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The real thing is different¹
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How much soul should I take out to overshadow Uncle’s soul, the swordmaster of this era?
200 years? 300 years? 500 years?
No. 100 years will do.
What I pulled out was only a fraction of the years I had lived.
That alone allowed me to completely overpower his presence.
Uncle’s eyes widened. His face was full of astonishment and disbelief.
Whether they noticed the quiet battle we’re having, the court knights narrowed their eyes to watch me, Uncle, and Adelia, who had a frightened face.
It looked unreal.
“I hate it when someone takes what’s mine,” I whispered.
There is no vigor or vitality in my voice.
The only thing I felt was the chill that came from my soul.
My body trembled. My teeth chattered.
It was a hot season, but I felt cold.
That was a sign.
This weak body is being eroded by the coldness and darkness that came with my soul.
I quickly buried the part of my soul that I had awakened, before it could eat this body up.
“One ordinary knight…”
Uncle was breathing roughly as he gazed at my eyes deeply.
“One excellent knight can save a hundred soldiers… No. A thousand.”
His voice and eyes were imposing, placing me under pressure.
There was a great sense of responsibility in him as the commander of the North.
He had a great cause.
“Soon, there will be a harsh winter. Hungry monsters will cross the border…”
“No.”
His face had a broken expression. He didn’t think I would immediately reject him.
“But she could save countless lives.”
“I said, no.”
My answer was the same.
His cause was his, not mine.
I couldn’t sympathize with him. I had no intention of giving up something that has this great value.
“You value her…”
“Sir Count Balahard,” Adelia spoke, cutting Uncle off.
It was surprising that she would speak to Uncle, who was considered her superior.
But there was something else more surprising.
Her purple eyes have a dry, cold look as she stared back at Uncle.
“Why don’t you ask me directly?”
Uncle, who had no reason not to, asked her.
“Would you go with me to the North?”
“I have no intention of leaving His Highness’ side.”
For Adelia, there was no cause greater than I.
“I have my own body and mind,” she added.
I couldn’t help it. I laughed, and it sounded hostile.
It was worthwhile to raise my soul’s presence, even though I knew my body wouldn’t be able to handle it.
Adelia, the maniac, the shy but dependable woman.
[Servility] is only meant to be submissive to a higher-ranking being.
And my soul was enough to impress on her who the real ‘Master’ was.
“I cannot follow your words,” Adelia told Uncle.
He looked shocked because his noble cause has just been rejected twice.
I chuckled once more as Uncle looked exasperated.
“Thousand of lives are at stake! How can you be so rash!”
“I’m not worried about this. Why don’t you get out of the palace and find a thousand soldiers?”
Uncle stared at my blatant remark.
I coughed from too much chuckling.
“We’re not done with this. We’ll sort it out soon.”
At this point, it was important to draw the line.
“The request for Adelia is already over. In fact, there is no longer a reason why you need to come here every day.”
The Queen asked him to come for my discipline.
Now, I don’t get into foolish troubles, and I’m in a state of losing weight.
“But if you are willing to come, I will welcome you as a guest. But you will be expected to be as courteous as a guest.”
Don’t nag, don’t look at Adelia.
Uncle frowned by my condition and looked at Adelia with a lot of regrets.
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Even after being so embarrassed, Uncle continued to visit the palace daily.
It was to watch Adelia.
However, Adelia treated him with little to no respect. Uncle grumbled around her.
It was too pathetic that even I felt sorry for him and chose not to say anything.
Occasionally, Uncle looked at me with a sulky face.
He seemed to want to say something, but he’s holding it back.
About two weeks after that, Uncle, who was usually silent, approached us in the training hall.
“What have you been teaching her?” he asked, looking disgusted.
Hmm… definitely, her posture was not good.
“Adelia, stretch out your elbows,” I told her.
Immediately, she corrected her posture.
“Lean your shoulders back a little.”
“Stare forward.”
Uncle cleared his throat meaningfully and stepped away.
I shook my head. I know what that meant.
Adelia was adjusting to the sword too quickly. At this pace, I would not be able to lead her anymore soon.
“Hoo!”
She took a deep breath. Aura gathered at the tip of her sword as she exhaled.
She repeated the action, slowly but surely, until a clear noise rang out.
Woo Woo Woo!
“Well?” Adelia turned and looked at me while her sword was shining.
“Uh, good job.”
She laughed shyly at my compliment.
Soon, the light from the sword faded.
She did well. But I couldn’t laugh.
I taught her how to put mana in a sword. However, I did not expect her to succeed in such a short time.
