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Chapter 124

“There’s more to see here than just money. Take a look.”

Calzark was right. Another box sat in the room, separate from the leather pouch.

I crossed the room and cautiously lifted its lid.

“This is...”

Inside was a suit of silver-white armor. An extraordinary aura seemed to emanate from its gleaming surface.

“Armor crafted from the highest-quality segments of the Sapphire Snake’s hide. Impressive, isn’t it?”

“Hmm...”

Calzark noticed my hesitant expression and tilted his head. “What’s that look for?”

“I don’t think I’ll be able to make much use of it,” I commented as I trailed a finger across the armor’s surface.

It was as cold as ice. Defensive capabilities aside, the armor radiated a lot of cold ki. It wouldn’t suit someone like me, who practiced extreme yang martial arts.

“Can I just sell it?”

“It’d be a shame, considering how priceless it is, but it’s yours, so do as you please.” Calzark rummaged deeper into the box and pulled out another item. “If the armor doesn’t appeal to you, how about this?”

“What is it?”

“A belt.”

It was a snakeskin belt.

Feeling dubious, I said, “I don’t think it’s really my style—”

“Don’t fixate on the design; consider its function. It’s quite useful.”

“How so?”

“It naturally emits cold ki, making it quite comfortable to wear in the summer.”

“That’s more practical than I was expecting.”

“Plus, it’s incredibly durable and sturdy. In a pinch, you can even use it like a whip.”

Calzark cracked the belt like a whip.

Whoosh! Crack!

A satisfyingly sharp sound echoed as ice particles scattered through the air.

“See? Awesome, right?”

“Am I crazy or did it get longer just now...?”

“That’s another one of its features.”

“Hmm.”

A whip, huh?

I already had the Sword of Seven Sins, but a whip wouldn’t be a bad secondary weapon. Depending on how I used it, I could catch my opponents off guard...

But more than anything, it seemed satisfying to whip around.

“I like it.”

“I’m glad you found something to your liking.” Calzark nodded, then suddenly cleared his throat awkwardly. “Ahem... Sir Kayan? Could you give us a moment alone?”

“Of course.”

Kayan bowed his head slightly and excused himself. It felt like they’d planned this beforehand.

Now it was just me and Calzark left in the room. I looked at him, his face etched with resolve, and decided to speak first.

“It’s okay.”

“...You haven’t even heard what I have to say.”

“You were going to apologize, weren’t you?”

“...”

Calzark fell silent, then ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. I almost ruined everything with my stupid stunt.”

“Indeed you did.”

“...”

He didn’t react to my teasing jab. His uncharacteristically dejected demeanor made me feel strangely deflated.

“I know you feel bad, but you don’t need to dwell on it.”

“Because it worked out in the end?”

“That’s not what I meant. You saved my life back in the mountains, Calzark.”

“But that was—”

“Let’s not talk about the circumstances or how it was the most logical choice at the time. Let’s just say we’re finally even for you saving my life back then.”

“You’re good with that?”

“A life owed can only be repaid with another life, right?”

Calzark let out a bewildered laugh. “Interesting. That’s what those southern mercenaries say...”

Come to think of it, he’d been a mercenary too. Judging by his speech pattern, he had definitely spent some time down south before becoming a grand master.

Before being dragged to Spirit Mountain, that shithole was where I had spent most of my time.

“...Fine. But if you ever need help with anything, just say the word.”

“Anything?”

“Yeah, anything.”

“...”

He might have been a carefree guy, but he wasn’t the type to joke about something like that.

“By the way, what happened to my Ring Sword?” I asked.

“Sorry, it broke.”

“I will need you to pay for that.”

Calzark chuckled and turned away, waving his hand dismissively.

As I watched him go, I spoke up again, “About Instructor Juan...”

Calzark stopped in his tracks.

“I don’t think he was always crazy.”

“...What makes you say that?”

“It was something the demon lord said.”

I recounted verbatim the words spoken by Tangtata, the Demon Lord of the Green Tongue:

—Yes...! The human from before... said it loved another person...

—Wh-when I requested the heart, the human screamed... s-saying it could give me anything else... b-but that wouldn’t do. Th-the face of someone who loses something of theirs... is the most entertaining... right...?

I didn’t pity Instructor Juan. To be honest, I thought he’d gotten what he deserved when he’d died at the hands of a demon lord. But my personal feelings aside, I felt Calzark deserved to know the truth.

