SWNOVELXO Chapter 97 - A Small Snowball (1)
Chapter 97. A Small Snowball (1)
A woman was running at an incredible speed.
Tap, tap, tap-.
So fast that it was hard to believe a human could move this way.
Moreover, there was a person clinging to her back.
She raced through not only the usual paths but also over tree branches and rooftops.
No obstacle could stand in her way.
Her sprint came to a halt when she entered a building.
“We’re here.”
At her words, Yuri leapt off Greta’s back.
He removed the black sack covering his head and shook his head.
“Phew, I thought I was going to suffocate.”
As he was fixing his hair, Yuri’s eyes widened at the sight that came into view.
“Whoa…?”
The inside of the building stretched up to five floors.
There were countless doors on each floor, and the corridors were bustling with members of the Black Sword Corps.
‘Is this the Black Sword Corps supply depot?’
While Yuri was busy taking in the surroundings, Greta’s voice called out.
“Stop gawking and follow me.”
Leaving those words, Greta began to climb the stairs.
Yuri quickly followed, not wanting to lose her.
They stopped in front of a door on the third floor. With a slightly tense expression, Greta knocked on the door.
Knock, knock-.
“Greta Wigun, Captain of the 17th squad, here on business.”
“Come in.”
With permission granted from the inside, Greta cautiously opened the door and entered.
It was the most careful demeanor Yuri had seen from her so far.
Naturally, he followed quietly behind her.
As they entered the room, the first thing that greeted Yuri was the scent of dried herbs.
It was a smell Yuri knew well.
‘…Herbal medicine?’
Yuri’s gaze was drawn to a wall filled with hundreds of small drawers.
Each palm-sized drawer was engraved with an unknown symbol.
And in front of the enormous cabinet, a stern-looking old man was seated at a long table.
His hair was white as snow.
He wore a neatly pressed outfit that reminded one of a bartender.
And he even had a monocle.
Greta approached him and handed over a document.
It was the authorization for elixir use that she had received from above.
The old man quickly glanced over the document, crumpled it up, and gestured to Yuri.
“Me?”
With a nod, the old man continued to beckon without a word, just wiggling his finger.
Yuri blinked, standing still.
After hesitating for a moment, he cautiously approached the old man.
Given that Greta was being so mindful of her actions around this person, Yuri thought it best to tread carefully too.
Step, step-.
The two faced each other.
The old man, raising his monocle, scrutinized Yuri with a deep gaze.
After a brief, heavy silence, he spoke curtly.
“So, you’re the one.”
The old man’s words, spoken as if he knew him, made Yuri tilt his head.
“Do you know me?”
But the old man did not answer Yuri’s question.
Instead, he raised his hands and began to inspect Yuri.
He examined his muscles and bones, his eyes, nose, and ears, even going so far as to pry open his mouth to check his teeth.
His hands moved swiftly and smoothly, and before Yuri knew it, he had submitted his body for inspection.
After thoroughly examining Yuri, the old man stood up.
“Wait here.”
Watching the old man leave with just those words, Yuri muttered incredulously.
“…Who is that old man?”
“He is the Master of the Apothecary. Every elixir supplied within the Black Sword Corps is made by him.”
“Okay, but… do we usually have to go through a physical exam just to get an elixir?”
“Well, that… I’m not sure.”
Greta blinked.
From what she’d heard, the other captains had just received their elixirs without such an inspection.
She didn’t know that this kind of examination existed either.
While Yuri and Greta were expressing their doubts, the old man returned.
Thud-.
He casually placed a bottle containing a black liquid on the long table.
“Take it over there and drink it.”
The old man gestured to a door connected to the apothecary.
Meanwhile, Yuri looked at the bottle on the table and frowned slightly.
“Wow, what kind of medicine has a color like this… Are you sure this is safe to drink?”
Perhaps his words pricked the old man’s pride.
The old man’s eyes twitched.
“Are you doubting my medicine?”
“No, it’s not that, but the color is just… unsettling.”
The liquid was pitch black, like ink.
For someone unfamiliar, it was natural to feel a sense of repulsion.
The old man scoffed.
“If you have a problem, take it up with those idiots who are obsessed with black and demanded it be made in this color. But I assure you, there’s not a speck of flaw in my medicine.”
“……”
Yuri silently stared at the old man’s face.
Despite the countless wrinkles, his eyes burned with the fervor of a young man.
It was the gaze of a master who had devoted his life to handling medicine.
Feeling reassured, Yuri grabbed the bottle without further hesitation.
“I’m off!”
“Yeah, go on. I’ll be waiting here, so drink it and come out.”
“Okay.”
With a cheerful expression, Yuri trotted off, and only then did the old man’s stern face relax.
Meanwhile, Greta seemed to be deep in thought since Yuri had disappeared.
A brief silence followed.
“Hmm…”
Eventually, unable to resolve her thoughts on her own, Greta cautiously spoke up.
“Um… Sir?”
“What?”
At her call, the old man slightly lifted his head.
Greta hesitantly asked.
“The medicine from earlier… about that.”
“What about it?”
“Well, as far as I know… the elixir provided to captains is supposed to be blue.”
Her hesitant voice made the old man respond with a sarcastic tone.
“So, are you saying I might have given the wrong medicine?”
“Um… I was just wondering if maybe you made a mistake with the color.”
The old man’s gaze turned icy.
