Weapon-Eating Bastard [EN]: Chapter 155

Weapon-Devouring Bastard – Episode 155

Ireland.

A nation named after a goddess in Celtic mythology.

Ireland was a unique country in many ways.

While other European countries denied ancient mysticism and shamanism, developing instead into cultures of science, knights, and magic, Ireland had carefully preserved its ancient mystical and shamanistic cultures.

In fact, many people are taken aback when they go to Ireland.

Culturally, it has strong Christian influences, yet it maintains ancient mysteries, preserves ancient magic and shamanism, and at the same time, has built a 21st-century civilization of science and magic.

That is why many people who visit Ireland call it the land of mystery.

‘……It’s certainly a fascinating city.’

Ron and I arrived in Dublin, the capital of Ireland, located on the east side of the island.

At first glance, it was just a common European city with a mix of old architecture and modern civilization.

However, this energy.

The aura flowing through the city is quite peculiar.

‘It might be because of the spiritual ground nearby, but there’s also a mix of Christian magic and shamanistic power… yet it’s balanced in a way that doesn’t feel awkward.’

A city where people can live.

No, with this much energy overflowing, the expression ‘a good city to live in’ would be more appropriate.

I was struck by a strange sense of déjà vu.

‘If Gyeongju [a city in South Korea known for its historical sites and traditional culture] were a little bigger and the balance were a little more naturally adjusted, it would feel like this.’

Meanwhile, it seemed that Ron was also feeling that energy, not just me.

Ron had been staring wide-eyed and looking around ever since we entered Dublin.

I chuckled and said to Ron.

“You’re acting like a tourist on vacation.”

“Ahem! Well, it’s not much different, is it? As you know, the relationship between England and Ireland is… a bit complicated. I’ve never been here before.”

I frowned slightly.

“Why are you talking like that all of a sudden?”

“I’m being careful because I might get into trouble. Is it hard to understand?”

Ron lowered his voice and whispered.

His tone was not the posh English he always used, but rather a Welsh dialect.

“You’re overreacting. What age are we living in that you’d get into trouble for your accent or nationality?”

“Well… do you think so? Will it be alright?”

Anyway, even though he acts mature, he’s still a teenager. He was cautious in strange ways.

‘I can understand why, though.’

I glanced at the middle of the street.

There, a group of protesters advocating for the unification of Northern Ireland was marching with strange flags and placards.

Geographically, it is located right next to the mainland of Great Britain, so people often misunderstand, but in reality, Ireland is a completely different country that gained independence from England after the Great War.

Only Northern Ireland in the north is British territory on the island of Ireland.

Having been treated as a vassal state, or a colony at worst, for nearly 1,000 years, Ireland had considerable anti-British sentiment.

“By the way, where are you planning to go? You don’t have someone to meet here, do you?”

“Yes, I do. I have someone to meet.”

“Someone to meet? Here?”

“I don’t know exactly where I’m trying to go, so I need someone to guide me.”

“Hmm…?”

With that, we entered a deserted building on the outskirts of Dublin.

There, I met a familiar face after a long time.

Ron, who had followed me, widened his eyes when he saw the person waiting there.

“Heh heh, it’s been a while, young friend!”

The person I met in Mirenae Village, Jeju Island….

No, a dwarf.

With a short stature and stroking his thick beard, he approached me with a smile.

* * *

Next to the dwarf elder, Hurundatt, was Jeong Jin-soo.

I first greeted Elder Hurundatt, who was the elder of the dwarves in Mirenae Village.

“It’s been a while. I’m sorry for making you come all this way. How have you been….”

“It’s alright! I wanted to come! So, is it true that you restored the ‘Long Arm’ Lugh’s Spear?! Bring it out! Let me see it quickly!”

Hurundatt’s eyes blazed as he held out his hand to me.

Ron, who had followed, was just staring blankly, unable to grasp the situation, looking back and forth between me and Hurundatt.

‘A dwarf? Is he really a dwarf? Or just a short….’

