NOVEL NEXT Chapter 27
– 1 –
“Training?”
While reading a book I had obtained from adventurers to kill time, a Skeleton suddenly approached me, stating that I needed to train my skills in movement.
I heard this after I had leveled up my Axe to the warrior stage and confirmed that all the necessary tasks were done.
– Snap.
The one who delivered this message was none other than Eve.
It seems she wasn’t too pleased when I sat still during our previous encounter with Maria.
She probably thought I hadn’t reacted at all.
“Why are you so angry?”
– Snap!
She shook her head at my question, but recalling that moment, her eyes were still glaring ominously.
“Back then, I just trusted you. I thought there was no need to move.”
– …
When I said that, she momentarily stiffened, but that didn’t change her opinion that training was necessary.
And honestly, I had no reason to disagree.
After all, I used to be a man, so leaving my body in someone else’s protection didn’t sit well with me.
“Alright. Let’s do it. I’m curious if I have any talent.”
– Snap!
But man, she looked suspiciously happy about this.
It seems spending time with me is that enjoyable for her.
Tap, tap.
Looking in the mirror in my room, I activated the magic by tapping my chest, and my dress, which had been in the form of pajamas, transformed into workout attire.
“… Huh?”
The form was slightly different than I imagined.
I thought it would resemble a loose-fitting dance outfit I usually wear in reality, but it ended up being “Riding Attire.”
A stylish short coat with lace accents on the collar, high-leg boots, and an overall design that clung tightly to my body.
Given my current physical proportions, it really made my sleek appearance stand out even more.
… My heart was, metaphorically, small, though.
No, wait, that’s not right.
“There’s a weird stubbornness in this feature. This trait.”
I guessed it might have something to do with “nobility,” quickly verifying that I could move comfortably before following Eve.
“Here?”
– Snap.
We arrived at a small cabin near the dungeon.
This place, which I had previously used while taking care of Sonia, is outside the dungeon but is actually a trap related to it.
If an adventurer stumbles across this place while wandering the forest, they would find themselves kidnapped into the dungeon in the early hours of the morning.
These days, without using magic to maintain it, we use it as a villa connected to the dungeon, but I’ve successfully captured about five adventurers using this trap.
“Wooden sword… It’s my first time holding a sword since your sword.”
– Clank.
“You’ll tell me how to hold it? Okay, let’s go.”
Eve laid her hand over mine.
Evangeline is relatively tall compared to an average woman, so she towers over me by more than a whole head.
Maybe that’s why the way she completely wrapped around me from behind felt surprisingly stable.
I somehow felt at ease.
– Snap!
“Try to block with all your strength?”
– Clank.
Eve’s suggestion came as we faced each other.
She nodded energetically, tapped the wooden sword on the ground a couple of times, and relaxed her stance.
Usually, she insists on looking knightly, but in battle, she always appears relaxed.
『Name – ‘Noble’ Libertus』
『Rank – Normal』
『Attributes – Strength 18, Agility 26, Endurance 23, Magic 32, Resistance 24』
『Name – Evangeline』
『Title/Entity Name – Perfect Skeleton ‘Sword Expert’』
『Attributes – Strength 27, Agility 32, Endurance 23, Magic 26, Resistance 22』
Glancing at our status screens for a moment, I decided to just go with the flow.
I had fed her a ton, so Evangeline’s attribute average was even higher than mine.
Unless I managed to learn the know-how to channel magic into my strikes, I had almost no chance to defeat Eve by simply moving my body.
“Now that I think about it, that was unexpected.”
My eyes were drawn to the “Title” section that said “Sword Expert.”
“Expert,” the “Skill-class” was a class I had never seen in Mill Don 1.
Thanks to that, I had never acquired relevant information beforehand, and it took me a moment to recall it from the “Dungeon Lord’s common sense.”
If you’re good with swords, the prefix “Sword” comes before it, if you’re using spears, it’ll be “Spear,” and even in magic, it usually depends on the main elemental attribute like “Fire” or “Ice.”
The difference between an average warrior and this skilled class seems to be that all their attributes are exceptional and they must possess a specialization in that specific weapon or ability.
“I thought she’d definitely be a knight before.”
Until I learned about this class, I had been sure that the class she would acquire would be the knight class present in Mill Don 1, but knowing the explanation made sense.
Evangeline had something too precious to lock inside the small possibility of being a “knight.”
Above all, it seems a bit out of place for her to carry a shield…
『Traits – Advanced Specialization: Swordsmanship, Explosive Power, Genius Commander, Member of Necropolis』
As proof of that, Evangeline’s current trait screen was filled with blue, except for the general “Explosive Power.”
Excluding the member of Necropolis, who became rare due to my change from “Apprentice” to “Normal,” both traits were acquired through her own efforts.
This was incredibly quick and impressive progress for a creature that started as just a skeleton, not to mention compared to others that started from different classes.
Such a special achievement.
“I feel proud every time I see her.”
– Clank.
I swallowed my satisfied grin and nodded at Evangeline.
While I waited for her to finish with her thoughts, she likewise nodded and seemed to bend her posture…
And then—
Wham!
She rushed right at me.
Thus, the duel with Eve began in the cabin’s yard.
– 2 –
“You came from the Mammon Trading Company?”
“Yes, Master.”
The news that Scarlett had visited came from Sonia right after the duel with Eve reached its climax when she conveyed that she was “satisfied with this much.”
To be precise, it was after she had waited upon seeing our duel nearing its end.
