The God-Possessed Swordsmanship Genius - Chapter 24

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Sword Genius Blessed by a Spirit, Chapter 24

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Chonggeomgak housed twenty-five sword pavilions in all.
One belonged to the Chief Daeju, and the other twenty-four to the twenty-four corps.
Of those, the pavilion used by the Bigeom Corps was the largest and best equipped, excluding the Daeju’s own.
That was because the Bigeom Corps ranked among the highest of Bishuken’s corps, counted on one hand.

“So today’s the day, huh.”

The members of Bigeom 2nd Squad, gathered in the pavilion’s training yard, wore mixed expressions.
Today, a new Jojang would arrive.
Depending on who that Jojang turned out to be, and how they formed their bonds with the squad, the future of Bigeom 2nd Squad would change.

“Is everyone ready?”
“Ready? What’s there to get ready for? We’ll just do it.”
“Let’s see if we can knock some sense into this young master today.”

The squad huddled tightly around Bigla.
They looked brimming with eagerness, every bit like men who had sharpened their resolve.
Standing a step apart, watching the scene, Mary let out a sigh.

‘Is this going to be alright?’

The squad’s resistance was stronger than she had expected.
Some of them had veins standing out on their necks, looking as though they were about to march onto a battlefield.
The squad’s overheated mood.
Normally, calming them down would have been the deputy Jojang’s job.
But.

‘Well, I’m no different.’

Had she tried to stop them in earnest, perhaps she could have. If the deputy Jojang herself lost her temper, they would have no choice but to fall in line.
Yet she had not done so, because she, too, agreed with them halfway.

‘If he turns out to be truly worthless…’

In that case, she had been thinking that she, rather than the others, would be the first to step forward and crush the new Jojang.
The moment her thoughts reached that point, Mary’s expression shifted to match the others’.
And so time passed.

Thud.

A newcomer entered the 2nd training yard, where the squad had all gathered.
Seeing that face, Mary hurriedly bowed her head in greeting.

“Greetings, Daeju!”
“”Greetings, Daeju!!””

The one who had appeared in the 2nd training yard was none other than Lucas.
The Daeju of the Bigeom Corps, and the great young master of Bishuken.
He was the leading candidate to become the next Chief Daeju and heir to Bishuken’s head.

“So everyone’s gathered.”
“Yes, sir, they are.”
“As you all know, today is the day your new Jojang takes office.”

At Lucas’s words, the eyes of the squad members turned icy.
They didn’t bother hiding their hostility, not even in front of the Daeju.
Either they couldn’t hide it, or they had no intention of hiding it. Either way, it was a problem.

“I know what you’re all thinking. Still, he’s your superior now, so follow him well.”
“”Yes, sir!””
“Come out.”

At Lucas’s words, another man stepped out from the back.
It was Allen, wearing the uniform of a Bigeom Corps squad leader, embroidered with two crossed swords.

“I’m Allen Bishuken. It’s an honor to be assigned as the leader of Bigeom 2nd Squad. I look forward to working with you.”

He stepped forward and bowed, but there was no reaction. As if they had agreed on it beforehand, not a single one of them responded.
For a while, silence settled over the training ground.
That was when it happened.

Clap, clap, clap.

Mary, the squad’s deputy leader of Bigeom 2nd Squad, began to clap on her own.
For a while, only her lone applause echoed hollowly across the training ground.
Then the other squad members, who had been glancing at one another, began to clap one by one.

Clap-clap-clap-clap.

Their faces plainly showed their reluctance.
It was as if they weren’t responding to his words at all, but only because the deputy leader had started clapping and they had no choice but to go along.
Watching the scene from a step behind, Lucas’s face curled into a faint smile.

-“Looks like they’ve already decided they can’t stand you.”

Allen let out a snort at Lucas’s whisper and replied.

-“I’ve only just met these guys today, you know?”
-“They’ve probably heard your name plenty of times. The poor young master cursed by Bima’s Curse.”

Within the family, Allen was as well known as Lucas.
Of course, that fame was the unflattering kind.
Lucas was the youngest Master in the family and possessed outstanding skill, whereas Allen had not a speck of mana, so it was only natural.
He was not an object of respect, but of pity.
That was the position Allen held within the family.

-“Did nobody hear that I broke that fool’s arm?”
-“Gangcheol Seongju has no reason to spread rumors that would only harm him.”
-“That old man is really no help at all.”

If some rumors had already gone around, they might have reacted a little better than this.
He realized he should have gone further than just breaking an arm, doing something so excessive that rumors were bound to spread.

-“Bigeom 2nd Squad has a poor record, but the former squad leader was an outstanding man. He walked the orthodox path of an elite swordsman.”
-“Is it because I’m being compared to him that they act like this? What happened to that squad leader, anyway?”
-“He was transferred to Hongyeom Castle.”
-“He was moved from the Bigeom Corps at the main estate to Hongyeom Castle? Why?”

The Bigeom Corps was one of the most prestigious corps even within the main estate.
It was an honorable corps that carried out missions directly assigned by the family head.
Even if he had been in a squad with a poor record, moving from the Bigeom Corps to Hongyeom Castle amounted to near demotion.

-“Was he promised some high-ranking post somewhere?”
-“Hard to say. I didn’t look into that part either.”
“Anyway, these are the ones who’re going to compare me with the former Jojang who went to the other castle, right?”

Just as the two of them were exchanging whispers through transmitted voice, it happened.

“Salute! I’m Bigla of Bigeom 2nd Squad!”

One of the squad members thrust his sheath forward and shouted at the top of his lungs.
He had the look of someone with something he needed to say.

“Do you have something to say?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Go ahead and speak.”
“First, I sincerely apologize in advance in case what I’m about to say comes across as disrespectful.”

