Chapter 41

The next day, Hector came to apologize to me. I was such a mess, all wrapped up in bandages from how badly I was beaten in my berserk state.

At first, I mistook him for Miran, but once I spotted his bronze skin and huge build, I quickly figured out it was Hector.

“Sivar. That guy has no intention of fighting you anymore. So don’t attack, okay?”

Luna earnestly warned me as Hector approached.

It’s not the time to fight, and Hector isn’t in the mood to brawl, and all that jazz.

I didn’t bother replying and just nodded because if I stared too long, I’d probably get another lecture.

Then Hector stood stiffly in front of me, slowly knelt, and pressed his forehead to the ground.

“I’m sorry.”

“…”

“There must have been other ways, but I just jumped straight into using force. That’s all my fault. So…”

Swish—

Before Hector could finish his sentence, I extended my hand.

Noticing my gesture, Hector slowly lifted his head from where it was pressed into the dirt, his eyes widening in surprise.

He probably didn’t expect me to reach out first. Even though he was the one who attacked first, it must’ve looked like I was forgiving him first.

Maybe that’s why others were showing various expressions of delight.

In the meantime, Hector gazed at my outstretched hand with a complicated expression and hesitantly reached out.

Smack!

But I casually swatted his hand away. Hector was dumbfounded, and so were the spectators watching with glee.

There’s no point in accepting an apology from someone who hasn’t matured mentally. He’s probably feeling all sorts of confused anyway, so what’s an apology worth?

So for now, it’s better to say what I want to say. And I wanted just one thing.

“Axe.”

“…What?”

“Axe.”

Hector’s face was blank at my request for the axe. The others looked just as baffled.

But a promise is a promise. He nodded and handed over the axe strapped to his back.

It was surprisingly heavy, more than a one-handed axe, probably due to its size resembling a fireman’s axe.

I’d be using this for a long while. That is, until I head directly to Tartar.

Kara expressed concern when Hector genuinely handed over Ragnarok.

“…Are you really okay with this?”

“A promise is a promise.”

“Ugh… fine. I understand.”

After handing me the axe, Hector apologized again. Not just to me, but also to Rod.

Rod chuckled softly, saying it was fine, but his face was still somewhat angry. It made sense since he’d probably had a rough time sorting out the chaos from yesterday.

Anyway, with troublemaker Hector off, only familiar faces remained in my lodging.

The atmosphere became slightly awkward, but I didn’t mind. I was too absorbed in inspecting my new axe.

‘It’s really awesome.’

Regardless of everything else, Hector’s design skills were top-notch. The axe, Ragnarok, was no different.

As far as I remembered, Ragnarok was originally a ceremonial axe used for offerings.

I used to wield it every time I dedicated offerings to Gulrak, until one day, it got struck by lightning.

Normally, Hector would have been electrocuted too, but interestingly, only Ragnarok sparked with electricity.

“How do you use that, sis? It looks like quite a good weapon.”

While I was examining Ragnarok, Luna asked Kara, having noticed it was an extraordinary weapon.

Kara paused for a moment with a complicated expression and then replied with a kind explanation.

“It’s a great weapon. It’s the only one that can withstand Father’s lightning. Everything else completely burns up the moment it gets hit by lightning.”

“Lightning? You mean the God of Destruction, Gulrak?”

“Yeah. Besides that, it has a weapon retrieval spell engraved on it, so it won’t get lost.”

Faith doesn’t mean anything to me. What I truly wanted was that weapon retrieval spell Kara just mentioned.

In the Soul World, it’s common to drop weapons during combat. Conversely, players can knock weapons out of their opponents’ hands.

In situations like that, a retrieval spell would allow me to easily equip my weapon. Therefore, engraving a retrieval spell on my favorite weapons is standard practice.

‘But how exactly do you use it in real life?’

In games, you just hit a button, but reality is different. I couldn’t recall the settings.

So, I quietly set Ragnarok down on the floor and took a couple of steps back.

People looked puzzled at my actions, but I didn’t care.

