What on earth is this situation?
“Um. The food is excellent.”
“…..”
“What’s wrong? Don’t you have an appetite?”
“No… that’s not it…”
“In that case, hurry up and eat. You’re too skinny. How can you wield a sword like that!”
“…….”
The dining table was filled with mouthwatering dishes, but I couldn’t focus on any of them.
Because of the man in front of me.
It might be hard to believe, but right now, I’m having breakfast with a Swordsman.
How did I end up eating with this man?
Surely, on the way to the dining room, I ran into him in the hallway, and he asked me about Athena’s whereabouts.
In a moment of panic, I replied that she was sleeping in her room.
– I guess I’ll have to wait. By the way, where are you going?
– Going to have breakfast? Perfect timing, I haven’t eaten yet. Join me.
– No need to refuse! Eating alone is lonely. Be my company.
Being swept up in his carefree atmosphere, here I am.
‘Did he skip meals for days?’
He looked like a beggar.
The Swordsman was devouring the food laid out on the table.
“…Um…”
When I cautiously called out to him, his black eyes turned towards me.
“What is it?”
“You are the Swordsman… right?”
“That’s what they all call me.”
The Swordsman.
A mysterious figure who hasn’t appeared much even in novels.
But despite his rarity, he was quite popular due to his carefree personality and his sole focus on sword training.
“Did you come here to speak?”
It was far too early for a guest to arrive.
Not to mention, considering the panicked servants during his arrival, it was hard to believe he gave them a heads-up.
I recalled the head chef who foamed at the mouth and collapsed when he saw the Swordsman.
“That can’t be. It’s always fun to come unannounced, heh heh.”
Wow.
So shameless….
“I had a hearty meal. The food here is always delicious.”
Having finished his meal, he set down his utensils and wiped the food from his mouth with his sleeve.
‘No. There’s a napkin right next to you, why would you…’
His slightly unsanitary behavior made me frown, but he didn’t care at all. He smiled at me and naturally initiated a conversation.
“While we wait for her, why don’t you tell me about yourself?”
“My story…?”
“Yes. You don’t look like a servant. Are you perhaps a noble’s daughter?”
“Um… I…”
I’m a slave…
But for some reason, I felt like I shouldn’t say it directly to him.
The word “slave” wouldn’t be received with a good perception.
It might be better to just say I’m a maid.
Just as I was pondering what to tell him—
Bang!
“Carlos!!!”
Athena appeared.
She seemed quite annoyed, her expression twisted with anger.
“Oh, you’ve come?”
But the Swordsman greeted her as if he were used to seeing her like this. Athena stomped over and glared at him as if she wanted to kill him.
“I told you not to come uninvited.”
“Heh heh. If I don’t come, I won’t get to see you. I came to deliver some news.”
“…If it’s not important, you’d better be ready to die.”
With a sour expression on her face, Athena approached me and ruffled my hair.
“Athena…”
“Good morning, Hera. Can you wait in your room for a bit? This old man has something to tell me.”
“I’m not that old yet.”
Athena completely ignored his words.
“I’ll be back soon, so just wait a little.”
“Uh… okay…”
After hearing my reply, she immediately turned her attention back to the Swordsman.
“Come with me.”
“Well! It was nice to meet you, little one. I hope we cross paths again.”
“Stop blabbering and hurry up.”
As the two of them disappeared, it was like a storm had passed through.
The chaotic atmosphere of the dining room instantly turned silent.
“What just happened…?”
*
“Speak. Why did you come?”
As soon as Athena arrived at her office, she got straight to the point.
“What a shame. You didn’t even offer me tea?”
Carlos said nonchalantly.
Athena raised an eyebrow as if she found it annoying.
“You come uninvited and expect hospitality?”
“Heh heh… I have no words for that.”
Carlos took out an object from his pocket and placed it on the desk.
“A recording magical tool?”
“Since you want it, I’ll get right to the point.”
When he activated the magical tool, a bright light filled the air, displaying various images.
“…Monsters?”
The pictures showed countless monsters.
Enough to turn an entire village into rubble in an instant.
But that wasn’t all.
Monsters with ferocious natures that devoured only the lives in front of them.
As if obeying someone’s command, they gathered together in a legion.
“Yes. Recently, the movements of the monsters have been troubling. It’s quite unusual for them to band together like this.”
As he said, monsters had never lived in groups before.
Far from grouping, they would even eat each other.
Only one force could control such savage beings.
“Is it the Demon Race’s doing?”
“Probably.”
The Demon Race.
The only race dissatisfied with the peace that came after the great war.
They possessed superior physical abilities compared to other races, and their power to manipulate mana was exceptional.
However, due to their brutal nature and enjoyment of blood and slaughter, they had become hostile towards most other races.
“That’s not all. Calamity-level monsters are also starting to show up.”
As he fiddled with the magical tool, images started flipping sideways one by one.
Giant footprints, devastated villages, forests engulfed in flames, and cracked grounds.
