Chapter 11

Inside the training area, there was a boy wielding a sword. Van Ester was completely silent. Those who were following him caught up and tried to talk to him, but Van Ester just looked at the boy as if he were possessed.

“Ah.”

Van Ester groaned. The boy was wielding the sword in a familiar style of swordsmanship.

In fact it was one he knew very well. The Imperial swordsmanship. It was not special or strong, it was a style for perfect all-rounding abilities and was incredibly minimalistic. But… it was the boy’s movement that caught Van Ester’s eye.

It was perfect. Every time the boy’s arm moved and the sword drew a trajectory, Van Ester burst into admiration.

“Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh…”

Van Ester’s eyes were getting hazy. That was one point of reach. one of the areas where human beings could arrive only in their finest moments. It was fascinatingly beautiful for him.

The act Van Ester had devised and planned with Lord Halvark to try and confront and talk to the boy, was completely thrown out the window as he watched the simple boy and his sword. At that moment, the sword stopped.

“Ah…”

Van Ester sighed in disappointment without even realizing he did. A deep sense of loss filled his heart, but he tried to shake it off. The boy was looking right at him with completely indifferent eyes.

“Hmm. Hmm. Good to see you kid.”

“You. Who are you.” (T/N : yes author put a period not a question mark)

“Hmm? I’m…”

Van Ester paused. What should he say? Should he just introduce himself with no pretenses and admit to being a swordmaster? No. That was just showing off. The boy in front of him was in a completely different dimension than anybody he had ever seen except the other swordmasters. His swordsmanship had already achieved a certain threshold that was nigh impossible to reach. To call himself a swordmaster to a boy like that? Van Ester’s face became flustered with embarrassment just imagining trying to say it. But then what should he say?

“You’re High Count Van Ester aren’t you?”

Asher then spoke up, breaking the silence.

“Oh, you know me!”

Fortunately, the boy called his name out first. While he nodded happily, the boy was still looking at him with indifferent eyes.

***

High Count, Van Ester. A master of the sword, one of the few Swordmasters within the Empire. He was one of the people who had been alive in Asher’s past life, and Asher knew him well.

Because he was colleagues with him when they were nothing but simple guards.

Van Ester and Asher enrolled and became guards on the same day. They had talked often because they were in the same group of guards and on the same post as well as sharing their favorite hobby in the entire world : the sword.

Of course, that didn’t mean the two were similar. Van Ester was clearly talented, and he wasn’t. Before long, they had split and walked opposite paths.

However, it was not that their past relationship had become estranged or anything like that. Van Ester liked Asher’s company, who did not envy or hate him, and Asher also maintained a good relationship until he was too old. That was because Van Ester had gotten close to becoming a swordmaster and Asher left him to focus on his path with the sword.

Asher was flustered.

Though he was seemingly insensitive, Asher was quite taken aback right now. He couldn’t believe he was seeing a friend of his previous life. As he glanced towards the door, Reika and the current Lord of the estate, Lord Halvark, were standing behind Van Ester.

‘… come to think of it.’

Was it because of the former relationship Van Ester had as the guardian of the Lord? Asher couldn’t help but feel emotional as he carefully opened his mouth.

“…I heard you’ve been missing for over twenty years.”

“I’ve just been traveling around. I wasn’t missing. By the way, child.”

Van Ester’s eyes were blinded with excitement. At the same time, Asher took a step back. He was close to Van Ester. It was no exaggeration to say that he was an extremely close friend to Asher. Therefore, he knew almost all of his small quirks,personality and hobbies.

What was Van Ester doing in this situation? There was nothing to think about for Asher, it was blatantly obvious to him. Van Ester slowly stretched out his arms.

‘How predictable you can be sometimes with that bad habit.’

Asher sighed, and then moved his arms quickly and fluidly like a snake wrapping himself around Van Ester’s outstretched.

A scream from the surrounding spectators rang out.

“Uh?”

Van Ester was embarrassed. This time it was true embarrassment unlike when he tried his little game with Reika earlier. Asher broke Van Ester’s momentum with his wrist and kicked Van Ester’s ankle to break his center of gravity within a time frame that was incredibly unexpected. Naturally, Van Ester had no choice but to pause for a moment because of the fluid movement of Asher that flipped him up into the air.