“…”

Finally, just like Hector, when I spread my hand wide, Ragnarok still didn’t come back.

Even using magic power yielded no results. It just sat there, lonely on the floor.

“Kara.”

“Yes?”

“This. Axe. Bring!”

In the end, I had no choice but to ask Kara for help. Now that I could use short phrases, it felt convenient.

Kara had a cute smile at my body language before she spread her hand.

Ragnarok, which had been lying on the floor, started to jiggle before it flew into her hand.

Clap!

“This one, right?”

“Yes.”

“Would explaining that it has a retrieval spell engraved on it leave you confused?”

Just so you know, ‘engraving’ refers to the process of storing magic into weapons or specific items. There are even artisans who specialize in handling engravings.

Kara pondered for a moment on how to explain it, then showed me the axe.

“Can you see this writing? Can you read it?”

“…”

I attempted to read the inscriptions on the axe handle. No luck.

It seemed to be written in Tartar, which isn’t a common language. Naturally, I couldn’t read it.

“You probably can’t read it. It’s in a language used in Tartar. The name is Ragnarok, which translates to ‘Fate of the Gods’ in the common language.”

“Rag. Na. Rok?”

“Yes. Do you remember the squinty-eyed professor’s class? He said that languages have tremendous potential, right? Engravings are ultimately magic that borrow the power of language.”

Oh right, that was the setting. I recalled it once Kara explained it.

As Godin had explained, this world has a common language, but each nation also has its own unique language.

When using magic, it’s more effective to use the language of your homeland over the common language.

In Earth terms, the common language would be similar to English for convenience.

Learning it isn’t designed to be hard, so it’s easy enough for Luna and Eli, who come from the countryside, as well as for me.

“Engraved magic’s priority changes depending on how accurately you pronounce it. Moreover, since Ragnarok is closely linked to Lord Gulrak, the deeper your faith, the more it affects the priority and retrieval distance.”

“Oh…”

“Want to give it a try? You don’t even need to say it out loud; just think it. Come on.”

Kara placed Ragnarok on the ground and slowly backed away, probably anticipating any possible outcomes.

I looked down at the axe lying there and opened my hand. Then, I quietly whispered the name in my mind.

‘Ragnarok.’

Clap!

As soon as I called out the name in my mind, Ragnarok landed perfectly into my hand. The sensation of it “slapping” into my grip felt fantastic.

“What? You succeeded right away? Our language can be a bit tricky to pronounce.”

Kara expressed surprise, not expecting me to succeed immediately.

It wasn’t that I couldn’t speak; forming the words in my mind was no challenge at all. What’s difficult about saying just a name?

“Wait, hold on. But Ragnarok has five letters, while Sivar can only pronounce two. Is that even possible?”

Suddenly, Luna raised a concern, noticing the oddity. As she pointed out, I’d only managed to pronounce two syllables.

So, in her eyes, my retrieving of Ragnarok itself must have seemed inconsistent.

“That doesn’t matter. The pronunciation is the most crucial part of a language. It doesn’t lose its meaning even if you say it in parts.”

“Is that… really how it works?”

“Exactly. Otherwise, mages wouldn’t have to struggle to recite their spells. If they got injured a little, they couldn’t cast magic.”

According to Rod’s explanation, mages string words together no matter what to cast spells.

Even if they finish speaking, the effect may weaken; the magic itself doesn’t get canceled.

Language plays a truly significant role in this world.

Clap!

I began tossing Ragnarok onto the ground repeatedly to test my new skills. The pleasure of it was surprisingly fun.

Since I’d be using it consistently, getting used to it was important too.

‘Where can I throw this?’

Holding onto Ragnarok, I looked around. My eyes landed on the gaping hole in the ceiling.

Thanks to Hector’s preemptive strike, the ceiling was now punctured. It was a weekend, so repairs hadn’t happened yet.

Now was the perfect time for experimentation. I seized the opportunity and readied my throwing stance.

“Wait, where are you throwing that…”

“Just let it be. It’s a hole in the ceiling anyway.”

“What if it becomes a bad habit? That’s not a toy; it’s a weapon.”

