The aftermath of the battle with Kali is no small matter.
The vast forest is still left in ashes, a desolate wasteland.
Numerous elf remains have returned, creating an ocean of tears.
The elves climb the World Tree daily, trying to find a new place to perform its eye role.
But I can no longer waste time in Elvenguard.
Yulia will soon come rushing over, so I must leave before that.
I’ve done all I can here.
The remaining problems can be left for the elves to figure out themselves.
Gulp.
“It feels a bit sorry to leave after causing such a mess.”
The training ground I was indebted to.
In its center, a fallen colossal tree lies shattered.
Did I break it unnecessarily?
They’ll have quite the hassle cleaning this up.
“I’m late! The carriage is about to leave… Ah! Yoo Jin, I left my sword behind!”
Alicia complains, only to be startled by the sight of my waist.
Indeed.
The scabbard that always hangs by my side is nowhere to be found.
But the scabbard is definitely here.
What kind of nonsense is this?
“I brought it properly.”
“Wha?!”
Slice.
As I touch the small bag fixed to my belt, it instantly transforms.
Before I know it, the bag has become a long leather scabbard hanging down.
I acquired a new trait while capturing Kali.
Camouflage.
“What, what is this? Attribute magic? Did you just learn something new?”
“Yeah. Let’s go with that.”
“I’ve never seen this magic before. What tier is it? Yoo Jin. Would you like to go to the magic tower with me? If you let me research that magic for a bit, I’ll pay you a modest salary…”
“No way.”
When I firmly reject her, Alicia visibly deflates and her bunny ears droop.
If I go to the magic tower, I’ll be instantly promoted to a first-tier research subject.
Which makes sense, considering no one else could possibly crash learn a fifth-tier attribute magic when they can’t use a first-tier spell.
I’m not crazy enough to go volunteer for dissection at the magic tower.
“Shall we be leaving now?”
On the way out of Elvenguard.
A crowd waiting to send us off stands blocking the path.
Of course, by crowd, I mean just the high elf elders and the priestess.
“You’re leaving during such a hectic time.”
“You’ve truly worked hard. This achievement should be recorded as a great person for future generations… but I’m so regretful and sorry that we can’t do that under such special circumstances.”
“Oh. No, it’s fine.”
The thought of being recorded as a great person to be taught for generations?
What a terrifying thought.
I waved my hands, insisting it’s really all right, but the elders look moved, as if they think this is humility.
This is insane.
“It was a mutually agreed-upon trade.”
“Still, gratitude is gratitude. If we don’t show our courtesy, the honor of Elvenguard will be diminished. Please accept this gift. We could only prepare a trivial one given the circumstances…”
With a bow, an elder presents me with a wooden box.
It fits right in the palm of my hand, almost like I’m receiving a ring proposal.
Feeling a bit strange, I quickly snatch it and open it up.
“This is…”
“It’s a mana stone crafted by the finest craftsman of Elvenguard over a period of ten years. It should be one, no three tiers above the ones traded in shops. Please accept it as a token of our sincerity.”
The mana stone emits a radiant glow.
This is definitely beyond the quality of regular goods.
After all, it was never intended for sale.
I guess it was probably made for some religious ritual.
Given it took ten years to craft, this thing is beyond measure in value.
This is… the higher-tier version of the mana stone I’m using…
But has my taste gotten too high?
Maybe it would have impressed me before I met Tay.
Right now, a mana stone like this just doesn’t cut it.
“Thank you very much. I’ll use it well.”
“Thank you for accepting it! Thank you!”
Only then do the elders show joy on their faces.
As they said, it may not be much, but it’s somewhat usable as a gift.
Perfect for gift-swapping.
I owe a huge amount on credit with the checks Cornelia has given me thus far.
Next time I go to Cologne, I’ll need to give her a gift.
And while I’m at it, I should snag about 100 more checks.
Briam’s promissory notes have a high level of trustworthiness and are very handy.
“Priestess. Do you have anything to say separately?”
“Ah, um, well… uh…”
Mia, pushed forward by the elders, steps up.
She can’t meet my eyes, continually glancing at the ground, her fidgeting fingers won’t rest.
It seems the memory of last night still lingers.
I had a huge misunderstanding last night…
Just thinking about it makes me laugh in disbelief.
A chance to bond with a hidden NPC I haven’t spoken to at all?
I couldn’t resist racing over, but I could never have imagined her head would be filled with pervy thoughts.
So why didn’t it happen?
Am I mute now?
Mia’s age is 76, so in human years…
That’s a simple division.
Elves come of age at 100.
Humans come of age at 20.
So if you divide 76 by 5, you find Mia’s age in human years…
Ew. That’s dizzying.
Just imagining it makes my head spin.
There’s a reason Mia looks so youthful.
I really wouldn’t want to see a system window pop up saying “Achievement unlocked: Trait, Early Adopter.”
“The, yesterday was…”
“The meal was enjoyable, Priestess.”
“Ah…”
The priestess’s face goes pale as she stutters.
