I Tried To Be Her Loyal Sword

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183 Chapter. Side Story 4

Time flew by quickly. Before I knew it, I could no longer count on both hands the number of requests I had completed with Karasho and Zigmund, and I was rapidly maturing. Both my body and mind.

Cling! Cling!

The sound of swords clashing echoed sharply. My hands holding the sword trembled, and my wrists felt numb.

“Move more quickly! Eliminate unnecessary movements!”

Karasho, usually so composed, shouted sternly with a grave expression.

Her eyes sparkled firmly, and her low yet commanding voice was just as it had been the first time we met. The only difference was that her once thick orange hair was now completely white aside from a few sparse strands. Perhaps it was a result of having two disciples, draining her energy significantly.

“Focus!”

With a grim expression, Karasho struck my sword fiercely. In an instant, I lost my grip, and my sword flew out of my hand, embedding itself in the ground.

‘She’s too strong…’

I had been learning swordsmanship from Karasho almost daily for the past few months, yet I saw no hope of ever defeating her.

‘Even if Karasho’s hair turned from white to blue, I still wouldn’t be able to win.’

I rubbed my aching wrist and muttered softly.

“I was just thinking for a moment.”

“Do you not realize that moment could mean life or death?”

“…I understand. I’m sorry.”

Karasho was dauntingly stern and frightening when teaching me swordsmanship. I quickly lowered my head, deferring under her gaze.

Karasho looked at me with sadness for a moment before finally breaking into her usual gentle smile.

“Now that you understand, what were you thinking during combat? You don’t usually act that way.”

“Nothing much… I just thought it’s too bad your hair has turned white so quickly. You haven’t been overexerting yourself, have you?”

Karasho blinked in surprise and brushed her hair back. Her rough fingers intertwined with her dark orange locks, mixing with her white strands.

Just as she was about to say something, her cheerful laughter, rather unwelcome for someone of her age, filled the air.

“The thunderous naked mole rat who contributed the most to my rapid aging is saying such things.”

My blood pressure spiked suddenly at the cold voice that echoed from behind. Just hearing that voice was enough to heat my head, and its content surely contributed to my rising blood pressure. I might need to get blood pressure meds soon.

“Are you surrendering to me? What great consideration you show. But the one who contributed the most is surely you, Zigmund Hyde.”

I turned to Zigmund, a cold smile on my face. He, who was growing as quickly as I was, now better resembled a young man than a boy.

‘Once that beauty fades, I’ll know just when to throw a fist at that face.’

I reaffirmed my resolution as I faced Zigmund’s godly beauty, even as the chances of his looks withering seemed infinitesimally small.

“Ever since you arrived, my master has been overexerting herself. If you had a conscience, wouldn’t you at least procure some medicine?”

Even the mouth of that fellow, who had nowhere to go but the sewers, was also thriving.

I inhaled slowly, memorizing various sword types in my head. It was an effort to keep myself from shoving my fist in his mouth.

After our first joint request ended, Karasho asked if I wanted to become her disciple. I readily agreed. I had already grown fond of her and wanted to be like her. Karasho promised to ensure I wouldn’t regret that choice with her sparkling smile.

The depth of a relationship doesn’t always correlate to the amount of time spent together. We had only been together for a few months, but the bond between Karasho and I was profound. The once awkward title of “Master” now felt quite familiar.

‘But with this guy… it’s just uncertain.’

I glared at Zigmund with many regrets. It bothered me that I had to tilt my head sharply to meet his gaze.

Zigmund and I had an ambiguous relationship. Though both disciples of Karasho, just looking at our recent conversation showed that friendliness was far from the truth.

‘At first, I treated him like a lifesaver… but I quit after just a few days.’

Zigmund’s chaotic tongue was unbearable to bear. Even a mere glance from him would result in him spitting verbal trash at me.

Because of that, we would often be fighting, but in truth, I didn’t dislike Zigmund. I couldn’t dislike a peer I hadn’t seen in a long while. He felt rather comfortable around.