Even if she did not have enough mana yet to keep it running, she was successful.
It was terrifying progress.
I’m really nervous like a sword-wielding maniac is chasing me.
Goosebumps rose on my neck.
“You must not…”
I heard Uncle’s voice. When I turned my head, I saw his stiff expression.
“Mana heart…” It was obvious that he was trying not to speak, but blurted it out anyway.
“Why?” I asked him loudly.
“Isn’t it enough that you use that trashy technique alone? Why did you have to teach it to her?”
I pointed at the entrance with my finger. “Go. Leave!”
As I screamed at him angrily, Uncle spoke once more.
“She had incredible potential that you couldn’t have imagined. You ruined it.”
His voice was calm, but the anger contained in it was deeper than before.
I pointed to the entrance once more instead of answering.
“Why, will you have me dragged out?”
I stood up to call the court knights, but Uncle has already turned and started walking away.
As I watched him while clicking my tongue, Adelia approached me and asked.
“The technique you taught me was trash?”
I shook my head.
“No. Never.”
The Mana Heart sitting at her chest was exactly the same as that of her ancestor, Agnes Bavaria.
Even though it is small and insignificant now, it can exert tremendous power as her ancestors did in the past.
“But why does Sir Count speak of it that way?”
She had a lot of questions today than usual. Still, she seems to be highly motivated when talking about swords, as expected from a descendant of ancestors known for excellent swordsmanship.
“I don’t know…” I said as I watched Uncle disappear from a distance.
“People of this era have completely forgotten what the real mana heart is like.”
It was mana hearts that have defeated dragons and giant kings.
Now, it is treated as trash.
It was pitiful.
“If they hadn’t forgotten, they wouldn’t treat it that way.”
“I see.”
I’m not sure she understood, but she looked as if she believed me.
“Soon, you will know.”
I didn’t doubt that the day she would see it would come soon.
The day will come much faster than I thought.
After a week, Uncle came back, still seething with anger.
“Would you like me to never come back?”
He had a black wooden sword in his hand.
“Then, raise your sword.
He stared at me quietly.
“Prove yourself. Prove that you are not wrong.”
He raised his wooden sword.
“I will only use one ring. If you can make me move even half a footstep, you win. Then, I’ll admit defeat.”
I grinned. “What would you like to bet? In exchange for your wish.”
“If you want me to pass on the family’s secret, I will. If you want something else, I will also listen.”
I shook my head.
“It’s not what I want.”
“Whatever it is you want, then.”
I laughed at his words.
“Let’s finish the battle first,” I said.
This is going to be fun.
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The real thing is different²
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The training room was still. Uncle was breathing in a relaxed manner.
I gripped my sword, switching it from the left hand to the right, as I hovered around him.
I took my breath carefully.
“Do you need more time?” He looked like he wanted to yawn. It was a clear provocation.
I gladly accepted the provocation.
Tak tak-!
I dragged the sword against the floor as I charged to him.
Uncle twisted his upper body, leaving my attack in vain.
“Ah, for your first attack, you were aiming for my throat. Dangerous.”
My second attack came as he was speaking. This time, it was a swing aimed for his shoulders.
Again, it was avoided easily.
I raised my sword again.
Poke, draw, swing, jab repeatedly, for a long time.
Half of my attacks have been avoided.
The other half was blocked.
“Your physical strength is not enough,” he said as he raised his sword vertically.
He looked like a predator lying down in the grass, waiting for a prey.
“Take out your mana,” he challenged.
Instead of answering, I looked around.
Adelia and the court knights, including other people who have arrived from the royal palace, were watching Uncle and me.
Perhaps, what Uncle wants to happen is for me to embarrass myself in front of them.
It would be a very miserable picture.
Stay calm; stay calm.
I shook my sword vigorously and stepped back.
Whoo.
I took a deep breath while letting my arms relax, letting the sword dangle.
“You’re already giving up?” Uncle teased.
“No way,” I replied quickly and stared at him.
I have to admit it. Uncle is strong.
Now, that strong Uncle is looking for an opportunity. He was waiting for me to use my mana heart.
To give me a more terrible defeat.
It could be a lesson he wanted to give to his nephew who made a wrong decision, or to an unruly man who ruined a genius. Maybe both.
He had a good motive.
What is important now is that as soon as I activate the mana heart, things will be going according to Uncle’s will.
I glanced down. The mana heart, sitting at my chest, is now quite heavy.
It had been gathering mana throughout my battle with Uncle.
But that was not enough.
