Chapter 164: The Festival of Swords (7)

Chapter 164: The Festival of Swords (7)

"Passed alone?"

Ronan's eyes widened. This was quite a shocking piece of news. Considering he thought that six people were very few. Chuckling, he asked the guide.

"Damn, what on earth did they do?"

"I don't know the details well. But the friend who delivered this news looked pale. It seems like something unusual happened."

The guide hesitated, and despite Ronan's repeated inquiries, he could only repeat that he didn't know. Although Ronan felt like he was intentionally hiding something, there was no reason to pursue it any further.

Not long after, the resting point for the qualifiers for the next two days came into view. It looked like they had selected only important buildings from the village and set up a space. Ronan, Shullifen, and the girl headed towards the restaurant, as if they had made an appointment. Due to not eating anything all day, Ronan felt like his stomach was sticking to his back.

The restaurant, like other buildings in the resting point, was built with logs. According to the guide, they could have wild boar barbecue and beer as they pleased, making it an ideal.

As they opened the door and entered, warmth and the smell of delicious food wafted in. The spacious building already had about twenty people dining, creating a lively atmosphere. Observing the surroundings, Ronan's gaze stopped when he recognized a familiar face.

"Oh my."

Ronan chuckled. Navirose was sitting at the table, waiting for the food to arrive.

Despite the spacious table for six and a good position with good lighting, there was no one around her. Only Ursa, the giant sword, standing almost 2 meters tall, was leaning against the side, guarding the adjacent seat. It seemed obvious why no one approached. Ronan, after taking a moment to observe, called out to her with a raised fist.

"Instructor Navirose!"

"...Did you arrive just now?"

Navirose raised her head. Naturally, she seemed to have no injuries anywhere. Due to not eating all day, she also looked a bit haggard. The girl, seeing her, opened her mouth in admiration.

"Wow, big."

"Hmm?"

Navirose tilted her head, expressing surprise at the unexpected remark she heard while looking at herself. Dismissing Ronan's grip on her clothes, the girl rushed towards Navirose, lifted up her arms and said.

"Hug me."

"Wait, who are you exactly...?"

Although Navirose showed a bewildered expression, the girl remained carefree. Like a rabbit, she hopped onto Navirose's lap. Looking at the shocking scene, Ronan clenched his fist.

"Well, this is unexpected...!"

"It's soft."

The girl snuggled her face into Navirose's chest, as if she were a cat. Despite the seemingly childish antics, the action had a deeper meaning. Navirose, who had been taken aback, turned her gaze to Ronan.

"Ronan, who is this child?"

"She's a pervert in a child's body. We need to get rid of her quickly."

"Hmm...?"

Ronan's temples pulsated with irritation. He despised this annoying girl, and he despised himself even more for genuinely getting jealous of her.

'Fuck. I'm jealous.'

He was even more envious because he knew which of God's greatest creation was hiding under that shirt. Whether it was the girl's innocent antics or because such things were familiar to women, Navirose didn't show any particular reaction. Instead, she began to gently stroke the girl's head as if finding her cute.

'What a shitty life. I should've been born a woman.'

Navirose, after hearing Ronan's response, raised an eyebrow.

"Don't joke around. You two seem quite close."

"Well... She's a participant like me..."

Ronan scratched his head. Come to think of it, since they met, he realized they hadn't called each other by name even once. Ronan poked the girl's back as she buried her face in Navirose's chest in relish.

"Hey, now that I think about it, what's your name?"

"Tsk, what is it?"

The girl turned her head. Her voice had a strangely irritated tone, as if she found the situation entertaining and wondered why he was interrupting. After a moment of silence, she spoke.

"Lynn."

"It's short. No last name?"

"No. You'll think I'm cute later, so wait a bit."

"...Crazy bitch."

Ronan shook his head. She had been a consistent bitch since they first met. Anyway, Lynn was quite an exotic name. Considering her peculiar appearance, could she be from outside the Empire? While Navirose continued to pet Lynn, she chuckled.

"I've encountered an interesting child."

"Well, you could see it that way. But you don't seem very surprised."

"There are many geniuses in the world."

Navirose, having been a seasoned warrior since childhood, had seen her fair share of battlefields. Smiling at Ronan and Shullifen alternately, she spoke.

"Anyway, for a first test, it was quite rough, but you did well. However, considering it's you two, it's only natural."

"It wasn't particularly difficult. By the way, what's going on? You look upset."

Ronan asked with concern. He had sensed a peculiar discontent on Navirose's face since a while back. After exhaling lightly, she spoke.

"Well... There were no bold participants. I at least expected one to challenge me."

"...Who in their right mind would challenge you to a fight"

It seemed like she needed some self-awareness. The first test probably went as expected; most would have run away screaming at the mere sight of her.

