"So, do you like it?"

Carlil asked gently.

He stood in the golden room, his wet hair reflecting the light cast by the chandelier. Conrad Coetzes hesitated and shook his head.

"I don't need it." He said dejectedly. "I don't know why, but I always think it's strange to use one weapon with two hands."

"A two-handed sword is much more powerful than a dagger or a dagger, Conrad."

Carlil couldn't help but laugh dumbly, and he turned his head to glance at the weapon that was lying quietly on Conrad Coetze's desk. “...... What's more, it's still a power sword. ”

"You know the Power Sword?"

"I didn't do anything before I got off the ship, Conrad."

Carlil shook his head and asked in a relaxed tone, "So, do you like it?" ”

"It was given to me by Ferus." Conrad Coetzes looked away and replied with a hint of concern.

"Do you like it?" Carlil asked, staring at him.

“...... I don't like it, but I love it too. ”

After a long silence, Midnight Ghost replied in a hissing voice.

He was a little annoyed because Carlil was staring at him all the time - and, if someone asked a question, it was rather rude not to answer.

"I don't like swords, but I like this gift - alas......"

Carlil rubbed his brow in a headache, and switched back to hissing Nostramo. "Then why don't you say it when you go to see it with them?"

"I don't want to break Ferus's heart."

The ghost replied quietly. "Fogrem said it took him ten days just to sketch it."

"So—you might have to take the time to learn how to use the Power Sword."

"Why?"

"Because it's a sword, and since you've accepted it, you should use it in the future. The fate of the weapon is to be stained with the blood of the enemy, not to be hung on an expensive display stand to be illuminated by the spotlight. ”

"But I won't."

"Then go and learn."

Carlil replied in a tone that was so calm that it bordered on ruthlessness.

"And, in a way, it's a lesson, Conrad."

"Lessons?" The ghost's eyes widened.

"If you don't like it, you should just say it."

Carlil shook his head with a smirk.

"Hiding and tucking things will only lead to a situation that is very embarrassing for both of us. What do you think he would think if you didn't use this gift from Ferus Manus and used something else? ”

“...... I'll go to school tomorrow. After a moment of silence, the ghost pursed his lips and replied to Carlil's words.

He lowered his head and stopped talking.

Carlil didn't continue the conversation, he walked over to his desk, examined the sword, and then looked down at the notes Koz had taken.

To be honest, there wasn't much he could read, most of the papers were stacked on top of each other, and there were many words that were obscured by the sword, but he didn't reach out to touch them.

"Carlil?" Conrad Coetze's voice rang out behind him. He switched back to High Gothic.

"Huh?"

"Do you want to read my notes?"

"To be exact, these things are the result of your learning – but yes, I want to see it."

"Then why don't you move it away?"

Carlil smiled, knowing what Coetzes meant by 'it'.

Coates looked at him in confusion, and the former didn't answer, just laughing more and more.

"Because, it's raining in Quintus today. Didn't you notice? ”

After laughing, Carlil said gently. "I don't want acid rain to drip onto your desk, your notes, or that sword."

"But you don't smell of acid rain!"

"That's because you're used to smelling it, Conrad - well, while there's still time for tonight...... I'm going to clean myself, change my clothes, and then we'll go to visit Ferus Manus, how about it? ”

"Visit him?"

"yes, it's better to make things clear ahead of time...... And ......"

Carlil smiled and threw a silver blade from his wide sleeve.

It's too big for a normal person to use as a knife for hand-to-hand combat, but it's just right for Conrad Coetzes.

The pale giant caught it in surprise.

"Me, my knife!"

"Yes, your knife."

Carlil replied with a smile. "Its grip requires a leather or wooden wrap, so we'd better pay a visit to your brother. Kill two birds with one stone, don't you? ”

"When are we going?" Conrad Coetzes couldn't wait to ask.

"Don't be in such a hurry...... I need to change into a decent outfit. Carlil sighed. Ten minutes, how's that? ”

"Good!"

With a chuckle, Carlil shook his head and left.

He didn't know how long this rare innocence would last, but before it was completely shattered by something...... Carlil was willing to let it grow for a little longer.

Childhood memories will shine through people's lives, he can't give anything to the ghost, but at least he will give him everything he can.

Partners only. He thought. Then he began to laugh at himself in the hallways of the Imperial Dream.

-----------------

Ferus Manus looked at a giant standing to the right of his workbench, and then at a giant standing to the left of his workbench, with a rare puzzled expression.

“...... What does that mean? He asked.

