Chapter 33 – Chapter 8. Samura Gorge.
“I respect your choice.”
Master Agel believed in his pupil. He somehow had a vague belief that Ji-hyeok would do it, even though he did a tremendous job of choosing a 100-point mission. … Anyway, talking more about this now didn’t change anything. Then it’s better to encourage them.
“I can no longer be your strength. You know that, right?”
“Yes.”
“Okay… , I’m waiting for you at home. When you’re done with your mission, drop by. Understand? It must be.”
“Yes, I will definitely go, Master.”
Azel smiled happily and hugged the student once more. And he quickly turned around and walked away. Jihyeok stared at her back for a long time as he was getting farther and farther away. She never looked back.
The master soon disappeared forever from the pupil’s sight. He slowly turned around. In the distance, Princess Elizabeth was watching him with her arms crossed with a very disapproving look on her face. Of course, he started walking toward the inn, blind.
In the end, the princess couldn’t stand it and went to Ji-hyeok and called him over.
“You… , Do you have any real thoughts?!”
Jihyeok lightly brushed the princess up and down with an expression of annoyance.
“What does my choice have to do with the princess?”
“… It’s crazy, it’s crazy. I really never see someone like you.”
“Princess, you take good care of yourself. 20 points won’t be that easy…”
100 and 20 points. The princess was strangely a little shy. So a loud noise came out.
“I am normal. You are abnormal—!”
“… I hope you will complete your mission and become a warrior. Enough then.”
Jihyeok didn’t want to talk more with the princess. He gave an appropriate greeting and turned around again and went on his way. Damn you bastard. Of course, she didn’t catch him as he left.
Returning to the dorm alone, Ji-hyeok packed his things. Wrapping around a gym bag, he glanced briefly at the master’s room where he stayed, then turned around. He left the hostel building.
A lot of eyes were pouring towards Jihyeok from here and there. Of course, the 100-point mission was a big topic in the academy. It seemed that rumors had already spread among the trainees.
Jihyeok completely got out of the academy. And he headed straight to the meeting place. All of his companions must have already gathered and are waiting for him.
The day was bright. The main street was already crowded with people passing by. Jihyeok was walking along the main street and fell into an alleyway.
After some time, he arrived at a place called the Moonlight Inn. He opened the old wooden door and went inside to see a group huddled together in the hall. There were people waiting for him.
“,Captain, here—”
Bald Gide quickly pretended to know. Jihyeok walked towards it. He glanced at the outfits of his companions once. Everyone seemed to have thoroughly prepared for the expedition.
“What about meals?”
“I just ate.”
“Okay? Then let’s start right away.”
“Already? Can I not eat the captain?”
“I just ate. Let’s hurry.”
The four of them got up from their seats. Jihyeok led the way and the other four followed him.
Jihyeok went straight to the mobile wagon stop. There he found the side of the wagon that was going west and boarded it. There were three big people, so even though there were only five people in the carriage, it was full.
This is-. The carriage started running. They left the capital after one inspection at the main gate. Ah. Yayel stared at the capital city, which was getting farther and farther away. Jihyeok saw it and opened his mouth.
“Have you ever gone far?”
“Yes? Ah yes… It’s the first time I’ve gone this far.”
Gide, who was watching, quickly joined the conversation between the two.
“Even though it’s not as big as the capital, there’s a lot to see.”
“Ah, is that so…”
The potion wizard laughed awkwardly. Still, it was difficult for her to get along with them. … Well, I always socialized only with neat and smart academy students, but I wonder if these nasty mercenaries will catch my eye.
At least Gide was forced to talk, but the rest of the orcs and lizardmen were too reticent even for Jihyeok to see.
“However… , Where exactly are you going, chief?”
After a while, the Lizardman opened his mouth. Jihyeok answered kindly.
“Gudlock.”
“Gudlock? If it’s good rock…”
Gide’s expression became a little subtle. It must have been that he had been to many places on the continent, and he seemed to know where Good Rock was at once.
“I don’t think it’s the way to the western demon’s realm?”
“Right, I know exactly.”
“I had the experience of going there once a long time ago. … But why are you going there? It is a completely backward place.”
