Hard Carried by My Sword-Chapter 117

Garlond departed for the Guild located in Area 1 first. Karen, reading the room, naturally followed him out as well. At last, only two remained inside: Jugend’s Grand Meister and cardinal of the Holy Church, Irexana, and the Hero, Leon.

There was no need to say more about the magnitude of Irexana’s authority. Even dwarves who would grumble at a royal decree would quietly obey a word from him. He held the power to summon and mobilize all Holy Iron Inquisitors across Jugend.

And that didn't mean he was lacking in personal strength either. Most Titan chief warriors could be considered true Masters, but Leon was confident that none was stronger than this man. And yet—

“As a servant of the Goddess, I, Irexana, greet the Hero. I thank you from the bottom of my heart for visiting us. You are the one who will guide the light of the world.”

The man who could stand tall before the Emperor dropped to both knees before Leon without a moment’s hesitation. It was an expression of absolute reverence.

Irexana, effectively the most powerful figure in Jugend, had just prostrated himself before a B-rank adventurer and declared himself the lesser. If anyone else had witnessed the scene, they would’ve doubted their own eyes first. Even Leon, standing before him, was taken aback.

“Your Eminence, please—there’s no need for this. I’m... honestly overwhelmed.”

“If that is your wish, Hero.”

Irexana got back on his feet as requested, but even then, he kept his back slightly bowed, careful never to look down at Leon. His posture radiated humility.

Cardinal and Hero. The one who carries out the will of the Goddess, and the one chosen to embody it.

It was only natural that Irexana revered Leon. Still, for someone like Leon—born a commoner and unaccustomed to such treatment—it was hard to get used to.

Not to mention... he snuck up on us earlier without a trace, and with that body size! That actually scared the hell out of me...

Irexana wasn’t quite on the level of Kasim’s naturality, but the depth of his martial discipline was clear from the way he carried himself. Even Leon would’ve lost track of him for a moment if he let his guard down and didn’t use Rodrick’s Vision.

For someone over two meters tall to vanish from a seasoned warrior’s sight just by walking slowly, it simply defied logic. That thought made Leon pause.

Wait a sec... Is he really human...?

There’s no way a dwarf could be that tall, so he had to be human, but how many humans were attuned to both fire and earth spirits? On the other hand, would the title of Grand Meister—Jugend’s highest smithing honor—even be given to a human?

Sensing Leon’s gaze, Irexana smiled and said, “I am half-dwarf.”

“What...?!” Leon blurted it out, his surprise unfiltered.

Irexana calmly explained, “My father was a dwarf, my mother a human. Both lived happily and passed away peacefully.”

“I see...”

“It’s only natural to question my identity. After all, this size isn’t common in dwarves at all. Thankfully, I inherited my father’s craftsmanship and spirit affinity.”

Half-dwarves were far rarer than half-elves. The reality was that by human aesthetic standards, dwarves weren’t exactly considered attractive romantic partners.

However, Irexana was born from such a rare pairing, inheriting the best of both bloodlines and rising to the rank of Grand Meister—which was also extremely rare.

Hearing this, El-Cid grumbled, —So, he’s blessed. Born with the best traits of both humans and dwarves... The odds of that are astronomically small.

Best traits of both? Like what?

—Human height and Aura manipulation. Dwarf muscle and bone density. Plus dual-element spirit affinity. Add some divine energy on top? He could probably take on two Swordmasters at once.

Just from estimation, he was around 2.08 meters tall and weighed about 213 kg. He was definitely not someone one would want to face in combat.

And that wasn’t all. With a dwarf’s natural hardening ability, holy energy, elemental affinity, and mastery over Aura, it was no wonder Leon felt like he’d hit a wall the moment they met. Just like Kasim, Irexana was also an opponent far beyond his current reach.

While Leon was sizing up Irexana, the discussion continued. The blueprint for the Great Vein reclamation operation was laid out across the table.

“I plan to establish a blockade focused on the area where my Stigma reacted. Most likely, the target is hiding at the intersection of sectors B25, M11, and A4.”

“I’m guessing those are the mines where black iron, mithril, and adamantium were excavated.”

That was where the materials used in Garlond’s sword had originated. All three could’ve been contaminated—or just one. There was no way to know until a proper scouting team went in.

Naturally, the blockade had to be wide and extensive. Even if it seemed inefficient, missing a single point could let the enemy slip through and force them to start the entire search over.

El-Cid, Leon called the Holy Sword with an idea.

—Hm?

Leon instinctively thought of Spacework and asked whether El-Cid could help pinpoint the location using it, but the answer was firm.

—Nope.

Why not?

—Now that my seal is completely undone, I can’t directly interfere with your causal flow. Teaching you something briefly is one thing, but I can’t offer direct help or fight alongside you anymore.

Right... Even back in Blaine, when you helped, you were gone for a whole month afterward.

Even under the seal, that was the price. Now that it was lifted, the consequences could be worse. El-Cid himself was essentially a loophole the Goddess had forced into the world. If he pushed further, he might be expelled from the Holy Sword altogether, and Leon couldn’t afford to lose his teacher over a monster hunt.

Just as he began considering alternatives, El-Cid stopped his train of thought.

—Why are you giving up so fast when you had the right idea? You don’t need me to use Spacework, do you?

Wait, you want me to do it myself?

—Experience is built through real experiences, you know.

