The World Does Not Exist for ■■

Translator: FenrirTL
Editor: ford53
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< Chapter 25: A Coincidence for the Heroine (6) >

The warehouse was charred black in all directions.

Beyond a half-collapsed wall, through molten rebar and burnt debris, two elves were searching for something.

Digging through the burnt bone fragments, overturning the collapsed remains, each gesture released a pungent smell, and every step kicked up ash and soot.

The tedious search went on for quite a while, but the object they were looking for was nowhere to be found.

Only after they were covered in soot from head to toe did the two elves stop their search and slump to the ground.

Following a brief silence, as the floating ash began to settle, the silver-haired elf, Rime, was the first to speak.

“Comrade Miridis. It’s time we stop.”

“…Comrade Rime.”

“Considering it hasn’t turned up after such a thorough search, it must have already been taken by humans.”

Silver-haired Elf, Rime, spoke calmly, as if talking about a lost object was not a big deal.

Hearing his voice, Miridis lowered her head, her hands trembling slightly.

“Would my brothers… blame me?”

“Comrade Miridis. There’s no need for such words. Leu and Leon also gambled their lives on your ideals by coming to Earth.”

“But…”

“There’s nothing wrong with hoping for peace.”

Rime continued while patting Miridis’s shoulder.

“If you give up here, it would only render their deaths meaningless.”

“…Thank you, Rime.”

Rime didn’t respond but just silently embraced Miridis, patting her back until her trembling ceased.

As time passed, a breeze from somewhere blew through. It carried the warmth of the morning sun.

Has it been this long already? The two elves stood up without a cue from one another.

“Let’s search a bit more for the last time.”

“If that’s what you wish, comrade.”

They were about to start searching through the burnt warehouse again, but at that moment, someone appeared beyond the collapsed wall.

Sensing the newcomers, both elves drew their weapons and turned around.

“Who… are you?”

Their expressions turned blank as soon as they saw the face of the newcomer.

Emerging from behind the wall were a woman wearing an eye patch and a man who seemed to have been dragged along by her.

Both faces were familiar to the elves. The man was the very human they fought not long ago, and the woman with the eye patch was…

“…Holy Sword, Freya Khan?”

“Oh, you recognize me?”

It was impossible not to. The Earthling who had disgraced the Holy Empire beyond the dimensional gate by receiving the Blessing of the Holy Sword. How could they not recognize such a celebrity?

“…Why are you here?”

Miridis inadvertently looked at the human man who was sighing heavily next to Freya Khan.

Could this be a trap? Was the information about her brothers’ corpses being here all a lie?

Contrary to her expectations, she sensed no hostility from the two.

If anything, she even felt a slight kindness from Freya Khan.

“Shall we start with introductions? Princess of the Elves?”

“…Princess? Elves are all equal. Just because my father is the Secretary-General, it doesn’t make me a princess.”

“Ah, is that so? My apologies. I’m not so good with these things. Then what should I call you?”

“Miridis. That’s enough.”

Freya Khan briefly glanced at Rime, who still held her sword ready, with a look that seemed to ask for her name, but Rime did not respond.

Feeling a bit embarrassed, Freya Khan shrugged.

“Well, okay then, Miss Miridis? You’re planning to go to the academy on Lord Howe Island, right?”

“…How did you know?”

“The news spread far and wide. Not that Miss Miridis is enrolling, but rumors that an elf is enrolling are known worldwide.”

“… ”

“Anyway, I was thinking of escorting Miss Miridis safely to the academy. How about it?”

At her offer, Miridis narrowed her eyes in confusion.

“Why would you show such kindness to me?”

“I’d rather prevent Demerond from crossing the dimensional gate if Miss Miridis gets hurt. Your father is somewhat… Well, you know, right?”

Freya Khan held back from saying, ‘Because your father is a lunatic who would terrorize Earth given the chance.’

Fortunately, Miridis seemed to understand her sentiments and nodded awkwardly.

After pondering for a moment, Miridis turned her gaze to the man standing beside Freya Khan.

“Did you chase after me with the same intentions?”

The human man, Dung Beetle, met her gaze and let out a light sigh before speaking.

“No. I was dragged here.”

“…Dragged here?”

Freya Khan cut in as she overheard their conversation.

“No big deal, I picked him up while tracking you guys down.”

Picked up. Miridis looked at him with slight bewilderment. Dung Beetle simply shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly and asked her,

“Anyway, did you find the keepsakes?”

Keepsakes. Upon hearing that word, Miridis’s expression darkened.

“…No, not yet.”

“Two superhumans can’t find it? Must be quite a small object?”

“Yes, two small necklaces.”

Dung Beetle covered his mouth, racking his brain. He remembered the day when he rose from the ashes in the warehouse, the maggots had shouted that they found necklaces on the bodies of the elves.

“­Hey! Jackpot! There are necklaces on these elf corpses!”

It was somewhere deep in the warehouse… After pondering briefly, Dung Beetle said to Freya Khan,

“Senior.”

“Senior? Call me Master.”

Ignoring her nonsense, Dung Beetle continued,

“…Could you wait for about 30 minutes?”

“To find those keepsakes or whatever? Can you do it in 30 minutes?”

“Yes, that should be enough.”

With those words, Dung Beetle stepped into the ruins. Passing by Miridis, who looked at him with expectant eyes, and Rime, who watched him like a hawk, he stood where the center of the warehouse used to be.

He tried to recall where the bodies of the elves had been. Fortunately or unfortunately, the spot where the elves’ bodies lay was buried under the collapsed ceiling debris.

Dung Beetle glanced back at the group watching him and held out his hand.

“Could someone lend me a sword?”