Each one depicted a horrific scene.
“This is just a sign. A glimpse of a great calamity that’s about to come.”
“…..So what do you want to say?”
“The Emperor doesn’t understand how serious this situation is. He’s only focused on the Empire’s safety.”
Carlos said, his expression devoid of a smile.
“My friend, how about you and I step forward and catch the Demon Race together? I have a feeling that if we leave them be, something irreversible will happen.”
He looked a lot more serious than his usual carefree self.
“Are you suggesting we kill the Demon King?”
“If possible, that wouldn’t be too bad.”
Athena pondered for a moment.
If the Demon Race had found a way to tame monsters like this, it couldn’t be taken lightly.
In just a few years, a significant war could erupt.
If that happens, many people living outside the powerful Empire would likely lose their lives.
If things escalated to the worst scenario, even the Empire could fall under the grasp of the Demon Race.
However, Athena merely chuckled.
“Carlos, you still don’t know me, do you? Do I look like someone who would care about such things?”
Athena’s mockery hit him, but he didn’t care and continued to speak.
“Yes, that might have been true in the past. But I feel differently now.”
“What?”
The Swordsman looked at Athena with calm eyes, as if he could see through everything.
“You have something precious you want to protect, don’t you?”
“…….You…”
Athena looked at him with a cold expression.
“Did you come to know this?”
“Of course not. Originally, I only came to deliver a message. But by chance, I ended up seeing that child.”
Carlos stroked his beard thoughtfully before continuing.
“You possess a substantial amount of mana.”
“…..”
“The person who never used to care about others is now giving a part of her power away. That’s unusual.”
After staring at Carlos for a long while in silence, Athena eventually clicked her tongue and let out a scoff.
“You’re such a sharp old man. Overly perceptive for no reason.”
“Heh heh. I’m not that old yet!”
Carlos extended his hefty hand to Athena and proposed once more.
“I’ll protect humanity; you protect that child. How does that sound?”
“….”
Athena quietly closed her eyes and thought for a long time.
As silence lingered in her office, she eventually opened her eyes, let out a deep sigh, and took his hand.
“This is annoying. I hate troublesome things.”
“It seems I have indeed gained a very reliable backing.”
“Well, since hunting down the Demon Race is something I’ve always done, a little more won’t be hard.”
“Heh heh! You’re thinking well! I’m sure that child will appreciate it too.”
Carlos burst into a hearty laugh, shaking his hands up and down vigorously.
“Do you have a plan?”
His confident expression made him seem unfazed.
“Of course! We’ll find and kill the Demon Race. What could be simpler than that?”
“You have no plan at all.”
Well, of course.
Athena murmured with a disgruntled expression.
The Demon Race was known for their cunning intellect.
There was no way to just stumble upon them without a strategy.
Taking a short breath, Athena suggested.
“I received reports that monsters have been appearing rapidly in the eastern and northern forests. Let’s each take one area.”
“Oh! Then I’ll check the north. If I’m lucky, I might run into some northern warriors.”
“Whatever you like.”
With that, Athena waved him off as if she no longer wanted to talk.
Yet Carlos remained seated, not moving from his spot.
“Do you have something more to say?”
“My friend.”
His expression became far more serious than before.
“Was that your doing?”
“What?”
“During the earlier conversation with that child, I discovered something.”
As his gaze deepened, the atmosphere around them chilled in response.
“I could tell that the child’s psyche was shattered into pieces.”
“…..”
“I hope it wasn’t your doing.”
“What if it was?”
At Athena’s cold question, Carlos stared at her for a moment before releasing a deep sigh.
“…Those of us who have reached a certain level of understanding must lead lonely lives.”
With a sorrowful expression, he continued before hearing her response.
“That’s why I understand your desire to keep someone by your side. In fact, I too have recently started taking on a disciple.”
“You?”
“Yes. I happened to meet her in the Empire. The look in my disciple’s eyes when she held onto me is still vivid in my memory.”
“Really…”
Carlos chuckled at a recollection from that time.
“How can such a small girl possess such fierce eyes? Even I had a shiver run down my spine. She’s talented; perhaps someday she’ll surpass me.”
“Pfft. That’s quite an exaggeration. You’re too fond of your disciple, aren’t you?”
“Heh heh. I’ll make sure you meet her someday. She’s a cute one; you won’t dislike her.”
He wore a warm smile as he thought of his disciple but then shifted his expression and spoke in a quiet voice.
“My friend, no matter how lonely you are, do not trample over someone else’s heart.”
“…..”
“Even if you can seize that person for a moment, it’s ultimately a false relationship.”
His words seemed to prick at Athena, causing her expression to twist.
“What do you know about it…”
“When you reach a certain state of enlightenment, you begin to see things you wish you didn’t.”
Carlos finally delivered his final words to Athena.
“If it turns out that you were the one who so brutally shattered that child…”
“The sins you have committed against her will come back to haunt you as retribution.”
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