Chapter 14
Butterfly Effect (4)Butterfly Effect (4)
Jingle-jingle
Rael pushed open the door of a quiet tavern in District 4. It was a place even less frequented than Miss Sarah's inn.
"Rael? Is that you?"
A kind-faced man, polishing glasses with a cloth, greeted Rael warmly as he entered.
"Long time no see, Uncle Eric."
Eric was one of the few normal people in this damned medieval fantasy world. Despite running a poorly performing tavern, he sometimes supported the orphanage, giving food and drinks to passing children.
"Well, well. It’s been a while. I thought you’d forgotten about us after becoming the guard captain."
"What are you talking about? You can always see me at the orphanage."
"I've been busy lately. My side job keeps me busier than this tavern."
Rael chuckled and took a seat at the bar. Uncle Eric's tavern wasn’t just a place for drinking.
‘What should I call it? A manpower agency?’
In a fantasy world, taverns don't just sell drinks. Eric, a longtime fixture of District 4, used his connections to find valuable bounty targets. He’d also helped Rael find materials for his 'Gaksital' mask. That’s why Rael had stopped by, just in case.
He got straight to the point.
"Uncle Eric, can you get me a branch of the World Tree?"
"You're asking me to find an illegal item, showing up after so long?"
"Come on. Do we really need formalities between us?"
"Hmph. Why do you need a branch of the World Tree? Lots of people have been looking for it lately."
"I need it urgently. Can you get it? If not, I need to look elsewhere quickly."
Eric hesitated, contemplating Rael's request, then nodded.
"I’ve refused others, but I can get one for you. Just wait a few days."
"Really? I honestly didn’t think it was possible."
Rael's eyes widened in surprise. The World Tree's branch was a rare item even in black markets. He hadn't expected Eric to be able to find it.
"The magic tower has everything. I have a friend there who can get one for you."
"You have a friend in the magic tower? Thanks. I'll pay whatever it costs."
"Right. So, you’re selling it to that sucker?"
"Sucker?"
"That elf traitor. She’s famous for paying any price for a branch of the World Tree."
Rael winced, thinking of Reina. Why was she treated like a sucker even here?
"Be kind to her. She’s a good person, despite appearances."
"I’ve only heard rumors. Never met her. If she’s your friend, send her my way. Even if I can’t get a branch of the World Tree, I can help with other things."
"Thanks."
Rael sighed, standing up. He had thought Reina’s life was hard because of his butterfly effect, but it seemed she was just everyone’s fool.
*
Snip-snip
The sound of Gant pruning branches was soothing. His enormous stature unintentionally provided shade, which was another plus. Rael lay in a hammock, watching Gant work.
"Rael, aren't you going out today? You’ve been busy lately."
"Yeah, I’ve finished what I need to do. I’m taking a break today."
With Uncle Eric arranging the branch of the World Tree, Rael had a few days of free time. Though he excelled at idling away time, the thought of soon confronting an antagonist from the novel left him restless.
"All these curious events lately remind me of the old days."
The time when he first got into this novel, trying desperately to get into the academy and connect with the main characters. He had worked tirelessly back then.
"If it weren’t for those damn elitists, my life wouldn’t be this messed up. Right, Gant?"
"Indeed. I’ll go discard these branches. Keep pondering life, Rael."
"You’re so heartless."
Are all giants like him, or is he just an oddball?
‘Tsk. I must be understanding as usual.’
Rael closed his eyes and relaxed into the hammock. The hammock was something Reina had made herself, imbued with the blessing of the forest. It emitted a beneficial aura thanks to natural magic.
With Reina in the forest now, he could monopolize this excellent hammock.
‘This peace feels strange.’
After beating up a noble and being dragged into the special guard unit, meeting a monster like the Demon King, Rael might be closest to the Empire’s downfall.
The peculiar sense that he alone knew the future filled his mind.
Snip-snip
How long had he kept his eyes closed? The sound of pruning branches came again.
"Gant, come to think of it, I’m curious when I’ll get to see the sword saint and the dragon… Huh?"
Rael turned his head, blinking at the unexpected sight. An old man, holding pruning shears, was standing by the tree.
Snip-snip
The shears in the old man’s hand cut through fresh branches. But the branches didn’t seem like ones that needed trimming.
‘That old man is terrible at pruning.’
