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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 19 – Swordmaster Cain (2)
What is this scene?
The head of guard seemed to be dreaming.
A great Swordmaster, a rare figure in the world.
A person who has reached the pinnacle of greatness.
Swordmaster Cain.
He was being held by a barbarian.
And not just held, but in a humiliating position, dangling in mid-air with his neck caught.
And the barbarian was calling the Swordmaster a robber.
He couldn’t even begin to comprehend what to say.
The head of guard forced his closed mouth open.
“That… he, he is not a robber.”
“Hmm?”
Ketal’s face showed confusion.
“Are you acquainted? He looks like a criminal with a face. If not a robber, then a pickpocket?”
“That… no. Never mind.”
The head of guard gave up on explaining.
And he assumed the posture he should have taken originally.
A respectful posture, bowing his body.
It was respect and courtesy towards someone who transcended the boundaries of humanity.
“The only Swordmaster of the Kingdom of Gehentra. We are honored to meet Swordmaster Cain, who has reached the end of the great sword.”
“Hmm?”
At those words, the expressions of both the barbarian and the Swordmaster changed.
Cain’s face contorted even more disgracefully.
Seeing this, the head of guard realized that Cain had not revealed himself as a Swordmaster.
“A Swordmaster.”
Ketal was equally taken aback.
A Swordmaster.
Was this grand figure really a robber?
“That’s impossible. This man is a robber. He attacked me to steal my silver.”
“No. He is a Swordmaster. I remember he made a promise to come here.”
“…Could he be a magician disguising his face?”
“A magic that perfectly disguises even the physique. If that’s the case, such a high-level magician would already be a figure respected like a Swordmaster.”
“…The possibility that Swordmaster is just another term for a robber.”
“What do you mean by that?”
“….”
It was then that Ketal realized.
“A real Swordmaster.”
“Yes.”
“Hmm.”
He released his hand with a face that seemed to understand and yet be puzzled.
The landed Swordmaster straightened his clothes.
Like a scene from a dream.
The head of guard, who was staring blankly at the scene, hastily snapped out of it.
This was not a problem he could solve.
“…I will inform the lord. Please wait a moment.”
The head of guard ran out.
His movements were swift, as if he didn’t want to stay in that place any longer.
Thunk.
A headache struck the head of guard as he ran towards the lord’s castle.
He had a grim premonition that as long as that barbarian was around, this headache would continue.
* * *
The lord, upon hearing the story from the panting head of guard, also jumped up in shock.
He hurriedly ran over, saw the barbarian and the Swordmaster, and made a puzzled expression.
Then he brought the two to the reception room and desperately explained the situation to the still perplexed barbarian.
“…Is that so?”
Finally, Ketal also became convinced that Cain was a Swordmaster.
He said cautiously.
“I’m sorry. I should have listened to the whole story.”
“No, no. It’s my fault for not speaking up….”
The barbarian and the Swordmaster exchanged awkward words.
Watching them, the lord’s head throbbed.
‘…Did Cain lose?’
He had a long-standing relationship with Cain.
He could roughly read his movements.
He predicted that he would seek out the barbarian for a duel.
But the fact that he would lose was completely unexpected.
Cain lost to the barbarian.
He didn’t know the details, but that was certain.
In other words, that barbarian was stronger than the Swordmaster.
Of course, there was a gap even at the pinnacle.
Cain was a newcomer to being a Swordmaster.
His level itself would be lower among the superhumans.
But still, he was a Swordmaster.
A person bestowed with the grand title of the owner of the sword.
To think that such a Swordmaster could be defeated by that barbarian.
Wasn’t that a sign of an uncontrollable existence?
All calculations of every possibility were shattered.
The lord couldn’t bear it any longer due to his headache.
“…It seems there was a misunderstanding. I’ll leave the two of you to talk for now.”
The lord stood up from his seat.
The barbarian and the Swordmaster didn’t even try to stop him.
The door of the reception room closed, leaving only the barbarian and the Swordmaster alone.
The barbarian looked at Cain with a solemn face.
‘A Swordmaster.’
The owner of the sword.
A person who had reached the end of the sword.
A classic fantasy figure, a symbol of strength.
That’s why he fantasized countless times in the White Snow Plains.
What do Swordmasters handle?
How mysterious powers do they wield?
And how strong are they?
But this…
Something.
Something….
Cain also realized that gaze.
It was so humiliating, but he couldn’t say anything more.
Because he had lost.
And it was a perfect defeat to the point where he couldn’t say anything more.
Beyond wounded pride, he became a complete wreck.
“…Anyway, let me properly introduce myself. I am Swordmaster Cain.”
At his words, Ketal also suppressed his emotions and spoke.
“A lord who is a Swordmaster?”
“Once you reach the level of Swordmaster, human titles no longer have meaning.”
It was a courtesy towards someone who transcended cognition.
Respect for reaching a position where human lineage could no longer be tied.
But what did it mean?
He lost to the barbarian.
Cain shook his head gloomily.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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On the contrary, Ketal was gradually regaining his composure.
