164. Festival of the Sword (7)
#164
“You said you passed the exam on your own?”
Ronan’s eyes widened. This was quite shocking news. As he said he thought six people were very few. He laughed and asked the guide.
“What the fuck did you do?”
“I don’t know the details. However the face of my friend who told me this news turned pale. “It seems like something unusual happened.”
The guide clicked his tongue. Ronan asked several more times but he only repeated that he didn’t know. He had a feeling that he was hiding something on purpose but he had no reason to pursue it.
Soon the base where the successful applicants would spend two days appeared. It was a space where only the important buildings in the village seemed to have been selected and erected. Ronan Schlieffen and the girl moved to the restaurant as if they had made an appointment. Because I hadn’t eaten anything all day I felt like my stomach was sticking to my back.
The restaurant like other buildings in the base was built of logs. According to the guide it was a very desirable restaurant because you could eat roasted wild boar and beer as you wanted.
As soon as I opened the door and entered a warm and delicious smell wafted through me. About twenty people were already eating inside the spacious building. Seeing them chatting in an excited atmosphere it seemed like they were successful applicants from another group. Ronan looked around and stopped when he saw a familiar face.
“What are you doing?”
Ronan laughed. Nabi Rose was sitting in front of the table waiting for the food to be served.
Even though it was a table for six people and had good lighting there was no one around her. Only Ursa a giant sword nearly 2 meters tall was standing next to her leaning at an angle. I felt like I knew why no one was approaching me. Rolling her hand and bringing it to her mouth Ronan called out to her loudly.
“Instructor Butterfly Rose!”
“…are you here now?”
With butterflies I lifted her head. It sounds obvious but there didn’t seem to be any injuries. I was still hungry so I looked a little thin. The girl suddenly saw her and opened her mouth in admiration.
“Wow it’s so big.”
“Hmm?”
With butterflies I tilted her head. She had an expression on her face that said she didn’t expect it because she was talking about herself. She threw away Ronan’s collar and ran towards Butterfly Rose. Then he looked up at her and said.
“Hug me.”
“Wait a minute what the hell are you…”
I used the butterfly to show her confusion but the girl was stubborn. She jumped up like a rabbit and climbed onto Butterfly Rose’s lap. Ronan clenched her fists in horror as she saw her girl bury her face in Butterfly Rose’s arms.
“There’s never been a case like that…!”
“It’s soft.”
The girl started pressing her face against Butterfly Rose’s chest as if she were her cat. As expected it was a movement with too much depth to be dismissed as foolish. Butterfly who had been confused turned her gaze to Ronan.
“Ronan. “What is this child?”
“He’s a pervert wearing a child’s skin. “She must be eradicated quickly.”
“Hmm…?”
A vein rose on Ronan’s temple. I hated her that pretty girl and I hated myself for being truly jealous of her.
‘Fuck. i envy you.’
I was even more envious because I knew what kind of hideous thing was inside that shirt. I don’t know if she thought it was just the foolishness of an immature child or because women were used to that kind of thing but Nabi Rose didn’t show any particular reaction. She began to gently stroke her girl’s head as if it were cute.
What a shit life. I should have been born a woman too. Butterfly Rose shrugged her eyebrows after hearing Ronan’s answer.
“Don’t joke. “You two seem quite close.”
“Uh…so he’s the same participant as me….”
Ronan scratched her head. Now that I think about it I have never called him by his name since we met. Ronan poked the back of the girl who was burying her face as if savoring it.
“Hey by the way what is your name?”
“Tsk what?”
The girl turned her head. Her voice was strangely nervous as if she was asking why she was interrupting her while she was having fun. After being silent for a while she opened her mouth.
“Lin.”
“It’s short. “Is there no such thing as a last name?”
“doesn’t exist. “I’ll show you some cuteness later so just wait a moment.”
“…Crazy bitch.”
Ronan shook her head. From the moment I met her she has always been a bitch. By the way her name was Lin which sounded very exotic. Given his unusual appearance isn’t he from the Empire? Nabirose who was petting Rin laughed.
“I met an interesting person.”
“Well…you could say that too. But you’re not really surprised?”
“Because there are many geniuses in the world.”
Actually Nabi Rose was a great man who had been on the battlefield since his days as a nosy dog. She looked at Ronan and Schlieffen in turn and smiled.
“Anyway it was quite rough for a first test but you did well. That’s only natural for you two.”
“It wasn’t that difficult. Anyway what’s going on? “You don’t look very good.”
Ronan asked worriedly. She had felt it earlier but there was a strange glumness on Butterfly Rose’s face. She let out a faint sigh and opened her mouth.
“Whew…there is no prosecutor with guts. “I thought at least one person would attack.”
“…What kind of crazy person in the world would listen to the Sentai Sword Saint to fight?”