Uncle said that he would only use one ring, but he’s not like the others.
Arwen Kirgayenne, who was as strong as common knights, used mana heart, but Uncle is leagues away from her in terms of strength.
It’s a crisis.
But I wasn’t worried.
“Oh, you’re smiling?”
Uncle laughed. It was disgusting.
“Isn’t it strange?” I asked him.
“400 years ago, numerous knights achieved unbelievable feats. They all had mana hearts. Even the founder of this country had it.”
“Oh, I don’t think you can prove yourself with your sword, so you’re arguing with your words.”
Despite his blatant mockery, I ignored him and continued.
“It’s not fair for a skill used by all the great knights to be treated like garbage.”
Uncle frowned. “Mana chains, the descendants of mana hearts, proved to be stronger.”
“That’s what everyone else thinks.”
“What are you talking about?”
“My thoughts are different,” I replied. “Mana hearts are gone not because chains are stronger, but because their owners are weaker.”
Uncle considered it and shrugged. I continued to explain.
“Their mana hearts were not the same as their ancestors. There are high-quality and low-quality mana hearts. None of the masters who were defeated by quad-chain knights had a mana heart of honor.”
There was indeed a division between mana hearts. However, the real criterion that distinguishes one from the other is not efficiency or power.
“Have you ever heard of Muhun-si?” I asked him.
Uncle’s face looked obviously annoyed.
“This is a place to test our swords, not a place where we talk about songs or poems.”
He didn’t understand what I was talking about, obviously.
“You said mana hearts were a low-class skill that only mercenaries use. You’d learn a lot from that song.”
As the saying goes, it’s better to show once than to explain a hundred times.
I raised my sword.
“Come on,” he murmured.
In response, I said a line from Muhun-si.
“One hundred victories are my pride, my strength.”
“What?”
“It sings of a hundred victories of a practitioner who dreams of becoming a knight.”
『[Muhun-si] was created.』
Achievements are being imprinted on the mana heart.
The imprinted achievements become martial arts.
『[The ordinary poem] was created: [Dalian Poetry] 』
『The effect of [Dalian Poetry] was activated.』
The small achievements that I have built up over the past half-year have been imprinted on the mana heart.
I hit the ground and lowered my sword.
As I ran, my wooden blade gathered mana, and Uncle frowned as he raised his sword.
Woo woo woo woo-!
The peculiar sound of a mana-filled blade rang in the room.
Bang-!
Our swords clashed with an intense impact.
“I endured a thousand waves while competing a hundred times.”
At the same time, a line from the song rang in my head. The shockwaves from the impact that swept through my limbs disappeared in an instant.
This is nothing.
I smiled.
In order to obtain this poem, I needed to fight more than a hundred times and suffer attacks a thousand times.
I flew towards him again. Mana flowed through my sword without any break.
Bang-!
In an instant, I’ve slashed at him with a dozen times more power than before.
“Ha!”
Uncle’s expression betrayed his admiration. I hovered around him, scheming my next attack.
Bang-!
A small question arises on his face.
Bang-!
He looked more confused.
Bang-!
It turned to disbelief.
“How…?”
“Why? Did you think that I’d vomit blood again?”
Our swords clashed once more.
Kwajik-!
The collision was more intense than before. However, I didn’t feel the impact on my limbs. I cannot get hurt by the shockwaves.
Uncle stared at me.
“How…”
“I told you. Mana hearts are not all the same.”
“You’re getting lucky.”
Perhaps, my words have touched a nerve.
He took an offensive position.
In a quick instant, I had to block his blade from hitting my nose.
Bang-!
With the help of Muhun-si, I can keep using mana without the pain of regurgitation, but Uncle is still a tough opponent for me.
In a moment, our swords clashed a dozen times.
Bang-!
He kept coming again and again.
Bang-!
The light in his eyes was slowly fading. At a certain point, it became as cold as when we started fighting.
Bang-!
As it did, his swordsmanship got more intense.
Kwajik-!
His sword hit my shoulder. I felt the impact through my gear and jumped back, grabbing my shoulder.
As one of our conditions is that he would not take his feet off from their position, he did not chase me.
“Okay…”
“You have done well, so far,” he said, with little admiration.
I stared at his face as I endured the pain in my shoulder.
Muhun-si raises my power against powerful enemies and allows my body to exceed its limits.
“400 years ago, the knights made a big mistake. They wiped out their enemies and did not leave some for their descendants. Hence, their descendants didn’t learn.”
