Episode 42.
When I woke up the next morning, the Sword Master was gone. He left without a word.
It was a bit sad, but I thought it was a swordsman style.
“Patrick, I’ll bring you something.”
I went down to the city and bought hair dye.
As the Sword Master said, I exposed myself too much.
I thought it was a place where I couldn’t be found, but the swordsman easily found it.
“Patrick, how are you?”
“You look better than I thought!”
I dyed my hair brown, which was originally blonde.
“Ummm… what is lacking?”
Her existing hair was blonde, so her splendor was revealed even without makeup.
However, the changed brown hair has lost its splendor.
“Well, considering the purpose, it’s rather good.”
It’s good that it’s not flashy. That’s because it’s not noticeable.
“Um… and I decided to change my training method.”
“So, now that savage… No, don’t you train in the dark?”
“I want to do it from time to time, but the Sword Master said I wouldn’t need it anymore.”
Patrick was thrilled to hear that he had been recognized by the Sword Saint.
“Now I’m going to do my training as well. Do you know my abilities?”
To be honest, I had no intention of revealing my abilities to Patrick.
Patrick saw me using telekinesis just like a habit, and I told him about my ability.
“Yes, something like telekinesis magic.”
“Yes, from now on you will have to dodge the sword I wield with telekinesis.”
Patrick looked at me curiously.
“Is that training? It seems too easy.”
“I mean with my eyes closed.”
The moment he heard my words, Patrick’s expression hardened.
It is said that some masters avoid all attacks by closing their eyes.
But that is impossible unless you are a sword master. That’s how much people depend on what they see.
“And now I’m going to rest for a while.”
“Me? Or Master?”
“me.”
When the swordsman came, he felt so much energy.
I don’t want to do anything for a while. After all, money is enough.
“Don’t worry, I’ll continue training.”
Patrick’s expression looks ambiguous, whether it’s good or bad.
I ignored Patrick and began to plan how I would rest.
***
Half a year has passed since the swordsman left.
I take pride in taking enough rest during that time.
“Honestly, even if I didn’t have enough money, I would rest more.”
It took more money than I thought to grow herbs. cost of labor or fertilizer. Farming wasn’t easy either.
I don’t build it, but I pay for it.
And the friends that Number 1 brought were more sincere than I thought.
“It was unexpected.”
To be honest, I thought I would only work hard for a few days, but I grew herbs very diligently. So, I sometimes gave them extra money.
Perhaps because of that, it was the number one group who worked harder.
“Anyway, there was an interesting request.”
The missions of diamond mercenaries are all large.
But the mission I discovered was very new.
[Investigation of the disappeared villagers]
I don’t know what happened. It is said that the villagers simply disappeared at the same time.
It happened in a village quite far from the free city he had been fighting for.
This was something that should be dealt with at the national level.
“But this is a free city, and there’s no such thing as a country.”
Leaders are chosen by vote, not by kings.
A large city is surrounded by small villages.
Because it is small, it has no military power. That’s how the mercenary guild grew.
“But what’s really going on with the villagers disappearing?”
Since no bloodstains were found, some said it was a group migration.
However, even though it is a small town, the number of people is large.
It is possible that the people are moving and that no one knows that they are involved in something suspicious.
“It might be a little risky.”
I was the one who didn’t want to do anything dangerous.
But Patrick, who went with me, earnestly asked me.
It seems that he remembered his own village that was massacred.
I agreed to that request. Plus, helping people and making money makes me feel good.
“Patrick, are you ready?”
“yes!”
Today is the day we decided to go to that village.
From nob le mt l. co m
Now you have to go down to the city and meet up with the investigation team and go to Lugi Village where the villagers disappeared.
“Let’s go down now.”
We decided to meet in the square, the center of the city. I went down the mountain and headed for the plaza.
The square was still full of people.
“Are those people?”
People wearing armor and spectacles presumed to be knights.
“Are you on the investigation team?”
The red-haired man in armor, who appeared to be the center of them, replied.
“Yes, that’s right. This is Rakai Deor, the leader of the Lugi village investigation team. Are you sure you are Mr. Hans Reich?”
“Yes, that’s right. Nice to meet you, Sir Theor.”
“Nice to meet you too, Mr. Hans. Diamond mercenaries are not easy to meet.”
Joining the investigation team, we moved to Rugi Village.
Maybe it’s more distance than I thought, I couldn’t get it in one day.
This was because all but a few of us on horseback and the survey team walked.
“It would be nice to camp here.”
Because it was flat, it was a place where many people could rest.
I asked Lord Deor.
“Is there any vigil…?”
I don’t like to do it personally. I hate waking up
Fortunately Sir Theor said we don’t have to keep a vigil.
“There is a magician in our investigation team, so there is no need for vigilance.”
“That is fortunate.”
“mark!”
The man who came to Sir Deor’s call was a dwarf build and wore glasses.
“Mark, spread alert magic and alarm magic around you.”
“All right.”
I watched Mark use his magic.
I felt mana gathering around Mark, and then it spread widely around him.
“Captain Deor, it’s over.”
