The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 102

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

Chapter 102 39. Keep Watch on Lumian Calard (4)

He couldn’t believe it.

Joel Cock himself was a promising talent who carried all the expectations of the Charlotte Kingdom. There was no one among his peers who was better than him, which was why he was in this position.

Of course, he knew there were far more impressive monsters outside the kingdom, but he never dreamed that Tarasan’s knight cadets would fall into that category.

‘They’re two years younger than me, and there’s such a huge difference in national power. How strong could they be?’

That’s what he had thought just one minute ago.

But the situation had flowed in a completely different direction.

Joel Cock broke out in a cold sweat as he glanced around nervously.

“What’s this? He acted like he wanted to fight.”

“Is he backing down?”

“I thought he’d be amazing since he’s a trainee knight from another country, but I guess he’s just ordinary.”

“Hey, what if they hear you talking like that? Keep it down.”

‘I already heard it! You bastards!’

How dare inferior students from a small country evaluate me!

He wanted to shout that boldly, but he couldn’t.

Actions not backed by skill only invite ridicule. More than anything, Lumian Calard, who was still watching him with sharp eyes, bothered him greatly.

His gaze, his attitude, his composure – all completely different from before.

Joel Cock, who only now felt this, spoke in a suppressed voice.

“…Come to think of it, there’s probably no need to go that far.”

“Hmm… Is that so?”

“Y-yes. Something that could be settled with words, there’s no need to go as far as drawing swords…”

Whoosh!

At that moment, Lumian’s aura flared up like a wildfire.

The energy that extended after being as quiet as a windless field created an even greater resonance. All the trainee knights standing around looked at him with surprised expressions.

Lucas Young, Jenas’s promising talent, was the same. Rather, he began looking at Lumian with even more heated eyes than the others.

Needless to say, Joel Cock, who was directly exposed to the aura, was affected most.

Going beyond sweating to turning pale, he stammered out words.

“S-sorry… I seem to have, misspoken today… so please, be generous and, forgive me…”

Though it was a completely broken sentence, there was no difficulty understanding it.

Only then did Lumian smile with satisfaction and withdraw his aura.

“Gasp, huff, wheeze…”

“A-are you okay?”

“I’m, huff, fine…”

Joel Cock had no choice but to say he was fine.

Because Lumian was still staring at him. He felt like he was surrounded by countless needles instead of air.

This situation was extremely uncomfortable. He wanted to leave immediately.

Fortunately, Lumian had said he would end the academy tour here.

‘Just endure a little longer. Just a little…’

However, Joel Cock would need more time before he could feel comfortable.

Because Lucas Young, the Jenas trainee knight who had been quietly watching the situation until now, had taken a practice sword from the weapon rack.

“…!”

“…!”

The atmosphere instantly turned cold.

During the brief time he picked up the sword, many people in the training grounds came to focus on him.

The reason was unknown. It just felt like they had to.

Lucas Young was that kind of person. Born to attract others’ attention.

‘Is he like Cal Krone?’

No, that wasn’t it.

Fortunately, that guy’s face wasn’t particularly handsome. His masculine features might be attractive, but just to that extent.

Of course, that wasn’t important at all in the current situation.

The problem was that guy, who seemed like a half-and-half mix of Cal Krone and Teoro Shutgarn’s personalities, was burning with fighting spirit.

‘Did I reveal my aura for nothing?’

Lumian made a frustrated sound.

He had just wanted to give Joel Cock a little scare because his behavior was annoying, but who knew it would lead to this situation.

While thinking this, Lucas Young walked toward him step by step.

All eyes moved accordingly. Even Teoro Shutgarn, Bumer Simpson, and Cal Krone stopped their training to focus on this.

Finally approaching Lumian, he spoke in a polite tone.

“I’m sorry. To be honest, I did have some feelings of looking down on you.”

“…”

“It was a foolish thought. To arbitrarily judge someone recognized by Swordmaster John Macart. I apologize.”

Lucas Young bowed his head. Lumian bowed back with a flustered expression.

Of course, that didn’t end the situation. Nothing could extinguish the heart of a fired-up promising talent.

This was fully revealed in his gaze. He opened his mouth while sending heated looks.

“I request this despite the rudeness. Lucas Young, trainee knight of Jenas, formally requests a sparring match.”

“…”

Lumian made a displeased expression.

As he’d been thinking since earlier, he really didn’t want to fight.

Yesterday’s incident was still bothering him, and he wanted to avoid situations where he’d be called in for troublesome matters.

‘If the Academy Director, Knight Department Head, and professors were all stunning beauties, being called in wouldn’t be so bad but…’

Weren’t they all wrinkled old men obsessed with honor and power?

They were faces he definitely didn’t want to see multiple times. Just thinking about them made his face scrunch up unconsciously.

“Sigh.”

But there was no way to avoid it.

Lumian glared at Joel Cock briefly. The guy flinched and stepped back.

If not for that bastard, he could have ended the day peacefully.

‘Can’t be helped.’

Finally deciding, Lumian turned his body.

He wasn’t running away. It was an action to go to the weapon rack and pick up a sword.

