Hello everyone, this is now the correct translation. Please read and enjoy this chapter.
<Episode 12>
The blade suddenly changed direction and pierced straight into the monster’s throat.
Screech— The monster’s cry stopped. It all happened in the blink of an eye.
“A-a monster….”
The young knight blurted out without meaning to, then quickly covered his mouth. Hup.
His breath came fast through the gap in his helmet like someone who had run a long distance.
His heart pounded loudly in his chest.
Deonis knew that feeling.
It was fear.
The two remaining monsters were quickly taken care of. Deonis smirked as he tugged at the end of his shredded glove.
With a splat, the glove that had lost its pair fell into a puddle.
“All nearby threats have been cleared. No monsters detected,”
a knight reported.
“Let’s rest and move again.”
The knight’s eyes briefly landed on the wound on Deonis’ wrist, then quickly looked away.
He had never once seen Deonis receive treatment.
“Yes, Your Grace.”
Deonis wiped the blood off his sword without much care, then stopped his hand.
With an emotionless face, he stared at his fingertips.
The slight sting where the monster’s blood had touched felt strangely unfamiliar.
‘Just because you have a big wound doesn’t mean small ones don’t hurt.’
The woman’s words flashed through his mind.
The small, soft touch that had brushed between his fingers.
It wasn’t important for survival—so it was useless.
But he kept thinking about the moment her fingers touched his.
That wasn’t like him.
“Your Grace, shall I bring you the blessed sword?”
asked the knight, noticing Deonis’ sword had worn down and chipped.
Blessed weapons lasted longer, but Deonis had no desire to use divine power beyond the barrier.
He shook his head.
“This is good enough. Give the blessed ones to the knights.”
“Then, shall I ask the blacksmith for another sword?”
“I’ll get it myself.”
With new gloves on, Deonis began to move.
—
At the end of the hunting party, in a clearing where trees had been cut down, the blacksmiths had gathered.
The one sharpening a blade looked up and bowed when he saw Deonis.
“Can it be repaired?”
“The edge is damaged, but I think it can be fixed. Please wait a moment.”
As Deonis looked through the remaining weapons, his eyes fell on a square-shaped magic tool.
It looked rough—just a box with two charcoal stones fixed inside.
“What’s this?”
“Oh, the magic tool maker Your Grace brought in left it here. She insisted so much, I had no choice but to carry it over.”
It was about Melody.
A hint of interest appeared in Deonis’ eyes.
“Have you tried using it?”
“Not yet. She said it’s a magic tool for sharpening blades, but honestly, I’m not convinced.”
The blacksmith remembered how Melody kept coming to him every day, begging.
By the third day, she had even sat down and started helping out with small tasks.
She worked hard, so he had thought maybe he’d try it once she left.
“Let’s give it a try.”
“But it might damage the blade. You have to sharpen carefully by hand—how could a magic tool do it?”
Though he was doubtful, the blacksmith sat in front of the magic tool.
A simple craftsman couldn’t disobey a duke’s command.
“What was it called… some kind of method?”
“I know how it works,”
said another blacksmith, stepping up.
– It sharpens well.
Bzzt— With a loud sound, the charcoal stones began to spin.
The blade was slid in and out of the cracked box, and a newly sharpened edge appeared.
It didn’t just sharpen.
It even reforged the edge, strengthening the metal.
“Whoa, it really worked!”
Deonis swung the finished sword, and the leaves were sliced cleanly.
“This’ll cut down on maintenance time.”
“Might need to make a storage box for this thing too,”
the blacksmith muttered in disbelief as he stared at the sword.
“I decorated it with red satin today. Also added a flame effect,”
Melody said cheerfully, showing the magic tool she had worked hard on to the chief attendant.
The square box blinked with light now and then.
Sharp eyes stared right at it.
“Looks like you’re ready for a curtain call.”
“Do you like it?”
“I’d rather this whole show end. Including the part where you waste my precious time.”
With a deep sigh, the chief attendant continued with a displeased expression,
“But the Duke has ordered us to give you as much convenience as possible. A nearby room has been cleared—how about placing it there?”
He clearly wanted it placed somewhere no one would see it.
But the room he pointed to was on the left side of the building.
That meant the right side would be left uncovered.
Melody wanted the magic tool’s range to cover the entire building.
‘Can I split it into two?’
If she placed another tool on the right side, it would cover more space. But if the range got too big, it might touch the divine barrier behind the mansion. The divine barrier would cancel out the magic core’s power.
She carefully calculated everything.
“Alright. Then please also place one in the second room on the west side.”
“The second room on the west? That’s the Duchess’s room.”
“It’s empty, right?”
“Unfortunately, you can’t place anything in there. Items for the Duchess’s room require strict approval. Until you get permission from the Duke, we’ll have to put this on hold.”
“But…”
“We can ask again once His Grace returns.”
With that, the chief attendant turned and left in a hurry.
—
Inside the messy workshop, Melody was writing in her research journal for a large-scale magic-nullifying device.
She raised her head with determination.
“I need to find another way to put the tool in the Duchess’s room. It’s not like anyone’s using it. If someone does later, I’ll just move it then.”
“Is it really necessary to rush? Once the Duke returns, he’ll sort it out,”
Anna asked.
Melody firmly shook her head.
“No, that won’t work.”
“Is there a reason?”
“He’s… too twisted. He doesn’t even know how to take care of himself.”
If she asked Deonis, he’d probably just say to cover the office or entrance. It didn’t even feel like he thought of this place as his home.
“What if we try bribing the chief attendant?”
“With a bribe…?”
“Three or five gold coins, maybe?”
“That’ll be tough. I heard he’s so rich he doesn’t even need a salary. He even received a small estate when he served the former emperor!”
Even after offering half the gold she’d received upfront, Anna shook her head. It wasn’t nearly enough.
“Then how about asking the maids to say it looks nice?”
Melody asked.
Anna, who was sweeping up bits of the magic core, quickly avoided her gaze.
“That might be… hard.”
“Why?”
Anna kept sweeping the same spot again and again.
“The truth is… they don’t like you, Miss Melody.”
“Because of the magic tools?”
“No, they’re actually curious about those…”
Anna sighed softly and went on.
“It’s because the Duke gave you special treatment, and even the Crown Prince gave you a handkerchief.”
“I got a sword too!”
