I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

23 – 023. His Footwork Alone is Different (2)

One more person had joined us.

Just one more person, yet the carriage was now a riot of noise.

“What do you think about personal grudges? What about those tangled webs of cause and effect?”

“Kindness, doubled. Hatred, tenfold. That is the path I walk. For in this world, all but my comrades are potential foes.”

“That’s it! Exactly! Ah ha ha ha ha!”

There was no room to wedge into Frey and the old man’s conversation.

Furthermore, it had only been ten minutes since the old man boarded, and already, the title Frey was being addressed with had escalated from ‘young friend’ to ‘you’, a truly bewildering development. The change to a more gentle tone was a bonus.

“……”

“……”

Lancelot and Ariel stared at the unexpected guest with baffled looks.

They found it hard to believe that this was their ‘first meeting’.

Frey and the old man clicked so well, it was almost as if they were not strangers who’d just met on the road, but a heartwarming pair of grandfather and grandson.

“I thought people from the West Continent were cold and aloof, but seeing you, I’m realizing how wrong I was! Ha ha ha!”

“How could people of this world be entirely opposites? It is just that, perhaps, they are slightly more indifferent to others, and more individualistic.”

“Indeed! You speak the truth. How could I not have known such a simple fact?”

The old man in the carriage looked at Frey with warm eyes.

His gaze, as if dripping with honey, was full of fondness for Frey. It was enough to stir up a pointless jealousy.

“At first, I only asked for company to talk to, but to meet such an outstanding junior… I was so captivated by you, I momentarily forgot, but these two are…?”

The Sword Demon, letting out a hollow laugh once more, subtly turned his gaze.

There, were people who had been forgotten, charmed by Frey’s eloquence until now. There was no need for explanation; they were Lancelot and Ariel.

“Those two are Lancelot and Ariel, respectively. This friend is a swordsman, and this one is a mage.”

“Hahaha! A fine and sturdy appearance with a brave spirit, I see. And it’s been a while since I’ve seen a mage. Their mystical powers once had a way of captivating the soul.”

“Ah, hello.”

“Ah, good day.”

“You have good manners as well. You’re definitely friends destined for great things in the future.”

The two awkwardly bowed their heads. The old man offered a few words of blessing to them and then continued his conversation with Frey.

“Youngsters who respect their elders like you and your two friends, it’s rare to see such these days.”

“…Isn’t that all because of the ‘my-child-is-everything’ culture?”

“I think so too! Now that I see, I understand why we get along so well. Values! Our paths in life are remarkably similar!”

“Is that so? It’s quite an honor.”

“…Huh.”

Lancelot found it hard to hide his bewilderment.

It hadn’t been that long since he’d known Frey.

But, as far as he could tell, Frey wasn’t the type to be so eloquent. No. In the first place, he wasn’t much of a talker, was he?

But now, he was constantly engaged in conversation with that old man… It was truly baffling.

“Heh heh. Having met such a pleasing junior, I, too, must be a little more honest.”

“Yes?”

“As you may have guessed, I am from the Eastern Continent.”

In an instant, the atmosphere in the area turned heavy. As if concerned the three might be filled with fear, the old man spoke in the kindest tone he could muster.

“And… I came from the Ten Thousand Mountains located at the edge of the Eastern Continent.”

“The Ten Thousand Mountains, you mean…?”

Lancelot’s eyes widened as if realizing something.

The old man calmly received his reaction and slowly nodded.

“That’s right. I am from the Ten Thousand Mountains… from the One Peak of the Eastern Continent, the Heavenly Demon Sect.”

“T-the Demonic Sect!”

“W-wh, wh-what?! Is that really true?!”

Lancelot and Ariel exclaimed, utterly shocked.

The Demonic Cult was that kind of place. They held sway not only in the East Continent but also in the West, each member a martial artist of immense power, a colossal force nearing its peak.

So much so that they said, “If a Demonic Cultist comes, even crying children will stop.”

“……Heh heh.”

The old man, who had been waiting for someone’s reaction, chuckled softly.

His hazy gaze turned toward Frey. Unlike Lancelot and Ariel, who showed appropriate signs of shock, only one person stared blankly into space with an unreadable face.

“You, are you not surprised by my origins? I hold a rather significant position within the Demonic Cult. Significant enough to surprise you.”

As if unable to hold back his rising curiosity, the old man looked at Frey and spoke.

“…….”

Frey, who had been quietly listening to the old man’s voice, seemed deep in thought. It was quite a contrast to his usual self, who appeared to make his decisions on his own.