“Is that so...”

Calzark didn’t turn around, but his head drooped slightly. I had told him the truth; how he chose to process it was up to him.

“Thanks, Luan Bednicker.”

His voice was slightly strained, but I pretended not to notice.

* * * * *

* * * * *

The next morning, for the first time in quite a while, I woke up feeling refreshed.

“Ah... that feels good.”

After enduring the uncomfortable and cramped bedroom in the dormitory and then the cold, hard ground outdoors, I finally had a proper bed to sleep in.

Feeling rejuvenated, I immediately began my morning training.

I was just finishing up, rolling my shoulders to loosen my neck, when I stepped out of the room.

“Oh, Young Master. You’re awake.”

“...Uh, yeah.”

A maid I’d never seen before bowed her head.

The Small Iron Hall seemed unusually bustling this morning. Had everyone been asleep last night because it’d been so late? I glanced around and saw maids and servants diligently cleaning the hallway, wiping the windowsills, and watering the plants.

“Did you sleep well, Young Master?”

“Good morning.”

“Please let us know if you need anything.”

The servants and maids paused their tasks and bowed respectfully as I passed by. It was a stark contrast to the way they’d treated me when I’d first arrived at the main house. It dawned on me how much my situation had changed.

Maybe I can skip the trek to the main house for breakfast from now on.

With that thought, I headed to the dining room on the first floor. The food wasn’t set out yet, but an appetizing aroma filled the air.

A man who appeared to be a chef approached me and bowed.

“Welcome, Young Master. Breakfast will be ready shortly. Please let me know if you have any dietary preferences.”

“I’ll eat anything as long as it’s delicious.”

“Very well.”

I sat down at the table and was waiting for my meal when I spotted a familiar face...

Kayan.

“Good morning.”

“I hope you had a good night, Young Master.” Kayan bowed his head and said, “Would you care for a cup of tea before breakfast? We have a lovely ginger tea that is perfect for hangovers.”

“Sure.”

As I nodded, Kayan began to brew the tea with a gentle smile. Did he enjoy tea ceremonies? For the first time, I saw a side of this stern old man that seemed to fit his age.

“Here you go.”

“Mmm.” I inhaled the aroma before taking a sip. “Sorry, this tea is amazing, but I’m not eloquent enough to describe it.”

“Your words are praise enough.”

Soon, the chef brought out the food, and I enjoyed a leisurely breakfast for the first time in a while.

“What are your plans now, Young Master?” Kayan asked after we finished eating.

I sipped my post-meal tea. “I’m thinking of going to the Academy.”

“I see. Then your break will not last very long.”

“Huh?”

“The carriage to the Imperial City departs in a week. You’ll need to leave then to make it in time for the special course schedule.”

“One week, huh...” I nodded. “That’s just enough time, I guess. Do you know who else among the young heroes is going?”

“I’m afraid I don’t. Applications are open until the day of departure, so there will be constant changes. I believe the maximum number of participants is 10.”

Ten people... I wondered if all the slots would even be filled.

“What happens if there are more applicants than that?”

“They’ll be cut based on their performance at the training camp.”

A very Bednicker way of handling things. I rose from my seat. I was full, and it was time to stretch my legs outside.

“How are the other young heroes doing?”

“More than half of them left this morning. The rest will either join Heroes through House Bednicker or head to the Academy.”

“They’re staying in the guest rooms on the first floor of the mansion, right?”

“That’s correct.”

Maybe I should go see what they were up to. I was curious how many of them were planning to go to the Academy.

With Kayan in tow, I left the Small Iron Hall. The sun was warm, but the wind still carried a late winter chill. As I strolled through the Bednicker estate, which was still quite barren, I wished I could see some freshly bloomed flowers.

Unfortunately, I’d likely be at the Academy when spring arrived.

At this moment, a powerful shout reached my ears.

“Hiyah!”

I looked over and spotted two familiar figures in the training grounds beyond the garden: Charon and Hector.

“Are they sparring?”

“It appears so.”

“Oho.”

There was nothing quite like watching a good fight.

Charon was wielding two shortswords, while Hector naturally had his sword. At a glance, Hector seemed to have the upper hand.

That wasn’t surprising.

I had realized it back in the cave. When it came to one-on-one combat, Hector was definitely the superior of the two now.

