HRB 80

“Are you not going to tell me until the end?”

Ketron glanced down at the Holy Sword as he heard the voice while warming up.

Since a few days ago, the Holy Sword had been singing about what he had done with Eddie that night. Ketron sighed softly.

“You said you’ve seen previous owners do it too. Why the sudden interest?”

“It’s different this time. I didn’t care who the other person was back then, but now it’s Eddie.”

Ketron’s eyebrows twitched. What difference did that make?

That the other person was Eddie, not just anyone?

Whether Ketron frowned or not, the Holy Sword continued to speak.

“Eddie’s voice was different than usual. He was moaning and saying he liked it, right? I’m just curious about what he liked! You were almost half out of your mind, saying you liked it the whole time, right? I shouted at you back then, but you didn’t even pretend to listen.”

“…”

He swore, he really didn’t remember that. The Holy Sword said he had been watching their relationship quietly and then asked what they were doing, but Ketron had no memory of hearing the Holy Sword’s voice.

Either the Holy Sword’s memory was distorted, or…

Ketron was so immersed and focused on the situation that he couldn’t hear the Holy Sword’s voice. Probably the latter.

Ketron clicked his tongue. He shouldn’t have done it where this guy was.

But he couldn’t help it in that situation. Ketron was out of his mind too. At that moment, his heart was pounding as if it would jump out of his chest, and his excitement was at its peak.

At that time, Eddie was the only thing in his sight.

“I don’t know how good it is, but I know it’s really good. Tell me what it is, how to do it. Then I can humanize and do it with Eddie…”

Ketron, who was naturally trying to recall what that night was like, suddenly snapped back to his senses.

What was this crazy sword saying?

“Do what? Are you crazy?”

“I want to do fun things with Eddie too. Why only you?”

“No.”

“Why not?”

The Holy Sword asked discontentedly.

Why was this guy, who had never shown any interest in such things while with Ketron, or even before, only like this with Eddie?

But Ketron was at a loss for words to answer the Holy Sword’s question of ‘why’ he couldn’t. Because you’re a sword? Because you don’t need to reproduce?

Because that day was just something he had to do because of the curse?

Of course, Ketron knew best that there was no curse.

He didn’t feel any guilt for deceiving Eddie. Ketron would make the same choice even if he went back.

He simply didn’t want Eddie to mingle with anyone else.

Was it just mingling that he didn’t like? The kisses he had taught him, the hugs, the conversations, if he had his way…

He wanted it to be only with him.

“…Anyway, no.”

He couldn’t reveal such desires, lest Eddie be afraid and try to run away.

Ketron, who had been choosing his words for a moment, slowly opened his mouth.

“You need to gather strength for your humanization, right? What if the Demon King or the Demon race appears again and you don’t have the strength to do it? Who knows what might happen to Eddie then.”

“…”

The Holy Sword was silent, perhaps because it was a valid reason. The Holy Sword’s humanization was not possible at any time. Once it was done, it would take quite a long time for the power to humanize again to accumulate.

“Tch… How long do I have to do this?”

“Who knows.”

The reason he had put the Holy Sword by Eddie’s side was not to have him hook up with Eddie, but to prevent any possible Demon race invasion, so he would have to maintain his current state until Eddie was safe.

And the day Eddie became safe would be the day the Demon King disappeared from this world.

Demon King.

“I can’t possibly do that to someone I’m grateful to.”

Tarajiel called Eddie a ‘grateful person.’

He even used Lilzhir’s clone to block Ketron’s eyes and ears in order to meet Eddie without Ketron’s interference. Purely to meet Eddie.

He said he was keeping his faith for a grateful person.

What was he so grateful for that he came all the way to meet him, even dragging his incomplete body that hadn’t even been properly resurrected?

If he had anything to be truly grateful for to someone right now, it would be…

That would be, considering the situation, his resurrection.

Eddie?

Resurrect the Demon King?

It was absurd.

“You’re getting strangely sensitive about this issue. Your heart is beating fast.”

The thoughts that had been trailing off were scattered by the Holy Sword’s words. Ketron belatedly refused sharply.

“Don’t say that kind of nonsense again.”

“If you don’t tell me until the end—”

The Holy Sword’s words, which had been about to say something discontentedly, were cut off. After a moment of silence, feeling the presence inside the inn, the Holy Sword said.

“Laila and Augustine are here.”

Ketron had sensed that too. Laila and Augustine’s voices were caught in his sensitive hearing.

The two had been visiting Eddie’s Inn frequently lately.

There was definitely some affection for Eddie himself, but the reason the two came so often was probably because of Ketron.

Especially on the day Laila first faced Ketron head on, she stared at Ketron’s face for a long time, frozen and unable to move.

“Even though her memories are gone, is there something she feels when she sees you?”

“I don’t know.”

“How about just telling her?”

Ketron was silent.

Tell her? That he was the real Hero, not Arthur?

It wasn’t difficult to say it. But who would easily believe him if he claimed to be the Hero, relying only on the fact that the other person felt strangely familiar?

The only person who would listen and believe such a thing was Eddie.

“How about using me as evidence?”

“That’s a good way to be branded as a heretic.”

