Chapter 86 - Holy Sword Bastian (4)

Today’s hunt, just like yesterday’s, fell to Heo Jeong-ah.

Having lost at rock-paper-scissors, she looked at me with resentful eyes, but I mercilessly pushed her back.

“How cheap! I went yesterday, you could have gone today.”

“Then you should have asked me instead of playing rock-paper-scissors. What's this disgraceful behavior after the results are out?”

“Can't we just call it a draw now?”

“No, so stop clinging and just go. It's just one hunt, why is your departure speech so long?”

“You've changed, Seo Ji-han!”

“Go.”

At my firmness, Heo Jeong-ah seemed to finally realize it was a lost cause and left to hunt, grumbling.

In truth, I needed some time alone with Claude.

Tomorrow, the assassination squad would be swarming this island, and before that, I had to settle something with Claude.

As if Claude had also been hoping for us to be alone, he tried to continue yesterday's conversation as soon as Heo Jeong-ah left.

“The unfinished conversation from yesterday, shouldn't we conclude it today?”

“We should. Tomorrow will be our farewell.”

“What you said yesterday kept circling in my mind.”

“Do you mean about the pinnacle of the sword?”

“Yes. Honestly, I'm not convinced that a higher state exists beyond what I have achieved.

You gave me a sharp retort on that.”

“Are you curious about that state?”

Claude nodded his head.

“I would like you to show me right here and now. If that's possible, that is.”

“Didn't I tell you yesterday? That I have lost my past strength.”

“Haha.”

A hollow laugh immediately followed.

“A convenient excuse.”

“Do I seem like a con man to you?”

“That's what's so ambiguous. Strangely, your eyes are definitely not telling a lie. Well, if you're deceiving even yourself, then there's nothing to be done.”

“I may not be able to show you the pinnacle of the sword directly, but I can show you the path to it.”

“How so.”

“First, please teach me your swordsmanship, old man.”

In an instant, Claude's eyes shook violently.

“Surely. You're joking, right?”

“Of course not.”

“Then you're not a con man, but a highway robber. Just tell me it's a joke.”

“It will be easier if you think of it as a tuition fee for seeing the pinnacle of the sword.”

Claude soon shook his head.

“You're spouting things I can't possibly understand. Above all, asking me to teach you the swordsmanship of Karma after just one day of meeting. If you were to tell this story out in the world, everyone would call you crazy.”

Of course, I agreed.

This situation was like a complete stranger coming to the Haewon Sword Family and demanding to be taught the Haewon Sword Style.

“And did you just say tuition fee? What on earth do you plan to do after learning my swordsmanship?”

“I plan to supplement the shortcomings in your swordsmanship and return it to you.”

“What did you say?”

So that Claude could devote the rest of his life to the sword and discover its pinnacle.

However, he seemed to find my words so absurd that he did not even smile and just glared at me.

“To spout such preposterous things so nonchalantly, you must certainly be from another world. Furthermore, my interest in you is starting to wane.”

Claude's eyes fully reflected his emotions.

Those eyes were clearly disappointed in me.

When I responded with a smile, Claude's expression turned serious.

“You seem quite disappointed, so I think I'll try to change the mood.”

I immediately took out seven daggers from my Inventory.

“What are you planning to do with those?”

“Try to block them.”

And then, seven blades floated above my palm.

“Are you planning to attack me?”

“Yes.”

“Reckless.”

“The power might be laughable, but it won't be easy to block completely either.”

“Do it if you can.”

I grinned at Claude.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

The seven daggers shot up into the air in unison.

My children, lined up at a height of about 10 meters, floated there, waiting only for my command.

“Hoh!”

Claude's gaze was still on me, not the daggers.

His interest in me had been rekindled.

He was sensing an unusual aura.

He had been impressed with my mana manipulation even when I was fishing.

“I'll acknowledge this part.”

“It's a parlor trick.”

Of course, one that only I could perform.

Fwoosh!

Fwoosh!

The daggers floating in the air suddenly rained down.

Their destructive power and speed were far from enough to break through Claude's defense, but I had an ace up my sleeve.

Fwoosh!

Fwoosh!

The daggers spread out in seven directions, each creating its own ever-changing trajectory.

Immediately followed by Claude's sword draw.

It was the moment the strongest swordsmanship in this world was about to be revealed.

Clang!

Clang!

The mana condensed in Claude's hand flowed through his sword, creating a graceful curve.

A single technique.

Claude's one sword stroke perfectly countered the shower of daggers pouring down on him as if drawing a single line.

Truly a skill befitting the greatest swordsman of this world.

The daggers that had shot out with such force fell powerlessly to the ground.

A satisfied smile crept onto Claude's lips.

“A good trick, but.”

Shing!

He sheathed his sword and continued.

“All that talk about the pinnacle of the sword was just a bluff.”

“Do you really think so?”

“What do you mean?”

A look of puzzlement.

It seemed Claude still did not know.

So, I had no choice but to teach him myself.

