Volume 6 Chapter 17 Beast and Silver Sword
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
With the meeting concluded, I took Farrell and the others to the edge of the village, where repairs on the barricades were still underway. Long before we reached the site, a heavy stench hit me hard enough to sting my nose.
The dry smell of disturbed earth lingered in the air, but it had been completely overwhelmed by the musk of a predator. A sharp animal scent hung over the work area, thick enough to cling to every breath.
In a section of land cleared by my Gravity Magic1, a fortress of muscle worked in silence.
Gauz.
With a massive Boundary Tree balanced on one shoulder, he carried a log that three grown men could never have moved together. Each step made the ground groan beneath his weight, yet his balance never faltered. The power running through his body flowed with perfect control from his spine to the tips of his toes.
When he reached the designated spot, he slammed the tree into the earth with his bare hands. A deep impact rolled through the ground and rattled my chest.
The thick muscles across his back shifted beneath golden fur drenched with sweat, while rising steam distorted the scenery around him like summer heat.
”Yo. Looks like you’re actually putting in the work.”
At the sound of my voice, Gauz stopped immediately. As he turned toward me, his neck cracked with a sharp snap.
”…Boss? Look, I’ve just about got it all patched up.”
His rough voice carried a natural aggression. The moment his slit pupils found me, they narrowed, and one white fang showed beneath his trembling lip.
”Well, you were the one who punched a hole in it. I’d expect nothing less. Anyway, your timing’s good. I’ve got another job for you.”
His ears twitched.
Without a second thought, he tossed the massive log aside and lifted his nose into the air.
”…Smells like blood. Human prey?”
”Exactly. Looks like the humans decided to come crawling back.”
A low rumble rolled from deep inside his chest.
Even now, he had already picked up the scent of blood and the promise of battle. Gauz was not simply strong. His instincts let him read a battlefield long before anyone else noticed the signs.
”Heh. Humans, huh? Fine by me. I’ll use these claws for you.”
”Take the front line. Use that absurdly tough body of yours to absorb the worst of it. Protect the Elves, then kill the enemy. Show me you’re worth keeping around.”
Gauz rose to his full height, and a wave of heat washed over me.
Behind me, Farrell and the others instinctively stepped back.
Cold sweat formed along their temples, and their breathing grew shallow. To the Elves, who valued refinement and order, the violence clinging to Gauz felt almost poisonous. That reaction was hardly surprising. They had been trying to kill one another only a few hours earlier.
I glanced back at them.
”I’ve already beaten this into him. He obeys my orders absolutely. I know you’ve got your doubts, but learn to use him. I don’t care if you work him to the bone.”
Farrell swallowed.
His expression looked strained, as though he were forcing down a wave of disgust rising from his stomach. After clenching his fists until his knuckles whitened, he lowered his head.
”…If that is the King’s command.”
”That’s right. Leave him to me.”
Following Farrell’s lead, the other guards reluctantly agreed.
They had not forgiven Gauz. No one could forgive something like that so easily. Even so, their trust in me outweighed their hatred for him.
I slapped Gauz’s upper arm.
The impact rebounded through muscles as hard as stone. Damp fur brushed against my palm, while the heat of powerful blood flow pulsed beneath the surface.
The moment I touched him, I understood once again what he truly was.
A monster.
”You hear that? Follow the Elves’ instructions. Behave yourself. If you disobey me, I’ll bury you deep enough to reach the earth’s core.”
Gauz bared his fangs and rolled his neck.
”Don’t need to tell me twice. If the boss says follow them, I’ll follow them. You’re the only one in this world who can keep a leash on me.”
Thus, an improvised mixed unit came into existence.
Water and oil could never truly become one, but as long as both remained inside the vessel called me, I would not allow them to separate.
After leaving tactical command to Farrell, I used magic to heal Gauz’s remaining injuries.
Once that was done, I headed down the hallway alone.
My destination was not my own room.
Opening the door quietly, I stepped into a room filled with the scent of clean linens, dried herbs, and faint antiseptic. The air was sterile and pure, the complete opposite of the beastly musk outside.
The curtains remained closed, leaving the room dim.
Sylvia lay asleep on the bed.
Her right arm had been completely restored, and no scar remained on her smooth skin. Even so, her complexion was pale, and her lips were still dry. The blood she had lost and the Spirit power she had burned through would not return in a matter of hours.
She had wagered her life to protect me.
The thought stirred something hot inside my chest.
After removing my boots, I approached the bed without disturbing the sheets. Rather than taking a chair, I settled into the narrow empty space beside her.
Warmth seeped through her thin shirt.
As I gently combed my fingers through the silver hair spread across the pillow, I looked toward the window.
Beyond the glass, the forest rested beneath a curtain of night so quiet that the silence almost hurt my ears. Yet something was approaching through that darkness. An unwelcome guest.
A cold breeze slipped through the gap in the window and brushed the back of my neck.
”…The next guest, huh? I wonder who it is.”
The answer hardly mattered.
Whoever they were, I would show them exactly who was going to be exterminated.
This was my garden.
