Chapter 86

Their gazes locked from a distance close enough to share breaths.

Held by the scruff, Najin gazed into Dieta’s eyes. Those iridescent yellow eyes, known within the Arbenia ducal household as “golden eyes” or “coin eyes.”

In those eyes, Najin saw his own reflection.

Eyes reddened with fervor, shadows cast beneath them. Facing his reflection, a face he often encountered in the Underground City of Artman, Najin swallowed hard.

Thud.

Dieta released her grip on his collar and took a step back. Najin remained silent for a while. Had he been walking around with such a face ever since his encounter with Kapman?

‘Merlin.’

-Yes?

‘Have I been walking around looking like a ghost?’

-You look somewhat better now, if you ask me.

Merlin sighed.

-You’ve been walking around with a face ready to tear someone apart. The adventurers kept their distance from you, why do you think that was?

Najin remained silent.

It was a habit left over from his days in the underground city, living as a hunting dog. Indeed, whenever his life hung by a thread due to a mistake or a moment of carelessness, Najin had always moved ‘in this manner.’

‘It definitely helped, but…’

Ivan did not approve.

Whenever Ivan saw Najin with his eyes wide and his body tense, he would click his tongue.

「You’re not someone who’s lived only a day or two.」

「Walking around like that will get you in trouble. Loosen up. Tsk, not loosening up? Look at this one, flexing his muscles.」

Ivan would then throw his arm around Najin’s neck, tapping his head. He would also threaten to kill Najin if he didn’t relax his tensed shoulders.

「Come with me. We’re going for a drink.」

「It’s broad daylight, Ivan.」

「Man. Daytime drinking is the best. And a competent and cool-headed boss like me needs to get drunk periodically and cause a scene. That’s what makes us human.」

「You don’t need to go that far to…」

「Tsk. Just come without any backtalk.」

Whenever Najin reluctantly relaxed, Ivan would lead him to a tavern, arm in arm. He would sit Najin, who was too young to drink, next to him and ruffle his hair while rambling nonsense.

Because of those times…

Najin was afraid of Ivan, but he didn’t hate him. Remembering those times, Najin fell silent.

“……”

Those were times he could never return to.

Every time Najin tensed his shoulders, Ivan was no longer there to slap them down and ease the tension. The boy who left the underground city had to become an adult, one who had to look after himself without anyone’s help.

“Huff……”

Najin exhaled deeply, a very long breath.

It was right to be on guard. It was also right not to neglect training. He was in a situation where he could be attacked at any time and his life threatened.

But… he had to admit that this level of vigilance wasn’t really helpful.

‘It’s not like this will get me up the ranks of the Sword Seekers.’

Exhaling, Najin relaxed his shoulders and eyes. As the tension eased, fatigue rushed in, and his shoulders ached. Loosening the tightly wound muscles, Najin suddenly looked at Dieta.

She was fanning her face with her palm, her back turned to him, looking hot despite the chilly breeze coming through the open window. Najin opened his mouth and called her name.

“Dieta.”

“Yes, yes?”

Looking at Dieta, whose demeanor had completely changed from when she was gripping his collar, Najin bitterly smiled.

“We’re friends, right?”

“…We promised in the carriage, didn’t we? To be friends from now on.”

“Right. That means Dieta is my only friend…”

Only, as in the sole one. As Dieta’s eyes sparkled at those words, Najin continued. A friend is someone you can confide in, right?

“Would you mind listening to a friend’s troubles?”

“Of course. Come sit here.”

In a building belonging to the trading company, stark without any furniture, Najin and Dieta took their seats in a corner.

“So, what’s troubling you?”

“Before I start, I should say… just listening might be dangerous. My background is a bit complicated. Are you sure you’re okay with this?”

“…How dangerous are we talking?”

“Enough to get assassinated by someone of Sword Seeker rank.”

“Wow.”

Dieta let out a short exclamation.

“That’s no small feat. Did you commit some crime?”

“I was born a criminal, I suppose.”

“Are you the illegitimate child of a rebel? Or a direct descendant of a traitor?”

“It doesn’t seem like my parents were that remarkable, but it seems I did something to offend the Order.”