“The cuff of your sleeve, old man.”

I pointed my finger at the hand Claude had been holding the sword with.

The severed end of the sleeve fluttered.

“...Surely not?”

“That surely not is correct.”

“No. I'm certain I perfectly blocked all the blades you shot out…”

“To think so is clearly a misunderstanding.”

Among the seven daggers, just one. I had poured all my remaining energy into it, imbuing it with Sword Qi.

That formless Sword Qi had passed through Claude's sword strike and ultimately cut the cuff of his sleeve.

“A misunderstanding, you say.”

“What you see is not everything.”

A strange light reappeared in Claude's eyes.

“We should resume our conversation.”

“Teaching me your swordsmanship comes first, old man.”

“You said you would supplement my swordsmanship and return it to me?”

“I promise.”

“Haha! Everything else aside, in just one day?”

“It's possible. In the end, all swordsmanship leads to the same path.”

My aim was singular.

To make Claude dream of the pinnacle of the sword and reawaken his will to live.

That would be the key to making tomorrow's escape from the island smoother.

“You say you want to be taught, but in the end, you're saying you'll teach me, aren't you.”

He hit the nail on the head.

Though he was still wary of me with all sorts of suspicions.

***

Two years ago, there was a great bloody battle.

At the center of that war was Karma, led by Claude.

People defined Karma as a group of evil, and to annihilate the root of evil, they formed a large-scale allied expedition and attacked Karma.

The result was a Pyrrhic victory.

“You were stronger than people expected, old man.”

“It's a bit much for me to say it myself, but I am the greatest leader in the history of Karma.”

Karma was annihilated, but the expedition, which had several tens of times their strength, also could not escape a bloody tragedy.

“So today is the day to put an end to that war. Is that it?”

“That's about right. As long as I'm not dead, those guys will never give up.”

The only survivor of Karma was now Claude, but the strength of the assassination squad that would swarm in today would by no means be inferior to that of two years ago.

From their perspective, this would be the perfect timing to finish things for good.

“It would be troublesome if you died.”

“Of course. I can't close my eyes without seeing the pinnacle of the sword, can I?”

“Well, I don't know if you have the talent to see it, old man, but you have to be alive to even dream of it.”

I grinned at Claude.

“No matter how I think about it, I feel like I met you too late. It would have been nice if we had a few more days.”

“Couldn't you just ponder and re-ponder our conversation from yesterday?”

“I was planning to do just that. For the rest of my life.”

Heo Jeong-ah, with a puzzled expression at our conversation, asked.

“Grandpa Claude. But is the sea path really going to open today?”

“Just wait and see. It won't be long now.”

“I'm asking because I'm anxious. If the sea path doesn't open today, we're in trouble.”

“I understand your concern, young lady, but that won't happen. Though I wish it would never open either.”

This old man was saying something that could get him in big trouble.

The thought of the three of us spending our lives on this deserted island was just suffocating.

It had already been two hours since dawn.

But the sea path had not yet opened.

“Seo Ji-han. Should we build a boat right now?”

“Make some sense.”

“It won't take long to just cut some trees and make a raft.”

“If we could cross with a roughly made raft, then the assassination squad that has been waiting for two years would be the fools.”

“Is that so?”

Is that so, she says.

The woman who is the next head of the Taeseong Sword Family is this much of a ditz.

“Anyway, when the sea path opens and those guys arrive, you just stick behind me, Seo Ji-han.”

“Are you worried about me again?”

“What choice do I have. It's a senior's duty to look after a rookie. When a critical situation like this approaches, I can't help but feel my heart weaken.”

“How touching.”

“But don't think you can get a free ride. It also means you have to protect my back.”

Claude listened to Heo Jeong-ah's words, shook his head, and then nodded.

And a moment later.

“You two! Look over there!”

The calm ocean suddenly began to churn.

“Is it finally starting?”

“It is.”

Swoooosh!

The wave of change happened in an instant.

The vast ocean split in half around this island as if the tide were receding, and at this tremendous sight that defied the laws of nature, Heo Jeong-ah and I watched in a daze.

The sea path opens for only one day every two years. And only for 4 hours at that.

Soon, the assassination squad aiming for Claude's neck will swarm in.

“They will be able to reach here in an hour.”

Today's scheduled history was for Claude to face them and meet a heroic death.

But because of me, Claude had made a new resolve.

‘Atonement doesn't necessarily have to be through death.’

This time too, their expectations and calculations will be wrong.

The work Claude had been doing tirelessly on this deserted island for the past two years was emptying and letting go.

Because of that, contrary to his own intentions, Claude was able to take another step towards a new state.

On top of that, my advice was added yesterday, and since Claude is burning with the will to live more strongly than ever, blocking the assassination squad has become a very easy task.

“This is really a big problem. I'm losing confidence by the second.”

“Confidence in losing?”

“Yes.”

“You've learned well.”

What he learned from me was not just swordsmanship.

Earth-style wordplay.

I'm passing on a lot of good things before I go.