Chapter 33: On the Matter Between Weapons and Weapons
Ying obediently followed Joshua’s words and sat down on a chair beside him.
Facing the warrior who had begun to reminisce, the silver-haired girl let out a soft sigh, though she was not troubled by her master’s sudden distraction.
Because her master was always like this.
Perhaps the Divine Mechanism young lady had only just been born not long ago and did not yet understand her master’s true character and daily habits, but based on what she had seen since forming the contract with the black-haired warrior, Ying knew that Joshua often fell into such states—speaking one moment, then suddenly lost in thought for some unknown reason the next.
At such times, the warrior was as silent as a stone, like a statue, so still that one could hardly imagine how blazingly fierce he became in battle, exploding and burning like molten lava, raging with fire.
A motionless statue and boiling lava—sometimes, one truly could not understand how these two utterly different images could be merged into one…
The Divine Mechanism young lady did not know the reason, nor did she particularly wish to know. Following her master was enough; there was no need to overthink things.
“I really want to spar with him.”
Suddenly, a remark like this came from beside her.
Without needing to think, Ying knew that the “him” in her master’s words was, barring any surprises, the golden swordsman from earlier.
Although she didn’t particularly like that swordsman for some subtle reasons, the silver-haired girl had to admit that his strength was not weak—especially when Brandon’s eyes turned into a pair of red and blue pupils while searching for the hidden golden magical beast in the sky… Even without being directly stared at, it felt as if one was completely seen through, as if one could be killed at any moment.
Those were eyes blessed by order, seeing through all weaknesses.
And Joshua’s muttered musings continued.
“The future Sword Saint—even now, his martial skills must be exceptional. Once the beast tide ends, if he has the time, I really should spar with him and experience the legendary ‘Direct Death’ firsthand…”
But before he could finish, light footsteps came from outside the reception room.
The door opened, and a maid dressed in white servant attire appeared at the entrance. She held a set of hunting clothes common among nobles, looking somewhat restrained as she gazed into the room.
“This… milord… your… clothes have… arrived.”
The maid looked at the black-haired, red-eyed warrior sitting in the chair, seemingly deep in thought, and immediately felt as if various illusions appeared before her eyes. Though she knew this was a distinguished figure who had come from afar to offer aid and deserved respect, in her eyes, the person sitting there seemed like a convergence of all the most terrifying objects and beings she had ever feared, emitting waves of dreadful fluctuation.
Her hands trembling slightly, the maid nervously swallowed and spoke with a shaky voice: “This is Mr. Brandon’s, never used, prepared for winter hunting, originally meant for him and his wife…”
“Thank you. Just place the clothes on the chair over there.”
Interrupting her jumbled speech, the warrior instructed her to put the clothes on a chair not far from the door.
Watching the maid before him become flustered and on the verge of fainting from nervousness just because he was looking at her, Joshua sighed inwardly.
(Is it because of the previous battle that I’ve earned some achievement related to intimidation? To react like this at first sight—this is clearly already at the level of a fear aura.)
After setting down the clothes, the maid hurriedly bowed, then trotted away, leaving the room.
(Come to think of it, that maid named Night is definitely not an ordinary person. Others, who haven’t seen blood and lack courage in their hearts, probably react like this when they see me. But she treated me like a normal person, staying calm without showing any sign of it. And judging by how she treated Brandon, her identity is likely more than just a maid.)
Thinking this, Joshua walked over and picked up the clothes from the chair. His muscles contracted, then he gave a shake, brushing off the remaining dust, blood scabs, and fragments of iron and embers from his body, before crisply putting on the clothes.
…A bit tight. Brandon’s clothes were at least one size smaller. The warrior estimated that if he used his muscles forcefully, he would probably achieve a “shirt-bursting” effect.
Brandon and that Countess of the Skarlet family still had no news, but Joshua wasn’t bothered by the wait. It was comfortable here, and sitting a while longer wouldn’t hurt.
After waiting quietly for some more time, footsteps—sounding somewhat unsteady—came from the distant spiral staircase, and the door to the reception room opened.
A somewhat frail-looking lady entered, carefully supported by the golden-haired swordsman.
She had violet-colored hair. Though her face appeared young, even youthful enough to be called a girl, the expression in her brows and eyes was mature, revealing an undeniable weariness.
