Chapter 46

Chapter 46. The First Hero (40)

"It would've been nice if Seongchan came too."

"Hey, Dean, don't say that. He told us to enjoy ourselves."

Malko comforted Dean while chewing fried chicken from a paper cup.

Because of the festival, foods they rarely got to eat were everywhere.

"Won't all the ingredients run out if we do this?"

The children were happy.

Hae-reun wasn't.

She managed an orphanage.

She had personally experienced how using too much food during a festival could mean fewer supplies the next day.

"Count Thornjer arrived with carriages full of ingredients."

"Oh. So that's why they could hold a festival like this."

Peuten found Hae-reun's conclusion difficult to answer.

They would've held one anyway.

A festival wasn't something you held only when you had extra money.

Sometimes you held one because people needed it.

Festivals had the power to gather people.

They helped release the stress accumulated over several difficult days.

Merchants also gathered and earned money.

But more importantly, a festival created a place where people could temporarily forget reality and enjoy themselves.

Everyone needs an excuse to throw away their worries for a while.

Peuten himself didn't forget his worries through festivals.

This all happened suddenly.

I thought we'd take time arranging the duel, but Seongchan told us to do it immediately.

There hadn't been enough time to send invitations to every kingdom and use the event to show that the Terk Kingdom was still strong.

Originally, they had planned a modest celebration.

Count Thornjer's arrival had made it possible to create something much more impressive.

"Are you worried Hero Lee Na-ye might lose?"

Apparently Peuten's expression looked serious.

Hae-reun sounded concerned.

Peuten shook his head.

"Hero Lee Na-ye will overcome it."

"Right."

Hae-reun turned toward the duel.

"We should cheer for her."

Then she shouted,

"Hero Lee Na-ye, fighting!"

"Hero Park Seokdu, stop running away like a coward and fight the shield properly!"

Na-ye and Park Seokdu were circling each other.

Seongchan told me to leave for the Fossick Kingdom after the duel.

Peuten had helped organize the festival.

He had also received instructions to correct problems caused by the Deputy Head of the Highs Merchant Company in Fossick.

Seongchan told me the same thing.

Peuten looked at Hae-reun.

The moment this duel ended, he would need to leave.

"Why are you looking at me?"

Hae-reun blinked.

"Do you have something to say?"

"If the Terk Kingdom becomes safe, would you ever consider leaving?"

"No."

Hae-reun answered without hesitation.

"As long as there are children here, I'll stay and take care of the ones who are struggling."

"I see."

Peuten frowned.

Then he reached a conclusion.

I'll finish the Fossick Kingdom matter first.

He had briefly considered returning and helping Hae-reun manage the orphanage.

But Fossick was more urgent.

The Fossick Kingdom was connected to Seongchan.

Seongchan doesn't know much about the Fossick Kingdom's current situation.

I'll go ahead and gather enough information so he can solve the problems there.

Seongchan had come to the Terk Kingdom with Kosdal without fixing Fossick's problem first.

They're still selling water at high prices.

The Fossick Kingdom was famous for its highest-grade Fossick Water.

That water used to be provided for free.

Now it was expensive.

As a member of the Highs Merchant Company, I'll correct it.

For Seongchan.

And for the Highs Merchant Company.

Peuten decided he would head to the Fossick Kingdom.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Na-ye swung the shield in her right hand.

"Your side is open!"

Every time she moved the shield, Park Seokdu's aura-covered glove struck from another angle.

"Kyao!"

Silnyang sent a wind blade to stop him.

"Useless!"

CRACK!

Park Seokdu activated Lightning Movement.

Lightning gathered around his feet.

Silnyang's wind blade became meaningless.

It couldn't even touch his clothes.

BANG!

Park Seokdu's aura-covered glove slammed into Na-ye's side.

Her body lifted briefly from the ground.

Na-ye had covered herself in aura too.

But the accumulated damage finally made her face twist in pain.

She immediately tried stabbing toward Park Seokdu's neck with the sword in her other hand.

"Useless!"

A sword without aura or Silnyang's wind couldn't threaten Park Seokdu.

He knocked it aside with his glove.

Clang!

The glove contained aura.

The sword did not.

Yet Park Seokdu deliberately avoided breaking it.

Can't break it.

Park Seokdu had mastered aura.

He had enough control to strike the sword without shattering it.