Anyway, we really went for it.
Even though Evangeline held back when I got hit by the wooden sword, my body ached in multiple places from the blows I had taken. This monster’s body is tough, so I won’t get bruises, but for a while, the pain will linger.
“What shall we do?”
“For now, let’s take her to the reception room. It would be rude to go in like this, right?”
“Yes. Understood.”
I didn’t sweat much, and thanks to my traits, I wasn’t even dusty, but moving made me feel heated, so I happily accepted the towel and water offered by Sonia and instructed her.
“Shall I prepare tea?”
“Sweet is fine. Scarlett can’t stand bitter things.”
“Yes. Then, I’ll go first.”
By the way, she seems to have adapted quite a bit.
Lately, she’s oddly friendly toward me.
As I kept observing her, Sonia tilted her head with a questioning look.
“Is there something else you need…?”
“No, Sonia. How’s your health these days?”
“It’s getting better little by little, Master.”
“Good. Try to see if you can start exercising little by little. You must build a healthy body.”
“… Yes. Understood.”
She couldn’t hide her complicated feelings, making her expression dark as she deeply bowed her head and left.
That hatred still lingered in her eyes. It probably will never fade away.
“I must keep an eye on her.”
Those who can hide their hearts while being kind to their enemies are the most dangerous kind.
I never imagined Sonia could become that way, but if it became that dangerous, I might have to consider “disposal.”
Moreover, I still hadn’t set a “formal contract” with Sonia. It would cost more to maintain, but I had no confidence that her body could withstand the shock of the contract.
If someone were to stab me in the back, she would be the most likely candidate.
It wouldn’t even count as a betrayal yet.
“Hello! Lady Libertus! Scarlett Spira Spina, I’m back once again!”
“Welcome, Scarlett. It’s been a while.”
“I can’t tell you how much I’ve missed seeing you!”
“Don’t say such nonsense.”
“I’m being sincere…”
I hadn’t seen Scarlett in nearly a month.
After our first meeting, she had bombarded me with messages using the dungeon’s contact for quite a while, and it had been about a week since it stopped.
She must have been quite busy during that time, as the fatigue still hadn’t fully faded from her face as she stood before me now.
“You look quite unwell. Have you been overdoing it?”
I was concerned enough that it struck me even though I had no particular fondness for her.
“I’ve pulled a few all-nighters over the past week, but I’m fine! Now that I’ve met Lady Libertus again!”
“More nonsense.”
“No, I’m being sincere…”
Upon hearing my words, Scarlett seemed very dejected, drooping her shoulders and letting out a deep sigh.
Somehow, I got the feeling of “long way to go.”
Her energy was oddly high, but perhaps that was due to handling whatever had been troubling her. Surely it wasn’t because she genuinely missed me.
She was an excellent salesperson who knew how to use her weary appearance to her advantage.
“But, who’s that?”
With her constant high energy, I took a while to notice the other lady beside her.
“Oh, this lady is the mercenary that Miss Mari mentioned to come find me instead!”
“Indeed.”
“Please introduce us! Xue!”
“… I’m Lin Xue. Nice to meet you, Dungeon Lord.”
“Right. Welcome, Miss Lin.”
I had somewhat guessed it, but so that “Bloodlight” was her.
Most likely, the name “Lin Xue” came from her being from the Western Continent. As mentioned before, the Western Continent has cultures resembling East Asia on our world.
Korea, Japan, China, Mongolia, Taiwan, and Vietnam.
These five countries dominate the Western Continent, sharing various aspects of the cultures of the countries I lived in.
Among them, the largest countries are Han, which effectively governs the narrow canyon bordering the Eastern Continent, and Shin, which broadly governs the entire west.
Among these, Han, true to its name, is like the Half Continent, while Shin is heavily influenced by the culture of the continent… As you might expect, “Lin Xue” is a name used by someone from that Shin country.
There’s no need to ask how she made it this far.
It must be through the Demon World.
“Miss Xue might be a bit rude, right? She probably isn’t close to you yet…”
As I listened to Scarlett’s attempts to soften her words about her behavior, I noticed the wolf-humanoid beside her, who was incredibly beautiful and appeared to have a cold impression at first glance.
Her silver hair flowed long, nearly to her thighs, and her eyes were a vivid red. She had wolf ears perked up towards us and was staring intently at me as if she wouldn’t miss a single thing.
“I was respectful.”
“Oh, come on…”
Her voice seemed slightly drained, yet on the contrary, it was very high-pitched and cute, leaving a striking first impression against her expressionless face.
Moreover, her attire was a white military uniform, starkly contrasting her cute voice. Judging by its formal, military-like cut, she must have even been a soldier at some point.
So far, she appeared to be a calm and sharp, cold warrior.
Unless you count the endlessly flickering exquisite silver tail that was bumping against the sofa. If that’s because she isn’t close to us, then what an impressive display.
Scarlett, you’ve never seen a puppy before.
That’s clearly an enormous sign of affection.
“…”
After realizing that, it seemed the tension in her body arose not from our first meeting or the contract but for another reason.
At that point, I knew she was on the brink of pouncing.
‘No way.’
Of course, I thought, there’s no way she would behave like that just upon meeting me…
Swoosh!
“…!”
And that ‘no way’ happened the very moment I thought of it.
Next thing I knew, my vision was filled with her white uniform.
“I’ve missed you, my ….”
Her whisper was so quiet that no one could hear it, brushing against my ear.