Ch. 2

“Daaad-!”“Yes, my daughter. Dad is not deaf. I can hear you well, Eve.”

“Dad, stop making swords!”

“There, there. Are you still sick? Have another cup of milk and sleep tight.”

“Ah, I told you to stop making swords! You will die if you keep making swords, Dad! Uh, what’s that again? Oh right, your life force will be- umph!”

“Yes, yes, my daughter. Dad will make sure to call the doctor for you tomorrow.” My dad said as he shoved the wheat bread into my mouth.

Because of that, I was forced to chew the bread I didn’t even want to eat.

But even after that, I didn’t give up and kept pestering my dad.

“Stop making swords! Stop making swoooooords!”

“What's wrong with this child again? My daughter, go outside and play, okay? Dad is busy.”

My dad was an obstinate old man who would only take an eight-year-old's words with a grain of salt.

Eventually, I gave up trying to convince my dad and looked for another solution.

And the solution was.

‘Sabotaging business.’

After that, I stole the sword my dad had been working so hard on, sat down on the market floor, and started my show.

“My goodness, why can’t this sword cut the potato~?”

“No, but it can’t even cut the ham this time!”

“There’s no way Sir Royce’s sword would be this useless~!”

My plan to sabotage his business worked, and the number of warriors who came to my father to commission swords decreased day by day.

My dad cried without knowing that I was sabotaging his business.

‘Dad, I’m sorry.’

I want to live with you for a long time.

I slowly took the Excalibur, which my dad gave me for my seventh birthday, and dragged it home with a heart filled with regret to my dad.

My poor dad.

When Dad made this sword for me, I didn’t know it’d be used this way.

“Sweetie.”

“Yeah,”

“Why aren’t there many customers these days?”

Flinch.

I tried to ignore the prickling guilt by hitting the flies with a flyswatter.

Whack-

“Tell me, sweetie. Do you not like your dad’s swords? Hmm? Does Dad's sword really suck? Is that why people don't come anymore?”

“No, there’s nothing wrong with your sword. Dad’s sword is the best in the world.”

Yes, I'm spitting facts, Dad.

There was no lie in it. Because my dad, Nial Royce, was described as ‘the world’s greatest weapon master’.

So the reason why no one came to commission swords from him was not because of his skill issues but rather my behind-the-scenes work.

But, of course, my dad took pride in his craft.

He lived in a rural village, but when he was young, he often traveled on business trips to answer the nobles’ demands.

“....No way! But I am _THE _Nial Royce! So tell me? People in this small village may not know anything about me, but I made the best sword in the world! These fools don't even recognize the best sword in the world!”

My dad sobbed, pulling out his hair, which became unkempt because he hadn’t washed it for a few days.

Naturally, I tried to soothe him by combing the hair that hung down over his shoulders.

“Oh, Dad, don’t cry! We still can live even without selling swords, okay? Didn’t you earn money from fixing Uncle Grover’s farming tool last time?”

“Yeah, but selling swords brings in far more money! Why on earth did no one commission me anymore? Look at how cool my stuff is!”

“I know, right? The swords my dad made are so cool.”

….I’m sorry, Dad.

I tried my best to comfort my dad.

My dad hugged me as if saying, ‘I have no one else but you, Eve!’.

At that moment.

Ding, dong-

The doorbell outside of our house rang.

‘Who’s that?’

There should be no one who comes to our house. Don’t tell me there are still foolish warriors who haven't heard about my dad's incompetence?

While still sobbing, Dad instinctively raised his head.

“P..Please wait..I’ll go out…”

The glasses that sat over the tip of his nose were slightly crooked.

I quickly fixed his glasses, sat him back down and said with much bravado.

“Dad! I will go out!”

I had a bad feeling about it.

I had an uncanny feeling that my dad was going to suffer because of a warrior client who stood outside my house.

Fortunately, my dad nodded right away as if letting me take care of it.

I rushed out of the workroom, went inside the house through the back door, and ran toward the front door.

Clack-

And I opened a small keyhole in the door to see what was outside.

When I opened the keyhole, I heard what the men outside were saying.

“Are you saying that Nial Royce lives in this run-down house?”

“I told you so! My source can’t be wrong!”

Damn it, it’s the warriors!

I knew this would happen. No wonder I was feeling uneasy.

I should’ve closed the back door. I looked at the back door which I couldn’t close because I was in a hurry.

I was worried the warriors’ voices could be heard through the back door all the way to the workroom where my dad was.

‘Dad won’t come out, right?’

What if I went to close the back door, and the warriors said ‘let’s come back again next time’ while I was doing that? I’d be in trouble if they came back later.

It’d be bad if Dad were alone at home when they return.

‘Haa, I wish I could recognize the faces of the hero’s warriors party.’

I knew that I was living in a novel, but unfortunately, I didn’t know the main characters’ faces.

So I must reject any warrior clients because I couldn’t tell which warrior was the shameless bastard who would overwork my dad to death.

With a sigh, I removed my dad’s shoes from the rack, took out two pairs of women's shoes that I borrowed from Mrs. Hillary and placed them in a visible place.

Then I opened the door.

The warriors seemed to expect a grown man would come out, so they didn’t even look down at all.

When they couldn’t see anyone, the dazed warriors finally lowered their gaze.

“....What the hell. Aren’t you just a kid?”

Well, aren’t you a warrior bastard?

(TL/N : Savage Eve strikes again! Too bad the warriors can’t hear it)

I held myself back from slamming the door shut right away, and said with the most innocent look on my face.

“W-Who are you?”

“Isn’t this Sir Nial Royce’s house? Ah, are you Sir Royce’s daughter by any chance?”

Ahaha. I had expected this question.

I stepped aside a bit so that the woman's shoes that I had prepared could be seen, and answered politely with my eyes down and voice as feeble as possible.

“Ne-Neil? No…I live with my mom.”

“You live with your mom?”

“Yesss, hic! I…I don’t have a father!”

I don’t have a father.

Listening to me, the warriors threw glances at each other as if they were perplexed.

At that time, I heard my dad’s voice from across the workroom.

“Eve! Who’s coming that takes you so long?”

Gasp, I’m in trouble.

Maybe because they could also hear the man’s voice in the distance, the warriors looked down at me.

“I just heard a male voice….”

“My mom’s voice is a bit….husky.”

“Eve-! My daughter!” Sᴇaʀᴄh the NʘvᴇlFɪre.ɴet website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

“Anyone could tell it’s a male voice.”

“It’s because my mom has a cold! You’re being very rude by saying that my mom has a male voice. Hic, hic!”

“Well…you see, kid. I-I’m sorry.”

“If you’re sorry, please leave!”

I squeezed out my tears, pushing the warriors out of the front door and slammed the door shut.

At that moment, my dad opened the back door wide and entered the house.