The Stone of Days Chapter 17

I opened my mouth and smiled towards the soldiers. What more can I do? If the monster's corpse was still there, I'd tell them to go see it; however, the only evidence remaining by the path was a frozen, bloodied ground. Anyone that wouldn't be suspicious of this situation should have their brains checked.

"The details…later…"

  Alright, good. I need to now collapse. Then, I can think about what to do later. But…but, why am I not fainting?
It seems that even fainting wasn't as easy as it seems.

"How can you even ask my son that in this state of time! Especially to a boy that has returned back from near death…I won't send him anywhere so leave and come back later!"

I should say that I'm so proud to be the son of the world's best mother at this time. Folding her arms on her waist, her angry face looked stern as if she was the halo of an angel……such a beacon of light.
Although her skirt was stained by my blood, there was nothing that could interrupt her from acting on her heavenly abilities.

To be able to bathe and then sleep, I'm thankful for anyone that could offer me the chance to do so. Nothing else matters right now.
So as for the details, let's do it tomorrow. Alright?

So when I woke up in the next morning, I really couldn't help but admit that I won't be able to have the same feeling that I had when I went to sleep yesterday.

The dream was like this. Last night, in order to retrieve Mirbo's sword, I had climbed down the cliff. It was the same till then. But?

Is it dead?

[…Fa…b… ….]

I stopped my tracks as my body froze on the spot.

[…Fa…bian…was it?…]

Speak!
Mo, Monster say something!

I, I really abhor these kind of situations! Mi… let Mirbo resolve this situation! I have no relationship whatsoever with this friend. This is our first meeting alright! So, can I go? I can go right?

And the monster horrifyingly opened his mouth and continued speaking.

[You…and me…we have no….relationship… at all… …..]

Yes, you're exactly right! So we should stop the conversation. I'm fine.
However…

[Who…are you?]

This is a really stupid question for even an idiot to ask. If we had fought and battled up to this point, and you then ask that question? It's not like you were ambushed by some wicked people and was injured as if you were a victim. Wait, so I'm the bad guy? To be a fool in my own dream…

At this moment though, my thoughts weren't that complicated

If I was the monster and I had enough strength, it's a fitting distance for it to lash out at me.
But still, it seems that the monster had already had no interest of doing so.

[I am…the protect…or…kuluk…that protects…the fairies… … Ejoli….]

Although the words spoken were quite scattered, since the voice was so loud, I had no problem understanding the contents. Of course, if he had stopped talking in between, then I wouldn't have comprehended.

[You…have to cleanly finish my body…or else the fairies will remember my blood… ….]

I jumped up alarmingly.

I have little information on what kind of existences fairies are. In particular, I had no clue on whether or not that race was one that exacts revenge or chants curses. Thinking about it, an image popped up in my head, illustrating those fairies, the size of my hands, starting to attack me from the rear end of my buttocks.  Haaak, such a frightening scene, even if it was only a dream.
Above all, there was something that I was curious about.

"Why Mirbo?"

[Enmity… ….]

That was all.

After that, it was the same as reality. The monster had disappeared, and after I had grabbed the sword and pondered why it was so heavy, I returned back to Mirbo as if I was a traveler fallen ill returning back to one's own village. While dragging that enormous sword.

Currently, that sword was leaning on the wall.

And since the sword's owner was me, I had to now take responsibility for explaining the cause of that bloodied ground at the uphill pass by Grillard's peak. Was there some sort of reason as to why Mirbo did this, other than him being shrewd?? When we entered Ember Village, saying that he had to find the doctor, we went our separate ways. Unlike me, he wasn't bloody from head-to-toe so he didn't leave a trail of blood. As long as he treated the wound of his stomach well (in fact, the claw that had caused that wound wasn't minor at all).

I wonder if he's still in Ember. Though I have no confirmation, asides from whether Mirbo was trustworthy or not, I believed that he was still in Ember just because I wanted to.

Where was I injured exactly again? Am I even in a state to flee?

"Ughkkkk!"

It seems that I had sprained my ankle. And……

"Akuu, ughhhhhhhh…"

It seems that there's certainly something wrong with my shoulder. To swing that sword when my shoulder wasn't even fully recovered. Anywhere else…?

"It hurtssss! Aigoooooooo…."

This time, it was my wrist. Considering the situation, it seems that I might have to call Arnowalt, hyung.
While I was calmly inspecting my body, twisting my body this way and that, outside the bedroom - to be honest, it was a room partitioned off with a door in front. It's because I'm living with my mother that I at least have a room like this - wait, I smell something delicious. Since the smell was coming from outside, the source was probably related to the kitchen excluding the possibilities of it coming from the kitchen, living room, outside, etc.…why am I analyzing this?

"Fabian – come out and eat breakfast! If you're not feeling well, I'll bring it to you!"

Hmm, it makes sense, yet it doesn't make sense as well.
Earlier, after carefully inspecting my body, considering it the latter, I delivered myself outside the room.

For now, I had moved out from the bed.
It was a relief that I wasn't in a state where I couldn't move around after struggling with all my might. With my arm stretched out, dangling like a fool, I approached the sword leaning by the wall. I wasn't in a state of holding and playing around with it. After touching it with my right hand, I started to doubt what made me wield this sword last night.

But still, hmm, it has a strange appearance that's for sure.

The blade, too, was thick and immeasurably broad. It would at least be wider than the palm of my hand. Since it's like this, the weight? It should be pretty crazy. With my current strength, I can't even lift it.

The middle of the blade was deeply carved in (And still it's this heavy), and between it were strange inscriptions. I definitely was oblivious as to what they meant. And those words were inscribed in black. After carving out the iron, it was as if someone was trying to fill it with something - anyways, it was black.
As for the technique, of course I didn't know what it was. In my life, the best sword I have ever seen was the day before yesterday, which was Arnowalt's long sword.

Above all, the strangest part was that no matter how you see it, there was no traces of that flame on the sword. It was just a massive iron block of metal. No matter how you look at it, there were no holes that could possibly emit those flames. Just in case, I inspected it carefully. This large, heavy thing was so normal and ordinary that it nearly made me suspicious that it was all an illusion.

Somehow, that flame, did it have a similar role to the blacksmith's anvil? No matter how much I swung with it, there was no trace of it having been chipped. It was flawless.

There were no burns on my hands at all.

Anyways, it was an impressive sword for sure.

Hehe, to even imagine that a legendary sword looking so plain and ordinary was silly (It doesn't look expensive at all. Sigh, since it's heavy, it must contain a lot of iron.)
And how can you claim that a legendary sword would fit my image?

But still, Mirbo had claimed that this sword was mine.

If Mirbo had indeed disappeared, then this is quite a dilemma. Hmm.

For now, the first step was to take this to the blacksmith and ask, which was the only thought I had at the moment. Sigh, I'm such a senseless guy.

Mirbo slowly opened his mouth.

"That sword… …."

Finally, I had waited for this. Please if you know anything, tell me. I'm so curious.

TL Afterword

Oh my god! These cliffhangers are killing me~

Translator: Calvis
Proofreader: Sai101, Kajin

Chapter end