The next day, I woke up only after the sun was high in the sky.

Of course, it was because I had overslept.

I must have fallen asleep while talking late into the night yesterday, as I woke up in a chair near the fireplace on the first floor of the inn.

I blinked my eyes slowly and looked around.

Dofang, who had been sitting opposite me and listening to the story, was nowhere to be seen, and Linda, who had fallen asleep leaning on my shoulder, was also gone.

"Ugh... my head."

"W-water..."

The restaurant was filled with the painful groans of the mercenary guys who had been drinking heavily the day before.

I ordered a glass of honey water from a passing waiter and then stretched my stiff body.

"Here's your honey water."

"Thanks."

I grinned as I gulped down the sweet honey water.

Because I remembered beating up a Sherwood member yesterday.

I tried to beat up the leader, but I couldn't. I didn't dare to beat up my sister. I didn't really want to beat up Miho and Schmitt. And I failed to beat up Hud because she burst into tears...

But I succeeded in beating up Dofang.

"...Ah."

An immense satisfaction enveloped me.

It felt as if a long-standing burden had been lifted from my chest after successfully beating up Dofang, whom I had been determined to beat up.

My heart felt warm, as if a cozy fireplace had been lit inside.

"Master."

[What.]

"They say a gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years."

The Heavenly Demon snorted.

[A guy who doesn't even know what a gentleman is.]

"Anyway, it's a good thing. It hasn't even been a year for me, so the name 'gentleman' is not lacking. From today, I am Gentleman Ashuban."

The Heavenly Demon clicked his tongue.

[A guy who doesn't even know the meaning of a proverb. It doesn't mean that the sooner you take revenge, the better.]

"Ah, really?"

I scratched my head as I drank the honey water.

"Then what does it mean?"

[It's a proverb that contains the lesson of honing your skills while patiently waiting for revenge. Didn't I tell you?]

I remembered only after hearing it.

"Ah, that's right."

I thought about it carefully.

A nasty guy for whom I would take a gentleman's revenge...

"There is."

[Who?]

"Gustan of the Greatsword."

The leader was a much stronger man than I had thought.

Even when I threw everything I had honed over half a year, crossing the line of death in the lower world, I couldn't even scratch him.

Gustan of the Greatsword was a man from another world.

A monster among monsters, who stood shoulder to shoulder with the Eight Sword Masters.

"Someday... I will beat that guy up and become Gentleman Ashuban."

The Heavenly Demon laughed at me.

"...You're laughing? Master, is my long-cherished wish funny?"

[It's funny. You were born a man, and your ambition is only that much?]

"Only that much? The opponent is Gustan of the Greatsword."

[Of course, he is a man who is not lacking as an opponent to vow to defeat someday. But aren't you my disciple?]

"That's right."

[Then would it be enough to just surpass that guy?]

"Then?

[Shouldn't you at least be able to make the whole world kneel before you?]

"...!"

Heavenly Demon.

The one who looks down on the world.

The absolute being who looks down on the world with an extremely arrogant smile.

His perspective on the world was different from others.

How can a dragon that roams above the clouds see the world with the same eyes as those who live with their feet on the ground?

I cautiously uttered the title that is given to only one person.

"...The strongest under the heavens?"

A smile bloomed on the Heavenly Demon's lips.

[You are my disciple, so it would be troublesome if you couldn't even do that much.]

"...Hehe."

Yes, I was having useless thoughts.

I covered my face with my hands and laughed.

"Hehehe."

There are guys to beat up all over the world.

Why did I only try to beat up Gustan?

I was looking at the world with a narrow perspective.

The leader is not the only one to beat up.

I have to beat up the magical beasts, the Eight Sword Masters, the Grand Duke of the North, and the Demon King who was said to be reigning in the western demon realm.

How dare he use the arrogant title of Demon King in a place where the Heavenly Demon is?

It's only right to beat him up.

"Hahahaha!"

I laughed, covering my face with one hand and shaking my shoulders.

