That person took the sword from Rowan with a serious expression. Then he turned the weapon left, right and tilted it toward the light.
His eyebrows slowly furrowed.
"...This is the dullest sword I've ever seen." the man brutally said in a flat voice.
Cardin made an outraged gasp when he heard that.
"Dull? Excuse me?!"
Since he couldn't hear Cardin's voice, the man continued in an unimpressed voice.
"And it's very ugly. The blade's cracked, the tip is chipped and the edge is so blunt it couldn't even kill a fly."
Cardin sputtered at that.
"Hey! Stop being judgmental, you muscle-brained peacock! If I only have arms, I will definitely beat you just like the old times!"
And of course, the man did not hear a single word from the sword. But Rowan's eyes widened in horror as if someone just insulted his pet.
"H-Hey! M-Mister, don't be like that. He's just in bad shape! Please be gentle with it!"
The man slowly blinked as if he was confused whether Rowan was joking or not. Then finally, he exhaled softly and handed the sword back.
"Here."
Rowan held the sword like it was a precious old man who needed help crossing the road. The man watched how Rowan held the sword carefully before looking around.
"It's not prohibited to bring weapons today. But..."
He eyed the sword again.
"...I don't think this even counts as a weapon anymore."
Cardin screeched internally after he heard his words.
"Lark, you bastard! Even though I am now like this, I am still your master!"
Hearing Cardin's angry voice, Rowan gently patted the hilt and whispered to it.
"Please calm down. Your blood pressure... Uhh, sword pressure might rise."
When the man saw Rowan talking to his broken sword, he couldn't helped but asked him about it.
"Are you talking to your sword?"
Rowan blinked before nodding his head.
"It's my new friend!" Rowan happily declared.
Cardin groaned. As for that man, he nodded his head. He seem undisturbed to see a young lad talking to his weapon.
"Well, my subordinates did say a strong man's best friend is their weapon." he muttered.
After that, he stepped back and adjusted the gloves on his hands.
"Anyway. Be careful." the man he told Rowan. "And try not to bump into anyone else. Some people here won't be as patient."
Rowan quickly nodded his head.
"Yes, sir! I promise I'll try my best!"
"Just call me Lark." the man finally introduced himself.
"Yes, sir Lark! And I'm Rowan! My father's name is Jack and this sword is Cardin."
When Rowan mentioned Cardin's name, Lark obviously became tensed although he quickly relaxed his body.
"Cardin?" Lark asked. "Did you named it?"
"Oh, no. He already—Hphm..."
Jack quickly covered his son's mouth and smiled at Jack.
"I apologize for that, sir. My son has an imagination problem."
Rowan protested but Jack pressed his palm more on his son's lips. Lark nodded his head in understanding. Then he gave them one last puzzled glance especially at the sword before turning and walking away.
Jack sighed with relief. When they couldn't see him anymore, Jack finally let go of his son.
"That was close." Jack muttered. "Son, I told you not to talk with your sword in this crowded place."
"I'm just introducing ourselves to him. He seemed nice." Rowan replied.
Cardin snorted.
"That was Lark. He looks a little scary but he's a nice person."
Rowan blinked and looked at the broken sword.
"Are you okay?" Rowan whispered.
"No." Cardin bluntly said. "Being insulted by my former student is bad for my pride."
"Student?!" Rowan gasped with his mouth open wide. "You know him? You actually know him?!"
Cardin tried to wave a hand. But he remembered he had no hands.
"Yes. I know him. He is Lark Aldanter. He was my former vice-commander who is talented and also annoying just like you."
Rowan held the sword closer. He looked fascinated to meet Cardin's acquiantances in the past.
"So you two were close?"
"In the same way fire and a bucket of cold water are close." Cardin replied.
Rowan nodded slowly.
"I also used to teach him swordsmanship." Cardin casually added.
Rowan's jaw dropped.
"Really?! That strong-looking guy?! That tall guy?! That scary guy?! That guy who looks like he eats rocks for breakfast?! You taught him?! You who are now stuck as a sword?!"
Cardin sighed.
"Yes."
Rowan was utterly starstruck. That explained why Lark looked at the sword so strangely. Maybe he sensed something familiar?
"Then... Then... Mr. Lark must be amazing!"
"Of course. I taught him." Cardin said. "But he's also an idiot."
Rowan blinked.
"Cardin, he doesn't look like an idiot to me."
"But he is." Cardin repeated. "Oh, right. He's the same guy I told you about."
"...Which one?"
"The one who turned into a worm."
Rowan froze.
"The cursed worm story... That was him?!"
Cardin proudly chuckled.
"Yes. My former student and the former mighty vice-commander got turned into a small worm because he read a suspicious magical spell book."
Rowan's brain broke. He turned around and stared at Lark's very distant figure like he was looking at a tragic hero.
"And... And... You said he got mixed with the other worms, right?"
"He did."
"And it took a month to find him?"
"It did."
"And you almost fed him to the messenger birds?"
"Heh. That also happened."
