Volume 5 Chapter 42 It Depends On Yourself
"No. No. This is wrong. This is also wrong..."
Muttering, Horace handles Oboroas's breath.
The breath has different traits and shapes, but once he gets used to it, swinging his sword to match isn't hard for Horace.
But that's not the point.
He doesn't get it.
There's gotta be something hidden in the magic sword Duran.
"Big brother, you're really stuck, huh?"
"...Yeah, I guess so."
At Nousa's words, Ginji sighs.
"Oh, Ginji, you get what's going on, right?"
"...Well, I've been watching since Horace came to Dragonstone Kingdom, Lady Nousa."
Nousa and Artia met him when Horace was teaching at Sevenstar Academy.
Lucibes met him for the first time when he arrived at Oboroas.
But Ginji's been watching Horace since he came from Diamante Kingdom to Chaos Stone Dragonstone Kingdom.
"...What a hassle."
Ginji raises his right hand.
Chains gather near it... they unravel, and a sword appears.
It's the same style used by the warriors of the Order of the Sealed Dragon. When he grips the hilt, it flies out instantly.
"This is wrong too. This is──whoa!"
Ginji grabs Horace's collar with his left hand and pulls him back.
Without hesitation, he swings the sword down from above.
A laser-like breath was coming, but Ginji's sword easily stops it.
Yeah, it's clear.
Easier than Horace.
"Wha──ah, that's too flashy..."
"Of course. Unlike you, who's hesitating, I won't let that slide, Horace."
'...Heh.'
Oboroas looks pleased.
He adds some 'fierceness' to the tricky breath and releases it.
But Ginji, without hesitation, swings his sword accurately at every attack.
'...Hahaha! Good, good. Nice swordsmanship. What's your name?'
"Order of the Sealed Dragon Under-Ops warrior, Ginji Yuugiri."
'Nice! You know your place and what you carry. Perfect timing to say it!'
"..."
Oboroas looks happy, while Ginji stays calm.
Compared to them, Horace looks lost.
"Phew... Oboroas. Hold on a sec."
'Go ahead.'
Ginji waits for Oboroas and looks at Horace.
With a very calm gaze.
"Hey Horace. I won't deny your 'mind without mind.' But the magic sword Duran won't respond to that."
"...You get my thinking?"
"Yeah. I do. What you call 'mind without mind' is just that. Magic seeks stability, it's versatile, but it doesn't become anything. It becomes what it's meant to be."
He pauses for a moment.
"In this world where strong magic defines power, whether you get stronger or not is 'up to you.' So, you don't make others carry something, and you don't carry others' burdens. No matter how much you study... in the end, it's up to you, so 'you can't take responsibility.' That's you, right?"
"...You're right."
Magic seeks stability, it's versatile.
Its judgment criteria naturally only relate to the physical world, but humans have special nerves that mix imagination into that relationship.
Stronger imagination and innovation influence magic and become power.
That's how humans fight in this world.
So, Horace thinks strength is 'up to you.'
Because it's up to you, there's no meaning in carrying or being carried.
"Being a 'vessel' and carrying or being carried has no meaning'—that's Horace's current strength. Tools or even 'talent,' the tech to create golems is amazing, but saying you do everything with your family's power is the same."
"..."
"I'm not saying it's bad, okay? That guy... If you admire Eudynes, fine. But the power you hold won't respond like that."
"I'm..."
"You're not ignoring the Order of the Sealed Dragon's history. You get our ideology, our position, everything. You know the world stays this way because of the Order. After getting the magic sword, I won't tell you to do something as the Order."
The HR department ordered Ratis to get a shard, and he got the magic sword, which led to Zethar moving and giving the sword to Horace.
Zethar did that to show Laris 'the form of a warrior of this era who wields the magic sword.'
It was more of a personal deal between Zethar and Laris than the Order's mission.
So neither Zethar nor Laris ever told Horace about the Order's mission.
"I get it too. Strength is up to you, and nothing can deny that. Positions, ideologies—they're just environments to train yourself. I don't know why that environment was made, and if I don't know, the range I can use it for myself is limited. The meaning fades."
"..."
"You rushed forward just by admiration and got strong with conviction. You're amazing. If you're that strong, you could probably beat that eel just by going all out."
'Me? An eel, huh...'
"Now, let me say the most important thing."
Ginji sighs and speaks.
"As long as you're beating the God of Provisions, fine. But from now on, think about what you're carrying. Otherwise... 'there's no meaning to you being you.'"
Repeating Ginji's words in his head, Horace is blending them in.
...A few seconds later, Horace smiles softly.
"Are you telling me to be the hero? Seriously... you say such tiring things so casually."
"..."
"But, well, I guess you're right. It is, isn't it..."
Horace closes his eyes, looks up at the ceiling, takes a deep breath, and exhales.
Opening his eyes... he looks at Oboroas.
'...Who are you?'
"I am..."
He thinks about it over and over.
Words can be 'candidates' until spoken. But once spoken, they can't change.
Just... that's right.
Here, not saying 'that' is uncool.
"I am Horace Glasha."
Hearing Horace's introduction, Oboroas smiles.
The dragon's body is wrapped in magic... and shrinks quickly.
What appears in the clear magic is a middle-aged man with long black hair reaching his ankles, sporting a fierce smile.
"If you introduce yourself like that, then from now on... I'll stand before you as 'Skyscraper Dragon Rio Oboroas.'"
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