It seems she thought I would draw a line, causing her despair.
I’ve already forgotten about last night’s little mistake.
Mia trembles for a moment, then suddenly bows her head, on the verge of tears.
“Y-Yes… Goodbye…”
“Then I’ll see you next time.”
“Yes?”
“I’ll be visiting regularly to hear the World Tree’s prophecy. Such crucial confidential information can’t be exchanged over letters, can it?”
“Right! That makes sense!”
Only then does Mia lift her head and smile brightly.
Crying faces are nice in their own right, but her smiling face is definitely the prettiest.
“I look forward to our next encounter.”
“Yes! I’ll be waiting! Treasuring the World Tree’s prophecy!”
Starting with being friends.
Just friends.
After I finish saying goodbye to Mia and am about to leave…
“Goodbye, Michael Jackson.”
“Lady from Evgenia, take care on your way back.”
“Hyung! Hyung! Hyeong!”
“…?”
I hear a panicked voice from behind.
Turning around, I see a boy rushing this way, but being stopped by soldiers.
Who is that kid again…?
“Let me go! I need my cap back!”
Ah. He’s the kid I gave my baseball cap to.
Waving my hand to the soldiers to say it’s all right, they clear the way.
The boy dashes over and hands me the cap.
“I wore it well! Honestly, it looks a bit lame, but! When I wore it, I felt strong like you!”
“Who says I’m strong?”
“My dad! He said you from the dungeon… um… this is a secret…”
The boy’s face turns pale as he suddenly covers his mouth.
Looks like he heard about me from a survivor of the dungeon.
Sighing deeply, I kneel to meet the boy’s eyes.
“Keep this.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. But promise me one thing. Don’t tell anyone else about me, okay?”
“I’ll remember! I want to learn swordsmanship! I want to be strong like you!”
An elf wanting to learn swordsmanship?
What a valuable talent.
It’s rare for elves to take on physical activities.
Feeling proud, I want to give him some advice.
Though I haven’t reached the secrets of swordsmanship, I was the only one to train across three schools of swordsmanship right up to the threshold of their secrets.
“Really? Then later, if you ever get the chance, don’t learn Merida-style swordsmanship.”
“Why? Isn’t that a high-level swordsmanship only chosen elven warriors learn?”
“If I say don’t learn it, then just don’t.”
“Okay…”
Merida-style swordsmanship, passed down through generations in Elvenguard.
Screw that.
The only advantage Merida-style has is its unexpectedness.
It’s so bad that no one uses it, people won’t see it coming.
Of course, that’s only when refined to the utmost, and when there are other sword styles to compare against.
Taking Merida-style alone is probably worse than comparing a brawling fighter’s IQ to an ape’s.
What a silly balance.
Must be a game that was ruined without any balance adjustments right after launch.
I’m pretty sure I heard that some sword styles were good early on, and some were fantastic, blah blah.
But after digging for 12 rounds, it became clear that was all nonsense.
I hope awakening the secret doesn’t suddenly make Merida-style strong again.
No way.
It didn’t likely happen.
Even if it were true, I wouldn’t reach that level in this 13th round.
In the end, I merely stuffed swordsmanship into my talentless body.
Getting to level 11 in trait means awakening the secrets of swordsmanship should only be for superhumans of some worlds.
“Then what swordsmanship would you recommend…?”
“I’ve tried numerous things, you know? Elves are chosen warriors, but that doesn’t matter; they’ll still lose to humanoid swordmasters.”
The elders murmured behind me.
Sorry, but that’s the reality.
Even if elves go on about their unique sword styles, the best student count is maybe 100 at most.
But humanoids are on a completely different level.
A single school might have around 500 to 10,000 students.
When you sum it all up, it’s at least 100,000.
With that many people competing and evolving in their swordsmanship, it’s surely going to be superior.
It’s not racism; it’s just a limitation we can’t escape.
“Join a swordsmanship academy. I’ll write you a letter of recommendation. When you reach the age to become independent, bring it with you.”
“Belfast Academy…?”
Handing a note for a solid academy to the boy, he accepts it earnestly and bows his head.
So why am I writing a recommendation for that academy, you ask?
I have no relation to it at all.
Not yet.
But one day, I might have to go there.
Eventually, I’ll have to drop by for a visit.
There’s a small issue with their swordmaster.
I’ll let them know then that one of their elf students will be coming to visit.
Time is on my side.
There are still about 20 years left until this kid becomes independent.
“Thank you, hyung! For saving my father, and this too…”
“Put the cap on properly.”
He’s wearing it askew.
I take off the cap, straighten the fold, and then press it onto the boy’s head with a smile.
“…Yoo Jin. The carriage man is getting angry.”
“Then I should be going now.”
“Goodbye. I wish your journey is filled with the blessings of the World Tree. And may you return here safely…”
The carriage is waiting.
I need to hurry up now.
Waving goodbye to Mia one last time, I turn around.
And then, I never looked back again.
