Chapter 14
Chapter 14
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 14
Chapter Title: Chapter 1. Serenia, the Land of Adventurers
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"Really? Thanks, Judah."
Not much to be thankful for, but Judah smiled in response instead of answering. In truth, he was too exhausted to even speak. Did this young girl have any idea? Cain would soon have countless beauties flocking to him.
Unlike in the game, this place seemed firmly rooted in reality, so whether Cain would fixate on one woman or embrace them all remained to be seen. It was a pity that Liel was oblivious to such matters, but her unwavering devotion to Cain persisted even into adulthood, so she might just win him over if things went well.
"What's with that face? What's wrong?"
Sharp instincts for a kid. Judah let out a small chuckle.
"It's nothing."
He changed the subject. Liel just tilted her head at his weary voice, not pressing further.
He turned his gaze back to the sky. The sun was setting, painting a magnificent evening glow across the clouds. The red light reflecting off them was breathtaking. He felt like he could drift off.
The cool breeze blowing in dried the sticky sweat on his skin, cooling him refreshingly. He might fall asleep like this. He was perfectly exhausted, both mentally and physically. A deep sleep would probably make him feel better.
And so, he irresponsibly dozed off right there in the training yard. When his fading consciousness returned, Judah stared blankly at the sky. The sunset had deepened, and darkness was creeping in from the opposite horizon. Some time had passed.
'Slept like a rock.'
It had been a sweet slumber. But his body still craved more rest, feeling heavy and sluggish. And a slight chill was setting in. It wasn't that cold, but spending the night outdoors like this might lead to catching a cold if he wasn't careful. Groaning, he pushed himself up, only to see Liel fast asleep with her face buried in her knees.
Wait, what on earth was taking Cain so long?
Come to think of it, he'd heard Caseun was away. That's why they'd snuck to the training yard for a spar.
At the very least, they should have told a servant and rested at home. Cain was probably waiting for Caseun's return. But how long was he planning to wait here blindly?
"Hoo."
Sighing, he forced his body upright. His bones and muscles screamed in protest.
"Ugh—"
It hurt. He wanted to lie down and rest immediately. Just then, he spotted Cain running toward them from afar.
"Judah! Grandpa says you can stay the night!"
"You took your time... Liel, wake up. Cain's here."
Judah roused the soundly sleeping Liel. She jerked her head up at the sound of her name, glanced around, then yawned and nodded as she pieced together the situation.
With weary faces, they went looking for Caseun. Liel went home via a servant, leaving Judah and Cain behind. Caseun scolded them for sparring secretly without permission—what if they'd gotten hurt?—explaining why he hadn't allowed duels until now. It was more lecture than anything, but exhaustion dulled Judah's ears to it.
Blinking tiredly as he mumbled responses, Caseun sighed. He made them promise that any future duels would be with his permission and under his supervision. Not a bad deal.
In the end, they'd gotten approval.
Now he could duel Cain as much as he wanted.
They spent the night at the mansion, shared breakfast with Caseun the next morning, and discussed future plans. Since they'd be dueling together, Judah would now train alongside Cain in the mornings from here on out.
In simple terms, it was putting them in competition. There'd be a gap in their swordsmanship proficiency, but Judah followed without complaint.
What mattered most was training under Caseun's guidance.
However, Caseun offered no advice on their duels unless asked directly or in truly necessary cases. He wanted them to grow through their own experiences of victory and defeat.
His skills improved day by day. He learned much from Caseun, and the repetitive drills now included more pointers and shared experiences.
But there was a downside.
He was starting to grow fond of Cain. He knew they'd become enemies someday.
Sharing meals and training, clashing swords in duels—it was natural to bond. At first, that fact terrified him.
Not like now, crossing wooden swords in training.
But later, with real blades, not for practice, but with intent to kill.
The fear that they'd one day clash swords with murderous intent gripped him. Knowing that future was inevitable, he'd even thought to avoid growing attached. But things rarely went as planned.
It wasn't easy. In the end, he put it off.
He'd deal with that when the time came.
As time passed, Judah confided one secret to Caseun.
