Chapter 99: The Departure of the Brilliant Swords
I went on a Quest with Cyril, and on the way back….
We decided to drop by Teo’s place to check on her condition after being exposed to the Corrupted Magic from the Dragon’s meat.
Jend is going to check on Ferris, and if we poked our heads in, we’ll just be in the way, so we’ll let them be.
Henry: “Teo, are you awake? We came to see how you were doing.”
Cyril: “Helloー Teoー”
We knock on the door and call out to Teo.
Teo’s mother, Mrs. Tina welcomed us into the home, and according to her, Teo has only drank water since this day started. We brought some fruits that should be easy to digest, but I wonder if her stomach will be able to handle it.
Teo: “.....please come in, you two. The door is unlocked.”
I heard a surprisingly energetic voice from inside.
……...oh, that reminds me. I’m entering a girl’s room.
Yuu kept her room at the inn pretty tidy, but Ageha was the kind of girl who couldn’t clean up after herself.
But from Teo’s personality, I don’t think we’ll see something so entertaining. I’m sure she’ll have the bare minimum furniture, and maybe a bookshelf full of textbooks……..it’ll probably be like that.
Cyril: “Helloー”
And Cyril opens the door……...and we are suddenly hit with…….lots of pink. Pink color was everywhere.
Henry: “......hーhey.”
It was so much that it blinded me for a moment.
Teo’s room was…...let’s see……...very catered to girls. She had a frilled pink curtain, colorful cushions, lots of stuffed animals of different sizes, and a bookshelf full of children’s stories.
……..in the corner of the room, there was a bow and machete, and other suspicious looking tools looked horribly out of place, but otherwise, it was indeed a girl’s room.
Teo: “Mr. Henry, Miss Cyril, thank you for dropping by to check on me.”
Cyril: “Of course. …….oh, you have some new stuffed animals since I came here.”
Cyril is very close to Teo and has visited her on a number of occasions. She took hold of a stuffed bear and began playing with it.
Henry: “So…….Teo. What are you doing?”
Teo was sitting on top of her bed in a strange posture. It’s something I’ve seen before. I think they called it the lotus position. Ageha did it when she was trying to focus and concentrate.
Teo: “Yes, this morning, the contamination from the Corrupted Magic was very bad, so I was trying to restore my body by doing some breathing exercises. Because of that, I feel much better now.”
Henry: “Breathing exercises…..huh….”
I don’t really understand the Rishu techniques. I’ve heard that there’s been more wars between humans than against Demonic Creatures there, so they have developed a different line of skills that’s different from the main continent.
In its most simplest form, fighting a Demonic Creature comes down to determining how you will hit it with your strongest attack. But against humans, such simple techniques do not always work.
Of course, there are some people who will fight against other humans with the simplest of attacks and just overwhelm them with landing a single powerful attack, but similar to sword play, you will also see people less gifted in strength refine their moves to counter.
Henry: “I see. I heard that you were down from the Corrupted Magic influence, but I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.”
Teo: “I really was not feeling well this morning though. But that Dragon’s Heart was delicious so I want to try it again sometime.”
She’s so positive. Usually, getting sick from Corrupted Magic like that would put you in so much misery that most would shy away from risking another experience like that.
Henry: “Well, if that’s the case, we’re glad you’re doing much better. ……..here, we bought you some fruits.”
Cyril: “And we also have medicinal herbs too! Today, I went to the Flowtier Forest with Henry for a Quest, and we ran across some during the expedition.”
Yeah, those herbs help you feel better when you’re feeling nausea. The Quest was for a different herb, but we ran across this one by accident so we picked some.
Teo: “Thank you so much for going out of your way. I will gladly accept the fruits, and…...maybe I’ll use this herb to make some Poison.”
Henry: “Hm? Can you make something like that with this?”
Teo: “It’s a little weak, but when you mix it with a certain herb, it turns into a Paralysis Poison.”
I was interested and got the recipe from her. From what she told me, I can make it cheap, and it sounds pretty useful.
But in exchange, I teach Teo a few recipes I know.
We do this during our regular meetings with our Adventuring Party, but we actually never talked about this so Teo and I went into quite a deep discussion. Since the local fauna are different from the Ligaleo region, there were some recipes I couldn’t use, but now, it looks like we may be able to incorporate poison into our tactics.
Cyril: “........ummー why would we bring up some violent topics when we’re just coming to check in on how she’s doing….”
It was 30 minutes later….
