The Strongest in Our Neighborhood - Chapter 5

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

Our Neighborhood’s Strongest (5)
‘Was it done like this?’
Jang Ga-in recalled the moment Kailin had found the Saber Tiger hiding in the forest. She had controlled the wind’s flow with such natural ease.
The problem was generating the wind itself.
“First, let me raise the wind using my own method.”
The Wind Control Formula within the Wind and Cloud Divine Technique contained various applications—raising wind, holding it, throwing it. As he adapted these principles, he found he could send wind across quite considerable distances.
“Up to this point, it feels reasonably similar.”
Yet even after repeating the attempt several more times, he couldn’t make the wind return to him.
“If I add rotation and twist it, it does bend back a little, but I can’t make it come all the way back.”
He’d even learned to raise wind sequentially, striking the tail of the first wind-gust with a second one to force a sharper directional change. But that was merely a workaround; no matter what he tried, he couldn’t achieve the natural, flowing return that Kailin had demonstrated.
‘Perhaps you’d need something like the Insight of Ethereal Force Mastery to freely control the direction of energy?’
Given Jang Ga-in’s nature—one who never abandoned his efforts—he continued to repeat the practice of sending and manipulating wind.
Kailin, watching him, was so astonished that her eyes widened and she forgot to blink for a long stretch.
‘I sense no Spirit Power in the wind at all, so how is he controlling it like this?’
An ordinary person could certainly create a small breeze without difficulty. But to generate wind in such quantity and shift its direction at will without channeling through a spirit—that should have been impossible.
And the method of accumulating such Spirit Power was a secret art of the Druids, who lived in harmony with nature.
Of course, in this age some of the Druids’ secrets had been shared with humans through those Druids who maintained contact with mankind, and there were cases of humans entering contracts with spirits. But such humans were far removed from the Druids themselves, who lived in natural attunement.
“Sister, did you perhaps teach Kailin Spirit Technique?” Sai-ran asked.
Kailin shook her head quietly.
“No, how could that be?”
“Then how in the world is he so good at controlling wind?”
“That’s exactly it. I’m still shocked, staring at him.”
“I was just thinking… with the language barrier and all, how could we possibly have taught him Spirit Technique?”
Eldom also watched Jang Ga-in without taking his eyes off him, fascinated.
“So he’s controlling wind without any spirit at all.”
Sai-ran tilted her head curiously, and Eldom’s eyes widened.
“That would be it, then. He must be doing it with his Aura.”
“If that’s the level he achieves with Aura, I can’t even imagine how formidable he’d be if he formally learned Spirit Technique.”
“Wait, that’s true. If he’s that skilled without learning Spirit Technique, wouldn’t he become incredibly powerful once he does?”
“He might even be able to command a High-tier Spirit, mightn’t he?”
Kailin and Eldom both shook their heads almost simultaneously in response to Sai-ran’s words.
“Come on, just because he can manipulate wind doesn’t make him capable of high-tier spirits. Even the village elders can’t.”
“That’s true enough.”
Sai-ran fell silent for a moment, then spoke.
“Still, wouldn’t you be curious what level of spirit Kailin could command if he learned Spirit Technique? When we get the chance, I really should try teaching him.”
“Yes, I’m curious too.”
“But the elders said we shouldn’t teach Spirit Technique to outsiders. They said it’s dangerous.”
“I feel the same way, but Kailin is our benefactor who saved our lives regardless. I think that alone is sufficient reason to teach him Spirit Technique.”
“I agree.”
“Well, I’m not opposed either. I’m just a bit concerned, that’s all.”
* * *
As they made their way to the village, Eldom taught Jang Ga-in the language of the forest, Kramin, Smede, and the method of accumulating Spirit Power—all according to what the two sisters had agreed upon.
“Sir Kailin, beyond this Birch Forest lies the village where we live, but from here on, outsiders cannot enter. Please wait here until we return with permission from the elders,” Eldom said.