He'd wanted to keep it hidden until leaving Serenia Castle, but he hit a wall training alone and had no choice but to seek Caseun's help.
He revealed the Shadow Sword Arts and asked for advice.
Of course, he didn't call it that outright. But Caseun, the wandering swordsman with the Platinum Badge of Honor, recognized elements of Judah's techniques and was astonished. He realized they came from the unique arts of the Black Lions, the knight order of a fallen kingdom.
Nearly a century had passed since their downfall, and most people didn't even know the kingdom's name anymore. But those who did knew for certain. Caseun was one of them.
He asked how he'd learned it and who else knew.
Judah's answer to the first was that he couldn't remember; to the second, only Caseun.
Caseun fell silent. He must have belatedly recalled Judah's amnesia. Upon hearing Judah's parents had been murdered, Caseun had rushed to their home first, but Judah was already at the temple. Blood-soaked soldiers guarded the scene, the bodies left untouched inside. Deeming it unacceptable, Caseun first confronted the mercenaries' guild for accountability, then went to Serenia's lord to declare himself Judah's guardian and file the papers.
Finally, he visited Judah at the temple. There, an elderly paladin priest remarked that Judah seemed to have lost fragments of his memory. Judah had seemed vaguely familiar with him, but he'd adapted so well afterward that it faded from mind.
Caseun asked if he knew anything else.
He was inquiring about the Heresy Arts, not just the Sword Arts. Judah shook his head. He kept the Heresy Arts' existence hidden for now. Caseun let out a deep sigh, expressing deep regret.
Without the Heresy Arts, the Sword Arts were only half-complete, he said. Still, as the arts of the Black Lions, they surpassed most swordsmanship. He shared what he knew of Judah's shadow sword techniques and made minor corrections to his form. It seemed Caseun had encountered the Shadow Sword Arts during his travels.
Caseun's advice proved invaluable. Judah's Shadow Sword Arts proficiency, which hadn't budged for nearly a year alone, shot up noticeably—from 1/10 to 2/10 in just two months.
Their training schedule with Cain changed slightly due to the Shadow Sword Arts.
From daily visits excluding weekends, it shifted to every other day, and joint training with Cain reverted to being separate.
Duels were set for Fridays.
With training every other day, he had far more free time.
When he asked Caseun what to do in his downtime, Caseun said he needed leisure time. Judah agreed, but even with free time, there wasn't much to enjoy.
He wasn't close with kids his age, so playing with them wasn't an option. Solo activities were even scarcer. It was only natural. Magic had advanced greatly here—refrigerators, gas stoves, water purification plants—but no computers, TVs, or smartphones for entertainment. The most popular pastime was chess; otherwise, it was all simple, physical games.
Fortunately, in places like Serenia Castle with an enlightened lord, libraries were open to all. Lesser regions lacked even that. But he'd already read every book in the library. He could reread favorites two or three times, but he didn't want to hole up there revisiting old ones.
He craved something more stimulating. Idleness brought thoughts of his original world. With just a computer in his room, anything was possible: make games, chat with people, laugh at funny videos. One phone call delivered delicious food.
Thinking of food sparked a silver lining: this world was a blessing in that regard. Players had stocked taverns and inns with all sorts of dishes, spreading spices and diverse vegetables far and wide. Merchants traveled broadly, making most foods available almost anywhere.
Pizza, sweet-and-sour pork, chicken, black bean noodles.
Even these staples existed here. Kimchi was on the second continent. Stocking modern foods in village taverns, inns, and restaurants was a stroke of genius for immersion.
It diluted his vague longing to return home. Still, he missed his parents, friends, computers, lounging in bed with a fan's breeze. Sometimes the longing brought deep melancholy, but if it grew too severe, his player trait activated, forcibly calming him.
"Haa."
Ending the day in such thoughts, Judah lay in bed earlier than usual, let out a deep sigh, and closed another day.
========== Author's Note ==========
If I suddenly go on hiatus without a word, there's only one reason.
Either I'm dead, or I've been hospitalized due to health issues.
In the latter case, there'll be a separate notice, but in the former, who knows.