Translator: Willia

"These guys are Bori's disciples."

Ricardt said this while pointing with his thumb at the boy and girl behind him.

At that, Marie, who had one hand resting on the hilt of her sword and was standing with her weight shifted to one leg, gazing coldly at the strangers, widened her eyes.

Blatter also looked surprised, while the others naturally wore expressions of confusion.

“Bori has disciples?”

“Didn’t I tell you?”

"No, is he even capable of teaching anyone?"

"I think Bori's decent enough to teach...?”

“No no, that’s not what I meant.”

There seemed to be a slight misunderstanding between Ricardt and Marie in their communication.

Marie had only intended to say that Bori’s swordsmanship was so unique that it wasn’t something one could learn easily.

Anyway, that wasn’t the important part right now. Ricardt turned to the boy and girl and introduced Marie.

“This is my wife, Marie. This is senior Blatter. He’s from Beringen Academy. He used to be an adventurer in the same guild as me. This is our guide, Bremen, and...”

Since he was already introducing Marie, Ricardt went on to introduce the others as well. The Hartmann family, Dalia and her son, and even the four siblings.

However, the boy and girl remained silent for a long time, almost as if they were shy, before finally revealing their names.

“...Kaspar.”

“I’m Julia. But, are you really that Ricky?"

“You don’t believe it? I believe you’re Bori’s disciples.”

Ricardt asked back with a smile. The boy, Kaspar, averted his gaze as he replied.

"We'll see."

Still doubtful, huh? It didn’t matter.

“Has Bori ever talked about me?”

When Ricardt asked, Julia glanced at the boy accompanying her before answering. They didn’t show it, but the two of them also seemed bewildered by the situation.

“He said there are no geniuses in the world. Except for Ricky. That’s what he said.”

“That’s it?”

“Our master doesn’t really talk about personal stuff with us.”

“He didn’t mention me?”

Marie cut in to ask. Apparently, she found it fascinating that her friend had disciples, and looked like she was expecting something.

“He said you swung the manliest sword among us...”

“Huh?”

Marie was bewildered by the unexpected evaluation. But Ricardt had an idea of what that meant.

Bori had a unique, unparalleled swordsmanship of his own. Ice was known for his precise swordsmanship. Marie, on the other hand, was extremely direct and sometimes even explosive.

In short, her style focused on overwhelming opponents with power and speed rather than intricate variation, and its foundation was the Kelbron Family swordsmanship systematized by Hellauman.

In some sense, compared to the three of them who lacked a clear lineage, Marie’s sword was the only one with a well-defined heritage.

“Still, it’s really fascinating. That Bori would take on disciples. Should we have trained disciples too?”

“Marie, didn’t you say I have no talent for teaching?”

“Then I’ll teach. Ricky can help.”

“Shouldn’t we focus on raising our own kid first? Has Bori gotten married?”

Ricardt looked toward Kaspar and Julia as he asked. The two shook their heads.

“Are there other disciples besides you two?”

“There are many apprentices in the clan, but Master’s direct disciples are only four. We’re two of them. To become a direct disciple of Master, you need the potential to become a Sword Master.”

The Viola Clan had a kind of hierarchy, apprentices, trainees, trainees-in-training, and direct disciples.

The boy and girl in front of them had been recognized for their exceptional talent and were personally trained by Bori, who was currently a Sword Master.

“But don’t you need to learn ancient characters to master Bori’s swordsmanship? Studying that stuff is super boring.”

“Ancient characters?”

“Yeah, he writes characters with his sword and all.”

“We don’t know. We’ve never seen it. Master is simply someone who has reached the ultimate state of the sword. He always says he was the weakest among the Four Swords, but we think he’s just being humble.”

Never seen it? Ricardt and Marie looked at each other, not understanding. When thinking of Bori, the first thing that came to mind was his swordsmanship that seemed like writing characters, but they'd never seen it.

