Chapter 187 – The Elven Wood Emissary
A month has passed since then.
I was currently returning to Colony Oz, not Demon Castle.
There are things I can’t do even if I’m sitting in the castle of demons, but since I’ve been active in Oz for the past two years, I feel more comfortable here.
However, such happiness was short-lived, and I couldn’t help but frown upon a letter from the castle of demons.
“Fuck.”
“What’s wrong all of a sudden?”
After a bout of action, I showed the letter I was reading to Ozma’s question, who was naked in my arms.
“…The Elven Wood delegation?”
“That’s right. And I guess I was recommended as the representative of the delegation.”
“Then you haven’t seen your face for a while?”
“Perhaps.”
Hearing my answer, Ozuma’s eyebrows narrowed.
“Should I talk to my dad? No matter how much it is, isn’t it turning the person who will be the son-in-law too far outside?”
“It must be because the Demon King has his own thoughts. You endure it.”
This led to a father-daughter fight, so I hurriedly dried up the spirited Ozma, and I folded the finished letter finely and put it on the chest of drawers.
In this case, it would be better to change the topic of conversation.
“Rather than that, how’s the administration of state affairs these days? Anything?”
“Huh? Uh, well, I’m always the same. I take care of the nobles, and I want the children under me.”
“Isn’t it too tight? Unlike demons, humans don’t blindly obey because they’re stronger than they are. So it’s important to let them go in moderation.”
“…I know. Me too.”
Judging by the fact that he secretly avoids his gaze while saying that, this guy is also quite incapable of lying.
“Well, since you’re competent, you’ll do well on your own.”
I said that and stroked Ozma’s hair gently.
At a time like this, she would have been angry with Dorothea, telling her not to treat her like a child, but Ozma secretly liked it.
After stroking Ozma’s hair for such a long time, she gradually became drowsy, so we hugged each other and went to sleep.
***
Next day.
Waking up a little earlier than usual, I carefully got out of bed and headed to the yard, fearing that Ozma would wake up.
Kooooo-
He meditates as usual, checks his body condition, and oils a virtual magic furnace that has not been used for a long time.
It’s always something to think about, but living in peace dulls the senses sharpened on the battlefield.
It’s not that peace is bad, but it takes a lot of time to raise your skills to the original level.
It is for this reason that I meditate in my spare time.
By reviewing past experiences and constantly running battle simulations, you can continue to maintain your strength at about 80% of your prime.
After the 30-minute meditation was over, I finished my morning schedule with a light bare-body workout.
“You’ve been diligent since morning. Kaldrash.”
When I went into the kitchen to drink water, Vanessa in an apron greeted me with that.
“What’s for breakfast this morning?”
“It’s just plain jaratang, grilled eel, and stir-fried beef and garlic.”
“…Was it your turn today?”
“Right. Did you remember?”
No, I can’t help but be blatant like this.
I sat down at the table with a puzzled expression.
“What about the others?”
“Ozma-sama hasn’t come down yet, and Dorothea said she skipped breakfast because of a hangover. Camilla and Sophia went to the market for a while to buy ingredients.”
So, will I be eating alone this morning?
It’s a bit lonely.
As I grabbed my fork and knife, Vanessa, who was sitting across from me as I set down the salad plate, looked at me with a smile on her face as she rested her chin on her table.
That gaze was strangely burdensome, so I asked while eating a bite of salad.
“What’s wrong? What’s on my face?”
“No, it’s just that I think I look good today.”
Weird. Obviously weird
I knew very well that Vanessa had this kind of personality, but something felt strange today.
I hurriedly shook my head, wondering if I was missing something.
And soon I realized
That today is her birthday.
Thanks to her my superior brain, I sneaked a look at her.
“Is there anything you would like to have?”
“Huh? Suddenly, why?”
Look, there is also a reaction.
The twitching of the corners of his mouth is the feeling of holding back a smile as much as possible, but that was barely enough to escape my attention.
“You don’t usually give me anything special. So I thought I’d buy you one right now.”
Then, as Vanessa wiggled her hands, she said cautiously.
“Then there’s something I’d like to have.”
“What are you talking about? A dress? Earrings? Necklace?”
Then Vanessa answered, closing her eyes tightly.
“I want a new sword!”
“Uh… I see.”
