Ch 140
Early morning, before the sun had fully risen.
Lisir, awakening from sleep, first attempted to perform his usual routine.
After loosening his body with stretching, he would lightly engage in training.
For the past few days,
due to various matters, including resonance with Zallak, he had been forced to omit this routine.
Lisir engaged in stretching, feeling a strange sense of stability.
And, just as he finished stretching and was about to begin training,
-Lisir!
Zallak began, saying that the Holy Sword Jallak was waiting.
-What sudden wind is this! Training this early in the morning!
For the past few days,
Zallak had been with Lisir, watching over him.
As far as Zallak knew, this was the first time Lisir had diligently trained this early in the morning.
Perhaps that’s why Zallak’s tone was full of admiration.
Our child has changed.
“It’s not sudden.”
At that moment, a voice answered on Lisir’s behalf.
Klana.
She, having emerged from the Inner World and manifested in the form of a girl spirit, looked at the Holy Sword and spoke.
“You may not know—”
speaking with a somewhat smug air.
“This is his usual routine. Upon waking, he first loosens his body, then performs training at an intensity that won’t disrupt his daily life.”
After saying that, Klana paused for a moment, then emphasized the following sentence.
“My swordsmanship, that is.”
…
Klana looking at the Holy Sword.
Her expression was steeped in deep superiority.
Then Klana looked at Lisir and said,
“Did I say something wrong?”
Lisir shook his head.
Klana nodded.
Her expression was steeped in deep, deep superiority.
In that state, Klana turned back to the Holy Sword.
“That incredibly diligent fellow skipped his morning training for the past few days only because of some obstacle.”
-Obstacle? Are you perhaps referring to me!?
“Then, what do you call a sword with a self that clings to a Swordsman who already has a ‘Beloved Sword’?”
Beloved Sword?
Lisir tilted his head at the word Klana emphasized.
The murderer’s sharp senses detected the movement, but they gritted their teeth and ignored it.
Her expression was steeped in deep, deep, deep superiority.
-Good heavens! I’ve experienced all sorts of things in my life! To think that the day would come when I’d be treated as an obstacle by a sword like this!!!
Zallak’s usual cheerful tone was now barbed.
Tension filled the atmosphere of the room.
Lisir, having stepped back to observe the scene, thought,
‘What is this, in the morning?’
Should he feel petty about this sudden showdown between two swords?
Or should he name this fight the “Great Sword War” and feel its grandeur?
It was a difficult problem, so he decided to put it off for now, and Lisir picked up his sword as planned.
And as he was about to begin training, facing the center of the room—
he suddenly felt something catch under his foot.
“Klana?”
Looking down to check, the girl murderer was standing there.
“…”
There was nothing more incongruous with that arrogant expression than looking up at someone.
However, Klana paid no attention and looked up at Lisir.
She looked at the Blue Lotus in his hand.
“Heh.”
“?”
A pleasant smile appeared on the girl murderer’s face.
She looked at the Holy Sword placed in the corner of the room and repeated the process.
“Heh.”
-!!!
Zzzzip.
The Holy Sword resonated, beginning to emit a soft flash.
-Lisir! Forget that woman’s, and grasp mine right now!!!
“I think I should tell you that your choice of words just made your goal even further away.”
-Why? Why would you choose that sword over the Holy Sword…?
Holy Sword.
It is undoubtedly the idol of all Swordsmen.
Furthermore, the status of the Holy Sword is something even outsiders and Sword Masters long for!
Yet, to choose another sword over the Holy Sword!
They had experienced many situations where the Holy Sword caused them to abandon their original sword, but the opposite had never happened.
Not only that, they hadn’t even imagined it!
Zallak, at a loss for what to do in this unprecedented situation for a Holy Sword.
He was anguished.
What should he do?
How can he make the Holy Sword interested!
It would probably be an unprecedented worry in the history of the continent.
That’s because there was no one who remained composed in the face of the Holy Sword’s name and power.
The Holy Sword had always been the selector, not the selected!
-Lisir! If you continue like this, you won’t be able to become the true master of the Surge!
It was the first move after much deliberation.
Zallak issued a warning to Lisir.
“Well, I don’t think I’m someone who deserves to be the master of the Holy Sword either. Don’t worry. If someone you like appears, I’ll hand it over right away.”
-Aaaaaack!!! No!!! Lisir!!! Don’t abandon me!!! I’ve become someone who can’t be satisfied without you!
“Please, choose your words carefully.”
The effect was minimal!
No, it wasn’t just minimal; Zallak was actually backfired on.
Zallak reacted as if he had been given a death sentence at Lisir’s words that the selection could be reversed.
“Heh.”
A chuckle escaped Klana’s lips as she watched from the side.
Klana is a Swordsman before being a murderer.
