This was our third day waiting for our target. Melinda was getting more and more restless; this was common; she wasn't really much of a calm minded person. Even though I was like that sometimes since I was a sword maniac, you could say when a sword or a good swordsman is the topic, I can get a bit reckless too. Our target seemed to have been travelling at a snail's pace for now, so waiting for it to get to our point was the only thing we could do.
We waited for another day and around our 5th day of waiting, we sighted our long awaited target. After seeing the target, the first thing that came to mind was "is this a dream? or am I just daydreaming?" I looked towards Melinda to confirm if what I was seeing was the reality.
She had a really complicated look on her face. Her expression was dire. Well, it can be understandable, she was a person who always loved children and before us was a child that should be viewed as our target.
"The sword has completely become one with the user. There isn't anything that we can do..."
Melinda suddenly said something that just confirmed the situation. She can see the flow of mana in someone's body so she can tell the status of our target. I asked something that was concerning me "is there any illusion magic in play ? "
She shook her head. That just confirms it, this small child has been contaminated by the sword. it's a wonder how that small body is able to handle that much pressure from the sword but our other suspicion was cleared. The Wielder was moving slowly because it was just a child. He may have the potential to use the sword but for now his power isn't enough to cause a catastrophe. Still, if the sword acts, it can easily harm a nation badly enough. It's one swing is as good as a rogue dragon's full counter.
"What do you want to do Merlin ?"
Melinda asks me for our decision. She was desperate. Me too, I was at the same point, should we have to kill an innocent child because of the greater good? Was this our final act towards saving the world? We have done many killings but a child was far from it . We had already reached our old days. That's why this affected us more, we knew the joy that life could bring, so for now, I did what my heart was telling me.
"Let's observe. I want to see how this plays out." There was no sign that the boy was being controlled or was in pain. But if I see that he is in pain and is being controlled… let's just put the child out of its misery, as a man who doesn't like to see pain for no reason.. I think it wouldn't be something cruel of me to show that child mercy… even if he could endure it… there is no reason to see him suffer at that dreadful swords hands.
Melinda nodded to my answer. It seemed she was relieved that I didn't want to kill the target without Much thought, but I knew for sure that Melinda being here would make it a lot harder to kill that kid.... So we started to observe the young boy who looked like he was just camping in the backyard of his house, without even the slightest worry in the world.
Truly, this was a difficult mission. Why do I need to do these things at this age huuuuuh!
"Guess even you remember your age sometimes"
Melinda read my thoughts too easily and now I can't say that I was still young at heart. I was already called the great guru… And Melinda still is known as a devil among beauties...
...…..
I was watching a child stretching his body. He woke up after the sun came up. It seemed like he was thinking of having breakfast. At that time he brought out a fruit from his pouch like a bag. It seemed to be made of a monster pelt, he munched at the fruit listlessly and seemed to be having a good time watching the river flow, suddenly his eyes changed from listless to an excited one.
At first I felt a cold sweat may run down my back but then, I saw the boy take off his clothes, it just looked like a monster pelt that was tied to the waist with some makeshift rope. It was probably made by the boy himself and for his tender age, it should be considered a very good idea, with that simple cloth, he could move around freely and the pelts sturdiness made it good for this rough place, also at night it could be used as a nice thick blanket too, truly choosing that kind of thick but light pelt must also had been his idea. by the looks of it, he processed the leather really well too, or else, pelt that sophisticated looking wouldn't be found in this place.
What an intelligent child, I thought. Beside me Melinda who was also fond of children to the point where people could consider it to be obsessive. she had sparkles in her eyes.
Please don't make this situation any more difficult.
I never really had faith in god but at the time I felt like praying. Truly, humans can be so strange sometimes.
At first, I thought the boy was just taking a bath in the river but then after some time later. I saw something amazing.
