The Failed Swordmaster - Chapter 66

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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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Chapter 66 28. A Guest Has Arrived (3)

Dark night.

In the training grounds where only the faint light of the crescent moon could identify opponents, two swordsmen drew their weapons.

Vision wasn’t a problem. Both were warriors who had reached the Expert realm. This much was like broad daylight to them.

Buckal opened his mouth.

“Let’s begin.”

“Let’s do that.”

There was no further conversation.

Buckal took his stance and stared intently at Lumian.

A feeling of solid, flawless defense.

Indeed, the words “disciple of the Mercenary King” came naturally to mind.

‘But gaps aren’t found. They’re created.’

Even solid rock cracks and breaks when struck repeatedly.

Lumian would be the same. Even without using Aura, his sword was heavy and sharp.

However, Buckal’s pride wouldn’t allow him to go all out from the start.

‘If I’m going to take the initiative, it would be better to give it meaning as instruction.’

How absurd his words had been.

To show him how narrow a world he had been living in until now, he needed to press him in various ways.

That was why Buckal drew his rapier.

It was a kind of showing off, that he didn’t even need to use the longsword that was the specialty of Jenas knights.

Swoosh!

Even the sound of wind couldn’t be heard properly. Buckal’s sword fell toward Lumian’s shoulder at lightning speed. Buckal thought that Lumian might be startled, or perhaps might not be able to block it.

Of course, it didn’t matter. He was ready to stop at any time.

However, this was too hasty a judgment.

Clang-!

“Huh!”

“You’re fast. A rapier?”

“…”

“I also have some skill in thrusting the sword quickly.”

Seeing Lumian defend by striking with his sword at similar speed to his own, Buckal frowned.

It was certainly impressive skill.

But it was arrogant.

He unleashed three consecutive attacks to wipe that confident smile off his opponent’s face.

Clang!

Clang-!

Whoosh-

But it was futile.

Lumian leisurely blocked the first two sword strikes, then avoided the last by stepping back one step.

Buckal was left speechless by the clean movement without waste.

‘This easily?’

His eyes filled with more intensity.

Then, Lumian’s counterattack poured forth.

“I’m coming too.”

“Hup!”

Clang-!

Clang! Clang!

Buckal, who had been caught off guard, quickly moved his sword.

He too blocked Lumian’s triple strike without harm. Despite being caught off guard, his movements didn’t crumble at all.

However, Buckal couldn’t help but be amazed.

Lumian’s rapier technique was better than he had imagined.

‘Not just the speed of thrusting the sword, but there are no preparatory movements!’

That was even more surprising.

If you asked what was most important in rapier technique, you would naturally answer the speed of thrusting the sword. It was obvious.

However, there was something equally important: minimizing preparatory movements.

While some people had to strike all sorts of poses for a single attack, others could smoothly thrust their sword with no warning from a standing position.

Of course, the more skilled one was, the closer they were to the latter.

And by that standard, Lumian Calard possessed skill that was more than sufficient to be called a master.

Clang-!

He even knew all the elements that made it difficult for opponents to respond, such as varying the timing.

Eventually, Buckal abandoned the rapier. With this, far from instructing, he would gradually be pushed back.

Changing his thinking, his sword began to show dazzling movements.

Swish-

A butterfly swimming chaotically through the night sky.

Buckal’s sword was like that. It moved so complexly and brilliantly that even a swordsman who had reached mastery would find it hard to catch.

It was the essence of variable swordsmanship.

Of course, it was lacking compared to the longsword he was confident in, but it was a field he was much more confident in than the rapier.

With this, he could confuse that arrogant young man’s eyes…

Crash!

…or so he thought, when Lumian’s sword came flying. And it struck down Buckal’s sword.

Buckal, feeling an impact strong enough to push his arm back, retreated two steps.

After maintaining silence for a moment, he opened his mouth.

“…How did you catch it?”

“What do you mean?”

“The ever-changing sword that could go anywhere, how did you…”

“Is there a need to chase after a chaotic and distracting sword?”

“…”

“The path it has to pass through is already determined anyway, so I just wait there and sweep it away.”

“Ha!”

Buckal burst into a hollow laugh.

It was absurd. He wanted to say something but couldn’t.

‘This, is this the greatest talent of all time?’

A burning gaze swept over Lumian.

However, he didn’t continue staring only at him. His eyes soon turned toward Mercenary King Morghen, who was standing far away.

‘…Of course that might be part of it, but I can’t ignore the Mercenary King’s teachings.’

He was terribly embarrassed.

Both the situation of not being able to defeat a 15-year-old boy in swordsmanship, and the words he had said to the Mercenary King before the duel. Buckal’s dignity was crumpled like trash trampled on the ground.

However, he wasn’t angry.

He was a true knight and someone who could distinguish right from wrong.

Buckal bowed his head to Morghen and Lumian and spoke in a serious tone.

“I’m sorry. I apologize for the reckless words I spoke before the duel.”

“…It’s fine.”

“I’m fine too.”

It’s fortunate that it’s night now. If it had been day, I would have been too ashamed to keep my head up.”

“…”

“Of course, I don’t intend to end it like this. I originally had no intention of showing my full power to the Young Lord, but…”

Whoosh-!

Tremendous momentum burst from Buckal’s body.

It wasn’t a phenomenon caused by Aura.

He was giving enough pressure for both of them to feel with pure fighting spirit alone.

Lumian showed a slightly surprised expression.

‘He was much better than I thought.’

I was wondering why a high-ranking knight would use such inadequate swift sword and variable sword techniques.

That seemed to be too hasty a judgment.

He opened his mouth.

“Are you planning to get serious now?”

“That’s right.”

Lumian slightly frowned.