There seemed to be a perceptual gap between someone who had worked directly with him and those who were taught by him. Or perhaps he had never shown his swordsmanship properly in front of the kids?

“Anyway, nice to meet you. This reminds me of the old days. Bori and I once talked about raising disciples and then making them spar to see whose would win. Unfortunately, I don’t have a disciple. No one seemed to understand what I was trying to teach them."

“That's just because you don’t have the talent to teach, Ricky...”

"No, I think I explained things simply enough."

“Excuse me, sorry to interrupt your conversation, but what should we do now?”

As the four of them seemed to be engaging in small talk, Bremen, sensing the mood, stepped forward. The important matter now was deciding whether to keep going or not.

But according to what Kaspar and Julia said, everywhere was dangerous at the moment.

“Let’s hear the situation first. The east is like that because of the war anyway.”

Ricardt said. It made sense to first understand the situation before making any decisions or countermeasures.

Kaspar and Julia looked at the oddly assorted group of people for a moment before speaking.

“This place is currently controlled by the Ringvalt Sword Brotherhood. The leader was supposedly an adventurer guild master at one time, though we're not certain. Anyway, he claims to have inheritance rights to Rothheim here and killed the lord’s family. Since then, he's raised the taxes and started enforcing the domain law strictly in the name of establishing order. Anyone caught drinking, failing to pay taxes on time, not showing loyalty to the lord, or acting suspiciously is executed without mercy.”

Julia spoke while looking at a gallows tree off in the distance. That seemed to be the result of the domain law being strictly enforced.

Of course, it was absurd to establish and enforce domain laws without being the rightful lord.

While others were trembling in fear at the sight of the gallows, Ricardt saw through the hysterical anxiety of this so-called Ringvalt.

He was afraid. His position was unstable, and he feared someone might do to him what he had done to others.

“Then the toll fees must be insanely high too.”

Marie asked. Julia silently nodded. In essence, the road was effectively blocked.

It was an open plain, so one might think there was no need to follow the road, but the territory's borders were surrounded by mountain ranges and required passing through a gorge, making it an unavoidable structure.

The expressions of the group grew serious. No wonder, because to the east was a hell of human slaughter due to prolonged war. And here, they executed anyone who appeared suspicious, so the moment you stood out, you were practically dead.

Staying in Wertheim and starting over would be difficult due to lack of money. Should they find work there?

Everyone wore gloomy expressions of worry and concern. Marie was going to go along with whatever Ricardt decided, and Kaspar and Julia seemed to be observing Ricardt.

“Why do you all look so gloomy?”

Ricardt said, looking at the migrants.

"This is better than being ambushed. Now that we know the danger, we can act accordingly. First, let’s set up camp.”

With that, he immediately headed toward the village.

Bremen, flustered, called out to stop him. Ricardt was heading straight to the village, even though suspicious behavior could get you executed on the spot.

“H-Hey, where are you going?”

“To that village over there.”

“But won’t you be noticed? Isn’t it dangerous?”

“If they killed that many people, there should be empty houses. The border of the domain is actually more dangerous. That Ringvalt guy is probably scared stiff and patrolling hard to see if any external force is approaching.”

What he said made sense, but he decided too easily, so it left people a bit speechless.

They weren’t sure if this was the right move, but upon arriving at the village with Ricardt, indeed, there were many empty houses.

The remaining people were so emaciated that they didn’t even show surprise or fear upon seeing Ricardt’s group. They simply stared with lifeless, sunken eyes.

It was gruesome. There was no one left to protect the commoners.

Ringvalt, it seemed, had no sense of responsibility or duty as a lord. Naturally, he lacked any economic understanding as well. He had simply been blinded by the shining allure of the title itself.

Now that he had done the deed, he had no idea what to do next. Having lived only by the sword, he knew nothing about governing people.

Ricardt looked around the small village and settled in a house with a ruined vegetable garden. Looking inside, the place was utterly empty.

