Chapter 17 - Haewon Sword Style (3)

We both performed our respective Muyoung Sword Styles towards each other.

I attacked, Seo Ji-won defended.

If we were to compare only our understanding of this sword style, I was far superior.

If Seo Ji-won knew what I was thinking, he would be astonished, but this was an undeniable fact.

I was a genius in all fields, but when it came to swordsmanship, the term 'genius' alone was not enough to describe me.

At least in the history of Kalia that I knew, there was no swordsman superior to me, and Earth was not much different, so there was no reason for Seo Ji-won to be ashamed for his lack of understanding of swordsmanship compared to me.

However, just because my understanding of the Muyoung Sword Style was high didn't mean I could perform a more complete version of it than Seo Ji-won.

It wasn't simply a matter of experience and familiarity, but a much more fundamental problem of mana.

This was because a certain amount of profound mana was needed to execute the higher forms of the Muyoung Sword Style.

“The way you perform your swordsmanship is quite peculiar.”

Seo Ji-won was also sensing something.

He couldn't pinpoint it exactly, but he had a faint grasp of the imbalance in my swordsmanship. Of course, even this much showed he had a pretty good intuition.

“But in any case, you will not be able to touch a single hair on my head.”

“No. You’re wrong.”

This was a fight I couldn't lose.

My Muyoung Sword Style couldn't be perfected due to the limits of my mana, but this duel was a battle of flaws versus flawlessness.

The Muyoung Sword Style had flaws and openings, and since I had corrected and supplemented them, I had the upper hand in the battle of wits against Seo Ji-won.

Furthermore, Seo Ji-won had publicly declared that he would only defend, and I had a perfect grasp of the level of power he had decided to maintain, so I could take the advantage in the battle of wits.

And as the number of exchanges accumulated, the result would become more and more pronounced.

Chaaaeng!

Chaaaaaeng!

This was the moment.

Seo Ji-won exposed a momentary opening to me, and I did not miss that moment.

Swoooosh!

The Reapersword cut through space, horizontally slashing at Seo Ji-won's waist.

It was a decisive blow that I had thoroughly calculated and prepared from the moment the battle of wits began.

If I had aimed for his flesh instead of just his collar, the probability of success would have been much lower, but since I wasn't greedy, the result was obvious.

For a moment, Seo Ji-won’s calm pupils wavered slightly.

“See. I told you you were wrong.”

A brief silence fell.

Seo Ji-won must have never imagined this situation.

It was hard to believe, but the slashed collar was the stark reality itself.

“Unbelievable.”

He put down his sword with a hollow smile.

“And that last strike was quite excellent.”

In fact, it wasn't just the last strike that was excellent.

All the processes of building up to that point. And the ability to execute the plan without a single tremor, there was not a single aspect of what I did that wasn't excellent.

Of course, I couldn't say such things out loud right here.

“That outfit looks expensive, are you sure it’s okay?”

“You have no reason to worry.”

“Actually, it doesn't look bad even now. They say ripped pants are a fashion statement, right?”

“Enough. Stop it.”

Seo Ji-won straightened his disheveled clothes and approached me.

“The more I think about it, the more amazing it is, Seo Ji-han.”

“It’s no big deal.”

“There’s one thing I want to ask. What on earth happened in the two months I was gone? How can a person change this much?”

Seo Ji-won asked me, letting out a continuous hollow laugh.

Death and reincarnation.

Since I couldn't say that, what I could say was limited.

As usual, I had no choice but to gloss over it by saying a miracle had happened.

“But I’m the one who’s baffled. Weren’t you originally uninterested in me, brother?”

According to the hint Choi Ho-joong gave me, Seo Ji-won had treated me as if I didn't even exist.

“To be honest, should I say I’m finally starting to take an interest in my dear younger brother? You've become arrogant, but I much prefer it now that your pathetic old self is gone.”

“So being arrogant is better than being weak?”

“Of course! A successor of the Haewon Sword Family must be so. Even if it means dying tomorrow.”

It seemed Seo Ji-won had many complaints about his one and only younger brother.

Even though that younger brother had lived a pitiful, terminally ill life.

“Well, let’s stop this talk and you can teach me the Haewon Sword Style. Precious time is ticking away even as we speak, isn't it?”

“Alright. A promise is a promise, so let’s start today.”

Seo Ji-won raised his sword again.

The aura he exuded was different from just a moment ago.

Without any particular movement, just the level of the swordsmanship he intended to display rising was enough to change the atmosphere like this.

“Watch carefully. I will break down and show you each of the most basic forms of the Haewon Sword Style.”

“Right away like this?”

Seo Ji-won didn't hesitate and began to swing his sword immediately.