Teo and I got really into our Poison Recipe discussion, and exasperated, Cyril cut into our conversation.
…….look, I know we were ignoring you, and I apologize, but don’t get in a bad mood.
<<<<>>>>
After visiting Teo, 3 more days passed.
We were near the main Flowtier gate where the public carriage station was located.
It was 2 days later than they originally planned, but Jend and I were here to send off the [Brilliant Swords] who were departing from Flowtier.
It might be a little too much if too many people came, so from my Party, it was just the two of us.
“Alright, good bye, Ashley. Come by at least once a year. And send us a letter at least one every two months. ……...Mr. Paul, Mr. Forte. I know he’s an inept kid, but please take good care of him.”
Ashley: “Hey, c’mon dad! These guys are my friends, and you don’t have to be so formal!”
“Idiot. As a parent, let me at least properly greet the people who are looking after you.”
Paul and Forte strain a smile as they half-laugh at Ashley’s dad’s response.
“Ashley. Just take care of your body, okay? ……..and bring your wife here one of these days.”
Ashley: “Yeah, I promise, mom. I wanted to bring her this time, but she couldn’t leave her job at the store.”
One of the big reasons that Ashley, who ran away from home, came back was to let his family know that he was getting married. Karen, was it? She’s the daughter of a Bakery in Southgaia, and they plan to get married in the spring when their new residence construction is complete.
In the southern regions of the Alvenia Kingdom, a man isn’t recognized as independent until he owns his own house, and he holds off on marriage until that house is done apparently.
On the other hand, around the central region, they usually have an extravagant wedding ceremony, and in the far south, they make a vow before the God they serve, and it is done in quite the solemn and conservative manner.
So depending on the region you live in, the culture can change. Flowtier is located extremely north, so they do not have a chosen custom here. You can do whatever you want.
Ricardo: “Then Ashley. You keep up the good work.”
Ashley: “Yes, Master!”
Ricardo: “Ah yes. Before I forget. If your basics are lacking the next time we meet…..you understand, correct?”
Mr. Ricardo placed a hand on Ashley’s shoulder and put on quite the intimidating smile. Although he was down resting from the Corrupted Magic contamination up until yesterday, I could even feel the pressure he was putting on Ashley from a distance.
Ashley: “Of course. I will not forget the lessons you have taught me these past few days.”
Ricardo: “..........yes, a good response. Continue to sharpen and hone your skills. Then you will exceed even me in my prime.”
Ashley: “Yes sir.”
The Master and Disciple grip their hands tightly in a handshake. …….wowー I’m a little envious of the scene. Like, you can really feel the passion and bond or…...the trust(?) between the two.
And the two part with some reluctance, and Ashley turns towards Jend.
Ashley: “Good bye, Jend. We will meet again.”
Jend: “Yeah, besides. Rather than me going to see you, if I head to Ligaleo, I’ll pass through Southgaia, right?”
Ashley: “That’s right. If it’s you, once you get a little more experience, you’ll get along just fine. ……..I know I said this before, but going to the frontlines is now just a pipedream for me, so I’ll be rooting for you.”
That’s right. Ashley was saying something about going to Ligaleo if he got a little stronger.
But he’s newly wed and building his new home, so I guess there’s no way he’ll drop all of that and go now.
Ashley: “.....oh wait. Maybe once all the kids are grown up, maybe I could try again after that.”
Jend: “Ha, by that time, I would have already defeated the Demon King and become a Hero of Legend, so I’m sorry to tell you, that dream’s never going to come true.”
Ashley: “HA! You still got that big mouth, Jend.”
Ashley bumps a fist into Jend’s chest. Even without putting it into words, I’m sure Jend knew that it was Ashley’s way of telling him good luck.
Ashley: “Henry, I know he can be annoying, but please take care of my little brother.”
Henry: “Sure thing. …….but at this point, I’m already relying on him a lot. I guess we’ll be helping each other out from now on.”
Ashley: “I see.”
And with that, Paul and Forte walked over this way. Out of the people seeing them off, we got to know each other pretty well, so they came to say their farewell.
Paul: “Henry, thanks for everything. Thanks to you, we had a great time during our vacation here.”
Forte: “I feel the same. For me, that Dragon Heart’s Steak left too strong of an impression for better or for worse.”
Forget couldn’t get out of bed for 2 days after that so yeah…. I don’t think he’s fully recovered yet judging from his face.
Ashley: “Oh yeah! That was an experience of a lifetime! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat anything that delicious in the future.”
