The Black Knife

Edward quietly slipped out of Monica's room and walked to the corridor on the other side, his mood unbearably bleak.

He instinctively reached for his shirt pocket, only to find it empty. Then he remembered that in this life, he didn't smoke. He slapped himself hard twice to punish himself for his rash "confession." In both his lives combined, this was the first time he'd been rejected for being too good at playing the "simp."

He'd thought he'd fallen for a wild horse, but it turned out she was a "Kurapika." This kind of melodramatic plot was something he'd never have encountered in his previous life.

It was just like one of those dating sims he'd played in his previous life. He'd finally been about to win the girl over, only to discover that the final requirement was helping her get revenge!

If her enemy had really been someone like the "Phantom Troupe," that would've been one thing. As long as he prepared properly, taking them down in one go wouldn't have been a problem. The problem was, he didn't even know who her enemy was!

And judging by how dangerous that "secret" was, her enemy might well be some monster capable of taking down several floors with a single bag of rice.

He had to admit he wasn't brave enough to go and die alongside her. Edward felt utterly powerless, yet he couldn't bear to watch her go off to her death. So he gritted his teeth and plunged into the laboratory...

The next morning, Princess Andrea awoke feeling refreshed. After finishing her sword practice, she headed to the study in the Duke's Mansion without stopping for breakfast.

The study was quiet. Morning sunlight slanted through the windows, and specks of dust drifted through the air. The princess tiptoed over to the rows of bookshelves and began searching.

"Why are you here so early today, Andrea?" a deep male voice rang out, making the princess jump.

"F-Father, good morning. You're up early too." Princess Andrea recovered and curtsied to the middle-aged man seated beside the desk.

"I'm looking over a few documents. Go ahead and take whatever book you're looking for." The middle-aged man kept his eyes on the papers in his hands.

"By the way, Father, do you know where the books on heraldry are?" Princess Andrea asked casually.

"What's made you interested in heraldry again, girl? You never wanted to learn it when I tried to teach you. They're in the innermost row of bookshelves."

"Thank you, Father." Following the Duke's directions, the princess found what she was looking for.

After searching high and low, she finally picked up a book titled The Vanished Crest. Excitedly, she took the book, bowed to her father, and hurried back to her room.

An hour later, Princess Andrea knocked on the back door of Edward's house.

Edward was still the one who answered. The Alchemist looked disheveled, with sunken eyes, and seemed much weaker than before.

Edward ushered her into the living room, where she saw Monica in loose-fitting loungewear. She sat at the dining table with a fried egg in her mouth, while bread and milk sat beside the plate in front of her. She was clearly having breakfast.

Monica's eyes were bright, and the dark circles under them had vanished. She looked refreshed. She gave the princess a lazy greeting and continued eating.

The princess glanced at Monica, then at Edward's sunken eyes, and grew suspicious. Was this woman being unfair? I clearly won yesterday, so why was she still seducing him? Or was he really a "beast," taking advantage of her while she was drunk...? Then I really misjudged him. In a fit of anger, Andrea forgot why she had come.

Just as the princess was growing more and more suspicious, Edward spoke:

"Your Highness, have you had breakfast? If not, I'll make you something right now."

"Oh, there's no need. I've already eaten." Princess Andrea answered without thinking.

"Good, then. I see you brought your sword today. I'd like to ask you for a favor." Looking at the princess in her knight's attire, Edward spoke. He didn't ask why she had come, nor did he continue being polite. His mind seemed to be elsewhere.

"Just tell me what you need. I'll gladly help." The Knight Princess replied readily.

"I'd like you to train Monica for two days."

After answering the princess, Edward turned to Monica and called out, "Hurry up and eat. I need to talk to you when you're done."

"Coming, coming." Monica finished breakfast in a few bites, then walked over to the sofa where the princess and Edward sat facing each other. She asked with a grin:

"Edward, what is it?"

Her natural expression made it seem as though nothing had happened last night.

Edward took a long, rectangular box from his Spatial Ring and placed it on the glass coffee table between them. He nodded toward it. "Open it and have a look. I made it overnight. It should suit you."

Monica opened the box curiously. Inside lay a red velvet cushion, with two neatly arranged, pitch-black daggers on top. Each was a straight blade over a foot long, with a narrow body and a curved point only at the tip. The blades and handles were entirely black, as if they were constantly absorbing the light around them, making their patterns impossible to see. At a glance, it seemed as if they were only the shadows of two black knives.