The cadets who guessed this stirred in various places. Thinking that a rare spectacle was about to unfold, everyone stopped training and gathered around.

Lumian didn’t mind. Lucas Young didn’t mind either.

Both had received others’ gazes to the point of being sick of it. Within close distance, they raised their swords while watching only each other.

It was the moment when the training ground’s atmosphere reached its peak.

And then.

A terrifying energy wave emanated from Lumian’s body.

“Hup!”

Lucas Young, who had been looking into his eyes, stepped back three paces.

He didn’t just step back normally. With his posture completely collapsed, he staggered backward.

Everyone made puzzled expressions.

Due to the distance being far, their level being low, and Lumian’s energy wave disappearing too quickly, they couldn’t fully grasp it.

But Lucas Young was different. He had been staring into Lumian’s eyes with spark-flying concentration, so he could feel it, if only briefly.

‘What is this?’

He looked at Lumian with a dazed expression.

However, he wasn’t looking at him.

As if something serious had happened, as if forcibly suppressing displeasure, he only looked into the distance.

“What? Right now?”

“Why is he suddenly acting like that?”

“Is his condition bad? He didn’t do anything, but suddenly why…”

The murmuring of the Tarasan cadets grew louder.

It wasn’t just them. The trainee knights from Rodisia and Charlotte were also looking at the two with faces that showed they didn’t understand.

Lucas Young looked around with an awkward expression.

He didn’t want to fight. It was an embarrassing thing to say, but he wanted to immediately go somewhere safe and hide. Until his mind calmed down. Until his anxiety disappeared.

Fortunately, his wish was granted.

A low voice flowed from Lumian’s mouth.

“I’m sorry, but after drawing up my aura, I see that my physical condition isn’t very good. How about we arrange a separate occasion later?”

“…Let’s do that.”

“Thank you for your consideration.”

Lumian bowed his head.

Then he spoke to the other apprentice knights.

“This is the last stop for the Academy tour. Is there anything you’re curious about, or anywhere else you’d like to go?”

No one opened their mouth.

Lumian’s atmosphere seemed too serious for that. Lumian nodded and spoke again.

“I’ll take that as a no. Then I’ll escort you to the dormitory.”

He placed the practice sword back on the weapon rack. Lucas belatedly did the same.

People quietly gathered behind Lumian. The foreign talents, looking like intimidated kittens, followed him in a line.

The knight cadets who saw this withdrew with disappointed expressions.

They had been eagerly anticipating something, but nothing happened, so it was understandable.

“Hmm…”

Only Bumer Simpson was thinking something different.

He let out a groan and spoke to Teoro Shutgarn.

“That Rhodesia woman. The tall one.”

“What about her.”

“Would it be okay to ask Lumian to introduce me to her?”

Teoro didn’t open his mouth.

* * *

“So that’s what happened.”

“Yeah.”

“I certainly understand your concern, brother. But as far as I know, nothing like that has happened in the past 10 years.”

“Hmm…”

Lumian made a serious expression after hearing Morghen’s words.

He couldn’t help it.

This was already the second time. In just two days, he had felt the gaze of an unidentified strange person watching him twice.

The problem was that this being might not be a strange person, but a demon.

Lumian organized his thoughts.

‘If it’s a demon powerful enough not to have its identity detected by me, territorial declaration is essential. That means there’s no possibility that the unidentified someone is a demon.’

At first, he had thought that way.

But this was a judgment that overlooked two possibilities.

‘Either they found a way to maintain power without territorial declaration, or a demon so great that it can exert tremendous power even outside its territory has appeared.’

Either way, it was an extremely dangerous situation. His expression hardened even more.

Morghen offered words of comfort to him.

“You’re being too sensitive. Surely it can’t be a demon? It’s much more likely to be a hermit expert.”

“…That may be true, but this time I clearly felt hostility.”

“Well, that could be… if someone has strong fighting spirit, it might feel like hostility, something like that, right? They might have seen through your skills and thought ‘Ah, I want to fight him!'”

“…”

“It won’t be a demon. There hasn’t been such a case in thousands of years. Even if it were a Demon King, outside their territory they wouldn’t be a match for you, would they, brother? You’re worrying too much.”

“Is that so…”

“Besides, didn’t you say that even though you felt hostility, you didn’t sense any unpleasant demonic energy or malice? Is there even a demon that could hide demonic energy in front of you, brother?”

“There isn’t.”

Lumian stated firmly. This was certain.

Morghen smiled broadly, sensing the firmness in his tone. It was intended to ease his brother’s anxiety.

He took a sip of beer and said.

“Anyway, don’t worry too much. And didn’t you say you almost caught them this time? Probably if you sharpen your senses for just a few more days, next time you’ll be able to chase that rat-like bastard’s tail. You’re the best, brother, so stop worrying.”

“…Yeah. You’re right. I should go in later and heighten my senses.”

“That’s right. It’ll work out. Relax a bit too. You’re too tense, unlike yourself, brother.”

“You’re right about that too.”

Lumian nodded obediently.

