I Obtained Sword God Level Talent - Chapter 15
15. What It Means to Be Friends
“T-This… This is impossible! This can’t be happening!”
Martis howled like a madman.
He trembled, looking at the knights who were growing cold. It seemed he hadn’t even considered the possibility of defeat, as his eyes were filled with shock and disbelief.
“You… Just who! Just who in the world are you?!”
He shouted towards Frey, who stood motionless. His voice was thick with negative emotions like fear and terror.
“…Shut up.”
Frey couldn’t answer, his head spinning.
He hadn’t realized it when he unleashed the Sword Qi. As his consciousness gradually cleared, an indescribable pain coursed through his entire body. It felt like a combination of intense motion sickness, body aches, and bruises all over.
And above all, the biggest problem was…
“W-What just happened?”
“Five knights are dead.”
“Damn it. Shouldn’t we call the guards?”
…The overwhelming noise that was filling his head. The noise wasn’t just the voices of the onlookers.
Chirp!
The sound of insects chirping in the grass.
Swooooosh!
The sound of raindrops hitting his shoulders.
Drip.
Thi s wa s c o p i e d fr o m k in g m tl.or g
The sound of sweat dripping down his cheek and hitting the ground.
All those sounds were ringing loudly in his ears.
‘What… What is this?’
Had his hearing become more acute? No, it wasn’t just a matter of heightened senses. What Frey was experiencing was an expansion of his ‘sensory perception’. The moment he grasped mana and manifested Sword Qi, his body began to change accordingly.
“W-What is it? Are you perhaps… unable to move because you’re out of stamina?”
Martis, who had been trembling just a moment ago, spoke with a surprised expression.
It was as if the overwhelming divine power he had displayed was a lie. For someone who had simultaneously mastered mana and unleashed Sword Qi, he seemed full of vulnerabilities.
“Is that it? Are you really… too exhausted to move?”
Shing!
Martis drew the sword from his waist with a sinister smile. An emerald green sword, adorned with expensive decorations, was revealed.
Gripping the sword, Martis moved slowly, cautiously. His face was full of exhilaration. It seemed like he would be the ultimate victor after all.
‘Move.’
Frey, who stood still like a frozen statue with his sword in hand, berated his own legs.
‘Move!’
Frey couldn’t understand what had happened to him. Mana and Sword Qi, that was fine. But his body was betraying his will. This sudden change was unexpected.
Swoosh.
Martis immediately infused his sword with mana. And the sword, which had approached within arm’s reach, swung upwards. His bluish sword was aimed towards Frey’s neck.
‘Move…!’
***
Shing!
“Don’t move.”
Thwack!
A deep voice resonated through the rain.
“L-Lancelot…?!”
Martis’s face, which had been aiming for my neck just a moment ago, stiffened. He slowly lowered his arm and turned his head slightly.
There stood Lancelot with a contorted expression. He had his sword pointed at Martis’s neck. His usual expressionless face was replaced with one that looked like a grim reaper from hell.
“Damn it… You’re late.”
Thud, my exhausted body collapsed onto the wet ground. I couldn’t muster any strength. Furthermore, my expanded sensory perception was still tormenting me. But for some reason, a smile blossomed on my face.
“Sorry. I had something to take care of.”
Lancelot’s cold gaze swept over Martis. Martis’s arms were trembling, as if he couldn’t even think of swinging his sword.
“L-Lancelot, why don’t you put your sword away? We’re family!”
“…Family?”
“Yes! I-I might be ten years older than you, but strictly speaking, I’m your nephew. Have you forgotten that my father was your half-brother?!”
“I only have one family member.”
“Wait! Wait a minute! Are you trying to kill me right now? Just who is this guy? Is he so important that you’re willing to betray even your own blood?!”
At Martis’s outburst, Lancelot’s emotionless gaze turned to me once again.
And then, after a moment of silence, Lancelot spoke with difficulty.
“…He’s my friend.”
Slash!
Thump, Martis’s head fell to the ground. It was a fitting end for someone who had been acting so foolish.
But friend, friend.
I had tried to deny it, but Lancelot and I were indeed ‘friends.’
We weren’t fresh-faced teenagers anymore, it would be ridiculous to deny it now.
“Frey. You look good sprawled out like that.”
“I’m not in the mood for jokes. By the way, Lancelot, is it okay to kill him? You’re both from the Armance family.”
“No, I’m not.”
Lancelot shook his head solemnly.
“I’m no longer part of the Armance count family. Lancelot Du Armand. That is the name I will use from now on.”
“….”
“I sensed something strange in my previous conversation with my mother. You might have forgotten for a moment, but I’m quite intelligent.”
“Good for you.”