The spar didn’t last long. Charon, who had been on the defensive the entire time, lost one of his shortswords in a moment of carelessness. Hector seized the opportunity and swiftly subdued him.

“...”

Charon gritted his teeth and tossed his remaining shortsword aside in defeat.

“Good spar,” Hector said curtly as he sheathed his sword.

The young heroes who had been watching erupted in cheers. Sharyl’s voice seemed especially loud. As Hector wiped away his sweat, a small, pleased smile graced his lips.

Sharyl suddenly screamed, “Kyaaah!”

I rolled my eyes at her overboard reaction.

Charon retrieved his sword and stormed off the training grounds. Naturally, he was headed in my direction.

He stumbled as he walked, then flinched when he saw me. “You...”

“Good morning.”

“...”

When he didn’t respond, I raised my fist and repeated myself. “Good morning.”

“G-good morning.”

Did this guy not even know how to greet someone in the morning? More than being offended, I was baffled. Sometimes, he seemed even more clueless than Mir.

“Thanks for the show. You got completely destroyed, huh?”

“...”

“I bet it makes you sick to your stomach. You were much stronger than Hector before the training camp.”

Charon glared at me as I continued to needle him.

I chuckled under his intense gaze. Maybe I was becoming more like my master. I preferred someone who still had fire in their eyes even after getting beaten up over someone who would grovel at the victor’s feet.

“...Fighting people isn’t my specialty. Hunting is.”

“Sure, sure. But that precious hunting skill of yours will also be surpassed soon enough.”

“What did you say?”

I didn’t answer, instead tilting my chin in a dismissive gesture, signaling him to move along.

Charon clenched his fists, then brushed past me.

He could be useful if I polish him up a bit.

Charon might be a strange one, but for the time being, I had bigger fish to fry.

The underground library.

Once I left the main house, who knew when I would be back? I had one week before I left for the Academy. I had to find it within that time.

***

Being the acting deputy family head, even temporarily, had its perks. I could roam this vast estate as if I owned it and no one would bat an eye.

Right. I guess this is my house, after all.

Whenever I had free time, I’d chat with the other young heroes staying at the main house or share a meal with them. Thanks to that, I had a pretty good idea of who was planning to go to the Academy.

The rest of my time was, of course, dedicated to searching for the underground library. I scoured every nook and cranny of the main house, the surrounding annexes, the servants’ quarters, and even the storage rooms...

I searched every building I could find, but the entrance to the underground library remained elusive. There were a few underground spaces, mostly in the servants’ quarters, but they were all used for storage.

On the third day, I came to a realization.

Trying to find it just by searching will be impossible.

My only option left was to ask around.

The first person I sought out was the head maid, the same one who had given me that cryptic message about the underground library before the training camp.

“I don’t know the exact location. However, I do know it exists.” The head maid, with her usual stoic expression, spoke as if she had been expecting me. “Young Master, just because it is called an underground library does not mean you need to pass through a building to reach it.”

“Oh...”

Something clicked in my mind.

I expanded my search beyond the buildings, focusing on the entire estate grounds. There was a chance the entrance was hidden somewhere in the Forest of the Butterfly, but if that was the case, I might as well give up. The forest was simply too vast.

But still...

I had a strange feeling that the entrance to the underground library was somewhere on the estate grounds, not in the forest.

And two days later...

“...”

I finally found it.

It was beyond the restricted rear garden, in a spot where the wall ended abruptly, opening directly into the forest. Ironically, it was near the shack where I’d had my previous meeting with the Lord of Blood and Iron.

Behind the shack was a well, though its water source had dried up and long been abandoned. In other words, it was a passage that a person could easily fit through.

Whooosh.

A cool draft flowed from the opening despite the increasingly warm weather.

“Hmm...”

Looks like I have no choice but to go down there myself.

I rubbed the back of my neck and jumped down the well.

“...”

The well itself was narrow, but the area below was surprisingly spacious. A crudely paved dirt path stretched out before me, wide enough for three people to walk side by side.

It wasn’t immediately obvious, but this tunnel was not naturally formed.

It looks like it’s been some time since it was dug.

I pressed onward, staying alert for anything that might jump out at me.

I soon arrived at a fork in the path, in the middle of which was a signpost bearing a strange message:

[1. Choose the correct divine beast of the Bednickers from the following options. (1 point)

① Lion ② Wolf ③ Deer ④ Owl

※Caution※ In case of an incorrect answer, one finger.]

...What in the hell was this?