The problem lay with Zigmund’s feelings toward me.

Zigmund was awkward around me. Though he didn’t show it, my sensitivity to malice picked up on it. His careless remarks were pricked with small thorns.

‘It’s likely he doesn’t like that another disciple has appeared under Karasho.’

Most of his jabs at me revolved around that, so I couldn’t be mistaken.

When I wasn’t around, Zigmund received Karasho’s full attention and affection. It was only natural that he wouldn’t like it when an outsider appeared to take his slices of the cake he had previously hoarded.

‘Still, he hasn’t outright told me to scram or actively bothered me.’

I sighed deeply. It seemed like Zigmund didn’t truly despise me; rather, he was struggling with an adjustment. Just as I needed time to adapt to this world, he too required time to adjust to the expansion of a world that had been exclusively his.

Occasionally, Zigmund would look at me with an expression that could only be described as complex.

“Why do you look at me like that? It’s unpleasant. Did you get hit on the head during sparring? No, it seems you got hit in the face. Your face looks quite mangled.”

Zigmund frowned at my gaze. Even though he wore a mask continuously, I wondered how he knew my face was twisted.

‘As much as I try to endure…’

I felt a taut string in my mind snap, and I offered him a gentle smile.

“Then why does your abdomen look like that? It looks like you took a hit from a dirt clod.”

“What are you talking about? I’m perfectly fine.”

“Oh, really?”

Zigmund looked down at himself, forming a frown. I made a dramatically shocked face.

“Then how about this, you bastard!”

Bam!

I kicked Zigmund in the abdomen with all my might, propelling myself into the air.

“Mir! Zigmund! Stop it!”

Karasho pressed her head against her palm as a brawl erupted again with Zigmund retaliating.

“Are you two going to keep this up?”

Karasho glanced between Zigmund and me with a sigh. Sitting in the cave, she wore the face of a butcher who had grievously failed in merging wolves and jaguars.

“I have no clue what you’re talking about.”

With a large band-aid on my face, I pretended not to hear and turned my head sharply away from her. My voice echoed through the cave as I sat at the far end.

“I’m fine with this.”

Zigmund replied dully, his lips split open as he spoke. He was sitting half outside the cave, about 15 meters away from me. If it weren’t for the cave echoing his voice, he likely wouldn’t have been heard.

Zigmund and I sat at opposite ends, treating each other as if we were pathogens, without making eye contact.

“If you keep this up, I’ll make you hold hands for an hour.”

Karasho glared at us. Though Zigmund and I often disagreed, we wore identical expressions of contempt toward each other at that moment.

“Just kill me already…”

I grumbled irritably as I moved my feet, like a dried-up worm from a long drought. Zigmund got up to walk over but was moving as slowly as a turtle that hadn’t eaten in four days.

“Do you really hate each other that much?”

Karasho looked between Zigmund and me as we ignored each other like we didn’t exist, her expression one of worry.

Karasho was someone who valued harmony and peace. With only two disciples, it was understandable she would be troubled by the friction that arose between us. I bit my lip tightly while sitting with my knees drawn up.

“That guy doesn’t hate me, does he?”

When I spoke in a small voice, both of them turned to look at me. The violet eyes of Zigmund held not malice but a strange agitation.

It would have been easier if he genuinely disliked me. I would just dislike him back, and that would be that.

However, such reactions made me feel like I was the villain tormenting him.

“I…”

Zigmund hesitated, displaying an unexpectedly flustered expression as he searched for words.

Just then, Karasho stood suddenly with a fixated look on her face.

“Both of you, draw your swords!”

Sizzle

The eerie sound of metal accompanied Karasho’s sword shining in the moonlight. I hurriedly drew my sword as well. Though I wasn’t as sharp as the Sword Expert Karasho, I could sense something unusual was about to happen from her stance.

Grrr…

Not long after, the distinctive rough roar of a beast echoed. I swallowed hard as I peered outside the cave.