“So, the Order is your enemy.”

As Dieta pondered Najin’s story, she rubbed her chin and hummed, closing her eyes. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and glanced at Najin.

“We’re friends, right?”

“…Dieta just said we were.”

“Then it looks like I’ve made Najin my first friend, and I don’t want to keep my distance from my first friend. It won’t be easy, but I’ll take the risk.”

That is, she said.

“Tell me what’s going on.”

Najin looked at Dieta.

There was no hesitation in her eyes.

…Of course, there was no guarantee that Dieta was an ally.

Though they maintained a good relationship, there was no certainty she would remain an ally after hearing everything. After all, they hadn’t spent much time together to build such a close relationship.

‘But…….’

Even if it hadn’t been long, the time was sufficient to understand Dieta. And she said they were friends. Najin wanted to believe that her words were sincere, not deceit or falsehood.

So, this might be a gamble.

“Do you know about the Underground City of Artman?”

For the first time, Najin spoke of his origins in front of someone else.

***

Najin shared his circumstances with Dieta, excluding any details related to ‘Excalibur’. Mentioning ‘Excalibur’ would expose Dieta to dangers far beyond those posed by mere Sword Seekers.

As Najin continued his story…

Dieta listened silently.

“…And that’s how I ended up here.”

After finishing his story, Najin looked at Dieta.

Her expression hadn’t changed from before she heard the story. As Najin waited anxiously for her to speak…

“I had suspected you had an extraordinary background, but it’s more complicated than I imagined. This was beyond my wildest thoughts.”

Dieta murmured as if she was slightly amazed.

“But thinking about it, if you’re from the underground city, things start to make sense. The feeling of being somewhat disconnected from the world, the lack of any proper identity information…”

Muttering to herself, Dieta nodded emphatically, as if she had convinced herself of something. It seemed as if she had resolved some long-standing questions, looking almost relieved.

For Najin, her reaction was unexpected.

“…Is that all?”

“Hm?”

“I was expecting a bit more… a different reaction.”

A reaction like confusion, distance, a frown upon learning of his underground city origins, such typical responses. Or, at the very least, a change in the way she looked at him. But there was none.

Dieta looked at him just as she had before hearing his story.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

“Could it be…”

With a playful smile, Dieta tilted her head.

“You thought I’d be scared of you or look down on you for being from the underground city?”

“…….”

“Wow, no response. Seems like I was right. I’d be disappointed if you saw me that way.”

Dieta frowned.

“What does it matter where you’re from? What does it matter if your background is complicated? Regardless of your past, the fact that you saved me hasn’t changed.”

“That’s because…”

“Because we promised, and keeping a promise is the natural thing to do. You’d say something like that, right? I know. That’s the kind of person you are.”

She covered her mouth, chuckling.

“You, who speak of the unnatural as if it’s natural, who leaps into actions that make no sense without considering loss or gain. That’s who you are.”

And yet, Dieta glanced at Najin.

“You don’t expect such things from others, though. You don’t expect others to treat you the same way you do them, expecting nothing in return. It’s admirable in a way, but…….”

Closing the gap slightly, Dieta moved closer to Najin.

“But you can have expectations of a friend, right? You need at least one person who can ‘naturally’ show you the ‘unnatural’. That way, you’ll realize how extraordinary and bewildering your actions have been.”

How do you feel now?

Dieta prodded Najin’s side, asking.

“Surprised? Confused?”

“…Honestly, yes. That’s how I feel.”

“Imagine how shocked I was that day. Well, it’s like that. Your story is definitely surprising, but it’s not a reason for me to distance myself from you. Even less so to despise you.”

Najin fell silent, and Dieta laughed.

“We’re friends, right?”

“…….”

“What’s the matter? Moved? Do you find me precious or something? Just kidding. Why so serious…?”

“That’s right.”

“…What?”

“I said that’s how I feel.”

Dieta’s face turned bright red.

Najin looked at her and smiled.

“Friendship is indeed wonderful. I feel somewhat relieved after sharing all this.”

“Ah, uh…….”

“Thank you. For saying that.”

