I Became the Main Character’s Demon Sword

52

“Surely you don’t mean you’re going now…”

“Let’s go! Let’s go together, Arpel! I’ll show you around!”

Clear surprise appeared on Casia’s face, which had always maintained a businesslike attitude. Her expression showed she couldn’t even imagine that Arpel, of all people, would show such interest.

Before she could say anything more, Leriana slapped the table and stood up abruptly. She looked triumphant at the prospect of showing them around.

It was Rohan, not Arpel, who responded to her words.

“Why would Arpel go with you?”

“You said you weren’t going to the night market!”

“When did I say that? I’m going too.”

His added words were very nonchalant. For a moment, Leriana couldn’t help but doubt whether she had simply failed to hear him agreeing to go from the start. That’s how brazen he was.

“You’ll come with me, right?”

“Yes.”

Arpel nodded willingly. After all, his purpose for going to the night market was Rohan.

With both Arpel and Rohan agreeing to go, Casia finally allowed Leriana to visit the night market. She repeatedly cautioned that Leriana must stay close to her side. Of course, Leriana, excited, merely nodded mechanically, not seeming to listen carefully to her words.

As soon as dinner was over, the four of them immediately went out to the street. In fact, the night market wasn’t that new to Arpel and Rohan. They had visited night markets a few times while traveling around the empire.

Even as night fell, the shops lining the streets were busy, and colorful decorations filled the surroundings. The streets, embroidered with brilliant lights, were perfect for catching people’s attention.

In truth, it was similar to the night markets they had visited a few years ago. Although the scene wasn’t particularly different, Arpel still found this current sight quite novel.

Rohan, who had naturally separated Leriana, approached Arpel closely. Fine light brown hair was disheveled through the slightly raised robe.

“Is there anything you want to buy?”

“…Just a moment.”

Instead of going with Rohan, he left him on one side and moved on. He had come to the night market because of the thread bracelet he had promised to give Rohan as a gift recently. Although he had ended up coming to the night market together, having Rohan right in front of him somehow made him want to give a surprise gift.

He headed towards one of the street stalls he had roughly scanned earlier. There were many small accessories, not too flashy, from bracelets and rings to earrings, as well as bright hair pins that women might favor.

Among them was also the thread bracelet Arpel wanted.

“Ah, is there someone coming of age nearby?”

As Arpel showed interest in the thread bracelets, the man guarding the stall approached with a warm smile. Arpel nodded roughly.

“If they have fair skin, this color would suit them very well.”

The man pointed out several thread bracelets, but Arpel only half-listened. He had a strong desire to choose one himself. Finally, after the explaining man gave up exhausted, Arpel found himself torn between two bracelets he liked.

“…I’ll take this one.”

After a few minutes of deliberation, Arpel chose one bracelet. The man’s face had become somewhat gaunt, as Arpel had been standing in front of the stall exuding an unapproachable atmosphere the whole time. Not thinking for a moment that it might be his fault, Arpel immediately left.

“Rohan.”

“You’re back?”

Despite the considerable time it took, Rohan hadn’t moved an inch from where he was first told to wait. Feeling a strange sensation as if his chest was swelling, Arpel remained silent for a moment before approaching him belatedly.

“Is that… for me?”

“Yes. Since I haven’t given you a gift yet.”

Rohan, looking at what Arpel held in his hand, reached out as if enchanted. Arpel carefully wrapped the thread bracelet, brought without any packaging, around his wrist.

The bracelet, knotted with light purple and white threads, suited Rohan quite well. Perhaps it was because his skin was surprisingly fair despite countless hours of sword practice under the sun.

Rohan just stared blankly at the thread bracelet fastened to his wrist. Objectively, it wasn’t particularly flashy or pretty enough to catch the eye, being just thin threads woven together, but in his view, it sparkled more than anything else.

“…Thank you.”

After being unable to speak for a moment as if his throat was blocked, Rohan finally burst out. The fact that Arpel hadn’t forgotten the promise to give him a bracelet, and that the reason for coming all the way to the night market was for him – all these facts were busy making his heart pound heavily.

The image of Arpel carefully examining the bracelets for countless minutes and gently picking up the purple thread bracelet formed in his mind. It was an excessively lovable sight.

Of course, Arpel received all these emotions.

Suddenly, a strong wind blew. The robe that hadn’t been held in place came off, fully revealing Rohan’s face that had been hidden. The sight of him smiling with his eyes gently curved under the colorful lights was vividly etched in Arpel’s mind.