Paul: “Ashley…...I know it ended as a good memory for you, but don’t forget that Forte and I were out sick because of it.”
Ashley: “It’s because you don’t train hard enough. Do you want me to train you the way my Master Ricardo did?”
Paul and Forte visibly shook their head side to side pretty emphatically. Seeing the tough Ashley come back exhausted every day, I don’t think anyone would light-heartedly want to say yes to that offer.
And we all finish our farewell greetings.
Ashley: “Okay everyone. Thank you for seeing us off.”
Paul: “It was a great town. I’ll come by again.”
Forte: “Farewell.”
The members of the Brilliant Swords all gave one last parting farewell and got onto the carriage.
The driver is the same one that took us to the Capital ー Will. ……..since they were supposed to leave two days ago, they had to pay extra fees for the delay, but that was expected.
Both Jend and I make eye contact with Will with a quick greeting. It was also to silently ask him to safely take these new friends of mine back.
Will: “Okay, then we’re off!”
Will spoke out and signaled to his beloved horses. The carriage slowly began moving forward and towards the main gate.
They passed through the gate, and we watched until they disappeared into the horizon.
Jend: “......Henry, if you don’t have any plans, can you join me in training?”
Henry: “Hm? I don’t mind, but why all of a sudden?”
I really don’t mind, but it was a little out of the blue.
Jend: “In the end, I lost overall to Brother Ashley in our practice matches. The next time I see him, I want to surprise him.”
Henry: “I didn’t know how much you didn’t like to lose.”
Jend: “Not as much as you, Henry.”
Henry: “Really?”
Wait, wait. That’s not true. I’m the cool, calm-type Adventurer. I’m not so childish that I get irate over a few losses.
Jend: “You don’t remember how much you sulked after losing to Miss Ageha?”
……...as an Adventurer, it is crucial to always want to win. At the end of the day, when you are in a life and death situation and faced with a critical moment, what will make the difference is your strong will and resolution. That’s why being competitive is a true testament to being a good adventurer……..or at least, we should all acknowledge that.
And I continued making excuses quietly inside my mind…..
Today, I joined Jend and we trained until we were both drenched in sweat.
Chapter 99: The Departure of the Brilliant Swords
I went on a Quest with Cyril, and on the way back….
We decided to drop by Teo’s place to check on her condition after being exposed to the Corrupted Magic from the Dragon’s meat.
Jend is going to check on Ferris, and if we poked our heads in, we’ll just be in the way, so we’ll let them be.
Henry: “Teo, are you awake? We came to see how you were doing.”
Cyril: “Helloー Teoー”
We knock on the door and call out to Teo.
Teo’s mother, Mrs. Tina welcomed us into the home, and according to her, Teo has only drank water since this day started. We brought some fruits that should be easy to digest, but I wonder if her stomach will be able to handle it.
Teo: “.....please come in, you two. The door is unlocked.”
I heard a surprisingly energetic voice from inside.
……...oh, that reminds me. I’m entering a girl’s room.
Yuu kept her room at the inn pretty tidy, but Ageha was the kind of girl who couldn’t clean up after herself.
But from Teo’s personality, I don’t think we’ll see something so entertaining. I’m sure she’ll have the bare minimum furniture, and maybe a bookshelf full of textbooks……..it’ll probably be like that.
Cyril: “Helloー”
And Cyril opens the door……...and we are suddenly hit with…….lots of pink. Pink color was everywhere.
Henry: “......hーhey.”
It was so much that it blinded me for a moment.
Teo’s room was…...let’s see……...very catered to girls. She had a frilled pink curtain, colorful cushions, lots of stuffed animals of different sizes, and a bookshelf full of children’s stories.
……..in the corner of the room, there was a bow and machete, and other suspicious looking tools looked horribly out of place, but otherwise, it was indeed a girl’s room.
Teo: “Mr. Henry, Miss Cyril, thank you for dropping by to check on me.”
Cyril: “Of course. …….oh, you have some new stuffed animals since I came here.”
Cyril is very close to Teo and has visited her on a number of occasions. She took hold of a stuffed bear and began playing with it.
Henry: “So…….Teo. What are you doing?”
Teo was sitting on top of her bed in a strange posture. It’s something I’ve seen before. I think they called it the lotus position. Ageha did it when she was trying to focus and concentrate.
Teo: “Yes, this morning, the contamination from the Corrupted Magic was very bad, so I was trying to restore my body by doing some breathing exercises. Because of that, I feel much better now.”
