"Understood."
Roy showed no emotion, neither sad nor happy.
He leisurely finished his breakfast, leaving Gotoh to clear the table. "Don't forget to oil the cane sword," he said.
With Yukibashiri in hand, he couldn't forget the cane sword. The young man strode out the door. Gotoh wanted to say something but hesitated, finally forcing out a piece of advice, "Young master, it would be best to go along with the master for now."
"Okay, I'll do my best to make him go along with me." Roy didn't break his stride and walked straight away.
Gotoh: "..."
What a misfortune... He cleared the dishes and followed him out the door with the serving cart.
In the summer, the sky brightens as early as five in the morning. The young man strolled through the long corridors of the old castle. He passed the small room and paused to watch for a moment. A cartoon was playing on the television, and the old man was sprawled out on a recliner, sleeping soundly.
As always, he bowed and walked away...
Maha, with one eye half-open, watched him leave, then rolled over and continued to laze around...
Fortunately, Zeno was out on a mission. Without his disturbance, the old man got a rare chance to sleep in.
A smile played on Roy's lips; he could faintly hear the snores. Stepping into the morning glow, he pushed open the door to the training room.
With a "clang," he drew Yukibashiri.
First, he adjusted his breathing and stance, then completely calmed his heart. At a certain moment, the young man held the sword with both hands and slashed diagonally. The daily practice of "Sun Breathing" began.
"Dance..."
Focused.
"Blue Heaven..."
Not focused.
"Scorching Crimson Mirror..."
Focused.
"Parhelion Rainbow..."
Not focused.
Unconsciously, time flew by until noon. With a "swish~," accompanied by a scorching flash of fire cutting through the air, Roy sheathed his sword. As expected, he received a notification from the system panel.
[Hint: "Constitution +0.3" (Note: Your focus time has increased by twenty minutes compared to before)]
This was because his hands were steadier... Roy recalled what Urokodaki Sakonji had said that day, 'The steadier the hand, the deadlier the blade,' and a sense of understanding dawned on him...
"Bzzzt~"
A red light flashed from the camera in the corner of the room...
On the second floor, in the master bedroom.
A man sipped tea filled with various medicinal herbs, quietly watching the television. On the screen, the young man was sweating profusely, his swordsmanship growing ever sharper.
"I maintain the master's sword every day. Whenever you give the word, I will go and retrieve it at once." Silva hadn't left the house in days. Having just satisfied Kikyo, he eagerly summoned Tsubone to select a mission from those presented by Canary.
"No need."
To only grasp the form but not the intent is ultimately useless.
If he doesn't say it, he will never know.
He finished the tea, leaving half a cup of herbs. Silva handed the cup to Tsubone. "There's no need to maintain it in the future, either. I have my own blades."
His hands were his blades!
"Yes." Tsubone took the cup, refilled it with water, and handed it back. "There is one other piece of news."
"Speak."
"The old ancestor has lifted the restriction, permitting the young master to pay respects to Old Master Zigg."
"Did Father tell you that?"
"No." Tsubone looked deeply at Silva. "It was Old Master Maha."
The old butler reported truthfully, "He told me to inform you that if you are dissatisfied, you should go find him... and receive three of his whips as well!"
Silva: "..."
He remained silent for a long moment. "Understood."
Tsubone nodded, glanced at Kikyo, who was sprawled on the bed and seemingly about to wake up again, and bowed to take her leave...
The door closed with a "creak~."
From inside came the words, "Log the time"...
Tsubone acknowledged with a "Yes." Her gaze passed through the window and fixed on the television screen, on the image of Roy lovingly wiping his blade. She felt a premonition...
'The times are changing.'
...
Braised pig's head, steamed fish, braised chicken, freshly sliced sausage, a salad with vinegar dressing, plus a bottle of red wine. With the help of the kitchen staff, Roy managed to add the pig's head to the menu. He had followed the chef's suggestion, stewing it with a packet of spices, then letting it cool and soak for two hours... Everything was placed on a serving cart, and he had Gotoh push it while waiting for his great-grandfather's summons.
At 6:50 in the evening, as the sun set and a pale moon rose above the horizon, Tsubone appeared, her pink pigtails swaying...
She bowed in salute, took over for Gotoh, and pushed the cart, saying, "Young master, if you please."
Roy didn't see Maha and asked with a frown, "Isn't great-grandfather coming?"
"The master was afraid Old Master Zigg would be displeased, so he isn't coming."
'The man is dead, what does it matter if he's pleased or not?'
Roy followed Tsubone suspiciously. Master and servant walked down the long corridor toward the basement... The deeper they went, the darker and gloomier it became, adding a desolate and cold atmosphere...
Soon, a security door forged from refined iron came into view.
The two butlers guarding the door were both old. One had a scarred face and a yellow beard, the other had one eye and a severed hand. They saw Tsubone and nodded to her, then their gazes moved past her to Roy... A chill ran down the young man's spine as he keenly sensed an aura of danger.
It wasn't hostility, but purely the unintentional exposure of a powerful individual's presence...
"Scarface."
"One-Eye."
"Greetings, young master."
The two men placed their right hands on their chests and bowed to Roy.
Roy looked at them intently and said, "Why haven't I seen you before?"
"The young master can just assume we are dead." Scarface and One-Eye were concise. They straightened up, pulled open the security door, and made a gesture to enter. "Please."
Their movements were clean and efficient, with no intention of saying another word. They closed their mouths and waited quietly...
Seeing this, Roy stepped inside, followed by Tsubone who pushed the cart in.
"This is as far as I can take you, young master. You must go in by yourself."
Ahead was a dark and deep passage. Two rows of eerie lamps were lit on the stone walls, casting a lonely, ghostly green light...
Standing there, Roy felt as if he had entered the world of Demon Slayer again, with the boundless Land of Snow under his feet. His hair suddenly stood on end.
"CLANG—" The security door was shut behind him.
He was left alone. He had no choice but to brace himself and push the serving cart forward.
One step, two steps... the soles of his shoes made soft sounds against the stone-paved road. Passing through the corridor, Roy looked up and saw a heavy, moisture-proof, airtight door... The airtight door was spotless, gleaming with a faint metallic luster. It was clear someone wiped it daily.
Roy thought of Scarface and One-Eye and glanced back. "Klak... Klak..."
Unexpectedly, the airtight door made a sound and opened by itself. A giant tentacle reached out from inside, wrapped around the serving cart, and dragged it into the room. A second later, it was thrown back out. A quick glance showed that all the meat was gone, leaving only some vegetable leaves, as if they had been rejected with disgust...
"Grandpa... Zigg?"
'Is this... really how you pay respects?'
Roy was horrified. He subconsciously reached for his sword, but his hand found nothing.
Only then did he remember that he had left Yukibashiri on the sword rack.
In his panic, he saw the tentacle reach out again, faster than the three whips his father Silva had struck him with. It wrapped around him and pulled him flying into the room.
'Such strong Ten, I can't fight back at all!'
His consciousness fading, Roy felt the world spin. With his last bit of awareness, he looked... a giant eyeball from which sprouted countless tentacles was looking at him kindly.
"It's my grandson. [re: Dead Man's Game] activate..."
In a daze, Roy faintly heard a weathered voice... When he opened his eyes again, he was in a different world.
Before his eyes, a colossal sand worm burst up from the ground, churning the clouds and winds as it let out a sharp screech!
"ROAR—"
T/n:
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