“Zenbe… I’ve never heard of that name before.”
“So, what is your name?”
“Kaoyan Anuquin.”
“What a strange name.”
“I know it doesn’t sound charming.”
He put steaming meat on a dish with bread and boiled vegetables and handed it over to me. As I saw that well-roasted meat, my mouth was watering.
I sliced the bread in half with a knife and made a sandwich with meat and vegetables inside. Then I took a big bite.
He glanced at me
“Why are you eating like that?”
“I can save time and also it’s easy to eat.”
“Does it taste good?”
“It tastes awesome.”
“Really? Let me have a bite. I want to know how it tastes.”
I stared at Zenbe.
“You should risk your life to steal my food. Can you do that?”
“You greedy human. I’d rather cook it by myself.”
He took out a large chunk of meat and started slicing with a knife. His huge hands were moving so fast that I couldn’t even see them. While sucking on the spilling sauce on my fingers, I made an interesting gaze towards him.
“Uncle Orc. Your knife skills are good. How do you do that?”
“I can’t explain it in words.”
“Yeah, you’re right. If it were that easy to understand, everyone and their mother would be able to become a Master.”
He glanced at me with subtle eyes.
“So, you’re Master-level. What the hell are you doing here?”
“Eating my lunch.”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I know what you’re saying. Just mind your own business.”
He cleared his throat loudly.
“Hmm. My bad. I was just asking because it’s weird.”
“What’s weird?”
“You’re my second Master-level customer.”
I tilted my head. It’s certainly strange that two Master Swordsmen came to this shabby street vendor in Kara which was a small world. Because Master Swordsmen could have enormous wealth and honor anywhere they lived.
“There was one before me? Who?”
“I don’t know very much. He said he abandoned himself and wandered around, driven by fate.”
I chuckled. Actually, Kara was the best city for those who didn’t have many things to do. There were no people who would care about their true identities but a lot of jobs here so they would not go starving. For those who got some good skills, there are not many cities which were better than Kara.
“What a silly guy.”
“No, you’re wrong. He’s a true warrior who knew honor.”
“That’s why he’s silly. Hehe.”
Zenbe shook his head. He seemed not able to understand me at all.
At that moment, a large group of troops were moving along the street in front of the Zenbe’s vendor. They were wearing shiny scaled armors and riding camels so they seemed like the army of Kara. Strangely though, they’re also bringing all sorts of artillery weapons with them. I saw several large ballistas and each of them was carried by eight camels. In addition, there were many other medium-sized ballistas and catapults.
“Has a war erupted somewhere?”
“They’re probably going to hunt some demon. I’ve heard that a strange demon has appeared at the Utz River Mine recently and it seems pretty strong. There’s a rumor about a large mercenary guild who went there, lost a lot of its members, and failed to accomplish their request.”
“Really? What kind of demon is it?”
“It’s an unknown demon. It’s about six meters and has six legs.”
“It has six legs? Is its mouth sunken in and its forehead stuck out?”
“I think I’ve heard that kind of stuff as well.”
Then it’s most likely a ‘Fraker’. It’s a powerful demon whose danger level was over 70. An explosive dash with its particularly strong body was very dangerous.
“How many are they?”
“Six of them.”
I clicked my tongue. Even one Fraker was very dangerous and there were six of them. Certainly, there’s a high chance that many of those troops who’re going into battle today would get slaughtered.
“Six…? A bunch of guys will get slaughtered for sure.”
“Why? Do you know those demons?”
“Yeah. Fraker is a very powerful demon. Also, it’s fast. The danger level is about 70.”
Zenbe made a groaning sound. Even though he had a lot of experience of fighting against demons before, he never saw one whose danger level was over 70. According to danger level charts, Fraker was as dangerous as a novice-level Master Swordsman.
“Is it that dangerous?”
“Yeah. Only Master Swordsmen can fight against Frakers. Their skins are more durable than steel so you can’t even make a scratch without some serious attack.”
“What about artillery weapons?”
“Artillery weapons can give some damage for sure but it’s very difficult to actually hit the target. They can easily dodge artillery weapons because they are so fast.”
