Side Story: Yuri’s Great Runaway Commotion! (10)
The crowd that had been chanting Pietro’s name fell silent.
Only the heavy breaths of the two men echoed through the air.
“Huff, huff…”
“Ugh…”
As if by unspoken agreement, they began to slowly close the distance between them.
Everyone sensed the end was near.
The match was about to be decided.
Suddenly, Pietro let out a shout and charged forward.
The king met him head-on, running to meet him.
“Arrrgh!”
“Yaaah!”
In a way, it was almost comical.
Both men wore nothing but their underpants, their stances awkward and unrefined.
Yet no one present dared to mock them.
“Who do you think will win?”
“I have no idea.”
“Even His Majesty…”
“It’s completely even.”
Yuri swallowed hard.
Since reaching this level, she had never witnessed a fight this unpredictable. Truly, there was no way to tell.
Then, their fists met—each landing a cross counter.
The punches weren’t thrown with full force; the sound was muted. But it was enough to bring their exhausted bodies down.
Both men collapsed simultaneously.
The crowd rose to their feet.
Even Yuri leaned forward, eyes fixed on the duelers.
“To think it would end like this…”
Both lay flat on the ground, motionless.
The knight overseeing the duel cautiously began to count.
“One, two, three…”
“What happens if neither gets up?”
“If both remain down, the lighter one is declared the winner. It’s considered overcoming the weight class.”
“I see…”
“By the way, Pietro is slightly lighter.”
Though the King of Konzhed was much bulkier, Pietro’s taller frame and solid build meant their weights weren’t far apart.
Yuri waited, hoping someone would rise first.
“Six, seven, eight…”
The count ended.
“Time for the weight decision!”
To ensure fairness, they brought out a large balance scale. One by one, the unconscious men’s bodies were placed on it.
As if celebrating victory, Pietro’s body was lifted higher.
“Pietro is the winner!”
Had he not endured imprisonment, Pietro might have weighed more—fate had its own justice.
Applause and cheers erupted.
Now, Pietro was the king.
“Well, this turned out well, Your Majesty. Don’t you agree?”
“Yes…”
Yuri nodded with a faint, ambiguous smile.
“Another matter settled.”
Having resolved the issue of Konzhed’s throne, the three decided to leave without delay.
The rest was for Konzhed to handle.
“Thank you, Overlord!”
“Long live the Overlord!”
“Long live!”
“Farewell!”
Pietro and the former king, now dethroned, couldn’t see them off due to medical treatment.
Instead, countless citizens came out to bless Yuri and her companions on their journey.
“I thought Pietro would lose. The former king was no joke. He must have been a real fighter in his youth. Wow…”
Jared’s words made Yuri smile softly.
“Actually, Pietro lost.”
“Huh?”
“Pietro lost the fight.”
Yuri glanced back.
The castle of Konzhed was growing distant.
“At the end, the former king regained consciousness.”
“Really?”
“But he didn’t get up.”
Yuri recalled the moment.
With vision beyond human limits, he could see exactly the condition of both duelists.
The former king lay flat, squinting up at the sky.
He clearly had the strength to stand.
Yet, as the count progressed, he chose to remain lying down.
Thus, he was placed on the scale like a piece of meat and accepted defeat.
“Is that so? That guy…”
Laurent, who had been quietly listening, spoke up.
“He must have known. That the tide had already turned.”
“Then why fight at all?”
“Maybe he just wanted to land one last blow.”
Jared tilted his head.
Yuri smiled.
“Maybe his heart just changed at the last moment. People’s hearts are like that, aren’t they?”
“He seemed so greedy, though.”
“You can beat a young man’s fist, but you can’t beat the will of countless people. It wasn’t Pietro’s punch that brought him down—it was the hearts of the people.”
“A lesson to be learned…”
“Anyway, we did what we had to. Now, to the Mage Tower!”
“Yes!”
In an instant, the three left Konzhed behind.
