"When I heard you had lost your memory."
As I approached, Lucas muttered softly.
"Actually, I was relieved."
"...Why?"
"Because we could start over our broken relationship from scratch."
Lucas, who had been silently staring down at Mason's corpse, resumed speaking.
"Because I could erase my past mistakes, and bury a past I wanted to forget."
"..."
"But the original sin I committed never disappeared. Every time you treated me warmly with a smile, my hidden past stabbed me inside like a dagger."
Lucas slowly turned around.
"I wish to be honest with you now."
He took a deep breath.
Lucas raised his head to look at me directly, and opened his mouth.
"I am—"
"Okay, stop right there!"
Cut-!
I interrupted him mercilessly. Lucas looked stunned.
"Huh?!"
"Didn't I tell you earlier? I'm not interested in your past."
Initially, I was quite curious. What had happened between Lucas and Ash? I even thought of asking.
But then... I realized anew.
That's really none of my business.
"Whatever you've done to me, it's okay. It's all in the past."
"But...!"
"If you really want to apologize, do it when I regain my memory."
I grinned.
"It's only fair, right?"
"..."
With an expression as if he'd been slapped, Lucas cracked a wry smile.
"...You're right. Indeed, apologizing to a lord who has lost his memory would only satisfy my own conscience."
Oh, I didn't mean it like that, but—
Somehow Lucas seemed relieved. With a faint smile, he bowed his head respectfully toward me.
"Understood. Then, until you regain your memory, I'll postpone my apology."
"..."
Why do I feel like I've lost out on something? Should I have just accepted the apology?
Sighing, I waved my hand.
"So, how's the weapon? Are you satisfied?"
"All the weapons you've given me so far have been remarkable, but this... this is on another level."
After catching Kellibey eavesdropping, Lucas deliberately raised his voice.
"How on earth did you manage to create something like this?"
"It's the epitome of Lake Kingdom's magical blacksmithing. Amazing, isn't it? Only the prodigious Elder Dwarf Kellibey could pull it off..."
Kellibey puffed up with pride and stroked his shoulders repeatedly. Oh, for goodness' sake.
Still, the fact that he crafted an awesome weapon is undeniable. For a while, Lucas and I lavishly praised the weapon. May as well let the guy's ego soar a bit, right?
[Bestowed Sword(SSR)] <'Lucas McGregor' Exclusive Equipment>
- Category: Longsword
- Attack Power: 100-150
- Durability: It won't be destroyed as long as the user's will remains.
- Sword of the Heart: This sword can change its form freely. Depending on the user's will, it morphs every moment to deliver the most optimal attack.
- Critical Hit Chance + 20~95% (Varies depending on user's will)
- Armor Penetration + 20~95% (Varies depending on user's will)
- All Stats + 10~50 (Varies depending on user's will)
This is one of the game's ultimate cheat items, the [Bestowed Sword].
The item had many nicknames given by the game's users. From Lightsaber to Sword of Light, Flashlight, Searchlight, and so on...
But the most commonly used nickname was 'Light Whip'.
At first glance, it may seem like some kind of derogatory term, but it's actually an abbreviation for 'Whip of Light'.
In-game, when Lucas equipped this weapon, his attack range extended by +3 squares.
Due to its ability to freely change the shape of its blade, it could stretch out like a whip.
They took advantage of this extended range to maintain maximum distance from the enemy, employing long-range 'Strikes of Will.'
Using a melee unit's infinite stack attack from a distance?
That's insanely overpowered.
Moreover, Lucas also had an excellent mobility skill called 'Step of Persistence.'
No matter how strong the enemy units were, he could single-handedly maintain distance and defeat them, effectively enabling a kiting tactic.
He's one of those who players play around of, changing the game genre all by himself.
"Master your skills with this sword. It will be a great asset on our front lines."
"Yes, my Lord."
"Take it."
After briefly checking the stats, I handed the sword back to Lucas.
Lucas hesitated for a moment, then,
Kneeling on one knee in front of me, he carefully took the sword with both hands raised above his head.
"...?"
I didn't intend to give it to him like this...
Lucas stood up, fastening the sword to his waist with a grin.
"I will make good use of it for the rest of my life, my Lord."
"Fine. Just don't break it... Not that you could anyway..."
The durability is theoretically infinite, so he really could use it for the rest of his life. Hell, he could use it as a dagger to prepare food, rip open packaging, and generally MacGyver his way through life.
By the way, is there a meaning behind you fastening the scabbard? Isn't it that the blade only forms when you grasp it?
I was about to peacefully continue this useless conversation when,
Flash!
The teleport gate flickered, and other heroes began pouring in.
"What the?! What's going on?!"
Among them, Evangeline, who rushed back first, screamed with wide-open eyes.
"What happened here?! What's going on?!"
Apparently, the defense battle was over.
A delayed wave of fatigue hit me. I trudged towards the gate.
"Hey, I gotta sneak away. I'm starting to feel bad from using magic recklessly."
"Same here, my Lord."
Lucas smiled beside me as we walked.
"After being beaten and rolling around all day, I'd like to let go and rest."
"...?"
I found his sincerity rather unusual.
And is it my imagination? The corners of Lucas's mouth are slightly relaxed. He always had this tense edge, but now...
For the first time, he had a youthful smile appropriate for his age, twenty-two.
I chuckled in response.
"Shall we go?"
"Let's."
"And the aftermath?"
"Well, everything's done, and Evangeline's smart. She'll figure it out."
Right. Evangeline has been overtly— not subtly— hungry for command. Let's leave the rest to her.
Lucas took one last glance at Mason's corpse, then fully turned around.
Lucas and I subtly lowered our stance and snuck around, approaching the teleport gate from a distance.