The moment the unique sword style of the Haewon Sword Family was finally revealed.

Shwaaak!

Shwaaaaaak!

It was simple, but I could feel the power.

The concise opening seemed to follow the basic philosophy of the Muyoung Sword Style, but,

Shwashwashwashwashwashwa!!

As time went on, the picture created by the sword path approached with a very different feeling.

The varied movements of the sword became so complex that it was hard to believe it was the same sword style.

I had heard about the abstruseness of the Haewon Sword Style, but seeing Seo Ji-won break down the swordsmanship into pieces, its abstruseness far exceeded my expectations.

In the end, by the final part, it felt as if the disorder of the swordsmanship had reached its peak.

My mind moved busily, and I began to correct the picture that Seo Ji-won was creating.

This was because the form of the Haewon Sword Style he was currently realizing was not a complete state, but an incomplete one.

‘An interesting sword style. It’s definitely of a different fabric from those of Kalia.’

If the creator of the Haewon Sword Style were next to me, I would feel the urge to discuss and debate with him for days and nights.

Of course, the one being honored would be the creator of the Haewon Sword Style.

After finishing all the movements, Seo Ji-won lowered his sword and gave his characteristic arrogant gaze.

“I’m curious about your thoughts.”

“The reason why the Haewon Sword Style is known to be abstruse. Seeing it in person, I think I definitely get it.”

“Is that reason perhaps because of the complexity of the forms?”

“There's that, but it's also somewhat subtle. The disorder I felt at the end wasn't simply from the complexity of the forms.”

“Hoh!”

“Should I say the interaction between the sword forms and mana feels different from other sword styles?”

“What?”

In an instant, Seo Ji-won's expression changed.

It seemed I had hit the mark.

“Did you, by any chance, hear something from Father?”

“No way. You said the head of the family only passes down the Haewon Sword Style directly to the eldest son, right?”

“Well, that’s true, but.”

“Then explain it to me properly now. What exactly is the true nature of the Haewon Sword Style?”

Seo Ji-won tilted his head and remained silent, then opened his mouth a moment later.

“The Haewon Sword Style is a sword style that engraves the memories of swordsmanship onto mana.”

“That sounds plausible.”

This was a concept that was new even to me, a sword genius.

Engraving the memories of swordsmanship onto mana…

“Once the memory is imprinted on the mana, the practitioner of the Haewon Sword Style can perform the swordsmanship unconsciously. Because the mana remembers the previous experiences.”

“So that's how you were able to wield such disorderly forms so freely. A very interesting concept for a sword style.”

This was something I had never experienced even on the Kalia Continent.

I never would have imagined I would encounter such a fortuitous opportunity on Earth, where swordsmanship was less developed.

“It may sound interesting when you hear it in words, but your thoughts will change once you learn it with your body.”

“Why is that?”

“Because it will be more abstruse than anything you can imagine.”

“Now that you say that, it’s become even more interesting.”

Learning a good sword style is always a pleasant experience.

And I had been craving a moment like this for a long time.

This was because a sword style like the Haewon Sword Style was not something one could easily encounter even in Kalia.

Seeing me like this, Seo Ji-won shook his head.

“You’ve definitely become arrogant.”

“Humility isn't the only virtue.”

“Listen carefully from now on. The rest of today's time will be a theory lesson.”

Seo Ji-won immediately began his explanation.

Just as important as learning with the body was the theoretical foundation that constituted the basis of the sword style.

Seo Ji-won was not yet the official successor, so he hadn't seen the secret manual of the Haewon Sword Style, but the logic he was explaining was as natural as flowing water.

This meant that Seo Ji-won completely understood the first half of the Haewon Sword Style.

He was certainly talented, as befitting the main family's bloodline.

As I listened to the story with interest, the clock was already pointing to 5:59.

‘What a shame. It was fun.’

But as expected, Seo Ji-won’s sense of time was razor-sharp.

“That's all for today.”

“So cold.”

“Don't expect anything unnecessary. There’s no such thing in my dictionary. And from tomorrow, you’ll have to come with a firm resolve. The lesson content will become much more difficult.”

“What about the appointment time? Let's make it clear right here and now. I hate bickering over useless things like today.”

Seo Ji-won looked at me silently for a moment before opening his mouth again.

“I will allow you to come at 5:30 sharp.”

Considering he had glared at me as if he would eat me alive for coming on time, it was a surprising change.

And now it was 6 o'clock sharp.

Seo Ji-won left as punctually as ever.

***

A few days passed.

With one more schedule added in the early morning, my 24 hours flew by busily.

The new Haewon Sword Style I was learning was not something I could master in one go, even considering my genius.

