Chapter 74 : Chapter 74
Chapter 74. Don't Tell Me You Forgot?
As soon as Hyunwoo returned from Lionel's office, he immediately dragged Ibis to the training room and requested a spar.
[You kept your promise. But… a farewell spar? Is there such a thing?]
[It's a custom in the human world.]
[Whatever it is, it doesn't matter. I have nothing but gratitude for you.]
Ibis, who felt greatly indebted to Hyunwoo, readily agreed to the spar, and as a result, I was able to obtain the swordsmanship.
⌜Veluma Swordsmanship (3-Star) has been acquired.⌟
⌜Veluma Swordsmanship (3-Star)—Unfurls a sword-screen in a fan shape. As proficiency increases, a sword-screen covering a wider range can be deployed. A sword-screen coated with mana can block any attack.
Proficiency: 0%
Trait: None⌟
The third slot, which had been empty for a long time, was finally filled.
And with a 3-Star swordsmanship, no less.
Now that I had two 3-Star swordsmanships, the foundation for creating a 4-Star swordsmanship was laid.
After the spar, Ibis turned around without hesitation.
“I will be leaving now.”
“Already? You’re leaving the Arena right away?”
“I am… sick and tired of this cramped space.”
Ibis shook his head as if in pain.
He was of the Aiteru race, a people who soared through the sky.
To him, life in the Arena must have been like a prison.
He seemed to want to savor his freedom right away, as he hurriedly left the dormitory.
After watching him for a moment, I followed him out.
‘I only tried to get close to him for my own purpose.’
It seemed I had grown fond of him after spending time together.
In the end, I escorted Ibis all the way to the Request Center in the Market, where he was headed.
Ibis stood in front of the gate at the Request Center that led to the outside.
He wrinkled his nose, as if overwhelmed by a new feeling.
Then, he looked at me and spoke.
“When will you be leaving?”
“I plan to stay in the Arena for the time being.”
“Why?”
He frowned, as if he couldn't understand my words at all.
“There’s something I have to do.”
“Well… if that’s what you say. I understand.”
Ibis, who had been tilting his head, soon nodded.
As he was about to step into the gate, he turned around and bowed his head deeply to me once more to express his gratitude.
I also gave a short nod and left the Request Center.
‘I do have things to do.’
I needed time to learn the Veluma Swordsmanship I had just acquired.
But that wasn't the only reason.
‘There was Lionel's request.’
Lionel had instructed me to stay in the Arena for about another month.
The reason was that it hadn't been long since they had started promoting the Champion of human imperial descent, and he couldn't just vacate his position right away.
‘And I needed time to learn the swordsmanship anyway.’
The ‘Champion of Bellatus’ title effect, which made skill proficiency increase 200% faster.
For me, there was no better environment for training than the Arena.
‘I can finally see the effect of the Champion title.’
I had keenly felt the effects of the ‘Super Rookie’ title, which had a 100% increase effect.
My mood lifted at the thought of experiencing the effect of the ‘Champion of Bellatus’ title, which was much more effective, and I immediately returned to my dormitory.
***
When I arrived at the dormitory, I saw Lucas sitting on the living room sofa.
‘Huh…?’
He looked different from usual.
He was not in his casual clothes, but heavily armed.
I, who was about to go straight to the training room to practice my swordsmanship, approached Lucas.
He stood up from his seat.
“I waited because I thought it wouldn't be polite to leave right away.”
“…Leave? Where?”
“Now that I am a free man, there is no longer any reason for me to stay here.”
“Wait. First, sit down. You expect me to just accept you leaving so suddenly like this?”
“…Right. My explanation must have been insufficient.”
Lucas sat down again.
First, to grasp the situation, I darted my eyes around.
Then, when my gaze landed on the table in front of him, I paused.
‘The teacup is empty.’
There was no sign of him having drunk any tea.
A guy who couldn't live without tea hadn't even touched it.
It seemed he had made some great resolution.
“Freeing me from the Arena was all your doing, I presume. First, I offer my thanks for that.”
Although his face was expressionless, I knew he was conveying his sincere feelings.
I scanned Lucas's attire with my eyes and spoke.
“So. You’re leaving right away?”
“…That is my intention.”
I poured tea into the empty cup in front of him and sat down opposite him.
Trickle—
“Have a cup of tea before you go.”
“There is no time for that. I must leave immediately and avenge my family.”
“Are you talking about Baron Modric?”
At that question, Lucas snorted.
“Do you think the likes of Modric could bring down my family? Of course, he is a target I must kill one day, but everything involved in the fall of the Cayenne family is my enemy.”
“Do you have a plan?”
“First, I will leave the Arena and gradually…”
“Who are your targets for revenge? I assume you know well who was involved in the fall of the Cayenne family, of course?”
“That is…”
Lucas’s words trailed off.
He, too, did not know exactly how his family had fallen.
The fall of the Cayenne family.
Lucas was not present at the scene.
Because I knew this fact well, it could serve as a basis to stop him.
“A guy who struggles against that roach-like fellow Equitar sent by Modric is talking about revenge? You’d be perfect for getting killed the moment you step out into the Demon World.”
“……”
Lucas, as if at a loss for words, firmly shut his lips.
I let out a smirk and poured tea into my own cup.
‘Where do you think you’re going just like that.’
The Demon World was a dangerous place.
Wandering alone was a perfect way to die on the streets.
Besides.
‘How much have I invested so far?’
Even if it was just because of the investment I had made in raising Lucas, I couldn't just let him go.
No, I wouldn’t let him go.