“Insinuating that I made a mistake in selecting a medicine is an insult to me.”
“I-I’m sorry.”
As Greta hastily bowed her head, the old man, slightly calming his anger, scoffed and spoke.
“It wasn’t a mistake.”
“…Then, what about that medicine earlier?”
“It’s better.”
“What?”
“The one supplied to captains is third-grade, but the one you got earlier is first-grade.”
“What? Why would you…?”
The old man answered indifferently to the look on her face that seemed to ask why such a thing would be given to a mere cadet.
“Because that’s what they ordered from above.”
“…From above?”
“It was a direct order from the Commander.”
“…?”
Greta, unable to understand the old man’s words for a moment, suddenly shouted in surprise.
“Did you say that the Commander personally ordered a better elixir to be given?”
“To be precise, the order was to provide the one that best suits his constitution among the first-grade elixirs.”
“Wh-why?”
Seeing Greta blink in confusion, the old man muttered softly.
“How would I know?”
Saying that, the old man glanced at the room Yuri had entered.
“Well, that kid must have caught the eye of someone important up there.”
“…?!”
Greta’s pupils trembled.
‘Someone important up there…?’
A direct order from the Commander of the Black Sword Corps.
This was not an order that was easily given unless it was a very urgent situation.
‘But to issue a direct order just to change an elixir?’
And if things were handled this swiftly, it meant there was intervention from someone even higher than the Commander.
And someone higher than the Commander of the Black Sword Corps would be…
Gulp.
Greta swallowed dryly and looked at the door Yuri had entered.
A light brown tea was poured into a white cup.
Pour, pour-.
Gordon picked up the teacup.
He asked in a low voice to the person who had poured the tea.
“What are you curious about?”
“Pardon?”
Surprised by the Commander’s question, the deputy blinked.
It was because he had merely poured the tea and said nothing.
“Judging by your face, it seems there’s something you’re not convinced about.”
“Ah…”
“Is it because of the direct order I issued recently?”
“…”
“So, that’s it.”
The Commander seemed to read the deputy’s thoughts like mind-reading, making the latter look embarrassed.
Then, as if glad for the chance, the deputy spoke up about what had been troubling him.
“Yes, to be honest, it is. I don’t quite understand why you used your authority to provide an elixir for a cadet who only joined this year.”
In response to the deputy’s question, Gordon took a sip of his tea and replied.
Sssip-.
“You must have seen it too, Greta Wigun’s report.”
“Yes, it was certainly remarkable.”
Two days ago, a report on a quest involving the current 50th cadets was submitted.
The report detailed how a mere cadet, a first-dan at that, had defeated a sixth-dan Black Sword Corps member.
Even though it was under the constraint of only ten strikes, it was still surprising.
However…
“Even so, using your authority to provide an elixir… seems a bit much.”
“Does it disrupt fairness among the cadets?”
“…That’s not what I meant.”
“Then, is it an abuse of authority?”
“N-no, not at all! I just thought you might be giving a bit too much attention to a single cadet. Issues like providing an elixir could have been handled without invoking your direct authority.”
“Tut, I was just joking, but you got so serious. You’re such a stiff person.”
“My apologies. But how could I possibly think of your actions as an abuse of authority? It’s just that when you say things like that…”
“Is that so?”
“Yes!”
“But what can I say… it is actually an abuse of authority.”
“Excuse me…?”
“This wasn’t an order from the Sword Master. I just decided to give it.”
“What?!”
“Why? Do you think I don’t have the authority for something like that?”
“N-no, of course not!”
Gordon Crowden, the second-in-command of the Dragon’s Cradle.
He was the administrative ruler who managed the Cradle in place of the Sword Master, who had no interest in daily affairs. Was it such a big deal for him to handle one mere first-grade elixir on his own?
If it were Gordon, no one would dare to question him even if he handled something more valuable than a first-grade elixir at his discretion.
That’s how powerful Gordon’s authority was.
However, Gordon had never used his power for personal gain.
Thus, the deputy naturally assumed that even this order issued under the Commander’s authority must have come from the Sword Master…
‘Did the Commander use his authority for personal matters?’
The deputy froze in shock at a situation he had never encountered since working under Gordon.
‘That… can’t be right, can it?’
Knowing Gordon, he would never act without reason.
The deputy, who had such faith in him, became even more confused as he couldn’t figure out Gordon’s intentions.
Seeing this, Gordon picked up his teacup again.
“No need to think too deeply about it. Just…”
Sssip-.
“Think of it as a successful senior giving a gift to a junior he likes after a long time.”
Gordon Crowden, one of the Twelve Swords produced by the Cradle.
He was the very first cadet of the Cradle.
‘A gift for a junior… It’s not entirely wrong.’
Clink-.
As he set down his teacup, a strange, inexplicable smile formed on the senior’s lips.
Tap, tap, tap.
With her arms crossed, Greta kept tapping her forearm with her index finger.
She anxiously watched the door Yuri had entered.
‘He’s late.’
Yuri, who had disappeared to take the elixir, hadn’t come out for hours.
It was already past midnight.
In another hour or two, she would have to leave for her mission as well.
‘I hope he comes out soon before it gets any later.’
That way, she could escort Yuri to the Forest of Beasts and prepare herself.
Just then, when she was fervently hoping for Yuri to come out quickly…
Click- Creeaak-.
The door that had remained firmly shut since Yuri entered finally opened.