Chapter 57. After Service
Around her chest hung a necklace adorned with the emblem of the 'Golden Apple'.
It was the symbol of the 'Godricht' family, one of the four great houses exerting substantial influence in the social circles of the Adraton Empire.
"... Who are you?"
With half-open eyes, the woman glanced at me squintingly, then turned to a man standing by her side, presumably her attendant.
"What are you doing? Get rid of him."
The man, who seemed to be a guard knight, awkwardly coughed and appeared uneasy.
He slowly approached her and began whispering something in her ear.
It didn't take long for the arrogant expression on her face to twist.
"Is that person the 'Smiling Executioner'...?"
"Yes, lady Erjena."
No matter how famous someone is, recognizing them in person often proves challenging.
It's akin to spotting a well-known celebrity at a café and thinking, "I know I've seen them somewhere."
"Uh, uh-hum...."
Covering her mouth with a fan in her hand, lady Erjena stared at me intently, then turned her head sharply to the side.
"I-I'll come again next time."
She tried to act unaffected as she spoke, but a distinct purple hue symbolizing 'fear' flickered above her head.
She quickly trotted away from the scene.
The wide workshop became silent as if the earlier commotion had been a mere lie, leaving only Luger and me.
"Damn woman, that's why I can't stand those Godricht family bastards."
The silence was broken by Luger Orland, the owner of 'Twilight Flame', as he cursed. He rubbed his temples with his hand as if he had a headache and frowned.
"So, what brings you here? Don't tell me you're here to ask about why that Sword Saint left the capital?"
Luger asked irritably, his voice burning with frustration.
'Oh? He knows about that too?'
Although curious, that wasn't the reason for my visit today.
"Of course not. I'm not that idle. I'm just here to get this repaired."
With a smile, I placed the Moonstone Sword on the desk.
In the process of testing the newly acquired ability 'Sombra', the blade of the Moonstone Sword had gotten slightly damaged, which I now presented.
"... Surprising. I didn't expect you to request repairs instead of ordering something new."
Mumbling to himself, Luger unsheathed the Moonstone Sword that I handed over.
After examining the blade for a moment, he spoke.
"The blade's damage is rather peculiar. It seems like you were experimenting with mana?"
He's spot-on.
No wonder he's a master craftsman.
"How much do you think the repair will cost?"
"... Forget it. I won't charge you."
At Luger's words, I turned to him in surprise.
"Since I made it myself, I intended to maintain it for my reputation's sake. I gave it to you with that intention from the start."
With those unexpected words, Luger returned the Moonstone Sword to its scabbard.
The atmosphere was quite different from when I first came to request the creation of the 'Moonstone Sword'.
"How long do you think it'll take?"
"Three days."
"I understand."
Luger responded with a curt voice.
Three days, that's quite a long time.
However, it's not an unbearable wait.
The problem is finding a usable sword in the meantime.
"Before you leave, take the sword up there as well."
Just as I was about to make my exit, Luger spoke again.
"You chased away that damned woman from the Godricht family earlier. She's constantly nagging me to make her a sword, it's infuriating."
Luger's voice remained gruff.
That made it even more puzzling.
The man had flown into fits of rage over the creation of the 'Moonstone Sword' even after I had paid in full.
"You're like a different person. You used to get furious just because I requested the crafting of a sword."
I shared my inner thoughts.
"I'm not the one who's changed."
Luger uttered words that left me perplexed.
As I stared silently at him, he spoke with the same grumpy expression.
"The one who's changed is you. Don't you have the scent of a human now compared to before?"
I stood there, dumbfounded, gazing at him.
Somehow, I felt a strange sensation.
Although I thought of Yulian and myself as distinctly separate beings, I was gradually experiencing the breakdown of that barrier.
"Although that intimidating face remains unchanged."
... I can agree with that.
***
Unexpectedly, I received a sword.
With a word of thanks, I stepped outside, drawing the sword Luger had given me from its scabbard to examine it thoroughly.
Though Luger had handed it over with an indifferent demeanor, as if he was just handing off something trivial, the sword he gave wasn't just any standard but far surpassed the finest products of a typical blacksmith.
"Not only did he offer to repair the Moonstone Sword for free, but he also gave me such a blade."
Instead of feeling grateful for his generosity, I found it rather peculiar.
It was strange enough to make me wonder if Luger had perhaps gone senile.
Exiting discreetly through the back door of 'Twilight Flame', I braced myself against the chilly night breeze and started heading back to the mansion.
"... Hmm."
As I walked, I was brushed by a prickling sensation of animosity.
This wasn't an accidental, widespread feeling but a targeted hostility directed at me.
"Sir Pintel, or should I call you Lord Pintel since we're outside?"
I had experienced this peculiar sense every time I approached the hideout of the 'Dawn Society', so I uttered the name of the person directing this animosity.
Soon enough, bishop Pintel of the 'Dawn Society' emerged from the alley.
His face seemed inexplicably weary.
Even though his sudden appearance took me by surprise, I strived to conceal my reaction.
"... Could he have found out?"
I had been the one sabotaging the 'Soul Stone' acquisition.
The only plausible reason for Pintel, with whom I had no personal or professional ties, to come directly to find me was his certainty that I was the thief of the 'Soul Stone'.
"... And he didn't come alone."
Reinforcing this suspicion, others who appeared to be members of the Dawn Society started emerging from the shadows.
Gulp.
At this moment, my favorite sword, the 'Moonstone Sword', was also in for repairs.
This could be tricky.
"Exhibiting such hostility toward a comrade, is there something wrong I've done, Sir Pintel?"
I probed him to uncover the reason for his presence.
In the dark alley where the streetlights didn't reach, only Pintel's blazing blue eyes stood out prominently.