Rael worried that Gant, who loved nature, might get angry. But first, who was this old man?
"Grandpa, who are you…"
At that moment, Gant, who had been carrying a trowel and seeds, widened his eyes and dropped everything, rushing towards the old man.
Knowing Gant’s love for nature, Rael worried he might attack the man.
"Hey, Gant. Don’t abuse the elderly."
"What brings you here, Sword Saint!"
"Eh?"
Rael, half-risen from the hammock, froze in mid-motion. He turned back to the old man holding the pruning shears.
‘... This man is the Sword Saint?’
Rael stared at the old man with wide eyes. If an unknown elderly person was in the special guard unit, it would be logical to consider the presence of the dragon or the Sword Saint.
"Is this the Rael you mentioned, Gant?"
However, the reason Rael hadn’t recognized the Sword Saint was simple.
‘I don’t feel anything.’
From the old man, Rael felt nothing. His sharp senses could gather no information from the Sword Saint.
Feeling nothing meant there were no gaps.
Rael watched the Sword Saint with a tense expression.
"Yes, he’s the new guard member I mentioned."
"Hmm… Truly fascinating. I’ve never seen anyone like this."
The Sword Saint’s gaze, which seemed to pierce through everything, scanned Rael. It was a feeling similar yet different from the Demon King’s murderous intent.
"Nice to meet you, Sword Sa—"
As Rael tried to rise and bow, he felt the overwhelming pressure of magic enveloping him and widened his eyes.
‘When did this old man…’
Was it because of the sinister energy filling the special guard unit?
Rael realized too late that he was within the Sword Saint’s ‘domain.’
"..."
The Sword Saint’s eyes filled with interest. The swordsman before him withstood the pressure of a Sword Master without collapsing or kneeling. A feat even the best of the Empire’s knights couldn’t accomplish.
‘I can’t move.’
Rael stayed alert, looking at the Sword Saint. He was on a razor’s edge. If the Sword Saint decided to cut him, he would die. That was the reality of a Sword Master’s domain.
"Despite glimpsing the realm of a Sword Master, you have no essence in your swordsmanship. Judging by your pure magic, you haven’t made a pact with a demon, yet you’re incredibly strong for your age."
Rael bit his lip at the Sword Saint’s words. The old man had assessed everything about him in an instant.
"You are truly a mysterious being."
"..."
Rael swallowed hard. His swordsmanship was indeed lacking in foundation, but he couldn’t grasp the flow of the conversation.
"I’d like to teach you, but there’s hesitation in your sword."
"… I haven’t asked to learn, and I haven’t even drawn my sword."
"Right. You haven't found a reason to become stronger. Are you afraid of the flow of the times? However, the Sword Saint's sword cannot be taught to the unprepared."
"…"
Rael silently watched the Sword Saint. The old man's deep eyes seemed to see through him, as if reading all his thoughts.
"Don't worry. My eyes never fail when judging a swordsman. Rael, we shall meet again soon."
The Sword Saint glanced at Rael’s sheathed sword before turning away.
"Gant, I’ll be leaving now. It was an enjoyable experience."
"Yes, Sword Saint."
Gant bowed his head, seeing him off. Although older than Rael, Gant’s respect for the strong was evident in his demeanor as a giant warrior.
"…"
After the Sword Saint left, Rael slowly took deep breaths, opening and closing his fists. Thankfully, his senses were intact.
"Gant, is that old man always like that?"
Rael, half-sitting in the hammock, spoke in disbelief. The Sword Saint had shown up suddenly, pressured him, criticized him, and left. If he wasn’t so powerful, Rael would have punched him.
"Seeing a high-level swordsman’s conversation firsthand was fascinating. Rael, what did you discuss with the Sword Saint?"
"… What nonsense is that, Gant."
Did they have a high-level swordsman conversation? It felt more like humoring an old man’s chatter.
"Why didn’t you learn the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship? Was the hesitation he mentioned about understanding the sword’s essence?"
"I just didn’t learn it."
"What?!"
Gant looked at Rael, shocked.
"I’m not some hero saving the world, or the Empire’s knight commander. Why should I get stronger? The old man didn’t want to teach, so I just went along."
"Rael, what are you talking about! The Sword Saint is a great warrior! Learning from him might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity!"
Gant, eyes wide with disbelief, approached Rael. Although Rael was his friend, Gant couldn’t overlook his words as a giant warrior.