“I can help you with your revenge.”
“I do not need anyone’s help. Revenge is only meaningful if you do it yourself.”
“Do it yourself, you say…”
Slurp—
I moistened my lips with tea and spoke again.
“If that’s the case, you should have freed yourself from being a slave in the Arena yourself. Am I wrong? Just say the word. I’ll go to Lionel right now and ask him to take it back.”
“……”
At my words, which hit home with every point, Lucas responded with silence.
He hung his head low and barely managed to speak.
“Even if everything you say is true…”
“It’s not ‘if’ it’s true, it is true.”
“…Right. Everything you say is right, but this is not a matter for you to be involved in. You have nothing to do with it, do you?”
“Why do I have nothing to do with it? Don’t tell me you forgot?”
“Forgot what…?”
Shing—
Instead of answering, I pointed Cheonbyeondo at him.
Even while seated, I naturally assumed an upright posture with the blade held straight.
The ready stance of the Po Dienda Swordsmanship.
Lucas, seeing the tip of that blade, finally remembered something.
“…All who have learned the Po Dienda Swordsmanship are brothers.”
I sheathed Cheonbyeondo and spoke.
“Seeing as you remember, you’re not a complete idiot.”
“……”
“So. Let’s not act like strangers now and talk. I told you from the beginning. We’re brothers.”
“Brothers… That thing you said. Did you mean it?”
“It’s only natural to help a brother.”
At my unhesitating answer, Lucas’s eyes wavered.
In his crimson eyes, I could faintly sense various emotions and thoughts.
Gratitude, bewilderment, and confusion.
The sharp, guarded gaze from when we first met could no longer be found in him.
“I’m not just saying I’ll help you with your revenge unconditionally.”
“…Then?”
“I will definitely need you for what I have to do in the future. If it makes you uncomfortable, think of it as a deal.”
“A deal…”
“I help you with your revenge, and you help me with my work. How about it? I don’t think that’s a bad deal.”
“……”
Lucas wore a touched expression.
He probably thought that my calling it a deal was just a way to protect his pride….
‘We’ll see.’
As we worked on the things we had to do together, that feeling might change.
In reality, his revenge was scheduled to be resolved through tasks that would make it seem like a ‘trivial matter’.
“If you don't like this either, then there's nothing I can do. What are you going to do? Are you still going to run off to seek revenge alone?”
“I…”
Various events with me flashed through Lucas’s mind.
From the ‘Blood Pact’ that was forcibly made, to the castle gate battle and the help I gave him to regain his mana.
And fighting back-to-back with him during the Anesta subjugation, the dungeon, and the Special Match.
Furthermore, even freeing him from being a slave in the Arena this time.
Each and every one was a formidable task.
However, behind that always confident smile, there was never any failure.
Lucas, recalling my so far, could only nod his head in the end.
“…Alright. I will go with you.”
“Good thinking.”
After a moment of hesitation, Lucas finally opened his mouth with difficulty.
“…Thank you.”
I could feel the sincerity in his words.
I gestured towards his cooling teacup.
“Have a drink, then go change your clothes.”
“Are we not leaving the Arena right away?”
“Not right away.”
“Then?”
“We have to prepare first. Don’t tell me… you were planning to go out into the Demon World without any plan on where to stay, how to live, and how to move?”
“……”
“This guy is really clueless.”
“…I have nothing to say. I was in a hurry.”
Seeing him admit it so readily, he seemed to have calmed down a bit.
“Then I’ll make the plan, so you just wait. Besides, Lionel asked me to stay for a month.”
“A month…? That’s too long.”
“Is there someone who’s scheduled to die suddenly if you don’t get your revenge within a month?”
“……”
“Just be quiet. I’ll take care of the preparations.”
“…Alright.”
Lucas finally gave up on heading to the Demon World right away and began to drink his tea.
Slurp—
The tea I had prepared was ‘chamomile’, which has a calming effect.
His pupils, which had been constricted with excitement, were slowly returning to their normal size.
‘Phew… Has he calmed down a bit now?’
It was the first time I had seen this always-composed guy act so thoughtlessly.
It seemed he was blinded by his desire for revenge.
‘I’ll have to keep a good hold on Lucas so he doesn’t go astray.’
The foundation of Lucas’s behavior was ‘revenge’.
To handle him properly outside, I always had to be mindful of that.
The immediate fire was out for now, but I didn't know when his eyes would turn like that again.
‘He should be fine for a while.’
After resolving Lucas’s issue, my body was itching to get back to the swordsmanship training I had put off.
‘Physique II and Swiftness II. Balance is still at I, but I should be able to get II soon. And on top of that, Mana.’
I was evenly learning all four general traits.
The three unique traits of ‘Swordsmanship Synthesis’, ‘Master of Copy’, and ‘Swordsmanship Genius’.
In addition to the three unique traits with their cheat-like abilities, there were the new unique traits I had acquired afterward: Pain Tolerance, Oxygen Tank, and Mana Circulation.
Furthermore, if I trained and mastered the new 3-Star swordsmanship and created a 4-Star swordsmanship….
‘With these specs, I probably won’t die easily in the Demon World.’
There was no way that everything I had painstakingly built up so far would be meaningless.
My body was burning with the desire to practice swordsmanship right away.
I took a sip of the tea in front of me.
Slurp—
I felt my heated body cooling down.
As my body relaxed, a laugh escaped.
‘Was I the one who was in a hurry, too?’
It seemed Lucas wasn't the only one in a hurry.
The two of us quietly savored our tea in silence.