"Huh?" The giant on the left side of the workbench answered him with a look that was even more dazed than he was.

"Just came to visit you, Ferus Manus." The giant on the right side of the workbench, Calil, replied with a smile.

"Come along?" Ferus asked, his tone calm, but the eyebrows were already raised suspiciously.

"Yes, come along." Carlil nodded calmly. "Is there anything wrong?"

"If you follow the rules, there are a lot of ...... that are inappropriate"

"For example?"

"For example, you should give me three days' notice so that I have time to prepare for the parade, the welcome and a grand feast."

Carlil laughed, a little sarcastic in his smile - and Ferus knew that the sarcasm wasn't for him.

"You're so familiar? Don't tell me, you really like it. He said in a brisk tone.

"Of course not."

Ferus shook his head. But Fogrem liked it, but he agreed to a compromise. So the parade was canceled, the welcome was shortened to less than four hours, and the banquet was just the two of us. ”

"Why, is he the only one who visits you often?"

Ferus Manus nodded expressionlessly, and said nothing, but it was as if he had said everything.

"Anyway—we're here for Conrad's gift."

"I'm not surprised." Ferus said calmly.

He looked at Conrad Coetzes, paused for a moment, and asked in a tone that was soft and even a little dry, under the latter's uneasy gaze, "You don't like it, do you, Conrad?" ”

"I, I ......"

Carlil twisted his head, avoiding Conrad Coetzes' pleading gaze.

He was not going to substitute for answers, some things were destined to be solved only by Conrad Coetzes himself.

"I like it, but I don't like it either." The pale giant said through gritted teeth. "I mean, I love your gifts, but I don't like swords - because I won't use ......"

The corners of Ferus Manus's mouth hooked up slightly, and although it quickly disappeared, it was an indisputable fact that he had smiled.

"I'm not surprised." He replied. "I saw it when you came to see it."

Conrad Coetzes was taken aback and raised his head suddenly: "Is it so obvious?" ”

"No, it's just my acumen as a craftsman. For whether a fighter likes a certain weapon...... This is the kind of thing we don't even need to ask to see. ”

"Can you see that?" Coetzes asked suspiciously.

Ferus smiled again, this time genuinely smiling and lingering on his face longer than any before.

He smiled and shook his head, "Of course, Conrad. You're not a craftsman, so you won't understand. ”

"Can I become a craftsman?"

"You ......"

Ferus looked him up and down for a moment, then shook his head. Without explaining why, he gave the answer directly. Thankfully, Conrad Coetzes didn't care much about it.

"So, do you want that sword back, Conrad?"

"No, no—actually I want to ......"

"You want to?"

"I-uh, Carlil!"

The giant whose name was called sighed and looked back helplessly—he was admiring the unfinished works that Ferus Manus had hung on the wall of his room.

Truth be told, he wasn't going to interfere with this rare conversation, but, it seems, Conrad Coetzes has reached his limits.

"Yes, he wants that sword back to you." Carlil said calmly. "And, I want to ask you for a little favor."

"As long as I can."

The pale giant blinked, and carefully pulled a knife out of his sleeve.

Until then, Ferrus had not noticed this at all. His pupils inevitably condensed at that moment—the clothes Conrad Coates was wearing today didn't have very wide sleeves.

"A little trick."

Carlil explained calmly. "This is the knife I gave him...... As you can see, Ferus Manus, it doesn't have a proper grip. Pure metal cross-sections are not very friendly to the hand. ”

“...... That's true. ”

Staring at the knife, Ferus Manus nodded slowly. He glanced inquiringly at his brother, who quickly handed him the knife. The giant with a pair of steel arms took it, and his movements and postures were extremely careful.

After a long time, he sighed deeply.

“...... How did you do that? He asked.

"This knife?"

"Yes......"

"A little trick." Carlil smiled slightly, raised his hand and tapped his temple. "What do you think of it?"

Ferus didn't answer immediately, just narrowed his eyes and stared at the weapon. His fingers were twitching slightly.

After a few moments, he spat out two cold words.

"Terrible."

Then he looked up and looked at his brother: "A grip, huh?" Cortex, or woody? ”

"Uh......"

"It's up to me to decide?" Ferus asked prophetically.

Conrad Coetzes nodded repeatedly. "Yes, yes, it's up to you, Ferrus."

After a brief silence, Ferus Manus nodded slowly.

"I'm not going to insult this knife." He said calmly to Carlil.

The latter smiled intriguingly: "It's not worth taking so seriously." ”

"I wouldn't be able to speak of weapons alone, but it's not a weapon." Ferrus replied.