A Swordmaster.
A person who has reached the end of the sword.
A person whose very essence changes to that of a Swordmaster.
The being he so wanted to meet.
Despite the strange process, being with such a person.
“….”
Curiosity, forgotten until now, sprouted again.
Cain spoke up.
“I’m sorry once again.”
“No, no. As I said earlier, I didn’t listen to the whole story either. But why did you do that?”
“…I heard stories about a barbarian coming out of the White Snow Plains.”
“Aah.”
Ketal realized.
The Swordmaster was testing him.
“So, are you satisfied?”
“Quite.”
Cain gave a bitter smile.
“More than satisfied. Indeed, a presence from the Forbidden Lands. I thought I knew enough about it, but I was completely mistaken.”
Cain’s words stimulated another curiosity in Ketal.
Cain said he knew about the forbidden lands.
Probably about the alien places he saw in the library.
There was also the White Snow Plains there.
He wanted to ask about it, but Cain spoke first.
“What do you think of us?”
Ketal understood the meaning of that question.
He lowered his head.
“I have no opinion. I’m just enjoying the journey. It may be hard to believe just by words, but I have no intention of lying.”
“No. I believe you. Just by not killing me, I can tell.”
Killing would have been much easier, but he subdued and dragged him along.
The tension between them somewhat eased.
Before Ketal’s eyes was a Swordmaster.
But with it came a strong curiosity.
“Could what you showed me also be Swordmaster’s technique?”
“You mean this?”
Cain raised his arm.
A bluish light appeared there and soon completely enveloped his arm.
“Wow!”
Ketal exclaimed.
When he showed it before, he thought it was a robber’s technique and didn’t pay much attention.
But now, thinking of it as a Swordmaster’s technique, he became very curious.
“It’s the embodiment of mystery. Also called Aura.”
“Aura!”
Ketal’s eyes sparkled.
“Was that Aura!”
“Uh, yeah. That’s right.”
Cain replied, bewildered by the sudden change in attitude.
While during the battle, there wasn’t much reaction to calling it a robber’s technique, now he was shining his eyes like a child.
“How do you do that?”
“Well… Basically, it’s controlling the mystery to manifest it.”
“Mystery! What is mystery? Is it like mana?”
“No. Mana belongs to wizards. Mystery is the basic unit of the world. The difference between a wizard and a swordsman is the direction in which they handle it, whether they handle it as Aura or as mana.”
“Oh! So basically, wizards and swordsmen both handle mystery!”
With great joy, Ketal burst into laughter.
The previous monstrous appearance of the barbarian was nowhere to be seen.
The eyes of a child soaked in a dream gazed at Cain.
Awkwardly, but continuously, he continued to explain.
Listening to the story, Ketal became even more excited.
In the end, he couldn’t help it.
“Can you teach me such techniques?”
“What?”
“No. Embarrassingly, my knowledge is still lacking and I am in the process of accumulating it. And you are a great Swordmaster. A person who has reached the end of the sword. You must have experiences of teaching someone, right?”
“No. I do have them.”
The knight who miserably defeated Ketal was his disciple.
Ketal lowered his head with a serious expression.
“Please. Teach me.”
“Oh, no. It’s not that great, so it doesn’t matter…”
Of course, it was great.
There were countless people who paid fortunes for Swordmaster’s teachings.
“You are stronger than me. Do you have a reason to ask for teachings from me?”
But the barbarian in front of him was much stronger than that.
It was strange to ask for teachings from the weak.
Ketal nodded.
“Sadly, I know nothing about the mystery or swordsmanship you mentioned. I’m just ignorant, swinging my fists around.”
“I, is that so?”
Cain’s shattered pride began to recover little by little.
Yes.
He is a Swordmaster.
Not just strong, but someone who has reached the pinnacle of the sword.
Even if the barbarian is stronger, that fact remains unchanged.
‘Yeah, right. I couldn’t even draw my sword!’
During the battle with the barbarian, he fainted while holding the sword’s handle.
Of course, it was a clear defeat, but it couldn’t be called a display of power.
Teaching the barbarian the ways of the sword.
Showing the greatness of swordsmanship with his own eyes.
That would greatly help in restoring his shattered self-esteem.
Cain made a decision.
“…Alright.”
Cain nodded.
“I am one who wields the sword. A Swordmaster. One who has reached the pinnacle of the sword. Without wielding the sword, I am nothing but a half-finished being.”
“Wow! That’s right! I said you were too weak! It was because you couldn’t wield the sword!”
“Y, yes. That’s right.”
“Well! You were ridiculously weak! To be called a Swordmaster with just that level of strength. It’s weird! Then, if you handle the sword, you might have won!”
“Oh, no. I’m not that weak…”
Cain stumbled, saying.
Could he defeat this barbarian by wielding the sword?
That wasn’t his thought.
But he couldn’t strongly deny the barbarian who was shining with excitement.
‘Is it really a way to restore self-esteem?’
It might even get worse.
Anxiety passed through Cain’s mind.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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