CH 2

I just watched the feathers fluttering and falling alone in the blue sky.

After about 15 years of training in Baldosul, when I saw the falling feathers, I first questioned whether I could cut it down rather than what kind of bird it belonged to.

The answer to that question will soon be known.

With one hand towards the scabbard and the other towards the hilt, I took a deep breath and took a stance.

The feathers falling to the ground were caught in the strong wind and slowly rustled in front of my eyes without going anywhere far.

As soon as the feather came within range, I did not miss that movement and drew my sword.

I pulled out My sword at the speed of a flash and proceeded straight to the feathers without twisting.

“Swish!!”

After a while, I looked at the ground and smiled contentedly when I saw the feather that had been cut in two as neatly as it had been from the beginning.

“Huhuhuhuh!!”

After several attempts, I finally succeeded!!

The thing that is harder to cut than steel is a feather, which is easily blown away by even the slightest wind.

This is because it can be easily blown away by the slightest wind generated by swinging the sword before the sword could even touch it.

After many repeated attempts to cut this feather, I finally succeeded today.

As if to bless my success, a message announcing the birth of a new trait appeared.

[Attribute swordsman has been added.]

[Swordsman] [Rank: A+]

[This attribute is only given to those who have reached a higher level among warriors. You would have gotten it sooner if you hadn’t done stupid things like Baldosul.]

[TL Note: Baldosul is the koran name of Battōjutsu which is an old term for Iaijutsu. Battōjutsu is often used interchangeably with the terms Iaijutsu and battō. Generally, battōjutsu is practiced as a part of a classical ryū and is closely integrated with the tradition of Kenjutsu. It is practiced with a live blade, often simply as solo kata, so from now on I will use Battōjutsu instead of Baldosul. ]

I ignored the words in the second sentence because this attribute was not something I was specifically aiming for, but thanks to my training in Battōjutsu, I got this pretty good trait too.

The swordsman attribute is a very useful attribute. Not only does the main character of the original novel have it, but also all famous swordsmen in this novel have it.

From the moment I got this swordsman attribute, my proficiency in all sword-related skills increased to an incomparably higher degree than before.

It is said that if the opponent is a lower or normal swordsman, I can see through my opponent’s movements as if I had read the future, according to the description in the novel.

It is not an exaggeration to say that there is an overwhelming difference between a general swordsman and a swordsman with attributes, as much as Battōjutsu and other swordsmanship.

‘By the way, I didn’t expect it, but I’m already got the swordsman trait’

It is also a Battōjutsu.

If it was swordsmanship other than that, wouldn’t I have already reached the level I barely reached at around 30?

As I put the sword back in its scabbard and looked at the characteristics of a swordsman with satisfaction, I could feel someone’s presence in the distance.

“Ha!, Young Master!!”

I turned my head to the familiar voice, and the butler, old man Paul, was there.

“What’s up?  Your knees must be bad, but you are running like that.”

“That's because the madam is looking for the young master in a hurry.”

“Mother? All right, I’ll be right there.”

I hurried back to the mansion to meet my mother, but my mother was waiting for me at the front door, probably because she couldn’t wait for me to come.

“Mother, I heard you were looking for me urgently. What’s going on?”

“What’s going on… Ian!! Is it true that you applied to the Royal Academy?!”

Saying that my mother waved a letter, presumably from the Royal Academy, from her arms in front of my eyes.

“Yes? Yes, is it, but why?”

Come to think of it, I had yet to tell told my mother that I had applied for admission to Royal Academy.

I remember it hadn't been long since I submitted the application, but it seems that the reply had already arrived.

“Then you should have spoken to me first! Since the Count’s daughter is also entering the school this year, do you know how much work you have to do to say hello to the Count?!”

“Ahh… It’s about politics. I wasn’t really interested in that, so I wasn't paying attention”

There was a political part in the original novel, but it wasn’t fun, so I looked at it as a fluke.

But what kind of incongruent political game do these nobles play to me who is not a full baron or a baron-like aristocrat?

This manor is a rural corner with about two or three small villages.

“It’s annoying to say hello, can’t we just not do it? He wouldn’t even be able to remember me, a semi-baron anyway.”

“no! And what will you do if you get out of his sight!”

“Then let's just send a letter or something. They also don’t even want to give time to a baron like me.”

My mother seemed to be worried about being out of sight of the Count family, but she honestly said that the other side would not care about us from the beginning.

More than anything, if I've been doing trivial things, I’ll just have to do something with diplomacy.

“The academy is not just a place to study, it is also a place to socialize! It’s important to make a lot of connections there that will help you in the future! Do you know that?!”

“Yes…”

I couldn’t understand why I had to cringe at a woman who couldn’t even use Battōjutsu, but I nodded my head in yes because I thought the story would be long if I said no.

But where did the countess come from?