These rivers were not really safe, just like the surrounding area of the land. The rivers also housed monsters as fishes. These fishes can be deadly even for their sizes. Even a fist sized fish can kill a grown man, if caught off guard. But the boy was catching these fishes very skillfully by bare hands and throwing them to his campsite. His hands swiftly moved not even affecting the water to splash, his technique at surviving was probably honed from living in this place, but in my eyes, nobody can probably contend with this kid in this place...
Each of the fishes are thrown in to a small hole that he skillfully dug so the fishes could not escape, but for some reason, the fishes that were thrown in the hole only moved for some time before dying, this seemed strange to me because these are monster fishes, they can easily stay alive without water for 30 minutes at least.
We kept observing like this and being surprised at how this boy was getting his dinner ready.
It was nearly sundown. The boy was having a snack while preparing his cooking place. Watching him for a day made me and especially Melinda's commonsense go awry.
This young boy was literally camping on the Edge of the world without any heed to danger. After catching the fish, he had started to prepare the fish by cleaning and slicing the poisoned parts.
At some point, the stench of the fishes brought down some predatory birds. They were not only C-ranked but they also came in groups. As he killed them with small rocks that he had collected by the river. The rocks were thrown precisely at the birds heads, so they died instantly when falling from the high altitude. What marvelous accuracy and strength, looking at his body, even with lower physical strength at his disposal, his technique shined again...
I thought it was just a child's habit to collect shiny rocks, but now it just seems that it was all in his expectations, even spreading the fish stench. All the birds left in fear seeing their companions get done so easily, not only that, the boy's smirk also made them shudder. I saw true fear in the monster's eyes.
"I want him so much as a grandchild, Merlin! lets keep him."
Melinda had a very happy and excited expression. She had already made her statement a fact in her mind. I know it. That face she is making tells me that this is a fact now and no negotiations can be made.
"Come on Melinda, cool your head, did you forget we are observing our tar... I … mean we are … watching…. over a child….huuuuuh…!"
I was just about to say target when a cold sweat ran down my spine, Melinda was giving me a killing gaze filled with murderous aura, it was as deadly as ever. In this world only she can give such a shudder to me, so in the middle of the sentence, I changed the way I was saying things. The heavy sigh that came out really reminded me of my age...
Please, if there is a god? Then let me save that boy.....
The thought of a prayer drifted off my mind as I looked at the boy again but for some reason he was looking around and being wary, Melinda then said
"Sorry, I didn't think he would be this perceptive."
"Yeah that's a good skill to have, it's a warrior's best ability if you look at it."
I just couldn't help but admire the boy. So many strong adventurers died in this land because of how ruthless it is but this boy had overcome it, maybe he even mastered it. A little boy who mastered the place called hell on earth.
"Yeah, you see? He's fit to be our grandson, I just know it."
Melinda was trying to make me accept the boy but I didn't play along with her. This was a hard time, so we shouldn't be hasty. Seeing me turn silent again, she also started observing.
He was now dissecting the birds he killed. 4 birds, each of them were half his size and he was using the mythical cursed blade for dissecting it. At first, the blade had started to use curse on the meat while dissecting but the boy flicked at the blade's hilt as if saying "no don't play with the food" and after finishing the dissection, he threw the birds in the same hole as the fishes with some other ingredients. He then closed the hole with a leaf. He looked meticulous alright.
Nodding to the sword as though saying a job well done, he started having fruits as snacks and started to clean his sword very calmly. Now that I see it, every few hours he eats small portions of meals… if I think calmly it probably is a habit so as to not be hungry even if a fight suddenly arises. Also since many monsters here are resilient… a fight with one could go on for days…
As he started to polish the sword his expression changed many times, sometimes excited, sometimes sad and angry and also happy at some point. He seemed to be nodding to the sword. It seems almost as if he was having a conversation with the sword.
"Can anyone talk to the cursed sword?"
