OBWESB 09

Chapter 09

“Yo, Kaiser.”

The one who called my name was a dashing older man, raising one hand with a nihilistic smirk. He was the very definition of an isekai character—sporting flashy, vibrant red hair and a prominent scar across his cheek. Yet, that rigid hair and the numerous scars carved all over his rugged body suited him far too well.

The “Dragon Slayer.”

He was a former adventurer who had earned that alias in his youth. The man himself always laughed it off, claiming it wasn’t some massive dragon but just a mere wyvern. Still, I thought anyone crazy enough to challenge even a wyvern completely solo had to be a bit out of their mind.

Though he had currently retired from the front lines, his skills were still more than enough to put active adventurers to shame. And this man, who clearly carried the aura of a veteran champion, was—to tell the truth—my master.

“It has been a long time, Master.”

The words slipped out naturally before I caught myself, my lips twitching slightly in dismay. Straightening my posture, I called out to him once more.

“It has been a long time, Einhard.”

“Bwahaha! You haven’t changed a bit, kid!”

I responded to his boisterous laughter with a simple, “Neither have you.”

Old habits die hard; whenever I let my guard down, I still accidentally call him “Master.” When I became the Acting Duke, he told me to call him by his name from then on as a sign of drawing a professional line. To me, however, he was still that terrifyingly strict yet dependable master.

Back when I was learning swordsmanship and hand-to-hand combat from him, he used to call me “brat,” but now he’s switched to using my name due to my position. He claims he doesn’t know how to use honorifics or polite speech, so his language remains blunt and casual. But thanks to his years of experience, he knows how to read the room when necessary, so I don’t mind at all.

In fact, the thought of this man using honorifics and polite speech with me is way too terrifying.

Besides, he possesses the kind of strength where no one would dare question a bit of rudeness. Being able to shut people up through sheer power is honestly pretty cool.

“Here, it’s the thing you requested.”

He casually shoved that into my hands, and I caught it.

“Thank you very much. May I try it out right away?”

After receiving his nod of approval, I took it and stepped out into the courtyard.

Moving past the elegant, well-kept gardens, I walked deep into the expansive grounds toward the edge where trees stood tall. In that wide, open space, I finally cast my eyes down at the item I had just received.

It was a scabbard, pitch-black with sparse gold accents.

Placing my hand on the hilt, I slowly drew the blade.

“Incredible…”

An involuntary gasp of admiration escaped my lips at the sheer beauty of the blade.

It was entirely distinct from ordinary swords. What made it most unusual was its color—the beautifully shimmering blade was pitch-black. It wasn’t a gaudy, glaring sheen, but a mesmerizing, jet-black luster that threatened to draw you in just by looking at it.

“Rif.”

When I called out to Rif, who had followed me, he immediately placed a chunk of ore onto a tree stump of just the right height. Waiting for Rif to step back, I poured strength into my grip on the hilt.

A single flash.

The swung blade left a jet-black afterimage, cleaving right through both the ore and the stump it rested on.

Einhard, arms crossed, let out a sharp, high whistle. Rif immediately picked up the ore to show me the cross-section; it was cleanly split dead in half.

“Well? Did it meet your expectations?”

To Einhard, who asked while clearly already knowing the answer, I nodded back immediately. “Of course.” I held up the blade once more, inspecting it in front of my eyes.

“It didn’t just meet my expectations, it exceeded them. As expected of a weapon crafted from a dragon’s claw. It cut a mineral known for its peak hardness clean in two.”

The jet-black blade possessed a very slight curve.

When I commissioned this sword, the image I had in mind was a Japanese katana.

This was because I judged that style to be better suited for me. It wasn’t that I was bad at wielding a standard sword; as I’ve mentioned before, my swordsmanship easily surpasses that of an average knight.

The fatal weakness of a guy like me, however… is a severe lack of overwhelming physical strength.

I’m not frail. I am definitely not frail.

It’s important, so I said it twice.

