Chapter 14: Volcan – 3

The Sword King, Volcan.

He could be summed up in a single phrase.

A legendary adventurer and former knight.

In his youth, he was given the title of “The Wall,” and when it came to toughness, there were few adventurers who could compare to him.

This was the information Erme had taught me about him.

To be honest…

‘…He really did look tough.’

Even if he took my attacks head-on with his bare body, I had the impression he’d just laugh heartily and say, Kahaha! That tickles!

So, it was only natural that I’d be shocked to see such a figure appear before me.

“Doesn’t seem like you’re all that surprised, though.”

Volcan muttered in a dissatisfied tone, staring at me.

What do you mean, I’m not surprised?

I stared at him in disbelief, and Volcan cleared his throat.

“Ahem. So, what business do you have in my study?”

“…?”

Something about that sentence didn’t feel right.

This place… was Volcan’s study?

As I looked around with skeptical eyes, Volcan grinned.

“I may look like this, but few people are as intelligent as I am.”

I was at a loss for words.

‘He’s not exactly lying, I guess.’

He was said to have mastery over swordsmanship, so he had to be smart.

Those who stand at the peak of their field are usually intelligent.

‘That’s probably true, right?’

They say that truly perceptive people act as if they have no awareness at all.

Maybe Volcan was one of those people.

Since he hasn’t even asked why I ran away yesterday…

Volcan was rather—

“So, why did you surrender and run away yesterday?”

“……”

“Well, it doesn’t matter.”

Volcan shrugged as if he truly didn’t care and disappeared elsewhere.

That meant my only task here was to go through the other instructional materials.

Normally, anyone else would feel uncomfortable under his presence and leave.

But I was different.

I steadfastly examined the instructional books.

Most of them were similar to the ones I had previously dismissed as unimpressive.

Still, a few were worth referencing.

I was absorbed in reading for a while when Rishiel called out to me.

You.

‘What?’

That old man is secretly watching you from over there.

Seriously, does he have nothing better to do?

But I was used to this kind of thing.

I continued reading without a care.

You.

That old man is getting closer and staring at you.

“……”

Does he really have nothing to do?

I kept my eyes on the instructional material, but soon, even my senses picked up on how close he had gotten.

Still, I ignored him and focused on studying swordsmanship.

‘So, this is how you use this move.’

I even discovered a new defensive maneuver.

[Skill: Swordsmanship has increased to Level 2.]

‘Oh? So, this system works like that too.’

I could level up just by absorbing information into my mind.

Of course, this type of game-based experience gain was probably limited and not something I could rely on too much.

It’d be best to read as much as possible early on…

I was at a loss for words.

Volcan was sitting right next to me.

At this point, most people wouldn’t be able to ignore him.

But I did.

I simply moved to the other side and continued reading the instructional material.

The moment I finished and closed the book—

“……”

“So, you finally decided to look this way.”

There he was.

Seriously, this old man…

“Don’t make that face. It hurts my feelings, you know.”

He didn’t look even the slightest bit hurt.

With a deep sigh, I spoke.

“So, what do you want?”

“Oh, nothing much. I was just curious about what you did yesterday.”

“It was nothing special.”

“That ‘nothing special’ happens to be of interest to me.”

What a bothersome old man.

I wasn’t sure he’d leave me alone after this.

Then, Erme crossed my mind.

She seemed to have some business with this old man.

‘That’s going to be annoying when the time comes.’

As I was debating whether I should deal with him or not—

“Excuse me.”

A voice that was both soft and alluring at the same time.

Crimson hair and eyes, reminiscent of fresh blood.

Eyes that curved into a slight smile the moment they met mine.

‘Lucia.’

That title of hers… she was undoubtedly the villainess.

E-Execution Princess?!

“Wh-why is the Execution Princess here…?”

Execution Princess?

What?

“It’s been a while.”

With her alluring voice, Lucia greeted me.

I returned the greeting.

“But why are you here?”

“Fufu, I used to practice swordsmanship back in the day. Sometimes, I get nostalgic and drop by this place.”

“…That doesn’t seem to be the real reason.”

At Lucia’s words, Volcan smirked mischievously.

He glanced at me, then back at Lucia.

Then, he looked at me again before returning his gaze to Lucia.

“Isn’t it obvious to anyone watching?”

He nudged my side with his elbow, as if to say she was here for me.

Lucia, on the other hand, smiled with the warmth of an angel.

“Oh my, whatever do you mean? Isn’t this place open to everyone?”

There was something about her tone—something almost wicked.

“A librarian should be careful not to engage in personal discussions in a public space.”

…At least, that’s what she said.

But what I heard was:

An old man, cast aside by a new era, should know his place and stop meddling.

…That had to be my imagination.

No, there was no way it was just my imagination.

If that were the case, she wouldn’t have nicknames like Execution Princess or Villainess.

To confirm whether I was mistaken, I glanced at Volcan—only to see him staring blankly.

— W-Wait… does she know him?

‘Well, yeah, I guess you could say that.’

Actually, it was more than just knowing each other.

After all…

I had stolen Lucia’s obsession.

And because of that, I had become the object of her fixation.

Not only that.

‘This obsession…’

…Doesn’t go away.

To be honest, I had tested it a few times.

Remember those scavengers who ambushed us?

Since they were disposable, I secretly slipped the stolen obsession into one of their pockets.

But before long, it had somehow returned to mine.

That moment had genuinely sent chills down my spine.

Anyway.

That’s just how it was.

Lucia had to be obsessed with me.

And I had to be the object of her obsession.

‘So, this isn’t all that strange.’

I looked at Lucia, who was gazing at me with a soft, amused smile.

“Still… you’re in a pretty pitiful situation. Of all people, you had to catch her attention.”

