She had just slain a monster, and some of its blood had splashed on her. Women, in particular, didn't like to smell bed, especially in front of guys they had a crush on.
'Let's just hope he won't be weirded out.'
Ignoring the stench, she rushed to Roy, stopping behind him.
As she reached him, she hesitated for a moment before finally speaking up. "Lord, I want to return the sword to you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
She didn't know why, but she was feeling shy because of him. If he were to turn towards her, he would see that redness had suffused her creamy white cheeks.
'Ugh! It's all because of him that I am feeling so weird. Why did he have to give me such a special sword?!'
"Why do you want to return it?" he asked, turning to look at her. He noticed that her face was abnormally red.
"Because it's too precious for me to keep," Delilah replied. "Lord, I once had the opportunity to come into contact with a rank-2 sword. I dare say that the sharpness of this sword is comparable to that one. Its special effect might be slightly better than one. I don't think I deserve to handle something so valuable. You should take it back." she said, attempting to return it.
"You are fretting over an irrelevant matter, Delilah." Roy declined her as she felt him touching her hands. He wound her long and slender fingers around the hilt of the sword as he continued, "It's up to me to decide whether you are worthy of the sword or not, and you wouldn't have been holding it if you weren't."
Delilah shook her head, insisting, "But I can't accept something so precious, Lord. It doesn't feel right."
So far, she hadn't done anything truly of value for him. How could she allow herself to become more indebted to him? Although their relationship was that of a master and a servant, and it was her duty to answer his call, the number of times she had helped him was less than the times he had helped her.
Roy placed a hand on her stiff shoulder. She looked up, meeting his eyes. "Don't forget you are my hidden blade." he lowered his head, uttering into her ears, "The stronger you are, the better it will be for me. It will make up for what you lack in battle. You will be able to catch aura monsters with surprise with it. Besides, it's not of much value in my eyes. I can create another one like it with ease whenever I like."
As the realization hit her, Delilah's eyes widened with shock, and she struggled to steady her trembling voice. "M-My Lord, Y-You created this?"
'Damn, she is cute!'
Roy chuckled heartily, finding Delilah's reaction quite amusing.
With a sly grin playing on his face, he hooked her chin and nodded at her, "Yes, and there are more where that came from, each with unique attributes and special effects."
Delilah was stunned, and her mind raced with a million questions. She knew he was more mysterious than she initially thought, but after hearing him, she felt the veil, which was stopping her from knowing what he was truly like, thickening. She couldn't help but wonder what other secrets he was keeping from her.
Despite her shock, she felt a sense of admiration for Roy's incredible power and ability to create such wonders.
"I didn't know you were a talented swordsmith," she looked at him with a twinkle in her eyes.
"I am not," Roy said simply.
"Then... where did that pop out from?" Delilah asked, pointing out the sword. "Thin air?"
"Correct," Roy said.
Delilah's jaw dropped at his response. She looked comical in his eyes. "Are you serious? How is that even possible?"
Roy's eyes narrowed. He didn't know she could make so many faces.
"It's one of my abilities. I can create swords by using aura and mana. They are called aura swords and magic swords." Roy explained it to her.
Delilah was fascinated by his Sword Creation ability.
"That's amazing. You can create as many of these swords as you want?" she asked him, raising the sword in her hand and pointing it out.
She had mistaken it for an aura sword.
"No. It is an upgraded version of the aura sword. I made it by using my sword creation ability along with my second soul herding ability." Roy corrected the gorgeous assassin. If being beautiful was a crime, she would be a capital sinner. "It takes a lot of concentration and energy to create something like it. It's not easy."
"I see." Remembering the time he had overdrawn his soul-herding ability and nearly lost his life, she couldn't help but grab his hand and earnestly tell him, "Lord, please use it only when necessary. Think about your health. I don't want to see you in a half-dead state again."
It could be noticed that his well-being was of utmost importance to her. She was advising him not to do something stupid, such as using his abilities to show off. Remaining alive was more important than looking cool, and she wanted him to live a long life.
"I understand your concern. But fear not, for I have learned my lesson the hard way, and I know what to do."
As he spoke, he rubbed the back of her hand. Her skin was silky smooth, and cold, without any blemishes or hair. It felt amazing to touch. She noticed how inappropriate it was and pulled her reddened hand away, blushing furiously.
Roy smiled at her teasingly before he saw a puddle of darkness going down the wall.
After reaching the ground, it morphed back into a man that was similar to Roy in length and size but entirely black. It was Shadowless.
It took him some time to go down the cliff without alerting the spiders, but he eventually caught up with his master.
All three have reached the shore.
