Undercurrents

Darius sat on a throne crafted from gold and jewels, staring at the unconscious Water King at his feet. Cold sweat poured down his forehead, and he swallowed.

He looked at Cain, who was sizing him up with a piercing gaze, and forced a smile uglier than a grimace.

"D-don't attack, Sword God Cain! That was just a misunderstanding... S-someone, bring the money! Hurry, give them the money!"

Darius wore a fawning smile, the fat on his face bunching together.

So disgusting...

Cain pushed his half-drawn stone sword back into its sheath in disgust.

Zoldat and the others cheered, happily snatching the treasure chests filled with bags of gold coins from the guards. They hoisted the chests onto their shoulders and marched out through the palace's front gate.

The king watched it all from a second-floor window and sighed. Against someone like that, no number of soldiers would be anything more than cannon fodder, expendable bodies to fill the battle lines. That was why Divine Rank swordsmen could only be recruited.

"Teacher Roxy."

"What is it, Cain?"

Roxy had left the palace gates and was happily cradling a large bag of Asura Gold Coins at the back of the group. She turned to see Cain standing by the entrance with a faint smile, and a smile rose to her own face.

She and Cain had really struck it rich this time.

"Oh, nothing. I'll treat you to dinner when we get back..."

"Ha, don't waste your money. Though, considering how much we earned this time... yes, I suppose one little meal wouldn't hurt."

Roxy smiled sweetly and turned to follow the other adventurers.

But she noticed there were no footsteps behind her.

"Cain? Aren't you coming back?"

With his hand resting on his sword hilt, Cain narrowed his eyes at the palace entrance behind him. At her voice, he turned and gave Roxy a gentle smile.

"Go get the feast ready. I'll be back soon."

"All right. I'll wait for you."

Roxy nodded with a smile, happily cradling her large bag of Aras Gold Coins as she left with the other adventurers.

Honestly, I really don't want to kill anyone in front of my teacher... That would probably cost me points in Teacher Roxy's eyes. Not that I'm much of a good student anyway...

After watching Teacher Roxy, Zoldat, and the others leave, Cain let out a small breath of relief. His smile gradually faded, and by the time he turned around, his expression had gone completely cold.

His cold gaze swept over the palace gates behind him, and he spoke in a low voice.

"Stop hiding. Come out..."

His voice echoed through the empty hall. A man dressed in black appeared inside the palace gates. He pulled away the camouflage cloth covering him and faced Cain with a grave expression.

One on one.

"Sword God Cain, why are you protecting her?"

The man in black revealed his face. He was the North King who had surrendered earlier. Two short blades coated in an unknown liquid slowly appeared in his hands.

"Why do you want to kill Teacher Roxy?"

Rather than answer the North King's question, Cain asked one of his own, slowly drawing the Tachi at his waist...

"Do you have a grudge against Teacher Roxy?"

Cain watched the North King before him without expression. He had noticed earlier that this man had kept loitering near the palace exit after surrendering.

When Teacher Roxy went out, he had hidden beneath that cloth and lain in wait by the entrance. He had wanted to strike several times, but Cain had been right beside Teacher Roxy, forcing him to abandon the idea.

Of course, Cain hadn't wanted the man's blood to splash onto Teacher Roxy either. That was the only reason he hadn't cut him down.

"Who put you up to this...?"

"Heh heh, that demon! She'll destroy this world!"

"Hmm. Rather unusual last words..."

"Any other last words?"

"..."

As he watched the silent North King, Cain understood.

I see... So you wanted to take my teacher's life... for a bullshit reason like that...

Unforgivable!

Cain sighed softly, his black eyes gradually turning cold. He didn't want to kill, but if someone went after a person important to him, all he could say was sorry!

Without warning, Blade of Light flashed past like a streak of radiance. More than ten meters away, blood erupted from the North King's neck like a fountain. His headless corpse fell straight to the ground, staining the stone paving at the palace entrance red.