I'm sure I heard the name from my mother, but I forgot it because it wasn’t a very important family in the novel.

“Mother, what was the countess’s name?”

“Ian is really... This is the Vongrind family. and Young-ae’s name is Jessica, it’s rude if you don’t know her name, so please remember it!”

[TL Note- Young-ae’s is from Sino-Korean meaning "flower, petal" or "fine, excellent" or "glory, honor" combined with (ae) meaning "love". so you can think of MC's mother saying her name with love or respect like 'the lady's name is Jessica'. ]

Jessica Vongrind is a name I’ve never heard of in the original novel.

Listening to it again, I can't really pinpoint it.

It’s not closely related to the novel, so it’ll be fine if I just say hello and leave it alone.

“But Ian… .”

“Is there something more, mother?”

“Why does Ian want to enter the academy? To be honest, this mother didn’t think that Ian had much interest in learning.”

“Ah, that’s it. It’s because I have a mission that can only be accomplished by going to the academy.”

“mission?”

My mother seemed surprised when grandiose word of mission suddenly came out of my mouth.

“Yes, the academy has an important mission to introduce the best swordsmanship, Battōjutsu, to the world.”

After 15 years of honing my Battōjutsu without missing a single day, I realized it.

Is it okay to monopolize such strong and beautiful swordsmanship alone?

No, there is no way for such heinous evil to be forgiven.

The good thing is that everyone should use it together.

“Defeat the protagonist, the Sword Saint, in order to spread the Battōjutsu!”

The swordsman, who was born into a family of swordsmen and at the time of completion proves that he has the strongest swordsmanship, I will defeat the protagonist who becomes the world’s strongest swordsman.

If necessary, I will also knock down the main character’s older sister, the prince, and the next knight commander who escorts the prince in addition to the main character.

Even so, I sincerely thought that spreading the greatness of Battōjutsu to this world was the reason I was given life in this world.

“Even for that, I must go to the academy!!”

*****

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A few days later, the day Ian goes to the academy.

I left the room to see off Ian, who was waiting at the front door.

But what the hell is this ominous buzz that builds up in my heart every time I take a step toward the front door?

Is it the sadness and loneliness that came from falling apart for the first time with the son whom I give birth to and had been with for the rest of my life?

No, it’s a bit different from that feeling, to put it bluntly, this is anxiety.

It’s like a child who accidentally breaks his father’s cherished craft and is anxious because he doesn’t know when he will be scolded.

If you ask me why my son is going to the academy and why I feel so anxious, if there is any point to point out, it's not that there isn't.

‘Not a bad kid, but a little… No, he’s a very eccentric kid.’

I don’t know about magic, but I’m completely ignorant of swords, so I don’t know exactly what level of swordsmanship Ian is.

If there is anything I knew, It is just that he said happily one day that he will become the best swordsman.

But honestly, he wasn't that strong compared to the real swordsman, so I don’t know how much credibility he has.

‘If..., What if Ian’s skills aren’t that good, so he gets frustrated?’

Conversely, if Ian’s skills are so good that he falls out of the eyes of the high-ranking nobles and furthermore if a situation comes where the family is trampled on...

Ian may not have known sword skills, but he couldn’t even say that he was good at politics or sociability.

Besides, he has a strange obsession with Battōjutsu, So he might get into a fight with a noble who values chivalry. 

‘He is even saying something strange that he going to publicize the Battōjutsu while calling it a mission

Ominous fantasies kept popping up in my head, thinking that I didn’t know if it was another child or Ian.

Is there any way to stop Ian now?

“mother?”

“Yes?”

When came to my senses, I was standing in front of the front door where Ian was waiting, not on the stairs. 

How immersed I was in my thoughts… I came to my senses and looked at Ian who was waiting for me.

“What were you thinking?”

“Ian… .”

ah… ! What should I say?

Shall we cry and beg him not to go while holding on to the crotch of his pants?

No, if it’s something related to Battōjutsu, it would be meaningless to do anything like that because of Ian’s stubborn personality.

“ha… Ian.”

“Yes, mother.”

“When you enter the academy, first buy a present and go say hello to Jessica Young-ae. A small dessert like a piece of cake is a good gift.”

“Isn’t it enough to send a letter?”

“Not enough! When I go to the next estate to greet Princ Victor, I sent a letter asking Ian to accompany him, So you are going with him! Do you know?!!”

“I know.”

Seeing Ian nodding his head as if annoyed, I could barely hold back the feeling that I was about to burst out of breath.

Now all that’s left is to pray.

All I can do is hope and pray that Ian does at least some things that I could understand with my common sense.

From tomorrow… No, starting today, let’s pray as desperately as Ian used to do Battōjutsu.

If there was a god, it was clear that he would take care of me and take care of Ian so that he didn’t act foolishly.

‘Let’s pray, pray.’