"Why don't you surrender?"

Park Seokdu smirked.

"You have your shield, sword, and even Silnyang cooperating with you."

He continued,

"A few guild members will probably leave with you even if you lose."

When Park Seokdu first saw Na-ye enter the duel, he had been nervous.

She had both sword and shield.

Silnyang was out too.

For a moment, I thought she'd actually overcome it.

But all Silnyang could do was put wind blades on the shield.

Na-ye and Silnyang had terrible coordination.

Park Seokdu exploited every opening and repeatedly hammered Na-ye's side.

Just as he'd expected, Na-ye's ability to use Silnyang was poor.

"I won't surrender."

Na-ye adjusted her grip on the shield despite the burning pain in her side.

Silnyang, you don't want to put wind into the sword?

"Kyao! Kyaooo!"

Silnyang shook its head.

Its emotions poured into Na-ye.

It was almost screaming that it would rather die than put wind into the sword.

Sadness.

Refusal.

Fear.

"You're still talking to Silnyang?"

Park Seokdu shouted.

"Give up!"

This time, Na-ye didn't use a wind blade around the shield.

Instead, she covered the shield in aura.

Then several S-rank skills settled into it.

Shield's Blessing.

Shield God.

Slowing Shield.

Only one of those truly bothered Park Seokdu.

"You think Slowing Shield will hit me?"

He had no intention of doing something stupid like striking the shield.

Slowing Shield reduced the speed of anyone who hit it by twenty percent.

For someone like Park Seokdu, who specialized in speed, it was especially troublesome.

If I hit it.

Lightning gathered around his feet.

CRACK!

The instant he stepped down, Park Seokdu moved diagonally.

Again, he struck Na-ye's exposed side.

BANG!

Aura gathered around Na-ye's side to resist.

Without defense, the blow would have hurt enough to nearly kill.

Aura reduced that to pain she could survive.

Shield's Blessing reduced it further.

Shield God reduced it again.

Even after all of that, it still hurt.

At some point, the duel commentator began counting how many times Park Seokdu landed hits.

After the thirtieth, Na-ye stopped hearing the numbers.

She saw only Park Seokdu.

"I told you it's meaningless!"

"It has meaning!"

Na-ye shouted back.

It wasn't meaningless.

They were improving.

We haven't given up.

That alone has meaning.

The words were for herself.

And for Silnyang.

How many hits would it take before she fell?

Na-ye thought about that repeatedly.

Yet she remained standing.

Her legs were trembling.

Still, she stood.

"Kyao~ Kyaooo... Kyao!"

Tears began falling from Silnyang's eyes.

Its cry sounded like it was begging her to stop.

"Even Silnyang thinks that's enough."

Park Seokdu charged again.

"Time to end this."

Even if you put wind into the sword, I won't die.

"Kyao~ Kyaooo~"

Na-ye was suffering.

Yet Silnyang still shook its head.

It couldn't do it.

Of course it couldn't.

The moment it imagined wrapping wind around a sword, it remembered Cha Hyeonwoo dying.

I know because Mental Barrier showed me the emotions Silnyang wanted to hide.

I know how much Silnyang loved the Guild Master.

Then how about this?

Park Seokdu didn't stop attacking while Na-ye and Silnyang shared emotions.

He aimed for Na-ye's right side.

The side where she held her sword.

"This duel is nowhere near over!"

"Then attack me with that sword that doesn't even have aura!"

Na-ye twisted her body.

She brought the shield around to intercept.

CRACK!

Park Seokdu instantly changed direction through Lightning Movement.

Na-ye had been fooled by that movement again and again.

Please, Silnyang.

"Kyao!"

"It's over!"

Park Seokdu vanished from Na-ye's sight.

CRACK! CRACK! CRACK!

He crossed the arena at such speed that following him visually was nearly impossible.

Na-ye had to defend by instinct.

Behind me.

She turned and raised the shield.

Her eyes met Park Seokdu's.

He grinned.

"You think I'll hit the shield?"

The instant he touched it, Slowing Shield would activate.

He wasn't stupid enough to do that.

She's already exhausted.

Time to finish it.

Park Seokdu looked at Na-ye's face.

One hit.

If he struck her jaw, it was over.

He stepped forward.

Then he felt something heavy against his fist.

His glove was touching the shield.

"What?!"

His eyes widened.