"Calm down."
Rael found Gant’s rare display of emotion intriguing. Though he loved nature, a giant was still a giant. Gant couldn’t understand why Rael would reject a chance to become stronger.
"Rael! This isn’t something to calm down about…!"
"Gant, gaining strength comes with unwanted responsibilities."
Rael recalled when he first created sword energy at age ten. At that time, he was still full of hope, believing he would enter the academy and achieve great things.
‘But reality was cold.’
The protagonist, a lower noble, could save the world in a novel. But a street orphan like Rael, despite his talent, could only aspire to be an outstanding soldier in the knight order. Even with the astronomical odds of becoming a Sword Master, he would still be a lowly one.
‘And they wouldn’t even let me live until then.’
The malice of wanting to destroy what one cannot have. Rael had seen too much of this medieval fantasy world’s filth. That’s why he wore the 'Gaksital' mask during his bounty hunting days.
"Just keeping what I have now is hard enough. Becoming stronger would make it worse."
"…"
Reading Rael’s expression, Gant calmed down. He wasn’t a coward but a warrior. Still, he struggled to understand.
"It’s hard to accept. Even if you became stronger, you could keep it hidden."
"Gant, have you ever told the old man anything about me? Like, ‘I wish you would teach this talented swordsman.’"
"As a warrior, I wouldn’t commit such rudeness. I only mentioned your name and that you were the new guard member."
"Then what were his first words to me?"
"…!"
Rael hadn’t shown his magic or drawn his sword. Yet the Sword Saint had instantly read his swordsmanship and strength.
"Isn’t that because the Sword Saint is overwhelmingly powerful? We might seem like ants to him."
"Haa. Why do you and Reina always need so much explanation."
Rael got down from the hammock and squatted by the garden. He pointed at an ant trail nearby.
"You’re right, there aren’t many psychos who would crush ants passing by. But what if they were mosquitoes? Or wasps? Creatures that could harm you?"
"…"
Gant finally understood Rael’s perspective. Rael was an exceptional warrior, but his talent didn’t reach the heavens. If he became too strong, true powerhouses would notice.
"Just this much is enough. I can protect myself and my loved ones."
Rael knew his talent well. He could possibly reach the level of a Sword Master. But would that positively influence this predetermined happy ending world? He couldn’t be sure.
"Rael… What are you looking at?"
Rael knew. He knew a great war was coming, with countless demons invading the continent. But it wasn’t his role to stop them; that belonged to the hero, the saint, and the novel’s characters.
‘… The old man has a good eye.’
As the Sword Saint said, Rael didn’t want to interfere with this world’s flow. He didn’t want to create a butterfly effect with his existence. He just wanted to protect his little sanctuary.
"If I have to become stronger, it should be to surpass the heavens. Otherwise, it’s meaningless."
Though he had joined the guard by luck, Rael knew the monsters in this world. He didn’t think he could ever reach them.
*
The meat in the freezer was running low. Reina felt it was time to find work.
"Are you after another branch of the World Tree?"
"… No. I need information on wanted criminals."
Reina visited a mercenary group in District 4. Her mask, enchanted with perception-hindering magic, hid her elven features. The mercenary, aware of who she was, provided the information.
"I see. By the way, the price of the next branch of the World Tree will be higher. It’s getting harder to find."
"You thief… I’ll report you to the guards."
Sigh.
Reina sighed, checking the information on wanted criminals. No matter what she said, these guys always raised the price. This was the only place in the city that would deal with her. She was used to these repeated conversations by now.
"I really have no choice this time. There’s a new demand."
"Don’t lie! Who would be foolish enough to seek a branch of the World Tree?"
The World Tree’s branch was vital to elves. It kept the blessing alive for elves living far from the forest. Anyone meddling with it wouldn’t be forgiven by the elves.
"It’s true. Recently, someone bought up all the branches in the black market."
"What? Another elf? No… that can’t be."
If it were an elf, they wouldn’t buy; they’d turn the black market upside down.
"It wasn’t an elf. They called him a sorcerer."
"Sorcerer…? What’s his name?"
"Bennet. Says here he embezzled funds from the academy and fled. The academy wanted it handled quietly, so the public doesn’t know."
Sorcerer Bennet. Reina etched his name into her mind as she stared at the wanted criminals' information.