The Trash's Guide to Rewriting a Parallel World

VIII

"But... this is..."

"My sword's strong." Choi Han smiled. He can use mana thin enough to withstand a newly formed mana. It's anything but dull against him, a seasoned swordmaster.

Cale didn't hesitate and attacked Choi Han mercilessly.

Choi Han couldn't help but smile and stare at the beautiful sword dance that Cale perfected for years. An original sword dance meant to use a rapier, fast enough to equal his normal speed, and strong enough to destroy his thinly wrapped manasword with brute force.

All Choi Han sees is a raging fire turning everything to ashes.

Cale may be young, but he has what it takes to be a swordsmaster—only that this world failed him countless times.

That made Choi Han really angry.

With a loud thud, Choi Han stared at Little Cale, heaving heavily due to overexertion.

"You should train your mana more." Choi Han reaches his hand to help Cale stand.

"You can't teach me that, can you? " Cale asked, pouting.

"I can't, but there's a way..." Choi Han said, "You need permission before that."

And the rest was a plan that Choi Han devised on his own for the first time.

[DERUTH HENITUSE'S POV]

"Cale used Mana? " he asked the head butler, who came to report this to him.

He knew Cale was spending time training with the apprentice knight he had made friends with over the past two years, but to suddenly turn into a mana user, enough to qualify him as a swordmaster, he was ecstatic.

It was something to be proud of. His son achieved what normal people could not.

He was about to give orders for a celebration when Cale came to his office unannounced.

"Father..."

His son entered his office without first knocking. His face had this urgency that he couldn't wait to follow procedures anymore.

"I'd like your permission," Cale seriously said.

"Permission for? " Deruth asked and signaled Cale to sit on the chair prepared by the head butler.

Cale glanced at it but ignored it.

"I'd like permission to leave Weston City," Cale declared.

Children below 12 couldn't leave their homes without permission.

Deruth was silent. He knew the permission that Cale was asking for was a long-term absence from the county.

"Why do you want permission to leave? " he asked.

"I... there's no one in the county who could teach me anymore," Cale firmly said.

Deruth was aware of what Choi Han had said to Cale. He has ears and eyes around his son. The knight must've seen Cale's potential, and keeping him here would definitely limit his development as a swordsman.

He hated to see his son leave, but—seeing how firm and proud he stood in front of him—Deruth simply couldn't say no.

"Four years..." he said, "i'll give you four years..." just the right time before his coming-of-age ceremony and entrance to the academy, "you must come back here within four years."

Cale's eyes widen. He knew his son was no fool. They are father and son who understood each other but failed to communicate.

"Thank you, Lord," Cale said and turned away.

Deruth wanted to call out to him and talk to him more but Cale's expression was something that reminded Deruthof Jour.

Right. Damn right... You're a coward, Deruth. He knew that fact.

He couldn't bear the sight of his son wearing the same expression his love wore.

He dares to think about her when he's married and all.

"Father..." Cale called out once more, "thank you for putting up with me once more."

Then Cale left.

Deruth stared at the door that Cale shut. He felt guilty but couldn't say anything. He just let Cale do what he wants because that's the only thing he could do for him.

Yet...

He feels too far away.

He's drifting away from him.

Yet... it was his fault.

[NO ONE'S POV]

-continuation from previous chapter-

"He successfully became a swordmaster." Alver smiled.

He knew Cale Henituse was a freak of nature, both the version he knew and the original one. That may be the reason why his other self kept Cale as one of his commanders during the 20-year war.

Has the talent, but people failed to nurture it.

Has what it takes, but people choose to ignore it.

"So you're taking him to the Forest of Darkness? " Cale asked.

"I can't teach him openly if I'm to keep the fact of being a swordmaster in this world."

Of course, people would start a trifle fighting over custody of Choi Han. Cale is fine since he's a noble from the Northeast; Deruth would definitely protect him, but Choi Han? Politics is too dirty to reveal his true self.

"Good thinking, Choi Han," Cale said. Cale glanced back. Ron, Vicross, and Eruhaben came with them this time, "since Choi Han made an easy way to train little Cale, I'll leave him up to you."

Cale needs to learn what it takes to be a leader. Cale has made all the measures to train him soon in tactics and warfare.

"What about His Highness? " Choi Han asked.

"Don't worry about him. I've already placed someone worthy to train him with the sword," Cale replied. He sent Hannah and Clopeh to train Alberu. He just hoped Alberu wouldn't turn into a lunatic like Clopeh.

Cale, posing as Lief Cicero, already had Alberu master statescraft and warfare. Alver posing as him worked since they could exchange places for a minimum period of time.

It's just that Alberu is a sharp brat; he already realized that Lief has two different identities sharing the same disguise.

With things at hand, Choi Han teaching Cale to become a swordmaster is fine.

"Now, we just need to have Cale and Alberu meet."

Choi Han made the most wonderful choice ever.

As there's no limit as to who he can bring with him.

"We need the brutes and brains right now."

Time to stage an assassination plot.

TBC