I Became a Swordsmanship Genius at the Academy

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The guardian captain led Kim Il-shin to the city’s main street.

As we got closer to the center, increasingly larger and more extravagant buildings caught our eyes.

“Here we are. Come inside.”

What we had arrived at was a castle that towered high and shone splendidly, far beyond any of the buildings we had passed.

The exterior walls, seemingly coated in gold, were adorned with large jewels that sparkled due to the light shooting in from multiple directions, allowing their splendor to be admired even at night.

“Surprised? No matter how much you’ve traveled, you’ve never seen a place like this, huh?”

The guardian captain started bragging, as if he were the owner of the place, without even being asked.

“You really have to see it during the day. When the sunlight hits it, the entire floor glimmers—oh man, it’s just that amazing. It’s a shame it’ll disappear in a little while.”

After he finished speaking, the guardian captain shot me a sly glance.

Feeling that if I ignored him he would keep pestering me, I decided to say what he wanted to hear.

“Why does it disappear?”

“That’s a good question. Our lords get bored of even the most precious things very quickly. So they build a new castle every six months. They’re already constructing the next one over there. It’s showcasing the lord’s majesty. Originally, it was every three months, but those pesky beggars whined, so they changed it.”

The guardian captain clicked his tongue, wrinkling his brow.

“When our lords command, you better jump right to it. Why do those who would’ve died ages ago complain so much?”

“……”

When Kim Il-shin remained silent, the guardian captain interpreted it differently and broke into a bright smile, patting him on the shoulder.

“Ah, no need to be tense. Someone capable like you will definitely be treated well. They say you’ve caught a few monsters? It’s fine to be proud of that, but being too arrogant isn’t good. Back in my day…”

It was clear the guardian captain didn’t really hear Kim Il-shin’s story, or if he did, he didn’t believe it.

Either way, it was evident he was lacking in ability.

It was almost surprising that he became a guardian captain at all.

As I walked, letting the captain’s bragging pass by me, I soon spotted a pavilion built over a clear pond.

With a soft light rising from the bottom, the entire pond sparkled faintly, and the shadows created by the pond’s creatures resembled an ever-changing artwork.

The pavilion that had settled in the center was as large as an ordinary palace, epitomizing extravagance.

Even if this was a city overflowing with resources, considering the labor required to enter here, it was utterly ridiculous.

Moreover, the idea that they would tear this down and rebuild it every six months was even more nonsensical.

“So what I mean is… Ah, we’ve arrived already. It’d be wise to be careful with your words and actions once you go inside. That’s my advice because I like you.”

“Thank you.”

After a light bow, I climbed the stairs connected to the pavilion.

Inside, a lavish feast filled with indulgence and debauchery was in full swing.

The tables were overflowing with greasy foods that the common citizens could never even catch a glimpse of, and empty liquor bottles lay scattered all over the floor around them.

The attire of the servers ferrying the food and drinks was as crude as it could get.

The pieces of fabric wrapped around the young men and women scurrying about did little to qualify as proper clothing.

“Bring more alcohol! More!”

“Mmm, this is good. Next!”

“Hey! No covering up! Move naturally, I said! Naturally!”

Behind them, three men appeared to be thoroughly enjoying the festivities.

As Kim Il-shin walked further inside, the man sitting at the head of the table spotted him and shouted.

“You finally made it! Hurry and sit down!”

He warmly welcomed Kim Il-shin, going so far as to walk barefoot out to him.

Then he seized Kim Il-shin’s wrist, pulling him beside his own seat.

Pouring drinks without pause, he asked,

“So, first off, let’s have a drink. What’s your name?”

Kim Il-shin accepted the drink that was poured for him with grace.

“I’m Kim Il-shin.”

“I’m Luke. Think of me as the leader of these lords. Just consider me the king of this city.”

After introducing himself, Luke continued to introduce the other lords seated to his sides.

“This is Bahum. You can tell just by looking he’s strong, huh? Best not to arm wrestle with him, or you might end up with a broken arm.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Bahum was a muscle-bound beast, likely three times the size of an ordinary person.

Perhaps due to his appearance, he seemed to love eating, even during our introduction, he didn’t stop chewing.

“This is Hwang-ro. Quite the hot-blooded guy, in more ways than one.”

“Nice to meet you.”

Hwang-ro’s smile while greeting was incredibly lewd.

