Chapter 242

Posted by Kuze, ? Views, Released on April 8, 2025

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242nd Episode – The Elves of Albrheim #2

“Wild brother, you must know that I, a humble monk, have come to this continent in search of the enchanting elf, Elpride.”

Under the dim moonlight, Kalidur’s bald head shone as he approached me step by step.

Yet, what struck me as peculiar was the complete absence of any footsteps or usual presence one would sense with an approaching person.

It was as though he were slithering on the ground like a snake.

Back in the days, I wouldn’t have thought much of it and let it go. However, having spent some time around high-class individuals like Hippolyte and Skeleton Knight, I could faintly sense that Kalidur was an exceptionally skilled warrior.

Being a fighter reliant solely on their fists and not tools made this person somewhat akin to what they might call a master of high-level martial arts.

With such an opponent closing the distance, there was no way I could avoid becoming nervous.

“…So, are you here to talk about me and Elpride?”

“It may or may not be that, but one thing for sure is that I am not your enemy.”

Pah-jee-pah-jit…

Not my enemy, huh?

Even as he spoke, a piercing pressure emanating from Kalidur felt like it was piercing my skin.

It felt just like if carbonation in the air could somehow be absorbed into my skin through soda.

Hippolyte and Skeleton Knight often mentioned during training that understanding an opponent’s spirit was crucial. A true master could gauge the difference in strength between themselves and their opponent even before the fight began.

Back then, I thought their words might have been exaggerated, a trait unique to the people in this world. However, after an odd day when an inexplicable hand pierced my abdomen, waking several sensations, I began to vividly feel this strange pressure.

This must be what they refer to as fighting spirit or killing intent.

Tingling… Tingling…

Rather than trying to explain this complicated sensation with an analogy about soda, when I focused quietly, it seemed similar to the tingling one felt when their hands and feet went numb due to poor circulation.

“When you say you’re not my enemy, yet you’re radiating such intimidating spirit, how am I supposed to believe you?”

“Ah, it seems it has come to that. I was curious about the extent of your abilities, brother, and I may have overstepped a little without realizing it. I didn’t expect you to perceive my spirit so keenly.”

Swishh…

I couldn’t decipher Kalidur’s shadowed expression, but the imposing aura radiating from him suddenly disappeared as though someone had flicked off a switch.

“Smooth-headed b*stard, you were testing me.”

“From our initial meeting and even our last encounter, I felt the exact same energy. At the time, I dismissed it as nothing special, but it seems you have practiced hard since then.”

“Yeah, sort of.”

“Then, how about a sparring match with me? Though I may lack profound enlightenment, I might offer some small advice to a brother from the wild lands.”

A sparring match, huh?

“Fine.”

I stood up from the lotus position I’d been sitting in. It was a perfect moment, anyway, as I was getting itchy from having been told to keep quiet for several days.

Health enthusiasts often suffer from obsessive thoughts that their muscles might deteriorate if they take a few days off, and that was exactly what I was feeling.

Having sparred daily with Hippolyte and the Skeleton Knight, spending idle time at home made me feel like I was committing a sin, as if my experience points were dropping every time I rested.

In the middle of all this, a relatively strong fighter like Kalidur offering to guide me was certainly welcome.

“You may respond with adequate strength, and don’t hold back.”

I couldn’t help but feel a little hurt pride, unsure if this was kindness or insult.

Placing my heels together at an angle, I placed one hand on my hip and extended the other toward him, wiggling my palm. It was the typical posture of a master challenging a novice — or perhaps a taunt.

It was good that my pent-up strength and motivation were now channeled positively. Maybe Kalidur was intentionally provoking me.

I stretched my body, rotating my neck and wrists, when I noticed Kalidur, shrouded in darkness, saying something seemingly unexpected.

“You don’t plan to use the club at your waist, do you? It looks like a fine weapon, even somewhat reminiscent of our World Tree. It appears to be a blessed divine wood.”