The way he was dragging it out suggested he had come well prepared.
Allen smiled faintly at the corner of his mouth and spoke.

“It’s fine. Go on and say it.”
“Young Master… no, Jojang, I’ve heard that you’re cursed with Bima’s Curse.”

He should have told them the curse had already been fully lifted, but Allen decided to wait and see.
He wanted to know what these eager little squad members had cooked up.

“We all know a person’s constitution can’t be changed. So I’d like to make a suggestion.”
“And what might that be?”
“Our 2nd Squad has a custom. It’s called the Insurye.”
“Insurye?”
“It’s a continuous one-on-one sparring match between the new Jojang and each of the squad members. This time, just for safety’s sake, we’ll use wooden swords and no Mana.”

It was as though they were going easy on him purely out of concern for his safety.

“Normally we’d allow Mana as well, but surely we can’t be expected to go that far, can we?”

At Bigla’s words, Mary hurriedly sent him a whisper.

‘Hey, you crazy bastard, what do you think you’re doing with the Daeju standing right here?’
‘Isn’t this the perfect moment because the Daeju is here? If he gets humiliated in front of his own brother, he’ll step down on his own.’
‘Since when did our 2nd Squad have a custom like that?’
‘So what? It’s not as if it’s absurd. Other squads actually have this custom.’

It was not unusual for squad members to test a new Jojang who came from outside. Some squads really did have a custom called the Insurye.
The squad members intended to use this custom to break Allen’s spirit.
If they could humiliate him in front of the Daeju and strip him of his dignity as Jojang, he might be kicked out of the post before long.

Mary instinctively studied Lucas’s expression.
In this situation, what she was worried about wasn’t the Jojang but the Daeju.
Unlike Allen, Lucas was a direct descendant of Bishuken with proven skill and a secure standing, after all.

“So he says, new Jojang?”

Fortunately, Lucas didn’t seem displeased.
If anything, he seemed intrigued, and he turned to Allen as if asking for his consent.
It was Bigla who had made the proposal, but whether to accept it or refuse was Allen’s choice.
Allen grinned and asked.

“Did you say ‘without using Mana’?”
“Yes, sir.”
“Are you sure about that? That’s my specialty, you know.”

Of course, even if he used Mana, it wouldn’t have been a problem.
No, if anything, that arrangement favored Allen even more.
The Seongsin-ryu that Allen had mastered was a swordsmanship of the highest order, a different world entirely from the swordplay the other members of the corps had learned.
Whether he knew it or not, Bigla spoke with a face full of confidence.

“It doesn’t matter.”
“No, I don’t think it’s fine. These terms are far too favorable to me, don’t you think?”

At Allen’s words, Mary furrowed her brow.
Beating around the bush like this felt like an attempt to avoid the match altogether.
And yet.

“Squad Two has fifteen members, correct?”
“That’s right.”
“Perfect timing, then.”

Allen, who had been doing some quick figuring in his head, grinned and spoke.

“Here’s what we’ll do. First, one at a time. Then two. Then four. And finally, eight.”

He meant to double the number of opponents with each round.
At Allen’s words, Bigla’s brow tightened.
He could hardly believe his own ears.

“…You’re serious, sir?”
“Your squad members have shown consideration for their squad leader, so I should show some consideration in return.”

With a smug remark, Allen turned his head.
His gaze had landed on one corner of the training ground, where wooden practice swords were lined up on display.

“Are these what we use? Alright, everyone, grab one each.”
“….”

Bigla’s face twisted into a fierce scowl.
He wasn’t the only one.
The other squad members reacted in much the same way.
Is this for real? Are we actually doing this?
Sensing their hesitation, Allen walked to the center of the training ground and spoke.

“I hear Bigeom 2nd Squad has the worst record of any squad in the Bigeom Corps. But I don’t believe a record is the same thing as skill.”

The moment the subject of their record came up, the members’ expressions grew even grimmer.
Their poor record.
It was the one thing Bigeom 2nd Squad could never bear to have touched.

“So prove it, all of you. Your squad’s results may be lacking, but your skills aren’t so pitiful.”

Grind.

Teeth grinding could be heard from all directions.
Just moments ago, this had been a place to judge the squad leader’s skill.
But with a single remark from Allen, the place had turned into one where the abilities of the underperforming squad members were being measured.

“I’ll go first.”

Bigla, the most hot-tempered of the group, stepped forward.
At the center of the training ground, Allen smiled faintly and beckoned with a flick of his fingers.
And so the peculiar Insurye of Bigeom 2nd Squad began.

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Some distance away, Lucas watched Bigla stride forward.
He found the situation intriguing.

‘An unexpected opportunity.’

Lucas had been curious about Allen’s skill even before this.
Allen, facing Bigla, looked perfectly at ease.
He was concealing his energy, but Lucas could faintly sense the aura radiating from him.

‘He’s clearly advanced beyond where he was last time. Is this the backlash of Bima’s Curse? Such a leap…’

Just then.
Lucas’s eyes, which had been idly watching the training ground, shifted.
It was because of a faint presence he could feel nearby.

“Come out.”

The voice was chilling, as if it might stir up trouble if the figure didn’t show itself at once.
And then.

“I meant to watch quietly and leave, but I suppose that won’t do.”

Swish.

From behind the pillar Lucas had his back to, someone stepped into view.
Lucas had assumed it would be another squad’s Daeju, and he was startled.
It was the identity of the white-haired man who had emerged from behind the pillar that stunned him.

“…Chief Daeju?”

Chief Daeju Hairen.
The giant of the continent who commanded every squad of Bishuken.
And now he had appeared at the Bigeom 2nd Squad’s second training ground.

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