“Really?”
I put away my dishes and got up from my seat.
“What about you, uncle Orc? Are you going to turn a blind eye?”
After some hesitation for a while, he turned his head and looked the other way.
“I am good. I took an oath not to grab a sword ever again.”
“Haha. Uncle Orc, the knife you’re holding right now is the same as a sword.”
“I mean I won’t get involved in matters happening in this world.”
“What the hell? The fact that you’re breathing means you’ve already got involved in matters happening in this world. The fact that I’m eating means the same thing as well as the fact that you’re slicing meat with your knife. They’re all related to matters happening in this world. Do you think I am going after them because I care about peace in the human world? Hell no. I am not that kind of person at all.”
He stared at me in silence.
“Then why are you trying to go there?”
“I am just trying to make some money. It’s the same reason why you’re cooking and selling meat.”
Then he broke his silence and shouted.
“Everyone has his or her own way. And your way and mine are different too!”
“What the hell? I was just asking you to join me so we can make some money together. Do you think I like to work? I have to make a living so I need to work. Uncle Orc, maybe you still want to grab a sword which is basically the same as a knife. That’s why you’re running this stupid street vendor, right?”
“That’s not true!”
“Then please join me. I will make you very rich so that you don’t have to grab a sword or knife ever in your life. If you don’t take this opportunity, then you’re deceiving yourself. You’ve got a chance to give up a sword forever but you refuse it.”
Zenbe’s body was trembling. He must be surely pissed off but everything I said was right. A knife and a sword were basically the same thing. Selling meat was also related to matters happening in this world.
Besides, an Orc or anybody could protect his or her honor only after making ends meet.
“You are trying to deceive me with your sly tongue, aren’t you?”
“Why the hell would I deceive you? You think I would steal your cut after we finish the job?”
“Or you could even do something worse.”
“Hey, uncle Orc. I only rip off people whom I can easily deal with. Why the hell would I make a powerful man like you as my enemy for money? If I do, I might have to spend more for my medical expenses.”
“Alright then. Just wait. I will get myself prepared.”
Losing his rag, Zenbe went to his house.
As I looked at him from behind, I clenched my fist. He bought it. Six Frakers were too tough for me to hunt them down alone but with his help, it’s totally possible. Of course, I could just ask help from Armida but then I couldn’t set up my slush fund. A man should have a secret pocket for his own needs.
* * *
The sword Zenbe brought was huge. The width was handbreadth and a half. The length was longer than Zenbe’s huge body. The thickness was thicker than a knuckle. On the sword’s overall body, there were numerous silver spots that represented the starlight.
Titania, the Giant Sword of the Holy Oil. Although it’s only a 3-Tier sacred weapon, it became famous because its owner was Zenbe, a prominent Orc hero.
While riding on my Jet-Black Crescent Horse, I looked at him and said.
“You said you took an oath not to grab a sword ever again but you haven’t thrown it away yet.”
He petted down Titania which was hung on his shoulder.
“This sword is a sacred weapon.”
“So if you throw it away, you’re committing a sacrilege? What a great excuse. Hehehe.”
With a sullen face and subtle eyes, Zenbe gazed at my Jet-Black Crescent Horse. By just looking at the body made up of black smoke and the flames emitted from its body, he could probably see it was not a typical Magic Horse.
“By the way, the Magic Horse you’re riding right now. What kind of horse is it?”
“It is the Jet-Black Crescent Horse. I got this from someone very recently. Don’t you think it’s cool?”
He lost his interest right away.
“Well, Magic Horses are all the same.”
One of the typical Magic Horses’ traits was that they were slower and had less stamina than ordinary horses. Therefore, people usually rode Magic Horses during ceremonial events and seldom rode them in battles.
“You don’t know a thing about this horse. It’s from Kronos, the Sky City.”
Zenbe opened his eyes wide. Kronos, the Sky City, was the holy land where Valkyries lived. If this Magic Horse was from Kronos, it would be a sacred item blessed with noble divinity.
“Really?”
“Yeah. You can’t buy it with money from anywhere.”
