Chapter 37

Roselin stretched her gaze long and far.

She scrutinized the expressions of the adventurers watching Najin and confirmed something. None of them recognized the technique Najin was about to use.

After all, it was not a technique easily witnessed.

Even Roselin had seen it only a handful of times – three or maybe four. But even if she had seen it just once, Roselin would have recognized it instantly. Such was the profound impression it had left on her.

The most knightly of knights.

Godif, the leader of Atanga.

She couldn’t forget the swordsmanship he exhibited.

It was the very embodiment of Atanga’s creed.

A stubborn style that never retreats, only breaks through head-on, and thus, it was the most knightly of swords.

Thump.

Musing over that day’s memory, Roselin took a step forward. The sword technique Najin was about to unfold should not be used against a mere monster.

The technique Najin was about to display was of Atanga’s swordsmanship.

Specifically, a sword bound by principles.

As far as Roselin remembered, this technique was only displayed against particular opponents.

‘Either to punish those who have tarnished the name of a knight, having lost both honor and pride…’

Or, when recognizing an opponent as a worthy adversary.

A noble adversary worthy of colliding with all their might, only then would this technique be used.

Roar!

Using such a technique against a mere troll like this was inappropriate. Roselin, though not her place to interfere, did not want to see such a technique wasted on a troll.

Tap.

With a light stomp, Roselin closed the distance between her and Najin, who was quite a way off. In a single leap, she stood right behind Najin, just as he sensed her presence and turned around.

“Hey, kid.”

She grabbed Najin’s shoulder and pulled him back.

“Atanga’s swordsmanship should not be used against such a monster. Let’s talk later.”

Murmuring with a smile, Roselin found herself liking this ‘Ivan’ even more. His tenacity to dive into the fray with the Blood Troll and the stubbornness to clinch victory appealed to her.

Swoosh.

Pushing Najin back, Roselin stepped forward.

The moment she did, the Blood Troll, which had been lunging at Najin, hesitated and retreated. It sensed that its opponent was someone it shouldn’t engage with.

Roar!

The troll retreated, howling.

Its howling shook the forest. Soon, responding to the troll’s call, more monsters started to gather. But Roselin seemed unconcerned with them, instead turning back to look at something else.

Her focus was on Najin.

Najin, too, was looking at Roselin.

With a frown, as if displeased for having his prey snatched or his immersion in the fight disturbed, Najin’s expression made Roselin burst into laughter.

That’s how an adventurer should be.

‘He’s growing on me.’

About to draw her longsword at her waist, Roselin chuckled. Using it would probably earn her another scolding from vice-captain Barger, but that was hardly her concern.

“Sigh, I don’t usually show this off…”

She spoke to Najin.

“But I guess I owe you one for the show.”

Roselin reached towards her back.

Not the ordinary sword at her waist, but the two sheaths tied horizontally across her lower back.

Clang! Two swords were drawn.

Two short swords, half the length of a longsword, with jet-black blades. The twin swords shimmered ominously.

-Masterpiece, that one.

Merlin’s voice echoed in Najin’s ears as Roselin drew the twin swords from her waist.

‘A masterpiece?’

-Yes. Pay attention. It’s not something you see often.

Najin watched Roselin approach the oncoming monsters and the Blood Troll, wielding the black-bladed twin swords. Merlin had referred to them as a masterpiece.

‘What’s a masterpiece?’

-The 47 relics forged by the legendary blacksmith of the primordial era. They are weapons that, without any magic involved, produce effects akin to magic.

Merlin explained.

-It’s complicated to describe in detail, but that’s the gist. Even in my era, those who wielded masterpieces could create unexpected variables.

Then, Merlin added:

-I’ve seen the masterpiece she’s holding before. It was wielded by a hero from the Alliance centuries ago… The weapon’s name was Echo, wasn’t it?

As Najin listened to Merlin, Roselin took a step forward, facing the swarm of monsters and the troll. Lifting the twin swords, she then…

Clang.

Clashed them together.

The resonating clang of the swords didn’t cease with a single impact. The sound echoed, layering upon itself, as if creating echoes.

The adventurers frowned at the noise, but Najin’s eyes widened. His senses were alerting him. Watching Roselin intently, he saw…n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Fizz.

Sword Aura surged along the twin swords. This Sword Aura was different from any Najin had seen before. The Sword Aura he knew and could generate was a mere flash of light. But…

Zing!

The Sword Aura wrapping Roselin’s swords resembled saw blades. It took on a bizarre form, like beast claws or molars – a unique shape imbued with Roselin’s own mind and spirit.

Imparting one’s mind into Sword Aura, altering its form.

The realm of a Sword Seeker.

With Sword Aura trailing, Roselin moved. Stomping the ground, she accelerated in an instant. Even Najin, with his wide-open eyes, struggled to track her movement. At that moment, her twin swords traced a perfect trajectory.

Clang…

The echoing sword clash…

Clang!

Suddenly intensified.

Amidst the echoing noise, Najin saw the Blood Troll he had been battling, now covered in countless cuts. The monsters drawn by the troll’s howling also bore thin lines across their bodies.

As the echo subsided…

The lines on the monsters’ bodies turned red.

Slash!

Blood spurted in all directions. The monsters, sliced into small pieces along the lines, collapsed. It was a single strike, an unbelievable sight created with just one swing. Najin gaped at Roselin.

