towel.

"I don't know what extent you can reach, however, regardless who it is, when you break a sword, you will learn, so it doesn't matter. You have to spare a time every day to grind the sword. You don't have to grind much now, one or two times will be fine. Nevertheless with the lapse of time, you may need to grind it more and more."

Joyce then took a breath, and went to a side of the blacksmith shop, found out his wallet and started counting money with twittering sound. He is probably counting how much change he needs to give me. After a while, other blacksmiths also ran to him, those half-naked, shiny men because of sweat are counting coins. The look seems to interest Jamini.

"He he hee..."

But I don't have extra effort to project my eyes to that direction. My whole spirit is concentrated on my bastard sword. Really awesome. Built for combat, a well functional body, sharp, and long enough, and very smooth. The blade around, the only mission is to hurt the enemy's body. The humming bloodthirsty top of the sword has driven to me to distraction. Then it's the cross-guard and grip. The old leather wrapped on the grip, seems pasted on my hand tightly. Should I replace the leather? No, no. Seems like changing anything on this, will likely ruin the sword.

I plug the sword back into the scabbard. But different to prior, due to the terribly sharpness, once I think of the bloodthirsty thing held in my left hand, my palm began to itch. My shoulder shrinked slightly, crossed my arms on my chest, then I looked up to the heaven with the most sincere face I can make.

Upinel, look! Today a swordsman was born, he is going to practice the law of Helkanes on this land. My hands practice the law, but they are only slaves of my soul. So I will dedicate my soul to you. Look! It's me. Please don't forget, Upinel! Er...Er... Don't know why, my tears almost to flow out.

"Huchi! Hurry up, get the grindstone and the towel. "

Damn... Damn, damn, damn girl! Ruined my great moment! Although I muttered, I still received those things. I wrapped the grindstone in the towel, put it into my pocket. Then Joyce came over and sighed.

"No matter how I counted I don't have enough. Do you need an armor?"

Oh. Almost forgot. Armor? Well, sure. Once I nodded, Joyce showed a "I knew you would say yes" face, smiled and went to the corner of the blacksmith shop and began searching. He picked a hard leather armor which matches my physique, and then took over. I want the piece of chain mail beside more, but that one is so expensive, and I don't have the courage to walk around in the village with it, so forget about that.

"You know how to make candles right? You should know how to handle grease?"

"Of course!"

For iron armors, the biggest problem is moisture. But iron is a very robust material. In comparison, leather armors even the tanning process were done well, are still very vulnerable. If someone say they found mold on an armor, it must be a leather armor. But often coating grease on a leather armor, can allow it to be used for a much longer time. And when it comes to handling grease, are there any people better than me? Isn't me a candler maker who uses bee wax and grease? I can even coat oil on my sword to make it slippery. Or shoould I coat it with an entire layer of wax, make it water-proof?

Because leather armors are soft like clothes, can directly drill into it by head, so I easily put it on. Below the neck part it separates into two sides, both sides have attached hinge holes. Of course that's the place for the strings to connect. I took over the strings from Joyce, and started to put them on clumsily. Jamini chuckled.

"Let me do it. So you will be able to open it."

I obediently gave the strings to Jamini. She leaned against my chest, and started connecting the strings.

"Hush Hush!"

What's wrong? Those blacksmiths are looking at us and started yelling and whistling. Jamini's cheeks blushed. Well, in this scene, I am also very much like the legendary King Rhuterino. I am standing striaight disposedly, and Jamini is nested in my chest, busy putting the strings on. Isn't this like the king and the maid?

Joyce smiled and said:

"It looks like the noble lady and the knight apprentice in the stories."

What, what, what!

Nevermind, I also bought a pair of boots, even bought a pair of gloves. I feel like flying in the sky, so became very kind and generous, I bought a set of dress for Jamini too. I seemed like being carried away, one hundred Purcell were instantly gone. Anyway, Jamini is so happy that she started to bounce. Looking at her face, my mood is not bad too.