Henry: “Breathing exercises…..huh….”
I don’t really understand the Rishu techniques. I’ve heard that there’s been more wars between humans than against Demonic Creatures there, so they have developed a different line of skills that’s different from the main continent.
In its most simplest form, fighting a Demonic Creature comes down to determining how you will hit it with your strongest attack. But against humans, such simple techniques do not always work.
Of course, there are some people who will fight against other humans with the simplest of attacks and just overwhelm them with landing a single powerful attack, but similar to sword play, you will also see people less gifted in strength refine their moves to counter.
Henry: “I see. I heard that you were down from the Corrupted Magic influence, but I’m glad to see you’re doing okay.”
Teo: “I really was not feeling well this morning though. But that Dragon’s Heart was delicious so I want to try it again sometime.”
She’s so positive. Usually, getting sick from Corrupted Magic like that would put you in so much misery that most would shy away from risking another experience like that.
Henry: “Well, if that’s the case, we’re glad you’re doing much better. ……..here, we bought you some fruits.”
Cyril: “And we also have medicinal herbs too! Today, I went to the Flowtier Forest with Henry for a Quest, and we ran across some during the expedition.”
Yeah, those herbs help you feel better when you’re feeling nausea. The Quest was for a different herb, but we ran across this one by accident so we picked some.
Teo: “Thank you so much for going out of your way. I will gladly accept the fruits, and…...maybe I’ll use this herb to make some Poison.”
Henry: “Hm? Can you make something like that with this?”
Teo: “It’s a little weak, but when you mix it with a certain herb, it turns into a Paralysis Poison.”
I was interested and got the recipe from her. From what she told me, I can make it cheap, and it sounds pretty useful.
But in exchange, I teach Teo a few recipes I know.
We do this during our regular meetings with our Adventuring Party, but we actually never talked about this so Teo and I went into quite a deep discussion. Since the local fauna are different from the Ligaleo region, there were some recipes I couldn’t use, but now, it looks like we may be able to incorporate poison into our tactics.
Cyril: “........ummー why would we bring up some violent topics when we’re just coming to check in on how she’s doing….”
It was 30 minutes later….
Teo and I got really into our Poison Recipe discussion, and exasperated, Cyril cut into our conversation.
…….look, I know we were ignoring you, and I apologize, but don’t get in a bad mood.
<<<<>>>>
After visiting Teo, 3 more days passed.
We were near the main Flowtier gate where the public carriage station was located.
It was 2 days later than they originally planned, but Jend and I were here to send off the [Brilliant Swords] who were departing from Flowtier.
It might be a little too much if too many people came, so from my Party, it was just the two of us.
“Alright, good bye, Ashley. Come by at least once a year. And send us a letter at least one every two months. ……...Mr. Paul, Mr. Forte. I know he’s an inept kid, but please take good care of him.”
Ashley: “Hey, c’mon dad! These guys are my friends, and you don’t have to be so formal!”
“Idiot. As a parent, let me at least properly greet the people who are looking after you.”
Paul and Forte strain a smile as they half-laugh at Ashley’s dad’s response.
“Ashley. Just take care of your body, okay? ……..and bring your wife here one of these days.”
Ashley: “Yeah, I promise, mom. I wanted to bring her this time, but she couldn’t leave her job at the store.”
One of the big reasons that Ashley, who ran away from home, came back was to let his family know that he was getting married. Karen, was it? She’s the daughter of a Bakery in Southgaia, and they plan to get married in the spring when their new residence construction is complete.
In the southern regions of the Alvenia Kingdom, a man isn’t recognized as independent until he owns his own house, and he holds off on marriage until that house is done apparently.
On the other hand, around the central region, they usually have an extravagant wedding ceremony, and in the far south, they make a vow before the God they serve, and it is done in quite the solemn and conservative manner.
So depending on the region you live in, the culture can change. Flowtier is located extremely north, so they do not have a chosen custom here. You can do whatever you want.
Ricardo: “Then Ashley. You keep up the good work.”
Ashley: “Yes, Master!”
Ricardo: “Ah yes. Before I forget. If your basics are lacking the next time we meet…..you understand, correct?”
Mr. Ricardo placed a hand on Ashley’s shoulder and put on quite the intimidating smile. Although he was down resting from the Corrupted Magic contamination up until yesterday, I could even feel the pressure he was putting on Ashley from a distance.
