Chapter 114 – Richard of Mura

-Click, click.

The echo of footsteps resonated through the silent hallway. The source of the sound was Abel, who walked step by step, her face slightly nervous, heading toward the room where Kang Geom-Ma was staying.

‘If I’m going to return it, I have to do it now while Grandpa is out.’

Her grandfather rarely left the house. Though he always said he didn’t want to be away from his dear granddaughter…

Abel knew that, in reality, it was simply laziness.

Of course, there was no doubt that he sincerely loved her—perhaps even a bit excessively.

Four days had already passed since Kang Geom-Ma arrived at Sigurðr Castle. However, they had barely had the opportunity to talk. The main reason was her grandfather, who acted as a jealous guardian.

He constantly repeated the old Korean proverb: “Men and women should not sit together after the age of seven.”

Although Abel didn’t fully understand its exact meaning, she had interpreted it as a warning to stay away from men.

Suddenly, she recalled one of the warnings her grandfather had given her.

“Abel, sweetheart, you should never trust men. Especially, you need to be careful with energetic teenage boys. And even more so with men who are overly affectionate with women.”

“Ugh, Grandpa! How long are you going to keep treating me like a child? Do you think I don’t know about these things? I can take care of myself!”

“Of course, of course. Who wouldn’t trust my precious granddaughter? But Abel, remember—the most dangerous men are not the obvious ones.”

“Then… which ones are?”

“The ones who offer their kindness without any reason.”

“Huh? Why would someone who is kind without reason be dangerous? Shouldn’t they be praised? Or is it because they might have hidden motives?”

Her grandfather shook his head, a wise smile forming on his lips.

“Unconditional and limitless kindness creates misunderstandings. And those misunderstandings attract people. Naturally, among them are women. But the worst part is that those who offer such kindness often don’t realize the chaos they cause. There’s a term college students use to describe them: ‘not being able to read the room.’”

“Oh…”

Abel was taken aback to hear such modern words come out of her grandfather’s mouth. She wanted to argue, but his proud expression stopped her.

She had learned the lesson, albeit vaguely—misunderstood knowledge could be dangerous.

“But don’t worry, sweetheart. As long as this old man is alive, no man will get close to you.”

To conclude the conversation, her grandfather made his position crystal clear with an unwavering statement.

“Well, maybe if you bring someone stronger than me, I might consider it… but I doubt that will happen while I’m alive. You do know I’m the strongest, don’t you? Hahaha!”

Abel could only offer a bitter smile. It seemed she couldn’t even dream of romance unless she found someone stronger than her grandfather.

‘In any case… romance isn’t something that interests me much.’

She thought that using that time to practice with her sword was much more useful. Clutching the blanket she was carrying tightly, she remembered the reason she was there.

It was the blanket that Kang Geom-Ma had given her on Avalon Island.

Thanks to Abel’s careful maintenance, the blanket now shone like new.

With a small smile, she ran her hand over the soft fabric. Though she felt a little reluctant, she had decided to return it.

‘I’ve made up my mind, so there’s no turning back.’

Abel continued walking, repeating that resolution to herself. However, as she moved forward, a doubt crept into her mind.

The kind of man her grandfather had described as “the most dangerous”:

‘A man who offers his kindness without any particular reason…’

“Isn’t that Kang Geom-Ma?”

An energetic teenager who offered his kindness indiscriminately, who threw himself into danger to save others, and who always seemed to attract women around him.

Everything seemed to fit perfectly with her grandfather’s description of Kang Geom-Ma.

Especially his complete lack of awareness.

Abel’s heart tightened slightly as she looked at the blanket in her arms. It was yet another example of Kang Geom-Ma’s unintentional kindness.

“……”

Suddenly, her cheeks puffed slightly in frustration. But soon, that feeling faded. Abel let out a deep sigh, bringing a hand to her forehead.

“Why am I acting like this…?”

It was childish.

It didn’t make sense to get distracted by such trivial things.

It didn’t make sense to feel special just because she was under the same roof as Kang Geom-Ma.

And it didn’t make sense for Kang Geom-Ma to make her feel this way.

Abel hated that about him.

Although, just a little…

Lost in scattered thoughts, she finally arrived at Kang Geom-Ma’s door.

It was her own house, yet the door felt strangely intimidating.

‘Should I turn back and leave?’

However, she knew that her grandfather rarely left the house.