“Oh, really? Can I take a ride?”
“Nope. I never let a guy ride my horse.”
He narrowed his eyes.
“So, you mean only women are allowed?”
“Well, I should mull it over for a little bit.”
“Then who else would you allow?”
I tapped Yojo on my waist.
“My Yojo.”
He clicked his tongue.
“What a selfish person.”
“Well, I won’t deny it.”
“Anyways, be careful. People become blinded by treasures. Many will try to steal it from you.”
“I know that. So, I don’t ride it often.”
“Then why do you ride it now?”
“When you deal with people from the government or military, you should act like a rich and successful guy. They judge people by their status. I’d been in the inner circle before. You know, I used to ride high.”
He chuckled.
“So what happened to you?”
“I traded my luxurious life for freedom.”
“That’s a good deal then.”
“I agree. Thanks to my freedom, I can train swordsmanship and enjoy my time much more. The only problem is that women don’t seem to be interested in me anymore. I used to be very popular, you know. But nowadays, none of them is trying to talk to me. Dammit.”
As I was laughing, I looked at the group of Kara’s army marching from a distance. Several Kara’s warriors, wearing fancy scaled armors and riding camels, were coming towards us. As their looks were pretty noble, they seemed like commanders of high rank. Soon, one of the young warriors approached, then glared at us with fierce eyes and shouted.
“Who are you guys? Why do you keep following us?”
Perhaps we got on their nerves so they came to us by themselves. Actually, they must have felt uncomfortable because some guy riding on a bizarre Magic Horse with a white mask on his face and a giant Orc holding a huge sword with a grim face kept following them.
I delightfully waved my hand towards them.
“Hey, nice to see you. My name is Kaoyan Anuquin. Next to me is uncle Zenbe. We came here to do some business. So, why don’t you introduce yourself?”
“How dare you lowly person disrespect me? Do you want to get yourself killed? I am Hassan Amir, a vassal of the Emir of Kara and a third class aristocrat!”
He’s bragging about his lineage and acting arrogantly. Of course, I was dumbfounded. He’s trying to teach a fish how to swim. How could anyone brag about his or her lineage in front of me? I was speechless.
Riding my Crescent Horse, I went close to Hassan.
“Hey, actually my lineage is very noble. If I reveal my identity, even the Emir of Kara will act obediently.”
Hassan glanced at my Crescent Horse. I was wearing a commoner’s clothes but riding an expensive Magic Horse.
“Th… then reveal your identity!”
“I can’t reveal my identity. Can you see me wearing a mask?”
“What?! He’s a suspicious man!”
Hassan and other warriors who were riding camels drew their swords simultaneously. Then, with a smile on my face, I drew Yojo and activated the Aura Blade.
“You know what? My swordsmanship is even nobler than my lineage.”
Hassan flinched once he saw the Aura Blade which stretched out about 10cm.
“Master…?”
I pointed at Zenbe who was absent-mindedly standing next to me.
“And you know what? This uncle Orc is even stronger than me.”
“I… I understand sir.”
“So, what are you going to do now?”
Hassan sent eye signals to his subordinates and put his sword back into its hilt. He’s also a warrior. There’s no doubt that he had respect and fear for Master Swordsmen.
Hassan bent himself forward politely.
“What brought you two Masters here, sir?”
“We’re just worried about you guys so we followed.”
“What do you mean, sir?”
“You’ve also heard that some strange demons have appeared at the Utz River Mine, right? If I’m right, the danger level of those demons is over 70. And you guys don’t have any means to take care of them. In other words, you’ll all be slaughtered.”
Hassan turned pale with fright. Six demons whose danger level was over 70 could wipe out his eight hundred warriors in next to no time.
“Are those demons that strong, sir?”
“Yeah. I had hunted them down a few times before.”
“I understand sir. Please give me a moment. I will report what you’ve just told me to my superior.”
Hassan led his warriors and rushed back to his unit in a hurry. It seemed that the entire army could be annihilated if they kept marching without any means to attack those demons. At least, it’s worth reconsidering their strategies.
* * *