While he was being friendly, one of his hands was sneaking toward the person next to him, giving me a bad feeling about how it would be handled later.

“Now that we exchanged greetings, let’s drink! Let’s down a few first. Cheers!”

Following Luke’s command, Kim Il-shin chugged the drinks one after the other.

Though it was pretty strong, he didn’t feel it would get him drunk. He had survived dwarf liquor, so this was nothing.

“This guy can really drink! I have great taste in people!”

“The location must be good; it seems the liquor goes down smoothly.”

“What? Hahahaha!”

For now, I decided to play along until the main topic came up.

After all, both of us had things we wanted, so it wasn’t too hard. Even my small remarks drew big reactions.

“Try this. It’s made using Bahum’s recipe; it’s absolutely outstanding.”

“I’ve never had anything like this anywhere. Thanks to you, I’m experiencing something new.”

“See? You know your stuff!”

Under Luke’s enthusiasm, the drinking party continued until dawn.

As everyone slowly started to tire and the atmosphere began to settle, Luke opened his mouth.

“Hey, friend.”

“Yes?”

“How do you find this place?”

Luke pointed at the pond, the pavilion, and then the castle ahead in succession.

“It’s beautiful and splendid.”

“Not that! Doesn’t it make you think? While other people can’t even eat properly, these insane folks are building things like this…”

“……Not really.”

“No need to bow your head like that. I understand too.”

Kim Il-shin realized Luke was about to get to the point.

“I think of it this way. Those guys who are completely invisible to us, they’re a different breed altogether. But just because we were born in the same pen, we get treated equally? While we guard the pen from outside enemies, they’re over there munching on grass? That’s completely ridiculous.”

Luke, draping an arm over Kim Il-shin’s shoulder, slowly filled his cup.

“We have to be different from the livestock. It’s only natural. If there’s no difference, we make one. I’m just upholding the laws of nature, that’s all. You’ll understand that soon enough.”

Though he spoke as if he realized something, Kim Il-shin couldn’t help but chuckle, knowing the truth behind his power.

He was certainly no natural-born predator.

“If you join us, you can enjoy all of this together. I wouldn’t recommend it, but if you want, we can include the women who came with you.”

After taking a sip of his drink, Luke wiped his mouth and continued.

“Or how about switching things up with some fresh options? I’ll ensure everything’s prepared just right for you. Sound good?”

“I’m fine.”

Luke hesitated for a moment, then erupted into laughter, shouting,

“You’ve got some loyalty! But if you ever get tired of it, just let me know!”

Thus, the two resumed their drinking.

Bahum and Hwang-ro, who had been barely keeping themselves up, completely succumbed to drunkenness and ended up face down on the table.

The servers hurriedly exited, leaving Kim Il-shin and Luke alone.

As Luke filled his glass again, he casually asked,

“Now, I told you some about me, so it’s your turn. Where do you come from?”

Kim Il-shin replied lightly.

“I come from a small village far away from here.”

“Liar.”

The atmosphere shifted drastically. The once-friendly expression on Luke’s face hardened in an instant.

His gaze as he looked at Kim Il-shin was filled with killing intent.

“Why are you acting like this?”

“You. Why are you lying?”

Kim Il-shin feigned ignorance, trying to draw out more of Luke’s true nature.

“What do you mean ‘lying’?”

“You little bastard… You think your smug smile makes me look like a total fool? Where did you learn to throw around shit like that?”

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“Not planning to speak, huh? Hey, everyone out.”

At his command, the terrified servers, along with the collapsed Bahum and Hwang-ro, all jumped up and rushed outside.

This was merely a ruse to create an intense atmosphere.

“Bring that over here.”

Luke spoke to an elderly man who remained in a corner.

Dressed in loose and flowy garments, he was Sa-baek, an advisor to Luke.

“Understood.”

Sa-baek descended beneath the pavilion and soon returned holding a box.

“Set it down.”

Inside the box Sa-baek placed was a collection of familiar items.

Magazines, CDs, mobile phones—you name it—all items that had flowed in from Earth’s dimension.

Due to the short distance between this world and Earth, there were many such objects.

Even the novel that the simpleton had was among them.

“Now, you can’t lie anymore, can you?”

Luke whispered with a smirk, the cold sensation of metal against his abdomen evident.

“How can I get to that place?”

Hearing that, Kim Il-shin thought,

‘It seems it’s time to start some education.’

Where would he draw the line with the blade? How dangerously enticing.