“Oh my, whatever do you mean?”

Her sweet smile sent an unwelcome shiver down my spine.

“I’m not the type to believe in rumors.”

Which was true.

They say where there’s smoke, there’s fire.

But sometimes, smoke just drifts in from somewhere else.

‘Though that’s definitely not the case with her.’

Execution Princess.

And Villainess.

The system itself labeled her a villainess.

And the people all called her Execution Princess in unison.

‘But can they even use titles like princess or king?’

I had heard there was an Empire and multiple Kingdoms still standing.

Setting that thought aside, I turned my gaze back to Lucia.

She was looking at me with eyes that gleamed with intrigue.

A quiet chuckle escaped her lips, her mouth curling slightly.

A languid sigh.

An alluring expression.

A look of deep fixation.

And an incredibly dangerous one.

‘I wasn’t saying that for your sake, you know.’

Something felt very, very wrong.

I suddenly had the urge to rush back to the inn.

But…

Just like yesterday, I wanted to try using the training grounds today.

The training facilities here are state-of-the-art!

Oh yeah?

Yes! The Empire and the Kingdoms provide funding for them.

Of course, the average nobody doesn’t even know they exist.

I recalled Erme’s sharp smile.

That was reason enough for me to check out the training grounds.

As I stepped inside.

I saw a woman.

Yesterday, Volcan had been sitting at the counter.

Today, someone else was there.

“Welcome! I’m Hilda, the training grounds supervisor. May I have your name?”

“Han Yuseong.”

“Confirmed—you’re a Rank 1 adventurer. As a Rank 1, you’ll have some restrictions in the training grounds. Do you understand?”

“You may begin using the facility immediately. A one-month pass costs one silver coin. If you’d like to register—”

“I understand.”

“When would you like to start using the facilities?”

“For a month.”

I pulled out a silver coin from my pocket and handed it to Hilda.

She smiled and guided me through the process.

“Here are your training clothes and a towel. Just so you know, if you lose these clothes, we’ll provide a free replacement once. But if you steal someone else’s, you’ll have to pay a fine of one gold coin.”

“Got it.”

I wanted to ask how they kept track, but this was a world with magic.

There was probably some system in place.

‘Still…’

This place felt a lot like a gym.

I entered the locker room, changed into the training gear, and stepped outside.

And the sight that greeted me—

“……”

“Oh? So you can make that kind of face.”

It was Volcan.

Next to him stood the Execution Princess, Lucia.

Both were dressed in training gear.

“And why are you two here?”

“If you’re wearing training clothes in a training ground, it’s only natural to train.”

“I’m here for the same reason.”

“Oh, is that so?”

I picked up a wooden sword from the training grounds.

Then, I grabbed a slightly smaller one as well.

“…Do you use dual swords?”

“That guy… he’s unbelievable.”

Lucia looked flustered.

Volcan, watching Lucia’s reaction, turned his gaze to me.

“By unbelievable, do you mean he wields them exceptionally well? As expected of you, Yuseong—”

“No, that’s not it. I mean he’s unbelievably bad at it.”

Lucia froze for a moment at Volcan’s words, then quickly recovered and gave me an encouraging smile.

“Well, you’ve only recently become an adventurer, so that’s to be expected. Let’s go, Yuseong.”

She gently guided me forward.

When we arrived at the training area, many people were already practicing on the scarecrows, striking them repeatedly.

‘But…’

Something felt underwhelming.

With so many people hitting the scarecrows, the scene lacked intensity.

“Don’t underestimate them,” Volcan said.

“Those scarecrows were retrieved from the labyrinth and magically reinforced. They won’t break easily with ordinary methods.”

“Reinforced…?”

“Yes, and if you actually do break one, you’ll attract a lot of attention.”

“That’s right,” Lucia chimed in.

“Depending on an adventurer’s rank, there are different types—straw scarecrows, wooden scarecrows, and even iron ones. If a mere Rank 3 adventurer managed to break a straw scarecrow, all the prestigious clans would rush to recruit them.”

“Really?”

Now that was interesting.

‘Following Erme is probably the safest option, but…’

This world was inside a game.

And she was essentially one of its protagonists.

So, logically, sticking with her would be the right move.

‘This is a good chance to raise my value.’

I had no intention of joining another clan, though.

But before that.

I gripped both swords firmly.

After reading the manuals today, I learned something important.

Dual-wielding was… pretty awful.

‘Apparently, it’s better to just use a single sword or another weapon altogether.’

Dual swordsmanship was said to be usable only by an extremely small number of gifted individuals.

Even Rishiel, who was considered exceptionally skilled, couldn’t use it.

I could use it, but a one-handed sword suits me better.

Even Erme had hesitated at the idea of dual-wielding.

So what about me?

‘Obviously, I’m not suited for it.’

However.

I did have knowledge of something else.

By chance, while analyzing Rishiel’s swordplay, I had glimpsed it.

‘Darkmoon.’

The shadowed moon.

A technique I had seen as an illusion while observing her swordsmanship.

A dual-sword style.

‘Maybe I’ll switch to something else in the future.’

But for now, dual swords felt right.

I took my stance, gripping both blades.

“Oh?”

“Hm?”

Volcan and Lucia tilted their heads as they watched me.

I ignored them—focusing entirely on my form.

A faint, blue trajectory became visible.

I traced the motion in my mind.

My body moved lightly.

Yet my blades remained sharp.

…!

Something—

clicked.

A vague presence wrapped around my swords.

Darkmoon.

Just like its name.

The shadowed moon began to take shape.

Darkness descended.

And then.

Boom!

The scarecrow collapsed.

Silence spread across the training grounds.

Within that silence, Lucia spoke quietly.

“You said… you couldn’t use dual swords?”

“…”

Volcan was at a loss for words.