Why Is This Real?
16. A few days had passed since Alan had dined with Stella and Felicia. As soon as classes ended today, he returned to his dorm and sprawled out on the sofa like freshly laundered laundry.
"I've heard that among those reading the Shuren Chronicle, more people are starting to explore Kun'Rung cultural styles. It's just a rumor, mind you."
Alan lifted his head slightly at Meia's words as she neatly made the bed.
"...Volume 2 hasn't even come out yet?"
"You could say its influence is that profound."
"Good lord."
Alan let out a hollow sigh of amazement and flopped his head back again.
"And there's a rumor circulating in the Knight Faculty."
"What's that one?"
"Apparently, illustrations perfectly recreating the sword techniques from the Shuren Chronicle are making the rounds. I heard it from Lady Evans."
"From Stella?"
"Yes."
Meia finished tidying the bed and pulled back the curtains. Brilliant sunlight poured into Alan's room. Hit square in the face by the direct rays, Alan let out a shriek.
"Kyaack!"
"Young master, you're not some monster—what's with that bizarre scream?"
"You yanked the curtains open out of nowhere! Ah, my eyes."
Scowling and rubbing his forehead after the sudden onslaught of light, Alan sat up on the sofa and asked,
"So, pictures recreating the sword moves from the Shuren Chronicle are circulating in the Knight Faculty?"
"Yes. Lady Evans says it's just a rumor, but from the way she mentioned it, it seems she's seen those drawings herself."
"That's ridiculous."
Alan thought the ripple effect from a novel with only one volume out was getting way too weird.
It's not even a murim novel, but they're copying the move descriptions—what do they even gain from that?
In murim novels, even vague descriptions could lead to enlightenment for trained martial artists. But in fantasy, physical training took precedence over mental cultivation. That was the biggest difference Alan had noticed between murim and fantasy novels he'd read.
...Talk about peak inefficiency.
Fantasy worlds lacked a systematized way to circulate mana—like inner energy through meridians via formulas—so they brute-forced sword forms into their bodies to carve paths for mana. On the flip side, it might just highlight fantasy's emphasis on physical prowess versus murim's focus on mental discipline and qi circulation.
Reincarnated into a fantasy world, and now I'm overthinking this stuff, Alan grumbled inwardly.
"...Come to think of it, they can't even replicate the mana circulation, right? It's just a novel—a work of fiction! Pure imagination! Why try to recreate it?"
"It seems to have started with the Kun'Rung exchange students."
"Kun'Rung?"
"Yes."
Meia's response furrowed Alan's brow.
"Why the hell are Kun'Rung kids getting involved?!"
"I'm not sure how to interpret this part. How should we map the inner energy flow for this stance?"
"This move deserves more discussion."
The academy cadets from Kun'Rung gathered in the training grounds today as usual, deep in their now-routine debate.
"It's a shame only Volume 1 is out."
"Tell me about it. Honestly, it has real value even as a martial arts manual."
"Why not extract just the martial arts sections, compile them like a secret manual?"
"Good idea. Let's review it."
Shen watched his peers huddle together, pooling their wisdom.
What a waste of time.
To Shen, who believed martial arts were forged through theory and bloody combat, the Shuren Chronicle was just scraps of paper. He couldn't fathom why they were obsessing over such delusional nonsense.
"You're in a foul mood, Shen?"
At Lin's voice from behind, Shen spun around and dropped to one knee.
"Your Highness."
"Don't look so displeased. Is it still that Alan Mueller rubs you the wrong way?"
"...No, Your Highness."
"I know you don't like him. No use hiding it."
Lin’s red eyes gleamed as if piercing his thoughts. Shen couldn't meet her gaze.
"And you even used transmission arts on Lord Alan?"
"That was..."
"Don't do that sort of thing recklessly. He's the heir of the Sword King’s house in the Western Empire. Unless you want the Sword King's wrath."
"...I'll keep that in mind, Your Highness."
Lin let out a short sigh and looked away. She'd spent years as her guard, but Shen could be overly intense. There was history there, but now wasn't the time.
