Chapter: 55
I brushed away the light thoughts floating in my mind and quickly grabbed the Demon Sword, which was clattering excitedly on the bed, urging it to recite the lines.
“No way I can say lines like that.”
[…! Why not!? Why can’t you shout out this amazing line?!]
I paused for a moment, closing my mouth in thought. If I replied, “The line is too cringy,” the Demon Sword would 100% sulk and refuse to lend me its power.
Of course, since we were under contract, I could forcefully use the Demon Sword’s power, but given that we were in a long-term partnership, I felt it was necessary to show some respect to the sword.
“Such… such fantastic lines are a bit too much for me. I think… those magnificent lines should definitely be shouted by the Demon Sword.”
[Hmm, indeed! If the great me were to shout such lines, the heavens would get jealous, and the earth would tremble. But isn’t it true that only my partner can hear my voice?]
“No, Gargandoa is definitely an amazing Demon Sword, right? In crucial moments, your voice will surely reach the opponents!”
[Could that really happen?]
“Of course! It’s the words of the great Gargandoa!”
Evidence? None.
Logic? None.
The only thing I had were compliments for Gargandoa.
Fortunately, the simple-minded Demon Sword melted under my praises and was easily persuaded.
[Hmm, if that’s the case, I can’t help it! I will recite the lines.]
“Good thinking.”
The Demon Sword then started mulling over which lines would sound the coolest to shout. It was much better than throwing a tantrum, so I left it be and turned my gaze towards Iris.
“…?”
When I looked at Iris sitting next to me, she tilted her head while holding the hem of my clothes, as if asking, “Why?”
“Aren’t you hungry, Iris? Not sleepy? Is there anything uncomfortable?”
With every question I asked, Iris shook her head. Her white hair swayed. Even without any special fragrance, she smelled great and her hair shimmered like silk.
I instinctively brushed her messy hair. Iris lowered her eyes and rested her head against me.
“Let me know if you want anything, okay?”
As I pulled my hand back, Iris firmly grabbed it.
“This.”
“Hmm?”
“This, need…”
Blinking at her words, I willingly extended my hand. Then Iris took my hand and rubbed it against her face.
‘Oh my… Iris is just too cute! And those cheeks are so… soft!’
Her flawless, milky skin was squishy and moist to the touch, even without any lotion. For a moment, I almost lost my mind and started squeezing her cheeks like rice cakes. Those were devilishly tempting cheeks.
“Hee…”
Looking pleased, Iris giggled softly and rubbed my hand against her face for a while. The way she acted like a purring cat melted my heart.
[Heh-heh, if you want to save that fellow, you need to beat me first.]
I spent my time leisurely, enjoying the background music of the Demon Sword practicing some villainous lines.
When I felt hungry, I had a meal with Iris in the dining hall and returned to my room. Stretching out on the sofa, I enjoyed the pleasant laziness and thought about taking a nap with Iris when I felt less full.
Knock knock.
Before I could digest my food, a guest arrived. I swallowed nervously and glanced at Iris.
“I think someone’s here, so stay right here for a moment, okay?”
“…Okay.”
Iris fidgeted with the hem of my clothes, then reluctantly let go, her eyes looking sad. I took a deep breath and walked over to the door.
“Who is it?”
“It’s me. Open up quick.”
I heard the familiar voice of the rat beastkin, and a chill ran down my spine.
‘What if they found out?’
The image of the neatly sliced training ground wall popped into my head.
‘No, if that were the case, they wouldn’t knock but bash the door down! They must be here to tell me about a new match.’
My eyes and entire body trembled, but I tried to calm myself down as best as I could while reaching for the doorknob. And then…
Rattle rattle rattle!
The door started trembling along with me.
“What the hell?!”
I heard the rat beastkin cursing outside. Somehow, hearing that voice relaxed me.
‘You used to say stuff like that too.’
A vision of a palm-sized rat popped into my mind. The rat and I were best buddies—we went to amusement parks, ate together, went to karaoke, and even introduced our girlfriends to each other…
‘Wait, who the heck is that?’
An impossible scene crossed my mind, snapping me back to reality. I realized I didn’t have a rat beastkin friend. After this fake nostalgia, the trembling finally stopped.