Just as we were about to enter the gate, our eyes met with Evangeline, who was frantically looking around.
Lucas waved his hand vigorously, and I pointed my index finger to my temple, then gestured towards Evangeline.
"We're too tired, so we're taking a break! Please take care of the rest!"
"Wha...?"
With her mouth agape, as if she couldn't believe it, Evangeline screamed and started running towards us.
"Hey! You old men! Where do you think you're running off to! Explain everything to me!"
Flash!
The world was filled with a blinding light, and soon after, Lucas and I popped out at the teleport gate in the courtyard of the estate.
I'm sorry, Evangeline. The others will fill you in. I'm not feeling well, so I'm going to leave early.
I stretched my arms overhead and let out a yawn. Just then, Lucas chuckled softly.
"What's up? Remembering the old days?"
"The old days?"
"Back at the academy, when you and I would skip class and jump over the fence. Teachers would chase after us, yelling for someone to catch us... That memory came to mind."
Hmm, I see. Must've felt similar to skipping study hall to go to an internet cafe. Even in a fantasy world, the antics of students are quite similar.
Lucas looked a little wistful.
"I didn't realize it at the time, but looking back, those were innocent memories."
"..."
Though I couldn't remember sharing school days with Lucas, I somehow felt a vague sense of connection.
"What would you usually do after skipping class?"
"We'd usually go eat something. We were always hungry back then..."
"Then let's go eat something. Hey, Aider!"
My servants rushed towards me, shedding tears as they emerged from the destroyed mansion.
Finally, Aider staggered out, and I yelled towards him.
"I'm hungry! Prepare something simple for me!"
About to say something, Aider swallowed his words and offered a faint smile instead.
"Yes, My Lord. I shall prepare a meal for you."
***
[STAGE 14 - CLEAR!]
[STAGE MVP - Evangeline(SSR)]
[Characters Leveled Up]
- None
[Injured or Deceased Characters]
- Lucas(SSR) : Minor injuries
- Godhand(SR) : Minor injuries
- Burnout(SR) : Minor injuries
- Bodybag(R) : Minor injuries
[Items Acquired]
- Harpy Legion Mana Stone: 252
- Standard Advanced Mana Core(R): 3
[Stage Clear Rewards Have Been Distributed. Please Check Your Inventory.]
- R-rank Reward Box: 5
>> Get Ready For The Next STAGE
>> [STAGE 15: Before Winter Ends]
***
The next day. Early in the morning.
Knock knock knock.
A courteous knock echoed at the door of the semi-basement house.
Moments later, a scruffy boy opened the door with a yawn.
"Whew, who is it... Ah!"
The boy's eyes widened.
A tall blond knight stood at the short doorway. The boy beamed a smile.
"Sir Knight! You're safe!"
"Thanks to you, we were able to repel the invaders and rescue the Lord."
"Ah, I didn't really do much."
Feeling shy, the boy looked at Lucas, who then presented something wrapped in cloth.
"Unfortunately, the wooden sword you lent me got destroyed. So, I brought this for you..."
Curious, the boy took it and unwrapped the cloth.
"...!"
Inside was a short but exquisite sword.
"It's not much, but please accept it as my token of gratitude."
"Sir Knight...!"
"You said you dreamt of becoming a knight, right? Use it for your training."
"Yes!"
Watching the boy tenderly embrace the sword, Lucas chuckled.
"What kind of knight do you want to become?"
"Um... probably a knight that stands by the weak. A knight of justice, maybe...?"
Holding the hilt of the sword, the boy lifted his head and suddenly asked,
"What kind of knight do you want to be, Sir Knight?"
"Me? I..."
After a moment's hesitation, Lucas shrugged with a grin.
"I aim to be the coolest knight in the world."
The boy smiled back.
"You already are!"
"...Thanks, even if it's just lip service."
Lucas lightly ruffled the boy's hair and turned away, striding off into the snowfall until he vanished from sight.
The boy watched Lucas' retreating figure with envious eyes.
There was no hesitation in the knight's footsteps across the snow.
Because there were no lingering afterimages to look back on anymore.
***
"So you left all the clean-up to me and you two enjoyed yourselves eating good food and taking a long rest, huh..."
Evangeline puffed out her cheeks and ground her teeth, sitting next to me.
My room. In the mansion.
I was snugly tucked into my bed, under the covers, feeling unwell. Evangeline sat on the sofa next to me.
I bowed my head slightly, receiving my scolding obediently. Getting reprimanded by the teacher the day after staying up late is a universal law.
"I understand you're tired! And I know you worked hard! But you should've told me! Do you know how worried I was?!"
"Uh, I'm sorry..."
I'm sorry, teacher... Just no points off Gryffindor, please...
As I apologized again, Evangeline let out a sigh and sank her small body into the sofa.
"Ugh, fine. What am I doing, scolding someone who's sick."
"I'm sorry... It's my fault..."
"When Lucas comes by later, I'll give him a piece of my mind too... Where's that man wandering off to when he's also quite hurt?"
Lucas was currently out. He said something about briefly going out to return something borrowed.
"Anyway, it's good that everyone is safe... As for the defense battle, well, the terrible weather made it tough, but we managed to fend off the monsters without any major casualties."
Evangeline pulled a stack of reports toward her and gave me a sidelong glance with her green eyes.
"But, senior."
"Yeah?"
"There's something strange."
Strange? What?
"We received a report saying that among the special agents, sixteen died and four were captured alive."
"Right, that should be correct. Why?"
"Well..."
Evangeline furrowed her brow as she examined the documents. After a moment, she slowly said,
"...The number of bodies I processed yesterday was fifteen, you see?"