I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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182nd Chapter: Side Story 3

“……Are they really mercenaries belonging to this guild? I’ve never seen them here before.”

Having seen the excessively bright Karasho once and the excessively cold Zigmund once, I shifted my gaze to Howell to avoid them. The two of them were like summer and winter, fire and ice—extremes on either end.

“No. They are visitors who came here for the first time a little while ago. They’re not part of the guild; like you, they work as freelance mercenaries. We must have met before, right? Last time you were looking for a monster subjugation request, I introduced you to the request you took on. Since you mentioned you’d likely be taking on monster subjugation requests often from now on, we’ll probably see each other frequently.”

Howell answered clearly while looking at me, who was stuck awkwardly between the two of them. I gazed blankly at the two.

I thought our connection had ended that night. I had even gotten all sentimental, wishing to meet again after becoming stronger, and said my goodbyes like a protagonist in a novel.

Yet here I was, reunited just three days later.

‘How embarrassing…

Memories of that night—being awkwardly lifted in front of Debera, being cradled in Karasho’s arms, and so on—rose to the surface. I covered my face with my hands in shame.

If they were people I would only see once, it wouldn’t be a problem, but we would be meeting regularly from now on, which changed everything.

“Huh? Why do you look like that? Are you feeling unwell? Could it be that you still haven’t recovered from that day?”

As I stood silently with my face covered, Karasho tilted her head curiously. I felt even more embarrassed.

“Just leave me be. I’m feeling humiliated.”

Zigmund casually remarked this, pulling Karasho closer as she hovered around me. It seemed all her attention was drawn to him.

Surprised by this unexpected consideration, I looked at Zigmund with wide eyes. He met my gaze momentarily, then swiftly turned his head away.

“Oh, is that how it is? I’m sorry! I can still make such immature mistakes. Just say something when you feel better. I can wait as long as you need!”

As Zigmund spoke, Karasho, with a feeling of understanding, responded cheerfully. She might be oblivious but she seemed like a good person.

I sighed deeply and splashed my face with water. The mask shook slightly.

“It’s fine now. I’m okay. But…… are you really going to come with me?”

To my guarded question, Karasho nodded.

“Of course. Since we’re headed to the same place, it’d be better to go together. Let’s form a team. The loot from our hunt will be split evenly!”

Karasho said heartily. She still had a bright, innocent smile, which made me feel somewhat uncomfortable.

“You saw it last time, right? I’m still quite weak. I’m sure I wouldn’t help much if we went together. You would be at a loss.”

The reward for subjugating the monster varies depending on the amount of monsters defeated. There’s no doubt these two would catch more monsters than I could. I wouldn’t be of much help at all. Receiving an equal share in that scenario would clearly result in a loss for Karasho and Zigmund.

“I might suffer a loss, but for you, it would be a gain. Didn’t we confirm with Howell that we’re officially mercenaries? Now there’s no reason to be suspicious, right? So, what’s the problem?”

Karasho spoke as if she didn’t mind taking a loss. Her playful black eyes seemed to say that I was more important than material gain, which put me in an odd mood.

“……Are you really okay with that?”

After much hesitation, I asked again as if in a trance.

Until now, I had thought people who were fixated on immediate wealth were foolish, but now that I was in this situation, I understood. The idea that they would give me more profit while taking a loss themselves was overwhelmingly tempting. Especially since I urgently needed money for tomorrow and the day after.

“Then, I want to be with you.”

Karasho answered without hesitation. After fiddling with my fingers for a moment, I finally nodded with a firm expression.

Even if I fell for such a tempting condition, I’d be a fool; yet if I let such a good opportunity slip away, I’d still be a fool. If luck was a fifty-fifty chance, I’d rather regret accepting it than regret turning it down.

“Alright, then… let’s go together.”

Even if there was an auction house at the end of the line, I decided to gamble on this opportunity.