Jihyeok glanced at the faces of the party before answering.
“I have something to look for there.”
“Are you going to save it?”
“The Legend of Good Rock… Has anyone heard of it?”
Gideon didn’t even know that. Orcnam and Lizardmen also seemed to have similar shapes.
The drug lord made an expression as if he knew something, then uttered a small exclamation.
“I think it was about a hero and a devil.”
“That’s right. That’s it.”
Gide tilted his head.
“What else are you talking about? A dragon and a devil? … It’s not a city that suits that at all.”
“Because it was a long time ago. Roughly speaking, what… , In Gudrak, the mighty and hundreds of warriors died fighting demons.”
“So you don’t mean there are ghosts?”
“That’s something I only talk about when I’m teasing kids.”
It was an atmosphere where something important was about to happen. Everyone listened to Jihyeok’s words.
“There is a place called the graves of warriors in Gudrak.”
“Are you talking about the place where the weapon is stuck?”
“That’s right. There.”
“I’m not just going to see it…”
It was something everyone was curious about. Jihyuk smiled lightly.
“There’s something important there.”
“Anything important? … Haven’t you seen anything like that?”
Gide shook his head lightly with an expression that he had never heard of.
“I will know when I go.”
It was something that Ji-hyeok would never have known if another hero hadn’t looked for it.
– It’s a cursed holy sword. It is said that it was made by mixing the flesh and blood of demons in order to catch demons.
– From the moment you have this, hell begins.
– There’s nothing particularly good about being hated by demons.
The cursed sword has changed hands several times since then. The misfortune seemed to pass on to the owner as well.
Jihyeok needed just that for his mission. Originally, it was something that would be found much later, but it was the easiest to obtain among the holy swords he could obtain now. … Of course, there are side effects as well.
– Don’t kill too many demons. Then you become a demon too.
At that time, the warrior who had spoken those words took his own life.
· · ·
If you go straight to the northwest from the Empire, you will find the Jarn River, and if you follow the road in the direction of the mountain range from there, you will come to a city. That was the small town of Goodrak.
With a population of just five thousand, this city was rarely visited by outsiders. If I’m going to pass through the mountains, I’ll go to Parsia, a large city near the canyon, not Gudrak.
There are travelers who come to see the scenery from time to time, but there was nothing else to do. A place so peaceful that it is terribly boring. That was Goodrock.
Of course, Gudrak wasn’t without anything to brag about. The graves of warriors. It was located to the east of the city.
Although it is said to be a tomb, it was not a place where real bodies were buried, and weapons such as swords, axes, and spears used by warriors were tightly packed. It was to honor those who died bravely fighting the demon army here.
Of course, it wasn’t anything fancy or anything. It was just rusty weapons stuck in the ground. So even the mercenaries who had been expecting a lot because it was said to be a tomb of warriors often went back with full of disappointment.
And at that same city a group of five people arrived. As soon as they got off the carriage, they stretched out and warmed up their soggy bodies.
“Ah, shit. … It’s still here.”
Bald Gide glanced around, admiring the country town, which still smelled like chicken manure. Yayel, who had worked hard to get here, looked around the city with an expression of, “There are cities like this.”
Having always lived in the capital of the empire, the city looked old. Even buildings made of stone were hard to find. Almost all of it was made of wood, so it felt a bit cramped.
“It is a peaceful place.”
Orc Healer, Gorsh’s first impression was roughly like that. A peaceful place. It was just a really peaceful place. The taciturn Lizardman did not open his mouth at the end, and only stuck out his tongue once.
Jihyeok took them to a nearby inn. The face of the old innkeeper suddenly brightened when five guests suddenly came to the place where only flies were buzzing. He stopped spinning straw and received guests.
“Hey, come on.”
As you can see, it was a place where a house was slightly remodeled. There were only 2 tables too. Even on the table, there were piles of this and that stuff. The old man quickly put it away in a corner.
“Elena. Elena-!”
The old man called her granddaughter. Her granddaughter, who was working in the kitchen, came out. She was a country girl with freckles on her face.
“A guest has arrived.”
“Ah, yes!”