Eujae’s words were correct. Right now, he was worrying too much.

He was the best. Outside of territory, he was confident he could win even against the Demon King, not just the Four Heavenly Kings.

It didn’t matter if it was a human either. If they were confident, they wouldn’t be hiding and just watching like now.

‘While going outside the Academy, I deliberately exposed many openings.’

Lumian laughed softly and relaxed his expression.

Morghen flattered him from the side. Now you look alive, that’s like you brother, he rattled off exaggerated praise that was both annoying and endearing.

But then he suddenly changed the topic.

“By the way, brother, do you know someone called Irene Curtis?”

“…She’s a dispatched professor from Rhodesia, why?”

“Ah, she’s completely my type. Ha, that healthy beauty, and even a cheerful-looking personality! Is that woman married, by any chance?”

“Probably not?”

“Good, good.”

“She seemed to have high standards, will you be okay?”

“When have I ever cared about that? I’ll clash with her first and think later. Ha, I’ll have to stick around the Academy for a while.”

Morghen ordered additional beer with a gleeful expression.

Lumian looked at Eujae and nodded.

‘Indeed, he’s someone with much to learn from.’

* * *

“So, how did they look to you? Did their level seem quite decent?”

“The overall level seems to have dropped considerably, but the rumored four were definitely impressive. All of them broke through the Lower Gate.”

“Huh, to that extent? Remarkable. Such talents are hard to find even in our own country… Indeed, Buckal was right. We need to continue strengthening our friendship with Tarasan.”

The delegation’s chief supervisor, John Macart, spoke while stroking his beard.

Tarasan was certainly a country worth paying attention to. For its size, it had remarkably many excellent talents. What drew even more interest was that they were all the same age.

‘Truly a curious thing.’

“Excuse me… I’m sorry, but there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“Hmm? What is it?”

He was closing his eyes and continuing his thoughts about the four, when Lucas Young posed a question.

Since he was usually extremely taciturn, this piqued his interest. John Macart made a kind expression and said.

“Go ahead. Ask comfortably.”

“By any chance, has Lumian Calard… reached the realm of Expert?”

“Hehehe, to have noticed that. Your skills seem to have grown considerably.”

He spoke with a pleased face.

He couldn’t help it.

At such a young age, it’s not easy to think that a talent from a small country would be superior in skill to oneself.

Nevertheless, he had accurately evaluated his opponent with unbiased eyes, so there was no reason not to praise him.

He nodded honestly.

“That’s right. Lumian Calard has reached the realm of Expert.”

“…”

“It’s amazing. To reach Expert at a younger age than His Majesty… I never imagined there could be such a young person.”

John Macart’s face as he spoke showed no trace of displeasure or jealousy.

He was a true knight. He neither envied talents superior to his own, nor did he ignore or disparage them for being from another country.

The birth of a genius was a blessing for the entire continent.

In an uncertain situation where demons might invade again at any time, the more strong knights there were, the better.

John Macart truly thought so. He looked at Lucas Young and said.

“I say this out of concern, but there’s no need to be too intimidated.”

“….”

“It’s a cliché story, but you and Lumian Calard are just beginning to walk the path of the sword. No one knows who will be ahead in the future. Even I only became an Expert after turning thirty, but I proudly rose to my current position.”

John Macart took a sip of water and continued.

“You look very anxious, but there’s no need to be impatient. Walk your path steadily. If you do, you’ll realize that those you thought were far ahead are suddenly behind you.”

“I’ll keep that in mind.”

Lucas Young bowed his head.

But his expression remained stiff. Though it was disrespectful, he couldn’t relate to John Macart’s words at all.

‘Get ahead of that monster?’

It was impossible. It couldn’t be done.

In fact, the question he had wanted to ask Sir John Macart wasn’t ‘Has he reached Expert?’

‘Lumian Calard, is he a Sword Master?’

This was what Lucas Young had really wanted to ask.

But he couldn’t.

By his common sense, or rather by the world’s common sense, reaching Sword Master at the age of 15 was absurd.

‘But the fear I felt today was… incomparable even to when Sir John Macart went all out.’

Lucas Young bit his lower lip tightly.

If he applied just a little more force, blood would seep out.

That’s how it was. Even though much time had passed, he hadn’t completely escaped from his fear.

‘Perhaps for life.’

Gripped by anxiety, Lucas Young barely raised his head.

John Macart, wearing a kind expression again, asked him.

“Well, let’s stop talking about Lumian Calard. Surely you’re not going to tell me you lack confidence even for the Swordsmanship Competition?”

“Of course not.”

Lucas Young nodded.

His eyes showed not a trace of doubt.

Anyway, Tarasan Academy’s main force was the second-years.

The Swordsmanship Competition, which only third and fourth-years participated in, was nothing to worry about. Rodisia’s apprentice knights were also no problem.

“Yes, that’s right. Such confidence is what befits Jenas. I look forward to your performance in the Swordsmanship Competition.”

“Yes!”

Lucas Young answered vigorously. With that, their conversation came to an end.

And a week later.

The Tarasan Academy Swordsmanship Competition finally began.

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