Chapter 04
Up until just moments ago, the sword that had been bursting with flashes of light while driving the drunk men away was now firmly stuck to my hand, gleaming brightly.
Then, the scabbard slipped off on its own.
“…!”
No way. Was I walking around with a sword that undresses itself?
The drunk men’s eyes gleamed the moment they confirmed the sword was in my hand, and they rushed toward me.
Feeling flustered and like I had to do something, I raised the sword high.
And then—
[Hold me properly, you idiot!]
A strange voice echoed inside my head. But before I could even figure out who it belonged to, my body suddenly jerked forward.
No—more precisely, the sword moved.
“W-what is this—ahhh!”
[Hold on tight, you brat!]
The sword dangled from me as it leapt forward, charging straight at the men who were staring at us.
“Ahhh!!”
“Argh!!”
Then, after a whirlwind of chaotic motion, it landed safely on the ground.
What… what just happened?
Still confused, I turned around to look at the men.
They stared at me blankly, looking completely dumbfounded.
And then—
“…!”
“…!!”
Their clothes suddenly tore apart and slipped right off.
The drunk men, now instantly nude, covered their injured groins and chests and fled into the forest.
“…Did we win?”
Ah, right. I’m not supposed to say that line.
Whenever someone says that, another villain always shows up. I slapped my mouth a few times and sat down right where I was.
I was so drained I couldn’t even stand properly.
What on earth was happening?
I was just trying to go sabotage my dad’s business. Instead, I ran into thugs trying to steal my sword… and then…
[And then you met me! Ahem!]
That same voice echoed again in my head.
In disbelief, I grabbed Excalibur and asked,
“Are you seriously talking?”
[Of course! I am speaking!]
“This is insane. What kind of sword does my dad give a seven-year-old?”
[That’s exactly what I want to say! Why would your dad give me to such a foolish seven-year-old and keep me silent for a whole year?!]
“Hey! I’m not a foolish seven-year-old! I’m eight this year! And have you ever seen such a smart, capable eight-year-old?”
[No! I haven’t! My previous masters were all seasoned knights or kings! I never expected my master to be a kid like you…]
While Excalibur was ranting, rustling came from the bushes beside us.
I widened my eyes and quickly covered Excalibur’s… no, its blade.
“Shut up!”
Rustle—
And soon after, three men wearing black robes burst out from the bushes.
Their faces were completely hidden, but everything about them screamed “I am suspicious.”
“You there.”
The shortest of the three pointed at me.
“M-me?”
Great. I defeated two groups of troublemakers, and now there are three more?
“Where did you get that sword?”
[This is the masterpiece of the world’s greatest artisan, Neil Roiz—!! Mmph!]
“Shut up, you idiot!”
I pressed my palm firmly against the sword. Excalibur trembled, then went quiet.
“I asked you where it came from.”
The impatient man stepped closer.
I swallowed hard.
Even though their faces were hidden, these men felt completely different from the drunk thugs earlier.
If I answered wrongly… I felt like I might die.
Dad… today is seriously my unlucky day.
I steadied my shaking legs and stood up straight, holding Excalibur tightly.
Should I answer?
But if I did, they might take my sword—or go after its creator.
If their aura wasn’t so suspicious, I would’ve just said, “Neil Roiz! My dad!”
But these guys… they felt like main characters at worst, important side characters at best.
What if they were a hero party looking to commission fourteen swords from my dad?
Then all my hard work would be wasted.
I wiped my sweaty hands and looked at them.
And then—
“…!”
I turned and ran.
I zigzagged my way just in case they followed and sprinted straight home.
I could hear them shouting behind me, but I ignored it.
Sorry, mister!
But I can’t tell you where my house is!
I circled the village once, just in case they were following me.
Even after that, I stopped by Mrs. Hillary’s house and Mr. Allen’s shop before finally heading home.
When I finally saw our house in the distance, I let out a deep sigh and wiped my sweaty forehead.
My original plan was to go to the market and sabotage my dad’s business.
Today really is my unlucky day.
On bad days, even if you fall on your back, your nose still breaks.
If I tried sabotaging the market today and ended up rolling around again… I might run into those robed men—or the drunk thugs again.
So on days like this, it’s better to just stay home and drink warm milk.
I checked behind me one more time before stepping into the yard.
And then—
Bang!
“Daaad!!”
I swung the door open, planning to tell him everything that happened today.
But then—
“Oh, Eve. You’re back?”
“You’re that kid from earlier.”
“…?”
Bang!
The moment I saw the people inside, I slammed the door shut again.
Standing there, I rolled my eyes in confusion.
“…What did I just see?”
It looked like three robed men were sitting at our dining table…
Not one, not two—three of them.
After a moment, I slowly counted on my fingers, still unable to believe it.
Maybe I saw wrong?
I stopped counting and forced an awkward laugh, lifting my head.
Right, right. I must have been mistaken.
Today was just too shocking—I must have imagined it.
“There’s no way those guys are in my house! Haha, I’m so silly.”
Convinced I was wrong, I opened the door again.
But—
“Dad, why do you keep opening and closing the door?”
“You’re a strange little girl.”
It wasn’t an illusion.
I stood frozen at the entrance, staring in disbelief.
At our dining table—the place where my dad and I usually ate together—three enormous men in robes were sitting comfortably.
One, two, three.
Three of them!
All three had removed their hoods, and they were unmistakably the same men I had met earlier.
Why on earth were they here?
They couldn’t have followed me… they arrived before me.
…Wait. Did they come to this village looking for my dad from the very beginning?
That would explain why they asked, “Where did you get that sword?”
My dad, too shocked to even close the door, simply shut it behind me and smiled as he guided me inside.