Monica curiously picked one up. It felt rather heavy in her hand. She carefully channeled Battle Qi into the Black Knife, and the energy passed through the blade with ease. A faint, dark glow spread across its length, like two black snakes slithering along.

She looked at Edward in surprise and asked:

"Is it made from the same material as that sword?"

"More or less. Its effects may be a little different, but it might suit you better." Edward answered weakly, looking as though his body had been drained dry.

"You're giving this to me?" Monica asked in disbelief.

"I made it for you in the first place," Edward said firmly.

"Ah, Edward, you're too good to me." The beauty set down the knife and, ignoring the Knight Princess's strange look, flung her arms around Edward's head as he sat on the sofa and hugged it tightly against her chest.

"Ugh... Easy, easy! Are you trying to suffocate me?" The weak Alchemist no longer had the strength to get a nosebleed.

Edward struggled free of those two towering peaks. Blushing, he gave a light cough, took another box from his Spatial Ring, and pushed it toward the Knight Princess.

"Please teach Monica the 'Wave' technique you used that day. I'd be grateful."

The Knight Princess had just watched the Alchemist give away a Semi-divine Artifact, and felt a little jealous, though also somewhat relieved. So he'd only stayed up all night making a Semi-divine Artifact. Nothing else...

Her thoughts became inexplicably muddled. She hadn't even noticed that he'd made the Semi-divine Artifact in just one night. She opened the box before her, revealing a gleaming silver necklace. The chain seemed to be made of Mithril, and the pendant was a small Mithril plaque covered in runes.

"Edward, you're too kind. My progress so far is thanks to you. You don't need to give me anything..." The princess blushed, clearly misunderstanding what Edward meant.

Monica clicked her tongue and said sarcastically, "Edward, do you know what giving a girl a necklace means in Middle Earth?"

"Uh, you may have misunderstood what I meant." As the girls stared at him in surprise, Edward took out two more identical boxes. "They're just protective charms. They can conceal the Aura unique to those who have been 'blessed.' I have two more here, for Alice and Elwin. Your Highness, please deliver them as well. Tell them not to take them off for any reason in the near future—not to eat, sleep, or bathe without them."

Monica gave him a knowing look, while the Knight Princess's eyes revealed her anger.

"Please, follow me." Edward rose and slowly headed upstairs. The two girls followed him, weapons in hand, completely bewildered. They entered his bedroom, their expressions growing even stranger. He's in this state, and he still has improper thoughts?

But beyond the bedroom was a narrow corridor, with a door on one side, locked tight. That was his actual bedroom. Edward went to the end of the corridor and pulled a hidden lever. The wall in front of them, faced with Solid Wood panels, slid aside, revealing a deep Hole Entrance. Edward switched on the lights, and a series of overhead lamps flickered to life. It turned out to be a tunnel that had been dug out, brightly lit inside. Edward stepped in.

Andrea and Monica exchanged puzzled glances, then followed him inside. The tunnel wasn't very long, perhaps two hundred meters, but iron doors lined both sides. The stone walls, washed in the light, glowed a ghastly white, making them feel as if they'd stepped onto a horror-movie set. They continued to the far end of the tunnel, where Edward opened the small door in front of them.

Beyond the final small door, the space opened up dramatically. It was a huge cave, about the size of a sports stadium from Edward's previous life. The ceiling was arched, with its highest point twenty meters overhead. Rows of dazzling lamps hung from the ceiling, lighting the entire cave brilliantly!

"Ladies, this is the 'Training Ground' I prepared." Edward turned and addressed Princess Andrea solemnly. "Please make sure she learns before Monica leaves, in two days. You're evenly matched, so don't release too much Battle Qi. I haven't had time to set up a protective magic array here."

"Also, this is a letter I'm sending to Ailande. When you go back, please give it to Alice and ask her to send it to the Ailande Third Magic Tower. They can put it on the Alchemists' Guild's tab." As he spoke, he bowed and said, "I'd be grateful!"

After seeing the Knight Princess nod, he turned to Monica and said earnestly, "Make sure you learn properly. This could improve your chances of staying alive."

Then he set two boxes down by the door and said, "They contain food and water. Sorry for the meager hospitality. I have some things to take care of. See you tomorrow."

"What are you going to do?" Monica seemed to have figured it out.

"Make you a few little things to make your journey easier." Edward glanced back with a reassuring smile, then left the 'Training Ground' at an unhurried pace.