# Chapter 69: 69
—Oh, that novelist Armano's book or something like that? That book has been very popular over the years.
-Popular? That kind of novel? It's a waste of paper.
—That's not necessarily true.
Blowing out the ink from what he was writing, Marcel spoke.
—There is only one copy of that book in our town library, and as soon as it is returned, there is a long line of people waiting to borrow it.
—Is it that serious? Well, it must be a novel popular enough to have been turned into a play, even though it's only been a few years since it was published.
"That's why there are tons of teenage girls saying they're going to be knights, and everyone's going crazy trying to stop them." In fact, the number of women trying to join the Order of the Black Lion increased when recruitment opened.
Yves closed his eyes, feeling dizzy.
—I can't take it back because I told him I would buy him anything, so now I'm going to buy him a sword. Then I'll have to get rid of all copies of that book immediately.
Yves looked at Marcel.
—It's not in the records. Why don't we have a mana sword?
—A mana sword is usually a personal weapon, so we don't prepare one for storage. There are no new ones, but if we look carefully, we might find some old ones.
—Oh, good.
Yves nodded.
Generally called simply mana swords, these magic energy-enhanced weapons were made by forging metal from the raw material and strengthening it with magic stones. The process of creating such a sword was so meticulous that they were considered special weapons that only blacksmiths in the northern region of Kelenocross could craft.
Of course, they were expensive and rare.
And naturally, only mage knights used mana swords.
When a knight received the mage knight seal as proof of his abilities, it was common for the lord of a territory or the emperor himself to grant him a mana sword.
It was not an object that could be found in any warehouse.
Marcel asked:
—Why are you looking for a mana sword? Maybe… Do you feel magical energy flowing inside you?
-No.
—Then it's not something I need to look for. If a knight who doesn't know how to handle mana carries it with him, it will be too heavy a burden. It will literally be like putting a pearl necklace on a pig, and…
—Just focus on your work.
-Yeah.
As Marcel delved back into his stack of documents, Yves was lost in thought.
Should I just take any other sword in the arsenal and give it to him…? No, that won't be enough.
It was an absurd gift for a woman who had become obsessed with a romance novel, but Yves had to stay on good terms with Radis at the moment.
I have to keep her by my side.
Looking back, it had been a great decision for the Marquis to take care of Radis until he came of age.
If Olivier tried to take Radis, this would be the best excuse to keep her by his side.
However, if Olivier said he liked Radis and she followed him... stopping them would be difficult.
If that happened, it would seem that he was trying to keep her for different reasons.
Radis simply had to remain under Yves' control until Olivier trusted him enough.
For that, Yves really had to prepare a gift that would please Radis.
Where could I find a mana sword…?
───── •????️• ─────
That night, Yves appeared once again in front of Radis, who was about to return to his room after having eaten a bowl full of stew with meat so tender that it practically melted on his tongue.
—Radiiis…!
Yves called after her, panting at how fast he had been running.
—Come, haa, haa, with me...
—Marquis, take your time. I'm not going anywhere, so speak slowly.
After catching his breath, Yves spoke.
—The night market, do you want to come with me?
-Where to?
—To an auction! Don't you want to choose your own sword?
The moment he heard the word sword, Radis's eyes shone.
-Go!
—Well, then get ready.
Yves spoke with a serious tone.
—Unlike a day market, it is quite dangerous.
-Oh really?
And the instant he heard that it was dangerous, Radis froze.
He had spent four years hunting monsters.
He didn't want to be a hindrance if they ever faced a dangerous situation.
So, without hesitation, she put on a cute dress that she didn't really want to wear and then a colorful hat that she didn't even really like.
On the other hand, Yves ended up wearing the usual black cape.
Allen prepared an ordinary carriage without the Marquisate shield and also carried a small basket.
In a nervous voice, Radis asked:
—Is there a weapon in there?
Allen levantó en secreto la cubierta de encaje de la canasta y mostró lo que había dentro.
—It's a bottle of wine and a few chicken sandwiches. There is also a serving of pumpkin salad. Please eat them if you feel hungry.
Filled with confusion, Radis simply took the basket and climbed into the carriage.
Valiz