Chapter 31- Debut Match (1)

After returning from the Abyss, I devoted myself even more to my training.

I had confirmed that my Bimu opponent's capabilities were greater than I had anticipated.

Perhaps she had grown even stronger than the last moment I saw her.

Although she didn't wield her sword against the Lycanthrope, it was a life-threatening moment, so she might have had some sort of epiphany.

That's how swordsmen usually grow.

By overcoming their own walls at unexpected points.

Moreover, considering her talent, the possibility was more than enough.

Before I knew it, the Bimu with Min Ha-rin was just a day away.

However, it seemed the people around me were more anxious than I, the one directly involved.

A little while ago, Seo Ji-won had come by to check on my condition, and this time, it was Choi Ho-joong.

“Young master, are you not nervous?”

“Nervous? Why should I be?”

“You’re human too, young master. It’s an important matter with the family’s honor on the line. Wouldn't it be stranger if you weren't anxious?”

“Breathing, eating, and shitting are also important things. Ho-joong, do you get anxious every time you do them?”

“You’re playing with words again. This isn’t that kind of problem!”

But to me, it was the same kind of problem.

Winning a Bimu was as easy as breathing, eating, and shitting. It had always been that way since my days as Johan Raven.

“Get ready to go out. There’s a place we need to go today.”

“Where are you suddenly trying to go?”

“I have some business at the Mana Stone exchange. Have the car ready.”

Choi Ho-joong made a puzzled face.

“Are you perhaps planning to trade the Mana Stones you got from the dungeon last time?”

“Right, there was that too.”

“Just leave it to me and I’ll go alone. It’s not worth much anyway, so there’s no need for you to go in person.”

“Forget it. I’ll go and make the trade, so just get ready.”

I reached into my Inventory and fiddled with the Mana Stone I had received as a quest reward two weeks ago.

This thing had a completely different texture from a normal Mana Stone.

It felt like a well-cut gem, not a raw stone.

But the real difference was in its size.

While the Mana Stone from the E-rank Dungeon was the size of a jackstone, this one was about the size of five fists stacked together.

According to my internet research, it was a special grade item that could fetch at least 5 billion won.

“I’ll have the car prepared. I suppose you should also get some fresh air and walk around the downtown area, young master.”

Actually, there was a reason I wanted to sell this Mana Stone.

To secure seed money for operating a sword unit.

If I won the Bimu against Min Ha-rin tomorrow, I would be able to form a sword unit as promised with my father.

The family would provide the basic operating funds, but the more money, the better.

Even selling it for around 5 billion would be a considerable help in running the sword unit.

Though ultimately, I would need much more money.

“Young master, by the way, have you roughly checked the market price?”

“Yeah. To some extent, on the internet.”

“That’s a relief, then. I was worried you might be disappointed. Mana Stones have become so common these days that selling one of those tiny pebbles from an E-rank Dungeon would barely get you the price of a few chickens.”

“Then I guess we can just have chicken for dinner tonight.”

“Chicken? Sounds great!”

I wasn't sure if this guy would still be satisfied with chicken after seeing the results.

***

It turned out the Mana Stone I brought had a special name.

Ignarog.

It was sometimes used as a raw material for advanced scientific experiments, but it was usually the main ingredient for top-tier equipment.

It was a reward that rarely dropped in Dungeons or the Abyss, so it was treated as a very precious item.

Typically, Ignarogs came from the highest-grade Dungeons. Naturally, it was the first time Choi Ho-joong had seen one in person.

The price wasn't far off from what I had looked up.

“Se-seven billion?”

Choi Ho-joong’s eyes went wide.

“What? Are you jealous?”

“Of course I’m jealous. The world is so unfair. Shouldn’t it be dirt spoons like me who get things like this?”

“The world has always been unfair. And why are you so surprised over a mere seven billion? Do you know how much the top Hunters are worth these days?”

“How many top Hunters are there in the world? And no matter how much the world has changed, seven billion is….”

“Just think about raising your own value. Once you make a name for yourself, is seven billion a big deal? This is an industry where you can pull in more than ten times that in one go.”

“Me?”

“Why? You think you can’t do it?”

That was my intention.

If Choi Ho-joong was to remain as my right-hand man, he would naturally have to be at that level.

Of course, the guy himself didn't know how lucky he was.

“Let’s go get some chicken.”

“You earned seven billion and you’re just going to settle for chicken?”

“You said you liked chicken, didn't you? A person has to have integrity.”

“Wow! I really give up with you, young master.”

“Stop talking nonsense and guide me to the best chicken place around here.”

“Yes, sir. I’ll take you to the most expensive place. The most expensive place is the best place, sir.”

And so, the place Choi Ho-joong took me to was a chicken restaurant inside the Muwon Hotel.

He said he would pick the most expensive place, but it seemed this guy had forgotten the essence of chicken.

“Ho-joong, I didn't know you had this kind of taste.”

“When else would I get to come to a place like this if not on a day like today? Besides, tomorrow is the day you go to take over the Muwon Sword Family, young master! I thought it would be a good idea to take over the Muwon Hotel first before that.”

“You’re connecting everything. But is this hotel really owned by the Muwon Sword Family?”

“Yes. I believe it’s operated by a branch family.”

Perhaps because of that, I saw a familiar face.

The only daughter of the Muwon Sword Family.

“Huh? Ji-han oppa?”

It was Han Ye-ji.

There are people like that in life.

The kind you get strangely entangled with often.

***

Han Ye-ji joined our table.