"Damn it, you scared me."

"What's wrong with the leader all of a sudden?"

"He must still be drunk."

I heard people whispering around me, but I didn't care.

I am the second heaven, following my master.

The second Heavenly Demon.

[Correct.]

The Heavenly Demon smiled with satisfaction.

It was an extremely arrogant smile.

I also muttered with a similar kind of smile.

"They say a gentleman's revenge is not too late even after ten years."

I looked at my rough palms.

It was a sign of training.

"Ten years? No, five years is enough."

I clenched my fist.

"Alright. Then I'll beat up the leader in five years and take the title of gentleman."

The Heavenly Demon sighed.

[...I told you, it's not good to be fast.]

After drinking all the remaining honey water, I briefly reviewed the current situation.

The worst monster wave in the north.

The monster wave usually hits when the temperature is at its lowest in a year.

It means they attack when it's the coldest and most frigid.

Currently, it is late autumn, about to enter the beginning of winter.

There is at least a month left until the horde of magical beasts starts pounding on the frozen city walls.

It's a month, but it's also possible that they will come in two or three months after making full preparations.

Then, this is something that will happen in at least a month.

'I can beat up the magical beasts then.'

Then who should I beat up until then?

[To think that your head is only filled with thoughts of who to beat up. I'm so proud of you, my disciple.]

It's not that I'm a violent person and my head is only filled with thoughts of beating people up.

Because the stronger the guy I beat up, the stronger I become.

At that moment, my stomach rumbled.

[Go eat something. Your stomach is growling.]

"Hmm."

I was a man who listened well to my master's words, even if I didn't listen to others, so I immediately called a waiter and ordered a meal. Since I wasn't short on money, I ordered a soup with plenty of meat.

The meal came out shortly after.

I thought about what to do for a month while eating the soup.

The thought was not long.

I came to the conclusion that if there was no one to beat up, I would just train in the meantime.

I need to refine the ultimate skill I got from this escort, and it would be good to take this opportunity to design other ultimate skills.

Or I could review the Night Sky Star Moon Art or train the Snow Branch Blue Flame Art.

At that moment, Camus came over, holding his head, and sat opposite me.

"Ugh... my head. Are you okay? You drank as much as I did."

He was a guy whose title changed from leader to 'you' as soon as the work was over.

Is this what they call a good distinction between public and private life?

I swallowed the meat I was chewing and then answered.

"I feel a little better after mixing the moon with my drink."

"What nonsense..."

Camus, as if to cure his hangover, called a waiter and ordered a hot tomato soup.

I asked Camus, who was holding his head.

"So, what's your plan for the future?"

Camus scratched above his eyepatch.

"I don't know... I've earned a lot of money, so I'm thinking of just playing and eating for a while."

I nodded.

"That's not bad either."

"What about you?"

"I don't know... I don't have anything urgent to do, so if nothing comes up, I'm thinking of focusing on training for a while."

Camus shook his head.

"Training again? You were training whenever you had a chance on the way here."

"I never get tired of training."

"You're a tough one. You're already so strong at a young age, and you're going to get even stronger? I don't know what you're working so hard for."

I muttered softly.

"...So that I don't lose anything more."

"What did you say?"

At that moment, the soup Camus had ordered arrived.

"Oh."

Camus's attention turned to the steaming soup.

He took a spoonful of the hot tomato soup and let out a cry of admiration.

"As expected, there's nothing like this for a hangover."

"...You're eating it deliciously."

I watched Camus, who was eating the soup like a dog, and ate my own soup.

...Should I have ordered that too?

"What are you doing today?"

I asked casually.

"Today, I'm thinking of watching a match for now."

"A match? What match?"

"Ah, didn't you hear? I heard from a guy last night while drinking. They say one of the Eight Sword Masters has appeared."

Halt.

The hand that was eating the soup stopped.

"...One of the Eight Sword Masters?"

"Yes. They say the second prince's knight has become the owner of the Jet-Black Sword."