“Don’t unload all the luggage. Let’s keep ourselves ready to leave at any time. If something happens, Marie and Blatter will protect the people.”

He intended to use the house like a kind of fortress. It was too difficult to protect people and fight at the same time in the open. That’s why he had suggested coming to the village.

“You two and I will head to the domain border. If we’re lucky, we can deal with it and pass through by today.”

Ricardt assigned everyone’s roles in an instant and then simply left with his staff in hand. It was so bold and decisive that one might wonder if the problem could really be handled that easily.

Ricardt walked toward the domain border with Kaspar and Julia. He didn’t even try to hide, just walked out in the open. The boy and girl followed, still wearing puzzled expressions.

“So, how many good people did you manage to save?”

Ricardt asked abruptly as he walked ahead.

"Well, maybe around... three or four?"

“Not all bandits are the same. These days, unlike the past, many are well-equipped and fight quite well. If they come in large numbers, even we can’t help it.”

Ricardt hadn’t even reproached them for saving so few, but Kaspar spoke as if making excuses.

“Of course. A lot of adventurers who used to chase fugitives or complete requests have probably turned to banditry now. But still, is this like warrior training or something? Did Bori make you do it?”

“He said you can never become a Sword Master by just training with the sword without real combat experience.”

“Sounds right.”

“But did you really teach our master?”

“It’s a lie.”

“What?”

“I only taught him a little in the beginning. After that, he learned everything on his own. What’s amazing about Bori is his unbreakable spirit. Looking back, he could’ve easily turned dark, but he didn’t.”

Ricardt spoke as he recalled Bori during the academy henhouse days when he was bullied.

It would’ve been understandable for Bori to hold a grudge, and after becoming somewhat strong, he might have tried to get revenge. But Bori didn’t.

Despite living in a harsh and cruel world, he could still see its bright side and the goodness in people.

“Why do you want to learn the sword?”

“...Well, maybe because it’s what we’re good at? Because we think we can be even better?”

“Alright, then. Do your best. You should do what you’re good at.”

Ricardt spoke as if he had no interest.

But Kaspar and Julia couldn’t help but be interested. Because their deeply respected master had occasionally mentioned this man as someone far superior to himself.

And yet, somehow, he remained veiled in mystery. Of course, the vague reputation passed down by word of mouth was tremendous.

That he had killed a clan master at a young age, or taken down an infamous Sword Master. "Ricky the Severer," "The Tiger of Kaitz," "The Genius Swordsman of Beringen Academy," "The Red Cloak."

Even so, it was hard to imagine someone stronger than their master, who now stood near the top ranks of the Empire.

That’s why they were curious. Desperately so. Because they, too, had chosen the path of the sword.

At the same time, they weren’t completely convinced. Was he really that person? Wasn’t he just an impostor? Could he really be that strong?

“Actually, I feel a little resentful.”

Suddenly, Kaspar spoke his inner thoughts.

“About what?”

“Since I first picked up a sword at seven, I’ve always been called a genius. That changed after I met Master. But still, I can’t agree that there’s no genius in the world other than Ricky-nim.”

Ricardt, walking a bit ahead, turned and looked at Kaspar. Their eyes met.

Ricardt stared with that unique gaze of his, as if he could see right through people. Ice had once said this penetrating gaze was cheating. Chapters first released on novel·fıre·net

Kaspar was filled with the typical arrogance and pride of someone his age. But Ricardt saw not just the pride, but the substance hidden beneath the shell.

Ricardt turned his head again and spoke.

“I think I understand why Bori said that. He’s too kind to say harsh things.”

Even though it had been four years since they last saw each other, Ricardt could tell what Bori was feeling when he said that to his disciple.

They had spent years together in the wild, sharing joys and hardships, going through countless experiences, it wasn’t hard to guess his heart.

In Ricardt’s mind, the cold winters, the refreshing springs, the scorching summers, and the cool autumns he had spent with Bori flashed by in an instant.

