Chapter 12 – Episode 12 ― Are You Eating? (3)
Episode 12 ― Are you eating? (3)
Castle Hero Biography is a type of game in which you build abilities and items to defeat the demon king while raising the favorability of the main characters that appear. It can be said that it is a mixture of yagam with a simple RPG.
Similar to farming civilians’ houses in RPGs to replenish items and equipment, in this Castle Hero biography, there were cases in which items were replenished through passing NPCs and 19 gold.
19 In order to do gold, the favorability of the NPC must be above a certain level. So, even if it is not the main character to be attacked, if it is an NPC designated as a target with 19 gold, you can see the affinity value.
It’s not that all female NPCs passing by show the affinity, but only a few NPCs you can interact with.
But this demonic sword is not an NPC… ?
‘No, how should I interact… ?’
Imaginations as dangerous as hell came to mind for a moment, then disappeared.
The positive resolution from earlier was gone, and Roan sat down beside her sword. It doesn’t seem to talk to me like the magic swords in games or novels. However, whenever I put my hand on her, it bothers me that the likability level floats up and then disappears.
“Your Majesty, did you cough?”
A servant’s voice was heard outside. He must have heard Roan walking back and forth in the room.
“… Hmm.”
It wasn’t clear whether it was a moan or an answer.
And in such a dazed state, not knowing how he had finished his meal, Roan arrived at the training ground.
Perhaps because of the devil’s vicious personality, there was a training ground dedicated to him in the castle. It was a vast vacant lot prepared with scarecrows and practice weapons for batting practice.
‘No, this is the size of a parade ground.’
If it was a training facility for knights or soldiers, it would be understandable. However, the space is so large that it feels a bit excessive to use alone.
“I feel empty because I grew up, but um… Good.”
Roan, who confirmed that there was no one in the training ground by ‘detection’, drew her sword from her scabbard.
No one taught him how to draw a sword, but the demon king’s body naturally stretched out the sheath and fired the sword.
“Hoo…”
I didn’t expect my body to get used to it.
How to hold the sword, the angle to hold the scabbard, and the speed at which the sword is drawn.
A movement like flowing water, just like when you felt magical energy moving before.
It was such a perfect movement that I felt embarrassed about why I couldn’t sleep at night.
“Then then.”
My body was already moving before I even thought about which direction or how to swing the sword.
“… It’s awesome.”
Roan was amazed. He was a person who used his body in the original world. However, he surprised him with his incomparable speed and accuracy.
Roan focused on the sword skills he knew. He started with simple downward and upward slashes, paying attention to the movement of the sword in his head and slowly began to move his hands and feet.
The trail of the magic sword, lightly swung as if it were moving its own body, left a beautiful black line in the air.
“Suck!”
With a moment of spirit, Roan gave strength and sprayed the sword. Then, the black aura that escaped from Fiora condensed and flew toward the scarecrow.
In an instant, the scarecrow shattered into fragments.
Roan looked at the trail he had made with his wide eyes.
“Wow.”
That was the moment. A lively sound effect was heard.
“… No way.”
Roan looked down at the sword.
The favorability of the sword had risen to +40.
“No, what is this…”
[What is it? I practice seriously like this.]
The clear female voice was transmitted to Roan’s brain.
“…”
[Yes, I was mad at you. But it can’t be helped…]
“Really… Was it a magic sword?”
Roan muttered in a dull voice.
And the sword didn’t say anything.
“… ? Can’t you hear me?”
[Do not shake.]
A slightly annoyed woman’s voice followed.
[… Are you not Roan?]
Roan was startled.
“What… Say… ?”
[You are the one who occupied Roan’s body.]
It was the most shocking thing to hear after coming to this world. The demon king, no, the substance inside of him stood there, holding a sword, not knowing what to do.
Fiora, the demonic sword, said in a slightly lonely voice.
[If I had known it would be the last time, I would have said goodbye properly.]
“… Fiora, how could I not be the demon king…”
[Do you know my name?]
Suddenly, the sword’s voice soared several octaves. It was a completely different tone from the calm atmosphere a moment ago.
[Did Roan tell you?]
After a moment of hesitation, Roan replied.
“No. I never met the real Roan. When he opened his eyes, he was in this body.”
[Then how do you know my name?]
“Your name is famous. I heard.”
In the game. Roan swallowed his words behind him. It wouldn’t make sense to say that this world was a game world anyway.
[Famous… Now that I have come, my name remains in this world…]
The voice of a woman with a complicated heart rang softly. Momentary silence. Said Fiora.
[Hello. Nice to meet you I’m blooming It is a sword that improves the user.]
“Hi. My name is…”
He shut his mouth. He was a man who was no longer 100 percent sure of who he was.
The woman’s voice spoke softly, as if she understood his mind.
[Roan said that soon someone would use her body. There are many things I want to ask, but that’s all I know. It’s not the first time I’ve had a change of owner, so I didn’t ask. I didn’t think that only the contents would change like this.]
At the end, it was a voice tinged with laughter.
[But he thinks he deserves it if he’s that guy. I don’t know if you know, but I was quite insane.]
“… I know that for sure.”
Reading the irritation, anger, and discouragement in his voice, the demonic sword smiled brightly.
