Chapter 4

The Swordsmanship Genius Possessed by a God — Chapter 4

_______________

Lucas had been irritated since morning.

He had risen at dawn to practice his cultivation, gone down to the first floor of the inn, and finished his meal.

Quite some time had passed, but Allen still hadn't woken up.

‘What's he doing?’

For the time being, Lucas held back his irritation.

After all, when it came to diligence, Allen was second to none.

He figured his brother must have been that exhausted. Even if he appeared perfectly fine on the outside, the fatigue and shock from his first mission must have been considerable.

And so Lucas drank three cups of coffee in succession on the first floor.

But the moment he saw the sun high in the sky outside the window, he could no longer restrain himself and went to Allen's room.

However.

“An elixir!”

Allen had opened his eyes and immediately shouted as though screaming.

After paying the bill and leaving the inn, Allen seemed genuinely impatient. His eyes sparkled like stars, and his steps were so quick he might as well have been running.

Seeing him like that, Lucas simply couldn't bring himself to scold him for oversleeping.

‘I'll have to save up the lecture for later.’

But there was something else he was more curious about.

“What do you intend to do with an elixir once you buy one?”

Seeing Allen's enthusiasm, Lucas eventually agreed to buy him an elixir.

Of course, it would be an advance. Even among family members, accounts had to be settled properly.

“I'm going to take it.”

“You?”

“Yeah.”

“Why all of a sudden? It's not as though...”

Lucas swallowed the rest of his words.

He knew that whatever came next would only hurt his younger brother.

He could deliver any number of harsh lectures, but this was the one subject he could never touch.

‘Wouldn't it be useless with the Curse of Mana Deprivation?’

Those words would strike Allen where it hurt most.

It had been a long time since he'd seen his younger brother looking so cheerful. He didn't want to ruin the mood with an unnecessary remark.

Lucas let out a deep sigh and casually changed the subject.

“If you'd completed your mission properly, you would have received at least a small elixir as a reward. You wouldn't have had to spend your own money.”

“Still, I'm glad you're here, Brother.”

“Me?”

“Who else in the world carries enough travel money to buy an elixir? Only you could do something like that. As expected, rich kids really are different.”

“Anyone listening would think you've lived a life full of hardship.”

“Would they?”

Allen smiled happily. But behind that smile was not the young master of the Vishken family, but an unfortunate swordsman whose life had been consumed by battles against demons.

The two made their way toward a nearby shopping district.

The streets were bustling with people moving noisily among shops selling all manner of goods.

“We can't spend too much time here.”

Lucas said this while checking a watch he had taken from his pocket.

“One hour. That's all the time we can spend here.”

“That's fine. I'll choose quickly.”

“Not that way. This way.”

Lucas stopped Allen, who was about to enter a shop. Instead, he headed toward the rear of the shopping district.

There was a small street stall tucked away in a corner that few people visited.

There, Lucas addressed a hunched old man crouching in front of the stall.

“Do you have anything more valuable?”

“We have everything you could want. How much coin are you carrying?”

“I have eight gold coins, but if the goods are worthwhile, I'll put one directly into the proprietor's pocket.”

After this mysterious exchange.

“Follow me.”

The old man, who had appeared to be a hunchback, straightened his back as though nothing had ever been wrong and began leading the way.

Allen, following alongside Lucas, asked,

“Did the family give you that code phrase?”

“You were making such a fuss about needing an elixir that I requested information from the family. Even a black market of this size should have a decent elixir or two.”

“You even requested information from the family because of me? I'm touched.”

“There you go talking nonsense again.”

Following the old man, they arrived at a small underground shop.

It was considerably smaller than the shops in the district above.

However, the guards stationed in front of it were far more skilled.

“Welcome, gentlemen. You've come to the right place, where we have everything except what we don't have.”

The person who greeted Allen and Lucas in place of the old man was a young man with narrow eyes.

“My name is Mac Robin, the manager of our western branch in the Hilton Kingdom. Please feel free to call me Mac.”

“We've come to purchase an elixir.”

