“Master, you are here. I was looking for you.”
From outside the alley, I heard Shura’s voice. I put money in my pockets and stood up in a haste.
“Yeah. What’s up?”
Shura approached, knelt down her knee, and prostrated herself before me. She was looking at me with her eyes full of envy. It was respect towards a swordsman at the master level.
Actually, she’s the highest rank swordswoman at the expert level and I had just become a swordsman at the master level. So, the gap between our skills was one level. But that one level was larger than a mountain. While anyone could become the highest rank swordsman at the expert level by only training mana capabilities, the one who had their own swordsmanship philosophy could become a swordsman at the master level. Indeed, master level swordsmanship was noble and pure.
That’s why many highest rank swordsmen at the expert level, who had failed to reach at master level after decades or hundreds of training, fell under a swamp of despair. Because it’s very difficult to invent one’s own swordsmanship philosophy.
“A lodging place where you can stay today is ready. I will show you the way.”
“Oh, really? Sure.”
I glanced at her a little bit.
She’s a female elf with straight blond hair reaching her waist. Also, she’s very tall like other elves and her red eyes were burning like a blaze of fire. Her appearance was a typical Moon Elf only except her blond hair. Moon Elves’ hair is black.
She’s so pretty that my hearts were about to pound. Under her tight leather armor, I could see her long and thin legs which made her upper body look small. And just like other elves, the species of beauty, she had a small and beautiful face. She didn’t put on makeup but still, her skin was milky light blue and her lips were vividly purplish as if she wore lipstick heavily.
Her body proportions and appearance seemed like a work of art. At a glimpse, she looked pure and innocent. But at another glimpse, she looked intelligent while radiating devilishness. She’s a female elf who had more mysterious sexual attractiveness than any woman I had seen before. When I approached her at the front, I could smell a fragrant scent. It’s definitely not a perfume. There’s no doubt she didn’t put on perfume since she didn’t even put on makeup.
Overall, she’s a really beautiful female elf.
But she’s an elf. No matter how beautiful a female elf is, she’s not my type. Elf species have very troublesome personalities. Anyways, I brushed past her and said.
“By the way, Shura.”
“Yeah.”
“I saw you fighting before. You seem like a swordswoman at the highest rank expert level.”
“I am embarrassed by your compliment.”
“Of course. You should feel embarrassed. Honestly, you’re a swordswoman at the expert level and your swordsmanship sucks. You’ve got only the speed and power of mana while your skills and sense of swordsmanship are even worse than those who just became expert level swordsmen.
Shura sank her head on her chest.
“I am sorry.”
“Seriously, you never had a mentor before?”
“No, I never had one.”
“Then you can reach a master level easier than other people.”
Shura looked at me with wide eyes.
“What do you mean?”
“In fact, mentors can teach their pupils only up to an expert level of swordsmanship at the highest rank. After that, you are all by yourself. That’s why we call it the master level.
“So?”
“So? You’ve reached the expert level at the highest rank by yourself, going through all the hardships. So, you can reach the master level easier than those who learned their swordsmanship from mentors. For expert-level swordsmen who had good mentors, it’s not easy to reach the master level. They had relied on their mentors too much. People who rely on other people, their families, or their lineage become weak. And these kinds of people can’t reach the master level. Seriously, reaching master level is not a joke. Remember, the swordsmen who go their own ways can reach master level.”
“Thank you for your advice.”
I started walking again and gave her my final advice.
“Your swordsmanship has a strong foundation but no experiences. Even if you want to go your own way, you need to gain some knowledge too. Go out and experience the world. To gain experience and knowledge, you need to fight against many people. But in this small village, it’s impossible. Anyways, good luck.”
Shura seemed to be racking her brain for a moment. Then she stood up and started following me closely.
“Master?”
“What’s up?”
“What is the goal of your life?”
“Me? My life. Joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure that I feel during my life.”
That’s why all my swordsmanship is focused on survival. Obviously, I should be alive first to enjoy my life.
“I see.”
“So, you should also find your own way. Once you can find your own way, you can start going forward. Otherwise, you’re going to be at a standstill forever. Do you know what I mean?”
“Yes.”
With a sigh, I looked up at the high sky. I got over myself in front of Shura but actually my future was uncertain and desolate as well. The road ahead was more perilous for a swordsman at the master level. The level of a mind master who’s dealing with mental territory was very difficult to reach. And further, the level of a soul master who’s dealing with the spiritual territory was even more difficult to reach.