It resembled a sick hyena, with stiff, dull black fur drooling oily green liquid.

The stench wafted all around, making my head spin. It had long, sharp fangs resembling hooks. As I met its blood-red eyes filled only with menace, I inhaled sharply.

It was the Absent, a Cubera.

“……Remember that Cubera’s poison becomes troublesome if it touches your skin in significant amounts. You should avoid engaging it directly; just dodge when it charges at you and avoid getting poisoned.”

Stepping in front of me and Zigmund, Karasho spoke with conviction. Cubera was one of the difficult monsters to fight due to its body being coated in poison, but Karasho’s broad back stood firm like a solid wall against it.

Grrrr!

The Cubera, dripping with disgusting, poisonous saliva, charged at Karasho.

Swish!

She swung her sword with great force. A brilliant white aura sliced through its black body.

Green liquid sprayed everywhere. My cheek became numb, as if I had been hit with an anesthetic from a single drop of poison.

“Zigmund!”

“Ignite!”

At Karasho’s call, Zigmund quickly conjured a fire spell. This wasn’t his first time sparring alongside us.

“Mir!”

Hearing my name, I hurled my sword toward the sluggish Cubera, which was now moving more slowly. My sword arced gracefully like a spear and pierced through Cubera’s body. It let out a grotesque cry.

Though not as smoothly as Zigmund, I had also become accustomed to coordinating with Karasho.

Kukeeeer!

Cubera thrashed violently, charging at me. The monster was terrifying, still moving even after its body was pierced and one side was torn apart. Its other notable feature was its astonishing resilience.

“Dodge!”

With Karasho’s shout, I narrowly dodged Cubera’s charge. As I withdrew the sword embedded in its body, black blood and green poison spurted and splashed onto my face.

I felt burning pain as if my face was on fire, gritting my teeth. Thankfully, the mask protected me. Though my face would swell and I might not see for a while, I was fortunate that my life was not in immediate danger.

With a light shout, Karasho unleashed a white aura towards Cubera. After being scorched by the fire spell, Cubera’s body grotesquely contorted again. The staggering beast fell with a thud.

‘Is it dead…’

I exhaled a long sigh, lowered my head, and wiped my face with my shirt. Green liquid stained my white shirt. It seemed some poison had even gone up my nose, making it a bit difficult to breathe.

“Mir! Are you okay?”

A pale Karasho rushed toward me. All her nerves were focused on me, covered in poison. I awkwardly smiled, imagining how horrendous my swollen face probably looked.

Then, I froze at the sight in front of me.

‘There are paths one must walk, even knowing they might lead to death.’

It was a lesson I had once heard from Karasho. She had always been my guiding compass.

Snap.

My hesitation was brief, and the action was instant. I enveloped my feet awkwardly with mana and sprinted at full speed, reaching out my arm.

Bam.

Sharp fangs pierced my skin, and blood erupted. An inescapable pain surged through my extended arm.

“Huff.”

I couldn’t even scream as I gasped for breath. The Cubera, which had charged at Zigmund, clamped down on my arm, seemingly stopping every ounce of its strength.

Zigmund’s large violet eyes reflected me in their surface. His beautiful red lips trembled. It was the first time I saw his poker face shatter completely.

A brat who knew not how to be human nor how to speak properly. Despite my distaste for Zigmund, I still couldn’t find it in me to truly dislike him.

“Debt repaid, bastard.”

I pressed down on the overwhelming pain like a tidal wave and raised my lips into a mocking smirk. My vision spun, and my body swayed. The tightening strings of my mask snapped, revealing the face that had been tightly covered until now.

Just as my body was about to crumple, strong arms caught me in the nick of time.

“What the hell are you doing, you crazy bastard!”

Zigmund, who had acted like an emotionless machine until now, finally spat out raw curses. I felt liberated, and in the dire situation, I couldn’t help but let out a quiet laugh.

The last thing I saw before closing my eyes was Zigmund’s tormented face.