LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 44
We returned from Shax’s Dungeon and rested at the lodging.
Deciding to think about the dungeon experiences and future plans later, I chose to tackle the most important task first.
“Training, Lucius!”
“……What?”
I launched an assault on Lucius’s bed from dawn.
Instead of simply waking him, I climbed onto his bed and poked him with my feet.
“What are you staring blankly for? It’s training time!”
“…Are you talking about physical training?”
“No!”
Honestly, physical training was less important.
I already knew that from having experienced Lucius’s body myself.
What Lucius needed was mental training.
“It’s mental training!”
“…Mental?”
“Yes. A mindset that remains calm in any situation. A composure that doesn’t waver even with the enemy right in front of you. And….”
I lightly tapped my temple with my finger.
“While I’m using your body again, focus on me without losing your mind. That’s your new mission.”
“……That’s…”
Lucius looked like he wanted to say something.
It wasn’t that he simply lost his mind, but he seemed hesitant to express it verbally.
‘Did he perhaps see my true identity?’
No.
Even if I possessed Lucius’s body, it doesn’t make sense for him to have seen my identity.
After all, ‘it shouldn’t be possible.’
Sharing the same body does not grant visibility to another’s soul and memories.
Unless they shared the experience together, that is.
Or maybe…
“Are you upset that you can’t remember everything while I used your body? Hmm?”
“…Master.”
“Well, it’s a pity you didn’t get to see my glorious swordsmanship. Hmm. Should I show you again later?”
“O-once more?”
Slowly, Lucius started to react.
“Yes. As long as my body’s safety is secured, I can use it frequently without much issue.”
“Isn’t that… a technique that consumes a lot of life force?”
Turning mana into life force, huh?
That means Lucius knows how valuable mana is to me.
“Good job, Lucius. But my life force isn’t the important part. What matters is how strong of a power and skill you can embody.”
As long as I can raise Lucius to defeat Zephar and regain my body, I wouldn’t care if this body’s lifespan runs out.
“So, Lucius. Get up already. After some light mental training, we need to head to the Adventurer Guild today.”
“Today?”
“Yes. We’ve filled our quota, so it’s about time we swim in deeper waters, right?”
E-rank was far too trivial a place.
“From today, we’re D-rank now.”
“D-rank….”
“Let me be clear: This D-rank is completely unrelated to the Power of the Holy Sword, okay?”
This was certain.
I pressed down on Lucius’s solar plexus with my big toe.
“It’s purely the results you’ve built up from your swordsmanship, from your time as a hunter in the village. Even without my help, you would have become a D-rank adventurer.”
Though there might be a time difference, with Lucius’s abilities, he could easily rise to C-rank.
It’s just that…
“You will probably think your rank-up is thanks to the Power of the Holy Sword. But that’s not true. You became D-rank on your own. So….”
I lightly tapped Lucius’s side with my foot.
“Congratulations on your upcoming rank-up in advance, Lucius.”
“……Thank you, Master.”
“Isn’t it nice? Thanks to me, you’ve gone from a three-week rank-up to just one week? Hahaha.”
I too was the same.
“After the evaluation is over, let’s treat ourselves to something delicious. What do you want to eat?”
“Um…. Could you choose, Master?”
“Me?”
“Yes.”
It seemed Lucius didn’t have any particular thoughts on types of food.
“You’ve been the one picking food all the time, right? This time, I think we should eat what you want.”
“I don’t have any particular dislikes. I eat pretty much anything.”
“Still, there must be something you prefer.”
“Um….”
I didn’t have a specific preferred type of food.
I wouldn’t say I had a tremendous appetite.
But.
‘I do have a preferred category of food.’
I wasn’t sure if Lucius or Rosmas would like it, but anyway, I was the one paying in this party.
Rosmas had returned from the orc village without any money, having lost it all, and only received a small amount of support thanks to acquaintances in the elves.
Let alone Lucius, who left the village with only a Holy Sword, there was no way he had any money.
What we earned through our adventuring activities wasn’t just the magic stones but also—food and lodging expenses—earning ‘money’ too.
I managed that money.
‘Did I give them less for food than I usually do?’
I might not have given them enough to slice a thick steak, but I think I provided them with enough to spend around five silver coins a day.
’I even generously covered the food and tea time costs.’
They must have eaten well.
“Okay. But first, let me consult with Rosmas a bit.”
