"I see it! It's a village!"

  Lumira climbed up a low hill and pointed into the distance.

  At the bottom of the hill, I could see a quaint village with cooking smoke rising and wheat fields stretching out.

  To think it really took an entire half-day.

  'Terminal, don't you feel anything? Didn't you clearly tell me to go southwest last time?'

  [Yes, Master. I made a calculation error. Geographical discrepancies occurring during responses are unavoidable within the databa...]

  'Oh, really. Now you're making excuses.'

  [I will continue to provide the Master with the best possible respo...]

  'Whatever, skip it.'

  I waved my hand to dismiss the Terminal window.

  Terminal was undeniably a useful partner that let me use sword arts and provided various knowledge about this world. It just had a few tasks it was horrifically bad at.

  Geography was one of its representative weaknesses.

  Recruiting a new party member to solve this was truly a stroke of my own brilliant foresight.

  Crunch, crunch.

  "Thanks, Lumira. We didn't get lost thanks to you."

  "You're welcome. It wasn't that complicated of a path anyway. We still haven't eaten lunch, though."

  Crunch, crunch.

  "It's just a little further to the village, shouldn't we eat when we get there?"

  Crunch, crunch.

  Ah, seriously.

  "And Lumira, about that squirrel... couldn't you have left it at home?"

  I asked, looking at the squirrel sitting on Lumira's left shoulder. Was its name Chief? It had gotten chubby in no time. Just how many sunflower seeds had it eaten on the way here?

  "Excuse me? Prophet, what are you saying?"

  Lumira hastily shielded Chief with her arms.

  "Chief is my master's legacy! Furthermore, he is the second apostle to join the Prophet's journey!"

  "Second?"

  "Because I am the first!"

  ...Right. Do whatever you want.

  It seemed I just had to get used to that crunching sound.

  I locked eyes with the squirrel. The little guy gave me a weird look for a second, then went back to munching sunflower seeds inside Lumira's robes.

  'It's just my imagination. I'm not a pathetic enough person to get mad at a dumb animal.'

  As we continued down the forest path, we finally reached the entrance to the village. A signpost planted in the middle of a quiet road.

  'Solera Village'

  It was a peaceful scenery.

  Endless golden wheat fields. Crops waving like waves in the wind. Crude houses with thatched roofs. The quintessential image that comes to mind when you hear 'medieval village'.

  "Now we need to find info on Daniel. Who should we ask?"

  "I know exactly where to go, Prophet! Let me guide you!"

  Lumira took the lead, walking with long strides. She really must be familiar with this village.

  Expertly navigating through the alleys, Lumira eventually stopped in front of a building.

  It was the village's sole tavern. The smell of booze was overpowering even just standing outside the door.

  "So, we're gonna gather info from drunks?"

  "Specifically from the tavern owner! Daniel and I always met here! They seemed to know each other well."

  Gathering information at a tavern is the absolute standard in fantasy, after all.

  "But isn't it still broad daylight?"

  "That is true, Prophet."

  "Then won't it be pretty empty? People who drink in the middle of the day are..."

  They were there.

  "Hey! Got any more beer here?!"

  "Stop stalling and spit it out! What happened with Maria?!"

  "Coming, I'm coming!"

  A scene of loud singing and shouting comparable to a college town on a Friday night. The tavern was so noisy it felt like every able-bodied man in this tiny village had gathered inside.

  "Oh, if it isn't Lumira? What brings you all the way out here?"

  It was a muscular man with a mustache standing behind the counter. Is he the owner?

  "Hello, Uncle Sancho! It's not my business today... I came for something else!"

  "Something else? Who is it for?"

  "It's me."

  I cut into the conversation. Sancho wiped a plate with a rag while looking me up and down. Why is he staring at me like that?

  "Don't recognize your face. What brings you here?"

  "I'm looking for someone. A guy named Daniel, do you happen to know where he is? Even a guess is fine."

  Sancho's face hardened.

  He got straight to the point.

  "...Why are you looking for him?"

