Chapter 85 - Holy Sword Bastian (3)

“Just from the aura I feel in the water, it seems to be a pretty sturdy fellow.”

“Its size is one thing, but it's overflowing with strength. Plus, the way it just loiters without biting the bait at once makes it a truly peculiar one.”

Claude looked pleased.

“By the way, about that fish. Shouldn't we see what kind of fellow it is, what its face looks like?”

“I am also curious. Since you said you'd catch it with your skills, I'll just watch now.”

I carefully took the fishing rod from Claude.

That fish had no intention of biting the bait anyway.

So, I had no choice but to move the hook and forcibly pierce it into the creature's mouth.

It was not a task that required a great deal of mana.

All the mediums from the fishing rod to the fishing line and down to the hook were connected, so as long as my mana control was perfect, there would be almost no mana loss.

The virtue required of me now was delicacy.

First, I needed to infuse a little mana to grasp the mana sensitivity of the material composing the fishing rod.

‘Nothing out of the ordinary.’

Next was to use my senses to accurately grasp the fish's current location and trajectory, and to calculate the flow of the current.

Of course, it was not a difficult task.

Compared to the ever-changing sword trajectories of the Sword Masters I had faced, these variables were simple and easy to predict.

The only tricky part was figuring out the size of the fish's mouth and where it was located.

I would be able to find that clue by observing how the movement of its gaping mouth affected the current.

Fortunately, the creature did not leave the vicinity of the bait and continued to loiter, so I carefully aimed at the target.

With this, all preparations were complete.

I immediately infused mana into the fishing rod.

Thwack!

The hook dangling from the fishing line shot out like a bullet.

Since all control was perfect, I had no doubt about my success.

“Hoh!”

Claude immediately let out an interested exclamation.

The fishing rod began to shake violently, and I felt a thrilling sensation in my hands.

“Got it.”

The creature's resistance was formidable, so the fishing rod bent as if it would break.

If I were to infuse mana once more to deliver a shock, I could subdue the thrashing creature at once, but that would tarnish the essence of fishing too much.

I carefully reeled in the fishing line, continuing the battle with the creature.

Of course, the outcome was already decided.

Flap, flap!

As expected, it was a big catch.

Claude smiled with great satisfaction.

“You, you possess a very interesting skill.”

“It's a parlor trick.”

“Calling this a parlor trick. That's a more absurd story than saying you came from another world. In my entire life, I have never seen such refined mana manipulation.”

As expected, Claude was no ordinary person.

On Earth, he would have no rival. And even among the people I met in my past life, he would easily be in the top five in terms of skill.

“You are sharp.”

“The story of you coming from another world is starting to sound a little more believable.”

“Because it's the truth.”

“By the way, are you perhaps hiding anything from me?”

“For example?”

“Hiding your strength.”

I could fully guess the intention of the question.

Since Claude must have seen through the discrepancy between my physical and mental abilities, it was natural for him to be curious.

“I'm not particularly hiding anything from you, old man. Though I am hiding something from the woman who came with me.”

“What is that.”

“This is quite an expensive story.”

“Now that you say that, I'm even more curious. I agreed to let you stay in my house for two nights, is that not enough?”

There was something I wanted to propose as a condition for a deal, but for now, I decided to be satisfied with gaining Claude's favor.

There was still time until the sea path opened.

“I'll tell you. Whether you believe it or not.”

“Go ahead and tell me.”

I looked at Claude and grinned.

“I have lost the power I originally possessed.”

At some point, the thought of telling Claude this story had come to me.

“Not hiding your power, but you lost it, is that what you're saying?”

“Yes.”

“An interesting story. But if that's true, it exquisitely explains the part I've been sensing from you.”

“You've hit the nail on the head, I think.”

“Honestly, I can't believe it all, but at the same time, I'm strangely drawn into your story.”

It takes a master to know a master, after all.

“I was quite strong.”

“Even more so than me?”

I nodded without hesitation.

“That is the only thing among all you've said that I cannot believe.”

“Believing it or not is up to you. I have only told you what I feel.”

“It's a bit much for me to say this myself, but I pride myself on being the strongest in this world. Though I do regret staining my hands with too much blood.”

“I'll believe you. That you are the strongest in this world, old man.”

“And yet, you think you were once stronger than this old man?”

“I have not a shred of doubt.”

I felt sorry for Claude, but the gap between us was not just a matter of one or two degrees.

They say that in a duel between top masters, the outcome is decided by a paper-thin margin, but that did not apply to me. There had never been an opponent who had even reached my toes.

At least, not among humans.

“It's truly strange, but looking at your eyes, I can't possibly think you're joking.”

“I'm in a position where I've decided to freeload for two days, so I can't be joking.”

Claude let out a small smile.

It meant he could not agree with my words. But his eyes looked intrigued.

“A very interesting guest has visited this island. I never thought anyone would be able to say such things to me.”

“Then let me ask you one thing. Have you ever thought to yourself that you have seen the ultimate pinnacle of the sword, old man?”

“Honestly, I have wondered about that. If not this old man, then no one else in the world would have seen the pinnacle of the sword.”

“That's wrong.”

At my firmness, Claude's expression also wavered a little.

