F-ranker Sword Saint: My Soulbound Sword is Secretly SSS-tier!-Chapter 306: Hometown Dialect

"Uh...with all due respect, Lord Edric. We need to be in the Myriad Sword Realm before I can use the Key of the Vile Five." Daru explained, though he found it quite strange that he had to.

This was already common knowledge, after all.

Caleb, meanwhile, suddenly chuckled.

"You’re quite bold to underestimate Lord Caladbolg, brother Daru. Naturally, the exalted has a way t–"

"Alright, let’s meet in the Myriad Sword Realm. Also, just call me Big Ed."

Caleb froze, a tidal wave of embarrassment crashing upon him in the form of a reddening face.

In the next moment, Caladbolg exploded into hearty laughter, slapping his right thigh repeatedly.

"I’m joking, I’m joking...Hooh, how can you be so amusing compared to that older sister of yours? W reaction."

Daru’s brows rose.

"Okay, Big Ed. But what does ’W reaction’ mean?"

This time, it was the Sword Saint who froze, face tinged with a hint of red.

"D-Don’t mind this old fool’s random blabbers. Just a generational thing. In any case, you brats wouldn’t understand. Let’s talk about the more important things, yeah?"

Caleb, meanwhile, dumbfoundedly looked at Daru, jaws slack.

He admired what his friend just did, but at the same time, also wanted to reprimand him.

The bastard took the respected saint on his offer and went and called him Big Ed!

"Alright, let me explain a bit. Sword Saints like me are like mini Sword Altars, which means you can access your inventory while I’m in the area. Give it a try."

Daru was intrigued, quickly tapping on his nonexistent belt bag.

The inventory window popped up.

"A-Amazing! But how does it work, Lord Caladbolg?" Caleb chimed in utter fascination, having clearly tried, too.

"I’ll explain, but we talkin’ on the go. Gang, lock in and open the Underworld Portal. The ops not finna wait."

Daru and Caleb looked at the exalted Sword Saint with strange gazes, their brows furrowing slightly.

Why did merely hearing the mighty elder’s odd way of speaking make them feel as if their brains were slowly rotting?

Caladbolg winced, realizing he had misspoken again. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

’Damn it!’ he cursed inwardly.

"L-Like I said, don’t mind my words. It’s...uhh...a dialect! From my hometown! Now, will we get going or what?!"

Daru, jolted awake by the hint of anger in the old man’s tone, quickly retrieved the Key of the Vile Five, his interest in the weird "dialect" waning, replaced by curiosity.

He was quite eager to see how things would work.

Standing up from his seat, Daru looked around, moving over to a spacious area in the meeting hall.

He then stabbed the Key of the Vile Five to the floor.

To his astonishment, it went through as it usually did, black, runic lines snaking from the point of contact and forming a pentagram.

A part of the floor dissolved the next moment, revealing the familiar, chilling stone stairs.

It was Caladbolg who was astonished this time.

"Well I’ll be damned. You brats really did conquer an Underworld Region, huh?"

The exalted elder stood up, walking closer in sheer wonder.

He had explored the Underworld a few times, but after being sent to impossible areas three times in a row—barely managing to escape in time with his soul intact — twice by mighty foes and once by the sheer harshness of the environment, he never tried again, concluding that the Underworld was simply not meant to be explored by mortals like them.

He had contemplated trying one last time back when he was at his peak, but the intense circumstances in the shadows between the government and the Seven Sword Guilds didn’t give him the luxury of time to.

It eventually became far too risky, as well, especially since he was the only one who could keep his race in order.

But then, Caladbolg remembered something.

"Wait a second."

A moment later, he disappeared, then reappeared with a nod, having confirmed that the stone stairs were indeed in a separate instance of space, more commonly known as the void.

It didn’t pass through the office beneath.

"Shall we go?" Daru asked, to which the two nodded. He then led the way and stepped onto the stone stairs, passing through the cloudy covers.

A few dozen moments later, they emerged from colorful skies, contrary to Caladbolg’s expectations.

"Hmm? I thought we’re going to a gray world?" the exalted asked.

"Ah, allow me to explain, Lord Caladbolg. This is the Hidden Reprieve, a special area within Limbo — also our base of operations during those desperate times." Caleb enthusiastically explained as Egress became discernible through the thinning layer of fog.

Caladbolg nodded in understanding, his attention split as he observed the decent settlement.

"Your town’s lowkey fire..."

The two youngsters shot no more than a glance his way, slowly getting used to his "generational hometown dialect".

"Wait, is that Nando? Bro might be even older than me!"

This time, Caleb didn’t have the capacity to react, overwhelmed by relief. Daru, too, though his emotions weren’t as intense.

The old man had a history of being unruly, after all.

They feared that, upon their return, Nando would have already broken his promise and ended up in a way they dared not think about.

Thankfully, the old man did behave.

Nando was in the middle of tilling a part of the fields when he noticed the materializing stone stairs.

Naturally, he walked closer, shaking his head.

The trio from Neo-Earth soon got closer.

"Aihh, why are you brats back so soon? I told you to take your time. I’m right here, aren’t I?" was Nando’s greeting.

"Also, who’s this old dude?"

Caleb panicked slightly.

He should’ve given the exalted Sword Saint a warning about Nando’s deadly tongue!

"Bruh," Caladbolg responded. "You spawned before wi-fi existed. You, of all people, should not be calling me old."

Nando’s brows furrowed, having only understood the last sentence.

"What are you even saying, ancient coot? You’ve gone so senile that you’ve forgotten how to speak properly, yet you’re still shamelessly denying your age?"