Knights of 400 years ago had enough poetry to reach [Mythic] or [Hero] ratings.
Poetry is learned and developed through swordsmanship, kindness, honor.
However, the advancements in metallurgy made people forget.
Dragons? Giant Kings?
Their faith disappeared.
They treated poetry as terrible songs or endless stories.
For anyone, Muhun-si was just a cheap song.
Those who believed must have attempted to create new poems. However, the only thing they can fight against were other humans.
For example, the victory won by the Knights of the Heat or the achievement of defeating a hundred soldiers alone.
No one would have achieved [Mythic] or [Hero] ratings with those.
Soon, all the mana heart-users would have been wiped out or given up.
“You’re talking about what happened a long time ago. You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about,” Uncle said with obvious annoyance.
“Let’s finish this futile battle,” he said as he raised his sword
Alas! He had good technique, but with mana chains, he cannot reach Transcendence.
Bale Balahard. Arrogant and ignorant.
“You have to know… how great it is that you have lost.”
My sword let out a sharp cry as mana covered it.
Woo woo woo-!
Why don’t I take out that magnificent skill?
I took a step and sung a line.
“I cut the scales of the dragon that cannot be cut by any sword, and drink its hot blood.”
『Sings [The Poem of the Dragon Slayer]. 』
『You can’t handle the poetry with your current abilities. 』
『Part of the poem is omitted.』
『Part of the poem is omitted.』
『Part of the poem is omitted.』
『You can only use one verse of the poem. 』
A short song rang in my head.
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The real thing is different³
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My nephew, talking about strange things, was very annoying.
But there was something else that really offended me.
Those eyes. That look.
At first, I couldn’t figure out what that twisted look meant.
It was a gaze that I had never seen before, an uncomfortable expression I have never encountered.
Pity.
It was with pity that my nephew stared at me.
I couldn’t understand it.
The distinction between the weak and the strong is clear.
Everyone who is watching who between us is strong and who is weak.
If someone was to be pitied, it was his nephew.
But what is with that gaze?
Why does he look like a strong man that looks down on the weak?
“With mana chains, you cannot reach Transcendence,” I heard him say.
What’s worse, I felt that I was shaking as I listened to him.
“You have to know… how great it is that you have lost.”
The moment I heard his dry voice, my chest slumped. I felt like I had lost something important.
There was a feeling of emptiness in my chest.
I struggled with confusing emotions and grabbed my sword.
I’m going to end this with a single blow.
Both the battle and the delusion in my heart.
Suddenly, an unknown song came out of my nephew’s mouth.
“I cut the scales of the dragon that cannot be cut by any sword, and drink its hot blood.”
My heart shook and tightened as I listened to the song he hummed.
Woo woo woo-!
I filled my sword with mana from one ring as I watched his sword glow with mana.
It was then…
Click-!
In an instant, my nephew’s untrained sword was crushing against mine.
If I blocked it a split-second too late, it would have bit my cheeks.
I watched my wooden sword get grounded little by little with his strong drive.
Half my sword was reduced to wood chips falling on the ground, bit by bit.
His blade would soon reach my face.
Unconsciously, my rings started spinning.
One. Two. Three.
Finally, the last one spun, too.
Bang-!
My nephew was thrown backward, crashing to the floor.
“Your Highness!”
The court knights began rushing in, but we’re stopped by my nephew’s hand.
“I’m fine!”
He stumbled to his feet and spat blood.
“You said you’d only use one ring,” he smiled, exposing bloody teeth.
Confused eyes inside the room all turned to me.
There was a blade of light rising about a meter or so from my hand.
It was the Aura Blade, which appeared only when four rings were activated.
I could not believe my eyes.
Unconsciously, I have used the Aura Blade just to stop a wooden sword.
I immediately turned off the Aura Blade in shock.
Unbelievable.
Mana hearts are of lower quality than mana rings. It was the truth. It was common sense.
However, common sense was denied in front of me.
By my nephew.
Who has not even had a full year of swordsmanship training.
My expression sank even more.
I thought I could finish this quickly, but in the end, I have ended nothing.
Not my nephew. Not the delusions.
“Count Bale Balahard,” I heard him say. “You lost.”
His voice was sharp.
Then, he collapsed.
“Your Highness!”
Court knights rushed in to help him.
I watched the scene helplessly, not knowing what to say or do next.
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I had a terrible nightmare.
In my dreams, I was a slave without any senses except for sight and hearing.
It was so vivid. I thought it was not a dream.
When I woke up, I felt terrible discomfort.
My head was a mess. I didn’t know whether I was a sword or a human.
