SSS-Knight in a Hero World-Chapter 111: Watering Plants

"They're in there." Tailor pointed at a relatively large house.

Although Ferris wanted to meet Zaku, he couldn't help but think about something else.

How many houses does this guy have?

Before Ferris could speak about something he shouldn't, Tailor changed his mind.

"...Actually, you should be the one to see them.

They haven't spoken to anyone aside from a few of my servants."

Ferris turned his eyes. "It's alright."

Seeing the uncomfortable look in his eyes, Ferris felt an obligation to take care of his troubles.

Not because Tailor was rich, of course.

But rather, because he was speaking to his brother.

Ferris solidified his goals. It was more preferable to meet Zaku privately.

Entering the house, he easily navigated the layout using his new experience with Tailor's mansion.

I can hear them already from the entrance...

Ferris followed the noise and found many of the rooms to be vacant.

Aside from the door he faced. It felt like a children's classroom inside with all the ruckus he was hearing.

Ferris raised his knuckles and did his usual greeting.

Knock knock knock.

The room beyond the door went silent.

He closed his eyes and leaned his head back. What is this... am I a teacher now?

Undeterred by the silent reply, Ferris grabbed the knob and turned, only for it to rattle in place.

Without hesitation, he continued to turn until it broke.

But the only thing that filled his mind now was the increasing amount of doorknobs he was breaking.

Crack!

Once that was over with, he now had to deal with a stubborn door that's more stiff than most.

Push.

There was a frantic scuffle on the other side.

"Push harder!"

"The floor's slippery!"

"How is this person so strong?!"

With barely any effort, Ferris pushed the door open, knocking a trio along with it.

Ferris blinked at the sight and shifted his gaze to the entire room.

A decently large bedroom with too many people who were busy doing other things than to look at him.

He recognized some of them from his memories a while back, including Zaku, who was sleeping in the main bed with three other people.

It's so hot inside... and it stinks. Ferris commented. Perhaps back then, when he first saw them, he too was as smelly as them, so he didn't notice it until now.

As if karma got him back, one of the people he saw was a girl he recognized.

Wasn't she the one who punched me at first sight?

The girl stood up, but instead of being angry, she had the opposite expression, pointing at Ferris with a smile. "Hey, it's the guy who broke into our house back then.

And he's doing it again!"

. . .

Ferris sighed openly, just to let them know how he felt after hearing that.

He pointed at Zaku and made a reassuring look. "Can you wake him up?"

The girl who punched him a long time ago stared at him for a moment, but she nodded in the end in a calm manner, which almost startled Ferris.

He watched as the girl walked over to her brother and vigorously shook him as if there was an emergency.

"Brother! It's the guy who broke into our house back then!"

"Huh— what?"

Zaku arose from his bed in a dazed state, taking a few minutes to really understand the situation.

Meanwhile, Ferris calmly waited outside the room in the hallway.

Once Zaku was ready, the two met in the hallway and silently greeted each other, though Ferris was the one who started it and was the one giving the greeting.

Zaku merely glanced at Ferris and made an awkward look as he went somewhere else without speaking a word.

...Well, I can see why Tailor had a hard time. Ferris thought, following Zaku a few steps behind.

He watched as Zaku made his way into the kitchen to eat some scraps that looked a day old.

Ferris sat on the chair opposite to Zaku's.

"That doesn't look appetizing, should I ask the people that work here for more?"

Zaku paused at his statement and uttered a clear answer. "Yes."

Ferris hid his worries. He didn't expect Zaku to agree so easily, and now he had to deal with giving them new food.

But of course, he didn't want to deal with any hassle.

So instead, he turned his statement into another direction.

"On second thought, maybe you should ask them yourself."

Ferris watched as Zaku didn't quickly answer him just like before.

But after a while, it seemed as if the ice surrounding Zaku melted in an instant.

"How? I don't even know the guy who owns this place and he keeps calling me Zaku." He scratched his hair in annoyance. "And apparently I'm his brother, but we don't even look alike. I have green hair and his is kinda lighter, obviously we're different."

I don't think a lot of people in the world have green hair... Ferris remarked inwardly with judging eyes.

Zaku continued. "And he's weird too, he acts like... a girl?"