“Huff…”

Abel let out a long sigh before raising her hand.

Knock, knock, knock.

She knocked on the door three times.

“……”

There was no response. Though she was curious if he was inside, it seemed like he was simply ignoring her.

For a moment, Abel hesitated, feeling momentarily lost. Then, she shook her head to clear her thoughts.

‘He probably thinks it’s Shail.’

She cleared her throat with a soft cough before knocking again.

This time, there was a response.

Heavy footsteps sounded from the other side, drawing closer.

In that brief moment, Abel nervously checked her outfit.

She smoothed out a wrinkle on her blouse just as the door swung open.

—Clack.

As the door opened, Abel froze in place.

She looked up, and her eyes met Kang Geom-Ma’s.

Seeing his face up close after several days brought her an unexpected sense of joy.

Without realizing it, she stared at him, feeling her heart pound against her ribs.

After a brief silence, Kang Geom-Ma spoke.

“…What are you doing here? Why did you come?”

His voice snapped Abel out of her trance, and she blinked in surprise.

‘That’s right, I came to return this. I just have to give it to him and leave.’

Reaffirming her purpose, she took a deep breath before speaking.

“I-I came to return this…”

“……?”

“And also… there’s something I wanted to talk to you about…”

Even though she had planned not to say anything else, her lips moved on their own.

“…Can I come in for a moment?”

***

Abel’s unexpected visit took me by surprise. I had barely processed what she said when she mentioned wanting to talk about something, so I decided to let her in. However…

“……”

This wasn’t a metaphor—the atmosphere was stifling, even more uncomfortable than the meditation sessions with the Swordmaster.

Abel sat at the edge of the bed, staring fixedly at the corner of the ceiling.

Thirty seconds passed like that.

Her fingers fidgeted, intertwining, but she said nothing.

If we stayed silent like this, it seemed like it would never end, so I took the initiative.

“What is it that you wanted to return?”

Abel reacted as if a giant exclamation mark had popped up over her head. Finally, she looked at me.

“T-This. I came to return it.”

“Ah, that.”

I noticed the thick blanket she was holding.

I hadn’t realized it until that moment, but it was the same one I had prepared during the survival training on the deserted island. A rabbit fur blanket I had personally tanned.

I had completely forgotten about it, but seeing it again filled me with nostalgia.

It seemed that Abel had taken great care of it; the fur shone brilliantly. I offered a smile to show my gratitude.

“Thanks. I had completely forgotten about it.”

“U-Uh, you’re welcome.”

“By the way, didn’t you say you had something to talk about?”

Her shoulders tensed as she heard me. Her fingers continued to fidget nervously as she avoided my gaze, as if searching for the right words.

Finally, after a long silence, she spoke.

“…If you’re free tomorrow afternoon, would you come with me somewhere?”

“Where?”

I frowned at the unexpected proposal, and Abel let out a sigh of frustration.

“Hey! Just answer first! Are you free tomorrow or not?”

“…In the morning, I only have meditation, but I don’t have anything planned for the afternoon.”

Abel watched me with her bright golden eyes as I scratched the back of my neck before answering.

“I’m free.”

“…!”

Her golden eyes widened in surprise.

Was it really that shocking that I had free time? I suppose she thought I spent all day training with the Swordmaster. She could have never imagined that I was locked up in a basement meditating.

‘Besides, if I keep meditating without moving, I’ll end up paralyzed from the waist down. I need to get out and walk.’

She eagerly asked,

“Then what time should we leave tomorrow?”

“We could leave around four and take the opportunity to have dinner out. Since we’re in Switzerland, I’d like to try the local food at least once.”

Abel’s face lit up for a moment, but she quickly adjusted her expression and nodded.

“Alright. By the way, I heard they recently opened a famous sushi restaurant in Geneva.”

A sushi restaurant in Switzerland… That was a bit disappointing. Since we were here, I would have preferred to try something local.

“Isn’t there a famous Swiss restaurant? I want to try something traditional.”

“Huh? Why? You don’t like sushi?”

“…It’s not that I don’t like it—I just had sushi recently with the members of the club. Also, since food here is expensive, I’d rather try something different.”

“The club members… Sak—?”

Abel mentioned Saki’s last name in a sharp tone, frowning, her voice turning cold.

‘…Do they not get along?’