“Ho, is it weird?!”
“No, because it’s you, you can do that. I understand.”
It might have been my mistake to expect the same reaction from Sword Master Dullahan as a normal woman.
Seeing my lukewarm response, Vanessa hurriedly tried to say something else, but I said it was okay and waved her hand.
“If it’s a weapon you can use, I don’t think it’s going to be at the level of a moderate smithy, so I’ll ask someone I know. Wait with anticipation.”
“Yes!”
As Vanessa answered, she felt her dog’s tail wag behind her back.
Cheesy, cute.
After eating the huge breakfast Vanessa prepared for me, I decided to go out to ask someone I knew about a good sword.
Seeing that I was about to go out, Camilla asked if I was going with her, but I told her to take care of Ozma because I was fine.
It was a calculation that it would be much more profitable to help Narat, who is busy with construction, than to eat and play at home.
“Then see you in the evening.”
After saying that, I shook her hand and left the house alone.
So, where shall we go?
***
Even though it was demoted to a colony, it was a kingdom that was running well in its own right until just before that, and there are many blacksmiths in the capital, Oz.
And since most of these forges pay huge taxes, I, as chief treasurer, naturally knew the names and locations of all the forges.
“So where should we go?”
“Why do you ask me that, you madman?”
“That’s because Master lived in Oz longer than me.”
“You’re the only crazy person to ask a wizard that.”
“Ah~ I’m also a Moorim person.”
“That’s a story about when.”
Master sighed heavily as he said that, and asked Olivia, his assistant, to serve the tea.
“By the way, Olivia, didn’t she say she was writing a thesis the other day? How did that go?”
“Ah, are you talking about the ether thesis? If so, it was safely published in an academic journal.”
“I’m glad it ended well.”
“It’s all thanks to Kaldrash-sama’s help.”
Then Master, who was listening to the story beside him, waved his hand as if it was nothing.
“He’s a kid who works as my secretary, so of course I have to do that.”
“I always feel that Master is too harsh on praise.”
“What? Man?”
Chop!
“Sometimes you have to give a little compliment to make people feel good.”
I said that while blocking Baekwooseon from swinging over my head with both hands, and then moved my butt to the side.
After securing a safe distance like that, Master opened her axe eyes and said,
“You’ve grown a lot. Kaldrash. You know how to vomit at the words of your teacher.”
“I’ve grown a bit. I’m not the old me.”
“Ugh geug geuk geuk!”
“Uggggg!”
With a fan in between, they continue a tense contest of strength.
“They’re not even kids, stop fighting and have some tea.”
It was Olivia who came out of the bathroom that put an end to the seemingly never-ending battle between priests and priests.
“…Huh!”
Master turned his head away and crossed his arms as if he was pouting.
I had a reasonable doubt that my mental age might have gotten younger as well as the half-romantic transformation, but I didn’t bother to say it.
Anyway, since I went into a lull for a while, I decided to drink tea to calm my excitement.
Green tea leaves, said to be imported from the eastern continent, were Master’s favorite drinks, saying they reminded him of his hometown.
“So, what’s your budget?”
Realizing that I had finally solved my hardships at Master’s casual utterance, I responded quickly.
“I don’t care how much money it costs. I want to give you the best gift I’ve ever given.”
“…If that’s the case, wouldn’t it be better to look towards Nidavellir rather than here? A human’s sweet night’s art won’t beat a dwarf’s sweet night’s art even if you wake up after dying.”
“Today is my birthday. I don’t have much time.”
“It bothers me.”
Saying that, Master scratched his head with a sigh and suddenly snapped his fingers.
“Olivia, could you go downstairs and get some items from locker 41?”
“Cache 41?”
“There’s something I’ve been experimenting with before. Bring it.”
Then Olivia looked bewildered and said she would understand and left her room.
I asked in surprise.
“Is there a sword among the artifacts Master made?”
“I just made one because I thought about the old days.”
After saying that, Master yawned and asked while lowering the awning on the window behind her.
“So how long have you been thinking about it?”
“Yes?”
“It’s not going to be the price you thought. Tell me quickly. You’re not going to take it for free, are you?”
“…”
Recalling the days when I was being sold in Yongsan for the first time in a while, I began to heat up the price negotiations with Master.