“But my club isn’t something I show to just anyone. Let’s fight barehanded.”

“Then feel free to make a move anytime.”

“Without even asking—”

Pah!

I kicked up dirt from the park ground toward him.

With my powerful kick, the ground’s weeds, along with rocks and sand particles, shot toward Kalidur like shotgun pellets.

“Nice surprise.”

Though his calm voice made me slightly uneasy, it was clear that his demeanor had faltered under the barrage of sand and gravel.

Taking no chances, I swung my fist with full force aimed at his face.

Pah!

But my punch was caught by one of his hands that suddenly sprang out and pushed downward, causing me to lose my balance and tilt forward.

That tilt brought my upper body so low that I almost fell over, but right in front of me, I saw something large tearing through the air.

Whoosh!

It was Kalidur’s knee.

This guy had used my downward momentum from blocking my punch to redirect my weight and was now executing a ruthless follow-up with his knee aiming at my face.

If I took this hit, my nose might break.

What a mess.

As I was thinking that, Kalidur’s knee stopped just inches from my nose.

“Let’s call it a draw here. I just demonstrated the ‘Dark Shadow Fist’ of Dermod for you. It may come in handy someday.”

I had no idea what this “Dark Shadow Fist” was.

“What the hell.”

The result was a complete defeat, leaving no room for excuses.

I anticipated losing, but I didn’t think it would end so quickly.

I assumed we could have continued for a few minutes, but this was almost akin to an instant k*ll.

So, as I spat saliva on the ground and savored my defeat, Kalidur dusted off his dusty clothes and spoke up.

“You don’t need to feel too disheartened. I was born to a unique purpose and have been specially trained since childhood. Few in this world could beat me.”

“Right.”

Few indeed.

Under normal circumstances, I might have dismissed this as mere exaggeration, but oddly, there was a mystique in his words that made them sound believable.

Religious figures really do make convincing speeches, and this is why people fall for the doctrines of religion, I guess.

Kalidur dusted off his clothes until the moonlight finally revealed his face — completely emotionless, almost cold to the point of appearing devoid of basic human desires.

“No matter the opponent, as long as they resemble a human, my losses will be as rare as can be. However, I am powerless against anything other than humans. That’s the way I was made.”

“Is that so? I would’ve thought that with your level of skill, you’d be able to shred beasts and monsters.”

“That, my brother, is the curse or restriction on my power. In the language of the continent, it’s what we call an ‘enchantment.’”

An enchantment on a human.

Enchantment on weapons or equipment usually carries special limitations but provides immense power under specific conditions.

For instance, axes with the sharpness beyond fine swords, but only effective for felling trees.

Similarly, Kalidur appeared to wield tremendous strength, but only against humans. I recalled how he struggled against the lumberjack Stomps’ brute strength without using any power.

“d*mn, that’s an incredible weakness.”

“But, because of this weakness, I grow stronger. It’s a common necessity for surpassing certain thresholds. Most people just fail to recognize this.”

“Hippolyte said something similar.”

Hippolyte is extremely vulnerable to moonlight or anything resembling it. She suffers from what might be called a ‘moonlight allergy,’ and when I suggested a cure, she surprisingly declined, asserting, “A fatal weakness in a person is crucial to advancing their art.”

It seemed that those who had achieved mastery in certain areas shared common philosophies.

“So, you’re saying you become superhuman when it comes to fighting humans? But wasn’t there that time you lost to some Paladin?”

I narrowed my eyes slightly at Kalidur’s leg. Was it the aftermath of that fight? Above his knee, there was a sturdy-looking cast covering his leg.

Kalidur responded:

“That was then. She was stronger than I anticipated, and I let indulgence in meat and pleasures weaken my body beyond what it could endure.”

“Fair enough.”

“Regardless, after witnessing your abilities, I’m a bit more at ease now. There was a particular favor I wished to ask of you.”

“Favor? For me?”