Karasho, Zigmund, and I left the mercenary guild. It had been a while since I had come out with others, so it felt strange yet oddly comforting. Just as I stepped toward the stables to borrow a horse,

“Where are you going?”

“Huh? I’m going to borrow a horse.”

I replied casually to Karasho’s question as I tilted my head. She smiled faintly and shook her head as if saying that wasn’t necessary, gesturing for me to follow her.

“There’s no need for that. We have a much better means of transport.”

Karasho’s gaze shifted to the side. There was pride in her eyes.

“Zigmund can teleport.”

I quickly turned my head back to Zigmund upon hearing that. My eyes widened in surprise.

Teleportation was advanced magic that even seasoned magicians couldn’t easily use, and with Zigmund’s youthful, handsome face, he seemed to be in his late teens. To be able to cast teleportation magic at that age was nothing short of remarkable.

“Don’t brag about such a trivial ability like it’s a killer move.”

With a resolute tone, Zigmund pulled his sword from its sheath and began to draw a magic circle in the dirt. Despite his somewhat rude manner of speaking for a student, Karasho just laughed heartily.

“He’s just a bit shy; he’s not a bad kid. Even if he’s prickly, let’s try to be gracious about it.”

“That’s useless talk.”

‘Simply dismissing it as shyness seems a bit naive…’

Watching the warm fire against the icy coldness, I felt uncertain. Zigmund’s tone seemed harsh for addressing a master, but thinking back to how he had spoken to me earlier, now he was at least showing some respect.

“Step inside.”

Zigmund, having completed the magic circle, waved his hand. Karasho stepped onto the circle with familiarity and guided me to do the same. Stumbling into teleportation unexpectedly, I panicked and hurriedly clung to Karasho’s arm.

“This is my first time teleporting……! I heard it can be really dizzying!”

“Huh? It’s fine! It’s not too dizzying. Just hold tightly onto my arm.”

Karasho offered her arm. Grabbing onto her firm arm eased my anxiety a bit. As I bit my lips in mild fear, her small voice came through.

“Close your eyes.”

“What?”

I saw my reflection in her transparent purple eyes. Zigmund glanced back at me nonchalantly, placing a hand on the ground where the magic circle was drawn.

“It’ll be less dizzy that way.”

His low voice resonated, and bright light burst from beneath our feet. Instinctively, I tightly closed my eyes.

Woosh.

The first experience of teleportation felt somewhat like a giant was squeezing the moisture out of a sponge with my head and feet in a vice. I barely managed to withstand the overwhelming sensation.

“Oh no, are you okay? I felt like that at first too. Want me to pat your back?”

Before I knew it, space distorted, and the scenery changed. As I staggered, Karasho quickly steadied me. I managed a nod.

“Seriously, what can you do with someone like me?”

Zigmund remarked, glancing at me. If I had wanted to conquer this dizziness out of rage, it was a rather successful endeavor.

Gritting my teeth, I relinquished Karasho’s arm and planted my feet firmly on the ground.

“I’m fine now. Let’s go.”

I glared at Zigmund with narrowed eyes.

Every time I thought he wouldn’t turn out to be such a jerk, he inevitably opened his mouth, consequently ruining his own image. Although it was our second encounter, I wanted to sewing his mouth shut with a needle for all the nonsense.

As Karasho watched us trade glances filled with silent tension, she burst out laughing.

“Haha! Have you two already become friends? Kids really do get close quickly!”

‘Does becoming friends mean we’re on a hitting basis?’

I wanted to argue, but looking at Karasho’s innocent face made me feel like it wouldn’t matter. Following Zigmund, who immediately walked off as if Karasho’s words held no value, we headed toward the village.

Upon arriving at the village, we concluded our conversation with the village chief. We agreed to stay in the village tonight and set off for the hunt tomorrow, so we could spend the night in a reasonable lodging.

