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Chapter 20 – Swordmaster Cain (3)
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Chapter 20 – Swordmaster Cain (3)
First, Cain went to the lord to explain.
He would teach the barbarian about swords and aura.
The lord’s face became even more puzzled, but now with a small sigh, he nodded his head.
And Cain and Ketal moved to the training ground.
“First, it’s better to explain about my swordsmanship. I am Cain, the Swordmaster. I handle Cain’s swordsmanship.”
“Cain? Is that your style?”
“The swordsmanship I handle is one that I created. One cannot be called a Swordmaster if they reach the realm of another’s swordsmanship.”
A very matter-of-fact tone, just stating the facts.
Ketal was even more excited by that attitude.
It meant he was the founder of a style.
He is now trying to learn the mysteries of this world.
He had learned swordsmanship itself on Earth.
But like most parents when they were young, it was for health purposes only.
He didn’t learn it properly.
But this is real swordsmanship.
Fantasy, mystical, strange swordsmanship that deals with auras.
His heart fluttered like that of a child.
It was hard to sit still with anticipation.
Cain slowly drew his sword.
“The biggest feature of my swordsmanship is the materialization of illusion and reality. You understand that from facing my disciple.”
“Ah. That knight was your disciple?”
“Yes. You roughly know about the duel. What did you see there?”
“The sword strikes were divided into three. They were all actual attacks. It was amazing.”
It would be difficult for an ordinary human to respond.
Ketal understood exactly what Cain’s swordsmanship was.
“In that sense, is it the materialization of illusion and reality? It’s a swordsmanship closer to technique than strength.”
“…That’s correct.”
Cain nodded calmly.
Ketal understood the characteristics of his swordsmanship right away.
‘He’s quick to understand.’
And much faster than those with considerable knowledge or culture.
Staring at the barbarian in front of him, Cain couldn’t quite grasp what kind of being he was.
Cain organized his thoughts and spoke.
“Swordsmanship is the manipulation of swords and auras to handle mysteries. The one who reaches the end is the Swordmaster.”
He emphasized that statement.
Ketal looked at Cain with excitement.
Whizz.
With the sound of crackling flames, a blue light rose from Cain’s sword.
It was as if blue flames were engulfing the sword.
“Wow!”
Ketal couldn’t help but exclaim.
Aura!
A real aura surrounding the sword!
It was the fantasy mystery he had longed for.
Tears seemed to well up.
Cain, on the other hand, was perplexed by his reaction.
“Why is he like that?”
Wrapping a sword with aura is a very basic technique.
It could be done with only first-class skill.
It was never enough to impress the barbarian who had easily subdued him.
That barbarian was incomprehensible.
Cain, giving up on understanding, shook his sword.
“Since it’s hard to understand the materialization of illusion and reality, I’ll show you directly.”
Cain gripped the sword with both hands and slashed downward.
A blue flame cut through the air.
And at that moment, the sword split.
Two to the left.
Two to the right.
Five sword strikes were implemented simultaneously.
They cut through the air sharply.
They all struck at one point simultaneously.
“Wow!”
Ketal was purely amazed.
Five sword strikes were implemented simultaneously.
It was clearly a mystery that was impossible with modern knowledge.
Cain, enjoying his reaction, sheathed his sword.
“There are many techniques that create illusions using aura. But putting substance into them is a technique that only exists in my swordsmanship.”
Manipulating illusion and reality freely to confuse the senses.
No one could easily respond to that.
He achieved the title of Swordmaster with this technique.
“I’ll explain the details later.”
“Wow.”
Finally, he could learn real mysteries.
Ketal was deeply moved, and Cain was very satisfied.
Yes.
He is a Swordmaster.
Even if that barbarian is stronger than him, the realm he has reached is high and noble.
No one can imitate it.
Cain was very convinced.
“…Hm?”
And Ketal’s expression slowly became perplexed.
He tilted his head.
“The technique you showed me.”
“Yes. It’s truly a mysterious technique! What do you think?”
“I think I can do it too.”
“…What?”
Cain hesitated.
“That’s nonsense.”
A faint displeasure appeared on Cain’s face.
He had dedicated his entire life to the sword.
He had exceptional talent and put in the appropriate effort.
What he had achieved was his own swordsmanship.
The thought that a barbarian could do such a thing was absolutely unacceptable.
“It would be faster to show it directly.”
Ketal grabbed the axe handle at his waist.
It was only then that Cain realized Ketal was holding an axe.
“That…”
Seeing the axe, Cain was surprised.
At the end of the axe handle Ketal held, there was a jet-black gem embedded, and both the handle and the blade were black.
