Chapter 95: The Path I Must Take

“Mana is a wonderful energy.

It gives strength, makes one forget fatigue, and enhances the senses, not just for Spirit Masters like Sir Muno, but for all warriors.

The fact that Spirit Masters live long… ah, Sir Muno would know this better. In any case, that alone proves it’s a beneficial energy for humans.”

Karina’s words were clearly a tribute to mana, but there was a subtle negative nuance within them.

“However……?”

“Well……. As I mentioned earlier, when a person evolves, there’s something like a law of total sum for their growth.”

“Law of total sum?”

“To put it simply, a person who chooses a balanced evolution will be weaker than someone who chooses strength, and slower than someone who chooses speed.”

She began with a rather fundamental story.

“Of course, the initial awakening might not be up to the individual, but subsequent evolutions eventually follow the direction the person has been training in.

In a way, Corporeal Arts comes to resemble that person’s desire, or their essence……”

“You can’t choose a different direction for evolution at each stage.”

When Muno stated the basics of Corporeal Arts, she smiled faintly.

“……Yes, that’s right. But mana deviates slightly from that directionality.”

“Hmm?”

This was the first time he had heard this.

“Because it’s an energy that can be applied in any direction, many of the named Corporeal Arts that can be broadly classified as 2nd or 1.5th characteristics include mana in their secret arts.”

“Is that a problem?”

“Yes, the established theory is that mana ultimately consumes the growth potential of evolution.”

“……That means.”

“An evolution that includes mana ultimately weakens the inherent strength of a Corporeal Arts user…… in other words, the degree of physical evolution.”

“Ah…….”

“Of course, I’m not telling Sir Muno, who uses Spirit Arts, to disregard mana.

What I’m trying to say is that you should focus on your mana training in the direction of Spirit Arts, and think of your growth direction as a knight separately.”

Hmm?

“I understand that mana can grow through Spirit Arts training as well……. Am I wrong?”

“That is true. Usually, one trains mana for several years, or even decades.”

Though it has nothing to do with me.

“……When that thirst for mana settles in the subconscious, they say it ultimately leads to an evolution that includes mana.”

“Is, is that so?”

“Yes. That’s why I suspect that even the Spirit Knights from legends were ultimately not the strongest of their era.”

He finally understood what Karina was trying to say.

However.

“In that case, are there no Seven-Stars among those who chose an evolution that uses mana?”

“That…… isn’t the case.

However, at least for the last three hundred years, those who were called the strongest knights among the Seven-Stars were people who had achieved purely physical evolution.”

“Pardon? Is that really true?”

This was also the first time he had heard this story.

“Yes. Since the development of many artifacts and the possibility of using a mana blade through them.”

“Hoh…….”

“More recently, the Dragon Sword Duke, who is revered as the world’s strongest in our country, is also someone who has achieved purely physical evolution.”

“……I see.”

Having heard this far, he could roughly guess what the problem was.

‘If you choose an evolution that increases mana, your body won't grow as much.’

In some cases, mana could be used to strengthen the body, but even so, it would only be on a similar level to someone who had only evolved their body from the start.

That means.

“You would gain versatility by utilizing mana, but in the end, you would become a half-measure with a time limit until that mana is consumed?”

“Calling it a half-measure seems too disparaging, but the gist is similar.”

Of course, with mana, even an ordinary sword could be used like an artifact, so it couldn't be compared so simply.

However, what if a Corporeal Arts user who had evolved their body already possessed such an artifact sword?

Keeping that in mind, the term half-measure wouldn't be too far off.

‘In that case……’

It meant that the Blood Knight Anthony, who felt strangely weak in mana despite using it and being a 6-Star like Enoch Trian, the ‘Bulwark of the North’ who felt powerful mana, might be stronger.

Of course, public opinion was a little different.

“……I understand what you mean.”

He had learned something good.

But why hadn't his father explained this to him?

Well, he could roughly guess his intentions.

The answer was in what his father had said.

- You must realize it yourself.

What an inflexible old man…….

“Of course, if you’re not aiming to be the absolute strongest, an evolution that includes mana isn’t bad.

Above all, not everyone can obtain an artifact. But you are different.”

Heh.

A satisfied smile naturally formed at the excessive praise.

“With Sir Muno’s talent, I believe you can discuss being the next world’s strongest, not just a Seven-Star. This advice is given in that sense.”

“Thank you. It was very helpful.

By the way, is Sir Karina also like that……?”

It was a vague question, but fortunately, the meaning seemed to get through.

“Yes. When I was young, His Excellency the Count saw me swinging a sword and said he would teach me the Rock Wall Corporeal Arts……. I refused.”

“Pardon?!”

It meant her talent was so outstanding that he wanted to bestow Trian’s secret Corporeal Arts upon her.

‘And yet she refused.’

As expected, this woman also had some serious guts.

How dare a commoner refuse a count’s offer.

“Did nothing happen?

Ah, of course I know that Count Enoch is not the type to take it out on someone for something like that.”

At those words, as if remembering something, Karina smiled and nodded.

“I was a little young then, so I was fearless.”

Even so.

“After hearing my reason, His Excellency laughed and gave his permission.

And he even found and taught me a Corporeal Arts that suited my goal.”

Ah…….

Both Count Enoch and Karina were certainly remarkable people.

“You said your dream was to be the kingdom’s best knight, but were you looking beyond that?”

“I have to become the kingdom’s best first to discuss being the world’s best after that, right?”

She said something that some might call preposterous, with her eyes shining.