Yes. I’m like a baby who’s just walked out of his cradle since I’ve reached the master level very recently. What about Shura? She doesn’t even know how the world looks outside her cradle.
She’s like a newborn baby who hasn’t even finished her potty training.
* * *
After the sunset, it became dark in the Aeem Village. As smugglers heard the news from somewhere that the battle was over, they put up at the Aeem Village. Usually, it’s boisterous when they’re here but this time they seemed very cautious. They heard from the villagers about me who’s staying here at the moment.
Among more than 200 soldiers in the Zes’ Mercenary Group, only dozens of them could survive and run away. Until a few moments ago, some severely-injured mercenary soldiers were still alive and gasping for breath but soon they were dead due to excessive bleeding. The fact that none of them were injured and all of them were dead showed my mercilessness. That’s why none of the smugglers could dare to enjoy their time in the Aeem Village while I was staying.
‘Hehe. Such a courteous village. I love it.”
I was lying on a large bed in my lodging place but couldn’t sleep because of excitement. I overheard the representatives of the village discussing together while I was passing by a village hall. They decided to send a beautiful village woman to my room because I was the savior of this village. These Aeem Villagers were so generous since they lived by themselves in this hillside village. I never asked them for this kind of treatment but still, their intentions were praiseworthy for sure.
‘Sure, I should not turn down their sincerity. It’s not good manners.’
I cuddled in my blanket and waited. I felt tired since I couldn’t sleep for the last couple of days but I could still wait.
However, there’s some delay. Probably, too many village women were volunteering so they might have some difficulties in making decisions. Ah, why am I so popular anywhere I go?
Knock, knock, knock.
I heard the knock. I got up from my bed and told the person outside the door.
“Door is not locked.”
The door opened slowly and a woman came into my room. In the candlelight, I saw her face. She was Shura who was wearing tight leggings and wool sweaters.
Shura approached, knelt her knee, and bent down her waist completely.
“Master, it’s me.”
I looked over the door, trying to see if there are any other women as well. There’s no one except Shura. I scratched the bridge of my nose.
“What brings you here in the middle of the night?”
Shura seemed nervous and held her breath.
“I’ve got something that I want to give you.”
“What is it?”
She took out a pendant hanging around her neck. Her pendant had two arrows crossed each other. She took out one of the arrows and handed it over to me.
“Here you are.”
Grabbing an arrow pendant, I knitted my brows deeply. As I infused mana into it, the arrow moved gently and pointed Shura. It was location-tracking magic.
Most of the second-tier or lower class sacred weapons, which were enshrined at the Hall of Divinity, can use location-tracking magic. In fact, only seven first-tier sacred weapons and some others return to the Hall of Divinity by themselves after the death of their owners. The rest of the sacred weapons won’t return by themselves. But thanks to this location-tracking magic, at least their locations can be detected.
In most cases, priests and holy knights can detect the locations of these weapons after the death of their owners by using location-tracking magic. After that, they go out and take those weapons.
And this magical item has another unforeseen usage. Loved ones can use it to track down each other’s location.
“What is this?”
“This is a keepsake from my mother. She told me to give it to a man whom I would serve forever.”
It’s 100% right. I bet the woman, who the villagers promised to send me, was Shura.
“I am going to murder all of the people in this goddamn village!”
I picked up a sword hung on the wall and raised my voice in a rage. Female elves devote their lives forever to the ones whom they sincerely gave their virginity. In other words, having sex with me tonight is not just a one-time thing for Shura. Her life is at stake here. Even if she’s not originally from the Aeem Village, I could not forgive these villagers who asked such an unreasonable demand from her.
As I got my dander up and tried to go outside abruptly, Shura stopped me in a hurry.
“Master, I took it upon myself.”
I held back my step.
“Of your own will?”
“Yes.”
“I mean, why?”
“You are my lifesaver. According to the commandments of Elf species, I want to give myself to you to repay my debt.”
At least, I felt relieved. I’ve heard that Elves have this kind of tradition.
However, Elves value the purity of their lineage more than repayment of their debt. They’re never allowed to pollute their lineage by getting married to other species.
That’s why half-blooded ones like Shura were shunned by others.
In fact, she was lucky for being kicked out from her tribe which was part of the Caligo Kingdom where people had quite a freewheeling mindset. If she were born in the High Elves’ society, which was on the side of the Power of Light and very single-minded, she would’ve been killed as soon as she’s born.