Melinda asked me the question that I myself was thinking about, but alas, I had no idea what was happening anymore. If I had a word for this situation… then I would first like to say that this isn't even a place for kids to be around, us monitoring him normally is the irregular here!
As it became darker, we also had our dinner. It was dried jerky we had prepared beforehand. I wonder what he would cook for his dinner. Today was full of surprises but I was sure that no surprises were left anymore... but for my surprise there were still 2 left.
After finishing the polishing, he went towards the hole where he had left the fishes and meats. When he lifted the leaves, beside me Melinda was tilting her head forward, we were quite far away from him, so without the wind blowing this way, we shouldn't be able to get any scent but with her magic, Melinda can enhance any part of her body, so she must have enhanced her sense of smell. She made a surprised expression for a bit and told me "Merlin this will be a tough night."
I didn't know why she suddenly said that but I would later understand.
The boy was at his makeshift grill, to be exact, he made it using bones and dirt. I don't know why he did all that tough work just to stay a night or two but it nearly looked like a perfect grill.
After preparing the fire, he started grilling the fish and meat. I think I also saw an oil-like substance he was brushing on the grilling meats and fishes. For some time, I didn't feel anything but in time, the aroma drifted to my nose and my stomach growled while I gulped my overflowing saliva....
"What is he doing? Is he crazy? all the monsters in the vicinity will come here and hound him to death! Melinda, are you seeing this?!"
I had lost my cool completely. Our dinner was modest so the sweet aroma made my mind go numb and I tried to act on impulse. At that time when I was ready to go and give a piece of my mind to the boy, Melinda grabbed my hand and pointed at the sword. My eyes followed her hand and saw the sword tilted to his bag. First I saw nothing but then I felt the sword was releasing miasma very faintly.
"It started to do that after the boy left it and went to cook dinner. I thought the sword had finally shown its colours but now I understand why it did it."
"It's making a territory for the boy to not be disturbed while resting. Can this be real?! if the sword is really protecting its user?"
Although I myself said what the sword was doing, I still couldn't accept the fact. It was known to even kill its wielder; it was that kind of a sword.
This is just unreal. What in the world is happening? Is Armageddon coming or something? Was this child the one to bring that?
As such thoughts crossed my mind, I saw Melinda making an excited expression. She giggled to herself for some unknown reason when I looked at her she made a thumbs up at me… All was lost… Melinda a long time ago was wanted criminal after all.. Of Course she found a kid like this attractive...
I think I will soon lose my reasoning too!!
On the other side, the boy was happily humming and eating like it was no one's business. This place which was considered to be a place called hell by many in this world was his playground. I had no other explanation for it.
someone able to use the strongest weapon in this world, someone who could live at the most dangerous place in the world and someone who could enjoy the life they were given… No matter what, I had to admit that he was an expert in living his life. Whether the situation was grave or just impossible to deal with, he lived like a king… I felt myself thinking if the boy was here as a will of the world or not...
The boy in front of me was nothing but an irregular... but I had to accept it. as a new found sense of admiration grew in my chest, I felt myself smile even if a little bit. who knew that I could smile while standing in hell on earth, Truly irregular.
...…
[You really got used to the place huh?]
"Humans are creatures who can adapt. If you think back we originated from apes after all, if we are possible for a change as big as that, I can't say why this place shouldn't be possible?"
[...I don't think I know what you are talking about…]
"No worries, just some general knowledge I wanted to get out of me. Being a guy who liked to look around things for no reason I know a lot of them." as I said, I felt my sword flicker.
"What is it?"
[... I thought I felt humans…]
"Th-those guys are close!"
[No… Probably far away… I just felt it, it's not really accurate.]
"Huh… way to get my hopes up…"
[Heh heh… seeing you fall in despair is luxury for me after all.]
"You sick bastard!"
As the sword stopped mocking me, I started to feel my eyelids get heavy… It was another hectic day… if I meet someone kind… I hope that person can heal me a little… from this loneliness at least...