That couldn’t be.

Ron’s dragon body was feeling the natural magic emanating from the other person.

Humans can never possess this kind of magical disposition.

‘A mystic race, a mystic race! And it’s a dwarf!’

Mystic races had not easily revealed themselves to humans since the Great War.

Even the dwarves had occasionally shown themselves until the end of the 20th century, claiming to learn human’s advanced technology, but in modern times, even that tiny bit of exchange was cut off by humans who coveted the dwarves’ power.

And now, a dwarf was right in front of him.

Not in some deep mountain or mysterious forest, but in a shabby building on the outskirts of a large city!

“First, my companion seems a little flustered, so may I introduce him first?”

“Ah! That’s fine for later! Hurry up and show it to me! Let me see it! Are you not going to show it to me?”

His voice is so loud.

It’s amazing that his throat doesn’t get hoarse even when he shouts like that.

“I’ll show it to you, so please calm down.”

“Tch! Alright!”

“…Ron, you may be flustered, but this person is one of the people who lived in the village I was indebted to. This is Elder Hurundatt.”

Hurundatt strode over, crossed his arms, and arrogantly (?) looked up at Ron.

“You look quite arrogant. My name is Hurundatt de Graive Rungarum. I am of the bloodline of Rungarum of the Great Ice Mountain and the bloodline of the Great Mother Graive….”

As the dwarf’s unique, lengthy introduction came to an end, Jeong Jin-soo, who was standing behind him, approached and offered a handshake.

“My name is Jeong Jin-soo. I am serving Young Master Lee Cheol.”

“Ah, I, I am Ron Russell, the youngest son of Henry Russell, who inherited the Dukedom of Eastgrow in the current generation, and a member of the Imperial Knights. Hurundatt de Graive Rungarum-nim, Jeong Jin-soo-nim, it’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Even in his flustered state, he greeted them with formality, which was probably thanks to his ingrained etiquette.

Moreover, he flawlessly pronounced Hurundatt’s full name, which even I couldn’t immediately memorize when I first heard it.

“Ahem, just a moment….”

Ron finished his greetings and then grabbed my arm tightly and whispered.

“Young Master Lee Cheol! You didn’t mention this. A d, dwarf!”

I chuckled.

“It wouldn’t be fun if I told you in advance. You seem quite surprised?”

“Surprised? Of course, I’m surprised. To be acquainted with a mystic race….”

At that moment, Hurundatt shouted and strode closer.

“Hey, you! Hurry up and take it out!”

I left Ron, who seemed to need a little more explanation, and approached Hurundatt.

“I understand. Please wait a moment.”

I opened my backpack and took out a large, black lump of metal.

“Is that lump of metal Lugh’s Spear?”

“No. It’s just that it’s hard to carry, so I’ve wrapped it in my equipment for now.”

This lump of metal was not just a lump of metal, but Mujin [likely referring to a type of magical artifact or material].

I had wrapped and stored Lugh’s Spear with Mujin because I didn’t have a suitable way to store it.

Crack-!

As I poured magic power into Mujin and unwrapped it, the transparent blade of Lugh’s Spear soon revealed itself.

Because it was not yet fully controlled, weak sparks flew as it reacted to the surrounding magic power the moment it was taken out.

I placed the blade on a nearby table.

“Ooh! Ooooooh!”

And Hurundatt began to scream as he looked at the transparent blade.

“T, this is unbelievable. So beautiful… Oh, heavens.”

Hurundatt stroked the blade with a blissful expression.

“This is an ancient rune that recognizes its owner! Only the owner can hold it! This is a rune of recovery that always comes into the owner’s hand! This, this is truly art! No, it has surpassed art!”

Hurundatt soon entered his own world.

I left him alone for now and took a seat nearby with Ron and Jeong Jin-soo.

“…An explanation is needed. Young Master Lee Cheol.”

Ron coughed softly as soon as he sat down.

“As I said before, that blade is not yet complete.”