"I think you mean flamboyant," Ferris answered. Well... that was the vibe I got when I first met Tailor, but anything flamboyant about him's now gone.

Stress can be a killer of moods.

Zaku blinked, confused. "What does that mean?"

After that sentence, Ferris simply stared at him with a blank look. He didn't want to go off topic by answering him properly.

Instead, Ferris wanted to go into the main topic already, regarding Zaku's future in this new world.

He ignored Zaku's question in a heartbeat and looked at him with a gaze laced with his cold essence.

Of course, Ferris didn't intend to hurt him. He just wanted to get his point across.

And since it wasn't a serious essence gaze, it wasn't too straining on Ferris' eyes.

"Look... I know that you're the leader of this little group of yours, but sitting around like this won't get you anywhere," he said with a heavy tone.

Surely, with Zaku's experience in such a dangerous environment, he would understand the need to be urgent and vicious.

In that city he grew up in, doing nothing to better oneself would result in being stuck at the bottom of the food chain.

Surely he knows that.

Ferris waited for Zaku's reaction, but there wasn't one.

For a moment, Ferris thought he slipped with his essence gaze, but there was no way it could've happened.

It took him a while to realize, but once he did, Ferris silently chuckled.

This brat... he has a thick skull even while he's like this.

In other words.

Zaku has an incredibly strong will.

Strong enough to not be affected by my gaze.

Ferris recalled where he had to take care of some recruits for the knight order, and amongst those times, he remembered those who were like Zaku.

They were rising stars who were too eager to gain glory, but that led to their early deaths as the viking knights were focused at behind enemy line attacks.

So if there was a single mistake, it would quickly lead to a mission failure.

I was too soft on them, and I've already learned my lesson a long time ago.

With a quick shift in his eyes, Ferris increased his pressure on Zaku.

Order essence gaze.

"Please, listen to my advice."

Finally, Zaku reacted and flinched at his words before calming down.

"S-sure, man..." Zaku replied nervously.

"You should also talk to your brother more and bond with him."

"Alright, alright..."

Although it was inaudible, Ferris could feel Zaku's rising heart rate and hastened breathing. Any more of his gaze might lead to an incident.

Ferris held his breath. Well... my eyes are already burning, so I'm in a much worse shape.

The cold gaze from Ferris disappeared, giving Zaku a chance to breathe.

Standing up from his seat, Ferris prepared to leave and say his last words. "Be sure to let your brothers and sisters know too, they can't cram themselves into a single room every day."

As Ferris was about to leave, he was stopped by Zaku, and before Ferris could turn around to see him, Zaku was quick enough to bring Ferris a long object covered in a thick cloth.

Ferris recognized the shape. It was the bone sword he once had, the one that Judas created.

That's right, I gave it to Zaku for protection.

Ferris smiled and appreciated the gesture.

Even though I can summon Judas' manifestation, I can't use it in public since I legally don't have a blessing.

It's great to have a physical sword again.

Then, Ferris remembered something important.

As for the license to have a sword, well... I have a plan for that.

Each layer descension gives someone a unique skill.

I haven't tried mine yet... I wonder if it's still the same or not since this isn't my original body.

"Thank you, I appreciate it."

Ferris held his hand out as Zaku gave it to him horizontally.

But before Ferris got a hold of it completely, it suddenly separated into two pieces.

Suspiciously, there wasn't an audible crack or snap when it happened.

He glanced at the potential perpetrator.

Zaku shook his head. "You touched it, you broke it."

It's obvious that you were the one who broke it though?!

He even covered it with a cloth, but he could use his blessing characteristics as an excuse...

"...T-that's fine, it's alright."

Ferris quietly left the scene and uncovered his bone blade.

Its blade was completely shattered into two pieces, and it might as well be a club with how dull it was now.

Although it was in rough shape, Ferris couldn't help but notice something else.

The handle...

It looks like someone compressing a metal pole into a smaller one.

This is exactly what would happen if I don't use sword essence. A fragile blade like this wouldn't be able to withstand my energy.

Hmm.

After a last inspection, Ferris dumped it in a nearby waste bin.

But there was a burning feeling in his heart when he did that.

I'm not a hoarder, Judas. Ferris cooled his essence core.