“I’m just curious about it. Once my curiosity wanes, I’ll naturally restrain myself.”

Though Kara and Luna were bickering, I didn’t pay them any mind. Rod just clicked his tongue at the gaping hole in the ceiling.

Whoosh!

I took aim and accurately launched the axe toward the hole in the ceiling. The axe was pretty heavy, so I infused a bit of power into my throw.

To be safe, I directed it towards the woods. Rod didn’t stop me, either.

After some time passed, I figured now was a good moment to call back Ragnarok.

“…”

“…”

“When’s it coming…”

Just as I was beginning to call out for Ragnarok in my mind, Eli opened her mouth.

Crack!

At first, an ominous sound caught my attention, followed by—

Crash!

Ragnarok came soaring back, crashing through the glass window.

That alone was a huge accident, but a more significant problem loomed.

That was Luna, caught right between me and the window. As soon as she heard the sound of shattering glass, she turned her head.

“Umm…”

The panic was clear on her face. At this rate, Ragnarok would collide with her, and she’d get badly hurt.

But thankfully, we had a reliable ally nearby.

Tap—

Just before Ragnarok collided with Luna’s head, Rod lightly swatted it away with his sword.

The sword he wielded appeared from nowhere, but that simple motion redirected Ragnarok’s trajectory.

In the nick of time, Ragnarok brushed past Luna’s head. It showcased Rod’s agility.

Clap!

As soon as I claimed Ragnarok back, I began to subtly gauge the reactions around me.

Luna still looked stunned, while Rod looked visibly displeased.

I had nearly caused an accident without intending to. No, I had already caused one by smashing the window.

“…I’m sorry.”

So, I cautiously apologized. This was entirely my fault.

Elly, who had remained silent, broke into a smile at my apology and approached me.

Then, as though to reassure me, she gently patted my head and offered comforting words.

“It’s okay. It can happen. You just need to sincerely apologize like Hector did earlier.”

“…”

“Don’t look so gloomy. Luna, you’ll forgive him, right?”

“Uh, uh? Um… yes. I’m not hurt, so it’s fine.”

“And the Principal?”

At Eli’s question, Rod glanced over to the window, which was totally shattered.

While I could overlook the damages to the ceiling since it was Hector’s fault, I couldn’t do anything about the window.

He showed a faint hesitation before nodding, ultimately agreeing to forgive me.

“Apologizing means recognizing your mistakes. Since Luna has forgiven you, I will too.”

“So, um…”

“But!”

Rod emphasized the word ‘but,’ making me jump in surprise. His tone was a bit scary.

Eli continued to pat my back, easing my apprehension. Since she was consistently on my side, I felt a little reassured.

Then, Rod looked at me seriously and began to speak in a stern voice.

“For the time being, there will be no candy.”

“…Huh?”

Kara wasn’t the one with a confused response; it was me. An expression of disbelief I really couldn’t hide.

It made sense for her; after all, she didn’t know me that well yet. She must’ve thought that withholding candy was no big deal.

“No candy? For real?”

“Yes.”

“When?”

“When the window is fixed.”

That was a huge blow for me. I was already addicted to the sweet, sweet goodness of candy, and now suddenly being cut off? What is this madness?

Rod, while I was despairing in my mind, directed his team of guardians.

“The same applies to you all. Until the window is repaired, do not give Sivar any snacks like candy.”

“Uh… Principal. Sivar apologized, and Luna accepted; isn’t this a bit harsh…?”

“I know. But even if the parties involved agree, it’s essential to remind them of the repercussions. Society does have its laws, you know.”

It seems to be stemming from what the doctor mentioned before—saying that while my intelligence was normal, my sociability was extremely lacking.

Rod appeared to be making this judgment to help improve my social skills, yet it felt nothing short of cruel to me.

“…I don’t understand. I wonder if it’ll even work.”

Kara, who had been listening quietly, somewhat laughed in disbelief at the absurdity. She clearly held doubts about this approach working on me.

But despite her doubts, I had no choice but to

---