Act 57

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The woman wore a necklace bearing the emblem of the ‘Golden Apple’, a symbol of the Godric family, one of the four influential families within the social circles of the Adratan Empire.

“What’s with you?”

She looked at me with half-closed eyes, then turned to the man attending her and spoke.

“Why haven’t you shown him out?”

The man, appearing to be a bodyguard, coughed awkwardly, showing discomfort, and then slowly approached her to whisper something in her ear.

It didn’t take long for her haughty expression to distort.

“This person is the ‘Smiling Executioner’…?”

“That’s correct, Lady Erzena.”

No matter how famous someone is, it’s common not to recognize them in person. It’s like seeing a celebrity in a café and only feeling that they look familiar.

“Hmm…”

The woman, who had been covering her mouth with a fan, looked at me intently before abruptly turning her head away.

“I will come back another time.”

She tried to sound nonchalant, but a vivid purple, symbolizing ‘fear’, clearly flickered above her head.

She quickly scurried away from the scene.

Now, only Ruger and I were left in the spacious workshop, and the commotion seemed like a distant memory.

“Damned nobles, I can’t stand the Godric family.”

The silence was broken by Ruger Orland, the owner of ‘Dusk Flame’, cursing as he brought one hand to his temple, his expression soured.

“So, what brings you here? Don’t tell me you’ve come to ask about the reason the Sword Saint left the Capital?”

Ruger’s voice was fiery with impatience.

‘Oh? He knows about that too?’

I was curious, but that wasn’t the reason for my visit today.

“Hardly. I’m not that idle. I’m here simply for a repair.”

With a smile, I placed the Moonlight Sword on the desk. I presented the slightly damaged blade, a result of experimenting with its new ability, ‘Sombra’.

“What a state. I didn’t think you’d come for a repair instead of ordering something new.”

Ruger muttered to himself as he stripped the scabbard from the Moonlight Sword I had handed him.

After examining the blade for a moment, he spoke.

“The blade is damaged in an unusual way. Looks like you’ve been experimenting with mana, haven’t you?”

Spot on.

No wonder he’s renowned as a master craftsman.

“How much do you think the repair will cost?”

“Never mind the cost. I won’t charge you.”

I turned to him, surprised by his words.

“I made it myself, after all. I intend to maintain it for the sake of my reputation. I had that in mind when I made it for you in the first place.”

With unexpected generosity, Ruger re-sheathed the Moonlight Sword.

The atmosphere was quite different from when I first came to have the Moonlight Sword made.

“How long do you think it will take?”

“Three days.”

“Understood.”

Ruger responded gruffly.

Three days, that’s not a short time.

Even so, three days was not an unbearable wait. The real issue was finding a suitable sword to use in the meantime.

“Just before you go, take that sword up there too.”

As I was about to say my goodbyes and leave, Ruger spoke up again.

“After all, you did chase away that damned woman from the Godric family. She comes here incessantly asking to have swords made; it’s terribly annoying.”

Ruger’s voice was still gruff, which only added to my curiosity. This was the same man who had previously been so furious about even being asked to make the ‘Moonlight Sword’, despite being fully compensated.

“People change. Last time, you were quite angry just because I asked you to make a sword.”

I revealed my thoughts openly.

“It’s not me who has changed.”

Ruger’s cryptic response left me puzzled. I looked intently at his face, which still bore a gruff expression.

“It’s you who’s changed. Don’t you seem more human than before?”

His comment left me standing there, staring at him in silence.

Somehow, I felt a strange sense of change. I had always considered ‘Julian’ and myself distinctly separate entities, but now, it seemed as if those boundaries were beginning to blur.

“The sharp edge is still there, though.”

I had to agree.

***

I ended up accepting the sword unexpectedly. With a word of thanks, I stepped outside and drew the sword Ruger had given me from its scabbard to examine it thoroughly.

Ruger had handed it over with a nonchalant attitude, as if it was something trivial, but the sword he gave was far superior to the best products of ordinary forges.

‘Not only does he offer to repair the Moonlight Sword for free, but he also gives away such a sword.’

While I should have felt grateful for his generosity, it rather made me suspicious.

Could Ruger have lost his senses?

Exiting through the back door of ‘Dusk Flame’, I felt the chilly night air against my skin as I started walking back to my mansion.

…Hmm…

As I walked, a piercing chill of malice brushed against my skin. This wasn’t a scattering presence, but a malice distinctly directed at me.

“Bishop Pintel, or should I say Sir Pintel, since we’re outside?”

Having always felt this kind of malice in the hideouts of the Dawn Society, I named the source of this aura.

Soon after, Bishop Pintel of the Dawn Society emerged from an alleyway, looking unusually haggard.

His sudden appearance was quite startling, but I made an effort not to show it.

‘…Could he have noticed?’

I was the one who had recently interfered with the ‘soul stone’ acquisitions.

Given that there was no personal relationship or acquaintance between us, Pintel’s reason for seeking me out seemed clear—he must be convinced that I was the one who had intercepted the ‘soul stone’.

‘And he’s not alone.’

Supporting this thought, figures that appeared to be members of the Dawn Society also emerged from the shadows.

Swallowing hard, I realized the situation might be a bit dangerous, especially since my beloved ‘Moonlight Sword’ was currently out for repairs.

“Such hostility towards a fellow, have I done something wrong, Sir Pintel?”

I probed Pintel’s intentions, trying to understand why he was here, in a dark alley where the light from the street lamps didn’t reach.

In the dimly lit alley, only Pintel’s intensely glaring eyes were prominently visible. 

