But he took the blame for what ‘she’ had done. Eventually, it took an incredibly long time, perhaps tens of thousands of years, for him to return to the human world. It had only been around 300 years since then. Now, he had only one goal left.
He needs to find ‘her’ reincarnation. And he would surely seek vengeance for all that he had suffered. The memories of past lives are hidden in the soul’s age, so there was no use in trying to escape. Kill her, skin her, and she’ll remember everything.
‘At first, I was just suspicious. The more I look, the more they resemble each other?’
Below, in the arms of the man he desperately wanted to rip its heart out, nestled a red-haired beauty.
A woman who’s pretending to fall asleep but is betrayed by her twitching eyelids. She acts perfect in front of other people, but when she’s with that man, her facade crumbles.
He looked at Shay quietly and smiled.
“I hope you will soon be in danger, on the verge of dying.”
Madness is imminent at the sweet whisper. His face was stained with an inexplicable shyness. Like someone who was meeting his first love again.
* * *
The next day, the festival began in earnest.
Merchants from all over the world set up stalls on the streets. Since it was a festival showcasing martial prowess, weapons were the best-selling items. There were dozens of knives sharper than rose swords. I watched with great interest the spectacle of blade sharpening. Scenes like these were not seen in Terran.
‘Ziontin would have been very happy to be here.’
Thinking of a friend from a distant land, my steps involuntarily halted. I grabbed Lacius’s hand and pointed to a stall selling swords.
“Let’s go buy a present over there.”
“A present?”
“Yeah, for Ziontin. I don’t know much about good swords, so you’ll have to choose.”
Lacius had a look on his face that suggested he didn’t like the idea, but eventually, he nodded as if understanding. I had a feeling I knew why he hesitated. It might be a bit of jealousy. But in front of Apollineus, all swords were just lumps of iron. It was a fact that Lacius was well aware of.
“Come, come! If I may say about this sword, it’s like a knight with well-defined muscles!”
“Ugh, for a house with a tradition that’s only been around for 30 years, you have a loud voice! In our forge, we’ve been making swords for 1,000 years near the volcano where the dragon is asleep!”
“What? Do not lie!”
The touting continued in an uproar. Lacius, after briefly surveying just a couple of places, seemed to find nothing of interest and promptly walked past the stalls. I looked around at the bustling crowd and tilted my head.
“Hey, those stalls are all supposed to be traditional shops, right?”
“They’re all mere swindlers.”
“Oh, so is it a lie that there’s a forge near the volcano where the dragon sleeps?”
“That’s not theirs, it’s someone else. We’re going to find the real one.”
For me, the purpose of a sword was to cut what you wanted to cut. But for Lacius, it seemed like the sword was the essence of life itself. It was fascinating that just by looking, he could discern what was good or bad.
Lacius strode along with me to the end of the stall. Then he looked around as if looking for something.
“Lashin, there are no more shops here.”
“We have to find an invisible place. It is a place you cannot find if you try to find it, but you can if the odds are on your side .”
“That sounds really mysterious.”
“It’s a rift that only those who want to possess a sword but won’t use it can find. I can’t see it, but you should be able to find it.”
As Lacius continued his explanation, I became more and more intrigued. I asked questions while thoroughly scanning the empty surroundings.
“What is the name of the shop?”
“Trachian of the volcano.”
“Oh, I’ve heard of that!”
After reading so many history books, I memorized the common beings now.
“Among the many dragons, three are the most famous. The Thracian of the volcano, the Dragonas of the desert, and the Krazen of the deep sea.”
“Did you study history separately?”
“No, I just read some books.”
Lacius, who doesn’t know how many books I’ve read, gave me a look of admiration.
“Come to think of it, what you said is right. I heard Ziontin was very disappointed that she wasn’t included in this envoy, so she’d surely like it if you gave her a sword.”
“That’s right. I think so too.”
“But an ordinary sword won’t help improve her skills. She needs a special sword.”
How unfair it must have been to not be able to go when both I and Peridot were going. She must have run to the training hall after the announcement of the list and trained herself to death. But what if I gave her a sword that Lacius says was special? She won’t be able to refuse it.
As I imagined Ziontin forcefully suppressing her soaring cheekbones, I smiled. I should give him a good sword. And the moment I made up my mind like that, someone appeared in front of the earthen wall, where there was nothing until just now.
“uh… … ?”
Am I seeing things right now? Or is it an illusion?
On the ground, a thick purple cloth was spread haphazardly, and on top of it, various swords of different lengths were casually thrown. Some were so corroded that you wouldn’t want to buy them.
And, crucially, the owner was a scruffy-looking old woman. Her eyes are so piercing that even if I wanted to ask her a question, I wouldn’t be able to get the words out. She was surprisingly short and boulder-like in stature, and her tightly closed mouth gave her a frightening air.
For a moment, I thought of Grandma Tabby, since they were the same age. But if she was as pretty as a flower, this one must still be on active duty.
“It’s been a while, Meiru Trachian.”
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