I’m not frail (third time’s a charm), but since I’m not blessed with a massive build, there’s always a risk of being overpowered in a contest of brute force. In fact, that was the primary reason I used to lose during sparring sessions with Master. Furthermore, when it came to combat style, slicing and parrying suited my nature far better than shoving or thrusting.

Hence, rather than a Western-style sword, I envisioned a katana with a razor-sharp edge. However, turning it into a perfect Japanese katana ran the risk of exposing me as a reincarnated person. So instead of a single-edged katana, it was crafted as a double-edged sword that merely mimicked the edge and curve of one.

I’d really prefer to avoid blowing my cover as a reincarnator.

Not only would people look at me with bizarre curiosity, but I also have a nagging feeling that if I slip up even once, my entire public persona will crumble instantly beyond repair. Given my position, exposing my inner thoughts is a bit…

Anyway, I digressed.

The material of the sword was, incredibly, a dragon. Provided by the experienced dragon slayer, Mr. Einhard.

The smith was a legendary dwarf maestro. Introduced by the well-connected Mr. Einhard.

Crafted with special materials, through special techniques, into a special shape—my very own custom sword!! It possessed a magnificent sharpness truly worthy of a dragon’s claw, which is often said to be capable of tearing through anything.

Honestly, isn’t this basically a legendary sword?! Like Excalibur!

While screaming with pure, childlike joy on the inside at obtaining a legendary weapon, I maintained a calm exterior and sheathed the blade. Bowing slightly, I offered my gratitude to Einhard.

“Thank you so much for listening to my unreasonable request… Master.”

I purposefully used the title this time to convey my deep gratitude.

“Well, it was a request from my cute disciple, after all.”

Laughing boisterously, my master reached out and vigorously ruffled my hair. He’s about the only person who would dare treat me like this.

“There ain’t nothing that sword can’t cut, you hear? It’s that master smith’s greatest masterpiece.”

Seeing his nihilistic grin, the corner of my own lips curled upward.

“Unfortunately, saying ‘nothing’ is a bit of a misnomer. After all, we have Rif.”

When I directed my gaze toward him, Einhard laughed again, recalling. “Ah, right. That’s true.”

“Besides, there is absolutely no way I would ever point a sword at him.”

“Your words are more than I deserve, My Lord. However, even if someone else were to somehow obtain a similar blade, I shall protect your person with my life, Lord Kaiser.”

Placing a hand over his chest, Rif looked at me with amber eyes burning with fierce determination.

Yes, we have the wonderful Rif. After all, Rif’s unique ability is…

‘Absolute Defense’

Any and all attacks are rendered utterly powerless before Rif. Even a missile would be a piece of cake! I’ve never tested it, though… and well, missiles don’t even exist in this world.

Truly, he is my ultimate shield!! It’s incredibly reassuring, but allow me to remind you of something.

Think back to the abilities of the game’s capture targets: Dia’s ability is ‘Ability Nullification’, and Merald’s is ‘Slash Nullification’. True to their names, one nullifies all abilities, while the other nullifies all slashing attacks.

Yet, Rif’s ‘Absolute Defense’ is superior because it isn’t limited to a specific type of attack. Whether physical, psychological, magical, or a simple slash—every single form of “attack” falls under his domain of defense.

…This is weird.

My attendant’s specs are totally eclipsing the actual capture targets!! Rif, what a terrifying child?!

The sword that can cut through anything, and the absolute defense.

It instantly brings to mind the famous anecdote of the spear and the shield. The story goes that a merchant selling spears and shields boasted, “This spear can pierce any shield, no matter how hard, and this shield can block any spear, no matter how sharp.” Then a customer asked, “So, what happens if you stab this shield with that spear?” and the merchant couldn’t answer. That’s where the word “contradiction” (written with the kanji for spear and shield) comes from.

Well, it’s not like I’m ever going to slash Rif, nor will I let anyone else do so.

But if it ever came down to it, the “shield” would definitely win hands down!