Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: The Land of Adventurers, Serenia
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No one needed to emphasize it multiple times; that had been his plan from the start. The very idea of leaving through the window wasn't normal to begin with. When he opened the front door with Liel in tow, Cain immediately came in, grabbed his shoes, and headed out, grumbling about what had taken him so long.
Liel and Judah exchanged baffled looks and let out hollow chuckles as they followed Cain.
They passed through the mansion's doors and made their way along the corridor to the training grounds.
It was afternoon, and though the Sabrak family held an honorary noble title, they didn't maintain a separate knight order, so aside from Kaseun, Cain, and Judah, no one really used the place. It stood completely empty.
Cain picked up two wooden training swords hanging on the outer wall of the training ground building—child-sized ones.
He took one for himself and tossed the other to Judah.
Liel, standing behind, spotted the flying wooden sword and let out a squeak, stepping back. Judah reached out and caught the handle mid-air with perfect precision, then gave it a light swing.
'There is some stamina drain, though.'
He had trained with Kaseun in the morning and practiced alone in the afternoon. Fatigue had built up considerably. On top of that, he was sweaty and sticky. He hadn't said anything while Liel and Cain were coming, but he'd been worried about whether he smelled of sweat.
Honestly, in his current skill and condition, sparring with Cain—who had trained under Kaseun for a long time—was daunting. But with Kaseun refusing to spar yet, saying he wasn't ready, this was an opportunity.
They moved to the center of the training grounds and faced each other, training swords pointed.
Cain grinned with amusement and anticipation, showing no tension whatsoever.
That must mean he was that confident.
'But he's still just a kid without a class.'
Before becoming an adult, Cain would be selected at the Yophiel Temple as a [Gabriel's Sword _ Holy Swordsman (Hidden S)]. It was a class with immense potential and generous bonuses upon changing jobs—an outrageously overpowered one fit for a game's protagonist.
But that was the future, not now.
Right now, Judah held the advantage with [Black Claw _ Shadow Magic Swordsman (Hidden A)].
What worried him was the experience gap. Judah had only trained for a year, while Cain had been under Kaseun's tutelage since even younger. His judgment and reactions would be on another level.
"Ready to start?"
With Judah lost in thought and motionless, Cain moved first.
Gripping his sword with both hands, he charged quickly and brought it down in a overhead strike. Judah lowered his stance and deflected it upward at an angle.
Clack! The heavy impact told him their strength favored Judah. Cain's face showed a flicker of surprise—he knew it too. Judah immediately knocked Cain's sword aside and thrust toward his solar plexus.
It was a counter Kaseun had taught him. At this rate, he could hit Cain's midsection. But Cain didn't go down easy; he stepped back just in time, evading by a hair's breadth.
"So Grandpa did teach you."
"Of course. Even if it's only been a year!"
The wooden swords clacked against each other. Cain laughed awkwardly as he moved his sword, suddenly directing Judah's downward.
'It glanced off?'
He had aimed straight ahead, but now it pointed at the ground. Startled, Judah tried to recover and defend, but Cain's sword was already at his throat.
He froze and stared at Cain in shock. A shiver ran through his entire body.
Yes, this was it. This was what he wanted.
You needed experiences like this to learn proper responses!
Judah suppressed the urge to cheer.
"Hmm, but you definitely lack practice."
Cain stepped back with a playful expression, acting smug as he continued.
"When linking moves, you hesitate thinking too much—it makes you sluggish. I can't give advice since I'm still learning, but you need to get used to it. That's how you move sharp and quick like me!"
"Wow, Cain, you look cool for once!"
Liel, watching from a distance, clapped like a seal and praised him. Cain shrugged his shoulders. For a normal kid, this might bruise his pride, but for Judah, it was a meaningful time.
"One more time. No, let's keep going."
"Huh? It's not that fun for me... Fine! Should be okay. Let's do it!"
"Thanks."
Judah smiled brightly, genuinely. Winning wasn't important.
Having a practice partner was!
Cain looked at him helplessly and raised his wooden sword.
Now Judah could test the moves he'd only thought or imagined.
If I move like this, he'll react that way.
Then I counter here like this!
Huh, that didn't work—how about this?
Judah swung his sword with a grin. As expected, Cain blocked everything. Not just blocking—he often countered in a blink, targeting vitals. In a real fight, Judah would've died over ten times already, but he didn't get discouraged.
He'd never thought he had talent. He'd briefly done kendo for a month back in the day, and even at the start, he couldn't move his body right. Back then, he lacked drive or desperation. It was just casual exercise for health when bored—with that mindset. Plus, he had a bad habit of unconsciously pulling punches during spars, worried about hurting his padded opponent.