“Yes. Having settled in this city to chase after that enchanting elf Elpride, I’ve found no trace of her. I’ve been moving from place to place, restless…”

Kalidur’s eyes were gazing into the void. Though his expression or gaze never faltered, I could tell he was reflecting on past events.

So I asked.

“Don’t tell me you’re asking me to capture Elpride for you?”

“On the contrary, it’s the opposite.”

“The opposite?”

I couldn’t fathom what Kalidur would say next. This guy, despite his cold and stoic demeanor, always left me guessing what he was thinking.

*

His explanation was succinct and to the point.

Kalidur was sent to capture Elpride, but upon her apprehension, he would have to return to Albrheim.

However, Kalidur didn’t want to leave the continent yet and wished for Elpride to remain free.

“Huh…”

Isn’t this guy outright abandoning his duty?

I’d had a hunch when he started talking about asceticism and abstinence, but it seems this guy, like everyone else in this world, had his own bizarre quirks.

This meat-eating ascetic.

“So what are you planning to do by staying on the continent?”

“There’s someone here I have yet to defeat. Until I overcome this person, I must remain here.”

“Ah, perhaps someone from the Venus Shrine?”

I remembered the Venus Shrine’s Paladin whose legs Kalidur had cleanly fractured. She wore spiked armor like a mace and a restraint over her mouth, making a striking impression I wouldn’t soon forget.

Her name, Psyche? The distinctiveness of that paladin-turned-nun stuck vividly in my memory.

“Truly, you’re quick to catch on, brother. I don’t know how you knew, but yes—it’s her from the Venus Shrine.”

“Yeah, she was pretty strong.”

“By any chance, do you know anything about her?”

Psyche? Knowing what about her? Not much. All I could recall was Kalidur breaking her legs.

Anyway, he seemed intent on avenging that defeat, which was why he didn’t want to leave the continent.

“So, what do you need me to do?”

“It’s simple. When the envoys from Albrheim arrive, you just need to chat with them. Kalidur here will take care of the rest, but if you could kindly ask them to wait, that would be great.”

That didn’t sound too hard.

“Alright then, and what’s in it for me? The commission fee?”

“Unfortunately, I possess nothing tangible to offer. However, I can teach you something small. The art of spirit projection, from Albrheim, might provide some insight.”

Spirit projection.

I recalled the earlier aura Kalidur had projected. If I could do that…what could be better?

Would this be my chance to command the same ‘Despotistic King’s Aura’ and knock out hoodlums with mere spirit alone?

Kalidur added a few more words as I let my imagination run wild:

“The release of energy is one of the most basic principles in the use of ki. Since your fundamentals are well-grounded, you should learn quickly. You must have a good teacher.”

“Alright, I don’t see any harm in it.”

“Thank you for accepting the request.”

“So, about how long do you think it will take to beat that woman?”

“I am uncertain as well. This is an unprecedented situation for me… Ah, by any chance, are you knowledgeable about women? If so, perhaps you’d accompany me to the Venus Shrine tomorrow?”

“Me?”

“Having a different perspective, perhaps through your eyes, might help us uncover her vulnerabilities.”

“Sure, why not.”

I had plans to visit the Venus Shrine anyway. I needed to collect my payment from the last mission when I fought off the metal monsters alongside her.

What a nerve! Are they trying to swindle me out of my earnings? I definitely needed to voice my dissatisfaction next time.

With that in mind, the next day when dawn broke, Kalidur and I found ourselves at the Venus Shrine.

“There. That woman.”

But to my surprise, Kalidur was pointing at a regular-looking woman sitting at the reception desk — not a Paladin or even a nun.

“Who—what the hell is that?”

“That’s Hershi. You do not recognize her, do you…?”

“What the heck is this?”

As I stood perplexed by the unexpected individual, the woman at the desk noticed the commotion and looked over at us.

“Ah, Kalidur!”

As I observed the woman enthusiastically waving back to Kalidur, who in turn remained as cold as ever, an unsettling realization dawned on me.

A man ensnared by love, unable to return to his world.

This guy is just like me.