Chapter 60: Chapter 60

Umi went straight to the kitchen and started preparing a meal.

Iel's expression was uneasy as well. An unexpected feeling of discomfort came over him. He didn't even know the reason himself.

"Ah, I'm good with food. I just ate a little while ago."

Ran refused politely. Umi, who had been slightly excited, immediately wore a sullen face.

"Oh, come on, have some. I went to all the trouble, you know."

"It's fine. Actually, there's something I'd like to ask instead."

Umi sat down across from him. Ran looked her straight in the eyes.

No matter how you looked at her, she didn't have the face of a swordswoman. Her impression was as warm as the grandmother next door.

Ran steadied his wavering heart, recalling his time as an inquisitor. He took out a map and spread it open.

"Could you take a look at this map? I'd appreciate it if you could check for any mistakes."

"I'm not someone who knows how to read these things."

"This is Tohore village."

Ran pointed with his finger. Umi narrowed her eyes.

"The writing's too small, I can't see a thing."

Ran pointed out the prominent landmarks marked on the map, centering around the spot labeled Tohore village, one by one. He planned to verify if each feature actually existed and match them up.

He wasn't sure if her memory was hazy, but Umi tilted her head this way and that several times.

"If you'd just tell me where you're trying to go, I could explain it easily."

"This much is enough."

As long as the direction to Northland was clear, everything else didn't matter. Ran asked his cross-checking questions in relief and finished up.

Umi cast a sidelong glance at Ran.

"You're a strange young man. When people get lost here and run into me, they're always so relieved and happy. But you don't show any of that."

"I was going to ask you anyway. Have you met any people recently?"

"From time to time. Listen, this mountain isn't a place you can gauge with just a scrap of paper like that. Don't be overconfident."

"I have not the slightest intention of that."

Ran twisted his lips and stood up.

"Thank you for your help. I'll be on my way now."

Umi's eyes went round. Iel was just as surprised. She thought for sure they'd rest thoroughly for at least a day before setting off.

"You're leaving already?"

"There's no reason to stay long."

Umi rose from her seat and went over to the window. She looked up at the sky and even measured the breeze with her hand.

"Tonight, there's going to be a new moon. It's the night when the vital energy of beasts reaches its peak."

Ran was startled. He hadn't known that magical beasts lived on the mountain. There was no mention of them even on the map.

"Have you ever seen a beast?"

He just came back from hunting those, though...?

Ran kept his words to himself. He just nodded lightly.

"Well, that's a relief, then. But know this. Shoddy dark mages' slapdash beasts are nothing but fledglings compared to the mountain beasts here."

It was said that Astana Mountain was a devil's domain, but most thought it was only a metaphor. Ran had thought so too, until just now.

"Looks like you don't even have a spare sword. Don't tell me you're thinking of facing them barehanded? With a child in tow, even?"

Ran pressed his lips together.

It wasn't because he couldn't argue with Umi. He then closed his eyes slowly.

That unpleasant sensation he'd forgotten for a while now surged up.

In one corner of his dark vision, a pair of red dots floated. The number increased little by little. The red dots each warped and turned into fierce-looking eyes.

Ran stared intently at the dozens of eyes drawing nearer, then opened his eyes half-lidded.

Umi muttered. She was looking out the window.

The three stepped outside.

Umi's house was positioned on higher ground in Tohore village. The whole village could be seen at a glance.

Below the hill, near the village entrance, quadrupedal beasts were gathering in packs.

"Tsk, click, those things—they sure caught a scent and flocked right over."

Umi put on a red bird mask and drew the sword she'd been using as a cane.

"It's dangerous, so stay back."

Umi ran down the hill without a shred of hesitation.

The wolf-like magical beasts' eyes glowed a fiery red. They saw Umi charging from the opposite side. Their casual movements instantly turned savage the moment they spotted prey.

The pack charged at Umi in unison.

Just before the clash, Umi leaped high into the air. She sprang up and swung a sword more than twice her own height with near-supernatural speed.

The arc sown through the air lit up with a clear, floral pattern.

Umi landed lightly. At the same time, the flower shapes scattered everywhere like falling petals.

The flower shapes struck into the beasts' bodies. The places they touched flared up white-hot. The wolf-beasts were sliced into pieces.

"Aigoo, my back... Even this isn't as easy as it used to be."

Umi groaned and took off her mask.

She had subdued the wolf-beast pack in one go.

'A sword that draws forms?'

Ran craned his neck, following Umi's movements.

He'd thought that the flower shape he'd seen earlier was just his eyes playing tricks on him.

But this time, he saw it clearly with both eyes. It wasn't a hallucination but a sword technique with magical power.

Iel spoke in a small voice next to him.

The girl's eyes trembled faintly.

"It's similar to Igraine's swordsmanship. I used to watch the older boys practicing it a lot, so I know it well."

Ran had learned about the world differently from others.

Shut away all day in Quersa's archive learning theoretical knowledge by self-study, and less than four years of actual experience on the mainland—these two combined made up Ran's foundation.

Of course, there were exceptions.

The opposite sex and the sword were like that.

Unlike the awkwardness he felt about everything regarding the opposite sex, the sword always felt strangely familiar—even though he'd never formally learned it.

'That's why I always longed for a chance to learn the fundamentals of swordsmanship.'

