------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
Chapter 7
The air suddenly changed.
A chill that feels like you could see your breath at any moment envelops the space.
"W-what? Wait… Ren?"
Startled by Layton’s words, Zenon looked at me.
— F-Father! No! I’m Spencer Trevis! Father!
Spencer, flustered, tried to calm Layton, but his voice didn’t reach him.
"You said if I lied, you'd cut off my head."
He stared me down and started walking toward me.
My heart began to pound wildly.
Is this the kind of pressure one feels when facing a high-ranking knight’s sword?
"If you’ve got a mouth, speak."
His sword swung toward me.
A frosty chill settled over my body.
"Seems you have nothing to say."
— Nooooooo!!
"Reeennn!!"
Whoosh—
"……"
"……"
A cold gust swept across my face.
Layton’s sword stopped right in front of my eyes.
Through his blade, I could see his eyes—he was staring at me like he was ready to devour me.
"You knew I would stop."
"Yes."
"Why?"
"Because he really is Spencer."
A flicker of emotion briefly crossed his eyes.
The air returned to normal.
The killing intent that had surrounded me vanished in an instant.
"How do you know this skeleton is Spencer?"
At his question, I turned my head slightly to glance at the others.
Seeing that, Layton nodded and sent the others out.
"You’re a man with many secrets. Are we good now?"
"Yes."
"Then speak."
"I am a gravekeeper. I honor the spirits of the dead and maintain their resting places. Sometimes, I can hear their voices."
"You can hear them, huh…"
He looked doubtful but soon nodded.
"Then can you ask Spencer what the first gift I ever gave him was?"
I didn’t need to speak—the question was clear, and Spencer was listening.
— It was that rock-hard bread you made. You said I’d have to eat stuff like that once I went out into the world.
He chuckled at the memory.
I repeated his words exactly to Layton.
"…Heh, so it’s true. It’s really him."
Even mimicking Spencer’s tone made it impossible not to believe.
"Do you not suspect me of staging this and killing him?"
"Of course not. Spencer is strong. He wouldn't be defeated by some gravekeeper in the hills. Besides, there’d be no reason for you to go out of your way to tell me this."
— That’s right.
Spencer added to Layton’s explanation.
— The ones who killed me were black mages. They attacked suddenly and sealed my powers with some strange force.
"Why would black mages attack you?"
At my sudden question, Layton started to speak but closed his mouth.
This guy's quick on the uptake.
I like that.
— I don’t know. But they said they were looking for test subjects for some ritual. This graveyard is part of that ritual too.
[Main Quest – Traces of the Black Mages]
[The black mages are plotting something. Find their traces.]
– Traces of the Black Mages: 0/3
Suddenly, a main quest appeared.
The first since the one to defeat the grave robbers.
‘What the heck is this? Related to the black mages?’
This time, there’s no reward either.
Kinda kills my motivation.
[You have completed the side quest – “The Missing One’s Request.”]
[You have gained Agility +0.4, Spirit +0.3.]
Suddenly, I feel fired up again.
“Is that the end of the story?”
Layton asked me.
“Yes. Seems the black mages are behind this. Since they’re the ones who killed Spencer.”
“Black mages… those damn bastards…!”
A wave of frost surged around him.
Even someone like Layton, usually so composed, seemed unable to contain his rage this time.
“…Sorry you had to see me like this.”
“It’s okay.”
“You’re… no, you are a benefactor to my house. Is there anything you want? I’ll give you anything.”
Nothing comes to mind.
What should I even ask for?
Honestly, his favor and a good relationship with his house are enough.
“I don’t want anything. I didn’t do this expecting a reward.”
“…Whether or not that’s true, there’s one thing I know for sure. You’re nothing like the rumors.”
Layton stared at me intently.
His fiercely burning eyes searched for truth.
‘Man’s about to burn a hole in my face.’
“Rumors are usually exaggerated.”
“If you say so, I’ll believe it. Still, I don’t feel right not giving you anything.”
“In that case, if you come across a good grave site, let me know.”
“A grave? Why?”
“Because that’s my job. I’d like to see new ones, too.”
More than a job—it’s to find more spirits.
To grow, I have to help lay to rest the regrets of the spirits buried in those graves.
“Heh, now that’s a first. Alright. But that alone isn’t enough. I’ll send you something separately.”
Guess I’ll take it.
“Thank you.”
Only then did Layton flash a satisfied smile.
* * *
Whoosh— Whoosh—
The sound of blades slicing through the air echoed through the training hall in Decaine.
Under the dark night sky, where only moonlight trickled through, Raymond was still swinging his sword.
“Haah… Still not there yet.”
He recalled Ren’s brilliant swordplay from earlier and looked at the haystack lying alone before him.
Seeing the smooth, perfectly horizontal cut still made his heart race.
The way the sword moved—so fluid, yet so heavy at the moment of impact.
Seeing that flawless cut made his own swordsmanship feel pitiful in comparison.
“One day… I’ll be like Master, too.”
— What nonsense.
Havenberg, who had been listening to Raymond’s muttering, shook his head.
The perfect horizontal slash Ren had shown earlier was swordsmanship performed through Havenberg’s possession.
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
Perfectly executing a horizontal slash is notoriously difficult, so Ren had used spirit possession to grasp the feeling.
— Well, it’s not a bad thing.
Watching Ren’s achievement spark ambition in Raymond is a good sign, after all.