She also understood the weight contained within the word “Holy Sword.”
No Swordsman—
No.
No human could be free from that weight.
Nevertheless,
Lisir was prioritizing the Blue Lotus over the Holy Sword.
He was prioritizing Klana’s legacy over the Hero’s Legacy.
How absurd this situation was.
Klana clearly understood.
Of course,
a murderer is not someone who clings to the opinions of others.
Reputation. Respect. Honor.
These were values that held not even a small weight within a murderer.
Whether someone prioritized themselves over the Holy Sword or not, it was of no consequence to a murderer.
Even if it was the first person the murderer, who had only seen humans as targets of murder, had ever shown interest in.
Therefore, Klana simply reacted calmly to the whole situation.
“Hehe.”
The murderer made a very calm, foolish sound,
calmly making a silly smile.
It was truly the image of the cold-blooded murderer who had terrified everyone.
Thus, with the fortunes of the two swords diverging,
Lisir’s training began.
“Lisir. How is it?”
How long had it been since the training began?
The girl murderer, arms crossed, watching Lisir, spoke.
“How is it? What do you mean?”
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it? Wielding my sword.”
“Should I say it’s been a while? It’s only been a few days. Well, still—”
Lisir swung the Blue Lotus this way and that, then said,
“This is still the most comfortable for me.”
The mission and duties that the Holy Sword’s owner should rightfully bear.
For Lisir, whose reason for learning magic and swordsmanship was “to live well,” these were overwhelmingly heavy burdens.
Lisir’s statement was a lament about that burden.
“…I see.”
The girl murderer nodded slightly.
She immediately understood the meaning behind Lisir’s statement.
-As expected. I only have you. As long as you’re here, the Holy Sword is meaningless to me.
It’s strange, but I understand anyway.
“Hehe.”
Lisir didn’t see the smile because Klana had turned her head.
Zallak was different.
He clearly saw that smile steeped in superiority and happiness.
-Kghk!!!
Holy Sword.
Being captivated by positive emotions, then being captivated by negative emotions while looking at a Dark Sword.
In many ways, it was a training session that had gone awry.
✦✦✦
“Whew, let’s leave it at that for now.”
His shirt, which he hadn’t yet changed, was soaked with sweat.
After finishing his training, Lisir put down the Blue Lotus and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand.
“Hey.”
At that moment,
Lisir’s gaze turned to the lower left.
The girl murderer.
She was offering a towel.
With eyes that seemed calm as usual, yet strangely sparkling.
“…”
Lisir accepted it with a reluctant expression.
This person.
Why is she doing this?
-Lisir! Before you wipe your sweat with that, listen! The refreshing feeling after training is a privilege only the diligent can enjoy! How about feeling the pleasant coolness of the air against your wet skin! Absolutely! I’m not saying this because I can’t hand you a towel like that sword!!! This isn’t just out of jealousy and anxiety, so please believe me!!!
Then, ignoring the Holy Sword’s clumsy cry of jealousy, he fell into thought.
I think I forgot something.
“Ah.”
I remembered.
Lisir’s gaze turned to the desk in one corner of the room.
On top of it,
the Soiled Left Hand, wrapped in purple cloth.
Last night,
he had shared his energy with the Asking Left Hand, which was dying from exhaustion.
What had become of the one who received the energy?
Just as Lisir was about to check the results,
-Lisir? It’s me. Are you there?
A knock came from beyond the door, along with Pien’s voice.
Lisir immediately put the Asking Left Hand aside and greeted his guest.
“Pien? What brings you here so early in the morning?”
“I heard. That you’re involved in another strange incident, right?”
“You wouldn’t have come all the way here because you were worried about me!? Because you were so worried you couldn’t sleep and came to see me as soon as it got light!?”
“Yes. How. Did. You. Know.”
Pien said with a lifeless expression and voice, looking around the room.
Then, upon seeing Lisir soaked in sweat, she smiled wryly.
“You’re so energetic in the morning. Are you out of control because of the Holy Sword?”
“Huh?”
“You’re trying to act innocent. I can clearly see you excitedly wielding the Holy Sword.”
Instead of answering, Lisir looked at the Blue Lotus he had just put down.
Pien’s neat face wrinkled slightly. She tilted her head and said,
“What is it? You… what should I say… you’re not using the Holy Sword?”
“I don’t feel the need to use it when I have my original sword.”
Hehe.
“Huh? Did you hear that?”
“What?”
“No, I just heard a foolish laugh from somewhere… no, that’s not important right now.”
Pien stared at Lisir.
“?”
“…Ha.”
Eventually, she shook her head.
With an expression that said she couldn’t take it anymore.
“In this world, are there any other people besides you who react like that after obtaining the Holy Sword? Anyway, it’s typical of you.”