Rowan clapped a hand over his mouth. Then he burst out laughing so hard he snorted. The people walking by stared at him like he was losing his mind.
Jack gently patted his back.
"Son, please breathe."
Cardin laughed along since he no longer cared if anyone thought Rowan was crazy. Soon, Rowan wiped his tears while still giggling.
"Oh no... I used to be scared of that story. But does sir Lark know you almost fed him to the birds?"
"He knows." Cardin calmly replied.
"Oh? Is that why he looked so serious when he held you?" Rowan asked again. "Maybe he remembered you earlier?"
Cardin hummed.
"Maybe. I also didn't know if I still retained some of my mana or not."
Rowan swallowed.
"This is so sudden." Rowan said. "I guess you have a chaotic life, Cardin."
"Welcome to my life, lad." Cardin dryly replied.
Soon, Rowan stopped laughing and arrived at the funeral area. The funeral grounds looked like half the kingdom was squeezed into one huge space. Some people were crying, talking, shouting, pushing, holding flowers, holding other people and occasionally stepping on someone's foot too.
Seeing this, Rowan took a deep breath and hugged the sword tighter in his arms.
"Alright. Here I go!"
Rowan squeezed himself forward like a determined raccoon trying to reach his food.
"Sorry... Excuse me... Oh, sorry... Please don't step on me... Oh!... Sir, please dont squeeze me... Ahh!"
And somehow, Rowan reached the area near the coffin. Cardin groaned once again.
"Did you have to elbow five people on your way here?" Cardin asked.
"It wasn't elbowing!" Rowan whispered. "It was... gentle pushing!"
"...You slapped someone."
"But he was blocking the way!"
"You hit an old man."
"He pushed me first!"
Cardin sighed. This funeral was already chaotic. Soon, Rowan finally stopped once he was near enough.
"Anyway, where's your father?" Cardin asked.
"Oh no!" Rowan whispered. "I lost my father."
"Hah... This is why he told you not to wander."
Rowan felt guilty for leaving his father behind. But he pushed that feeling aside and held up the bouquet of wildflowers he picked earlier. Then he threw them toward the coffin.
The bouquet bounced off three people's heads first. Then it slid onto the coffin.
"Oh! Lucky me!" Rowan proudly whispered to himself.
Cardin stared at the coffin where they probably placed his dead body now. The big shiny thing was made of gold and decorated with precious gems that sparkled like they wanted attention. Then he made a long and tired sigh.
"At least they used the expensive materials." he muttered. "Not bad."
Rowan blinked.
"Do you like the hero's coffin, Cardin?"
"Yes. If the hero must be buried in something, then it might as well be as shiny as possible."
Rowan seriously nodded his head.
"The hero deserves it."
Cardin looked out at the crowd. Most people here were tearful. There were parents who held their children and told them stories about the hero who saved the world. Some of them cheered his name loudly while others quietly cried.
Cardin also spotted a few familiar faces from the crowd. There were his fellow knights, his old comrades, the nobles he annoyed and the nobles he annoyed even more after that.
"Oho. That one still owes me two gold coins." Cardin muttered.
"Which one?" Rowan softly asked.
"The one with the big purple hat."
"Purple hat... Ah! That one who looks like a blue potato?" Rowan asked while looking at the chubby person who was wearing a purple hat and blue set of clothes.
"Yes. That's the one."
Rowan squinted.
"...That hat is ugly."
"It is. So is that man."
Rowan tried not to laugh in the middle of the funeral while Cardin kept scanning the crowd. But no matter how long he searched, Cardin did not see his child anywhere.
"...Hmph. Maybe they are busy." he murmured to himself.
"Cardin...?" Rowan suddenly called.
"They are working as an informant. Maybe they can't just show up."
Rowan probably sensed a small shift in his mood and gently patted the hilt with his thumb. Cardin said nothing but he still appreciated it.
Then all of a sudden, the knights surrounding the coffin dropped to one knee in perfect sync. The whole crowd fell silent in an instant. Seeing this, Rowan froze and looked around with wide eyes.
"W-What's happening?" Rowan asked.
"The Emperor is arriving." Cardin calmly answered.
Then a trumpeter loudly blew his horn. Rowan almost dropped Cardin from surprise.
"Announcing the arrival of His Majesty the Emperor! Emperor Eustace Kassis Ardella!"
Cardin scoffed at that.
"That emperor still likes dramatic entrances, huh."
"He sounds like a very important person." Rowan whispered.
"Oh, please. He just likes to be an important person." Cardin corrected.
The crowd whispered in awe while the Emperor walked in with full royal armor shining under the sun. He looked majestic, powerful and noble. Rowan was impressed.
But Cardin was unimpressed.
"Hmph. Did you know that he borrowed that armor from the hero once and never returned it." Cardin suddenly revealed.
Rowan gasped in surprise.
"What?!"
"I bet he is still pretending it's his armor."
After a few steps, the Emperor finally reached the coffin while the royal guards were flanking him on both sides. The whole crowd held their breath.
'Alright. Let's see if this bastard Emperor does my funeral properly.'