Hey, guys, Aidka's here!
I have not posted in a few days because I have been busy with a lot of things, some of them related to the novels.
Firstly, I updated the TOCs on some pages, I also used a couple of days to modify slightly the draft for the next arc of [My Skills Are Weird] and corrected some mistakes in previous chapters.
I also changed the patronage slightly. I had not updated it in a long while, so it was already time to adjust it.
Following the new patronage, the schedule will change every month according to the number of patrons. I plan to post an announcement after the first week of each month to inform my readers of the new schedule.
For this month, the schedule of [My Skills Are Weird] will be six chapters per week, and [Science/Magic] will continue with five chapters per week.
I'm posting three chapters of each novel with this post and a couple of chapters more in 24 hours. Don't worry, I won't forget the chapters of last week.
Also, I finished working on the new cover for [My Skill is Weird]. You can see the cover on the page of the novel. The characters on the cover are Jane, Saphire, Scarlet (cat), and the fairy has not appeared yet (I think it's a bit of a spoiler).
Lastly, thank you for your support and I hope you continue supporting me.
Love, Aidka~...
...
Bloed was surprised by the old man's words.
"Did the Goddess of Fate send you?"
"Well, not exactly. I came when I heard the rumors about the Heart of the Forest, but on the way, the Goddess of Fate appeared and asked me to help you."
Bloed was stunned.
He then remembered the words that Saintess Charise told him before leaving.
'Trust the old man wielding the sword.'
He never thought that the old man was the Sword Absolute himself!
Bloed smiled wryly to himself.
'I guess I owe Charise and the Goddess of Fate another favor.'
Just then, Liu Ying stood up abruptly and stared at the old man in astonishment.
"Wait a moment, you are the Sword Absolute!?"
"Huh? You just noticed?" Bloed asked.
"I mean, he is THE Sword Absolute! The strongest man in the world!"
"Well, I am." The old man smiled softly. Strangely, his smile made him look like an affable grampa.
If Bloed did not see his stand-off against the seven gods, he would have not related this old man to the strongest powerhouse in the world.
Liu Ying's face turned red with excitement. She seemed like a fangirl seeing her idol.
Eres and Elwha's reaction was a bit more subdued, but they were unable to hide their admiration when they learned the identity of the old man.
That was how famous the Sword Absolute was. He was the idol of every young boy or girl aiming to become an expert.
"Mr. Sword Absolute, thank you for your help just now." Bloed bowed his head slightly. The rest of the group bowed their heads as well.
"Don't worry about it, I told you that I came because the Goddess of Fate asked me to. Also, don't call me Sword Absolute. Just call me Old Bart."
"Even so, I want to thank you." Bloed insisted. "If there is something you need from us, please tell us."
The old man stared at Bloed for several seconds before smiling.
"Then, if I told you that I need the Heart of the Forest, will you give it to me?"
Bloed was startled, but to the surprise of the old man, he nodded without hesitation.
"Elwha, can you give the Heart to him?"
Elwha did not hesitate either. She trusted Bloed completely, plus, the recent events made her hesitate about if bringing the Heart to the Boerner Forest was a good idea or not.
The old man chuckled when he received the Heart.
"Are you not afraid of me taking the Heart?"
"I'm not." Bloed shook his head.
It was not that Bloed trusted the old man, but that he trusted Charise.
She told him that he could trust the old man, so he was sure that he could trust him.
The old man chuckled again. He grabbed the Heart in one hand and his sword in the other hand. Then, he brought the Heart close to the sword.
To the surprise of Bloed and the others, both the Heart and the sword started to glow and release strands of mana.
The mana of the two objects started to mix and the glow intensified. The group did not know what was happening, but it seemed like something amazing.
But when the glow reached its highest intensity, it abruptly disappeared.
Then, the sword trembled as though rejecting the Heart.
The old man sighed and shook his head.
"What a shame. I thought I could succeed this time."
He then returned the Heart to Bloed.
Regina opened her mouth at that moment.
"That sword has a soul."
Bloed and the others were surprised, and the old man looked at Regina with interest.
"How impressive of you to notice it. Yes, this sword has a soul, although it is incomplete, just like yours. I have been trying to complete it for many years, but I have not succeeded. when I heard that a Heart of the Forest appeared nearby, I thought that perhaps it could be of help, but unfortunately, my sword rejected it."
The group nodded in understanding while showing looks of admiration. Weapons with souls were only seen in legends. At the very least, Bloed did not know about another weapon with a soul.
After that, Bloed introduced the members of the group to the old man. The old man looked at each member with interest, especially when he looked at Eres. He looked at her as though he was looking at an unpolished gem.
"What an interesting group. The princess prodigy of Alterna, the exiled prince, The former princess of the demons, an elven princess, and a doll with a soul."
Bloed and the others stiffened.
They had not told the old man about their identities.
"Don't look at me like that. I recognized the princess of Alterna when I saw her and she called you brother, so you must be either the crown prince or the exiled prince. The disguise of the demon girl is pretty good, but it can't deceive my senses, and I just need a glance to know that Regina is not human but a construct."
The group put on awkward expressions.
'As expected of the strongest man in the world.' They thought at the same time.
"Well, what are you planning to do next?" The old man asked when they were done with the introductions.
"Huh?"
"I managed to scare off the seven gods, but as they said, they will send their men to get the Heart. Even though they won't send anyone above A-Rank, it won't be an easy situation for you."
Bloed frowned, however, he soon relaxed.
He was afraid of the gods and he was weaker than demigods, but against anyone below demigod, he was confident.
Bloed, Liu Ying, Elwha, and Eres, were virtually unrivaled against anyone below demigod. Especially Eres, she was someone able to kill demigods as an A-Rank practitioner. To her, no opponent below demigod was worthy of her attention.
But as though he could read Bloed's thoughts, the old man chuckled.
"Don't underestimate the churches. I know that the four of you are very strong compared to regular A-Rank practitioners, but do you think that the gods did not notice it?
"Even so, they did not hesitate to agree to my terms. It means that they are confident about getting the Heart from you."
Bloed was startled before nodding.
"I know. We will be careful."
"That is good. Now, you must be tired so go to rest first. Don't worry, the men of the churches won't arrive today at the very least."
Bloed looked at the girls and nodded.
He was really tired, and the girls were not better than him.
Before worrying about facing the men of the churches, he wanted to sleep.