“…Let’s go now.”

A strange feeling, still unfamiliar, swept over his body. It was difficult to look directly into Rohan’s eyes. He felt that if he met Rohan’s gaze and received all those emotions one by one, he might suffocate and die.

After putting the robe back on him, Arpel turned around. Rohan, who seemed to be following right behind, let out a small laugh and grabbed Arpel’s hand.

But, even if he really did suffocate and die, it didn’t seem like it would be a bad feeling. Unable to let go of the hand Rohan had taken, Arpel could only walk through the gaps between the bustling people with his eyes downcast.

***

“Right… you’re so great.”

“Thank you.”

“Oh, really!”

The next day, as soon as the morning sun rose, the group immediately set out by carriage. Leriana shouted in frustration not long after they boarded the carriage in a similar arrangement as yesterday.

‘The weather is quite hot today.’

‘The sleeves seem a bit cumbersome…’

It was because of Rohan’s behavior of repeatedly making incomprehensible statements while showing off the thread bracelet on his wrist.

Leriana, who had been enduring his actions that seemed like blatant boasting towards her, couldn’t hold back anymore and shouted. Only then did Rohan turn his head away shamelessly, as if he had obtained a satisfactory response.

When Rohan first said it was hot, Arpel had keenly observed his condition, wondering if there was a problem. However, he soon realized that Rohan just wanted to show off.

From then on, he just watched Rohan’s behavior. The act of wanting to boast about the gift he had given seemed youthful after a long time, and quite cute as well.

The speed of the running carriage was faster than yesterday. It seemed the coachman was driving the horses with all his might. This morning, when asked if he had received the artifact from Leriana, his face had turned pale and he begged for forgiveness. Even though they had said it was fine as long as he delivered the news to Dionel after returning to the temple, he seemed quite guilty.

“You’re going to that village because there’s someone you’re supposed to meet, right? Who are you meeting?”

“Why did you come along when you don’t know anything…”

“You should have told me! You were always whispering with Arpel!”

Leriana’s face was full of indignation. Of course, Rohan didn’t bat an eye watching her like that. Soon, her gaze, which had turned into a sulky expression, was directed precisely at Arpel. It was a look clearly begging to be told.

“Why are you looking at Arpel like that?”

“Because you won’t tell me!”

“When did I say that?”

“Wow… you’re really…”

It was while their now-familiar bickering was going back and forth. Rohan, who had been answering Leriana with an expressionless face, suddenly stiffened.

“…Arpel.”

“Yes.”

“What? What is it? What’s wrong?”

Both of them simultaneously turned their gaze towards the outside of the carriage. Casia did the same. Even Leriana, who had been confused for a moment, noticed the change in the surroundings after a little more time had passed.

As a noticeable tension heavily settled in the carriage, a loud cry was heard from the horses leading the carriage, followed by a scream from the coachman in front.

The carriage shook violently. Casia, who immediately stood by Leriana’s side as if to protect her, drew her sword, and Arpel exchanged glances with Rohan. The two jumped out, flinging the door open before the carriage had even come to a complete stop. With their bodies enhanced by magic, this level of impact caused no harm.

Opposite the carriage stood figures fully armed in black clothes. Their appearance, with even their faces carefully covered as if not wanting their identities revealed, made it impossible to think they had good intentions. From the start, they boldly held cold weapons in their hands.

“It seems there are about thirty of them.”

Casia, who had belatedly gotten out of the carriage, said as she approached with Leriana. Rohan nodded. Even by rough estimate, it was not a small number.

Arpel subtly frowned. Although their story had long since deviated from the original trajectory, it was inevitable to recall the details when faced with such a situation.

The original Rohan also leaves the temple around this time. It was because Dionel, worried about Rohan who was obsessively focused on training, thinking himself weak, had suggested postponing the departure.

Leriana had followed Rohan, who set out on a journey intensely desiring only revenge. She even left behind Casia, her knight, because Casia didn’t think well of Rohan.

But they had never been attacked in the early stages of their journey.

‘…Is it because of the spy?’

There were some inferences to be made.

The noticeable difference would be that in the original story, the spy had not yet been revealed. Although there had been suspicions in the novel, it was only Dionel’s intuition, so without clear evidence, there was a limit to keeping him in check. Probably, they couldn’t completely block the information flowing to the emperor.