7-Episode 7 Don't make fun of older people



 The carriage rumbled along the cobblestone road, making a rumbling sound.
 I asked him, "How much farther is it to the City of Swords?

How much farther is it to the City of Swords?
It's only three stops away, so if things continue as they are, we should be able to arrive the day after tomorrow in the afternoon.

 He replies in a leisurely voice.
 Two days.
 Considering it has taken more than a week to get here, it's almost there.

 Five years have passed since then.
 I am now fifteen years old.

 On my fifteenth birthday, I told my mom and dad that I was thinking of leaving my hometown.
 Neither of them objected.
 They said I should do what I wanted.

 And now we are on our way to Breathless Gear, also known as the City of Swords.
 I've been wanting to visit this city for a long time.

 In Breathless Gear, skilled swordsmen gather from all over the world.
 It is said that they work hard to improve each other's skills to reach higher levels.
 My mother once lived here, and I have often heard stories from my childhood.

What, you're planning to go to the City of Swords, too?

 The man in question, who looked to be in his early 20s, asked me about it.

"You too?
'Yes. That's because it's a swordsman's dream. But the level is so high that there's no end to the number of people who fail. Even the swordsman I used to go to school with returned home in less than six months.

 The man hung up the edge of his mouth as he stared around at my whole body.

'Kukku, how long do you think the boy will last?'

 Then a woman about the same age as the man interrupted me.

It's a surprise. I'm going to the City of Swords, too.

 The man snorts.

'Hmph, how dare you wield a sword, woman!
Oh, my God, you're so old-fashioned nowadays, aren't you from a very rural area?
What?
It's your occupation that counts. It doesn't matter what gender you are.
'Ha, you must be a very respectable profession if you say so much, don't you? Don't tell me it's a [basic job] swordsman, right?
Of course, I'm a senior official. I'm the Twin Swordsman. As you know, my offensive ability is excellent, and I'm the most popular among the [Senior Officials].

Compared to the basic job, there are many different types of senior positions.
 It is said that which 【Senior Position】 one can become a 【Senior Position】 depends on one's nature, experience, or the skills acquired.
 And naturally, there were popular and unpopular ones.

''Tsk.''

 The man clicks his tongue evasively.
 The woman smiles triumphantly.

What about you, then?
I'm a gladiator.
What, aren't you a regular [senior position]?
I don't want to be the equal of a woman.
You're such a pain in the ass..... The only ones that are higher than the [Senior Official] are the ones that are already called "Sword Emperor" or "Sword Princess" or the [Highest Official].

 Then their eyes turned to me.

'What about you, kid, what about you?'
So what about you?

 They all ask me what I want to say.

"Unemployed.

 The two men's eyes darted to each other.
 After a brief pause, the man's laughter burst out.

''Kuku, kuhahahahaha! Boy, are you seriously unemployed?
Hey, you don't want to laugh, do you? It's not like he wanted to become "unemployed" either........

 The woman also burst out in a gush, as if she couldn't help it.

I mean, what does an unemployed person need in the City of Swords! No, okay, so you're a tourist! Then you should have said that in the first place, it's confusing.
It's not for sightseeing. It's about getting to the top of the heap in swordplay.

 I clearly deny it.

'Phew! You have no job, but you've come out on top in the way of the sword? Kahahahaha! This guy is a masterpiece!
You're kidding me. You're kidding me! You shouldn't make fun of older people.
I'm not kidding.

 I assured him, and I could hear laughter from the other guests.
 I looked closer and saw that even your father was shaking his shoulders.

I've been doing this for a long time, you know. I've seen many swordsmen go to the City of Swords with ambitions. But I've never seen anyone who is not employed.

 Hmm.
Of course I expected that if I honestly responded that I was "unemployed", I would receive such a reaction.
 But the fact that I'm "unemployed" is a fact.
 There's no point in going out of your way to deceive or tell a lie.

 The fact that others ridiculed me doesn't change my intentions.

 And then one of the passengers said, "Hey, that's it...", pointing to a forest in the direction of travel and making a twitching noise.

 A number of figures emerged from the woods.

''Bandits?!''
No, no, that was an orc!

 Orcs are humanoid demons.
 They have a head similar to a pig and are only slightly taller than a human, but have a very thick girth.

''Hey, and there are quite a few of them!

 The passengers scream.
 There are more than a dozen orcs appearing one after another from the woods, just by a rough count.

 The carriages are always manned by bodyguards in case of an attack by bandits or demons.
 But perhaps because of the low cost of the ride, this carriage does not have an escort.
 Or maybe they were expecting passengers heading to the City of Swords and were being stingy with their escort fees.

"Well, I guess we'll just have to do it.
With all that number, I guess we can't just sit back and watch.

 The man and woman from earlier tried to get out of the carriage.
 Immediately after, their faces turned blue.
 A little later, an orc with an exceptionally large body came out of the woods.

''Well, no way........King Orc.......?