Kays Translations

Chapter 167: Traveling Companions

Gerhardt lent them a splendid two-horse carriage, a gesture of goodwill aimed at doing whatever he could to help.

With Samurai Mask sitting in the driver's seat, the covered carriage headed towards the count’s domain.

"Wouldn't it be faster to ride directly on horseback?" 

Samurai Mask questioned, furrowing his brow. 

"Horseback riding isn't common knowledge among commoners," 

Lutz replied with a frown.

Lutz, who had grown up as a poor blacksmith outside the city walls, couldn't ride a horse and didn't know how to handle a carriage. He had only recently learned how to ride a donkey. Ricardo nodded in agreement. He usually traveled on foot or shared a carriage when going to exterminate monsters.

"So, if you can ride a horse, what kind of person are you?" 

Samurai Mask, whose real identity was Donald, made a surprised expression beneath his mask. 

“We are entrusting our lives to each other from now on, is it okay if I reveal your true identity?”

Lutz decided to reveal his identity to avoid keeping secrets from someone who would be accompanying them in such a dangerous mission. Samurai Mask didn't care about what happened to him after the completion of this mission. So, maintaining his secret identity at this point seemed pointless.

He didn't want you to tell this to the high-ranking knight Jocel, but if it’s an adventurer, it's probably a good idea to compromise. 

"I'll leave it to you, Lutz-sama." 

"He's a serial killer."

Samurai Mask was taken aback and trembled with surprise. He had said to trust him, but this was an extremely direct approach. Cold glares pricked at Samurai Mask's back as he held the reins. He didn't want to imagine what expression Ricardo was wearing right now.

“What did this guy do?”

"There was an incident where two knights were killed in succession. He’s culprit behind that."

“Does that mean that as a masked man of justice, he sent a divine punishment upon the villain?”

"Although, that incident is a purely personal matter. It happened before he began his activities as Samurai Mask. Well, the ones who got killed were just a bunch of bad knights, so who cares?"

“That’s right.”

He was easily convinced. Samurai Mask had mixed feelings about whether he should be angry for not being treated as a human or relieved that he wasn't being further questioned. In other words, this was probably how the citizens evaluated the knights' actions on a daily basis. It made him realize once again how much he belonged to a corrupt community.

"The samurai mask himself is a former knight, and his real name is Donald. He started working as an ally of justice because he wanted to change his life of causing trouble to others."

"I understand the desire to change, but isn't that a bit extreme?" 

Ricardo started laughing happily. Samurai Mask breathed a sigh of relief, as the good impression that he was on the side of justice seemed to outweigh the bad impression he had as a former knight.

"Right. And, by the way, Samurai Mask, if we end up in a fight with the orcs, stay away from Ricardo. Specifically, stay at least five meters away from him. It's a matter of life and death."

Lutz said this in a casual manner, as if he were discussing everyday topics.

"Why is that? If you want to avoid him getting caught in the battle, I understand, but specifying a five-meter radius is rather long and detailed," 

“Ah…”

Lutz turned to Ricardo with a glance, silently asking for permission to continue. He didn't want to reveal another person's abilities without consent, even if he was the maker of the cursed blade.

"It's fine," 

Ricardo said, agreeing to the explanation. Explaining this at the scene would be a hassle, and since Samurai Mask had just shared his secret, it didn't seem fair to withhold information.

Lutz seemed to have foreseen the psychological aspect of this situation, even though it appeared as if he hadn't thought about it at all. 

"I'll leave it to you," 

Following Samurai Mask's lead from earlier, he decided to let Lutz speak. It seemed like Lutz had anticipated being told to do the same, and he began talking without hesitation. 

"As I mentioned before, he is the owner of 'Tsubaki,' do you remember? And it's a pretty remarkable sword."

"Yes, I remember,"

Samurai Mask answered clearly. The thorn spike of faint jealousy had been driven into his chest, and there was no way he could forget it.

"The issue is its special ability. Even in its original state, it had a beauty that would make you want to harm yourself to experience its pleasure. But our top-tier enchantment expert, Gerhardt, got a bit carried away and inscribed ancient runes on it, and the result is an incredible cursed sword."

"Is that so?"

Samurai Mask gasped. He wanted to turn around, but he held himself back with self-control.

"It has the effect of compelling anyone within a five-meter radius to self-harm."

"Wha—"

Although he was surprised, it wasn't entirely unexpected for a sword like Tsubaki. Samurai Mask had once hurt himself by pressing his cheek against the blade in its original state, which led to a terrible injury.

"They mistake the pain of self-harm for pleasure. While one can endure pain through training to a certain extent, it's impossible to resist pleasure. It also doesn't distinguish between friend or foe, so be careful."

"It doesn't distinguish friend from foe?"

"It doesn't have any preferences; it's an indiscriminate blade…haha.” 

"It's no laughing matter!" 

"Well, what can we do other than laugh?" 

Lutz asked, his sense of humor twisted by the presence of this odd character. Samurai Mask's reaction was refreshing in its own way.

"...Well, with this ability, it might be effective against an orc group," 

Samurai Mask closed his eyes to the danger and nodded in agreement. He realized that Lutz had appeared quite relaxed or confident for some reason, which might explain why he seemed so carefree. Even though they had prepared for the possibility of death, having a plan to survive had lightened the mood.

Samurai Mask couldn't help but feel somewhat shallow and self-deprecating.

"Maybe all we need to do is let Ricardo draw 'Tsubaki' and stick it into them, and it'll be all over." 

"You're saying that quite irresponsibly. It's actually quite scary; there are times when it doesn't work." 

Lutz replied, half-jokingly and half-seriously.

Lutz and Ricardo shared a laugh, understanding the complexity of the situation.

Even the most powerful cursed sword, 'Tsubaki,' had limitations. It couldn't defend against arrows fired from outside its range. It was ineffective against enemies like zombies or golems, which had no life to manipulate. And it couldn't affect individuals who were already under the influence of other curses, as the woman they encountered deep within the labyrinth had shown.

Ricardo recalled the most terrifying instance when a man, who understood the nature of the curse, had the audacity to cut off his own genitalia right there and then. At that moment, he had felt a genuine sense of impending death. The pain, bleeding, and lingering effects of the curse had left him slow to react. If not for that sluggishness, he would have undoubtedly been killed. It was a formidable enemy that had filled him with such resolve and fear. Since then, Ricardo had always kept the presence of irregularities in the back of his mind, ensuring he wouldn't forget.

"We don't know what's going to happen, so we'll rely on your support as well," 

Lutz and Samurai Mask nodded in agreement.

The two-horse carriage continued its journey with determination towards the baron's domain.

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