The Holy Sword’s suggestion was for Ketron’s sake, but Ketron lightly sneered. It couldn’t be that easy.

“Well, it’s premature.”

The Holy Sword cleanly admitted that it was a premature opinion.

It would be too naive to expect everyone to recognize him as the Hero just because the Hero, who had disappeared from everyone’s memory, presented the Holy Sword as evidence. Just as Ketron had been forgotten as the one who used the Holy Sword, the appearance of the Holy Sword would have been forgotten as well.

If he was determined, he could have the Holy Sword certified as genuine through the temple. But that would only cause a stir and increase the chances of things getting out of hand.

If the Pope, who was more of a politician than a religious figure, got involved in the matter…

“I have a feeling it’s going to be exhausting just imagining it.”

“I can’t deny that.”

They both knew what kind of person the Pope was. Ketron unknowingly smiled bitterly.

“But don’t forget, Ketron. The Demon King has been resurrected and is recovering.”

“…”

“You need to find allies to join you.”

Ketron was definitely strong. He was stronger now than when he defeated the Demon King.

But if Ketron had become stronger, would the Demon King be weaker than before?

Even then, Ketron had only managed to stab the Holy Sword into the Demon King’s heart with the help of his companions.

Without the help of his companions, he couldn’t be sure of victory even now that he was stronger. No, it would be impossible.

Just as Ketron had allies, the Demon King had the Demon race.

“Before that, you have to bring Arthur down too. You’ll be very busy.”

The Holy Sword sneered. He seemed to be sulking because Ketron wouldn’t tell him what he had done with Eddie.

The Holy Sword was speaking on the premise that Ketron would defeat the Demon King, as if it were a matter of course. But if Tarajiel hadn’t known about Eddie’s existence and come to find him, Ketron couldn’t be sure if he would have wanted to defeat the Demon King. He was no longer the Hero.

But now Tarajiel knew about Eddie’s existence. He said that Eddie was a grateful being and that he wouldn’t touch him, but later on, that fickle being might change his mind and lay a hand on Eddie in order to see Ketron despair.

To prevent that, Ketron had to defeat the Demon King again.

If the past Ketron had left that path for the sake of the greater good, as a being with the power to do so, this was purely an act for his own benefit.

If it wasn’t like a Hero, then it wasn’t like a Hero, but since Ketron was no longer a Hero anyway, there would be no problem even if he acted for his own personal gain.

There was no need to tell Albatross about this. That sword, which was more like a Hero than a Hero, would be quite taken aback if he said he was going to get rid of the Demon King for such personal reasons. Instead of telling the Holy Sword honestly, Ketron said something else.

“Maybe I don’t need to bring him down.”

“Hmm?”

“When the Demon King appears, the Hero defeats him. Isn’t that the Hero’s duty?”

The Holy Sword quickly realized who Ketron was talking about as the ‘Hero.’ He was talking about Arthur.

“That’s right. That would be quite interesting.”

If that happened, he might see something really interesting.

He seemed to be doing well so far, relying on the status of the Hero with excuses such as being sick or injured.

Would people just leave Arthur alone even if the Demon King was resurrected?

He was curious about the expression Arthur would make when the opponent he thought was dead was resurrected and appeared before him.

“I’m curious about the expression on Arthur’s face when he finds out that the Demon King has been resurrected.”

Ketron nodded at the Holy Sword’s words, which strangely matched his heart at times like this. He would definitely be a little sad if he couldn’t see that.

In any case, he had to focus on physical training right now, so Ketron moved to finish warming up. No, he was about to move.

If it weren’t for the familiar presence and voice coming from inside the inn again.

“Hmm? Gerold is back too.”

The Holy Sword, who had noticed the presence like Ketron, said with interest.

“But he’s not alone. This is another strange presence.”

“…”

It was definitely strange. Gerold was one thing, but the presence of the person he was with was…

It was such a faint presence that it would be difficult to feel it unless one was at Ketron’s level. Even that was faint, even though it wasn’t hidden, but not exactly revealed.

Perhaps if he was determined, even Ketron wouldn’t be able to catch it easily, such a faint, strange presence, as if he was born that way.

It was a strange presence. The moment he realized that, Ketron crumpled up the top he had casually thrown aside and put it on.

“Take me with you!”

The Holy Sword jumped up and shouted from behind, but Ketron ignored him as if he hadn’t heard and opened the door to the backyard and went inside.

Leaving behind the sounds of ingratitude and ‘just you wait,’ Ketron returned to the inn and frowned at the sight of Eddie he saw right away.

The man with the particularly faint presence he had felt earlier was hugging Eddie with a bright smile on his face.

Without hesitation, Ketron strode forward. And he reached out and hugged Eddie’s waist from behind, grabbing the man’s head and pushing him away.

“Ugh.”

The man was easily pushed away, perhaps because it was an unexpected action.

“Oh, Ket?”

Eddie looked back at Ketron with a slightly embarrassed face, but Ketron only stared at the man and was wary.

“Who are you?”

The man, who had been pushed away without realizing it, had a very angry face. Ketron replied with a blunt face.

“What about you?”

The two stared at each other without saying a word. A sharp tension filled the inn.