As Dieta, struck by an unexpected blow, stumbled for words, Najin relaxed. Ever since escaping the underground city, Najin had always been tense.

The fact that he was chosen by ‘Excalibur’.

The fact that he carried the lives of Ivan and Offen.

These truths kept Najin from relaxing, but at least for this moment, that wasn’t the case. His expression became more natural, and his voice and manner of speaking changed slightly.

“Talking about it makes me want to just barge in instead of waiting for an attack. Wouldn’t be a bad idea, right?”

“Yes…? Uh, Najin. You do know the Order of the Lighthouse has a Sword Master-level powerhouse, right?”

“I’m kidding. If I went now, I’d beautifully lose my head, and I’m not that foolish.”

With a shrug, Najin elicited a blink from Dieta. A joke? A joke, really? This was the first time Dieta had seen Najin talk this way.

The lighter tone. The relaxed face.

This was a far cry from the stiff and expressionless Najin she was used to. But, in fact, Najin’s natural demeanor and way of speaking were closer to this. He had always talked like this in the underground city.

He was just adjusting it because he thought it wasn’t suitable for a knight. After a brief moment of confusion at Najin’s changed demeanor, Dieta spoke up.

“Anyway, I’ve listened to your story.”

She said.

“Now we need to come up with a plan.”

Najin had not anticipated this at all.

***

“There are a few things I’ve thought about.”

“At the very least, ways to ensure you’re safe from assassination within Cambria… I’ll talk about them on the way back after I’ve sorted them out.”

“For now, we’re on a little vacation. Let’s rest easy while we’re in Camelot, shall we?”

Mulling over Dieta’s words, Najin strolled through the streets of Camelot. Dieta had some business related to the trading company and said she’d see him in the evening, so he needed to kill time until then.

So, for now, he aimlessly wandered.

Everything was unfamiliar. The attire of the people passing by differed completely from Cambria, and the lined-up shops were all new to him. As befitting the capital of the empire, everything sparkled no matter where he looked.

‘The most fascinating thing, though, are those.’

Najin looked up.

The towering magic towers came into view. Even from a distance, the presence of the magic towers, visible from anywhere in the empire, was truly remarkable.

And, just as much, if not more so, in presence.

The five towers surrounding the imperial palace caught Najin’s eye. Symbolizing the empire’s five pillars and dedicated to the pillars of the empire, one of these towers housed the empire’s Sword Master, Gerd Isabalt.

‘The empire’s Sword Master.’

The First Pillar of the Empire.

The old man known as the emperor’s sword, despite Sword Seekers being unaffected by aging and maintaining their prime physical condition, this unique individual moved with the body of an elderly man.

What kind of person is he, and what kind of sword does he wield?

A curiosity sprang up, but Najin soon shook his head. By some chance, he had encountered two Sword Masters, but naturally, Sword Masters were not beings one could easily meet.

Leaving it as a mere curiosity, Najin continued his walk. As he roamed the streets, he found himself standing in front of a blacksmith’s shop before he knew it.

-For heaven’s sake, how did you manage to find a blacksmith’s shop in a place full of sights? You came all this way just to see a blacksmith’s shop…?

Merlin’s grumbling echoed in his ears.

But what could he do when he had ended up finding it? From afar, the sound of a hammer striking a sword had drawn him here. As Najin inspected the swords displayed in the blacksmith’s shop, that’s when it happened.

“……”

He felt a gaze.

Turning his head slightly, he saw a young girl sitting in front of the blacksmith’s shop glaring at him. The girl had a sword at her waist and wore light armor.

And on her light armor…

Was a symbol Najin recognized well.

Two swords and a shield covering the swords. The symbol representing the knights of Atanga. Come to think of it, he had seen this girl somewhere. Was it after the battle with the demon knight Verheigen, when he encountered the knights of Atanga?

Clink.

That’s when it happened. The bell attached to the blacksmith’s shop’s door rang, and a knight emerged from the shop. The knight who had come out of the blacksmith’s shop and Najin locked eyes.

“Ah, it’s you?”

The knight of Atanga, Argo.

The knight who had encountered Najin during the demon knight purge recognized him and widened his eyes in surprise.