Those sparkling eyes made her pretty features look even more beautiful, and a smile naturally formed on his face again.

But the moment he realized his own situation, he felt a slight sense of reality hitting him.

‘Here I am, enjoying talking about sword fighting with a woman. What a guy I am…….’

But in reality, that was the topic the woman in front of him liked the most, and it was a field he was very interested in himself.

Wouldn’t anything be fine as long as they were enjoying it together?

Thinking that, a smirk appeared on his face again.

“……Then I would have to step on you and climb up, right?”

“Oh ho. I’m still above you. You’re the one who has to do the challenging, Sir Muno.”

Ah, right.

“It will be difficult, but I think it would be good for you to get into the habit of thinking about Spirit Arts and Corporeal Arts separately.

Of course, I heard that your Spirit Arts direction is already set as a sword, but even if you have to force it……”

As Karina said, the direction of evolution is influenced by a person’s desires and essence, that is, their subconscious, so it wasn't something that could be controlled at will.

‘It doesn’t matter to me, though.’

Of course, being able to divide his consciousness didn't mean he could control his subconscious, but in the first place, Karina’s worry was meaningless for him.

The Demon Devourer was a characteristic that consumed demonic energy and demonic power and converted it into mana.

There was no way he would have a thirst for mana in the first place.

“Thank you for the good advice. I will definitely keep it in mind.”

Still, what Karina said had become a clear shift in his consciousness.

He had been determined to improve his family's Corporeal Arts someday, but he had now realized that might not be the way to repay their kindness.

However, a lingering feeling of unease remained.

Namely.

“Huh……?”

His own path. The prerequisite for the fourth evolution.

“……Why?”

“Then the path I must take is……”

“Yes?”

……What is it?

Muno looked at the tilting-her-head Karina and voiced the question that had briefly come to mind.

After hearing his words, Karina smiled and nodded.

“You must decide your own path to overcome the wall of the 4-Star.

The Baron spoke correctly.”

“I thought that path meant the direction of the Corporeal Arts you mentioned, Sir Karina.

But my direction has been constant from the beginning, you see?”

To devour demons and their minions and increase my power.

Thinking about it now, that goal probably wasn't just because of the demon living in his head.

Perhaps the hatred and longing that had been building up since childhood were a more fundamental reason.

But if that was truly ‘my own path’, there was no reason why he, who had devoured a much stronger magician, wouldn't have reached 4-Star.

As he was feeling confused, Karina asked.

“Sir Muno, do you not have a goal you absolutely want to achieve?”

“Pardon? I do.”

“What is it?”

“First, to root out those evil cultists, and wipe them all out……”

“No, no. Not that. The future you want to achieve, to become.”

“Uh……”

……Come to think of it, I don’t, no, I do.

“I do.”

“What is it?”

“To eat well and live well.”

Let’s live like a human being, enjoying some things.

It was a sincere answer filled with the resentment he had harbored since his past life.

“……Pardon?”

Seeing Karina looking at him with a furrowed brow as if he were pathetic, he felt like he had said something wrong.

……It was unfair.

“I have a lot of resentment built up.

You must have heard.

Why I was adopted into the Drasen family.”

“Ah…….”

Without even having to bring up his past life, that alone was enough to change Karina’s expression to one of apology.

“Well. Ha. Ha.

Anyway, what I was trying to say was that you need a more specific desire.

The pinnacle you wish for as a Corporeal Arts user.

The moment that is established, you, Sir Muno, will overcome the wall blocking your way.”

The pinnacle I wish for.

“……It’s difficult.”

“Take your time. Sir Muno, you are actually already overwhelmingly fast.

It doesn’t even make sense for someone who has just come of age to have already surpassed 3-Star and be aiming for more.”

Karina smiled and patted his chest, but this time, he couldn't smile back.

‘In the end, it means I need a dream…….’

Han Munho of his past life also had a dream when he was young.

President, idol, famous YouTuber, and so on.

But the fundamental reason for having such secular dreams was ultimately one.

- I’ll become famous, find the parents who abandoned me. And……

- ……See? The me you abandoned has grown up so well, I’m living well without you.

- I’ll ignore and laugh at you to your face.

Even if you apologize, I’ll never accept it.

A childish and heartbreaking reason he had always thought of in his young mind.

The resentment of an orphan who had finally given up hope that his parents would come for him someday.

But as he grew older, everything felt more and more futile, and as he faced the harsh realities of life, even that empty dream was eventually forgotten.

‘I was too busy trying to survive.’

But in this life…….

‘There is Drasen.’

Just thinking about it warmed his heart, his achingly cold hometown.

Excluding the terrible memories of his childhood…….

“I’m already living well, me.”

“Pardon?”

“That is……”

He hadn't wished for much in his past life either.

But he now realized that a vague, futile hope had taken root in the heart of his current self, who had driven out the demon in his head.

A life where one lives like a human?

He had a family who loved him more than anyone, and a family that, although struggling with its budget every year, had no shortage of food and shelter.

Above all, he now had the skill to eat and live well wherever he went in this world.

However.

‘What in the world was I hoping for?’

Thinking about it carefully, the answer came.

- I hate people like the parents who abandoned me in my past life.

- I hate a world that pressures and torments the powerless.

- In the end, I hate my weak self, who can only be swayed by the will of others.

“……I, want to be free.”

“Pardon?”

“A free person, who is not swayed by anyone and can assert their will upon the world.

That is my dream.”

Round and round, the same answer.

But the heart of the one giving the answer had already completely changed.