It was the first time…

He had seen a sword strike that defied understanding, even when seen with his own eyes.

He might mimic the movement, but how that action caused such an effect was beyond Najin’s comprehension. It made sense, as Najin still had much to learn about Sword Aura.

What Roselin displayed was her unique technique, utilizing her own Sword Aura and the special properties of the masterpieces. It was a technique only accessible at the realm of a Sword Seeker who deeply understood Sword Aura and had awakened the concept of ‘sword.’

A new concept, encountered for the first time.

Najin’s eyes sparkled as he faced his first milestone.

‘That’s…’

That is what a Sword Seeker is.

That is the pinnacle of this city.

With a twirl of her sword, Roselin turned back. She smiled at Najin, who was staring at her with wide eyes. She mouthed words to him without making a sound.

How about that. Awesome, right?

Her confident appearance might not have been the coolest, but even Najin couldn’t deny being overwhelmed by Roselin’s sword strike.

Despite a bit of commotion, the Dochzenberg Forest purge was completed. Under the management of the mercenary company, adventurers gathered at the forest’s entrance to receive their payment.

Roselin added a little extra to the promised reward and explained:

“This is for our mercenary company’s mistake. The appearance of the Blood Troll, a special entity, was an unforeseen variable, and failing to control it was our responsibility. We apologize with this additional compensation.”

Fortunately, there were no injuries or fatalities due to the appearance of the Blood Troll, thanks to one adventurer who stood up to it.

“…”

Receiving their payment, the adventurers glanced at the scoreboard. While the rankings remained unchanged since before the Blood Troll’s appearance, the scores were different.

1st Place. Ivan. (85 points)

The original score of 35 points, with an added 50 points.

Roselin argued that since she intervened, the Blood Troll was essentially caught by Ivan… and rated it at 50 points.

No one could disagree with her opinion.

Initially, it seemed like a fair fight, but as time passed, Najin was clearly overpowering the Blood Troll. Adventurers who witnessed the ordeal agreed with Roselin’s view.

The 50 points were befitting for the presumed red-rank Blood Troll.

‘85 points…’

Looking at the scoreboard, adventurers shook their heads in awe.

A score that dwarfed the record of Barger, the current vice-captain of the Red-Eyed Mercenaries. An overwhelmingly unmatched record.

They glanced silently at Najin.

Resting, cleaning the blood from his clothes and hair, Najin’s badge hung around his neck, still black. But no one, like before, mocked him or derogatorily called him a brat.

He proved his skill in front of everyone.

And showed his worth through his achievements.

Despite witnessing Najin’s courage against the Blood Troll, no adventurer dared question his credentials. Their looks were devoid of contempt or irritation, replaced only by awe.

“Thanks for saving me. I owe you a drink.”

An adventurer whose life was saved by Najin earlier handed him his card and left. Other adventurers also passed by Najin with brief greetings.

An adventurer who proved his worth, recognized by his peers.

As everyone expressed their awe and left, only one adventurer couldn’t do the same.

“…”

The green-ranked adventurer.

Marsen, who placed second after Najin, clenched her teeth as she passed him.

-Look at her eyes. So rude.

‘Who is she?’

-That’s the one who picked a fight with you before the start.

Najin tilted his head.

He hadn’t bothered to check who was in second place or their name. It didn’t seem necessary. At Najin’s reaction, Merlin chuckled.

“Ivan.”

While Najin was resting, his name was called for the last time. Climbing onto the stage, Najin received the reward money handed by Roselin. The pouch felt substantially heavy.

“I’ve settled the score according to the points, and added a little extra for your trouble. Thanks. Your intervention saved our mercenary company’s reputation.”

Roselin patted Najin’s shoulder.

The appearance of the Blood Troll was an unexpected variable that the mercenary company failed to anticipate. There could have been casualties, but Najin’s intervention prevented any harm.

That allowed for a smooth resolution of the situation, for which Roselin was grateful.

“That’s that.”

Roselin handed Najin a wooden box. Inside, folded neatly, was dark red leather.

“This is the hide of the Blood Troll you hunted. Troll hide is a luxury item. Especially a variant like the Blood Troll… it’s priceless.”

The durable and resistant hide of trolls.

Already a valuable material for armor, the hide of a variant Blood Troll was incomparably more valuable.

“Normally, the rights to the materials from monsters hunted in Dochzenberg Forest belong to our mercenary company…”

That was the original condition of the commission.

“But this is different. It was an unlisted monster, and the guild had a bounty on it. It’s entirely your catch, so it’s yours.”

In other words…

Najin understood what Roselin was implying.

“You’ve completed the Dochzenberg Forest purge and simultaneously a red-rank bounty quest. I’ll accompany you to our mercenary company and the guild. I’ll testify that you subdued the Blood Troll.”

Roselin grinned slyly.

“That’s all the messages.”

Suddenly standing beside Najin, she looped her arm around his shoulder. As Najin tried to resist:

“Let’s have a drink and talk.”

Roselin whispered in his ear.

“About Atanga’s swordsmanship. There’s some stuff we need to discuss. And I owe you for the first place reward too.”

So, no more talk, just come along, kid.

Looping her arm around Najin, Roselin playfully jabbed his side. Watching from behind, Barger and the mercenaries sighed.

She really took a liking to him.

They shrugged and followed their leader, walking ahead.