By the time they reached the village, the bond between Jang Ga-in and the three siblings had grown remarkably strong, and they later decided to travel out into the world together.
“Understood. Please go receive proper treatment from the elders and return safely.”
“Yes.”
As Eldom bowed, Kailin and Sai-ran bowed as well.
“Sir Kailin, there is a Barrier beyond the Birch Forest—invisible to the eye but designed to prevent outside intrusion. You must not enter. And you mustn’t let Saber Tiger enter either.”
“I was told about the Barrier by Eldom, so don’t worry. Please go and return swiftly.”
“Ah yes, then. See you later, Saber Tiger.”
Growl.
After the three siblings treated the Saber Tiger and began occasionally giving it ogre blood as a snack, the beast’s demeanor shifted; it now behaved like a housecat.
Once the three siblings had exchanged farewells with the Saber Tiger and disappeared into the Birch Forest, Jang Ga-in examined the strange, foreign energy encircling the forest.
‘A Barrier? I’m curious how it prevents outsiders from entering.’
From his time in the Demon Cult, he had experienced barriers created by formation arrays and incantations, so a competitive fire kindled within him.
‘Should I take a look at how it works?’
Growl…
With no intention of breaking through the Barrier, he lightly pushed through the strange energy with a carefree heart, when he heard the low growl of the Saber Tiger from behind.
Turning his head, he saw the Saber Tiger attempting to follow but hesitating and backing away repeatedly.
“Ah, you don’t need to follow. Just stay there.”
Understanding his words, Saber Tiger gave up on pursuing and withdrew to lie flat on its belly, allowing Jang Ga-in to continue deeper into the barrier.
Whoosh…….
As he ventured in, the trees grew denser until there was no gap for a person to pass through, and a path formed as if deliberately guiding him in one direction.
“Hmm! Is this an illusion blocking the way to the village?”
When he inserted his hand between the trees, he felt texture.
“It’s not an illusion, but if I go down that path, it seems like I’ll end up turning back and exiting. What should I do?”
Growwwwl…….
As he deliberated whether to use Lightness Kung Fu to leap over the trees or find another route, he suddenly heard Saber Tiger’s low growl from behind.
‘Wait? When Saber Tiger growls like that, he’s warning about something, isn’t he?’
Puzzled, he deployed his Qi Sensing and felt two unfamiliar presences approaching near Saber Tiger.
‘They’re walking on two legs, so they must be people? But who? It’s too soon for Eldom or Sai-ran to be back.’
When he felt Saber Tiger rise to his feet moments later, Jang Ga-in abandoned his study of the barrier and sprinted quickly toward them.
Since Saber Tiger treated him and Eldom’s siblings affectionately but he couldn’t predict how the beast would react to strangers, he had to hurry.
And in that span of time, the two presences rapidly closed in on Saber Tiger.
Roooaaarrr!
When Saber Tiger let out one great warning roar, the two people rushing toward him froze in terror.
“Ahhhhh! A, a Saber Tiger!”
“Wh, what do we do?”
“P, Puaring! I’ll, I’ll hold the Saber Tiger off so you run!”
“Wh, how can I run alone! R, run with me!”
“If we both turn our backs, the Saber Tiger won’t just growl like this—he’ll attack. Then we’re both dead. So go tell the elders that a Saber Tiger has appeared!”
Jang Ga-in recognized that Saber Tiger hadn’t attacked the two immediately and felt some relief, but he couldn’t afford to linger, so he used Lightness Kung Fu to leap over the trees blocking his path and arrived where Saber Tiger was.
Upon arrival, the first thing he saw were children paralyzed with fear at the sight of Saber Tiger.
They appeared to be around twelve or thirteen years old—a boy standing with his back to a girl, creating fist-sized water drops in both his hands.
Jang Ga-in exhaled a quiet sigh of relief at the sight.
