Chapter 25
The Benevolent Lord (3)
“Uncle!”
The blacksmith Luperson, who had been dozing off in his seat, jumped up in surprise at Linda’s voice.
“Welcome, Linda.”
Yawning as he got to his feet, Luperson saw Linda’s apologetic expression.
“Did you stay up all night because of the silver sword?”
“A promise is a promise.”
With a hearty laugh, Luperson went into the forge and came out carrying a sword.
“It took longer than I expected since it’s been a while since I last made one. I worked until dawn.”
“I see. Thank you.”
“Check it for yourself.”
Receiving the silver sword from him, Linda carefully drew it from its ordinary-looking sheath.
Srrrng.
The exposed blade shimmered faintly bluish, unlike ordinary swords—that was the hallmark of a silver sword.
“I didn’t add any decoration. You said it wasn’t for display.”
“That’s fine, Uncle. This alone is more than enough.”
Linda’s face lit up with joy as she admired the completed sword.
“Here’s the rest of the money.”
She took out the gold coins her father had given her and paid for the sword.
“Uncle, did you see the man who came here with me yesterday?”
“Haven’t seen him. Were you supposed to meet him here?”
“Yes.”
Linda glanced up at the sun overhead.
Maybe she had simply come too early.
But as time passed and Josh still didn’t arrive, she began to worry.
Why isn’t he coming? Did something happen?
Josh hadn’t seemed like the kind of person who would break a promise on purpose.
While Linda stood in the shaded alley near Luperson’s forge, lost in thought, Nekamo appeared.
He had been waiting for his daughter at the tavern but, when she didn’t show, had come looking for her himself.
“What are you doing here? Where’s that fellow Josh?”
Nekamo looked around as he asked.
“He hasn’t come yet. Maybe he’s running late.”
“Hm, is that so?”
“Father, you can wait at the tavern. When Josh arrives, I’ll join you there.”
“No, I’ll stay here. Is that the silver sword?”
Taking the sword from his daughter, he pulled it partway out to inspect the blade.
There had long been stories that silver swords were the bane of undead monsters, though he couldn’t say for certain if that was true. He had never actually seen an undead monster himself.
After returning the sword to Linda, Nekamo swung about a small round shield he had bought on his way.
“Why did you buy a shield?”
“To protect you. One never knows what might happen.”
“Then you should buy another one for yourself. That one can protect me, and the new one will protect you.”
“Hmm, maybe I should. My arm’s already sore from using a shield again after so long.”
With his arm aching, Nekamo laid the shield on the ground and sat down.
“Father.”
“What is it?”
Wiping the sweat from his brow, Nekamo looked up at his daughter.
Leaning against the alley wall, her gaze fixed on the forge, Linda spoke quietly.
“The lord said he’ll lower the taxes not just in Cammu, but in the other villages too. Back to the old rates.”
“Impossible. Cammu maybe, but how could he do the same for the other villages? The treasurer and officials aren’t weaklings to be ignored.”
“But he said he would. He seemed certain it would happen.”
“My daughter, he must have just said that to encourage you.”
“Do you really think so?”
For some reason, Linda felt that everything the lord said would indeed come true.
As she was thinking of him, a young man suddenly entered the alley.
“Sorry. I’m late.”
Josh apologized to Linda, then noticed Nekamo sitting on the shield. His brows furrowed.
“And who’s this?”
Linda quickly explained, sensing Josh’s wariness.
“He’s my father.”
“Your father? I thought it was just the two of us.”
Josh shot Linda a sharp look.
Dungeons were coveted places, and he disliked having too many people involved.
“Sorry. I had no choice because of the silver sword.”
Linda explained how she ended up going with her father.
“As promised, you’ll still get half of whatever we find in the dungeon. I won’t touch your share. My father and I will divide my portion between us.”
After some hesitation, Josh turned to Nekamo, who had risen with his shield in hand.
“Just don’t get in the way. Stay at the back.”
“Get in the way? I was once a man who roamed the battlefield.”
“Really? Then block this with your shield.”
As Nekamo raised the shield to cover his chest, Josh kicked it hard.
“Ugh!”
Nekamo toppled backward with a groan.
“Leave the fighting to me. You’ll only be a hindrance.”