Ashley: “Of course. I will not forget the lessons you have taught me these past few days.”
Ricardo: “..........yes, a good response. Continue to sharpen and hone your skills. Then you will exceed even me in my prime.”
Ashley: “Yes sir.”
The Master and Disciple grip their hands tightly in a handshake. …….wowー I’m a little envious of the scene. Like, you can really feel the passion and bond or…...the trust(?) between the two.
And the two part with some reluctance, and Ashley turns towards Jend.
Ashley: “Good bye, Jend. We will meet again.”
Jend: “Yeah, besides. Rather than me going to see you, if I head to Ligaleo, I’ll pass through Southgaia, right?”
Ashley: “That’s right. If it’s you, once you get a little more experience, you’ll get along just fine. ……..I know I said this before, but going to the frontlines is now just a pipedream for me, so I’ll be rooting for you.”
That’s right. Ashley was saying something about going to Ligaleo if he got a little stronger.
But he’s newly wed and building his new home, so I guess there’s no way he’ll drop all of that and go now.
Ashley: “.....oh wait. Maybe once all the kids are grown up, maybe I could try again after that.”
Jend: “Ha, by that time, I would have already defeated the Demon King and become a Hero of Legend, so I’m sorry to tell you, that dream’s never going to come true.”
Ashley: “HA! You still got that big mouth, Jend.”
Ashley bumps a fist into Jend’s chest. Even without putting it into words, I’m sure Jend knew that it was Ashley’s way of telling him good luck.
Ashley: “Henry, I know he can be annoying, but please take care of my little brother.”
Henry: “Sure thing. …….but at this point, I’m already relying on him a lot. I guess we’ll be helping each other out from now on.”
Ashley: “I see.”
And with that, Paul and Forte walked over this way. Out of the people seeing them off, we got to know each other pretty well, so they came to say their farewell.
Paul: “Henry, thanks for everything. Thanks to you, we had a great time during our vacation here.”
Forte: “I feel the same. For me, that Dragon Heart’s Steak left too strong of an impression for better or for worse.”
Forget couldn’t get out of bed for 2 days after that so yeah…. I don’t think he’s fully recovered yet judging from his face.
Ashley: “Oh yeah! That was an experience of a lifetime! I don’t think I’ll ever be able to eat anything that delicious in the future.”
Paul: “Ashley…...I know it ended as a good memory for you, but don’t forget that Forte and I were out sick because of it.”
Ashley: “It’s because you don’t train hard enough. Do you want me to train you the way my Master Ricardo did?”
Paul and Forte visibly shook their head side to side pretty emphatically. Seeing the tough Ashley come back exhausted every day, I don’t think anyone would light-heartedly want to say yes to that offer.
And we all finish our farewell greetings.
Ashley: “Okay everyone. Thank you for seeing us off.”
Paul: “It was a great town. I’ll come by again.”
Forte: “Farewell.”
The members of the Brilliant Swords all gave one last parting farewell and got onto the carriage.
The driver is the same one that took us to the Capital ー Will. ……..since they were supposed to leave two days ago, they had to pay extra fees for the delay, but that was expected.
Both Jend and I make eye contact with Will with a quick greeting. It was also to silently ask him to safely take these new friends of mine back.
Will: “Okay, then we’re off!”
Will spoke out and signaled to his beloved horses. The carriage slowly began moving forward and towards the main gate.
They passed through the gate, and we watched until they disappeared into the horizon.
Jend: “......Henry, if you don’t have any plans, can you join me in training?”
Henry: “Hm? I don’t mind, but why all of a sudden?”
I really don’t mind, but it was a little out of the blue.
Jend: “In the end, I lost overall to Brother Ashley in our practice matches. The next time I see him, I want to surprise him.”
Henry: “I didn’t know how much you didn’t like to lose.”
Jend: “Not as much as you, Henry.”
Henry: “Really?”
Wait, wait. That’s not true. I’m the cool, calm-type Adventurer. I’m not so childish that I get irate over a few losses.
Jend: “You don’t remember how much you sulked after losing to Miss Ageha?”
……...as an Adventurer, it is crucial to always want to win. At the end of the day, when you are in a life and death situation and faced with a critical moment, what will make the difference is your strong will and resolution. That’s why being competitive is a true testament to being a good adventurer……..or at least, we should all acknowledge that.
And I continued making excuses quietly inside my mind…..
Today, I joined Jend and we trained until we were both drenched in sweat.