"... Yulian, not once have I considered you a comrade."
"Is that so?"
Feigning indifference, I smiled as I spoke, yet I could feel a cold sweat trickling down my back.
"... Did he really find out?"
The overt hostility left me genuinely flustered.
Arriving late at night with three cult members, there could only be one reason.
I slowly reached for the sword Luger had given me.
"After all, didn't you claim to join for power, not faith? There's no reason you'd be particularly concerned."
Those were words I had uttered when I first joined the Dawn Society.
I was surprised he still remembered, given that I had just blurted that out in a moment of nervousness.
"With that in mind, Yulian, I'll help you quickly find the strength you desire. Collaborate with me."
Huh?
The sudden shift in the conversation made my hand, reaching for the scabbard, pause.
"Are you saying you'll grant me power?"
"I'm thinking of recruiting the blacksmith of 'Twilight Flame', Luger."
Though shocking, Pintel's words brought relief to me.
It seemed he wasn't aware that I was the one who had stolen the 'Soul Stone'.
"If the weapons made by that master are used by our Dawn Society, it could lead to a boost in combat power."
"Do you think that stubborn blacksmith will listen to you?"
"If he resists... then we'll have to 'make' him listen."
Emphasizing the word 'make,' Pintel spoke with conviction.
At his demeanor, I couldn't suppress an involuntary chuckle.
"What's so funny?"
"Oh, apologies. It's just amusing that you'd think you need my involvement for something like this."
Hearing the word 'something', Pintel's brow twitched slightly.
"I made this offer to build a cooperative relationship."
"I'm sorry, but it seems you tend to overestimate yourselves, Sir."
"... What?"
Admittedly, the tone of sarcasm wasn't ideal. It could provoke not just Pintel but also the cult members who served him to reveal their fangs.
"Collaboration implies an equal standing. Have you ever heard of a tiger partnering with a fox?"
Nevertheless, I had come to understand that handling situations this way was often more effective in deterring unwarranted nuisances.
"... Furthermore, bishops from other branches will soon join us here. Even without you, the plan proceeds."
"Haha. How many bishops are coming just to recruit a blacksmith? Everyone seems remarkably idle."
Scoffing at Pintel's words, I sneered, which completely contorted his already twitching face.
"Yulian, this is my final warning. Join us. Having antagonized Sir Aiden means collaboration with other bishops of the Dawn Society will be impossible..."
"Sir Pintel, you seem desperate to cling to your position."
Though Pintel offered no response, the hostility directed at me felt slightly intensified.
"It makes sense, given you've only recently been promoted to Bishop. You'd naturally want to hold onto it tightly since newly acquired things are also easily lost."
As my words continued, Pintel's complexion darkened as if I had struck a nerve.
Gritting.
The sound of teeth grinding was distinctly audible within the alley.
"As expected! I shouldn't have counted on the likes of you. Now I'm the one looking foolish."
With a voice filled with emotion, Pintel disappeared along with the cult members he brought along.
With the surroundings finally calm, I sensed no one around and let out a sigh of relief.
"... I thought he came for revenge."
The relief was short-lived. Pintel claimed he appeared here to recruit 'Luger', the owner of 'Twilight Flame'.
"Recruiting Luger, huh...."
Surely, he'll reject the offer. If so, Pintel's hinted 'force' will likely commence.
"He said the repair of the Moonstone Sword would take three days."
If an issue arises with Luger now, my 'Moonstone Sword' won't be adequately fixed.
"... Tsk."
I clicked my tongue inwardly.
Originally, rather than securing 'Soul Stones', Pintel was supposed to meet his end during the meddling with the 'Black Knight'.
His survival led to devising this scheme, fostering a sense of deep resentment toward Hayden Reich.
"I want to avoid confronting a bishop, but for the sake of the Moonstone Sword's repair, there's no choice."
Gazing at my waist, there hung the sword Luger had handed me.
"Master, shall we return?"
I moved toward the carriage I'd arrived in, only to be greeted by a butler awaiting me with a polite bow.
"I've suddenly felt like taking a walk. You go on ahead."
I opened the carriage door and reached for a case stowed in the back compartment.
"A walk... you say?"
"Yes."
"I understand, master."
The butler nodded knowingly, his agreement swift, indicating that 'Yulian' must have indulged in such whims frequently.
As the carriage moved further away and disappeared from sight, I opened the case retrieved from it.
Inside lay the hooded attire I had worn when I pilfered the 'Soul Stone'.
"I had brought it intending to discard it, never imagined I'd use it again."
I shed my coat and donned the hood, unable to stave off a wry smile.
"Master neglecting his duties causes his pupil undue hardship."
After finishing my change, I pulled the hood over my head.
Yet, with Pintel, a 'bishop', this time present, even if a fierce battle unfolds, the hood might fall off.
"... Could I, perhaps, use Sombra to cover my face?"
Consequently, needing to conceal my identity, I decided to attempt masking my face using 'Sombra'.
【Aura Alteration】
Thanks to a new trait acquired earlier and possibly familiarization in handling it, shaping the 'Sombra' wasn't particularly challenging.
I extended the Sombra enough to cover my face and fashioned it into a mask, wearing it.
The fit wasn't uncomfortable.
"How's the appearance?"
Thanks to the rain from the day before, a puddle had formed on the ground. Peering into it, I saw,
"Terrifyingly hideous."
The inherent artistic sense bestowed upon 'Yulian' was starkly showcased, creating a mask so grotesque it was almost nightmare-inducing.
Discovering someone with this appearance would surely spark a conflagration among the constabulary.
"It's goddamn unsightly."
Yet, despite that—
"... Finding myself thinking it doesn't look so bad."
It seems my aesthetic sense has already been corrupted.