It wasn’t because of pressure. He was just burdened by Bucal’s speech that had changed to extremely formal language at some point.

Looking at him emanating rock-solid momentum from his entire body, Lumian nodded.

‘Yes, this is what a high-ranking knight of Jenas should be like.’

He corrected his posture.

Of course, he could win even if he fought carelessly.

He had memories of his previous life, and physically he had become even stronger than before. He had regained his masculinity and even reached the realm of Swordmaster, so it was natural. Honestly, someone like Bucal wasn’t even worth a single punch.

But he couldn’t swing his sword carelessly against someone who was coming at him so seriously.

“This time I’ll go first.”

“Come at me.”

High-ranking knight Bercal Garcia had already surpassed an ordinary stone and become a massive boulder.

Lumian swung his sword vertically toward him.

Bucal’s eyes widened.

His opponent’s sword, which had risen high at some point, didn’t look like a sword.

It was like.

‘A mountain…!’

A massive mountain made of countless rocks.

Feeling the illusion that the entire thing was falling down, Bucal hastily raised his sword.

He felt the illusion that he might die if he couldn’t block it. The momentum was that tremendous.

However, the moment the startled Bucal raised his sword to protect his head, Lumian’s sword momentum changed drastically.

Swooosh-

The massive momentum disappeared in an instant. As if it were an illusion.

And something else took its place.

A sword that settled lightly like warm sunlight that could never be felt in the dark night touched Bucal’s neck.

After a long while, Bucal lowered his sword and spoke with a bitter expression.

“I lost.”

* * *

“Well then, I’ll be going now.”

High-ranking knight Bucal politely bowed toward Runo Calard.

The baron looking at him showed a regretful expression.

“You came from so far away, why don’t you stay a few more days…”

“It’s fine.”

“Or at least just tonight… Even if you’re leaving, wouldn’t it be better to go in the morning?”

“I won’t forget the kindness you’ve shown me, Baron.”

“…”

“I hope good fortune will always be with your son’s future. Well then, farewell.”

With those words, Bercal Garcia left the manor house.

Then the night sky revealed itself.

Bucal smiled bitterly.

‘Maybe because I failed my mission, the sky looks even darker.’

It was also because there were no magic lights in the estate. Of course, it would be too much to expect such things in a rural estate of such a small country.

Bucal, who was having such thoughts, suddenly stopped walking.

He let out a chuckle.

‘It’s more absurd that such talent emerged from such a tiny place.’

Even though he had seen it clearly with his own eyes, it was hard to believe.

A boy who was only 15 years old had reached the realm of Sword Expert.

And that wasn’t all? His swordsmanship was even more amazing.

Not to boast, but he himself was quite a promising talent even within Jenas, which was called the Knights Kingdom. He was considered capable of becoming the twenty-sixth Swordmaster at any time.

Such Bucal’s swordsmanship couldn’t be sloppy.

Yet, the rural minor lord of Tarasan had made his swordsmanship look sloppy.

‘I’ll have to reevaluate the Mercenary King too.’

He already knew that he was a remarkable person.

The fact that a rootless mercenary became a Swordmaster was beyond common sense to begin with.

But no matter how much he flew and crawled, it was also true that he thought he couldn’t be compared to Jenas.

Of course, such thoughts had completely changed 180 degrees after the duel with Lumian ended.

‘Really, he raised a monster. Perhaps… he might go down in history as the most outstanding teacher in continental history.’

“Whew.”

Bercal Garcia let out a deep sigh.

How on earth was he supposed to report this?

His future already looked bleak.

Right now he had a magic crystal orb capable of long-distance communication. Though it was a precious item that the kingdom had only a few of and was used only for military purposes, those above had willingly provided it to receive quick reports.

So it was proper to make contact right now that the results were out. However, he couldn’t help but keep hesitating.

“…Still, I have to do it.”

In the end, it was a worry with a predetermined outcome.

Bucal, who had muttered to himself, made a determined expression.

Having made up his mind, he activated the magic crystal orb. Then a strange sound began to spread on the quiet roadside outside the castle.

Weoong- Weoong-!

Bucal slightly frowned.

Because the sound was quite noisy. It was also the reason he had left the estate despite Baron Calard’s words.

Fortunately, the sound soon subsided.

The crystal orb lit up with some static, and finally a person’s figure appeared in the crystal orb.

But it wasn’t the person he had expected.

Greatly surprised, Bucal hastily knelt and bowed his head.

“Y-Your Majesty the King! How are you directly…”

Knight King Philip III was personally receiving the communication!

He hadn’t expected this at all. Normally, Bernard Backers, the leader of the Golden Lion Knights, would have appeared. Or someone of even lower rank. Because the knight commander was a busy person with many official duties.

‘But the King…!’

Even when the communication sound had barely rung a few times.

This meant that the Knight King had been eagerly waiting for his report.

Bucal felt his mouth going dry.

“Yes, Sir Bucal Garcia.”

“Yes, Your Majesty!”

“Your expression doesn’t look good. Did something happen that was beyond expectations?”

“W-Well, that is…”

Bucal trailed off.

He knew it was disrespectful, but the situation was so sudden that he couldn’t remember any of the words he had prepared in his head.

Eventually the King asked another question.

It was a rare sight from Philip III, who was stern and upright but patient.

“Don’t panic and speak slowly. By any chance, did you personally confirm his skills?”

“Y-Yes! That’s right.”

“Did he perhaps show skills that transcended expectations? For example, did he beat you… It’s fine, so speak honestly. I won’t hold it against you.”

“…!”

Bucal showed a surprised expression once again.

Because the King’s question was extraordinary.

Even though he’s called a great genius, to predict the victory of the former in a match between a 15-year-old young man and a high-ranking knight of Jenas.

It doesn’t make sense by common standards.

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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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