First of All, I’m Drinking - Chapter 14

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Episode 14

Whoosh! Whoosh!

Slashing horizontally, striking diagonally upward, thrusting straight forward.

I followed every movement Zeroph had shown with perfect accuracy, without the slightest error.

More weighty and graceful than Zeroph’s own swordsmanship.

I poured all the principles of the sword I had established while wandering through the Demon Realm into this single demonstration.

“I’m finished.”

“…”

When the demonstration of the forms was finally complete.

Zeroph Gamilan, forgetting he was even in the presence of royalty.

“Such a… monster…”

With a face filled with fear and ecstasy, he could only mutter those words.

* * *

Late at night.

Taeyang Palace. The Emperor’s office.

Brunei de Argent was conducting his duties with a single small candle lit on his desk.

The heat of the candlelight dimly illuminated the entire room.

“How was it?”

The Emperor asked casually, keeping his gaze fixed on the documents.

“You kept asking so insistently that I granted permission, but was Cael’s talent satisfactory?”

A middle-aged knight with gray hair standing at attention across from him answered his question.

“It was nothing short of excellent.”

Thud.

The Emperor set down his pen.

At the rare praise from the captain of the guard, who seldom spoke words of commendation, the Emperor lifted his eyes from the documents to look at him.

“How did he compare to Arthur or Killian?”

“I do not mean to disparage the abilities of the 1st and 2nd Prince, but Prince Cael’s talent should not be compared to theirs.”

“Then?”

“At least… considering swordsmanship alone, I believe he may eventually reach a position similar to the ‘Leader.'”

“Are you certain?”

“That’s how it appeared to me. Not only did he master all the basic swordsmanship in a single day, but his sword was resonating like the demonstration of a seasoned high-ranking knight.”

“Hmm…”

Emperor Brunei rested his chin on his hand and fell into thought.

Who was the Leader?

While anyone who heads a group could be called that, there was only one person who represented that title in this world.

The Empire’s sole counterpart, the ruler who leads the Western Alliance.

At the same time, the world’s greatest swordsman.

The Grand Master who had uniquely reached the 9-star realm in the current era was that very person.

“The makings of the next world’s greatest swordsman.”

The Emperor tapped the desk with his index finger.

‘Is the monster’s offspring finally beginning to bare its fangs?’

The child who had dealt with a monster in a single strike and twisted the sword path of a knight who was about to behead his wet nurse.

At the same time, didn’t he possess the audacity and spirit to demand the Silver Rite from him without hesitation?

“If that’s true, I’ll have to provide full support.”

“Are you considering designating Prince Cael as the next emperor?”

“Hasn’t he only just started training? I need to observe more.”

“That was a question for when Your Majesty truly sees the possibility of the next world’s greatest swordsman in the future.”

The Emperor chuckled.

Zeroph stood quietly, waiting for him to speak.

“While martial prowess and leadership are separate matters, if it really comes to that, there’s nothing I couldn’t entrust to him.”

After all, the advisory staff could handle state administration.

The trust and symbolism that comes from overwhelming martial power.

A strong leader had the power to unite the masses by their very existence.

Just as the current Leader of the Western Alliance did.

Slurp.

The Emperor took a sip of the tea placed on his desk.

“But isn’t there still one major hurdle remaining before getting ahead of ourselves?”

Zeroph swallowed hard.

As the Emperor said, whether Cael had talent for ‘aura’ had not yet been verified.

Talent for swordsmanship and talent for aura are separate things.

The reason high-ranking swordsmen are rare is that there aren’t many cases where both talents are satisfied from the beginning.

Though the blood of the Argent Imperial Family has traditionally had high sensitivity to mana, so there’s less to worry about…

“From the next session, teach Cael aura cultivation methods along with swordsmanship.”

“I shall obey your command.”

Zeroph Gamilan bowed his head in silent acknowledgment and left the office.

The door closed with a creaking sound.