Surprisingly, Rime was the one who handed him a sword. She promptly threw her sword at Dung Beetle.

Catching the flying sword, Dung Beetle swung it towards the collapsed wall.

Boom!

The sword, laden with the surging mana of Pyangyeol, shattered the partially burnt concrete pile. Ash poured out from the broken concrete.

Ignoring the coughing from behind him, Dung Beetle used the sword and mana like a broom to clear away the ash and debris.

His skills, honed during his time as a cleaner, hadn’t gone anywhere; in less than three minutes, he had found all sorts of items hidden beneath the ash.

‘That’s a dud.’

Next spot, and the one after.

Around the fourth wall he broke down and started clearing the ash and debris, something shimmering caught his eye.

“Found it.”

Dung Beetle unearthed two seed-shaped gold nuggets from the ash. It seemed the chains had melted away, leaving only traces around the nuggets.

“Ah!”

The two elves’ faces noticeably brightened upon seeing the necklaces. Dung Beetle handed them the sword and the two keepsakes with a relieved expression.

“Thank you. I will surely repay this kindness… later.”

Tears welled up in Miridis’s eyes as she received the keepsakes. The clear tears washed away the pale ash as they streamed down.

Rime, standing behind her, also appeared to struggle with her emotions, her eyes brimming with tears.

Suddenly having made the two women cry, Dung Beetle couldn’t handle the atmosphere. He stepped back from the elves, waiting for them to compose themselves.

“You went out of your way to find keepsakes. Your nature isn’t so bad, after all.”

Freya Khan, who had approached him at some point, spoke up.

‘Not so bad by nature… If it hadn’t been the elf princess, I would have killed her last time.’

Dung Beetle suppressed a bitter smile. Though there was give and take in his actions, there was nothing that could be considered goodwill.

He thought about the owners of these keepsakes… the elves whom Miridis referred to as her older brothers.

The Player…

Yes, these two elves were potential allies with the same enemy.

Someday, when avenging against the Player, the goodwill he showed to the elves would surely become a great strength.

While Dung Beetle was lost in thought, Freya Khan looked at him with a curious expression.

She smacked her lips and said,

“Hey, are you really not considering becoming my disciple?”

“…I apologize.”

“Why do you refuse? Is it because I attacked you with a sword out of the blue?”

“That’s not why. Rather, I have received teachings from you. It’s just due to my personal circumstances.”

Dung Beetle politely expressed his refusal.

This was the third time. Once at the bar, once while being dragged to the warehouse, and now.

By now, even Freya Khan seemed to regret it a little.

“It’s a shame. No matter how talented you are, if you learn on your own, you’ll hit a limit eventually… What a waste.”

“I am sorry.”

“What’s there to be sorry about… Hey, how about entering the academy instead?”

The academy? Dung Beetle inadvertently furrowed his brows.

“If you want, I can write a recommendation for you.”

“… ”

“Even if you’re not my direct disciple, you won’t waste your talent if you go to the academy. Besides, it would be nice for Miss Miridis to have someone she knows when enrolling.”

Dung Beetle offered an awkward smile. He pondered internally how to refuse the offer. Seeing his expression, Freya Khan sighed.

“Weren’t you smitten with the elf? Tsk, my sensibilities have really declined.”

Fortunately, Freya Khan did not push the matter further. Instead, she pulled something out of her pocket and offered it to Dung Beetle.

“Then at least take this.”

What she handed him was a palm-sized dagger. The blue-gleaming blade of the dagger was densely engraved with letters.

Not of this Earth, but from beyond the dimensional gate.

“…What is this?”

“This is the weapon that contains the essence of the swordplay I swung at you back in the bar.”

A weapon containing the essence of martial arts? Dung Beetle unwittingly widened his eyes, alternating his gaze between the dagger and Freya Khan.

“Why would you give this to me…?”

“Just because.”

“… ”

“Kidding. I’m giving it to you because it looks like you need it.”

She placed the dagger in Dung Beetle’s hand and continued,

“Having the ability to copy martial arts by sight is a splendid talent, but it’ll eventually become a poison. Eventually, your talent, body, and mana will all go their separate ways.”

It was advice from someone who had reached a monumental level of mastery. Dung Beetle took her counsel to heart.

“The martial arts within the dagger focus on balance. It should prevent any extreme disparities.”

“…May I ask the name of this swordplay?”

“Do you know what I was called before I was known as the Holy Sword?”

At her question, Dung Beetle recalled the name of the swordplay he had seen in documentaries.

“Comet Blade…?”

“You know it well. That’s its name.”

Dung Beetle looked anew at the blue dagger. The Comet Blade containing the true essence. It was an indescribable treasure, a stroke of luck.

He carefully tucked the dagger into his pocket.

Meanwhile, the elves seemed to have regained their composure and approached Freya Khan, wiping away their tears.

Freya Khan crossed her arms and looked at the two elves.

“So, what’s it going to be? Miss Miridis.”

“…I will accept Holy Sword’s kindness.”

“Good, you’ve made the right decision.”

As soon as the two elves agreed, snap. Freya Khan flicked her fingers.

Three brightly shining feathers appeared out of thin air, settling onto the shoulders of Freya Khan and the two elves.

With the feathers securely in place, Freya Khan grinned at Dung Beetle.

“See you next time, young sir.”

“Yes, I will see you again.”

Dung Beetle gave a respectful bow. The elves blinked, not understanding the exchange between the two.

“Excuse me, what exactly are these feathers…”

Before Miridis could finish her sentence, Freya Khan flicked her finger once more.

Snap.

With that sound, the three vanished from Dung Beetle’s sight.

Just like when they met, it was a casual farewell.