At first, Havenberg didn’t like Raymond much based on his attitude, but his genuine approach to the sword had changed his mind a bit.
Rustle—
Suddenly, the sound of grass rustling could be heard.
Raymond turned his head to locate the source of the noise.
‘But there's no wind...’
Could it be that Master came up here?
As he entertained the thought, Raymond's expression hardened and he gripped his sword.
No, that can’t be.
Master clearly said he would come in the morning.
‘Could it be those grave robbers again?’
Master had said that one of them was skilled enough to manifest sword aura.
Even though the aura seemed weak, just the fact that he could manifest it made him an opponent Raymond couldn’t beat yet.
Gulp—
Tension slid down his throat.
His muscles repeatedly tensed and relaxed.
Two dark silhouettes emerged from the bushes.
“Good, he's not here.”
“Damn, why is this mountain trail so rough? I tore my clothes climbing the cliff!”
The scruffy-haired man shouted in frustration.
Next to him, a big man held his sword tightly, clearly on guard from the moment he appeared.
‘That’s definitely the grave robber Master mentioned.’
Could he win?
Master had asked him to protect Decaine, but this was looking like a tough challenge.
“Who are you?”
The big man asked Raymond.
“Who the hell are you? Why are you barging into someone else’s workplace like this?”
“Workplace? Ah, you must be the groundskeeper working here?”
“See? I told you that guy wasn’t the one from before.”
“I see.”
Hearing their exchange, Raymond quickly realized the “groundskeeper” they mentioned was his master.
“I’m not the groundskeeper here, you bastards.”
“What?”
“I’m just the assistant who came as reinforcement after some idiots attacked here and ran away. Our master will be here soon.”
Raymond feigned a relaxed, confident tone.
In truth, Ren wasn’t coming.
After their training during the day, she was resting at home for the night.
“Hey, big guy—you’re the one who came here last time, right? Heard your arm got messed up pretty bad… but look at you, back on your feet again?”
Raymond’s signature rude tone made the grave robbers grimace in irritation.
“This little brat…”
“Guess we’ll have to fix that mouth of his first.”
They ground their teeth and started approaching.
‘That’s not the reaction I was expecting.’
They should’ve been scared at the mention of Master showing up, but instead, they were getting riled up.
Raymond didn’t realize that he had just provoked them even more.
“I-I’m telling you, my master’s coming!”
“Bullshit! What kind of top-tier expert would waste time doing grave work like this?”
“That expert must’ve really fallen out of favor with the kingdom, huh? If they left a runt like you behind, that says it all.”
Raymond clenched his jaw and hardened his expression.
At this point, fighting was the only option.
Two against one.
The big guy had a sword, but scruffy-hair seemed unarmed and off guard.
‘Strike first, win fast!’
Raymond faked a retreat to draw them in, then abruptly shifted direction and charged at the scruffy-haired one.
“Die!”
A diagonal slash he had practiced every day.
He poured his weight into the move, grounding himself with his legs.
Whoosh—
Slick—!
“Argh!”
The slash tore across the scruffy man’s chest.
Damn, not deep enough.
It would’ve maimed him if it were just a bit deeper, but his reaction was quicker than expected.
Just then, the big man’s machete came swinging.
Clang—!
Thud!
“Guugh!!”
Raymond blocked in an unstable stance, lost his guard, and took a direct kick to the gut.
He couldn’t breathe.
He probably broke a couple ribs.
‘Damn it… is this how I die…?’
He had finally gotten the chance to learn real swordsmanship...
“Kill that bastard!”
“Got it. We have to, or that guy will find out we came back here.”
The big man raised his machete high.
Is this the end?
He didn’t want to die.
He wanted to live longer—to keep learning the sword!
‘No, don’t give up yet.’
Raymond, still clutching his sword, tightened his grip once more.
The machete came down.
The enemy thought the fight was over and let his guard down.
‘Now!’
One chance.
Trade his flesh for his life!
Raymond stepped in and threw his shoulder into the machete.
“You crazy—!”
The blade cut into his shoulder.
The big man stared at him in shock.
‘I got him. I can use this opening to stab his heart—’
Crack—!!
“Graaagh!!”
Sword aura surged over the enemy’s blade and struck Raymond’s sword, knocking it away.
Raymond was sent rolling, his shoulder in tatters.
If it had been a proper sword aura, he’d have been cleaved in two.
“You arrogant little bastard. I’ll kill you myse—”
Snap.
A sudden sound of a twig breaking from behind.
The big man turned around—and saw a familiar figure stepping on a branch.
‘That expert… from before?’
His eyes went wide in panic.
“You bastards…”
Ren, who had climbed up to Decaine, glared at the grave robbers with a face twisted in fury.
* * *
Back home, I couldn’t shake a growing sense of unease.
I just couldn’t relax, no matter how hard I tried.
So late at night, I went up to Decaine.
Maybe I’d stayed there so long that its soft earth now felt more comfortable than my own bed.
“Huh?”
As I neared Decaine, I heard noises coming from inside.
At first, I thought it was Raymond training.
But it wasn’t.
‘No way…?’
Panicked, I rushed up and saw a familiar large man.
And Raymond, bleeding on the ground.
“You bastards…”
Fury surged within me.
What the hell could be in this graveyard that made these people keep coming back to torment us?
This time, I would make sure to deal with them for good.
“You’ll regret ever coming back here.”
------------------
[Translator - Night]
[Proofreader - Gun]
------------------
