I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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180th Episode. Side Story 1

“Are you really going to handle this request alone?”

Howl, the request handler at the mercenary guild, carefully asked as he read the request form multiple times. After being asked this several times, I nodded my head with a hint of annoyance.

“I told you, I’m going. Just accept it.”

“But it’s too dangerous to go alone!”

Howl raised his voice a bit. I wasn’t sure if he was genuinely concerned for me or just didn’t want to lose a frequent customer of the guild, but either way, his concern wasn’t unwelcome. I snorted.

“Well, it’s not like anyone else is willing to help.”

Subjugating monsters was one of the most dangerous types of requests among the various ones available. The village that requested the monster subjugation wasn’t frequently attacked by monsters, but the risk of a giant monster appearing made many reluctant to take the job. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say there were no supporting people at all.

‘It’s a level of difficulty that one person shouldn’t handle.’

Howl’s objection was valid. I sighed briefly.

“I can’t help it. I need the money this month.”

“Still, that’s…”

“Please, Howl.”

I looked up at him with desperate eyes. I had no choice but to take the risk. I still hadn’t fetched the healing potion from the Fairy Forest this month. I needed to tackle this kind of job to fill the gap in my dwindling funds.

“Damn, I feel like I’m doing something I shouldn’t be doing to a kid. Maybe I should just give up on this job…”

Eventually, Howl, who was looking at me with a complicated expression, accepted the request. Only then did I relax and smile.

“Honestly, surviving until now has been more luck than skill. If I keep being reckless like this, I’m really going to die.”

Howl earnestly advised me. It was all true. I swallowed the bitter saliva in my mouth and slowly raised my lips.

“Then that’s probably my fate.”

I replied nonchalantly, but the truth was I was scared too. Who could happily accept death?

Whenever I faced the monstrous fangs and sharp claws, my whole body trembled. I wanted to run away. Yet, the reason I wouldn’t quit this job was that there was something I feared even more than my own death.

I was more afraid of Aria dying than of dying myself.

“Let the client know I’m setting off right away.”

“Hey, hey! Mir!”

Feeling like I’d want to withdraw from the reckless challenge if I stayed any longer, I quickly stepped outside the guild.

Snap, snap.

The winter earth was decorated with white snowflakes. I tried to enjoy the cheerful sound that resonated every time I stepped, while puffing out my chest, not even half the size of the sturdy men around.

No one could tell I was terrified.

‘Let’s just try to survive today too.’

Seeing the morning sun tomorrow was my simple wish for each day.

“Are you really the mercenary who came to fulfill this request?”

The village chief, Ron, asked for the third time. I nodded slowly, feeling a bit intimidated. My gaze was fixed on the ground. I didn’t want to see the disappointment in his eyes.

“The monster subjugation won’t be as easy as you think.”

Ron said in a less-than-pleasant tone. It seemed he suspected I wouldn’t be able to do the job properly.

The cold wind bit fiercely, giving me a chill, but I maintained a calm face. I could manage that; it was a familiar reaction.

Unlike the average mercenaries who were big and imposing, I was short and skinny, which I knew made me appear unreliable. I was wrapped in a black cloak, and my face was hidden behind a mask, making me look suspicious.

Every client I had met so far had shown their disdain for my appearance. One client even got angry, saying, “What kind of little brat is playing a prank on adults?”

I had no intentions of cursing them out. After all, they must have made requests to the mercenary guild with sincere hearts of their own, and it was only natural to be disappointed if someone who appeared untrustworthy showed up.

“Besides, there’s no one else willing to do this job.”

‘In times like this, you have to be assertive. Otherwise, they will keep ignoring you.’

I took a deep breath without showing it and glared up at Ron. I had to look up to him due to my height, even when he was standing among tall men. Today, I had to be assertive. Once you were underestimated, people kept ignoring you.

Apparently, Ron was taken aback by my boldness. I tried to puff up my shoulders to appear even a bit larger.

“Strength doesn’t come from size. The Swordmaster, Noah, and Caesar, who are the only ones in the Empire, aren’t particularly big either. I may still be unknown, but I have some experience in monster subjugation. I may not be able to deal with all the monsters in this area, but I can definitely handle the small ones that threaten crops.”

I spoke as confidently as possible. Luckily, I had purchased a cheap voice-changing ring, so I wouldn’t sound like a kid saying such things.

“Uh…”

Ron let out a short groan. His chilling demeanor, which almost seemed like he would kick me out at any moment, softened a bit. Noticing that, I smiled confidently from beneath my mask.

“I can do it. Just pretend you’re being tricked and let me take care of it.”

After a moment’s hesitation, Ron finally nodded.

I was slowly expanding my standing in the mercenary world.

I turned to the ground and let out a groan. The flimsy roof of my poorly made one-person tent shook precariously against the harsh northern winds.

I sniffled in the chilly weather and crawled into the thick blanket.

‘I’m so tired…’

After a day-long ride here, I hadn’t even gotten a chance to rest before starting the subjugation. My mana control and swordplay were still very inexperienced; instead of a spectacular hunt, it was closer to a chaotic game of tag with the monsters. As a result, I had rolled, bumped, and scraped my body all over, and it ached.

‘What a fool. Of all places, I had to set up base in the habitat of Kypira.’

Covered in red powder from head to toe, I felt a bit pitiful and pouted my lips. Being unprepared in the field is a severe crime. This place was the habitat of Kypira, a nocturnal monster that resembled butterflies. With every flap of its wings, it scattered a red powder that caused hallucinations; unaware, I had built my tent here. I had to face a fierce battle with the Kypira swarm that returned from their night hunt.

‘…Even after washing it with water, it won’t come off.’