But now was different. He struck with full force, no holding back mid-swing, pressuring Cain. He was adapting. Each failure stepped him closer to victory. And right now—he saw the incoming sword clearly, deflected it with a thud, and without pause, pressed his wooden sword to Cain's neck.
"Huh?"
Whether Cain let his guard down or went easy, Judah couldn't be sure. But judging by the surprised look, it was probably the former.
Hoo—hoo—
Panting heavily, Judah stared at Cain's face to cool down, then looked at his own sword. Its tip aimed precisely at Cain's nape. He slowly lowered it.
The first success filled him with pride. And as soon as Judah won once, Liel—who'd been sitting and watching—cheered and jumped up.
"Yay! Judah finally won? Is it over now?"
At first, their quick clashes were exciting, but it grew boring. She'd stayed awake barely because the sweaty, moving duo looked cool.
Well, mostly watching Cain from start to finish, but not dozing off was achievement enough. Seeing Liel stretch and yawn, Judah wiped the sweat from his forehead.
[Through sparring, you have awakened a portion of swordsmanship known only in theory.]
The system log flashed, but it was nothing special. He dismissed the hologram and felt the immense stickiness of sweat pouring from his body.
His already damp clothes clung even tighter, glued to his skin.
His face twisted in disgust, yet a refreshing thrill rose from deep in his chest—contradicting it. A feeling he'd never had since coming to this world.
Exhausted, he sat on the ground for a break. Liel suddenly remembered something and scurried to the training building. Soon, the little girl dragged back a large basin with effort disproportionate to her size and set it before Cain and Judah. It brimmed with cold water, towels soaked inside.
She handed one to Cain, but Judah couldn't wait and grabbed one himself.
"Thanks, Liel."
"Ah! I... I wanted to hear that from Cain first. It wasn't for you!"
Her words carried a hint of sulkiness, but Judah chuckled.
He knew. Liel liked Cain. It was a cliché novel trope—childish and overdone, some said—but he'd set it that way, thinking childhood friends might be a man's romance.
And to avoid dropping her later, he'd made her a rare, useful magic swordsman.
She was only D-rank now, but eventually, she'd gain recognition from the Langritsa Magic Tower, advancing to A-rank grand magician or tower lord.
Liel pouted and glared at Judah.
"Hey, Judah. I've got a question."
"Sure, what is it? He wiped his sweat with the towel and replied.
"Why were you grinning like an idiot after losing so much?"
"Because it was fun."
"Huh—fun? Even though you lost?"
Cain looked at him too, surprised by the answer.
Under their gazes, Judah felt embarrassed. Their admiring stares felt awkward. But 'fun' was the honest truth.
"Yeah, even if I lost today, it's just one day. I'll practice steadily, and eventually I'll win. I've got talent, so like just now, I can beat you, Cain."
"Ugh, so cocky. Cain's gonna win tomorrow and the day after too! He won't lose to you! Right?"
Cain just smiled awkwardly at Liel's words, saying nothing.
Judah stood to return his sweat-soaked towel to the basin, but his legs buckled, and he plopped back down. Looking closely, his arms were the same. His whole body felt heavy.
Did I overdo it? Might catch a cold if I'm not careful.
"You okay?"
Judah nodded at Cain's question.
It was startling. No matter how tough, he'd never been this drained before.
"Just need a short break, and I'll be fine."
"How about crashing here tonight? Grandpa won't mind, and there are plenty of empty rooms."
He wanted to say he was fine, but walking home in this state seemed tough.
Checking his condition, Judah sighed and accepted the offer. Cain told him to wait here and ran to the house. Watching Cain's back, Judah lay flat on the training grounds.
'Feels better lying down.'
A cool breeze blew; he could sleep like this.
Eyes closed, he nearly dozed off and looked at Liel.
Bored, maybe tease her a bit? Chatting with peers like this was rare after so long.
Since coming here, his days were library, stamina training, sword practice—dull routine.
Most kids mocked him as the cursed orphan and ran; even those who approached had bad intentions.
Once chased off, they never returned, so he was always alone.
Today, Cain and Liel approaching, talking, sparring, being together—it felt novel. Noticing his stare, Liel frowned.
"Ugh, what."
"You like Cain."
Instant reaction. Her face flushed beet red with a 'thump.'
Visibly flustered, her mouth twitched.
He giggled, and Liel stormed right up to his lying form.
"Y-you! H-how did you know! W-was it obvious?"
"Nah, just a guess."
Her shock turned to wary suspicion.
Liel growled low like a cautious cat.
"Tell anyone, and you're dead. Got it?"
He nodded with a small laugh.
"Don't worry. Your secret's safe."