“Yes, I understand that. The blade has been restored, but you said that there is no ‘shaft’ suitable for it, didn’t you?”

The Spear of Lugh is currently only a blade.

And a spear cannot be called a spear without a shaft.

“Weren’t you going to find a craftsman to make the shaft? Are you perhaps going to entrust it to a dwarf? But why is there a dwarf here… No, how does Lee Cheol know a mystic race….”

Ron rattled off a series of questions.

Being in contact with a mystic race was that surprising.

“First, calm down. I know you’re surprised.”

I calmly answered Ron’s questions.

Of course, I didn’t answer everything honestly.

It’s not that I don’t trust Ron, but it’s not like I trust him enough to tell him everything.

“…So, Young Master Lee Cheol gained connections with the villages of mystic races during his martial arts training? And that person came after you mentioned the existence of the spear?”

As a result, a story was created that cut off a lot of the context.

“Young Master Lee Cheol is really… amazing. You’re younger than me, but how many adventures have you had and how much experience have you gained?”

Ron smiled bitterly and continued.

“Well, it’s not that I don’t have any more questions, but I guess we’re not at the point where we can exchange everything yet. But at least I’m accompanying you, so can I hear what you’re going to do in the future?”

Even though he knew that I had deliberately hidden some of the story, Ron asked without showing any signs of displeasure.

“Well, I’m going to entrust the production to a dwarf. But that person is just here to guide me, meet his fellow dwarves, see my equipment… anyway, that’s why he came.”

“Guide? Are you talking about that dwarf? Besides, fellow dwarves….”

Ron tilted his head.

I looked at Hurundatt’s back as he admired the spear, examining every detail.

“We’re going to follow Hurundatt-nim into the dwarf’s village.”

* * *

After the Great War, the mystic races disappeared.

Mystic races rarely appear in the world, and there are hardly any sightings of them.

I have the Evil Eye, so if I try to find the mystic races, I might be able to find them, but it’s difficult to find them from scratch without any clues.

However, if there are fellow tribesmen, it’s not a difficult task.

“Hmm, I could make it for you, though.”

“…I’m not doubting your skills, Elder, but this weapon is so special that I need someone who can make it accordingly.”

“Well, there is a way to forge the mysteries and history that befit the weapon. But are you sure there are fellow tribesmen on this island nation?”

“Yes, there are.”

In my past life, after ‘a certain incident,’ the mystic races often appeared in the world.

Among them was a dwarf village that appeared in Ireland.

They definitely exist here.

I have to find them to complete the spear.

* * *

Jeong Jin-soo had only come to guide Hurundatt, so he immediately took a plane back to Korea.

After that, Ron, Hurundatt, and I traveled all over Ireland for several days.

I didn’t remember the exact location, so I had to do some legwork.

The village of a mystic race couldn’t be in an ordinary place, so we traveled mainly around important spiritual grounds.

Hurundatt could immediately tell whether there were dwarves in a certain area just by setting foot there.

“I can’t hear the voice of the earth. There’s no way there are fellow tribesmen here.”

“The land here is not good. The fellow tribesmen on this island nation would rather touch trees than forge iron, but there’s no power.”

“How can dwarves live here when the mountain has lost its voice?”

These were senses that humans could not understand, but the search continued.

After three days.

We entered a deep forest in northern Ireland.

An unidentified magic power was swirling in the forest, and the sea was spread out a little away from the forest.

In a place where the smell of the sea lingered in the air, Hurundatt’s eyes lit up.

“It’s here.”

Hurundatt suddenly drew out his magic power in the forest full of overgrown trees.

As Hurundatt’s magic power settled on the ground, the air suddenly began to distort.

A heavy reverberation was transmitted through the ground.

There was a moment of silence.

Immediately after.

“……!”

I immediately placed my hand on the Black Night at my waist and cast my gaze into the depths of the forest.

Koo-oong!

Another vibration.

And.

-Kuaaaaaa!

Something unidentified covered us with a bizarre cry.