The Elves who lived here, the beasts under my command, and even the grass beneath my feet belonged to me. I had no intention of letting anyone touch any part of it.
Suddenly, the presence beside me shifted.
Caught between dreams and reality, Sylvia unconsciously moved closer and sought my warmth. As she rolled over, her body pressed lightly against my back, all the tension that usually defined her gone without a trace.
The iron-willed warrior from the battlefield was nowhere to be seen.
In her place was a sleeping girl who looked defenseless enough to be mistaken for a child.
I slipped an arm around her shoulder and felt the steady pulse beating beneath her skin.
Alive.
She had held her ground against Gauz until I arrived.
Considering the scars covering that monster’s body, the battle could not have been one-sided. That alone spoke volumes about her strength, but more impressive still was the iron resolve hidden inside such a slender frame.
Several hours passed.
Gradually, the atmosphere throughout the manor changed.
A sharp killing intent began to spread through the forest.
Farrell and the others had finished their preparations.
At that moment, Sylvia’s breathing shifted.
A sharp breath escaped her lips.
The next instant, her eyes snapped open.
There was not the slightest trace of drowsiness. In less than a heartbeat, every muscle in her body tightened into combat readiness.
Instinctively, she tried to rise and reach for a sword that was not there.
Then she noticed me.
”…Ah.”
Her blue eyes widened.
For a brief moment, she seemed aware of the fact that she had been sleeping beside me and leaning against me.
The reaction lasted only an instant.
Almost immediately, her gaze sharpened.
She had sensed it.
The tense atmosphere outside the manor, where the presences of the Elves and Gauz were beginning to move together, had already reached her.
”…The enemy?”
Her voice was calm and clear.
The vulnerable girl from moments ago vanished completely, leaving behind only a blade honed for the sake of its master.
I met her eyes.
”Yeah. Looks like we’ve got guests.”
”…I will go.”
Without hesitation, Sylvia stepped off the bed and knelt before me.
Blue flames already burned within her eyes.
”Can you fight?”
”My body is your sword, my lord. If it breaks, it can be repaired. The only thing I will not allow is for it to rust.”
Her voice remained gentle, yet unwavering.
I sat up and looked directly into her eyes.
I had no intention of stopping her.
If this was the meaning she had chosen for her existence, denying it would be the cruelest insult I could offer.
”…Yeah. Go clean up my garden.”
Sylvia bowed deeply before leaving the room.
I watched from the terrace as she disappeared into the night forest alongside the beasts that had been unleashed.
—
Summary:
Ryuichi inspects the barricade repairs performed by the beast-man Gauz, who is struggling to maintain obedience while working alongside the elves. After ensuring the disparate group is ready for the incoming threat, Ryuichi returns to his room where an exhausted Sylvia rests. The manor detects an approaching enemy, prompting Sylvia to wake and immediately offer her service to the protagonist as he prepares to defend his domain.
—
Trivia:
Ryuichi’s Gravity Magic is physically altering the terrain to make construction possible.
Gauz’s heightened senses allow him to detect the density of air and changes in Ryuichi’s physical state.
The elves feel physically ill and suffocated by the presence of Gauz, who they still view as a mortal enemy.
Sylvia’s physical recovery from blood and Spirit power loss remains incomplete, yet she insists on fighting.
—
Translation Notes:
Notes:
• Farrell – An elf garrison captain restored by the protagonist, this determined swordsman leads village security with grim resolve and sharp authority. Eager to regain lost honor, he wields a vacuum wind blade and green aura. Shaped by a past defeat by Ryuichi, he respects his King, loathes the beast Gauz, and maintains a tense alliance with the protagonist while tactically protecting his people.
• Gauz – A giant, steel-furred feline beast-man with golden eyes, a massive mane, and dense muscle armor. This hyper-durable, predatory commander wields the axe Agito and possesses an abnormal sense of smell. Arrogant yet fiercely loyal, he led a 30,000-strong force and views the protagonist as the only leader strong enough to hold his leash. Tied to a past security failure, he is now a charred runaway.
• King – A powerful, authoritative male lead who possesses immense physical strength and magic. He commands absolute loyalty and submission from the inhabitants of the Silver Moon Village.
• Sylvia – A voluptuous, silver-haired elven swordswoman with blue eyes and a heavily scarred, porcelain body, Crimson Lotus is a battle-hardened Silver-rank vanguard and living weapon. Enshrouded in a dark-red Spirit Shroud, she wields immense strength and mental fortitude. Despite being battered by a grueling sacrifice against Gauz, she remains a devoted protector with deep affection for Ryuichi, John, Nier, and her King.
• Ryuichi – A 40-year-old, plain-looking Spirit King with black hair, a beard, and an elderly Japanese past life in a younger body. This cold, analytical protagonist ruthlessly controls the Elder’s Manor, basement, and an elf village. Viewing subordinates, enemies, and the forest as personal property or functional hardware, he uses immense mana, gravity magic, and sensory manipulation to dominate them.
• Ryu – A man with Interdimensional Magic who leads a growing household. He acts as a provider and protector for his slaves, while maintaining a pragmatic and blunt personality.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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