But Kaspar, unaware of those days, frowned and asked,

“What do you mean?”

"Swordsmanship is something you have to figure out yourself, but if you want to become a Sword Master, you eventually have to face yourself. Marie, Ice, Bori... they all became Sword Masters by overcoming themselves. That’s how I see it. They each had their own shackles.”

“......”

“So Kaspar, why can’t you let go of being called a genius?”

“......I don’t understand what you mean.”

“‘Genius’ is just a word. It doesn’t mean anything. But if you can’t let it go, isn’t that your ego? If you dig deeper, it’s probably a sense of superiority over others. The looks of admiration and envy, do you like them so much you can’t give them up? That’s what I’m saying.”

At Ricardt’s sharp remark, Kaspar’s face turned bright red. He wanted to refute it but couldn’t bring himself to speak.

And so the conversation ended. The three of them continued walking silently along the road.

The domain’s border was farther than expected. By the time they nearly reached it, it was late in the afternoon. Considering the time it would take to go back and forth, it seemed unlikely they could get through the domain by today.

As expected, there were armed men guarding the passage. They appeared to be stationed at something like an outpost, and there were more of them than expected, around a dozen or so.

Kaspar and Julia instinctively moved to hide and observe the situation, but Ricardt kept walking casually with his staff.

“Uh, uh? W-wait a minute.”

If he was stronger than their master, taking down a dozen swordsmen shouldn’t be difficult. Still, seeing him just stroll right into it was bewildering.

Ricardt, who had walked ahead, stopped and turned around to speak.

“You said it’s warrior training, didn’t you?”

"Yes?"

“If you can’t even handle thugs like those, when exactly are you planning to do your training?”

“......”

“Don’t tell me you’re walking around with a sword at your waist without being ready to die? Just for the look of it? Tsk tsk tsk...”

Ricardt clicked his tongue in disappointment.

"But the numbers should at least match. Or at least a surprise attack......"

"Looks like Bori's been coddling you kids. Kids old enough to know better. What a bunch of brilliant geniuses you've become. Ugh.”

Ricardt turned his head sharply as if he didn’t like what he saw. Then he kept walking alone toward the guarded checkpoint.

In that moment, Kaspar, perhaps out of sheer stubborn pride, rushed after Ricardt.

“K-Kaspar.”

Julia, flustered, also followed Kaspar without thinking.

And as the ones guarding the checkpoint saw the three sword-bearing figures approaching from a distance, they stopped their idle chatter and drew their weapons. A few of them alerted those inside the outpost.

Ricardt walked up to them with complete indifference and said,

“How much is the toll?”

Then a man who had drawn his sword early and created a threatening atmosphere answered.

“One gold coin per head.”

"You should charge reasonably, how do you expect to make money that way?”

“What did you say?”

“These two here say they can’t stand your evil deeds any longer. Today’s the end of murdering innocent nobles and tormenting people. Get ready to die.”

With that, he stepped back. This made Kaspar and Julia, who had followed behind, appear to be the ones stepping forward. Huh? Wait a second. We never said that.

“Bori and I did all of this when we were younger than you. Go on. Go kill them all. That’s what you call training. Let’s see some of that genius swordsmanship. You’re not calling yourself geniuses just for swinging toy swords in sparring matches, are you?”

Kaspar and Julia were still stunned, hadn’t even drawn their swords yet, when more men came out of the outpost, armed, asking what was going on.

Ricardt truly looked like he intended to just stand back with his staff and watch.

A dozen or so cold, gleaming blades flashed in the light. Logically, it made no sense for two people to face off against more than ten.

But conversely, Ricardt believed that to talk about the sword without standing at the crossroads of life and death was what truly defied reason.

If one chose the path of the sword, how could they always fight under favorable conditions? Whether to win or lose, live or die, in that uncertainty, it was the flickering will that he saw as the foundation of a true swordsman.

As before, Ricardt and Bori had different philosophies about swords. Especially when it came to teaching.

****

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