“Wrong? Without ever having seen my sword?”

“It's not something you can only know by seeing.”

I, too, had once lived under such a delusion.

Since the world was beneath my feet, the thought that my sword, which was at the highest place, was the ultimate.

But above the sky, there was a higher sky, and by the time I realized that, I had already turned to ash.

“Hahahahaha!”

Claude finally burst into laughter.

“I apologize for laughing. But I'm not mocking you, so please don't take offense. In fact, this conversation with you is very entertaining.”

“I'm glad to hear that.”

“To think there are only two days left, I met you too late. Why didn't you come a little earlier?”

I was sorry, but you are not that interesting to me.

Because you are several notches below me.

“I have something to ask you, old man.”

“Speak.”

“Do you really intend to meet a heroic end here in two days?”

“One cannot go against fate.”

Since Claude had said he regretted his killings, it was clear he intended to stick to that resolve even against the assassination squad.

“You don't need to accept fate in that way. Depending on how you set your mind, isn't it possible to live?”

Without killing, of course.

“Well. I don't have that much attachment to life.”

“But if you were to dream of the pinnacle of the sword, your thoughts would change, old man.”

“The pinnacle of the sword?”

“Yes. The stage of the sword that you have not yet seen, not yet achieved, old man.”

“Does such a thing truly exist?”

“It does.”

“How can you be so sure?”

“Because I have almost been there.”

I smiled at Claude.

“You really are an interesting person. Anyway, let's continue this conversation another time. Your companion over there is returning from her hunt.”

Even if we said next time, there were less than two days left.

Tomorrow, I planned to make my move.

***

Night on the deserted island came early.

Claude ate a few pieces of meat cooked over the bonfire and went straight into his house.

The two of us who remained basked in the dim, remaining embers, breathing in the night air.

“You're not going in?”

“I'll just stay here. It's awkward for a grown woman to be in a room alone with a strange old man. Especially in the middle of the night.”

Well, it was a house where Claude lived alone on a deserted island, so it was unlikely there would be a separate guest house.

“So you're planning to spend both nights outside?”

“I'll just go in with you when you go in later.”

“I see you're fine with being in a room with two men.”

“The image is a bit off, but it's an unavoidable situation.”

“Your tone has become much more demure.”

“What?”

“The force in your eyes has also faded a lot. Well, it's much better now, so I'm just saying you should keep it that way.”

“What are you talking about!”

In an instant, Heo Jeong-ah's expression turned serious and she whipped her head away.

“Heo Jeong-ah, you stay here and gnaw on the rest of the meat.”

“What are you going to do?”

“Train. For the record, it'll take a while.”

“Train?”

I nodded once and did not reply further to Heo Jeong-ah's words.

I planned to quietly operate the Mana Breathing Technique under the moonlight.

It was a pity there was no Spring of Elixir, but I did not want to be lazy in healing my body for even a single day.

I faced the seashore, sat in a cross-legged position, and drew up my mana.

I felt Heo Jeong-ah's blatant gaze on me the whole time, but I paid it no mind and silently continued my daily routine.

Sitting and feeling the sea breeze under the moonlight had its own charm.

About 4 hours passed like that.

As expected, the efficiency of the healing was not very high, but I decided to be satisfied with the fact that I was at least better than the me of yesterday.

“Is this your training method?”

Heo Jeong-ah spoke to me as if she had been waiting.

“The Mana Breathing Technique is something you can't neglect for even a day.”

“Even so, I've never seen someone do it for 4 hours straight without a break. You weren't deliberately trying to make me wait, were you?”

“Your imagination is a bit too much.”

“I know it doesn't make sense. But you've changed so much.”

“People change.”

“No. No matter how much you change, does a person's essence change?”

“What is my essence?”

When I asked back, Heo Jeong-ah hesitated for a moment before opening her mouth.

“Seo Ji-han was a warm person.”

Everyone used to say that.

It was the same when I first met Choi Ho-joong.

“That's not a very welcome evaluation.”

“It's strange. Or you're intentionally acting strange.”

“Think what you want.”

“But Seo Ji-han. You're not in a position to be acting so crooked right now.”

“What do you mean?”

“You know it too. That the difficulty of this starting point is SS-rank. Do you think you can get off this island safely in two days without my help?”

“So, you're saying I should be nice and friendly to you if I want to live.”

“Well, it's not exactly like that, but!”

Pfft. I smiled.

“40 years ago, your Taeseong Sword Family lost its greatest genius in a similar quest, didn't they?”

“Wh-why are you suddenly bringing that up!”

“That memory must be a big trauma for your family.”

“What are you? Why are you bringing that up when you know!”

“Despite that trauma, you chose this starting point, Heo Jeong-ah.”

“I told you! I chose this place because I hate boring things. And in case you don't know, I'm pretty strong.”

“Be honest. You came here because you wanted to help me.”

“No, I didn't! I came here to overcome my family's trauma!”

A story that was not at all believable.

I felt sorry for Heo Jeong-ah, but if I had not been here, the Taeseong Sword Family might have faced the tragedy of 40 years ago once again.

The strength of the assassination squad that would visit this island in two days would be on a similar level to Claude.

Though, in the end, she would overcome the trauma.