"The Jet-Black Sword..."

I had heard about the Jet-Black Sword from Shushruta.

The first famous sword made by the legendary master Ophosis, the Jet-Black Sword.

As it was the first, there were many fakes and false rumors, so it was not known exactly what it looked like, and its whereabouts were also unknown.

"I don't know if he recruited one of the Eight Sword Masters, or if his knight happened to get the sword and became one of the Eight Sword Masters. Anyway, the 2nd prince held a tournament for this and that reason."

I thought for a moment and then asked.

"What does the 2nd prince's knight becoming one of the Eight Sword Masters have to do with the tournament?"

"It's obvious, isn't it? He's trying to show off. It seems he wants to take this opportunity to expand his influence."

Camus shrugged.

"They say the winner of the tournament will be given the opportunity to cross swords with the owner of the Jet-Black Sword. Seeing that he even held a tournament like this, he must be very confident."

"Hmm... I heard that there are many fakes of the Jet-Black Sword."

"I don't know. It could be real, or it could not be."

Camus lifted the bowl and scraped the remaining tomato soup into his mouth.

"Hmm... as expected, tomato soup is the best for a hangover. My headache is gone."

"Do you think it's real?"

"I heard that people are whispering that he might be the real owner of the Jet-Black Sword because he's so confident."

"You think it's a fake?"

Scrape—

Camus stood up with the empty bowl and grinned.

"What does it matter? As long as it's fun."

"I see."

I ate the soup slowly, savoring the taste, and fell into thought, unlike the impatient Camus who had already finished his meal.

'The owner of the first famous sword, the Jet-Black Sword...'

A voice was heard from the other side.

—Here, here. I ate it all without leaving a single drop of soup. You won't even need to wash the dishes.

—Oh my, customer. If you leave it on the table, we'll clean it up.

—I came to show off that I ate it all. It was very delicious. The chef's skills are no joke.

—I'm glad you enjoyed it. My daughter...

I ate slowly, lost in thought.

At that moment, the inn door opened and Dofang and Linda came in with a cold wind.

"Ah, you're up!"

Linda smiled brightly as soon as she saw me and ran over.

"Devil!"

I pushed away Linda's grass-green hair, which was clinging to me while I was eating, and grumbled.

"Damn it, can't you stay still? I'm eating right now."

"Hehe."

Dofang watched the scene and laughed heartily.

"Aren't you two too close? I'm getting jealous."

"Jealous of what."

I looked at Dofang, who had come in with the cold wind from outside.

"Where have you been?"

"The lady was bored and was about to wake up her brother, so I persuaded her and we went for a walk."

"The two of you?"

"The two of us."

"Was she well-behaved?"

"She was a perfect lady."

"Hoo."

It's the first time I've seen Linda act so well-behaved with someone she just met.

Did she get attached to him after he beat her up yesterday?

I thought it would be okay to leave Linda with Dofang in the future.

I asked Linda, who had already sealed one of my arms.

"What did you talk about on your walk?"

Linda said brightly.

"Yeah, we talked about poison!"

"Poison?"

Dofang sat down opposite the table and said.

"I thought I knew a thing or two about poison, but I was no match for the lady. It's amazing where such a feisty young lady came from."

"Hehe."

I looked at the grinning Linda and pushed away her bobbing grass-green hair.

"Get away, you brat."

"Eing..."

I pushed Linda, who was clinging to me, to the side and then asked Dofang.

"Brother Do. I heard one of the Eight Sword Masters has appeared. Have you heard anything?"

"Ah, that? It's probably a fake."

"Why do you think so?"

"Because when you look at the various circumstances, it's highly likely that it's a fake."

"But since you said 'probably', it means you're not sure."

"That's right. I haven't seen it myself."

"...."

"...."

We exchanged glances.

Even though we didn't say anything, a sly smile formed on each of our lips.

"Shall we go check it out?"

"Good."

We immediately stood up from our seats.

(End of Chapter)