“Rosmas?”
“Of course, Rosmas should be eating with us too. Did you think I would leave Rosmas out just to celebrate our rank-up?”
“…Ah, no, I didn’t mean that. Hahaha….”
Ah, I see why he was feeling awkward.
He was probably scared I’d suggest going to a vegetarian restaurant.
I understood.
“Don’t worry.”
I raised my thumb toward Lucius.
“We’re definitely having beef.”
“Ah.”
Lucius’s eyes sparkled.
As expected.
Men love their beef.
—
The Adventurer Guild was bustling with people from the morning.
We had waited in front of the guild before it even opened to facilitate a quick evaluation, but surprisingly, many more people entered the guild than anticipated.
They went in, but they didn’t come out.
“What’s going on?”
“…I have no idea.”
From the morning, Rosmas was quite down.
He seemed to be gauging my reaction and struggled to speak up.
“If you have something to say, just say it. If you don’t, no one will know?”
“Um… then.”
Rosmas took a deep breath.
I wondered why he needed to breathe so deeply.
“Does the Witch use her life force as collateral when casting spells?”
“Huh?”
“Well, it’s about the mana around the Witch….”
“Oh. That.”
He caught on precisely.
“It’s somewhat similar. The specific principles are hard to explain.”
“Ah…!”
Rosmas’s face looked shocked as he pressed his lips together.
“Then… fighting without using mana…!”
“How can a sorceress fight without using mana? Spear fighting? That also uses mana. Since the body is weak, any martial arts require mana to support it.”
Even breathing requires mana.
This body is weak.
“In that sense, when all the mana runs out… well… it’s like dying.”
“Witch.”
Rosmas grasped my hand with teary eyes.
“I’ll do my best to ensure the Witch doesn’t have to use mana. You just give directions from the back.”
“Thank you.”
For some reason overnight, Rosmas developed considerable affection towards me.
‘Can’t complain about that.’
Is it possible to like Lucius but dislike me?
That doesn’t make sense.
-Lucius. Master actually….
-What? I didn’t think of you that way, I’m disappointed.
-No, what have I done? Rosmas, are you framing me?
-Ah! I-I’m so sorry, Master…!! I won’t do it again!
-Master….
-No! Lucius! This is a misunderstanding!
The members of the Hero Party like the hero but dislike his master?
A scenario where they butter up the hero to kick out his master from the party plays through my mind.
‘Not a chance.’
Our team revolves around Lucius, but I’m the one forming the party.
There’s no way I’ll be forced out of a team made up of people I recruited.
They should treat me with respect.
They should honor me as their master.
They shouldn’t recklessly use Lucius for their own purposes.
As long as they abide by these three rules, I won’t mind what they do with Lucius.
“Rosmas. After the evaluation, we’ll go have lunch. You don’t eat meat, do you?”
“Y-yes. I only eat vegetarian.”
“Great. Then I’ll treat you to something delicious. Custom-made for you.”
“Master?”
Lucius approached from a distance.
Just as the doors of the Adventurer Guild opened, we stepped through the open door.
The chatter was lively.
There were still a lot of people inside.
I wondered why there were so many from the early morning but had a feeling I’d soon find out the reason.
“The branch chief has come out.”
Branch chief.
The head of the Normans branch of the Adventurer Guild.
A man with a slick head only on the crown grabbed a piece of black parchment and headed for the bulletin board.
‘Black?’
Something seems ominously wrong here.
The chatter grew louder.
As soon as the branch chief put the black parchment on the bulletin board, the adventurers started to discuss with worried voices one by one.
Monsters.
In large numbers.
Incursions.
Asydia.
*
“Ten thousand.”
The man with the upper body of a black crow smiled with satisfaction as he looked at the swarming monsters.
“With this, if I can conquer the city of humans and host a blood festival, surely ‘He’ will be pleased.”
Lick.
The black crow licked the red magic stone with his tongue and grinned.
“A blood festival. A feast of blood to celebrate His descent.”
Caw.
“In honor of the great Demon Lord Bel Phegor, I will release a mere ten thousand monsters into the city of humans for slaughter.”
Caw.
“Ah, Bel Phegor. Do you hear me? A mere crow that was once just an ornament in the Demon King’s Castle has now become a demon that leads ten thousand monsters.”
Caw.
“I’ll entertain you with a feast of blood.”