She looked at Joshua, who had been sitting and was now standing. After they exchanged bows in greeting, she spoke softly: “Joshua Radcliffe, Count of Moldavia. I thank you for being willing to come and help my territory resist the Black Tide… Your courage and virtue shine like stars. Please accept the highest respect from the Skarlet family, from me, Verdani.”
“It’s not solely to help you. I came here for other purposes.”
Shaking his head, Joshua spoke bluntly without pleasantries. His gaze instinctively swept over Verdani, and his combat instincts immediately began analyzing the state of this golden-rank mage, easily spotting countless flaws on her.
—Distance: 8.71 meters. No armor on the opponent. Magical aura dim, no arcane protective gear. Both Brandon and Verdani are mentally exhausted, with reaction delays of 0.31 and 0.91 seconds respectively. Neither is on guard against me.
If I were to launch a surprise attack, there’s a certain chance they would be stunned for an instant. Perhaps I could kill them directly at some cost.
Brandon is fully focused on watching over Verdani, but because of that, his ability to react to a sudden attack aimed at him would be reduced. The opening strike could attempt to exploit this.
Though it was only instinctive analysis, Brandon and Verdani still felt a chill run through them. Even though they were in the warm reception room, it was as if they had suddenly been thrust into the freezing snow of the suburbs at minus thirty degrees.
They naturally sensed that this threat came from the warrior before them, and both frowned, looking at him with puzzled expressions.
“My apologies.”
All these thoughts happened in an instant. Joshua came to his senses, shook his head, and apologized: “Because both of you are not in good condition, I subconsciously had…”
The urge to attack? The desire to strike? The readiness for battle?
Weighing his words, but after thinking for a long time, he found them all too harsh, so the warrior simply stopped speaking and shook his head.
“…It’s nothing. On the contrary, as a warrior, having such a strong offensive drive is actually a good thing.”
Exchanging a glance with the golden swordsman, the violet-haired countess coughed, and then Brandon took over the reply. He shrugged: “I occasionally get eager to fight a worthy opponent too. It’s no big deal.”
Now that the fortress was blocked by the beast tide, the stronger and more aggressive the reinforcements, the better. This black-haired warrior might not look like a good person, but he wasn’t the type to harm his own allies.
“Perhaps so.”
Responding, Joshua frowned slightly, feeling as if he had been defined. He looked at the two of them, one supporting the other in such an intimate manner, and sighed unconsciously: “Countess Verdani, your safety is the best news. A golden-rank mage can exert far more power on the battlefield than Brandon and I, two golden-rank warriors. But I am not one for many words…”
He paused, then said directly: “So it’s better to speak plainly. I want to go to the city walls now to check on the fortress’s damage and the soldiers’ morale. If there’s nothing else to inform me of, I won’t disturb your rest any longer.”
“No, I came here precisely to tell you some special information about this beast tide… You’re right. I won’t be overly polite either.”
Understanding Joshua’s intent, Brandon nodded. He actually found this attitude quite agreeable: “But before that, I think there’s another matter to mention first, and it’s definitely not idle courtesy.”
The warrior stood aside, silent, indicating he was listening.
“Your armor was destroyed by the magic dragon’s breath while aiding us…”
Looking over the warrior’s tight winter hunting clothes, the golden-haired warrior naturally recognized them as a spare set of his own. He recalled his own hand, burned by molten iron, and sighed inwardly before continuing: “If you don’t mind, we can provide you with a new set of armor. It may not fit as well as your previous one, but in terms of defense, it won’t be inferior.”
Though, given the opponent’s physical strength, ordinary armor was essentially useless, offering to cover the loss was a basic matter of attitude.
“And, if the Count lacks a suitable weapon, I can also gift you an exceptional-grade weapon.”
The violet-haired mage added another compensation alongside her husband. As she spoke, she showed a proud smile: “The main city of the Skarlet family sits on the unfrozen river, with annual trade volume even exceeding that of the Wilson family. We even have legendary weapons in our collection, though none are in the fortress’s warehouse. Otherwise, providing one for you wouldn’t be a big deal.”
“What?”
A soft voice came from behind Joshua. Only now did Brandon and Verdani notice the petite, silver-haired, green-eyed girl.
And Ying looked at these two equally annoying people with a wary gaze, speaking softly: “A new weapon?”