“Julian, I have never considered you a comrade,” he stated sharply.

“Is that so?” I replied, maintaining a calm demeanor and smiling, although I could feel a cold sweat forming on my back.

‘Has he really noticed?’

His overt hostility was unsettling. With three other cult members accompanying him at this late hour, there could only be one reason for their presence. I slowly moved my hand toward the sword Ruger had given me.

“Didn’t you say you joined not for the doctrine, but for power? You shouldn’t have any regrets then,” I recalled a statement I had made when I first joined the Dawn Society.

To think he still remembered those words I had carelessly blurted out in my confusion.

“In that vein, Julian, I’ll help you get closer to the power you desire. Cooperate with me.”

What? His sudden shift in conversation made my hand, which had been reaching for the sword’s scabbard, hesitate.

“Are you saying you’ll give me power?”

“We’re thinking of recruiting Ruger, the blacksmith of Dusk Flame.”

Pintel’s words were unexpected, but they also brought some relief. It seemed he didn’t yet know I was the one who had intercepted the ‘soul stone’.

“If we could use weapons made by that master smith, it would enhance our combat capabilities.”

“Do you think that stubborn blacksmith will listen to you?”

“If he refuses… we might have to force him.”

Pintel’s mention of ‘force’ was emphasized with a certain intensity. I couldn’t help but let out an incredulous laugh at the audacity.

“What’s so funny?”

“Oh, my apologies. It’s just amusing that you need my help for such a trivial matter.”

Pintel’s brow twitched at the word ‘trivial.’

“This is meant to be the beginning of a cooperative relationship,” he explained.

“I’m sorry, but it seems you might be overestimating yourself,” I retorted.

“What?”

Though such a snide tone might not be the best approach—given that not only Pintel but his fellow cult members could turn hostile—I knew that sometimes avoiding a direct confrontation was the best way to prevent unwanted complications.

“Cooperation implies a relationship of equals. Have you ever heard of a tiger making a pact with a fox?”

“Other bishops from different branches will soon join us here. The plan will proceed with or without you.”

“Ha! How idle must these bishops be to gather just to recruit one blacksmith?”

My mocking tone clearly annoyed Pintel, as his expression twisted with irritation.

“Julian, I’ll say it one last time. Cooperate with us. Since you’ve opposed Sir Aiden, collaborating with other bishops of the Dawn Society will be difficult…”

“Pintel, it seems you’re too busy trying to secure your own position.”

Though he didn’t respond, I felt the malice directed at me intensify.

“Understandable, since you’ve only recently been promoted to bishop. Things easily gained can also be easily lost.”

With each word, Pintel seemed increasingly agitated, his expression darkening—a clear sign that I had struck a nerve.

Clenching his fists, Pintel seemed on the verge of losing his composure.

The sound of grinding teeth echoed clearly through the alley. 

“Of course! I should have known better than to expect anything from you. Now I look like the fool.”

With those emotionally charged words, Pintel and the cult members he had brought with him disappeared into the night. Finally, the surroundings were peaceful again. I sighed in relief, thinking I was about to face revenge.

But that was a fleeting thought. Pintel’s appearance here was aimed at recruiting ‘Ruger’, the owner of ‘Dusk Flame’. 

‘Ruger being recruited… He’ll definitely refuse the offer. Then, the ‘force’ Pintel mentioned will likely begin. Was it three days Ruger mentioned for the repair of my Moonlight Sword?’ 

If something happened to Ruger now, my ‘Moonlight Sword’ might not get properly repaired.

I cursed silently. Originally, Pintel was supposed to secure the ‘soul stone’ and potentially lose his life to the ‘Black Knight’ in the process. The fact that he survived and devised this plan only deepened my resentment towards Hayden Reich.

‘I’d prefer to avoid a confrontation with a bishop, but if it’s necessary for the repair of my Moonlight Sword, then so be it.’

Glancing at my waist, I saw the sword Ruger had given me hanging there. 

“Master, will you be returning home?” As I walked towards the carriage I had arrived in, the butler who had been waiting greeted me politely.

“I feel like taking a walk. Go on ahead without me.”

I opened the carriage door and took out a case from the back.

“A walk, sir?” 

“Yes.”

“Very well, master.” The butler nodded, seemingly used to such whimsical decisions from ‘Julian’.

As the carriage moved away, I opened the case I had taken. Inside was a hood I had used previously when I stole the ‘soul stone’.

‘I brought this to discard, never imagining I’d wear it again.’

Removing my coat and changing into the hood, I couldn’t suppress a bitter smile.

‘A student suffers because of a Master’s neglect.’

Once I had put on the hood, I considered the current situation with Pintel being a bishop. In the heat of potential combat, the hood might come off.

‘Could I use Sombra to mask my face?’

Considering I needed to keep my identity hidden, I decided to use ‘Sombra’ to obscure my face.

[Aura Transformation]

Thanks to my newly acquired skill, shaping ‘Sombra’ wasn’t too difficult, and I managed to stretch it just enough to cover my face, turning it into a mask.

Surprisingly, the mask felt comfortable.

‘What does it look like?’

Reflecting on a puddle left by yesterday’s rain, I caught my reflection.

‘Terrifyingly hideous.’

Thanks to ‘Julian’, the natural artist’s aesthetic sense, the mask’s appearance was so grotesque it might haunt someone’s dreams.

If the gendarmes were to spot me now, it wouldn’t be surprising if it caused a stir.

‘It looks horrific.’

Yet, despite its ghastly appearance, I couldn’t help but think, ‘This isn’t so bad.’

Perhaps my sense of aesthetics had already been corrupted.

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