After nearly four months at the academy, I had already seen plenty of friendships between girls turn tense out of nowhere. Maybe the reason Saki requested to transfer to Wolf Class had something to do with that. It seemed like a reasonable theory.

I scratched my temple and responded,

“Not just her. Speedweapon and Chloe were there too.”

“…Chloe? The red-haired girl?”

“Yeah, that’s the one. Chloe and I both really like fish, so we went to the sushi restaurant together.”

“……”

Abel’s face grew even more rigid. Something had clearly upset her, but as someone completely clueless about relationships, I had no idea what it could be.

“Hmm.”

Abel let out an annoyed sound before tossing the blanket at me. Or rather, throwing it.

She walked toward the door with firm steps and turned her head slightly toward me.

“Anyway, be at the front entrance at the agreed time.”

Her final words carried a lingering coldness. I nodded, feeling a little awkward.

—Bang!

The door slammed shut. I looked at the now-closed door and muttered to myself.

“…It’s still a bit difficult to deal with her. Is it because of our first meeting?”

Letting out a deep sigh, I glanced at the rabbit fur blanket. Once again, I noticed how well it had been taken care of.

Before I knew it, a small smile formed on my lips.

***

At that same moment, at the presidential residence of Switzerland.

“Ah… When is he arriving?”

A man was pacing nervously in front of the presidential office door. His name was Alain, chief of staff and the closest advisor to President Gaines.

Alain repeatedly tapped the glass of his wristwatch with his fingernail, a clear sign of his growing anxiety.

—Step, step.

The sound of footsteps echoed from the far end of the hallway. Alain lifted his head, and his face lit up with relief.

“Swordmaster! You’ve arrived.”

“No need for formalities. Get to the explanation.”

“…It’s exactly as we reported. That person showed up suddenly and, without hesitation, began demanding that the president tell him who the person you brought here is…”

The Swordmaster’s brow furrowed deeply. Seeing his reaction, Alain quickly waved his hands, rushing to add,

“B-But the president didn’t say anything. Even when they grabbed him by the collar, even when they ripped the buttons off his shirt, he just smiled and remained silent. Then that person started shouting, ‘Are you afraid of the Nibelung and underestimating the Mura!?’ before everything… got out of control.”

Alain lowered his head in resignation. The Swordmaster patted his shoulder.

“Your explanation is enough. Leave the rest to me.”

“I know you don’t like getting involved in these things, so I really appreciate that you came.”

“What are you saying, man? After everything you’ve done for me, how could I not come? Don’t worry about it anymore.”

Alain let out a faint sob. The Swordmaster, after glancing at him briefly, hardened his expression and pushed open the office door.

—Creeeak.

The sound of the hinges rang out as a wave of overwhelming pressure spilled from the opening, crashing forward like a tidal wave. It was an oppressive aura, as if crushing everything around it.

“Hmm…”

The scene inside was even more astonishing.

A group of men formed two rows on either side of an oval table. These were high-ranking officials—the federal prime minister, ministers, the president of the Senate, and the president of the Lower House. In other words, the core of Switzerland’s political power. However…

“Ugh…”

They were all kneeling on the floor, their heads pressed to the ground, their butts raised at an angle forming triangles. It was a humiliating posture known as the “Wonsan punishment.”

“……”

The Swordmaster lifted his gaze toward the far end of the table, where the source of all this chaos sat.

A large, muscular man rested his chin on one hand while holding a spear with the other.

His attitude was extremely arrogant. But that arrogance was part of his identity.

Richard of Mura, the Saint of the Spear.

With a face befitting the king of beasts and muscles sculpted as if chiseled from stone, he radiated an intimidating presence.

Richard bared his teeth in a grin as he greeted the Swordmaster.

“It’s been a while, Nibelung. Ten years, maybe?”

The Swordmaster gripped the hilt of his sword tightly and replied coldly.

“What kind of spectacle is this in a foreign country? And since when do you and I exchange friendly greetings?”

“Hahahahahahahaha!”

Richard burst into loud laughter, the corners of his lips stretching to the edges of his face.

“You lost an arm, but it seems like you gained some fire in return. You used to be so polite you could’ve passed for a little girl.”

“……”

A vein bulged on the Swordmaster’s forehead.

—Step.

He took a step into the office.

“And you, Richard, it looks like with age, you’ve started yapping like an old woman.”

—Woooong.

The Swordmaster drew his sword.