Chapter 118: Hiding His Power?
I expected a blacksmith's to be a sweaty, grimy place, but this was a large, clean weapon shop. Various weapons were displayed neatly in glass cases.
"Wow, there are so many nice weapons!"
"Welcome!"
A beautiful female employee greeted us.
Where's Master Hephal? As I looked around, the employee asked, "Are you perhaps Mr. Geum Taeyang?"
"You know me?"
"Yes. Master asked me to give you this if you came."
Master? I still had a long way to go before I got used to this city. This woman wasn't just an employee—she was Master Hephal's slave.
"So the weapon is finished? Show me."
"Master! May I go and report back?"
"Sure. Choose whatever you like."
The employee placed a small box on the table. When she opened it, a crescent moon-shaped dagger appeared.
A custom-made dagger. My weapon, commissioned by Verdia from the Hephal family.
Could I take it now? I made eye contact with the employee.
"This dagger is a combat dagger. Its name is Dawn Moon (Seo-wol)."
Dawn Moon. What kind of name is that for a dagger?
Since this is another world, the sentiment behind naming a sword feels a bit cringeworthy. But I understood the desire to give a cool sword a name.
The white, beautiful blade naturally made me think of the moon.
While examining Dawn Moon, I asked something that had been bothering me.
"Did I ask for a combat dagger?"
"Well, Master said… that this dagger was ordered as a combat dagger…"
The slave's shoulders slumped uncertainly.
"He's right. I did order it for combat. Your master saw right through me."
"I-Is that so…! That's a relief."
That old man really is a pro.
Verdia probably requested a self-defense dagger, but from the moment she specified a blade length over 18 cm, Hephal must have understood the true meaning behind the request.
This weapon was meant for combat… or rather, for killing.
In that case… I picked up Dawn Moon and flicked the blade with my finger.
It was flexible. It bent easily due to its elasticity but didn't break. And yet, the blade was extremely sharp.
To think he created a weapon not inferior to modern technology. That was impressive.
The slave watched me anxiously as I toyed with the blade, but it wouldn't break because it was flexible.
If it were just hard, it would break under force.
"I like it."
Only then did the slave's expression brighten.
"Tell him I'll take a few more pieces of equipment from the store."
"Yes, sir."
No need to pay! I was good for it.
I sheathed Dawn Moon, attached it to my belt, and walked over to where Cecil was by the display case.
"Did you choose?"
"Looking for knuckles!"
"Knuckles…"
I thought Cecil was good at fighting in general, using her whole body. If she wore knuckles too, I wouldn't be confident in winning even with a sword.
"Ugh. It's hard to choose. They're all good."
"How about this one?"
I went to the next display case and pointed to a pair of knuckles that were clearly in a different price range.
"Th-That's too expensive…"
"It's only 10 gold coins?"
"Oppa, your sense of money is messed up! Knuckles shouldn't cost 10 gold coins; that's a rip-off!"
The employee listening from afar laughed awkwardly…Well, even I would find it strange if a kitchen knife cost over ten thousand dollars.
"Our lives are on the line. We need to buy good equipment."
"That item is made from the bone of a Primordial Dragon, so…"
"Wow! A dragon!"
"A dragon? Those exist…?"
"It was imported from Dragon Street."
Ah… Come to think of it, there was a street with that fearsome name in this city.
"Dragon Street."
I wondered why that place wasn't considered the highest difficulty. Is there a Dragon Slayer in the Devil's District?
"Would you like to try them on?"
Cecil looked surprised as she put on the white knuckles.
"They're light!"
"And sturdy."
"You want these?"
"Yes! I like them. I feel so much stronger!"
We decided to pay later since I didn't have any cash on me.
Cecil also picked out quite a variety of other weapons: twelve throwing knives, a chain whip, a short spear, a shield, and a pair of swords.
I started to get a little worried as I watched her.
"Are you sure you can use all of that? You're not just picking them randomly, are you?"
"Yes, I can use them all!"
"Even so…"
Isn't this a bit excessive?
My worries were short-lived as Cecil attached the twin swords to her waist, hid the chain whip and throwing knives in her clothes, strapped the shield and short spear to her back, freeing both hands.
"Fully armed Cecil! Ta-da!"
"What's your current combat power?"
"Around 600!"
It had gone up by 100.
"It's better to have spare weapons. You never know what might happen in a dungeon."
"This is all I need."
I tapped the dagger at my waist.
"Oppa, are you good with daggers?"
"Better than swords."
"Show me!"
"Show you what? Like this?"
I demonstrated how to spin the dagger.
"Wow! Wow! Teach me how to do that!"
"You'll cut your fingers off."
"Oppa, you're like an acrobat!"
"This is nothing. Master was even…"
"The Orc mister?"
"No…"
That's a story from when I met my second master.
Was Bior my fourteenth? It might seem like I changed masters every year, but I always learned diligently to become a man worthy of my destiny.
"It's an old story."
Of course, I don't have any embarrassing memories of running around with a dagger in my school days. I have no intention of bragging about such heroic tales.
I can't do things like "17 Division." I can't even see the "Death Line."
The reason I'm good with daggers isn't because of that, but because I used to hunt wild animals for a living. It naturally became familiar to my hands.
I've never actually fought a person with a blade. And that's only natural. I lived in a world where picking a fight while holding a blade would get you thrown in jail.
My opponents were always animals. The toughest were wild boars. They're aggressive and don't die easily, so personally, they were tougher than bears.
"I want to hear about your past, Oppa!"
"It's not interesting. It was just a lot of hardship."
Who would understand if I told them all that hardship was for the sake of stealing other men's women?
This is my own, unique destiny.
In this world, I might even become a murderer for the first time. I might take someone's life.