“Oh my! Then you've come looking for something very precious indeed! Will you two handsome young gentlemen be taking it yourselves?”

As he asked, Mac examined their appearances.

‘They're still young, and their clothes are extravagant. Sons of noble families, perhaps?’

Mac had encountered this type many times before.

Young masters from wealthy families who were intoxicated by the fantasy that obtaining an elixir would instantly turn them into exceptional swordsmen.

‘It's always the mediocre ones who have grand fantasies about elixirs. They don't even realize how much money is draining from their wallets because of those fantasies.’

Mac smiled broadly. It was a thoroughly practiced business smile.

“Not me. It's my younger brother here who's looking for an elixir.”

“Ah, you're brothers? No wonder you look alike. My goodness, if both brothers are this handsome, your father must be an exceptionally handsome gentleman as well!”

Lucas frowned slightly as he watched Mac carry his flattery so far as to mention their father.

Did this fool have any idea whose name he had just dared to bring up?

“Now, now, please have a look around first. You're welcome to browse as much as you like. Looking costs nothing, after all! Haha!”

Mac immediately took the lead and headed farther inside. The genuine goods sold in the black market were not displayed out here.

His gentle, friendly manner was unusual for a market hidden in a dark back alley.

But seeing Mac behave that way, Allen remarked,

“That bastard seems to think we're easy marks, doesn't he?”

“You noticed too?”

Lucas's eyes gleamed.

He had been thinking exactly the same thing.

“Black markets are dangerous places by nature. In a place where only strength and money matter, why would anyone be kind without a reason?”

“It doesn't matter. There isn't a black-market merchant anywhere on the continent who would dare pull such tricks after learning where we're from.”

“True. If there were, our family would've wiped them all out by now.”

Allen actually liked the situation.

If the other party intended to take advantage of them first—

“Looks like I might be able to get my first gift from you at a bargain, Brother.”

Allen smiled and headed inside. Watching his retreating back, Lucas looked puzzled.

He spoke as though he were concerned about his older brother's wallet, but—

“...Didn't you say you'd pay me back?”

For some reason, Lucas felt as though he was being taken advantage of too, not just Mac.

* * *

“This is an ice crystal discovered at the northernmost edge of the continent, and this one is a hundred-year-old ginseng root grown in the southern part of the Hilton Kingdom. And this is...”

Mac selected several elixirs from the goods displayed farther inside and presented them.

There were no particularly extraordinary elixirs. After all, this wasn't a very large black market to begin with.

Most of the elixirs were of roughly similar quality.

But an elixir was still an elixir, and their prices were astronomical.

“How much is this one?”

Allen selected the elixir that appeared to have the greatest effect.

And something that appeared to be highly effective was naturally likely to be the most expensive.

“You've chosen the Silver Moon Grass! As expected, you have an excellent eye! This herb, which contains the mana of moonlight, is among the finest products in our shop.”

“So, how much?”

“Let's see... After taking this off and that off, and considering your handsome faces... The original price is 120 gold, but I can bring it down to 110 gold for you.”

Standing a step behind and observing, Lucas furrowed his brow.

Even though he wasn't particularly familiar with market prices, that sounded excessive.

Was this really an attempt to overcharge them?

Perhaps realizing himself that the price sounded unreasonable, Mac added an explanation.

“As you may know, elixir prices, which were already expensive, have been soaring lately. The Imperial Magic Tower and the Quin family have been buying up elixirs in bulk, leaving the market almost completely depleted.”

“Even so, that's far too expensive.”

“Oh dear. Is that so?”

Mac's eyes curved into crescents.

If things had stopped there, it would still have been acceptable.

After all, trying to take advantage of an unsuspecting customer and inflating prices was nothing unusual in a black market.

However.

Tap, tap.

Rustle, rustle.

When Mac tapped one side of the wall, presences could be sensed from somewhere.

The men concealed throughout the black-market shop had begun moving.

Lucas, who had been standing behind with his arms crossed, asked,

“Can you tell how many there are?”