“Hey, Pien. Are you interested in the Holy Sword? I’ll give it to you if you need it.”
-Lisir!!!
Zallak screamed at Lisir’s tone, which sounded like he was offering leftover bread.
-The Holy Sword isn’t like that!!! It’s not like a bouquet of flowers you give to the woman you love!
“Did you hear that? Lisir. Don’t get too carried away with the Holy Sword. Behave yourself.”
“Why are you acting like my mother?”
“Well, I thought so. Take this.”
Pien handed Lisir the document she was holding.
“What is this? A poem you wrote thinking of me?”
“Something like that.”
“Oh.”
Lisir checked the contents of the document with a pleased expression.
For a moment, his eyes spun.
Even at a glance, the complex contents filled the document densely.
“Aren’t you too enthusiastic?”
“Special Inspector Lisir. This is information that will be helpful for you in your future activities as a Special Inspector.”
“…This is? Did I just take on a very heavy position?”
“The reason it seems like a lot is because I wrote it in detail so that you would be clear. In reality, it’s nothing much.”
“Aha.”
After skimming the document, Lisir said,
“By the way, what does a Special Inspector do? I’ve never heard of it before.”
“It’s a position that disappeared and was revived for you. The duties of a Special Inspector are simple. To monitor and observe targets that are deemed to be harmful to the city’s peace and security.”
“And?”
“That’s it.”
“?”
“It’s essentially an honorary position with a fancy name. A long time ago, a high-ranking official in the city created it to give to his incompetent child.”
“Oh…”
Lisir’s eyes sparkled at Pien’s explanation.
“It sounds like a sweet job where I can just eat and live?”
“That’s right. You don’t do anything, but your rank within the city is unnecessarily high.”
Council Member.
Pien emphasized the word.
“They are the only people in this city who can give you orders.”
“That means the only people above me are the Council Members?”
“That’s right.”
“This is amazing.”
“How do you like it?”
“Seriously. I wonder if I wasn’t born to be a Special Inspector.”
The two looked at each other, each with a different kind of smile.
Eventually, Pien said,
“Well, then. I’ll be going now.”
“Already? Why don’t you have breakfast with me?”
“If you beg me, I’ll reluctantly do so. But right now, I have a lot to do.”
“A lot to do?”
“First of all, I want to rest. Because of someone, I’ve been incredibly busy lately.”
“Damn it. How can I possibly express my gratitude?”
“Ah, it’s okay. You don’t have to think about it.”
How could I not?
Just as Lisir was about to say that,
“I’ll think about how you should show your gratitude.”
It was a demand for a blank check.
Pien had a mischievous smile.
“Do you have any objections?”
“Uh, no…?”
“Of course not.”
A smile.
An elegant smile appeared on Pien’s neat face.
“Then, I’ll be going.”
Click.
Click.
Regular, yet strangely cheerful footsteps could be heard from beyond the closed door.
“Then, where—”
Lisir, having completely forgotten his original purpose.
He sat on the bed and began to read the document Pien had given him.
His sweat-soaked clothes bothered him, and he felt a little hungry—
but Lisir quickly became engrossed.
It was because he wanted to prioritize Pien’s efforts for him above all else.
Thus, engrossed, Lisir did not notice.
Rustle.
Rustle.
The bundle of purple cloth on the desk moving slightly.
✦✦✦
“Huh?”
It was around the time the room was bathed in the sunset coming through the window.
Lisir awoke from his concentration at the presence he felt at his feet.
Thinking it was the girl murderer again, he said, keeping his eyes fixed on the document.
“Klana?”
-…Huh? Did you call me!? Yes. Tell me! I’m listening.
“?”
However, the voice came not from his feet, but from the Inner World.
Was it not Klana?
Lisir tilted his head and said,
“Verbande…su!?”
“Master!”
Then, a voice that sounded energetic, almost angry, was clearly heard.
From a different direction than his feet.
Lisir finally took his eyes off the document.
Then, he turned his gaze towards the direction from which the Crybaby Spirit’s voice had come.
“!!!”
The Crybaby Spirit stood near the desk with its characteristic energetic expression.
There, with its tiny finger, it pointed to Lisir’s feet.
“Who’s that!?”
“?”
That?
Lisir’s gaze followed Verbande’s finger to his feet.
He moved the document that was obscuring his view and checked the area.
“…”
Beyond emotionless, it was inorganic.
It was a face from which the quality of emotion seemed completely absent.
A purple girl spirit, appearing to be around the same age as Verbande, was looking up at Lisir with a hazy expression.
“…Who are you?”
Lisir cautiously asked.
“…”
The girl silently pointed in the direction where Verbande was standing.
No.
She pointed to the desk near Verbande.
On top of it,
the purple cloth bundle was spread out.
✦✦✦
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