  The hand wiping the plate stopped. A suddenly serious voice. Seeing his reaction, I definitely came to the right place.

  Making up an excuse in a situation like this would backfire. I had to be honest.

  "There's an item I need. It seems a guy named Daniel holds the clue to it. It's very important to me, so I want to meet him and talk."

  "Hmm..."

  Sancho closed his eyes and furrowed his brow. Anyone could see he was deep in thought.

  "Uncle, this is a swordsman named Jihoon, and I can vouch for him! Could you please tell him what you know, as a favor to me?"

  Lumira interjected.

  I was worried she'd call me Prophet in a place like this, but thankfully she had that much common sense.

  "You know I know Daniel well too. Do you really think I'd do something to harm him?"

  At those words, Sancho nodded.

  Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

  "Daniel never liked having his business spread around... but if you say so, Lumira, I suppose I can trust him."

  'Yes! This is easier than I thought.'

  "I don't know his exact location either. But further south from here..."

  "Hey, Sancho!"

  Before we knew it, several farmers who had been drinking surrounded us. Their noses were red, clearly already heavily intoxicated.

  "What's this? You guys just drink booze for lunch every day under the excuse of a snack break. You need something?"

  "You can't just give it away that easily! That Do-niel or whatever is our family too!"

  "What? You've never even spoken a word to the guy."

  "Doesn't matter! Anyway, we can't just give away info on a friend who's like family for free. We need a price, a price!"

  'Wait, the guy himself said he'd tell me, so why are these randoms throwing a fit?'

  "Do you know these guys?"

  I whispered, looking at Lumira.

  "Uh... Uh... No!"

  A flustered voice. Is this her first time dealing with a group of drunk middle-aged men? She was completely frozen stiff.

  "Well, what do you want?"

  At my words, the eyes of the drunk men turned to me. They exchanged glances, and the red-nosed farmer who had spoken to Sancho opened his mouth.

  "You're a swordsman, right? Look pretty skilled too. Got a favor to ask a swordsman. We could ask the guild normally, but they never bother showing up to a tiny village like ours...!"

  "Get to the point."

  "Impatient, aren't ya. Ever heard of Earth Sprites?"

  Earth Sprites? First time hearing about it. I looked back at Lumira and Sancho. Sancho was rubbing his forehead with one hand, looking troubled.

  "Aren't they monsters that grow from the soil? They don't directly harm people, but they ruin crops..."

  "Exactly right! The young lady is smart!"

  "You guys... The Earth Sprites are our problem. How can you force a guest to take care of it, have you no shame!"

  Sancho yelled angrily. But the farmers didn't back down.

  "You just sit in your shop, so you don't know! Do you have any idea how ruined our fields are?!"

  "My field too!"

  "This is a problem for the whole village!"

  In an instant, the surroundings became chaotic. More drinking farmers gathered around.

  Resentful glares poured in from all sides. 'The whole village is suffering, and you're just giving away information for free? Are you even from this village...'

  After being bombarded from all sides, Sancho finally threw his hands up.

  "I'm sorry about this... I guess it's hard to refuse since it's coming from my fellow villagers."

  Meaning he'd tell me Daniel's whereabouts on the condition I exterminate the Earth Sprites.

  'Must be tough for the old man. I don't care either way.'

  "Fine."

  Did I accept too easily? A wave of surprise spread through the crowd.

  "Prophet! Earth Sprites are no joke! Please reconsider...!"

  "It's settled! It's settled! A man's word is his bond!"

  "Where should we ask him to go first? Naturally, it should be our field, right?"

  "Your land is the size of a booger, you barely took any damage! Obviously, my land should be...!"

  'Oh wow. They're going crazy trying to work someone like a dog for free.' I firmly drew the line.

  "I will only take care of one field. If there's communal farmland, I will prioritize that. If you want to ask for more than that... you know, right?"

  I formed a circle with my fingers. 'I wonder if this gesture works here too?'

  "Ah..."

  The requests died down instantly.

  'Their intention to use me for free is way too transparent.'

