The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 129

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

Chapter 129 49. The Hero’s Secret Inner Thoughts (3)

‘Amazing.’

Baku, who remained in the Demon King’s abode, thought as he watched the magic screen.

He had already known about Lumian Calard’s abilities. The swordsmanship, physique, and aura that single-handedly defeated the Previous Demon King were so tremendous they could hardly be considered human.

Seeing such a spectacle once more wouldn’t lessen the shock. Even if he watched it ten times, no, twenty times, he would probably be astonished every single time.

But what surprised him now wasn’t just because of that.

It was because he felt some different energy from that hero’s sword.

‘What on earth is this? This energy…’

Lumian wasn’t using his full strength. That was natural. He didn’t think mere monsters could draw out the hero’s full power. What was happening now was just work to extract his memories.

Because of this, it was difficult to properly assess his new power.

Even Baku, who had remarkable insight, couldn’t help it. He lamented.

“Oh no, it’s all over.”

Lumian Calard had already finished off all the monsters.

It was regrettable. An alarm rang in his head at the thought of missing information he absolutely had to find out.

But it was fine. Baku, who had calmed his mind, smiled slyly.

‘The familiars controlled by His Majesty, and not just flying insects but dozens of large creatures were cut down… This time he couldn’t have hidden his thoughts!’

With that many, they would probably be able to retrieve even the subconscious he thought he had forgotten long ago. The Demon King’s magic was that amazing.

Whoooooong-!

“Ah, you’ve arrived! Big brother!”

Just then, a black portal opened and Demon King Seks appeared.

With a stiffly hardened face, he walked toward the sofa step by step, then collapsed into his seat.

Watching him, Baku asked a question.

“That’s fortunate. I was continuously watching him through the flying insects. He didn’t seem to notice anything about you at all.”

“Of course. Who do you think I am? I wouldn’t have failed to handle even that much properly.”

“Big brother is the Demon Realm’s greatest mage. I was just worried as your younger brother.”

“Right.”

The Demon King who finished speaking let out a sigh, “Whew.”

And he maintained silence. Baku watched his appearance for a while.

However, no matter how much time passed, Seks showed no intention of opening his mouth.

‘What is it? Why is he being so sparing with words?’

Baku’s expression also hardened like his.

The atmosphere wasn’t good.

It seemed his big brother had obtained some unusual information. Perhaps he had figured out the hero’s new power that he himself had sensed.

He didn’t act rashly and waited calmly. Until Seks organized his thoughts. Until he calmed his mind and spoke first.

One minute passed like that.

But then, he suddenly started shedding tears.

“Sob…”

“Wait, big brother?”

Baku was greatly surprised.

Though he was quite sentimental for a demon, his older brother was by no means soft-hearted.

Rather, he was famous for cruelly crushing the trash from the 108 Clan who picked fights with him. It wasn’t for nothing that he, of humble origins, caught the Demon God’s eye.

For such a Seks to shed tears after reading the hero’s memories?

“Sob… sob, sob sob sob!”

It wasn’t even just crying.

Watching the Demon King wailing as if his parents had died, Baku made a bewildered expression. He couldn’t understand this situation at all.

“To have had such pain in his previous life… impotent… he was impotent…!”

“Big brother, please calm down. Calm down and explain what on earth happened…”

“Sob… little brother, what should we do about this?”

The Demon King who had been crying his heart out and muttering incomprehensible words for about ten minutes.

He barely managed to calm his mind and told his younger brother the information he had discovered.

And shortly after.

“Sob… sob…!”

Baku also began wailing while covering his mouth with his hand.

Seeing that sight, hot tears flowed down from Seks’ eyes once again.

“Sob, sob!”

“Sob sob sob… For 60 whole years he couldn’t do it… How could such a thing happen…”

The hero wasn’t hiding his feelings.

Rather, he was crying out more desperately and strongly than anyone else.

That he wanted to make progress. That he wanted to have sex.

Seks and Baku, who belatedly realized this, grieved for him for a long time.

Before being demons, before being enemies of the Human Realm, they were men. They had enough qualification to shed tears for the hero.

The eyes of the two looking at the screen again were filled with sympathy and pity.

“Just three days… no, we should have gone just one day later…”

Seks’ sorrowful voice echoed emptily in the room.

* * *

“It’s regrettable. I’ve never tried training in the mountains before.”

“It can’t be helped. There were so many monsters… Somewhere in the mountain is probably contaminated. We should tell a nearby temple about it.”

“Yeah. Well, staying there continuously would be absurd anyway… but still, it’s regrettable. Sigh.”

Tania let out a sigh.

They were heading toward a nearby village after leaving the extremely dangerous mountain.

Though it was an action that diminished the meaning of wandering training, there was no reason to insist on that location when demonic dangers lurked.

‘Damn it, damn it!’

Lumian harbored much deeper regret in his chest than Tania.

What a hard-earned opportunity this was!

To have to give it up because of not even High Demons but mere monster scraps!

But there was no way around it.

Saying ‘I’ll take care of all those monsters, so let’s spend a few days here!’ would be too transparent in its intent.

Wouldn’t he seem like someone desperate to sleep in the same room?

‘Though being desperate is correct… Sigh, let’s stop thinking about it.’

Lumian shook his head.

It was already past anyway. It was important to forget the past and do better going forward.

There were still many opportunities. With a positive mindset, he turned his thoughts elsewhere.

The aura that had newly emerged without his knowledge.

Feeling it, Lumian made a serious expression.

‘What is this power?’

It was completely different from the mountain range’s aura.

Though he had used countless essences like earth, vegetation, water, fire, wind, and sunlight, the energy he felt in his dantian now was on a different track from all of them. Even when he closed his eyes and concentrated his mind, no concrete image came to mind.