‘Since Saber Tiger only warned and didn’t attack, my training with him has paid off.’
Whoooosh…….
The young boy then flung the water drops he’d created using Spirit Power toward Saber Tiger to buy the girl time to escape, and Saber Tiger leaped high, bursting the drops with his front paws before lunging at the boy with his jaws wide open.
“Saber Tiger, stop!”
Roooarrr.
“I said stop, you beast!”
Thwack! Crack!
Saber Tiger, ignoring Jang Ga-in’s command and intent on attacking the boy, took a stone to the thigh thrown by Jang Ga-in and let out a strange noise.
“I told you not to eat people. Unless you want more hits, get over here.”
When Jang Ga-in picked up another stone and wiggled his fingers, Saber Tiger returned to him with a thoroughly aggrieved expression, whimpering.
Binston, who had just faced the terror of death, stared in bewilderment as the fearsome Saber Tiger, struck by a stone, limped back toward the strange man like a docile cat.
What was happening? Was what he was seeing real? How could that supposedly terrifying Saber Tiger behave like a tame kitten?
As countless questions arose and confusion lingered, his friend Puaring’s voice reached him.
“Binston, a, are you okay?”
“Huh? Oh, y, yes, I’m okay. But why didn’t you leave?”
“You looked like you were going to die—how could I run alone?”
“Even if I die, you should have escaped.”
“If we’re both going to die, then we die together. I couldn’t do that.”
“At least one of us should survive. What’s that nonsense?”
“I’ve always been foolish anyway. So who is that man? How is the Saber Tiger cowering like that in front of him?”
“I still don’t believe what I’m seeing right now.”
Shortly after, the man who had been speaking while holding Saber Tiger’s ear walked toward the two of them.
As he approached, Saber Tiger followed, causing the boys’ bodies to twitch and involuntarily retreat.
“This beast won’t attack you two again, so don’t be afraid.”
Jang Ga-in spoke in halting forest language mixed with gestures, and the two children’s eyes widened.
“D, do you perhaps raise the Saber Tiger as a monster, sir?”
“No, not raise exactly—I tried to kill it not long ago, but it was clever enough to sense that, so I spared it and use it like a pack animal now.”
“A, a pack animal? A beast used to carry cargo?”
“Yes.”
“How can you use such a fearsome Saber Tiger like a pack animal?”
“To me it’s just like a cat, so I’m currently training it by beating it appropriately.”
“A, a cat? The Saber Tiger doesn’t attack when you hit it?”
“If it attacks, I just hit it harder.”
“I, I see. You must be an incredibly strong person, sir. We could never bring ourselves to do something like that out of fear.”
“By the way, did you two perhaps come from Louta Village?”
In an instant, both children’s eyes widened.
“Yes. But how do you know about our village, if you’re a stranger?”
“Ah, I know Eldom, Sai-ran, and Kailin quite well.”
“Oh! So you know Eldom and the others. That’s why you’re here!”
“This Saber Tiger need not frighten you anymore. That said, meeting a monster like this beyond the barrier seems dangerous. Why have you ventured out of the village?”
“We were heading out for training.”
“Training? The two of you alone?”
“We have others with us, but we had something to attend to, so we left a bit late.”
“Still, it seems rather risky for just the two of you.”
“Our teacher and friends are waiting for us not far from here—there are hardly any monsters there, let alone wild beasts.”
“If it’s nearby, how long would it take at your pace?”
“About an hour, roughly.”
Jang Ga-in nodded, for on his way here he had noticed that the closer he drew to Louta Village, the fewer large beasts appeared—only small birds and squirrels, nothing more.
“Ah, an hour’s distance should be safe enough, then.”
Even as the two children spoke with Jang Ga-in, their eyes kept drifting to the Saber Tiger, which was licking away the blood flowing from where his stone had struck it.
“Say, sir.”
“What is it?”
“The Saber Tiger seems to be wounded. Would it be all right if I treated it?”

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