  Not missing the mood, Sancho stepped in. It was time for him to play traffic cop.

  "Alright, let's do that then. If you go straight down that way, there's the communal land, right? We can ask him to clear that place on the condition I give him the info!"

  The farmers whispered amongst themselves before reluctantly nodding.

  The path to the communal farmland where the Earth Sprites were reportedly infesting wasn't very far. The weather happened to be cool, making it a nice walk.

  "...So he's the 'Zion of the Soft Sword'?"

  "First time hearing it? This is why you're a bumpkin!"

  "Don't act all high and mighty just 'cause you know it! Then he must be a really strong swordsman, huh?"

  Even though I could hear some incomprehensible background chatter from the farmers following behind me.

  It seemed there was a trending story about a swordsman going around these days.

  Anyway, is there really that little entertainment in a small village? They were all following me in a line as if there was a spectacle to see.

  'I feel like the Pied Piper.'

  Regardless, after walking for a bit, we arrived at the problematic field.

  "Wow, Prophet. This is the first time I've seen so many Earth Sprites."

  I was marveling at it too. Dozens of dirt clods were churning up the field. They were mud dolls with stubby limbs, standing about knee-high to an adult.

  "You know a bit about Earth Sprites?"

  "A little! Their outer shells are hard, so normal attacks don't work!"

  'Terminal, cross-check please.'

  [Lumira's statement is correct. Consider using a blunt sword capable of shattering the outer shell, or finding a way to soften the shell itself.]

  'If I'm going to use a blunt sword, shouldn't I just use a club?' While I was having random thoughts, one of the Earth Sprites nearby rushed at me.

  Clang!

  I smacked it with the Auria Sword Art. It felt exactly like hitting a solid rock.

  The thing tumbled far away and rolled on the ground...

  Pop!

  It sprang back up. Aside from a slight dent, it was perfectly fine. 'Wait, why is it so hard?'

  I tried to eliminate them a few more times like that. I tried vertical slashes, horizontal slashes, and even gathered my strength for a thrust.

  Clang! Clang!

  But no matter how many times I attacked, it was useless.

  "Is that all he's got? Man, he's terrible!"

  "They just got more violent! Why did he have to go and provoke them!"

  The background chatter turned into critical jeers.

  'This isn't working. I need to find another way. If Plan A fails, you have to quickly pivot to Plan B, C, and D.'

  Plan B was pulling out the 'Combat Bootleg Enforcer' right now and mowing them down with a mana-infused blade.

  Looking at their numbers pushing several dozen, I figured that was impossible. The Combat Bootleg Enforcer consumes too much mana; currently, swinging it four or five times is my absolute limit.

  "Haa..."

  I temporarily lowered my sword. I approached Lumira, who was watching from the sidelines, and whispered.

  "Lumira, you said you could make it rain last time, right?"

  "Yes, Prophet! It was one of the tasks my master ordered me to do. Should I make it rain? Finally, a chance to be helpful!"

  "Please. It'll be bad if they see you using magic, so I'll draw their attention."

  Plan C. Execution.

  I walked right into the middle of the Earth Sprites.

  'Terminal, I need a sequence that draws attention.'

  [Yes, Master. Recommending Auria Sword Art - Dance of Seduction. Execute? (Y/N)]

  'Wait, why is something like that even in there?'

  I questioned it for a second, but there was no time to delay.

  "Y. Just keep it moderate."

  [Executing 'Dance of Seduction'.]

  My body moved on its own. I extended the sword forward as if taking a starting stance. Then, I danced, swinging the sword around me smoothly and concisely.

  Not a sword art, but a sword dance. The movements were quite alluring. 'Why does the Auria Sword Art have a feature like this?'

  "What the hell is he doing? Is he crazy?"

  The villagers were appalled.

  And the exact moment everyone's attention was fixed on me.

  "...Repetere."

  Lumira's incantation finished.

  The clear sky gradually darkened with rain clouds.

  Pitter, patter.

  An unseasonal drizzle began to fall. The thin streaks of rain gradually grew heavier after a short while.