But it was really just a moment. Soon, there was an instinctive movement from Van Ester whilst midair in those few milliseconds. Van Ester stepped on the ground with his opposite foot and kicked Asher as he fell by twisting his hips sharply. His center of balance was something that didn’t rely on common standards in the first place.

Asher dodged the kick leaping quickly in the air, and then swung his fist with a brutal and clean movement. The fist from Asher flew towards Van Ester’s face. But… Van Ester quickly moved his arm, looking at Asher’s fist flying blankly. And then an afterimage was drawn from Van Ester’s movement.

Poong!

Asher was hit at an incomprehensible speed that only swordmasters could pull off. A scream rang from behind once more, but Van Ester stared blankly at his hand. For a moment, he realized he got serious. He, a swordmaster, who didn’t even get serious with some of the oldest warriors in the Empire, was forced to get serious with a child who wasn’t even 15 yet and had only been practicing the sword for 2 months.

‘Is it still this much?’

Asher woke up having such thoughts, as he wiped the blood off his mouth. There was no particular reason for him to respond to Van Ester’s prank so seriously. It was to find out how far he could go with his currently underdeveloped body of a teenager. And…. the result was not bad! It was not nearly as powerful as he was in his prime, but he was able to move sincerely and with smooth mechanics.

When Asher turned his eyes slightly, Reika was staring at him with a blank expression. The knight who had a fight with him yesterday, Charon, had his jaw dropped practically all the way to the floor.  Asher looked at Lord Halvark whose eyes were wide open in shock.

‘You grew up well.’

Asher thought as he looked at Lord Halvark. In his previous life, he was unable to visit this child of his often, he if anything had neglected his duties as a father. But that little boy was old, wrinkled had become the owner of the land here. It reminded Asher once more, just how much time had passed in between his two lives.

“Hey kid.”

Van Ester, who was looking at Asher with complicated eyes, spoke. The emotions in his eyes were mixed with sorrow, hope and regret.

“Are you his student?”

Him. Asher could immediately guess who Van Ester was talking about since it was himself from his previous life. Asher shook his head.

“I don’t know who this person you’re talking about is, but I don’t have a teacher.”

That fact had never changed even in his past and nor would it change in his present life. Van Ester grinned at Asher’s response.

“Then it has to be you. Be my student.”

“What?”

“Mr. Van Ester!”

Charon shouted, as his neck veins bulged. A Swordmaster’s disciple. That was anybody’s dream if they practiced the sword.

Asher replied.

“No, I don’t want to.”

***

“Huh?”

Van Ester was embarrassed and confused at what he just heard for a moment. He was a swordmaster, and the child in front of him was also training the way of the sword. So it was obvious to think that any rational child would accept it, but the answer he received was a completely flat and indifferent “no”.

Of course, Asher didn’t mean to honestly sound like such an arrogant or idiotic child. But how could he become the disciple of one of his closest friends? That wouldn’t even be remotely funny. Above all, he genuinely believed could not learn anything from others. It wouldn’t change even if it was a swordmaster trying to teach him.

“Oh, Asher!”

Reika, who was watching blankly, screamed and ran. She stood in front of Asher and pulled out a sword at Van Ester.

“I don’t know who you are, but what kind of behavior is this? I can’t believe you just attack people all the time like this without any thought!”

“Hmm. Well, uhm.”

Van Ester was stuttering. Strictly speaking, Reika was not wrong, but there was nothing he could refute. He smiled awkwardly and held the sword.

“You’re the only one who doesn’t know me.”

“What?”

Zzt- zzzzzzt-

It was a spark at first, but then it became more than a couple, and then eventually an entire flame emerged out of thin air. However, it was no ordinary flame, as the color of it was pitch black and the sword Van Ester held in his hand was coated in it.

“Ah…”

Reika’s eyes shook. Black flames engulfed the sword in front of her. It shined brilliantly and dazzled her eyes. There was no sign of magic being used, so there was only one answer.

“Oh, my…”

“Yes, this boy is a talented kid and I’m a swordmaster.”

The Master of the sword, the swordmaster. The goal of all the swordsmen in the entire world who pursued the pinnacle of swordsmanship.

Van Ester just laughed.

“Someday, you will be able to reach this level if you continue to grow.”

***

Since then, the estate had been in chaos. Lord Halvark made it known extensively that Swordmaster had visited, and the residents of the Halvark territory were turned upside down. They were commoners and didn’t dare dream of having another opportunity to see a person like this in their lives.