Cain calmly wiped his blade clean with a cloth and slowly sheathed it. He walked over to the severed head, which had flown into the air before dropping to the ground with a thud and was still oozing thick, bright-red blood. Grabbing it by the hair, he examined it, then shook his head in puzzlement.

"Don't recognize him..."

It wasn't that Cain was cold-blooded. Death had been his constant companion since he was three, and seeing so many corpses on the Demon Continent had long since numbed him somewhat.

Killing and being killed no longer carried quite so much weight in his eyes...

This world of swords and magic was cruel. The strong preyed on the weak; the strong survived while the weak were cast aside. That was the foundation of this world. Without real ability, survival was impossible. Cain had learned that truth when he was three, wandering the Demon Continent and nearly starving to death.

His manners came from the good upbringing of his previous life.

His blades were what kept him alive in this one.

But no matter what the world became, Cain would never allow anyone to try to hurt Roxy. No one.

Though they had only spent a few days together, Teacher Roxy was already an important companion to him. She could teach him magic, take on commissions with him, guide him so he wouldn't get lost, and help make him armor that was both impressive and dependable. Roxy was a teacher he respected from the bottom of his heart.

He still hadn't explored a labyrinth with Teacher Roxy, nor had he fulfilled that ten-year promise he had made with her.

So even if the Superd Tribe came, he would still draw his sword to protect Roxy.

Tap, tap, tap...

Holding the head by its hair as thick blood dripped from it, Cain walked expressionlessly into the hall, stopping before Darius, who had wet himself in terror, a large damp patch spreading across his crotch.

Thud.

Cain dropped the round head in front of him. He stared coldly at Darius, who sat collapsed on the floor, petrified, then slowly drew the long Tachi at his waist and pointed it at him.

"Who ordered this...?"

"I-I don't know! I really don't know!"

Cain frowned slightly and clicked his tongue. He sheathed his sword and looked coldly at Darius.

"If anything happens to Teacher Roxy, I'll take your life and that king's... Then I'll build a second Sword Sanctum here in this Magic City. I swear it on my name, Second Sword God Kain Blade. Please relay my exact words to the king. Thank you..."

Cain stared icily at Darius, put away his Tachi, Instant Void, and prepared to leave the palace.

His face as white as snow, Darius repeatedly agreed.

Cain turned, tightening his grip slightly on the Tachi's hilt at his waist. He was in a foul mood now. He couldn't understand why Teacher Roxy—kind, dependable, a little shy around strangers, and a little airheaded—had been targeted by a North King of the North God Style.

I'll ask her when I get back. If there's a problem, it's best to deal with it quickly. I'll handle it myself.

With that thought, Cain slowly left the hall.

He couldn't do without Teacher Roxy now.

"I-it's over..." Darius slumped on the floor, his eyes somewhat vacant and his face pale. What was he supposed to do now? Whether it succeeded or failed, he would die...

He had only killed a North King. There was nothing wrong with that. Once the man had drawn his blades, he was an enemy prepared for the consequences. Mercy toward an enemy was cruelty toward oneself and the people at one's side.

But killing Darius meant killing a nation's prime minister. Unless Cain truly intended to establish a second Sword Sanctum, he would be expelled from the country. Then he would no longer be able to stay in the same country as Teacher Roxy...

That was why Cain had spared Darius.

Of course, if Darius was the mastermind, Cain would kill him without hesitation. If it had been the king's idea, he would kill the king and replace him.

But Cain had little interest in building a power base. He only wanted to grow stronger, in every way.

Let them expel me, then. No one gets to hurt my Teacher Roxy.

Cain left the hall and looked at the empty royal avenue. Only then did he remember an important problem.

"Huh... Without Teacher Roxy, how am I supposed to get back...?"

A cool breeze swept past. Looking down the deserted royal avenue, Cain pressed his lips together as though facing a world-class dilemma.

He went back and asked Darius, who was still slumped on the floor, for a guide. Yes, it was that King-class mage. With her leading the way that night, Cain finally made it back to the Adventurers' Guild.