[Whoops. I know that feeling. He had amazing talent and skills, but in the end it might have been just a burden to him.]
“Load?”
[Yes.]
After a brief reply, silence as if thinking about it. It was Fiora who broke the silence first.
[Even if you’re not Roan, it’s hard to deny completely since you’re using that body. After all, the shell of a person is just as important as the core.
I see someone like Roan, so I’ll just call him Roan. You don’t even have to risk revealing your name.]
“… Thank you.”
Roan felt grateful to Fiora for clearing up his hesitating mind.
[I never thought I would hear such words from Roan’s mouth. It’s pretty fresh.]
The joy of hearing Roan’s thanks soon faded from her voice.
[Now, then let’s see how much more you can grow?]
“Ok?”
So, several hours passed. Exhausted, Roan felt like he knew why the Demon King became so strong. In her first self-introduction, the words ‘a sword that improves the user’ must not have been empty words.
“…”
[Don’t be rude. If Roan had her abilities, she knows that she wouldn’t even be able to breathe.]
Roan glared at her sword with her eyes narrowed.
[I can see everything~]
“No how…”
[You’re blowing sword energy.]
It seems that the range of sword energy is similar to what humans feel with their senses.
At the end of Fiora’s harsh nagging, Roan had to try out the swordsmanship originally possessed by the Demon King, from basic to applied. Her body was used to it, but her core wasn’t, and she was getting quite tired from the accumulation of fatigue.
[Still, do you move your body better than you thought?]
“… I’m tired.”
[It must be a mental problem. Originally, that body is like a monster, so it doesn’t get tired. By the way, did you originally use a sword too? Were you used to it?]
Roan blankly tried to recall the memory of another world.
“No, even if I do, it’s very rare.”
Do you use a kitchen knife as a sword? I’ve used iron pipes a lot.
[Huh. It takes time for him to learn new behaviors that he couldn’t do. If you weren’t originally a swordsman, you must be quite talented. I managed to look like the real Roan in sword fighting. That’s great!]
“I’m not happy at all when you praise me now.”
Roan answered with a single smile. It was Fiora who did a lot of things, but she didn’t hold back her praise. Roan decided to think that he had a trainer who was a bit far-fetched.
After taking out sword skills, what Fiora started to practice was the use of skills.
In a situation where there was no place to ask for help, Fiora was the first place Roan could lean on. When Roan brought up her concerns about the skill, Fiora was blaming Roan without a break.
‘Wow, that’s really merciless…’
[Can you feel it? The one in that corner. Think of focusing on that point.]
“Hmm…”
[You can’t turn off the sword. Then I don’t know what I have.]
“Ugh. Concentration… , You seem to be focused.”
[We are gradually expanding the range as it is. The density is not blurred, and it is as it is stacked.]
“Um…”
It seems that the skill that is normally activated is part of the power that the skill can produce. It is also said that it can be used by concentrating on something and making more detailed adjustments or expanding it widely.
Conversely, he said that he could consume more power than usual and produce a so-called ‘full power’ state.
[It will take a lot of practice for the skill. Skills that have not yet been leveled are like unpolished gemstones. You can beat people to death with it, but it’s not pretty. I have more room to grow, so I have to practice. As a sword, I can’t grow anymore, but you can. It’s a blessing.]
They even say phrases that are correct, leaving no room for rebuttal.
In fact, the level of the skill grows even in the game. The demon lord’s skill didn’t have a level yet. Skills grow while controlling and practicing them or using specific artifacts, but due to the nature of the demon king, he would have been bothered by all of those things.
‘Besides, I didn’t even think to look for the artifact even though it was right in front of me.’
Because you said you’ve never been to a library.
Looking back now, I think the hero must have thought of breaking into enemy camps and searching through other people’s libraries and parlors. Anyway, there are more reasons to go to the library.
‘Ah, it’s actually not the hero, but the player.’
[Miscellaneous thoughts! Wandering thoughts!]
“… Sorry.”
[Hmm, living things have to eat, so I can’t help it. Lunch time will pass.]
Still, having someone practice is valuable. Compared to the first time, I felt as if I vaguely knew the feeling of increasing or decreasing the range of skills or concentrating on one point.
[Then, shall we unfold what we practiced one last time? This time, let’s use ‘Overwhelm’. Finish well and go for a meal with a happy heart.]
Roan consciously focused on his own skill, Overwhelm. Think about the range you feel, then expand the range.
[Expand it by making it look like water gushing out of a spring wets the ground. It’s good if you can pay attention to the density. ]
An image overflowing with water, overflowing with water…
A fountain in Roan’s head came out of a small place and began to wet the ground. Thinking that today was the last practice, I felt like I was able to concentrate a little more. Going to eat soon! Roan involuntarily began to become more engrossed.
Water wets the ground The overflowing water starts to pool. In Roan’s image, the water soon covers the entire land and gradually expands the water surface. The puddle that was splashing around becomes a small pond, and then it becomes a bigger and bigger pond, and small waves hit, like a bigger lake…
[… Only! Stop! Roan?!]
Hot, Roan inhaled. Fiora said worriedly after a moment.
[… Roan, are you okay?]
“It’s okay, I am.”
[No, not you.]
Fiora had no face, but she spoke as if looking into the castle.
[The people inside me.]