“The next world’s greatest swordsman…”

I hope it truly comes to pass.

The Emperor muttered to himself in the empty office while sipping his tea.

If the son born from a concubine he took late in life could grow so vigorously as to eventually become strong enough to hold the Leader in check through martial power…

“In my generation, the Western Alliance will disappear into the back alleys of history.”

And the world will bow its head before the name of the Argent Empire.

The Blood Martial Emperor.

Brunei de Argent savored the remaining tea while thinking such thoughts.

* * *

“Pardon?”

The training ground attached to the residence.

Having come out to receive swordsmanship instruction from the captain of the guard, I couldn’t help but be flustered by the words that came from his mouth.

“You’re going to teach me aura?”

“That’s what has been decided.”

“Already? Was this something that could originally be learned this quickly?”

“Typically, it’s common to start about one to two years after learning the sword. Usually, that much time needs to pass for the body to be optimized to accept aura. However, Your Highness’s body is already more than sufficient—it’s overflowing. There should be no problem starting cultivation immediately.”

This was excellent news for me.

For my top priority goal of strengthening my body, aura cultivation was an essential process.

“I will now transmit the aura cultivation method to you. Please sit in lotus position.”

Following his command, I sat in lotus position in the center of the training ground.

“Your Highness has likely never been aware of mana’s existence until now.”

Zeroph began his instruction in earnest.

“Water, fire, air, earth. These are the four basic elements that form the foundation of this world. But in reality, there’s one more besides these.”

“Is that mana?”

“That’s correct.”

Mana.

A mysterious energy source that exists everywhere in the Intermediate Realm.

‘There are two ways for humans to handle mana.’

One is casting magic.

The other is converting it to aura to strengthen the body.

I have no interest in the former.

No matter how strong the magic used by human mage weaklings might be, it can’t compare to techniques using demonic energy.

What I’m interested in is only aura.

“Mana exists everywhere in this world. In fire, in water, underground, in the sky above. And mana is also floating around in this training ground where we are.”

I practiced the breathing technique to sense mana while listening to Zeroph’s words.

As I faintly felt the mana, something unexpected happened.

The Deity’s Eye of Wisdom.

That power that had been dormant within me awakened, and my eyes underwent enlightenment.

‘Is it because my body has grown? I didn’t expect to be able to open the Eye of Wisdom this soon.’

Compared to my previous life, it was a mere drop in the bucket, but it was better than nothing.

When I observed again with the Eye of Wisdom, I could see blue particles floating gently in the empty air.

Are those mana crystals?

How beautiful.

The training ground was being dyed in blue light.

It was like fireflies.

“I can see them.”

I pointed at the mana particles with my hand.

“There and there, blue dots are flying around. There are so many that I don’t have enough fingers to point at them all.”

“Yes, that’s righ… Huh?”

Zeroph Gamilan suddenly made a cracking sound.

His pupils shook as he wore a dazed expression, as if he must have misheard.

“Th-that… you shouldn’t be able to see them already?”

“Pardon?”

What are you suddenly talking about, old man?

I tilted my head in confusion and asked back.

“What do you mean?”

“Ah, no. Your Highness, Your Highness Cael.”

Zeroph’s eyes widened as he brought his face close to mine as I sat on the floor.

“The mana particles… you can see them? You’re not lying, really?”

“Yes. And it’s uncomfortable, so please don’t bring your face so close.”

“Ah, I apologize.”

Zeroph pulled his face back.

Looking directly at a grown man’s mustache from so close made me feel like I might vomit.

“Could you point out the mana once more?”

“That’s not difficult.”

I pointed at the mana particles floating in the air once again.

“Here and there and there… Oh, that one seems slightly bigger than the others. So they’re not all exactly the same size but have slight differences.”

“…”

“Count Gamillan?”

Zeroph was frozen still in place.

As if witnessing an unbelievable sight, only the sound of air escaping continuously leaked from his mouth.

