Brand New Life Online: Rise Of The Goddess Of Harvest Chapter 2075: Meeting The Weapon Seller Again

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"You’re really the guy who sold me Asteria?!" Elayne asked in complete disbelief, her eyes widening as recognition finally settled in. "I never thought I would meet you again, sir. Asteria... wait, I am not giving her back to you!" She tightened her grip on the bone sword, holding it close as if the blade itself might be pulled from her hands at any moment.

"Hahahah, no, I am not going to ask for her back!" the man replied with a deep, easy laugh that echoed lightly through the crowded street. "Plus, I know that once a sword has earned your heart the way she has, she will never let go of you unless you die."

"Hmph! So you plan to kill her, knave?!" Blank snapped in sudden anger, raising his White Maiden spear and pointing the gleaming tip straight at the stranger’s chest. "She has tamed and unlocked the true power of that bone sword you never could! It’s quite obvious the sword was made for her, not for you! Accept the truth and move on, you pathetic—"

"Enough," Elayne said firmly, placing a calming hand on Blank’s arm. "Blank, you’ve been very volatile lately. Calm down."

"..." Blank exhaled slowly and lowered his weapon. "My apologies."

"I agree. Stop speaking on her behalf," Mark added, his tone measured but firm. "Leave her be. She can speak for herself and defend herself when she needs to."

"..." Blank chose to ignore the comment for the moment. He fell silent, sighing as he worked to settle the turbulent emotions that had been tested repeatedly over the past twenty-four hours of near-constant danger and revelation.

"Sorry about that," Elayne said with a small, apologetic smile. "He’s a little emotional sometimes."

"Hah, that’s... that’s the lord of that city?!" the demon standing nearby asked, his voice filled with genuine shock. "Well, I am shocked. Utterly in disbelief. I never imagined the girl who bought my old sword would end up bringing that prince along with her. I always pictured most White Ghosts as stuck-up rich kids who dislike even stepping outside their own polished halls. Seeing how sensitive they can be—enough to mute entire areas just because they dislike the noise—it’s truly surprising."

"Oh please, it’s not like that at all..." Elayne sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. "Anyway, I’ve been wondering... what was your name? Did you ever tell me before?"

"I might have, or I might not have. It doesn’t really matter," the man answered with a warm, open smile. "This meeting must have been arranged by fate itself. I came here because some of my friends kept recommending the place. I’m a wandering warrior and merchant, you see. I fight when I need to, and I sell goods when the opportunity arises. That’s how I make my way through the world. I wander from place to place, defend myself when necessary, and earn a decent living whenever the chance appears. And in case you hadn’t noticed, I am an Asura. I lost one of my arms in a conflict years ago, but it hasn’t slowed me down much."

"I-I see! My name is Elayne," she introduced herself properly this time. "And... well, I lead a group of people—undead, noble races, anyone willing to stand together. We’re something like a community, a fairly large one at that. We move around as needed. Um... I came here because someone in our group knows someone who lives in this place, and we need to speak with them. There’s also something waiting for me here. I’m sorry I can’t reveal much more than that."

"Oho, so there are secrets?" he asked with a cocky yet friendly grin. His short white beard gave him a mildly "daddy-like" handsomeness that softened the otherwise battle-worn lines of his face. "Well! You’re free to keep your secrets, my lady. Regardless, I can tell you’re a proper swordswoman if you’ve managed to tame that Bone Blade. I swear she drove me half mad every time I tried to wield her."

"GRRR..." Suddenly a bride-like ghostly figure shimmered into view behind Elayne, emerging directly from Asteria. "Master... let us cut him down..."

"Asteria?!" Elayne stared in open shock. "Y-You’re talking more than usual...!"

"..." Asteria fell silent again almost immediately, though it was clear she was becoming gradually more talkative as time passed and their bond deepened.

"What was that just now?" the Asura man asked, tilting his head with mild curiosity.

"Oh, nothing important!" Elayne answered quickly. "Anyway, so what’s your name again?"

"I come from a small folk town in the middle of the Blood Seas," he explained. "As you can see, we wear different styles of clothing and the like... hmm, rather similar to the new clothes you’re wearing now, actually. For some reason you remind me of my own people. Anyway, my name is Kishimoto. It’s a pleasure to meet you properly."

"A Japanese name?" Mark murmured in quiet surprise. "And he mentioned an Island Country earlier... Does that mean he comes from some kind of Fantasy Japan? That’s actually pretty cool..."

"Hahaha, I don’t know what you’re talking about, but thank you for the kind words," Kishimoto replied with another easy laugh. "Where I come from, we’re so far from the dark blue nebulae that a small star always rises over the Blood Sea each morning, turning the whole region into one of the few truly colorful places in the Netherworld. Some call it the Nation of the Rising Star... or the Rising Sun, depending on who you ask."

"Wow, it really does sound like Fantasy Japan," Elayne nodded with genuine interest.

"Hahaha, what’s Japan?" he asked, looking genuinely puzzled.

"N-Nothing, please don’t worry about it," Elayne answered with a light chuckle. "So you’ve come here to fight in the tournament? The... um... was it the Blue Flame Soul Tournament? Yes, that one."

"I did!" Kishimoto confirmed with clear enthusiasm. "I’ve come to test my strength and see what rewards I can earn from this place. It really looks exciting—full of music, people from every walk of life, and that lively energy that makes a man look forward to the fights ahead. Definitely seems more entertaining than the last settlement I visited, which was filled with a bunch of boring White Ghosts who barely spoke above a whisper."

"..." Blank clenched his jaw and visibly resisted the strong urge to drive his spear straight through the man’s heart.

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