If being unable to complete the Muyoung Sword Style was simply due to my lack of mana, mastering the Haewon Sword Style required a certain amount of physical time.

Of course, once I reached a certain level, my lack of mana would once again hold me back.

In any case, the last few days had been a fresh stimulus for me.

Learning an interesting sword style after a long time had pleased my senses.

Even while lifting weights in the fitness room, my mind was filled with thoughts of the Haewon Sword Style.

“Young Master!”

And Choi Ho-joong came to see me.

This guy too must be spending his days as busy as me.

Since I had given him some pretty tough homework.

“How is your training of the Haewon Sword Style going?”

“I doubt you came just to ask that.”

“I haven't seen your face today, Young Master, so it's a bit of both. And the second young master's personality is not ordinary. If he gets upset at any point, he’s the type to just quit the dawn tutoring and everything, so I'm worried.”

“Then is my personality ordinary?”

“Hmm…”

Choi Ho-joong hesitated for a moment before continuing.

“The recent Young Master's personality is certainly not one to be pushed around by him.”

“Then there's no reason to worry.”

“That’s true.”

“Then get to the point. What business brought you to me at this hour?”

Of course, I had a rough idea.

“It's about the movement in my Muyoung Sword Style that you pointed out, Young Master.”

“So you're saying it's not getting fixed as you thought.”

“To be honest, yes. So I’m asking, could you take a look at it again?”

I knew it.

“Do it.”

Choi Ho-joong now asked for my advice without hesitation.

Though it seemed he still had doubts about my skills.

“It's this connecting movement part right here.”

Whooosh!

The movement of the sword blade coming from Choi Ho-joong's massive body was always exhilarating to watch.

But the improvement on my pointed-out issue was not yet complete.

Choi Ho-joong himself was well aware of that.

“I can see the effort, but you're still far from it. Watch carefully.”

I stood up and took out the Reapersword.

And I replicated the part that Choi Ho-joong had performed.

With a connecting movement as natural as flowing water.

Since I lacked mana, there was no power behind it, but it would be sufficient for a demonstration.

“Is this difficult?”

“It's because of my ingrained habit. When I try to fix the wrong part, the other parts become unnatural.”

“Don't blame your habit. Why do bad habits form in the first place?”

“…I don't know.”

“It’s a lack of understanding. If you had fully grasped the basic principles of the swordsmanship, such a habit wouldn't have formed, would it?”

At my words, Choi Ho-joong wore a blank expression.

“Then are you saying that you truly understand all the mysteries of the Muyoung Sword Style, Young Master?”

“Is it just understanding?”

Right now, I was in the stage of correcting and supplementing some of the errors in the Muyoung Sword Style.

“Listen carefully to my explanation again.”

As Choi Ho-joong said, it's not easy to fix an ingrained habit in one go.

It's not just a matter of fixing one wrong point, but a problem that requires tearing down the entire background around it.

But Choi Ho-joong was a very lucky guy.

Because the person who could pinpoint exactly which part to fix and how was right here.

If he could just understand the explanation I was giving him now, he would one day be able to break through the blocked part.

I had spoon-fed him this much; now it was his part to eat it.

“Did you understand?”

“I feel like I get it, but then again, I'm not sure.”

“That's a natural phenomenon. If you keep mulling it over on your own, a time will come when you understand. Well, if your talent is trash, it might be impossible even in a lifetime.”

“…”

“But why are you looking at me with those eyes?”

“Ah, it's nothing!”

“What do you mean it's nothing? Because what I said sounds like I’m selling snake oil?”

“It's not that, I was just wondering when you became so proficient in the Muyoung Sword Style, Young Master.”

“Don't harbor useless doubts and swing your sword one more time in that time. If your business is done, you can go now.”

“Understood. Oh! By the way, have you heard about the Muwon Sword Family requesting a duel with our sword family?”

“If you don't tell me, who would I hear it from?”

“I knew you hadn't heard!”

“Who did the Muwon Sword Family nominate as the opponent for the duel?”

“Shin Ah-yeon. It seems the only daughter of the Muwon Sword Family recently obtained her Hunter License, and for her debut match, she chose our Shin Ah-yeon.”

If it was the only daughter of the Muwon Sword Family, it must be Han Ye-ji.

She was young, but from what I had seen, she was not an easy opponent.

“When is the date of the duel?”

“It's in two days.”

And he's only telling me this now.

“Bring Shin Ah-yeon to me.”

“Pardon? Right now?”

“Yeah, right now.”

Since I owed her a debt, it was a good opportunity to repay it once more.

And since Shin Ah-yeon might become one of my people, it wasn't pleasant for me to have her record tarnished.