"This part makes me miss the past. Every step I took, there were constant challenges for duels. The sword clashes they used to initiate still resonate in my ears."

"Yeah, now that you mention it, I heard that participants can challenge each other to a duel."

"That's right. Now that the first test is over, it's allowed. If there's someone you don't like, go and run amok. It's one of the few places where you can legally commit murder."

"Hoo..."

It was an interesting piece of information. They had come all the way here to find capable allies, and assessing their skills through duels seemed like the natural step. Ronan scanned the inside of the restaurant with a sly smile. Some people he made eye contact with cowered as if struck by lightning.

"Not me. Please, not me," is probably what they were thinking. Ronan, in the midst of searching for potential talents, heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Hey, can I have a moment?"

"Huh?"

Ronan turned his head and froze in place. He almost drew his sword and cut the man's throat right then and there. The man who had flipped his hood and caused chaos during the final moments of the first test was standing there.

"You...!"

"Yeah, we greeted each other a few hours ago. I'm fine now, so you can rest assured."

The man chuckled slyly. It was astonishing how quickly he had recovered from being unconscious just a few hours ago. But that wasn't the important part. The reddish aura was still emanating from his shoulders. Ronan growled lowly.

"What do you want?"

"Why are you standing like that? Let's talk outside. The sun is about to set."

The man gestured towards the door, appearing shameless as if he knew nothing. Ronan let out a dry laugh.

"This bastard..."

A surge of energy, almost involuntarily, spread in all directions. The lively atmosphere in the restaurant fell into silence. After a moment of contemplation, Ronan turned to Navirose and said,

"...I'll be back in a moment. It's legal to kill someone, right?"

"Only if the duel is agreed upon."

"Thanks."

Thud! The man and Ronan left the restaurant. It took about three minutes for the people, who had been stunned, to start talking or eating again. Lynn, who had been silently watching the door, raised an eyebrow.

"Hmm?"

****

Ronan followed the hooded man. With his hand ready on the hilt, he could draw his sword at any moment to sever the man's throat. After walking for about five minutes, the man moved towards the back of a building that seemed like a residence. A steep cliff jutted out towards the setting sun in the west.

"I saw this place earlier. It's fantastic.

The man standing at the edge of the cliff pointed westward as he spoke. Even though they hadn't reached the top yet, the surrounding scenery became much more visible. The blazing sunset was setting the world on fire.

"It's fantastic." It was a statement hard to deny, but Ronan, feeling uneasy, didn't affirm it. Instead, gripping the hilt of his sword, he asked.

"What's your business with me?"

"Oh, sorry about that. Got lost in the view for a moment..."

The man chuckled wryly. Ronan was contemplating pushing him off if he delayed for just one more moment. He would be able to disguise it as a neutral accident by tossing Ymir under his feet, triggering a shockwave to create a rockslide.. Just pushing him wouldn't matter much. The man, exhaling deeply, looked at Ronan and said.

"Then I'll be blunt. My name is Russell Krona. That incident of mass hysteria you experienced at the end of the first test was my doing."

"...What?"

"I have the ability to manipulate the minds of those weaker than me, causing them to lose their senses with my Aura. I'm thankful that no one died or was seriously injured. I genuinely apologize for the bewildering experience."

Ronan's eyes widened. The man who introduced himself as Russell Krona admitted that he was responsible for the chaos where dozens of participants went crazy and flew into the air. Judging by his eyes and tone, it didn't seem like he was lying.

This was completely unexpected. Ronan thought he had been called to silence him. Ronan, who had been dumbfounded, finally opened his mouth.

"...Why did you do it?"

"I wanted to confirm your abilities."

"Confirm my abilities? For what?"

"I'm recruiting companions to kill a demon."

Russell's face was serious. To Ronan, who didn't understand the words, he furrowed his brow.

"A demon? What are you talking about?"

"Exactly as it sounds. Do you know about the fact that in Aran Parzan beyond the mountains, there was only one successful candidate?"

When they arrived at the resting spot, the guide had also mentioned this as well. Ronan nodded. Russell's face became even more serious.

"Then the explanation will be quick. Do you also know what that sole successful candidate did?"

"He didn't tell me about that."

"He probably knew but didn't tell you. It was truly horrific. One of the committee members with authority told me this."

Russell's voice was trembling. As he occasionally glanced at the sunset, his figure seemed like someone trying to wash away fear with sunlight. He touched his own wrist gently and continued.

"That demon cut off the wrists of everyone except himself. Without giving other participants a chance to surrender."

"What?"

Ronan's face contorted. The content was so shocking that he thought he must have misheard. Russell continued.

"I originally came to Parzan pursuing that demon. If it continues like this, all participants will be in danger."