“I believe.”

Frey finally opened his mouth after much deliberation.

“That the opposite of justice isn’t evil, but another form of justice. There is no reason for me to fear you solely based on your affiliation, is there?”

“……!”

……Silently. Just silently.

The old man’s eyes widened as if they would tear upon hearing Frey’s answer. His breathing grew ragged, clearly showing the intensity of his rising emotions.

“Heh, heh! Heh heh heh! Uhehehehehe!”

The old man, who seemed to be savoring Frey’s words with his eyes closed, suddenly burst into uproarious laughter.

Was it joy? Amusement? The emotions bursting forth from the old man were not of that kind. As if he had attained some sort of enlightenment, a deep and swirling haze filled the old man’s transparent eyes.

*Click.*

Like a machine, the old man abruptly stopped laughing and turned his gaze upon Frey with solemn posture. Then, he opened his mouth in the most earnest of tones.

“……You, I would say you are very lucky.”

“Pardon?”

“If I were not… on a mission, I would have tapped your pressure points and kidnapped you to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains.”

The old man’s voice, devoid of even a trace of emotion, resonated coldly within the carriage.

But why was it so?

Frey shook his head. And, in an even more confident voice, he spoke.

“I know you would not do such a thing.”

“……What?”

“It’s just a gut feeling, but even if you, Elder, were to kidnap me to the Demonic Cult… I know that if I resist fiercely, you’re the kind of person who’d readily send me back home.”

“……”

The old man’s face became exceptionally serious.

“I am, a Great Protector of the Demonic Cult. The Sword Demon. Are you still not afraid of me?”

“Hah, h-huh!?”

“Th-The Sword Demon? That Sword Demon?!”

Lancelot and Ariel, who had been quietly observing their conversation with tense faces, gaped.

The story that had just popped out was that shocking. One of the greatest masters spanning the East and West continents was standing right in front of them!

However.

“Yes.”

Frey’s answer was extremely short. It was a reply filled with the utmost sincerity but also unwavering resolve.

“The person in front of me is a kind Elder. That fact won’t disappear, no matter what.”

“In that case, you, become my disciple.”

“……!”

Had they grown tired of being shocked?

The two could only open their mouths, unable to utter a word. That’s how impactful the words they had just heard were.

“I’ll say it once more. Become my disciple. I shall pass on to you all the martial arts of the Demonic Cult. You, if anyone, can ascend to the position of Heavenly Demon within ten years.”

“I apologize.”

The old man’s gaze fixed upon Frey, as if saying, ‘Did you just say what I think you said?’

“Huh, hahaha! Are you rejecting this opportunity? An opportunity that might never come again in your lifetime?”

“It is undoubtedly a gracious thing that you hold me in such high regard, Elder. However, it seems that it is somewhat different from the future I envision.”

“Hoo… such a thing!”

The old man smacked his lips as if truly finding Frey to be a loss.

In the eyes of the 8th-level ‘Sword Demon,’ he could see it. That Frey, currently at the 5th level, was a jewel among jewels who would shine with an incomparable brilliance in the near future.

…There was only one unfortunate fact.

“……Haha.”

The old man did not know.

‘There’s no way I can get roped in here.’

Frey’s true thoughts, that he held a different intention than what was being expressed.

* * *

The sun had begun to set.

The coachman, citing the distance to the next village, suggested camping for the night. I agreed without hesitation. ‘Sword Demon’ had also decided to spend the night with us.

Crack! Pop!

As we set up camp, the night grew darker. The space swallowed by the darkness was filled only with the sound of the crackling fire.

The coachman, handsomely tipped, started preparing dinner, while Sword Demon sat before the fire, lost deep in thought.

“I… I’m just going to clear my head for a bit.”

Gazing at the star-studded night sky, I rose to my feet, my voice quiet.

“…Okay.”

“Be careful.”

Perhaps they thought my worries ran deep? Ariel and Lancelot nodded at once in reply.

Swoosh.

I moved away slowly.

The darkness that had settled was thick around me. The forest that had previously been invisible at night was now clear thanks to my heightened senses.

A little while later.

Finding a decently sized open space, I lay down on the ground without even a second thought.

The sky, overflowing with stars, reflected in my eyes. A night sky like this, seldom looked at in our tiring modern society, held the magic of making one’s heart flutter just by looking up.

“……”

Time passed.

One minute, ten minutes. Then, thirty minutes went by.

“Hey there.”

A quiet voice spoke.

Jackpot.