The handle was adorned with fancy carvings, making it quite valuable on its own.
The ominously shining axe blade created the illusion that it could cleave the whole world in two.
And there was one pattern where the blade and the handle connected.
‘What’s that?’
It seemed to be a symbol of something, but exactly what it was couldn’t be determined.
However, from its delicacy, it was clear it wasn’t an ordinary axe.
It was too civilized to be wielded by a barbarian, and it seemed quite valuable.
‘It’s like a legendary weapon.’
Whatever impression he had of the axe, Ketal raised it.
Then he put strength into his arm.
Thunk.
His muscles swelled.
Ketal swung the axe downward.
And Cain watched.
Once to the front.
Then twice to the left.
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
And twice to the right.
A total of five axe swings were unleashed simultaneously.
Thunk thunk thunk thunk thud!
The pressure struck the ground roughly, raising dust and obscuring the view.
Ketal slowly sheathed the axe.
“How about that?”
“Um, uh…”
Cain couldn’t speak.
Ketal had indeed executed five attacks simultaneously, just as he had done.
But there was a significant difference.
‘That was just done with brute force!’
Cain screamed inwardly.
Ketal hadn’t manipulated aura to materialize illusion and reality.
It was just pure strength.
He simply swung the axe downward.
Then quickly brought it back and swung twice to the left and twice to the right.
It only appeared as if he had swung them simultaneously due to overwhelming speed.
‘What a brute way!’
To simultaneously execute five attacks with sheer strength and speed!
It was unheard of.
Cain desperately spoke up.
“What you did was just swinging. There was no technique!”
“But the result is similar, isn’t it? Swordsmanship is not just for show, it’s for real combat. So, isn’t there not much difference?”
“That, that’s…”
He couldn’t deny it.
Ultimately, swordsmanship was about fighting and killing someone.
From that perspective, the barbarian’s words weren’t wrong.
But he didn’t want to acknowledge that he had solved the mysteries he had accumulated with mere strength.
“What about this then?”
Cain gripped his sword again.
As if responding to his emotions, the aura rose rougher.
Cain exerted all his power.
He swung the sword forcefully as he advanced roughly.
Afterimages were drawn.
It wasn’t just the sword separating.
Cain’s body itself split into seven.
It was one yet not one.
A miracle created by extreme control of the aura.
Like a storm, the rough connection swept through as if multiple entities were collaborating.
Those facing him would feel as though they were facing seven simultaneously.
“Try to replicate this!”
Cain shouted roughly, catching his breath.
Ketal silently raised the axe.
And the axe swung.
A storm even more relentless than what Cain had done, to the point where even opening one’s eyes was difficult, swept through.
It was different from Cain’s.
It wasn’t a technique that materialized afterimages into substance through delicate aura control.
It was just simply fast.
And that speed intensified to the point of creating afterimages.
Cain watched.
Ketal’s body creating over eight afterimages simultaneously.
Thud…
The storm subsided.
Ketal sheathed the axe.
“How about that?”
“Uh, um…”
Cain was at a loss for words.
* * *
The skills he had accumulated throughout his life.
The mysteries he had been proud of, thinking no one could match.
Now, they were shattered in the most primitive and ignorant manner.
Cain couldn’t say anything.
And Ketal had a melancholic expression of his own.
‘I didn’t want it to happen like this.’
What is this?
He simply swung the axe quickly and brutally.
Yet, that alone achieved the mystery.
But this wasn’t a mystery at all.
Ketal’s emotions cooled down like a child who had seen the backside of a magic set.
‘No. No way.’
Ketal shook his head.
He had suffered greatly.
He had overcome death hundreds, thousands of times.
He surpassed dozens of times the amount of time an average human spends in their lifetime.
The strength he possessed was what he had achieved in the end.
Just simple strength, without any aura, mana, or miracles, but because of that, it was simply strong.
And the Swordmaster before him had shown such results using his own technique.
He might be around 40 or 50 years old judging by his appearance.
To achieve such results with just a modest investment of time was remarkable.
The value of mysteries had increased even more.
Above all, what he had seen was just one technique.
There were still so many things he wanted to know.
Magic, more swordsmanship, spirits, alchemy, miracles, divine power, prayers.
He wanted to know and acquire all those things.
Hadn’t the Elven Queen dealt with mysteries that he could never touch?
What’s the difference between judging everything based on Cain’s technique alone and being like a frog in a well?
Ketal quickly recovered his emotions.
And Cain was still unable to recover.
“Uh, um.”
Words wouldn’t follow.
Cain blankly opened his mouth.
“Uh…”
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]