‘Nevertheless, it definitely exists.’

There was no clear image.

But he could feel it.

The new aura that made his dantian, his chest, his entire body warm and cozy beyond measure. Joyful yet somehow making him feel like crying.

‘It’s still weak.’

The size of the power itself wasn’t much to look at yet.

It had to be that way. This was Lumian who had obtained the mountain range’s aura comparable to a small world. Satisfying such a person’s heart was impossible with any ordinary level.

But he was certain.

If only he could make this unidentified power completely his own.

If he could fully understand it, realize it, and develop it. And if he could make it harmonize with his existing aura, he would be able to advance another level.

‘If that happens… I won’t need to worry about the likes of the Demon King anymore.’

Even with his current power, Lumian could single-handedly defeat the Demon King who had taken over a human body.

If he developed the new aura to a satisfactory level, he might be able to face the Demon King and the Four Heavenly Kings all at once. Even inside the Demon King’s Castle at that.

While having such thoughts, Tania’s voice reached him.

It was a voice announcing their arrival at the village.

“We’re here.”

“Ah, so we are.”

Lumian smiled gently.

It was a face he had looked at dozens of times a day since they started traveling together, but each time it was hard to contain the overwhelming emotions that surged up.

Cal Krone had said it was because they were still in the early stages of romance, and that he’d become indifferent later, but he didn’t agree. It felt like this excitement would last forever.

‘That guy with the bad personality. He takes care of this and that, but always has to say something unnecessary… Huh?’

Lumian, who had been badmouthing Cal Krone in his mind, frowned.

Seeing this, Tania asked with a puzzled expression.

“What’s wrong?”

“Huh? Oh… nothing. I was just thinking about the monster from earlier…”

“Come on, it ended without any trouble. And from now on we can take safer routes, so there’s no need to worry.”

“Mm, you’re right.”

Lumian nodded. And he showed a relaxed smile.

However, his inner thoughts were completely different.

Suddenly the aura in his body, or more precisely, the mysterious aura he had first become aware of while fighting the monster, had grown in size.

‘What? My aura suddenly increased?’

But he hadn’t even practiced cultivation?

Lumian was greatly confused.

All he had done before his aura increased was look at Tania’s face, think about her, and frown at Cal Krone’s annoying words.

All thoughts and actions completely unrelated to aura.

‘What’s the reason? What exactly caused my aura to grow…’

It hadn’t increased dramatically.

But it wasn’t a small increase either. It was at a meaningful level.

Of course, without understanding the principle, it was of little use. Lumian forcibly managed his expression.

‘First, let’s find a place to stay, then slowly recall the past journey. There must be a clue.’

Thinking this way made him feel somewhat at ease. He walked around the village holding Tania’s hand tightly, and finally found an inn.

And once again, a problem arose.

“There’s only one room available?”

“That’s right. Just one.”

“It doesn’t seem like there are that many people here?”

“A merchant group is coming soon. A merchant who arrived first reserved all the rooms… Oh, and by the way, this is the only inn in this village.”

The Inn Owner said while stroking his mustache.

Tania made a troubled expression.

“What should we do?”

“Indeed.”

Lumian also made a troubled expression.

Although they were dating, it hadn’t even been a month yet.

At this stage, sharing a room together seemed excessive… Bullshit, his inner thoughts were completely different from his outward appearance.

‘Great! This is great!’

Lumian cheered inwardly.

The thoughts about aura from just moments before didn’t come to mind at all. Rather than such things, the fact that a new opportunity had been given right now, following the Mountain Cabin, was much more important.

‘Thank you, merchants!’

Thank you so much for not reserving all the rooms, and for leaving exactly one room, no more, no less.

Lumian muttered inwardly and looked at Tania with an awkward expression.

“Ahem…”

This was the important part.

The stage was set. Since there were no other options anyway, the two would end up sleeping in the same room.

The important thing was how to reduce Tania’s resistance and anxiety in this process.

Fortunately, it wasn’t like he had no thoughts about it.

The various thoughts he had before going to the Mountain Cabin were helpful. The advice Teoro and Cal Krone had given him before departing also came to mind one by one.

‘Good. Don’t seem too scheming, first act like it can’t be helped… then after entering the room, slowly create that kind of atmosphere…’

His mind was working more actively than ever. Countless scenarios and methods to deal with them came to mind.

But then.

A completely unexpected person came down from the second-floor guest room.

“Lumian! Tania senior?”

“…Huh? Bumer?”

Lumian shouted in surprise. Tania also looked up with her mouth wide open.

Bumer, who ran to them, or more precisely to Lumian, embraced him tightly.

“Sob, I’m glad to see you. So glad!”

“…Bu, Bumer, didn’t you leave a long time ago? How are you here?”

“Well, there were circumstances… Hah. This is really fortunate. If it weren’t for you, I almost couldn’t go to Rodisia.”

“What do you mean…”

“Oh, speaking of which, did you get a room? I saw earlier that someone came and swept up all the rooms.”

“There’s one left…”

“Then you can share a room with me. Tania senior can use the remaining room.”

Bumer said with a smile.

Looking at his utterly innocent smile, Tania opened her mouth a beat late.

“…Thank you, Bumer.”

Lumian’s fist clenched tightly. Tania’s fist also tensed up slightly.

And Sekus, who was observing Lumian Calard from the Demon Realm, also shouted with his fists clenched tight.

“What’s with that bastard! What is he to interfere with Lumian! Argh!”

“Exactly! That clueless bastard!”

Baku also agreed with the Demon King’s words.

The two, who had jumped up from their seats, were glaring at Bumer as if they wanted to kill him.

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