I rubbed my eyes with the back of my hand, where I had been covered with red powder. The sharp sting in my eyes was accompanied by the hallucinations.

The hallucinations from the red powder showed me both what I disliked and what I desired. It showed me Aria’s corpse alongside a healthy Aria.

I sighed softly and shut my eyes tightly. Though I couldn’t see any more hallucinations, being unable to see anything suddenly gave me chills.

“The child of the moon is beautiful, and the child of fire is full of grace. The child of water has much sadness, and the child of the tree does not wander far…”

To alleviate this silence, I began to sing softly. The tent, where only I was present, felt eerie. The rough sound of the wind shaking the tent sounded like ghosts fluttering about.

“The child of gold loves and knows how to give, and the child of the earth lives earnestly.”

Half-trembling, I mumbled the lyrics like a spell. I was completely focused on finishing the song.

“The child of the sun is pretty, joyful, and kind…”

Bang—!

Disaster struck without warning.

The flimsy tent crumbled like a sandcastle, and the ground shook violently. Instinctively, I rolled to the side and looked up, white as a sheet, at the massive foot that had stepped on the spot where I had been lying.

Grr…

It was a giant creature resembling a dog, about ten times the size of a man. Its terrifyingly glowing red eyes and the drool flowing from its massive fangs carried an awful stench of decay.

I couldn’t believe what my eyes were seeing, or rather, I didn’t want to believe it; my trembling lips parted in disbelief.

A hunting dog crawling from Hell—Devera.

‘Why, why is Devera here…?’

I knew the possibility of encountering a giant monster was there. But that possibility was so slim that I thought it wouldn’t be a problem to take on a request aimed at just the common monsters, which is why I recklessly came alone.

My body began to shake from an instinctive fear.

I felt it. This monster was beyond my capability.

I had started learning to wield a sword barely a year ago, with borrowed books from the library, and also haphazardly swinging my sword on my own. Although I maintained that I had been learning quickly on average, I was far from the level to take on such a monster alone.

“Ah…”

The fierce red eyes and mine locked together, and my body froze. Facing an elemental disaster I couldn’t handle made me feel vague and palpably aware of my own inadequacy. I suppressed the urge to cry.

‘So, I’m going to die here like this.’

Sudden regret washed over me, wishing I had listened to Howl, but that didn’t last long. So many thoughts circled in my head, yet the only thing that surfaced was the face of the girl I loved.

‘If I die, who will take care of Aria?’

That was the biggest problem. The fact that there was no one to care for the sick Aria—that thought came before my primal instinct to survive, which was a quintessentially human trait.

I grit my teeth and gritted my fear as I quickly picked up the sword that had fallen to the ground.

Jing—!

The dull, rusty sword, closer to a dingy gray than silver, shook as I grasped it. Devera merely glanced at my struggle and didn’t appear in the slightest bit threatened; it simply watched me like a bug wriggling on the ground. I felt no pride in that fact. I was indeed the bug that could be crushed with a single step by that enormous Devera.

‘…I don’t want to.’

Fearful of those red eyes, I ultimately couldn’t hold on to the courage I had summoned and closed my eyes tight. I didn’t want to meet my end like this. I wanted to be happy, even just a little. I wished to live a normal life, laughing over trivial happiness.

I didn’t want to die just yet.

Swoosh!

Seeing the great beast lose interest in me, Devera carelessly swung its foreleg. The gigantic foot cast a shadow over me.

‘I can’t stop it.’

I barely raised my sword blade high above my head, but deep down, I knew it. There was absolutely no way I could block that attack with my strength.

Tears filled my eyes physiologically and rolled down my cheeks. Hatred for my weakness surged within me.

I didn’t want to be the helpless human being succumbing to disaster. I wanted to fight back. I wanted to be a disaster myself and overcome this crisis.

‘I want to be strong.’

As the shadow deepened, I thought to myself in a last wish-like way.

“Guard.”

A beautiful voice, wavering between that of a boy and a young man, resonated carelessly. I blinked in surprise and realized a purple barrier emerged beneath the swiftly unfolding magic circle, shielding me.

“Oh my. You should be more careful, child.”

With a gentle voice, solid arms lifted me, and the warm scent of sunlight gradually alleviated the lingering stench. I looked up in wide-eyed wonder at the person who had lifted me.

Healthy bronze skin, short pearl-blonde hair, vast and gentle black eyes that seemed to embrace the world.

“That was scary, wasn’t it? I’m sorry! It’s my first time around here, and I got a bit lost! I really tried to come as fast as I could. Please forgive me.”

The woman flashed a brilliant smile, as if the situation were her fault, and apologized sweetly. I must have looked bewildered, unable to grasp what was happening, as a cold voice sounded from the side.

“This is not a situation where the Master should be apologizing. It’s not necessary for the Master to save every single person in the world.”

Cold, brilliant purple eyes stared at me. I held my breath for a moment.

The silk-like black hair swayed gently in the wind carrying snowflakes, and the man, standing at the boundary between boyhood and youth, had a gloomy yet beautiful face, as if he wore the darkness of the world. He had been casually deploying the barrier.

“Haha! Zigmund! It’s a sin not to save when you can save. Don’t act so brusque in front of someone who must have been frightened!”

The woman, having playfully swatted the man’s back, then turned to me. Her dark pupils gazed at me like I was something lovely. The unfamiliar gaze made me flinch.

“It’s nice to meet you, child. I’m the mercenary Karasho. I’ve come to help you.”

For the first time, someone had stepped forward, saying they would help me. It was the first time someone had smiled gently at me, embraced me warmly, and cast a magic circle to protect me.

My most beloved and respected mentor, and my most terrible foe, had abruptly crashed into my world.