"That's impossible. It shouldn't reach me from that distance!"

"You're right."

Na-ye looked at him calmly.

"Normally, it wouldn't."

At the same time...

Silnyang, thank you for controlling the shield.

"Kyaooo!"

A spirit and its master shared emotions.

They shared senses.

And that could connect with skills too.

The skills on Na-ye's shield remained active even while Silnyang moved it with wind.

After blocking Park Seokdu's fist, the shield began flying around under Silnyang's control.

"What can you even do by giving the shield to Silnyang?!"

Park Seokdu shouted.

"All you can do is stand there!"

Even slowed, he was still fast.

Using Lightning Movement, he scattered his presence in every direction and attacked Na-ye.

Silnyang wasn't going to simply watch.

It moved the shield with wind.

It repeatedly blocked Park Seokdu's fists.

"Giving Silnyang the shield is useless!"

BANG!

The first strike made the shield shake.

BANG! BANG!

The second made it tremble dangerously.

By the third, Park Seokdu's expression changed.

BOOOOM! WHOOSH!

The shield couldn't withstand the force.

It flew into the air.

That happened because Na-ye wasn't physically holding it.

Silnyang alone had been carrying it with wind.

"Kyao! Kyaooo! Kyao!"

Silnyang tried to catch the shield.

Then stopped.

It wanted to protect Na-ye.

But it was too late.

Silnyang.

Na-ye covered Silnyang's fear with warmth.

You bought me enough time.

Park Seokdu's eyes gleamed with killing intent.

Na-ye met them with clear eyes.

"Silnyang."

She smiled.

"Don't worry."

"We win."

WHOOOOOSH!

Wind began swirling around Na-ye's sword.

It wrapped around the blade.

Then expanded.

A massive spear of wind formed.

Na-ye's S-rank skill, Wind Lancer.

On countless battlefields, this skill had allowed allies to escape from enemy hordes.

The Wind Lancer pointed directly at Park Seokdu.

"You could use that?!"

Those were his last clear words.

The Wind Lancer was made of wind.

It was light.

And its reach was enormous.

WHOOOOOSH!

The impact lifted Park Seokdu completely off the ground.

Then...

SLASH-SLASH-SLASH!

Countless wind blades making up the Wind Lancer tore across his body.

Blood scattered through the air.

Park Seokdu crashed to the ground.

He showed no sign of rising.

[What a reversal! Vice Guild Master Lee Na-ye, who had been taking hit after hit, entrusted her shield to Silnyang and defeated Guild Master Park Seokdu with Wind Lancer!]

[The one hundred and eighth attack! The first successful attack after one hundred and eight exchanges! Doesn't that make Vice Guild Master Lee Na-ye's victory certain?!]

[Not yet! If he rises within ten seconds, the direction of the duel could still change!]

The commentator's voice, which Na-ye had barely heard before, suddenly became clear.

Pien, acting as referee, began counting.

"One."

"Two."

"Three..."

Pien was smiling as she counted.

There was something deeply irritatingly cheerful in her tone.

Once she reached ten, the duel was over.

Twitch.

Park Seokdu's eyes opened.

Pien widened her eyes dramatically.

Then shouted,

"Ten!"

Her voice sounded incredibly satisfied.

This is punishment for refusing to recruit him and making me pay Malko's plate fees out of my own money because of this duel.

Just as Park Seokdu had accumulated resentment toward Pien...

Pien had plenty of resentment toward him too.

She quietly stepped on his hand.

Park Seokdu was in too much pain to complain.

He closed his eyes again.

[Winner! Vice Guild Master Lee Na-ye of the Rice Ball Guild!]

[An unbelievable upset! By defeating Guild Master Park Seokdu, Vice Guild Master Lee Na-ye has risen as the new Guild Master!]

Na-ye endured the burning pain in her side.

Then she smiled at everyone and raised both hands high into the air.

"WAAAAAAAH!"

"LEE NA-YE! LEE NA-YE!"

"RICE BALL! RICE BALL!"

Everyone shouted something different.

But Na-ye understood the feeling behind it.

"Kyaoooo~"

"Silnyang, you're happy too, right?"

"Kyao!"

At that moment, everyone was celebrating Na-ye's victory together.

The happiness didn't last long.

"SKREEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

A monstrous Wild Pig roar unlike anything they'd ever heard before thundered across the sky.