Iscarang had always warned Ran to keep away from swords.

From his sole teacher, Zima, what he learned wasn't theory, but effective killing techniques.

'There is no end to learning.'

His academic curiosity was boiling over. He'd lived only as a secret priest fulfilling his duties. Ran had so much he wanted to know.

Ether, aura, holy power, and magic. He was still surrounded by unknowns.

Ran tucked away his curiosity and looked at Umi.

She was stuffing the wolf-beast corpses into a sack.

"What, what is she doing?"

Iel clung tightly to the hem of Ran's clothes and hid behind him. Ran suppressed his rising nausea.

"Don't just stand there gaping—come give me a hand."

Umi straightened her back like someone working in a field.

After calming Iel, Ran approached Umi slowly.

"Why are you bagging those?"

"Meat is always precious in the mountains."

"That's how you survived. As if human flesh wasn't enough, you even ate beast meat."

Her busy hands paused. Her wrinkled eyelids trembled.

What surprised her more than anything was the language Ran used.

Umi also spoke in Northland language.

She was more shocked that Ran spoke fluent Northland language than that he knew about the cannibalism.

Ran shrugged his shoulders and walked off somewhere.

Umi was completely frozen. Only her anxious, trembling eyes followed Ran.

After climbing a little further up the hill, Ran pulled a sword stuck in the ground before a small haunted shack.

"This is your husband's, right?"

Rough Northland clipped from Ran's mouth. He set the sword upright and examined it.

It was a straight blade, smooth with no handguard. At a glance, it looked like a simple black staff. Its surface gleamed as if oiled.

Ran pulled off the name tag hanging from the end and lightly flicked it with his finger. The tag flew like a dagger and stuck at Umi's feet.

"That's not the only thing you wrote. Your husband must have written it himself too, right?"

Umi only rolled her eyes downward. Ran looked around as he spoke.

"Northlanders worship the souls of the dead. To you, the afterlife is more important than this life."

The god of the north, Dakir, promised paradise in the next life to Northlanders who atoned for past sins during their present one.

This world was punishment. You had to die honorably in penance. Only then would you be born in paradise in the next life.

"That's why cannibalism is the greatest taboo among Northlanders."

Ran unsheathed the sword about a hand's length. The blade shone white. A buzzing resonance rippled into the air.

"I was just going to ignore it, but I've changed my mind—I'll stay here for the night."

"Hot hot, so? What are you going to do about me?"

"Yes. I can't leave you alive now."

"?? Don't spout off when you know nothing."

Umi drew her own sword. She licked the back of the blade with her tongue. ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ꜰʀᴏᴍ novel✦fire.net

"Yeah. You never did seem like just an ordinary mercenary. What are you, some wannabe who rolled in from somewhere?"

"? Do I look merciful enough to answer all your questions one by one? You cannibal."

He declared in Quersa language. Performing an exorcism was part of a priest's duties.

Ran fully drew the sword. White vapor began to steam ominously up from the blade. He felt its chill on his skin.

Umi attacked first. She even forgot to put on her mask. The once kindly-looking face transformed into someone fierce, like another person entirely. Red gleams swirled ferociously at the corners of her eyes.

"Hot hot! As expected! You're just my kind!"

Ran blocked all of Umi's attacks without moving hastily. He seemed so calm as to appear leisurely.

'I've never held a sword before.'

Ran marveled inwardly.

The sword in his hand felt truly feather-light. Not just in physical weight, but in some deeper sense.

The sword moved on its own, as if it had a will, drawing his body with it.

'A demon sword (妖劍).'

A bewitching weapon honed to a razor's edge, seducing humans before slowly devouring their souls.

Ran, who had focused only on probing and defense until now, went on the offensive for the first time.

It was nothing special. He simply extended the sword lightly with no strength behind it. Yet Umi hurried to block it.

"This thing... it's a fine blade indeed. Doesn't seem like it'll break easily, at least."

Ran muttered as he retreated a few steps. Umi adjusted her grip on her sword and smirked.

"So, you grabbed it without knowing, huh. Well, if you knew, you wouldn't have been foolish enough to touch it without fear."

"Ah, right. It was your husband's, so you should know well. What's this sword's name?"

"Ignorant fool. Have you ever heard of the evil spirit, the Nachal Ghost?"

"? Evil spirit... Nachal Ghost."

Ran looked up and stared at the blade. At some point the edge had turned a deep violet.

"Rookie, you can't handle that blade."

The reason a demon blade consumes its wielder is simple.

The weaker the human, the more vividly and loudly the evil spirit's whispers are heard.

The spirit promises the human absolute power. In exchange, it takes his soul.

Ran hadn't heard such a whisper yet.

"? Evil must be governed by greater evil."

Ran grinned on one side and thought he had an idea. There was no way a mere evil spirit could win against a priest. Then, he could just turn the tables on it.

Umi drew another sword arc. An even greater spray of flower patterns appeared.

"I'll eat you with special care. I'll savor you—really, I will."

A huge flower shot at him like an elemental magic projectile.

Ran gripped the sword higher than usual.

The white vapor that had been rising like burning smoke from his blade now suddenly surged menacingly.

She recognized it at first glance, despite never having seen it before. An uncontrollable terror made her break out in cold sweat.

A gigantic Nachal Ghost form appeared above Ran's head.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=