“Three above us, four behind us. Right?”

“At least your eyes are working.”

Mac flinched at the exchange between Lucas and Allen.

Three above, four behind.

Those were the exact numbers and positions of the guards hidden within the shop.

“Haha... Please don't misunderstand. Lately, there have been quite a few scoundrels who think carrying a sword gives them the right to force us to lower our prices. We've simply increased our security. Surely you gentlemen wouldn't do anything like that?”

The movements of the guards continued. They spread throughout the shop, preparing to charge at a moment's notice.

Lucas uncrossed his arms and asked,

“Were you planning to force us to buy something if things didn't go your way?”

Mac's eyebrows twitched, as though the question had struck a nerve.

“Force you to buy something? That's a rather unpleasant way to put it, isn't it?”

“Such dangers are to be expected in a black market. I understand. But tell those guards not to draw their swords.”

“What the hell have you been babbling about since earli—”

Shing.

It happened then.

The sound of a sword scraping against its scabbard came from above.

The noise was so faint that it would have been impossible to hear without concentrating.

Clang!

Before the concealed guard could draw his blade, Lucas's sword was already out of its sheath.

Swoooosh!

Splaaash!

Blood sprayed in every direction.

“Aaaaaaargh!”

Screams rang out from above and behind them. Whatever parts of their bodies had been cut, none of the guards emerged from their hiding places.

“I told them not to draw their swords.”

Mac was stunned.

Lucas's sword had already returned to its scabbard. He hadn't even seen how it was drawn or when it had been sheathed again.

‘When on earth did he...?’

Drip, drip, drip.

Blood trickling from the ceiling fell onto Mac's face.

Without realizing it, Mac reached for his throat. Fortunately, his head was still attached.

His face trembled with fear.

In an instant, all seven of the black-market shop's guards had been defeated. And these weren't guards who had stepped forward openly, but seven men who had remained concealed while preparing an ambush.

To cut down seven hidden guards at a speed invisible to the eye?

Even after serving as a branch manager in the black market, Mac had never encountered a swordsman like this.

Allen spoke to the deathly pale Mac.

“None of the wounds are fatal, so if you treat them quickly, they won't die. Though I can't say what'll happen if they lose too much blood.”

At those words, Lucas looked at Allen.

His expression seemed to ask how Allen could possibly know that.

Even with blood flowing throughout the shop, Allen continued smiling brightly.

“Looks like we'd better finish our transaction quickly... Oh, right. How much did you say it was again?”

__________________

Allen hummed cheerfully as he left the black market.

He held two elixirs in his hands.

“Were you planning to obtain two from the beginning?”

“Not from the beginning. That fellow just had such an obvious look on his face, like he'd found some easy marks, that I figured it was an opportunity.”

“Who taught you to conduct yourself like that?”

“Who would teach me something like this? It's not like our family lacks money.”

After bargaining, Allen had reduced the price of the Silver Moon Grass to a quarter of its original amount. On top of that, he had obtained another elixir, about two grades lower, as a free bonus.

By the end, Mac had looked so close to tears that Allen almost felt sorry for him.

“Don't do that anywhere else. You shouldn't let yourself look like a fool, but using the Vishken name to force prices down isn't honorable either.”

“I know, I know. I only did it because it was your money, Brother.”

“There you go again. I'll be collecting the full amount from you, so don't think you can just—”

“Here.”

Allen held out a small bottle toward Lucas.

“This one's for you.”

“...What's this?”

“Apparently, it's liquor brewed by spirits. There's not much of it, but they said this was all they had. You like drinking alone, don't you? And just so you know, I bought that with my own money.”

Lucas accepted the bottle almost reflexively and stared at it with a bewildered expression.

No matter how precious the liquor was, it couldn't have cost more than an elixir.

Nevertheless, somewhat swept up in the moment, Lucas answered,

“...I'll enjoy it.”

“It's nothing special.”

Looking at the two elixirs now in his possession, Allen's eyes sparkled.

‘After all, right now, I feel like I have the whole world in my hands.’