“Okay.”
If it wasn’t for the physical pain I felt in my muscles; I would have been pushing the boundaries between reality and unreality for a longer time.
The nightmare was a price for unreasonably pulling out the power of Muhun-si.
So was the pain in my muscles. They seem to be tearing apart.
Above all, I have a splitting headache.
I don’t think I will recover for a while.
I was prepared for this, however.
The Poem of the Dragon Slayer was a [Myth] level song.
I have not even used the entire verse available.
Only three phrases in a single verse.
My body was too weak.
“One hundred victories are my pride, my strength.”
“I endured a thousand waves while competing a hundred times.”
The first verse that I wove myself. Another line has been added to it.
“I will be proud in front of the bigger wave.”
『The rating of [Dalian Poetry] has risen slightly』
Every new line will become my strength.
“Now, I’m going to use it.”
I can’t use the Poem of the Dragonslayer at every battle and suffer these results every time.
In that sense, [Dalian Poetry] was the perfect poem for me right now.
There is a knife for cutting chicken, and a knife for cutting cattle.
With the upcoming sparring against the Third Prince, [Dalian Poetry] would be enough.
“Your Highness?”
Adelia caught me giggling.
“Hmm.” I coughed to cover it up, then looked at her.
I didn’t see she was beside me because my eyes were only half-open.
It must have been strange for her. She laughed a little.
She was not as shy as she was in the past. Her spirit was stronger now.
It has been rewarding to continually engrave my presence on her.
“I’m glad you’re awake now, Your Highness.”
“I didn’t want to… kidding. How much time has passed?”
“Five days.”
It seems that the aftereffect of Muhun-si was bigger than I thought.
I asked her what had happened while I was asleep.
“There was turmoil when you fell unconscious. At that time, your condition was so critical…”
Adelia explained the situation.
The muscles on both arms turned blue, and I have kept vomiting blood.
She said there had been quite a fuss, and that priests were summoned to stop the blood and return the skin color to its original form.
“It was the first time I saw the Queen so angry,” she continued
When the Queen appeared, she took one look at me and grabbed Uncle by the ears.
The Queen’s anger grew even more, when Carls stood up and confessed the brutality of Uncle, who promised to use only one ring but ended up mobilizing the Aura Blade.
My stomach hurt from laughing as I listened to Adelia.
“Tell me more, more!” I asked her as I giggled.
Adelia calmly explained the rest of the story.
The Queen dragged Uncle outside, and after a while, she returned to check my condition but didn’t stay long.
“Sir Bale Balahard was sent out of the palace.”
“Of course, he should be. He pulled out the Aura Blade on me.”
“But before he left, he left me a message for you.”
“Don’t tell me yet. I need a break.”
I really had to rest.
Excessive use of Muhun-si affects not only the body, so it was necessary to be absolutely stable for a while.
If I don’t recover completely, I will pay a terrible price.
First, the memories of the reality and the past were mixed up.
At some point, the boundary of reality completely collapses, and it becomes an unending madness.
Moments of frustration and moments of glory are endlessly replayed. Terrible nightmares or dazzling glory.
It was something I absolutely wanted to avoid. I became trapped in the memories of when I was a sword.
“Your Highness, I have prepared some soup, so take care of your hunger.”
It wasn’t until I heard that from Adelia that I realized that I haven’t eaten for five days.
I ate the soup heartily.
After filling my stomach, I had a job to do.
“Adelia, how much have you heard from me and my uncle’s conversation that day?”
“I heard it all. Muhun-si, knights from 400 years ago made a mistake…”
I began to tell her the story that I have put off.
I told her about her ancestor and about Muhun-si.
While she was dubious about the fact that her ancestor was such a great knight, she was curious about Muhun-si.
“I will teach you a very special poem. But not now,” I promised her.
After all, Agnes Bavaria’s poem was as great as the Poem of the Dragon Slayer.
However, if Adelia takes it on without enough preparation, it would kill her.
She had S-class swordsmanship and A-class mana response, but her soul rating is not proportional to her physical talent.
Then, there is one thing we can do for now.
To make Adelia weave her own poem, just like I did with [Dalian Poetry].
“So… what do you want to do with your sword?”
She thought hard. She told me she hadn’t thought about it yet.
She looked ashamed that she didn’t have any ambition.
“So, start thinking about it now,” I told her.
Her brows furrowed in concentration for a while, and then she responded.
“I really want to be a knight.”
Adelia looked straight at me with a persistent gaze.
Her eyes shone.