Of course, there was no such thing as an order board. She said that now there is soup and sesame bread. Jihyeok asked for something.
“Can I get you some sheep’s milk?”
“… Are you going to drink?”
Jihyeok glanced at his companions. No one drank The country girl suggested one more time, perhaps feeling that she had been denied the pride of the city.
“Take a drink. It is the pride of Good Rock.”
“… Then just have one of mine.”
“Yes!”
Jihyeok said, “Drink, mani,” And she didn’t want to make a fuss, so she only ordered one drink. Then she backed off.
Yayel frowned slightly as if there was a musty smell here, and kept sniffing. He smiled and said that he felt like he was at home.
At that time, Kayak, who had been silent since arriving in the city until now, spoke for the first time.
“Captain, are you leaving right after this work?”
“It should be. I have no reason to stay here any longer. I’m going straight to Parsia. Because we have to cross the canyon.”
Soon the girl came out with soup and sesame bread. She placed hot soup in front of each of them. It smelled delicious.
“Eat well, everyone. … Do you have any lamb?”
“The mutton just fell off. Grandpa just went out shopping.”
Jihyeok nodded his head in agreement. Then he took the sesame bread from the basket and dipped it into the soup. The savory crab mixed with the sweet soup was quite delicious.
The workmanship is good.
The sesame bread was gone in an instant. Yayel also hurriedly ate it to see if it suited her taste.
After adequately filling their stomachs, they took their luggage and headed to their room.
“There is one bed here, and there are two beds there.”
Of course, the room with two beds was the larger one. Gide, Kayak, and Gorsch decided to use it. The small room was occupied by Jihyeok and Yael.
“I will sleep on the floor.”
“You don’t have to. You can sleep upstairs. It seems to be a good size.”
Jihyuk said indifferently. Of course, Yayel was embarrassed because she had never thought of a man and a woman sleeping in the same bed. Jihyeok, who was unpacking only a few important items, looked back at the hesitant Yayel.
“Are you just ashamed of that? … You’d better fix that thought soon. In the future, you will experience worse than this.”
“… All right. I will.”
Yayel replied that way. Still, the captain I had seen so far was a trustworthy man. He believed it wouldn’t happen that he suddenly changed and attacked.
Jihyeok unpacked his things and left the room saying he would go outside for a while. He met the innkeeper’s granddaughter in the hallway.
“Where are you going?”
“Out for a minute.”
“The meat is being boiled now. I’ll tell you when everything is ready.”
“Uh.”
The busy girl hurried past him. Jihyeok walked again. And as I was about to leave the building, a bald head suddenly followed behind the captain.
“Where are you going?”
“For a while. Why?”
“Are you going there?”
“Compassion and honor.”
“Then can I come too?”
“Follow me, then.”
Gide laughed like an idiot. The two walked side by side on a country road.
The bald head became vague eyes while looking at the roadside.
“I came here once by chance ten years ago, and it’s the same now as then. … Looks like I’m just getting really old.”
“It’s not easy to change in a place like this. If you find a silver mine or a gold mine, you won’t know.”
There were also quite a few cities that changed their appearance in an instant after accidentally discovering a vein of mineral near a manor. Of course, there was little chance of that happening here. If there was such a thing in this place with a fairly old history, it would have been found and dug up long ago.
They headed for the eastern sector. Of course, the scenery was the same everywhere. Occasionally, he saw loosely dressed guards, but rather than trained soldiers, he looked like a bachelor from the countryside who came from working in the fields. When they saw the two of them, they yawned and paid no attention.
Anyway, the two soon arrived at a place called the graves of warriors. At least it was the only well-decorated place in the city. It was the only place in the city where only a few living trees were planted. There was a fence around it, and a stone monument was erected there. Of course, they were the only two people watching.
“Sir, I can’t read… What is written on it?”
“The graves of warriors. … Everything below that is just nonsense.”
Jihyeok’s eyes were scanning the rusty weapons. … The fierce battle with the devil was remembered as such a shabby thing.
His gaze, which wandered here and there, was soon stuck in one place and did not know how to move.
The cursed holy sword—-.
The sword that has been weathered by the sun and rain and wind for a long time,
It was plugged right in there.