The magic unfolded faster than expected. Is this why sorcerers are treated?
“It’s always amazing to see.”
“I mean.”
Patrick said it was the first time he had seen magic work.
“That’s because wizards don’t usually want to be mercenaries, so they don’t have a chance to see magic.”
“I don’t know how many times magic is used.”
In my eyes, it just felt like gathering mana, spreading it, or putting it together.
The fact that mana could be changed into fire or ice with just that alone was unbelievable even after seeing it.
“Okay, now let’s rest and leave the next day.”
“Yes, Lord Deor, rest in peace. For a while we…”
You must not take a break from training while on duty.
I walked away from camp with Patrick.
It was impossible to show the sword moving while floating in the air.
“But is it really possible to cover your eyes and block the sword?”
Patrick’s obvious question. I agree.
It would be easy to notice if not only the sword was floating in the air, but also a person wielding it.
However, since only the sword was moving, the presence was minimal.
“Well, but I think I can do it.”
Having done it myself, I avoided it.
Of course, since I controlled the floating sword, it was a natural result.
Unlike that, the presence of the sword was clearly felt.
It wasn’t certain unless I met someone with the same ability and tested it.
“If you’ve ever blocked a sword, you would know.”
“Be diligent! Then, you’d better start right away.”
He broke off the branches of the trees around him and threw them into the air.
Honestly, what has grown the most in this training is my telekinesis.
At first, two were the limit, but now you can freely use up to five.
“Let’s do five today.”
“Yes?”
I usually train with two. The number has more than doubled.
Before it even started, Patrick was depressed.
“Two are difficult…”
“Rather, a lot might be easier.”
That’s because swords colliding with each other can make a sound.
My ability to handle a sword in the air is still immature. So, the more there are, the more chance Patrick will have.
“Come on, let’s go!”
Patrick hurriedly closes his eyes at my words. Concentration is visible on the surface.
I broke out in a cold sweat and felt my head hurt.
Five twigs poured out at Patrick.
“here!”
Patrick swung his sword in the direction the branch was going.
But it was too early. Patrick, who swung into the air, received a good price.
Each of the five twigs moved and pounded Patrick.
“Ah! wait a minute!”
Patrick swung his sword randomly. Then, luckily, it collided with a tree branch.
Branches were thrown to the ground.
In an instant, my telekinesis was also cut off.
“Oh, congratulations. It is a success.”
“Hmm… not five after all.”
Patrick doesn’t look particularly happy. No wonder. It’s just a result of pure luck.
“There are five of them, so if you wield them randomly, Master won’t be able to escape.”
“Two are still perfect.”
“Two again, please.”
I nodded.
As he raised his index finger up, two of the five twigs that fell to the ground rose to life.
“It starts right away.”
“yes!”
Patrick closed his eyes and focused again.
The two have reached the point of perfection.
Branches flew at Patrick in an instant.
“It’s here!”
Patrick’s intuition was correct. A branch was passing exactly where Patrick swung.
But I evaded the attack by twisting a branch.
Then he beat Patrick with a branch.
“evil! evil!”
Unable to win, Patrick swung his sword around, but to no avail.
Both are completely free to use. I hit and dodged all of Patrick’s attacks.
Soon after, Patrick abstained.
“It is surrender.”
I spoke emphatically.
“As I have said many times, there is no surrender.”
My stress… No, I have to do it until Patrick’s training is satisfactory.
‘Well, to be honest, I’m not stressed because I’ve been playing all the time.’
Fortunately, it was Patrick who was able to avoid the sword to some extent.
He was dodging my attacks for a while.
“now stop!”
After announcing the end of training, Patrick lay down on the spot.
Unlike the trimmed twigs at home, the twigs freshly picked from the wild were sharp.
As a result, there were residual scars all over Patrick’s body.
“Um…wouldn’t you have brought a training stick?”
“Something is more dangerous, so it seems to be better avoided.”
Is it like that?
“Then it would be better to use a real sword later.”
It was Patrick who hardened at my words.
I smiled at Patrick.
“I’m kidding. You can’t kill a disciple.”
Patrick was relieved at my words.
However, there was an indescribable emotion in Patrick’s expression.
Sometimes, it seemed that his resentment towards me was revealed. Of course, I show the gap every time so that I have respect.
Apparently, Patrick is regretting becoming my disciple.
‘But I won’t miss it.’
That’s how much money Patrick gave me.
“By the way, what do you think, Patrick?”
“What?”
“Rugi Village.”
Villagers who suddenly disappeared. It wouldn’t have been attacked by monsters.
“Suddenly, this story comes to mind.”
“What a story.”
“It’s the story of a demon who plays the pipe.”
The Pied Demon tribe is a well-known fairy tale since ancient times.
There was a strong perception that it was just a fairy tale to scare children.
“Fun.”
“Well, I don’t know if there were actually demons who played the pipe. But if it’s the villagers who disappeared without a word…”
I stopped Patrick from talking behind his back.
The Caldert family also lost their place due to demons. If demons appear here, I will have no choice but to deal with them.
I don’t want to lose my seat again.
“Don’t say anything negative.”