Chapter 5: Sodlan’s Analysis is Spot On, He Guessed Right

Sodlan stood before the wall, lost in thought.

His gaze swept over the side of the gap; this hole didn’t look like it was caused by a Magic Creature.

Furthermore… He stepped forward and touched the edge of the opening.

It was incredibly smooth, as if it had been sliced directly by some kind of sharp weapon.

Looking at the ground, he saw the fragments of brick that had fallen when the wall was destroyed.

They were all on the inside; not a single piece lay outside the wall.

It was obvious that it would only look like this if it had been destroyed from the inside.

Therefore, this definitely had nothing to do with a Magic Creature…

But… what exactly was it?

Sodlan couldn’t say for sure.

He prepared to head back and share this news with his daughter, Soran, to let her help him think about it.

Soran was younger than him and had a more flexible mind.

She should be better at thinking through tricky problems.

A short while later, Sodlan returned home.

There was still half an hour until dawn.

According to Soran’s routine, she should be sleeping right now.

“Soran, are you awake?”

Sodlan opened the door but heard no response.

It seemed his guess was correct; Soran was still asleep.

He would wait a while.

Sodlan simply lay back down on his own bed and went back for a second sleep.

Time passed very quickly.

In the blink of an eye, it was noon.

Sunlight streamed through the window, spilling onto Sodlan’s weather-beaten face.

He woke up.

“Ah…… huff……”

Sodlan let out a massive yawn, stretched his limbs, and sat up.

That sleep was truly comfortable.

Just then, his younger son, Sote, came walking over quickly.

“Dad, it’s already noon. What are we eating?”

Noon? Is it already noon?

Sodlan rubbed his eyes, feeling a bit sentimental.

Time really does fly.

He hadn’t expected to sleep for so long during his second nap.

Since Sote had come looking for him, the boy must be starving.

He patted Sote’s small head and gave him a gentle smile.

Sote was also looking forward to it.

What were they eating for lunch today?

“Go out and buy something for yourself to eat. While you’re at it, bring a portion back for me too.”

As he spoke, Sodlan pulled a Silver Coin from his pocket and handed it to Sote.

“Dad… can’t we just cook at home? I haven’t tasted your cooking in so long, my tongue is about to rot……”

“Dad has things to do today. I’m busy and don’t have time.”

It was the same old routine.

Every time a meal rolled around, he would tell Sote to go buy food every single day and bring a portion back for him.

Sote had heard this excuse more times than he could count, but he never actually saw what his father was so busy with.

“Fine.”

Sote agreed helplessly.

Sodlan sat in his chair, quietly waiting for the food to arrive.

Hiss… did I forget something very important?

Oh right, right, right.

The matter of the destroyed wall.

I was going to discuss it with Soran.

Once Sodlan remembered, he walked to the door of Soran’s room and opened it.

This child, really.

It’s already noon and she’s still not up.

She actually needs her old man’s personal wake-up service.

“Time to get up, Soran. We’re eating soon.”

No response.?

Could it be that Soran was too tired from yesterday’s events and hasn’t woken up yet?

“Soran?”

Still no response.

This won’t do. No matter how tired she is, she has to eat.

Even if she wants to sleep, she should sleep on a full stomach.

Sodlan took a few quick steps to the bedside.

Looking down, he could only see a human-shaped lump under the covers.

This child, even when sleeping, she covers her head with the blanket.

Is she afraid of the Evil Dragon or something? Isn’t she afraid of suffocating under there?

The next second, Sodlan grabbed a corner of the blanket and pulled hard, throwing it aside.

However, the sight Sodlan expected—Soran sleeping with her head covered—did not appear.

Instead, there were small, neatly arranged stacks of clothes.?

Where is my Soran?

Where is my big, grown Soran?

Gone?

Or did she go out?

That shouldn’t be right.

Usually, if Soran went out for something, she would tell him in advance.

Even if it wasn’t convenient to say it face-to-face, she would leave a note.

Sodlan left Soran’s room and checked the living room table.

He didn’t see any note.

Hey? That’s strange.

How did this child, Soran, vanish into thin air after a night’s sleep?

Maybe she went out for a stroll and forgot to say something.

He’d wait; she would definitely be back by evening.

Evening came. Sodlan crouched by the door, but there was no sign of Soran returning home.

This shouldn’t be right.

It’s so late; Soran should have come home by now.

But the facts were right in front of him.

Soran had not returned.

“Dad, what are we eating tonight?”

“Go out and buy it yourself…”

Before Sodlan could finish, Sote interrupted him.

“I know, I know… sigh…”

Sote left the house with a sigh.

There was nothing for it; his own dad, he had to indulge him.

Sodlan’s current state was just like a few days ago when he was waiting for Soran to return safely.

He paced back and forth at the door, anxious and uneasy.

Where exactly did Soran go? Why wouldn’t she even leave a message?

Did she go somewhere shady?

Just then, a shouting voice drifted from the distance.

“Selling swords! The sharpest swords in the whole city! They can cleave through any shield! Never fear a Magic Creature again! Ten times the refund for a fake!”

Immediately afterward, another shout followed.

“Selling shields! The sturdiest shields in the whole city! They can withstand any sword! Never fear a Magic Creature again! Ten times the refund for a fake!”

Sodlan had heard this story since he was a child.

It was all deceptive nonsense, just exaggerated metaphors used by the shopkeeper to market his goods.

“Shopkeeper, I’ll take a sword.”

Wait, someone is actually buying one?

“Right away! Here you go, this is the sword you wanted. That’ll be one Gold Coin.”

So expensive! You might as well just rob him, why bother giving him a sword?

The customer took the sword and immediately raised a shield in his other hand, striking them against each other a few times.

As a result, the shield was pierced through.

“Shopkeeper, this shield isn’t sturdy at all. I bought it yesterday, and didn’t you say it could withstand any sword? How did it break with just one hit?”

“Exactly as you said! That was the shield you bought yesterday, but this sword is today’s model! Our products are constantly updated, so of course the new one is more powerful!”

He could actually use an excuse like that?

“Then shopkeeper, give me another shield.”

“Sorry, the shields are sold out.”

“Hey! No, you—”

As they spoke, one ran and the other chased, and the two gradually faded from Sodlan’s sight.

Hmph, just two jokers.

How could there be such a thing as the sharpest sword?

—

The sharpest sword?

It seems that wasn’t entirely impossible.

Sodlan thought of his daughter Soran’s Holy Sword.

Holy Sword, sharp… Holy Sword, sharp…

Sharp…

Like it was cut by something sharp…

The wall?!

Sodlan made an inexplicable connection to that.

The gap in the wall really did look like it was caused by something sharp.

And in Sodlan’s knowledge, the only thing capable of dealing that level of damage was the Holy Sword.

Coincidentally, the opening was made from the inside, and on top of that, Soran had disappeared today……

Could it be…

An uncertain realization emerged in Sodlan’s mind.

Did Soran use the Holy Sword to slice open the wall and run away?