Chapter 3
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: Cutter Knife Blessing (2)
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"Slurp... Ahhh."
"Please eat slowly. No one's going to steal it from you."
The moment I woke up and came to my senses, I dove straight into the kimchi stew.
What the hell is your real cooking skill?
The aged kimchi and the perfectly cooked pork were on another level.
'She didn't even add any seasonings or anything like that. Is this what they call the taste of wellness?'
I don't say stuff like this lightly, but even that famous chef Anseomjae would take one bite and go, "This suddenly reminds me of my childhood," while giving it over 90 points.
"By the way, I was out for 10 hours? The backlash from the blessing is insane."
"That's actually fortunate. If you overdo it later when your Heart Image grows massive, you could be unconscious for over a week."
Heart Image.
Just like in the blessing description, it seemed to refer to a swordsman's realm.
So far, I'd heard about three things in total.
'Heart Image, Heart Power, Heart's Eye.'
The self-control drop was inversely proportional to Heart Power, right?
"Heart Image is the vessel. Heart Power is the contents that fill it. Heart's Eye is... the third eye that sees through the Heart Image, I suppose."
"Sounds roughly like mana capacity and mana."
"The context is similar."
"Hmm."
"Didn't you feel it once, right before you passed out?"
Come to think of it... when I picked up the Cutter Knife, that message about the Heart's Eye opening had appeared right in front of me.
Time felt like it was flowing slowly.
All the scenery looked crystal clear, like I was peering through a telescope.
'The world looked 3D...'
Side effect of the blessing due to insufficient Heart Power.
Alright. I get the gist.
"Where are you going?"
"To train my Heart Image."
"You've only just woken up... Do you even know how to train it?"
"No clue. If it doesn't work, I can just activate the blessing."
"That's way too dangerous."
Adel let out a sigh and continued.
"You'll obviously pass out again. Even if I'm volunteering as your maid, think about me a little. I'm a worker who needs rest too."
"Mm... I still want to train, though."
After my retort, Adel pondered for a moment, set down the laundry she was folding, and spoke.
"How about enrolling in the academy instead?"
"The name alone tells me what it is. Pass."
Academy? You've got to be kidding.
A true knight rolls through the gutters, building their legend from the bottom up. That's the romance.
Hanging out with those lofty noble kids playing their high-society games would turn my story into a clichéd light novel mess.
"...I can guess what you're thinking. But there, everyone learns and tempers their Heart Image systematically. With all sorts of races gathered, you'll adapt to this world's culture much faster too."
"Is there a Demon King or something in this world?"
"There is, but."
That sealed it.
While trying to train my Heart Image, I'd get tossed around, interrupted left and right, and end up fighting random idiots.
"The Hero of this world will handle whatever you're worried about."
"Still not going."
"Sigh... Fine. Who am I to break that stubbornness of yours?"
Adel narrowed her eyes as she spoke.
But something felt off about her words.
It had only been a month since we met, but her tone was like she'd been watching me for years. Probably just a slip of the tongue.
"Instead, how about this? If you make no progress in a month without using the blessing, then go to the academy?"
"Adel, be honest. You're just trying to ship me off so you can rest, right?"
"Have you forgotten who I worked under? I'll follow you. No matter how annoying, my professional spirit is strong."
"......"
If she put it that way.
Honestly, if I made zero progress in a month, I'd have to go anyway. Heart Image seemed like standard knight training, and I wanted to learn it.
'I'll do what I can until then.'
Me, Yujin.
The guy who'd devoured every sword-related subculture out there.
The one who's eaten the meat knows how to eat it well. I could definitely pull this off.
And so, three days before the month was up.
"...No way."
"What did I say? No need for the academy."
Adel stared in shock at the blue energy flickering at my fingertips.
"Heart Image? No, how...!"
"Heh."
Her expression was pure satisfaction.
'I'd been through hell for a month just for this.'
Standing under a waterfall in a valley until I nearly died.
Fasting all day while meditating in nature.
Swinging a wooden sword bought from a vendor tens of thousands of times.
I'd wondered if growth only came in desperate moments, so I soloed a yaksha beast against a bear and barely survived. That's when I finally felt something.
Not as strong as the blessing, but time slowed a bit similarly?
And the world looked a tad sharper than before.
Adel gave me a look of utter disbelief.
"You were secretly using the blessing to practice behind my back, weren't you?"
"If that were the case, I'd become your maid. It's real."
"...Huh."
Adel stared at me blankly and sighed.
Why the fuss?
I was actually disappointed. The results were meager compared to the effort.