He’d only managed to bend a single spear once, but it was still a success, which meant it wasn’t impossible. Spacework was brutally difficult to master, but if he trained it up, he might eventually be able to probe the mine’s interior just by tapping the walls a few times.

Leon mulled it over and made a proposal to Irexana, who replied, “A preliminary expedition... You mean?”

“Yes.”

It was a sensible idea. Unlike seasoned adventurers who’d spent months or years in Jugend, Leon and Karen were still new to the area. They hadn’t fought the monsters native to the Great Vein, and combat in tight, dark tunnels was vastly different from fighting on open ground. Even a few days of acclimatization would help.

Leon also explained everything about Spacework, and Irexana, after a brief moment of thought, nodded.

“Understood. I’ll grant you access under my authority.”

If the Hero could grow stronger, it was his duty as a cardinal to assist. He handed Leon a token of his authority and marked several accessible zones on the map.

The Great Vein was still largely unexplored. S-rank monsters emerged every few decades, and some areas, if disturbed, could erupt in magma. A proper map was absolutely necessary.

Irexana handed the map to Leon and continued.

“Starting today, you have five days. My summons will reach across the kingdom, but it’ll take roughly that long to prepare for the operation. At most, the margin of error will be half a day.”

“That’s quite fast,” Leon remarked.

“Such speed is only possible here in Jugend.”

Irexana’s voice was brimming with pride for his homeland.

“Until then, please gather your strength, Hero.”

***

The very next day, Leon explained the plan to Karen.

“That’s how I think we should proceed.”

“Aha.”

Karen nodded as Leon finished explaining everything to her. As an A-rank adventurer and a top-class assassin, she understood the importance of reconnaissance even more than Leon did.

It wasn’t all that different from the five W’s and one H. Observe the enemy’s strength, determine when, where, and why the battle should happen, then figure out how and with what to bring them down.

Karen glanced at the belt of daggers strapped to her thigh and said, “If we’re talking monsters from the mines, I’m guessing they’re all going to be bad matchups for my daggers.”

“Yeah, probably.”

“If I hadn’t upgraded, this would’ve been a rough time.”

Hearing that, Leon looked at the set of daggers she carried.

She’s right. Her daggers will probably cut through most minerals without a problem, only because they were made with drake byproducts.

Monsters from the mining zones were often influenced by their habitat, and many of them had physical durability close to actual rock or metal. There were Metal Slimes that ate ore and mimicked its traits, Steel Ants with jaws and carapaces harder than steel, Crag Mutants formed from magical cores embedded in living stone, and more.

Even with Aura Weapon activated, a normal iron dagger wouldn’t last long before its durability was worn down.

“U-um, Mr. Hero?”

“Hm?”

When Leon raised his head at the trembling voice, Karen’s face was oddly flushed as she spoke.

“If you stare like that, it’s kinda embarrassing...”

Even as she said it, she realized how contradictory her words were. It was a feeling she’d never experienced before.

It never bothered me when other people looked at me...!

Rogues typically wore light, revealing gear. It was part of their design for agility and maneuverability.

The same was true for assassins. Too many attachments would hinder stealth, and since they were the ones initiating combat, there was little reason to wear armor. The light clothing of rogues and assassins was a product of practical logic.

“S-sorry. I was looking at your dagger belt...”

Only then did Leon realize where his eyes had been and quickly turned his head. The tight straps hugging her lightly tanned skin—now that she’d pointed it out, he couldn’t focus on the dagger belt at all.

Surrounded by unfamiliar tension, the two awkwardly fidgeted with their fingers. To anyone watching, they’d never guess these two were about to head into battle.

Karen was the first to shake off the awkward air and speak up.

“Uh, r-right. The Saintess! She’s supposed to meet up with us in Jugend, right? Any idea when she’ll get here?”

“A-ah, right. Hold on.”

It was a blatant change of subject, but Leon welcomed it. He gently gripped the hilt of his sword, and a glowing map of the continent projected from the Holy Sword. It was a map that displayed active quests and ally locations, one of the Hero’s authorities.

“Huh. Looks like she’s going to be a bit later than I thought.”

Leon tilted his head as he spotted the golden hammer icon. If she’d kept traveling at the pace she started with, she should’ve crossed Jugend’s border by tomorrow or the next day. For some reason, the Saintess had slowed down. She was now about a week away. At this rate, she wouldn’t make it before the operation started.

Karen’s lips twitched faintly at the news.

“Well, nothing we can do about that!”

She pressed her mouth shut to stifle the grin creeping in, replacing it with her usual bright smile, and raised her voice cheerfully.

“Let’s take care of it just the two of us again, Mr. Hero!”

“Like last time?”

“Exactly! Just trust in your friendly neighborhood Assassin Master Karen!”

Leon chuckled at her playful pose. Then, taking a step forward, he shrugged his shoulders.

“I’ve always trusted you, Karen. You didn’t have to say it.”

“Huh...?”

“Let’s go. We’ve only got four days.”

With no hesitation, Leon stepped through the mine’s entrance. Karen stared blankly at his back before scrambling after him.

It was the first time she’d ever been thrown off like this, but... it didn’t feel bad at all. Wearing a satisfied smile like a well-fed cat, Karen threw herself into the darkness beyond.

Jugend’s lifeblood: the Great Vein. Deep within its heart, a new adventure for the two had begun.