Looking sheepish, Nekamo picked up the dropped shield and stood.
“Father, are you all right?”
“I’m fine. I only fell on purpose, so Josh wouldn’t be embarrassed.”
Josh, overhearing, was dumbfounded but chose not to argue.
They had to hurry if they wanted to reach the place before nightfall.
“The silver sword?”
“Here.”
Josh drew it boldly and swung it a few times.
The swordsmanship he had once learned from a wandering mercenary might finally prove useful.
“Where is the dungeon?”
At Nekamo’s question, Josh sheathed the sword and answered curtly.
“In Mount Hersht.”
The day before, Ian had trained with the sword without rest, leaving his palms covered in blisters and his shoulders aching.
“My hands sting too much to even write.”
Grumbling, he scrawled the Kebania script on paper a few more times, then went to the window and looked down at the garden.
The sun was already high, but Linda had not yet come.
Strange. Why is she taking so long?
It was unusual for anyone to keep the lord waiting this long.
After waiting a while longer, Ian finally called for Rondo in the corridor.
“Go fetch Linda.”
“Yes, my lord.”
A short while later, Rondo returned with a report.
“Linda left the castle yesterday afternoon with her father and has not yet returned.”
“She didn’t come back? Neither did Nekamo?”
“That is correct, my lord.”
Scratching his forehead, Ian rose from his chair and approached Rondo.
“Has this happened before?”
“Sometimes she leaves for a few days because of medicine. But she always reports it in advance.”
“Linda is my writing tutor. Unless she’s disregarding me, she wouldn’t act like this without reason. Could something have happened outside?”
Rondo lifted his head and looked at Ian’s face.
There was worry written there.
“I’ll immediately send men to Cammu to look for them, my lord.”
“Do it.”
Ian folded the paper on his desk into a paper airplane.
Covered with Kebania characters, it flew out toward the garden, only to land in the fountain and slowly sink beneath the water.
“Blanzor, do we really have to repeat the same thing again today?”
—For now, yes.
“Let’s head down. Linda isn’t coming, and I can’t waste time.”
He had swordsmanship to practice, ki techniques to learn, and the handling of this world’s Force to master.
With a somewhat stiff expression, Ian changed into his training clothes and was just about to step out when—
At the door, Rondo was receiving a report from a castle gate guard.
“Rondo, what is it?”
“My lord, a young man came to the gate asking to see you.”
“Me?”
“Yes. We tried to drive him off, but he insisted it was about Linda and demanded to meet you.”
After a moment’s thought, Ian descended the stairs and gave an order.
“Bring him to the office.”
The bedroom on the third floor had already been converted into his office.
“Kneel.”
At Rondo’s command, Josh dropped to his knees and bowed his head.
“I greet the lord.”
Ian, seated in silence at the end of the long red carpet, gestured lightly.
“Raise your head.”
Josh slowly lifted his gaze to Ian.
With the sunlight streaming in behind him, the lord’s face was obscured and hard to see.
“Who are you?”
“I am Josh from the slums, my lord.”
His face bore dried blood, making it clear he had been through an ordeal.
“You asked to see me?”
“My lord, please save Linda and Nekamo!”
Josh suddenly sprang up and shouted, prompting the soldiers at either side to draw their swords and press them against his neck.
“Do not act out of turn!”
Rondo’s sharp glare made Josh gasp for breath before he sank back to his knees.
“Save Linda and Nekamo? What do you mean?”
Though surprised, Ian kept his composure as he asked.
But when he heard Josh’s answer, he could not hide his shock.
“You mean you escaped from the dungeon alone?”
“It’s not that I ran to save only myself—while fleeing, I became separated from them and ended up outside alone. I had no choice. My lord, please send soldiers to rescue them! It’s all my fault! I never imagined the place would be so vast, nor that there would be so many undead monsters. I thought there was only one!”
Josh broke down in guilt, tears streaming down his face.
Ian called Rondo close and asked about the dungeon and undead monsters.
After hearing the explanation, Ian was dumbfounded.
What is this? I suspected as much when monsters and dragons appeared, but there’s really a dungeon?
With a grave expression, Ian rose from his chair.
“Rondo, muster the soldiers.”