(chivalrous) Sword Master Lancelot.
What he had just cut down wasn’t simply the head of a scoundrel. He had severed the bond with the Armance family, the blood ties that were almost a curse.
“I feel like you’re going to quit the Knights too.”
“You’re right. I’ve already submitted my resignation to the Knights. That’s why I was late.”
“What?”
Lancelot answered immediately. And his answer was unexpected. I never imagined he would leave the Golden Lion Knights, someone who had dedicated his entire life to the path of knighthood.
“Well, you’ll choose your own path. But help me up first. I can’t move.”
T h is w as c o p i ed f ro m k in g m t l . o r g
“Hmm. Alright.”
Swoosh.
Lancelot helped me up without a word. Then he cast a bland look at Martis and his five knights.
“…You did well.”
T h is w a s c o p i e d f r o m k i ngm t l .o r g
“It was nothing.”
“Haha! Such obvious bragging.”
…He’s laughing? I gave Lancelot a dumbfounded look.
This guy, Lancelot, was always a bland and stiff individual. But he seemed to be in a very good mood right now.
“Oh, right. Your mother will be back soon. Take her to the inn.”
“Hmm. Alright. I’ll take you back to the inn and then go get her.”
“Yes. That’s a good answer..”
After that, we walked for a while in silence.
Our clothes, even our underwear, were soaked due to the downpour, but not a single complaint escaped Lancelot or me.
“…Thank you.”
T h is w a s c op ie d f r o m k i ng m t l .o r g
Lancelot’s deep voice broke the long silence. He spoke, his head bowed as if he was deeply grateful for something.
“Thanks to you, Frey. If it weren’t for you, I would have surely lived the same life, making the same regrets.”
Was he talking about the Armance count family? Or was he talking about Mrs. Armand? Perhaps he meant both.
“I found it strange. I thought there was no reason for someone with talent like you to help me.”
“No reason?”
“Isn’t that right? Helping me just because I rescued you from the orc camp…”
Tsk, I clicked my tongue, cutting off Lancelot’s words. His puzzled gaze immediately flew towards me.
I stopped walking and tilted my head back. Darkness had filled the sky, like paint washed away by dark clouds.
“Those who discover the beauty of gold forget that stars are beautiful too.”
T h i s w a s c o pi e d fr o m k i n gm t l. o r g
“….”
“I… I just like stars. I was just chasing after stars.”
Lancelot sighed at my calm words. His straight eyes, his hair plastered to his forehead due to the rain, were moist.
Those could have been tears, or just raindrops.
“You said there was no reason for you to help me?”
Th i s wa s co p i e d f ro m k i n g m t l .o r g
“….”
Lancelot quietly waited for my words as our footsteps came to a halt.
“That’s what it means to be friends.”
The downpour stopped as if on cue. The bright sunlight appeared in the sky, as if it had never rained. A blinding white light poured down on us.
It was summer.
***
Mercenary Guild, Roven Branch.
The bartender, the branch manager, who had started his day as usual, stretched out a long, bored yawn.
Th i s w a s co p i e d fr o m k i n gm t l. o r g
“Yawn! Damn it, with so few people around.”
Most of the mercenaries who had participated in the great Empire’s Northern Expedition had died. Naturally, the number of people had dwindled, and with the aftermath of the war, even jobs were scarce, leaving the branch deserted.
T h is w as c op i ed f r o m k i n g m t l . o r g
“Hmm…”
T h is w as c op ie d f r o m k i n g m tl . o rg
The branch manager let out a low hum and walked away.
There were no customers or jobs anyway. It was in his nature to create work when there was none.
Click! Clack!
His skillful hands touched a magical device.
This pinnacle of modern magic engineering possessed a mysterious power that allowed for quick and easy communication with people far away.
“Signal’s clear.”
He muttered to himself and checked the magical mail that had arrived at the ‘communication channel’. The number of letters was small, and most of them were notification mails from headquarters.
“…Hmm?”
But then, one letter caught his eye.
(To. Frey)
Frey. The branch manager knew him. He was the one who had visited a few days ago, the one who had miraculously returned alive from the Northern Expedition.
(From. Helios Magic Tower, Ariel.)
“…H-Helios Magic Tower?!”
Th i s w a s c o p i e d f r om k i n g m t l .o r g
The branch manager’s jaw dropped involuntarily. Helios, the Helios Magic Tower! It seemed like he had a client who was connected to that tower, a place filled with prominent figures.
‘Ahem, the visit date is today.’
The client had promised to visit the branch to receive his compensation. Confirming that today was the appointed date, the branch manager smiled with satisfaction and closed the lid of the magical device.
He decided to greet the client with even more warmth when he arrived.
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