Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 108

As soon as I entered the village, I felt countless gazes on me.

The fairies, at least, seemed curious and edged closer, though they remained silent. Most of the other residents peeked at me from behind bushes or trees.

“Don’t mind them too much,” the old goblin said with a grin.

“It’s just that you have a… unique scent.”

“…I’m very careful about washing, but I’ve heard that I smell more times than I can count.”

“Washing? Ah, haha! That’s right. Humans can’t smell it, of course,” the old goblin said, revealing her pearly white teeth and bursting into laughter. “Well, don’t worry. It’s obvious you have a good heart. They’ll all warm up to you soon enough. Though the Longeared Tribe [an old term for elves, referring to their pointed ears] might not approach you at all; they’re terribly afraid of humans.”

I glanced around, taking in the surroundings.

‘A village of mystic races, huh?’

It felt like a scene straight out of a fairy tale.

As if reading my thoughts, the old goblin smiled and asked, “Are you very surprised?”

“A little. I expected a village of goblins, but I didn’t expect to see other races here.”

I glanced around again.

Compared to the goblins, the other mystic races were keeping a low profile.

It seemed they used to mingle more freely before the Great War, but for some reason, they were said to have vanished from most of the world after it.

‘Goblins, fairies, and even elves. Maybe there are others I can’t see. The village is also much bigger than I thought.’

I noticed a few odd things, but I decided to hold my tongue for now.

This wasn’t the time to bring them up.

“Well, here we are. This is my house. Or should I call it the village chief’s house?”

The old goblin led me to a large cabin in the center of the village.

It only looked like a cabin; it was actually part of a tree.

The base of the overgrown tree was hollowed out, with doors and windows built into it.

Suddenly, three goblins popped out.

“Ah! Granny! I want to wrestle with this human!”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Tsk! You’re going to get yourselves in trouble, really?” the old goblin scolded. The three goblins immediately became sullen and ran off. “See you next time!”

I waved to them lightly and entered the tree house.

‘It’s not made by carving or digging into the tree. It’s just a living tree itself.’

I could feel the vitality emanating from the tree’s surface.

It simply looked like a tree that had grown this way naturally.

I had heard that elves’ residences were made like this.

It was truly a house fit for mystic races.

“Sit down and make yourself comfortable. I don’t have much to offer, but I do have some fruit juice made by the Longeared Tribe. I’ll get that out.”

The goblin waved her hand.

A hazy mist rose into the air, and a glass bottle and two wooden cups materialized and floated down.

The goblin poured the juice into the cups, and I took one and drank it.

‘Delicious.’

The sweet taste that enveloped my mouth made my eyes widen.

I don’t usually enjoy sweets, but the refreshing sensation made it incredibly good.

There was a saying that the liquor and drinks made by elves boasted a heavenly taste, and it wasn’t an exaggeration.

“I’m late with introductions. My name is Ryeo. Looking at your hair and eye color… you must be from the Yi family?”

“Yes, I am Yi Cheol of the Sungmu Yi family.”

Ryeo. It probably wasn’t her real name.

I already knew what goblins who had their names stolen looked like, so it was likely a name she used for convenience.

“If you’re from the Sungmu Yi family, you must know that guy guarding the mountain?”

“Are you talking about the Mountain Keeper?”

“‘Keeper,’ my foot. Anyway, that good-for-nothing guy.”

Ryeo’s tone was a little annoyed.

“He’s a crazy guy who meddled unnecessarily and got caught by a human. I was dumbfounded when I heard about it.”

“You knew him.”

“That damn guy was from this village. I was close to him… no, we weren’t friends. No way. There’s no way we were friends.”

A good-for-nothing guy and a damn guy.

Mountain Keeper. What on earth did you do?

“…Is he doing well? Well, not that I’m particularly curious.”

Ryeo asked casually.

She said that, but I could tell she was curious.

“He’s doing well. He drinks a lot, though.”

“Is that so? Hmm.”

She seemed to want to hear more.

I smiled and continued, “He’s taking good care of the mountain. He’s become much calmer than when he was in the family, and he seems to enjoy taking strolls around the mountain.”

I didn’t bother to mention that I had given him a hard time.

“I see, that’s good,” Ryeo said, smiling with relief.

I tried to suppress the laughter that was about to spill out at the sight.

“Anyway, thank you for saving those mischievous triplets earlier. I was so surprised when they disappeared.”

“It’s nothing. It’s only natural that I should help.”

“Still, thank you,” Ryeo said, taking a sip of her drink and turning her gaze out the window. “I owe you a debt, and I’ve heard about that rotten guy, so I have to repay it. Is there anything you want?”

“What debt are you talking about?”

“Saving those troublemakers.”

I shook my head.

“I didn’t think of saving the children’s lives as a debt.”

“Goblins can’t live with debts. We have to return them, whether they’re good or bad. So don’t hesitate and tell me. If you like gold, I’ll take out a gold nugget. I can give you a lot of silver, though.”

How do humans look in the eyes of goblins that everyone from the Mountain Keeper to Ryeo says such things?

How much did humans in the past like gold nuggets…

“Gold or silver is fine. Instead, there were things I was going to ask anyway. May I ask a few questions?”

“Well, ask anything. I’ll answer everything I know.”

I paused for a moment.

‘There’s a lot I want to ask.’

The magic covering this mountain, why the goblin called Elder kicked me out—I’m curious about all of it.

Besides, there are too many monsters for it to be called Yeongsan [a sacred mountain], and there’s the existence of demon species that shouldn’t exist.