"Princess Highness!"
"You've arrived!"
The cadets debating the Shuren Chronicle stood and knelt. Lin glanced at them with a faint smile.
"I said during your time at the academy, formal bows are waived."
Waiving ceremony—literally excusing formal etiquette. She'd granted it herself after endless greetings, yet their stubbornness persisted. Lin sighed softly.
"...It's good to see you all so dedicated."
"There's much to learn, truly. Magic seems tricky to counter..."
"It has depth that doesn't pale against our nation's martial arts."
"Similar to our sorcery, so our sorcerers and their mages would make a fine match."
One after another, bellicose remarks spilled out. Lin shook her head.
This stems from centuries of built-up grudges, too...
The Tyranto Empire and Kun'Rung Empire weren't on great terms. Things had improved only after Lin's father ascended as emperor and worked to mend ties inherited from his predecessors. Without generations of effort, she never would have come to study in Tyranto.
"The swordsmanship in the Shuren Chronicle grows stranger the more I look. The depictions of techniques, the inner energy usage—it's so akin to our nation's martial arts..."
"To think someone in the Western Empire understands our homeland this deeply."
"It's astonishing."
One reason Lin was intrigued by Alan. A Westerner from Tyranto crafting swordplay structurally akin to Kun'Rung martial arts in a novel.
"I've heard rumors lately of drawings copying the Shuren Chronicle's sword moves circulating in the Knight Faculty. Someone's collecting them..."
"Copying sword moves into drawings? From mere written descriptions?"
Shen frowned and interjected. Lin tilted her head curiously.
"How recent?"
"Fairly new. About a week ago, it became a trend in the Knight Faculty. They're even hanging up illustrated moves for wager duels."
"Hmm..."
Lin closed her eyes. Secret manual scrambles were commonplace in Kun'Rung. She hadn't expected to witness one in Western Tyranto.
"Hanging illustrated diagrams for duels isn't much different from a manual grab. At least it's sparring and not lethal. Events like this belong in our homeland..."
"Indeed, astonishing."
As Lin said, it was the sort of thing from Kun'Rung. Rare in Western Tyranto. Mercenaries' practical swordplay and Kun'Rung ronin's combat arts shared some common ground, but true martial domains were another matter.
"I hear in the Western Empire, sword arts are passed only through bloodlines."
"Yes, quite unique."
Kun'Rung centered on sects for martial arts; Tyranto on noble houses for swordsmanship and magic. Similar yet different—highlighting their cultural temperaments.
Shen added,
"Someone's compiling those diagrams into a manual."
"That could turn ugly if mishandled."
Lin frowned.
"I should pay Lord Alan a visit."
"For real, bro?"
"Yeah. Even the student council's tearing their hair out. Most in the Knight Faculty are going nuts to get their hands on those sword move illustrations."
"No, it's just moves from a novel! Why the hell is this real?!"
Alan was genuinely baffled.
"Even copying the moves won't mean squat without infusing mana!"
"They know that. The issue is, rumor has it some Kun'Rung exchange students are seeing results from it."
"Seriously?"
"Just rumors so far. But with only Volume 1 out, if people start showing tangible gains from the Shuren Chronicle, its status changes completely."
"This is insane."
Alan flopped onto the sofa regardless of Albert watching.
"Hearing Knight Faculty kids do wager duels over drawings of my novel's sword moves is absurd enough."
"Just rumors. Calm down, Alan."
"I'm calm—it's the absurdity."
"By the way, I heard Volume 2's coming soon. True?"
"That's all you wanna ask?"
Albert shrugged at Alan's retort.
"Since you're here in the Knight Faculty, how about touring the training grounds?"
"Tour? Do I have to?"
"I get your standards are high with Meia around, but they're not that bad. Could help with writing the Shuren Chronicle."
"Well, if you say so."
Sticking to just Meia might narrow my view, Alan convinced himself and stood.
"Let's go now, then, bro."
"Sounds good."