Nonsensical flashbacks like this were common in a gag world.
Click.
When I opened the door, the rat beastkin with its tail straight up was staring at me through the door. Behind him stood two expressionless people, a man and a woman.
“Why was the door just shaking -… never mind. That’s not the important thing right now.”
The rat beastkin had a fleeting thought about the trembling door, but shook it off quickly.
‘Could it really be because of the training ground…?’
I stared nervously at the rat beastkin’s mouth.
“The guest wants you, so follow quietly.”
“Ah… Yes!”
I nodded brightly, relieved it wasn’t about the training ground.
Squeeze.
At that moment, I felt a tug on my clothes. I turned around to find Iris had come close, holding onto the hem of my clothes and looking down.
‘Ah, I should’ve told her before I left.’
I almost made the mistake of leaving without properly explaining it to Iris.
“Iris, I have someone looking for me, so I’ll be right back. Can you wait here alone?”
Iris didn’t respond. Just as I started to worry if something was wrong, she carefully released my clothes and nodded.
“I’ll be back quickly. Take care of the house, will ya? Oh, and don’t open the door for strangers!”
Iris nodded several times. The rat beastkin, seemingly unable to wait, grabbed my wrist.
“I’ll be back soon!”
After my final goodbye, the door shut behind me. The rat beastkin led me to the bathhouse we had visited before. After a thorough wash, I felt relaxed in the elevator.
‘By the way… these people really don’t react at all.’
I glanced back at the man and woman standing behind me. They moved silently, their expressions unchanged, almost like emotionless puppets.
‘Are they some kind of assassins?’
As I contemplated this, the elevator came to a halt. After a few more complex transitions, we finally arrived at a place where I had encountered a zombie before.
‘I wonder how that zombie’s doing?’
With that thought in mind, I followed the rat beastkin. I felt a bit of excitement about seeing the zombie again, but the path we took was entirely different.
“Go in and do whatever the guest says. Someone will come to get you when it’s time to return.”
The rat beastkin seemed a little more polite than last time. Probably because my worth had increased.
Creak.
The two people who were standing in front of and behind me opened the doors for me. The doors swung wide open, revealing the inner space.
‘Looks similar to last time.’
I stepped inside, taking in the familiar surroundings that resembled the place where I had once met the zombie.
Creak, thump.
Unlike the zombie’s home, the loudly closing doors caught my attention. After closing, the two people stood silently beside the door, motionless.
‘Should I go in?’
After a brief moment of hesitation, I strolled inside.
‘Who will it be today?’
Since I met a zombie last time, maybe this time it would be someone angelic? With a little anticipation, I stepped further in.
“Ah…”
“Tsk tsk…”
Seeing the old man’s face, I couldn’t help but let out a gasp. The old man seemed to find it amusing, chuckling at my reaction.
“Take a seat.”
As the old man tapped the ground with his cane, I instinctively moved to sit across from him. But just as I was about to settle on the sofa, his elongated cane poked me right in the waist.
Looking at the old man, hesitant, I saw him break into a wide smile, with his wrinkly face shaking with laughter.
“How dare a slave sit in the same place as me! Your place is down here.”
After retracting his cane, the old man tapped the floor. My expression froze at his command. He grinned and urged,
“Now, sit down.”
After a moment of deliberation… I finally plopped down on the floor where he had pointed. The old man’s thin knees were right in front of me—I was quite literally sitting in front of him.
“What, what?!”
Clearly, this wasn’t the scene the old man had envisioned; he took a step back in shock. Thinking he was about to fall, I leaned forward instinctively to catch him.
Click.
“Huh?”
As I stretched out my hand in an effort to steady him, I accidentally activated something.
‘What was that—ah!’
With my eyes darting around to understand what I’d touched, the backrest of the sofa the old man had been occupying flipped backward. I had inadvertently hit the lever that adjusts the couch’s angle.
“Ugh, cough…!”
Caught completely off-guard, the old man couldn’t react and went sprawling over the sofa. His cane flew from his hand, clattering on the floor, and he lay outstretched on the sofa with a crackling sound.
“Uh…”
I slowly started retreating, unsure of what had just happened.
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