Young children and teenagers came to the castle each day and were stopped at the gate, shouting and begging for Van Ester to accept them as disciples, making Lord Halvark’s ears hurt. Meanwhile, a strange rumor circulated throughout the townspeople.

The Swordmaster was trying to take in the trash of the Halvark estate, Asher, as a disciple.

“So, are you sure you don’t want to be my student?”

“I wouldn’t have said no if I did.”

tsk-

Van Ester clicked his tongue nervously at Asher’s indifferent answer. Asher ignored him and just swung the sword. Van Ester was once again impressed and lost all his thoughts by the unwavering movement and discipline in Asher’s sword.

“Perfect, as expected. I’ve only seen such talent about 2 or 3 times in my life.”

“Are you not leaving yet?”

Asher frowned with annoyance. It had been hard to concentrate on the training since Van Ester, his close friend had been sticking to his side for days and whining to be his student.

‘Is this what he’s like these days?’

Asher remembered him being more serious and tight-lipped before Van Ester got older. Did his personality seriously have to change this much after 20 years? Asher groaned inwardly.

“If you’re a Swordmaster, you’ll have a lot of people begging to become your disciple.”

“There’s no place for an old man like me who’s been gone from the Empire for 20 years. It’s been a nuisance to have to keep up with politics and what not.”

“You must be joking…”

There was no kingdom or Empire that would refuse the services of a swordmaster. When the news would get to the Empire that he had returned, it’ll turn the nobility and political factions upside down. A delegation was bound to visit soon. Van Ester wrinkled his nose in annoyance at such thoughts.

“But it won’t last long. I will make you my disciple before the annoying bastards come to find me hahah!”

“Then in the meantime, look at her and not me. It’ll be much more fun to teach her than me.”

At the end of Asher’s gaze, Reika was looking at Van Ester with a cat-like blade. At that remark, Van Ester clicked his tongue again.

“I’ve already told you I did ask her. But she politely refused. She’s said she already has a teacher, so she can’t learn from others. In fact it’s rare to find such a polite kid these days.”

“Is that so…?”

Asher didn’t expect that. Van Ester was a swordmaster. If taught by him, Reika would undoubtedly become strong, and if anybody else heard this they would also flip out. But she had refused the High Count Van Ester, the swordmaster, for him.

‘You don’t have to do this Reika.’

Reika was talented. It would honestly be better to learn from such a skilled person. In fact, Asher planned to find a swordmaster if possible and introduce them to Reika so they could take her in formally.

“More than anything, she’ll be strong enough anyways. It doesn’t mean much anyways since I wanted you as my disciple in the first place.”

“I refuse.”

Asher said in a single line, Van Ester bowed his head sullenly. It was embarrassing to see him begging and whining like a child for someone as old as he was. Asher sighed. Thanks to him, Asher had found intense motivation to train incredibly hard for the past few days.

But it wasn’t just that. Asher recalled a memory that was incredibly vivid albeit short in his previous life. The sensation he felt from the brilliant flames, Aura. The senses, the power from it, the movement, the quality was all different from what Van Ester’s aura was like.

Asher remembered vividly when he had awakened as a swordmaster in his final moments of his previous life, and the sensation of the aura he created.

It would be clear to him just what the exact differences were if he could resummon that aura, but the aura within him that he could feel, was like a blocked pipe with water that couldn’t be released.

‘Am I really a Swordmaster?’

He couldn’t have made an error in his memory. The aura, which had been released from his body and sword at that time, was definitely much different than any other aura he had seen from other swordmasters. In addition… there was a strange power he could feel from his aura.

What was even more important to realize for Asher, was that Van Ester could not even recognize Asher as a fellow swordmaster. All he did was admire Asher’s swordsmanship. That in itself, was odd since swordmasters could instinctively sense each other’s presences and identify if one was a swordmaster.

All of a sudden, it felt that everything he knew had become awkward. He was suspicious of just what that so-called aura he had drawn out of himself was.

If Swordmaster couldn’t even tell, then was it a power greater than aura? Or was it something just fundamentally different?

The pinnacle of swordsmanship

He would find his answers once he reached that point. His purpose had not changed.

If anything his purpose was that much more clear.

Chapter 11 – Fin