  Thwack!

  Was it because they got wet and mushy? For the first time, my blade bit into an Earth Sprite. As I pierced the vital spot in its center, its form collapsed and it returned to dirt.

  Swoooosh!

  The raindrops intensified. Every Earth Sprite in sight staggered as they got soaked by the rain. The smaller ones simply melted as soon as the rain hit them, so I didn't even need to deal with them personally.

  "Was that sword dance... a ritual to summon rain?!"

  "He beseeched the heavens for rain to judge the earth!"

  "It's the 'Heavenly Sword'! Not a Soft Sword, it's the Heavenly Sword!"

  'What are they talking about?'

  Regardless, it was a golden opportunity.

  I no longer needed to swing my sword with all my might.

  Lightly, using only the sequences that required the least amount of strength, I slashed and slashed at the soaked Earth Sprites.

  One, two, ten, twenty.

  Just as I thought I had cut down around thirty of them, I didn't see any more Earth Sprites rushing at me.

  I looked around. The wheat field had turned into a mud pit. There were no longer any Earth Sprites standing upon it.

  'I guess I can consider the request a success at this point?'

  I looked back at Lumira. I figured it was okay for the rain to stop now.

  Swooooosh—!

  But for some reason.

  The rain showed no signs of stopping.

  I eagerly signaled Lumira with my eyes, but she didn't react. Even from a distance, she looked a bit strange.

  The raindrops grew heavier. From a drizzle to a downpour.

  'Don't tell me?'

  Just as an ominous thought crossed my mind.

  "N-No!"

  An old man watching from a distance shouted.

  "You can't dig deep into the earth here! It's been passed down since the old days...! If it rains this much...!"

  They say words become seeds.

  Ruuuumble!

  The ground in one corner of the mud pit collapsed. The land was swept away by a small river that had formed from the heavy rain, disappearing from sight.

  Following that.

  Booooooooom!

  The earth shook violently. From beneath the ground that had been washed away by the downpour, something massive surged upward.

  Intertwined tree roots. A body made of a mixture of rocks and mud. A size that couldn't even be compared to a normal Earth Sprite.

  [Warning: Severe escalation of hostile environment confirmed! Confirmed the appearance of the 'Earth Sprite King'.]

  Looks like a boss mob just spawned.

  Inside Cadeiro City.

  The Knight of the Dawn, Meisa, was still asking around for Kang Jihoon's whereabouts.

  But it wasn't easy. Kang Jihoon's trail had gone cold. After being interrogated at the guard station that day, his movements could not be tracked.

  Meanwhile, there was one piece of new information.

  A young swordsman currently on the lips of the town gossips.

  'Zion of the Soft Sword.'

  However, there was something strange about it.

  "Have you heard the news about 'Zion of the Soft Sword'?"

  "I heard! They say he's got a pale face and looks weak, but his skills are unbelievable!"

  "Word is he carries around a pitch-black sword!"

  The guy's description matched Kang Jihoon exactly.

  "I'm certain his name was Jihoon..."

  No matter how she thought about it, the two were the same person. Meisa naturally arrived at a single conclusion.

  "Did he fake his identity...?"

  If he faked it, since when? Don't tell me, from the very beginning?

  It was shocking news.

  Daniel, the public enemy of the family.

  And 'Zion of the Soft Sword', his accomplice.

  If that was true, why did he let himself get arrested by her? And disguised as an unidentified swordsman, no less?

  Perhaps it was to observe her movements and report back to Daniel.

  "I see. So that's why..."

  Meisa ground her teeth. That moment was still burned into her mind, refusing to fade.

  [Apologize to me.]

  To deceive and mock her like that.

  Anger flared in Meisa's blue eyes. She once again tightly gripped the cold, gleaming gauntlet on her left hand.

  She would absolutely never forgive him. Under the name of the blade of judgment, the Alba family's 'Enforcer Blade'.

  It didn't take long after that.

  For Meisa to figure out that 'Zion of the Soft Sword' had headed southeast.

  The Knight of the Dawn headed southeast.