"It's not something you brush off that simply. Sensing your Heart Image in your teens is a realm only a handful of geniuses across the entire continent can achieve!"
"Eh, about that much."
"Most swordsmen grind away for over a decade, breaking their bones in training, and retire without even glimpsing its form... In just one month?"
"That's because they lack effort. Swinging a sword with that mindset is why they never grasp it."
"Not something the guy who trained for a month should say."
Adel clutched her throbbing head and spoke.
"Still, how about going to the academy?"
"Why? I've built my Heart Image."
"...To be honest, we're almost out of money. I tried job hunting to cover expenses, but only weird offers came in."
"......"
A sudden wave of guilt hit me mid my curt reply.
Looking at Adel's face, she seemed paler than usual.
Now that I noticed, dark circles shadowed her eyes deeply.
Even as a self-proclaimed maid, job hunting to support a jobless swordsman like me?
'This world's values probably discriminate harshly by gender, so she must've faced sexual harassment too.'
A prick in my chest.
I'd been freeloading like a house husband, just eating and lounging.
But one sudden question popped up.
"Wait, what's that got to do with the academy? Wouldn't enrolling cost even more in tuition?"
At my question, Adel nodded eagerly.
"With your level, Sir Yujin, you'd get top full scholarship. I was going to have you use the blessing anyway... Even if you pass out from it, I'll take care of you. And as an outsider like me, if I accompany you as 'guardian,' I could work as a librarian in their library. Plenty of noble students bring maids."
"Oh ho."
"You train safely, and I leverage my expertise for a high-paying part-time gig. Win-win, right?"
Hearing it out, it sounded pretty solid.
I train without money worries, and Adel shifts to a professional role to handle the household finances.
"So basically, my enrollment gets you an employment visa."
"Spot-on analogy. As expected, you catch on quick."
Adel beamed at me, staring straight.
Her eyes made it hard to refuse.
...All this time, while I barely lifted a finger, she'd handled all the housework and supported me.
No matter her strong professional spirit, adapting from divine realm work to maid duties must've been tough.
"Alright. Let's prepare right away."
"Excellent choice."
Maybe because she was born and raised in this world in her past life, Adel knew the local geography and administrative procedures like the back of her hand.
She deftly obtained documents from somewhere and wrapped up my enrollment application in a flash. Her skills from embezzling slush funds in the divine realm hadn't rusted.
While waiting for the big day, after finishing our preparations, the academy entrance exam arrived.
For the record, no Cutter Knife.
Just holding it lets me master everything, which kills the fun of learning as a sword otaku.
Top spot with pure physicals, or no enrollment. That was my mindset.
"Good luck. No top score, and dinner's grass."
"Y-Yeah."
Leaving Adel's savage send-off at the gates, I stepped into the campus.
The empire's largest academy lived up to the hype. No exaggeration.
The interior was practically a small city.
A massive lake filled the plaza, surrounded by upscale shops with fancy signs.
"It's been ages! Doesn't this new dress look cute?"
"How about tea time by the lake after the exam?"
Laughter and chatter erupted from all sides the moment I entered.
I knew it would be like this.
When we should be grinding in the gutters with killer intent, it felt like a university festival.
'Ha, wonder if I can actually train properly here.'
I had no interest in my legend being littered with pink light novel clichés.
Whatever. If it doesn't fit, I'll bail.
I was about to stroll indifferently into the exam hall when.
"-Wait."
A curt, dry voice grabbed my ankle.
Thinking someone called me, I turned. An ivory-haired girl with bold eyes was staring me down.
The tips of her hair at the back were dyed in rainbow hues. Unique.
"You, from the central region?"
"Nah, Korean."
"Ko...rea? Never heard of it."
She scrutinized my face, then frowned.
At that moment, a stern voice echoed from inside the exam hall.
"Entrance exam starts in 5 minutes! Anyone not entering now is disqualified!"
At the announcement, she turned away, interest lost.
Then, with a haughty gait toward the hall, she tossed out.
"Well, good thing. I thought you were from the east with that look. Your walk screams failure at first glance, so don't get tangled up near me."
"......"
...What the hell?
I just blankly watched her retreating figure.
Too ridiculous to even get mad.
She had some serious victim complex. Probably mentally ill.
'...Pity.'
If not corrected young, she'd get hit hard later.
Campus didn't seem like a bully breeding ground when I passed the gate earlier, but I worried anyway.
'Fighting, Rainbow Girl.'
I sincerely cheered her on as I slowly entered the exam hall.