The topic of conversation naturally flowed to the Bimu scheduled for tomorrow.

It seemed the Muwon Sword Family had considerable expectations for Min Ha-rin.

Having been humiliated once, they would want to return the favor.

But they were only seeing one side of the coin.

If they were to suffer a second consecutive defeat even after sending out their most promising prospect, the blow would be much greater.

“Honestly, on our side, we’re not thinking about losing at all.”

“It’s the same for me.”

“Ha-rin is the same age as me, so we talk a lot and sometimes even cross swords. But she’s a real genius.”

“I can’t agree with that.”

“Pardon?”

The Min Ha-rin I saw was a swordsman with very well-established fundamentals.

A typical hexagonal talent whose every ability was flawlessly decent, though her level of swordsmanship was not particularly high.

But it was problematic to so carelessly attach the label of ‘genius’ to her.

“Oppa, you don't know anything about Ha-rin.”

“You said she’s twenty. If she were a real genius, she should have already been ruling the world.”

Just as I had.

“That’s ridiculous.”

“Twenty is by no means a young age.”

“What about you, oppa?”

“Me? As you know, I was languishing with a terminally ill body.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Unavoidable circumstances? Well, not anymore.”

“Anyway, Ha-rin is a child with truly amazing talent. When she first came to our sword family a year ago, she was insignificant, but her skills improved day by day, and before I knew it, she had surpassed me. And she hasn't even learned the Muwon Sword Style.”

“To come that far in a year is worthy of acknowledgment.”

If she had been a member of the Haewon Sword Family, I would have immediately recruited her into my sword unit and nurtured her.

“You’ll see for yourself when you face her tomorrow, oppa. Just how high the wall of talent is.”

“Anyone hearing you would think you’re a Min Ha-rin fan.”

“Actually, I am a fan. I was jealous at first, but now, shall I say I’ve accepted it?”

“I heard a rumor she went through a tough time in the Abyss. Is her condition okay?”

“Wow! That rumor spread that far?”

“You know. The Haewon Sword Family’s intelligence network is no joke.”

“Then use that intelligence network to find someone for me.”

“Out of the blue, find someone?”

“It seems Ha-rin went to the Abyss and met some old geezer and fell head over heels for him.”

“Old geezer?”

“Yes. Apparently, some old geezer appeared in the first village of the Abyss and helped her, but she doesn't know his name or affiliation. She even said she has bad night vision, so she couldn't even see his face properly. It seems like Ha-rin is caught in some pink-hued wave, but I think he might be a pervert.”

“Why is that?”

“The fact that such a strong person only just appeared in the first village of the Abyss is suspicious from the start. Besides, from what I hear, he was a total old geezer.”

“No. He’s not a pervert, and he’s not an old geezer either.”

“How would you know that, oppa?”

“He’s someone who helped without asking for anything in return. So I can guarantee it. And one more thing. You need to fix that bad habit of slandering people you don’t know like that.”

“Wow! Oppa, you sounded just like an old geezer right now!”

Han Ye-ji shivered, looking back and forth between the chicken leg she was eating and the goosebumps on her arm.

Honestly, I was the one who was more shocked.

Me, an old geezer.

***

It had been a really long time since I'd had an official Bimu like today's.

In my days as Johan Raven, I had become a Sword Master at too young an age, and by the time I was twenty, I had reached a position where a Bimu was difficult to even arrange.

There were no opponents for me in the entire world.

I would occasionally select and accept challenges from those who came to me, and they considered it an honor just to cross swords with me.

Some even shed tears of emotion when I gave them a short piece of advice after our duels.

And now, that same I stood before many people, facing a rookie swordsman.

It felt truly strange.

It was also somewhat thrilling, like starting over again.

Today, our family didn't bring a large contingent.

My father had accepted my wish not to be encumbered.

Thanks to that, only three people accompanied me: Seo Ji-won, Choi Ho-joong, and Shin Ah-yeon.

We entered the Muwon Sword Family’s grounds with a small party.

“Welcome.”

The one who greeted us was the former head of the Muwon Sword Family, Han Byeong-cheol.

He was also the person who had arranged today’s Bimu.

“It’s been a while, sir.”

“You look much better than last time. The mana I feel from your dantian is also… huh?”

“Has it changed?”

To be able to sense this, Han Byeong-cheol was definitely no ordinary master.

Strictly speaking, the mana that had been the size of a sesame seed had only become a slightly larger sesame seed.

“I feel a change. This will be an interesting match today.”

“I hope it will be interesting for you.”

“It certainly will be.”

Han Byeong-cheol gave me a sly smile.

He was certain.

That his family's top prospect would succeed in her revenge match.

“Ah! And about the 500-won coin you gave me that day. I’ve kept it well.”

“Why would you keep something like that?”

“I have to keep it. You showed me something interesting with it. I brought it to return it to you.”

“I’m not the type to be petty over 500 won, you know.”

“I’ve practiced enough, so I think it’s time to return it.”

“Practiced?”

“The technique you used when you threw the coin at me.”

At my words, Han Byeong-cheol laughed heartily.

As if he found me, for saying such things, ridiculous.

“So, did the practice go well?”

“After the Bimu is over, may I show you? As a way of me returning this coin.”

“You’re a very interesting fellow. Fine! I don't know if you’ll have the mind for it after the Bimu, but go ahead and do so.”

He chuckled again, looking at me as if he found me amusing.

I was looking forward to it.

To see if this old man could still look at me with that sly smile after the Bimu was over.