I'm nervous. This was a first for me.
Cecil also became quiet as we left the store and headed toward the Devil's District.
There was no one around. Really, no one.
As if it were a sin to come near this street, the absence of people was clear. We passed through a dark forest and reached a thick wall, where guards stood at a checkpoint. But they felt different from the Chartreuse guards.
"Oppa, those people are strong."
"I think so too."
Why do they have such a different atmosphere? It's because they're not residents of this city.
The guards' eyes were sharp, as if they were still in the middle of a war. Their equipment was messy and their helmets worn improperly, but...
I got the feeling they were dangerous.
Could we really pass through here so easily?
Calm down. They're just lowly guards.
Why am I already this afraid?
I slowly approached the checkpoint with Cecil.
"Halt."
As soon as we moved, the guards pointed their spears at us.
"This isn't a place for pups from the Beast District. Turn back."
I raised my hands playfully.
"You're not even going to ask 'Who goes there?' before telling us to turn back?"
"I don't care who you are. If you don't want to die, turn back."
Cecil clenched her fists.
No, it's okay... If I get worked up here, Cecil might jump out and cause a scene.
I patted Cecil's head reassuringly and walked forward.
"I have a permit from the Chartreuse family. Please allow me to pass through to the Devil's District."
"What?"
"You're not messing with us..."
"You're telling me someone actually brought a permit like that?"
...
Wasn't this the right way to do it?
Seeing the guards openly annoyed, it seemed no one had recently come here with a permit from the Four Great Families like me.
Looking closely, the guards weren't human. Beastmen, like Rufus.
Their heads were those of beasts—one a dog, the other a bear. The one that looked like a bear spoke.
"It looks real... The seal, the elegant handwriting..."
"Sniff sniff. Is that the scent of that famous noblewoman?"
...
These bastards...As if Verdia's scent would be on the permit. Even like this, they seemed to know the authority of the Four Great Families.
"Hold on. We'll go show our captain."
...
Tsk... Even though they knew I was under the protection of the Four Great Families, their tone didn't change.
It seemed these guys really weren't residents of the Beast District.
They just looked at me curiously, even after I showed them the permit. This place is definitely dangerous...
In the Beast District, my social status protects me. But beyond this wall... all of that means nothing.
I'm just a clueless foreigner wandering around.
It's fine. That's why I brought Cecil.
Cecil is considered one of the strongest in the Beast District. No one can match her.
She swept aside the guards at the Grace mansion like fallen leaves.
Could these gatekeepers possibly be a match for her? Cecil is definitely stronger.
Than these two, at least. Soon, a large beastman who seemed to be their captain blocked our path.
He was huge... He must be over two meters tall.
A beastman like Rufus... no, he was practically a beast standing on two legs, with over 90% of him being animal.
Blue fur and golden eyes! The scar that ran diagonally across his face was impressive. It was definitely not a fashion statement. How had he almost gotten his face split in half?
"Captain. It's these guys."
"I brought a permit from the Chartreuse family."
"Let me see."
What? You didn't memorize it?
The beastman captain scratched his chest hair and read the permit.
"I can't let you pass."
"I'll take responsibility if it's a forgery. The landlord of this district also vouched for it..."
"That's not what I mean, buddy."
The beastman captain cut me off and ripped the permit Verdia had written.
What...!Is this guy insane?A measly checkpoint captain…!
"Do you have any idea what you just did?"
"I do. I just ripped up a permit officially issued by the Chartreuse family."
"What's your reason…?"
"A reason? There's no grand reason. I just ripped it because I felt like it."
He ripped it… just because he felt like it?
"You think weaklings like you should be wandering around a place like this? Get lost."
"Hehehe. The captain has spoken, you're not getting through here."
"Scram!"
"Who do you think you are…."
Damn it, this is so absurd I'm speechless. Just because…? He ripped it just because he felt like it?
"You, you got something you're confident in?"
"If you want to overturn my decision, bring a dragon or something."
"His word is absolute here!"
"Kneel before Lord Viscal, the Beast King!"
If they're going to be this unreasonable, we have no choice but to force our way through.
I took out Dawn Moon and looked around.
"Absolute, you say? It's just a small forest with a checkpoint and a single room. What kind of Beast King are you? Don't make me laugh!"
"Hahaha."
Viscal burst into laughter.
"You have no idea what it means to guard this place. It's understandable that a little chick like you wouldn't understand."
He looked down on me until the very end…
"I'll give you a hand if you can't walk out of here on your own two feet."
Viscal reached out to me. And at that moment!
"Don't touch my Master!"
Cecil, who had been in battle mode the whole time, jumped out.
It was a mistake to shout and draw attention if she planned a surprise attack. But I've never seen Cecil move so fast!
Something white flashed by…! Viscal's body was thrown back!
"You think you need help before me…?"
"Huh…?"
Cecil's ankle was caught in Viscal's hand.
It looked like she was thrown back… but it was an illusion.
Viscal lifted Cecil like a fish and burst into laughter.
Fear gripped me more than anger. Their levels… are on a different scale…!
"Hehehe."
"Uhihi."
"That girl is pretty. Why don't we have her for ourselves, Captain?"
"You idiots. That's why you're stuck as my underlings."
"That's harsh, Captain."
"If you want a female, go get one yourself. Don't rely on scraps falling from my plate."
Viscal looked Cecil up and down and said,
"You look quite tasty. But I can't have you… A weakling like you is useless once you get knocked up."
"Ugh!"
I drew Dawn Moon. Even if I have to run, I need to save Cecil first!
"Let go of Cecil."
"What are you going to do with that little knife…?"
Viscal's eyes widened.
"What are you?"
"What do you mean?"
"Why are you being protected by a female weaker than you?"