Guided by a wizard, Yuri and her party entered Tatago’s workshop.
Opening the door inside the Mage Tower revealed a vast library made entirely of books. The ceiling soared so high that the books at the top seemed unreachable.
The three stepped in hesitantly.
“Is Tatago here?”
Jared’s voice echoed.
The endless rows of bookshelves stretched like dominoes, making it easy to get lost if they moved carelessly.
“There are so many books.”
“Look at this.”
Yuri pulled a book from the shelf and opened it.
It was filled with dense writing in a language she had never seen before.
“Of course, it’s Tatago. Trying to decipher such an unknown language…”
“The thirst for knowledge is incredible.”
As they marveled, footsteps echoed from afar.
The three turned their heads.
An old man with a long white beard was approaching.
“Oh…”
Yuri was impressed.
She had imagined Sidhurst, the master of the Mage Tower, as the typical wizard type, but this man surpassed that.
His glossy beard and hair, a pointed gray hat with a wide brim.
His eyes, shining with a sharp, clear light beneath wrinkled lids.
“Strange visitors…”
His voice, deepened by age, boomed as if amplified by a sound system.
“What brings you to seek an old man buried in truth?”
Yuri stepped forward and extended her hand politely.
“I am Yuri Briol. I have long heard of Tatago’s reputation.”
“Ho…”
Tatago looked down at her.
“You are Marie Rose’s husband.”
“That’s right.”
“Hmm…”
Tatago’s gaze turned cold, and Yuri tensed.
He was Marie Rose’s mentor. Meeting him felt like meeting a father-in-law.
Finally, Tatago spoke.
“Love and cherish each other.”
“Pardon?”
“Having lived in different worlds, your thoughts may differ. Even parents and siblings often fail to understand each other. How much more so for two strangers forming a family.”
“Yes, yes…”
“The only way to mend those small misunderstandings is through affection, attention, and conversation. I hope you embrace each other with a broad heart.”
At first, Yuri was taken aback by the sudden sermon, but she felt Tatago’s warm spirit.
“I will remember that.”
“Good.”
Tatago patted Yuri’s shoulder.
“Since you’ve come to me, you must need help.”
“Yes.”
“While I’ve been holed up, turning my back on the world, much has happened. I’m a mediocre wizard, but I’m sorry I couldn’t help sooner. You’ve worked hard.”
All the wizards Yuri had met so far had their quirks. But Tatago was different.
She felt as if she had met a grandfather she’d never known.
“So, what is it?”
“I need your artifact, Mamago.”
“Mamago…?”
“Yes.”
Yuri explained the situation to Tatago.
Upon hearing about the mysterious civilization from across the sea, Tatago stroked his beard thoughtfully.
“Hmm…”
“If it’s Mamago, you should be able to communicate with them, right?”
“Quite possible.”
“Then…”
“But Mamago isn’t a tool you can wield at will…”
“Not wield at will?”
“I did present it to the magical community, but there’s something I didn’t mention.”
Tatago sighed.
“Language is never fixed.”
“Yes.”
“The same words can mean entirely different things depending on the speaker’s intent.”
“That’s true.”
“To solve that problem, I made a certain attempt…”
Tatago hesitated, then nodded.
“It’s better if I show you. Follow me.”
“Alright.”
Tatago turned and led them through countless bookshelves to a corridor connecting several rooms.
He brought something out of one room.
“This is…”
A sword.
Not ornate, but the blade was sharp and clearly a fine weapon.
“Why a sword all of a sudden?”
Tatago silently handed it over.
The moment Yuri grasped the hilt—
[Be more polite! Gripping the handle so tightly, are you trying to stab the old man?]
Yuri startled and dropped the sword. It vibrated angrily on the floor.
“W-what is this?”
Tatago closed his eyes, stroking his beard as he answered.
“This is Mamago.”
Yuri sighed deeply, watching the sword wobble on the table.