‘Since we’re close to a lake, there must be plenty of aquatic monsters. The most troublesome of them would probably be the Cooper. When you encounter a Cooper, make sure to come ashore and apply pomegranate juice on your body. Cooper weakens on land and absolutely hates the scent of pomegranate, so it will likely swim away.’

Karasho gathered the villagers together before nightfall to teach them how to survive against monsters.

What she taught was something ordinary people without martial power could carry out. It was valuable information even for someone like me with little experience in monster subjugation, so I listened attentively.

As darkness descended and the villagers returned to their homes, I quietly stepped into an empty clearing. Standing alone under the moonlight, I drew my sword.

‘I do not want to be a burden.’

That single thought weighed heavily on my heart.

I knew that practicing for just one night wouldn’t improve my skills, yet I swung my sword obsessively. I hated my weak self.

I wielded my sword aimlessly in solitude, breathing heavier as my exertion grew.

“Swords are not meant to be used like that.”

“Ugh.”

And at that moment, a gentle voice came from behind me.

I jumped in surprise, almost dropping my sword, and quickly turned around. Familiar figure stood there.

“……Karasho?”

“I came looking for you since you hadn’t returned yet, but it seems you were overexerting yourself.”

Her pearl-colored hair sparkled in the moonlight as Karasho approached me.

“Can I help you a little?”

My eyes widened. I had already sensed my need for a mentor since my swordsmanship wasn’t improving as I wished, so it was incredibly grateful for her offer of help.

Nodding vigorously, Karasho beamed as she came up behind me and took hold of my sword alongside me.

“You need to move a bit more fluidly. Instead of thinking about swinging the sword, think about dancing with it. The sword isn’t just a weapon; it’s your partner. Even if everyone in the world betrays you, your sword will never betray you.”

Karasho whispered softly in my ear as she began to move gracefully and fluidly. Following her natural movement instinctively, I found myself mimicking her.

“The sword you hold is the simplest yet most powerful weapon. A sword that doesn’t have a clear target will bring about innocent bloodshed. Fix your eyes firmly on where the sword tip points.”

The movements became quicker. The seamless flow was beautiful, like an art performance. I absorbed every word she said. Warm mana began to seep from her body like a gentle mist.

“Think about why you’re holding the sword. What makes you strong, what gives you the power to break through your limits—don’t stop contemplating. If you stop, you’ll stagnate, and stagnant water becomes murky. Keep digging deep!”

Swish!

A white aura bloomed over the dull sword blade, almost as if it were flowering. I was left speechless by the stunning sight, gazing blankly at the mesmerizing aura.

Karasho’s aura was pure white, devoid of any darkness.

“The answer you find at that tip will create your aura.”

As Karasho slowly lowered her sword, I remained frozen for a moment, still in awe of the wondrous scene, then turned to her.

“Why are you going this far to help me?”

Karasho was helping me with all her might, as if she were my mentor. I felt fortunate yet puzzled at the same time.

Looking down at me thoughtfully, she chuckled and gently pressed down on my head.

“This is my answer. Helping others and pursuing goodness. This has made me stronger, and my happiness is…”

Her firm voice sounded like a declaration. Her dark eyes seemed filled with sincerity, to the point of making me feel guilty for questioning it.

As I fumbled for words, I timidly murmured.

“……I wonder if I’ll ever be able to repay this kindness.”

Karasho saved my life, took losses while accepting quests alongside me, and now was helping me with sword training. The help I received was so immense that I couldn’t even begin to think about repaying it all.

Karasho laughed heartily.

“If you encounter someone like you in the future, do for them what I’ve done for you. Let them know that unrequited kindness exists, that people can confront and overcome disasters, that there can be someone to be with you when you’re lonely, and that when you’re hurting, there’s someone who will offer you a bowl of stew. That would be enough.”

I remembered Karasho’s words. And I resolved to live by them.

Under the moonlight, the sparkling Karasho was more than enough to serve as an ideal I could respect.