And why the mystic races, who have the power to deal with them, are leaving the monsters alone.

There are many things I want to ask about the Black Night Record.

The latter part of the Black Night Record.

Or I wanted to find out things I couldn’t interpret.

“First of all, I’m curious about the Elder and the magic. I also want to hear about the demon species and monsters. And this village too…”

“Uh, wh, wh, what?” Ryeo stammered, looking flustered.

“But more than that, the thing I want to ask the most is this.”

I picked up the scabbard that I had placed next to me as soon as I sat down and held it out.

“The reason I came to this mountain was actually to find out about the secret of this sword.”

Black Night was still in its scabbard.

I came to Hallasan to undo the seal of Black Night and hear the hidden story of this sword.

* * *

“Do you know about this sword?”

At my words, Ryeo looked at the hilt of Black Night with a strange expression.

“Black Night. It’s a sword made by the Elder. I know it well.”

Ryeo straightened her posture.

In an instant, Ryeo’s energy changed.

Until now, she had seemed like a friendly middle-aged woman, but just by straightening her posture, I began to sense her experience and power.

“I also participated in the training of that sword. All the goblins who lived in the same era as me can’t help but know about that sword.”

My eyes sparkled.

Ryeo looked straight into my eyes and asked, “Did you participate in the production of this sword yourself?”

“Not only me, but countless goblins were involved in making that sword in some way.”

“I thought the person you called Elder made it from start to finish.”

“The Elder was the one who completed the sword itself. All we 64 goblins did was… well, prepare the materials. After that, we just helped with the process of melting, attaching, and bending.”

I inhaled sharply.

64 goblins.

Of course, there would be a hierarchy of power among the goblins, but the fact that so many participated in the production was significant.

“After a long time, it seems that the sword has finally found its owner. To be honest, I didn’t think there would be anyone who could handle it after your family’s founder. Didn’t you feel any particular discomfort while handling that sword?”

“I was surprised by the power of the sword itself, but there was nothing that I felt was particularly uncomfortable.”

“It seems to have been properly chosen. That’s not a sword that can be chosen just because you’re good at using swords or have great power.”

It was known that Black Night had never been properly chosen since the founder.

However, I didn’t know the reason for that.

“Does this sword have spirituality like this scroll?”

“Spirituality? Haha! There’s no way spirituality could dwell in it. Even if spirituality did dwell in it, it would have disappeared quickly.”

She laughed, but Ryeo’s eyes as she looked at Black Night were filled with considerable wariness.

I stared at Black Night for a moment.

What on earth is this sword that makes that old goblin say that?

“You probably see this as just a sword.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

If it’s not a sword, then what is it?

“In my eyes, this looks like annihilation itself in the form of a sword.”

Annihilation.

Ryeo looked down at Black Night as if she was a little afraid as she said those words.

“What do you mean by that?”

“Everything in the world has its own energy. That energy may wane or prosper, but it never disappears. Just as water evaporates to become clouds and then falls again as rain, it may change shape, but it never disappears.”

Energy, that is, magic power.

What Ryeo was saying now was the basic theory of magic power that anyone learns, even if they don’t know magic theory.

Magic power may increase, but it never disappears.

“But that sword eliminates that energy. It’s literally annihilation. What is cut out with that sword will never be recovered, and it will never return to its original state. Of course, that applies to the user who wields the sword.”

That was too much like a demon sword to have been made by a goblin.

Ryeo was looking at Black Night with eyes that seemed to feel even a kind of disgust.

“That’s why you asked me about discomfort.”

“That’s right. Fortunately, it doesn’t seem to be exhibiting that level of power yet… be careful. That’s not just dangerous; it’s a weapon that’s better off not existing.”

“If it’s so dangerous, why did you make Black Night?”

Ryeo paused at those words and shook her head.

“I don’t know that much.”

“Didn’t you say you participated in the production?”

When I asked with a bit of suspicion, Ryeo replied with a weak smile. “I really don’t know. As I said, I only helped when gathering materials or preparing for proper production. Maybe only your founder or the Elder knows the reason for the sword’s existence.”

Anyway, the goblin continued.

“That sword seems to have chosen you as its owner. I don’t know whether to say it’s fortunate or unfortunate.”

The old goblin thought.

Things appear in the world because the era in which they are needed has come.

And the fact that that terrible sword has appeared in the world means that it is destined to be used.

‘The sword that had been holding its breath for thousands of years reacted to a boy whose fate cannot be read even when reading the heavens.’

I feel that a huge wheel is rolling.

No, in the end, this is just a fleeting thought of a mortal.

Because human destiny didn’t always flow as it was destined.

Ryeo just sighed deeply and wished for a peaceful life to continue.

A moment of silence fell.

I broke the silence and opened my mouth first.

“…Currently, there are nine seals on this sword.”

The seals that I have succeeded in releasing so far are four.

“The fifth seal is here. Do you know anything about the seal?”

Ryeo didn’t open her mouth right away, as if she was thinking for a moment, but soon nodded.

“Yes, I know.”

“May I ask what it is?”

The letters that appeared in the mirror on Sungmu Mountain were only Tamra, which means Jeju Island. As if I would know everything if I only came here.

Ryeo grinned and said.

“I know it, but it might be a little difficult.”

Suddenly, my spine chilled at that strange smile.

“What kind of test is it that makes you say that?”

“Well, you have to wrestle and win against 100 goblins.”

As soon as I heard those words, my expression twisted.