Mamago, created by Tatago, was the legendary “Ego Sword” spoken of only in myths.
“To create a perfect artifact that conveys even the speaker’s intent, I had to create a personality. It miraculously succeeded, but it turned out to be a bit of an odd fellow.”
“Hmm…”
“Probably because of the Dragon Heart embedded in the blade.”
Interpreting all languages is easier said than done. That’s why Mamago uses the Dragon Heart as a core material.
The Dragon Heart can hold immense magical power and even carries traces of the “Dragon Language,” a unique and unparalleled form of speech.
But by this era, it was impossible to find a pure Dragon Heart.
So, after much searching, Tatago managed to acquire a treasured sword forged from an alloy that included melted Dragon Heart.
“I enchanted that sword to create a being capable of interpreting every language. And this little guy right here is the result.”
“Yes…”
“He’s quite a stubborn one, so handling him won’t be easy.”
“That’s fine.”
Though caught off guard by the unexpected turn, Yuri remained completely composed.
“Who do you think I am? The continent’s strongest swordsman. There’s no one better at wielding a blade than me.”
“That may be true, but…”
“Tatago, let me tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“There’s no such thing as a bad sword in this world.”
Yuri smiled faintly.
“A guardian’s approach can turn even a troublemaker like Mamago into a kind and gentle blade.”
“Really?”
“I’ll show you.”
Yuri lifted the sword.
Immediately, Mamago started shouting.
[Hey! How dare you try to use me? I’m not just any ordinary tool—I’m Mamago! I don’t take orders from the likes of you!]
Mamago could only make noise by absorbing a small amount of mana through direct contact with a person.
“You’re really noisy.”
Ignoring Mamago, Yuri ran the sword up and down, then simply struck the ground.
Clang!
[Screeeech!]
“Nice sound.”
[You crazy bastard…]
Clang!
[Screeeech! What are you doing? Are you insane?!]
“Tatago, please cover your ears for a moment.”
Krrrrrk.
[Stop it! Please! Don’t handle me so roughly!]
“You’re a sword. But you seem to think you’re not.”
[Wait! Let’s talk this out!]
“Swordsmen don’t talk things out.”
[I’m not just a sword!]
“You are. A sword is a weapon. Swordsmanship is the art of killing.”
Yuri called Jared over.
“Draw your blade, Jared.”
“Huh?”
“It looks like Mamago needs some professional training. I’ll have to teach him how to be used like a proper sword.”
“Understood.”
As Jared drew his sword, Mamago thrashed about.
[You’re going to make me clash with that filthy thing?!]
“Of course!”
Yuri swung Mamago, and Jared met the strike with his own blade.
A clear metallic ring echoed.
The resonance was so pure, it was hard to believe two swords had just clashed.
Jared was impressed.
“You said it contains Dragon Heart—this really is a masterpiece.”
“Indeed. An excellent sword.”
Yuri glanced at Mamago.
[Ugh…]
Surprisingly, Mamago was quiet.
Yuri smirked.
“How’s that?”
[I-I’m offended! Put me down right now!]
“I don’t think so.”
Yuri swung the sword a few more times.
Mamago, who had been thrashing and yelling every time it clashed with Jared’s blade, soon fell silent.
Words aside, it must have felt good.
Mamago was, after all, a sword that couldn’t help itself.
“Tatago, do you know why this one’s personality is so broken?”
“No idea. I just assumed it was born that way…”
“There’s no such thing as a bad sword.”
“Then what exactly…?”
“The biggest reason this one turned out like this is ‘lack of activity.’”
Tatago’s eyes widened.
“Lack of activity?!”
“The sword’s desires weren’t fulfilled because it wasn’t used properly as a sword. That caused stress to build up. On top of that, it never clashed with other swords, so it lacks social skills. In other words, because it wasn’t given an environment where it could live as a proper sword, it became a rude blade that lashes out at anyone!”
“Th-That’s…!”