“Ha, haha. Hahahaha.”

Why is he acting like that all of a sudden?

It’s confusing when a perfectly normal person suddenly acts like this.

After laughing like a madman for a while, Zeroph suddenly grabbed both my shoulders.

“Your Highness!!”

“Ah, damn it, you scared me.”

I was so startled that a curse slipped out, but fortunately Zeroph didn’t seem to hear it.

He brought his face close again with eyes gleaming with madness.

“Your Highness has no idea how happy I am right now!”

“Pardon?”

“For the first time since the founding Emperor! Material that can reach 9-star from the Imperial House! Master! No, even beyond that! Perhaps the greatest in history! Such a thing is unprecedented! Ah, I don’t know! In any case, Your Highness is the Imperial House’s… Gueek!”

I slapped Zeroph’s cheek hard.

I didn’t want to see that disgusting mustache anymore.

Zeroph’s head whipped to the side, and a red handprint was imprinted on his cheek.

I calmly apologized.

“Ah, I’m sorry. You seemed too excited, so I thought you should calm down a bit…”

“…No, it’s fine. Ahem. I showed an unseemly side.”

Fortunately, Zeroph magnanimously overlooked my violence.

“I’m really sorry. I won’t do it again next time.”

“I was the first to lay hands on Your Highness’s sacred body, so we’re even. But please be careful next time.”

Zeroph took a deep breath.

His eyes, which had been filled with madness, also regained their usual sharpness.

Having calmed his excitement, he opened his mouth.

“Now that you’ve sensed mana, the rest is simple. In that same position, try breathing with the feeling of accumulating mana within your body.”

“Understood.”

I closed my eyes while sitting cross-legged.

With the feeling of accumulating mana within my body.

“Whoo. Whoo.”

The change appeared immediately.

Just by breathing, massive amounts of mana flowed in like a flood.

How long had it been since I started breathing? Already my body was packed full of a pure energy I was feeling for the first time.

‘At this rate, in just a few years I’d surpass the amount absorbed from the mana pills?’

Is this normally how it works?

No, if that were the case, there wouldn’t be people frustrated by their inability to use aura.

Mana pills wouldn’t be priced sky-high either.

It’s just that this body’s absorption rate is exceptionally outstanding.

Like other imperial family members, I too inherited the founding king’s blood and was born with tremendous talent for aura.

“Whoop.”

I stopped breathing and focused all my energy on introspection.

I mixed the mana absorbed from the mana pills with the mana taken in through breathing and squeezed them together.

Like a blacksmith refining metal.

As I compressed and hammered it to the limit, it gradually transformed into an unfamiliar, mysterious energy.

The mana that crossed the threshold took on fluidity, unlike its previous static nature.

I also felt refined destructive power that wasn’t savage like magic.

‘This is… aura?’

I spread the aura throughout my body.

The aura quickly dispersed throughout my entire body like an angry bull.

I decided to test its performance right away.

Dash!

I leaped vigorously and ran across the training ground.

The stamina consumed was clearly less than before using aura.

My endurance and stamina had increased.

Moreover, though not a huge difference, my speed itself had also increased.

I could finally be certain.

That I had finally reached the realm of 1-star Sword Beginner.

‘I was lucky.’

If I hadn’t obtained the mana pills from the Emperor, it would have taken much longer just to reach 1-star.

However, my body was already full of mana absorbed from the mana pills, so I was able to break through the realm as soon as I learned the breathing technique.

“Uh… Uhuh?!”

Zeroph, who confirmed what I had just done, froze while standing.

“Just now, aura!! A-aura!!”

I feel like I’m seeing that old man break down a lot today.

Confirming that madness was once again gleaming in his eyes, I gave up.

The next day.

The news that I had mastered basic swordsmanship and successfully reached 1-star in just one day struck the entire Imperial Capital like a thunderbolt.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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