She was a person who needed self-objectification. I had an idea how the first test would be conducted. Most people would probably have run away screaming just by making eye contact.
“This part makes me miss the past. Every time I took a step I received a call for a sparring match. “The words they shouted are still pleasant to my ears.”
“that’s right. Come to think of it I heard that participants can apply to spar with each other.”
“okay. It is possible now that the first test is over. If there’s someone you don’t like go and run amok. “It’s one of the few places where you can legally commit murder.”
“Hoo….”
That was interesting information. I had come all this way in the first place to find a useful companion but there was nothing better than sparring to show off my skills. Ronan glanced around the inside of the restaurant with a sinister smile on his face. Several people who made eye contact flinched as if they had received an electric shock.
Not me. Please not me. Ronan was in the midst of looking for talent. A familiar voice came from behind.
“Do you have a moment there?”
“ok?”
Ronan turned his head. And it froze in place. She almost pulled out a knife and cut off his head. The hooded man who drove everyone into madness during the first test was standing there.
“you…!”
“okay. I said hello a few hours ago. “You can rest assured that you are feeling better.”
The man smiled slyly. It was only a few hours ago that she had been taken unconscious on a stretcher but her resilience was remarkable. But that wasn’t what mattered now. A reddish aura was still blooming above his shoulders. Ronan growled lowly.
“What is your business?”
“Why is it so sharp? Let’s go out and talk. “The sunset was enough.”
The man held his thumb back and pointed at the door. He had a shameless attitude as if he knew nothing. Ronan laughed.
“You bastard….”
The deadly force that had leaked out without my knowledge spread everywhere. The once bustling restaurant fell into silence. Ronan who thought for a moment looked back at Nabirose and said.
“…I’ll be back for a bit. “I’m sure you said it’s legal to kill right?”
“Only if the sparring is successful.”
“thank you.”
thud! The man and Ronan left the restaurant. The people who were intimidated did not start talking or eating until about 3 minutes had passed. Lin who had been quietly looking at the door tilted her head.
“Hmm?”
****
Ronan moved after the hooded man. His hand was placed on the hilt of his sword so that he could beheaded at any time if he tried his best. After walking for about five minutes the man moved to the back of a building that appeared to be a dormitory. A sheer cliff jutted out toward the west where the sun was setting.
“This is the place I saw earlier. “Isn’t it awesome?”
The man standing at the edge of the cliff pointed to the west and said. Even though she had not yet reached the summit she could see the scenery around her much better. The blazing sunset was setting the world on fire.
It’s awesome. It was a difficult statement to deny but Ronan who was uncomfortable did not agree to it. Instead he grabbed the hilt of his sword and answered:
“What is your business?”
“Ah I’m sorry. “I got lost in sentiment for a moment…”
The man gave her a wry smile. Ronan was thinking of pushing her out of there if her man took one more moment. She would have been able to disguise it as a rock accident by throwing Ymir at her feet and then activating a shock wave. It doesn’t really matter if you just push it. The man sighed deeply and looked at Ronan and said.
“Then I will say it bluntly. My name is Russell Crona. “I was responsible for the strange incident you experienced at the end of the first test.”
“…what?”
“My Auror’s ability is to shake the minds of those weaker than me and make them lose their reason. I feel fortunate that none of them died or were seriously injured. “I sincerely apologize for causing you such embarrassment.”
Ronan’s eyes widened. A man who introduced himself as Russell confessed that he was responsible for causing dozens of participants to go crazy. Judging by his eyes and voice it didn’t seem like he was lying.
This was completely unexpected. I thought he must have called me to silence me. Ronan who had been dumbfounded opened his mouth.
“…Why did you do that?”
“I wanted to check your skills.”
“Check your skills? “For what?”
“I am…recruiting allies to kill demons.”
Russell’s face was serious. Ronan frowned at the incomprehensible sound.
“What do you mean devil?”
“Literally. That can’t possibly be called human. Do you know that there was a group with only one successful candidate from Aran Farzan beyond the mountain?”
This was the story the guide told me when I came up to the base. Ronan nodded his head. Russell’s face became even more serious.
“Then the explanation will be quick. “Then do you know what the only successful person did?”
“You didn’t say you didn’t know that.”
“You probably didn’t say it even though you knew. That was a really terrible thing. “One of the committee members with a stovepipe told me this.”
Russell’s voice was shaking. The way he looked at the sunset every now and then seemed like a person trying to wash away his fears with sunlight. He touched his wrist and opened his mouth.
“The devil cut off everyone’s wrists except his own. “There is no room for other participants to abstain.”
“What?”
Ronan’s face distorted. The content was so shocking that even after hearing it he thought he had heard it wrong. What did you do with his wrist? Russell continued.
“I came to Farzan chasing that guy in the first place. “If this continues all participants will be in danger.”
