Chapter 72
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 72
Chapter Title: Emperor's Sword (5)
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Following Reinhardt,
we saved one village and spent the night around it.
The next morning,
we moved to the next village,
repeatedly killing monsters there and saving the people.
In that way,
when night fell, we stood night watch on the roadside and slept.
When we woke, we moved to the next village and exterminated the monsters,
repeating such tasks.
'Tiring...'
Such repetitive work was undoubtedly exhausting.
Subjugating monsters was tough,
but not particularly difficult in itself.
The villages we visited certainly had strong monsters.
However, they were all at a level we could handle with my cooldown on {Defying Heaven} and Reinhardt's skills,
so the subjugations went smoothly.
"I'm tired..."
Fatigue.
The growing exhaustion building up in my body
was the main thing wearing me down.
"Ha... So stop doing pointless stuff at night."
In that situation,
Reinhardt snapped at my natural grumbling,
but I just lightly ignored her
and resumed the boring routine.
After some time passed like that.
"Lately, I've been thinking about a new swordsmanship."
Finally,
the words I'd been waiting for came from Reinhardt's mouth.
'Looks like he's finally okay...'
In the Emperor's Trial,
once affinity with Reinhardt reached trust level,
he'd mention he was working on his own swordsmanship.
In other words... that was the real start.
"And?"
"It feels like I'm onto something, but it's ambiguous."
Hiding my excitement, I replied calmly,
and Reinhardt continued about his vague swordsmanship.
"Want to see it?"
"Sure, why not... I might be able to help."
At his question about watching,
I quickly accepted.
He drew his sword
and began demonstrating the technique.
'Hm... No clue...'
Reinhardt's swordsmanship flashed by in an instant.
Honestly,
I had no idea.
'Of course not...'
It was only natural.
Me, who'd always gotten by in fights with skills or as a Pioneer,
I had no deep knowledge of swordsmanship.
'{Piercing Eyes} lets me analyze it somewhat...'
Of course, using {Piercing Eyes},
I could grasp Reinhardt's movements to a degree.
But that was it.
I only vaguely understood it was an advanced form beyond imperial swordsmanship.
All those movements
were far too refined for me to critique.
However...
"That series of connected... sword techniques... couldn't you divide them into three forms?"
With my game knowledge,
I could certainly help him complete the swordsmanship.
[Divide the swordsmanship into three forms.]
I just needed to relay,
right beside him,
the insight he'd eventually realize on his own in the future.
"Swordsmanship... into three forms...?"
As if proving my guess right,
Reinhardt paused, lost in thought like he'd realized something.
Then he looked back at me and continued.
"Hm... Good idea. Let's give it a try."
'Perfect...'
Good idea, he'll try it.
From those words,
I could tell he'd sorted out the swordsmanship in his head.
'Want to dump all the remaining hints now, but...'
However,
I didn't give Reinhardt any more hints here.
The Emperor's Sword divided into three forms.
Not even the first form properly complete yet,
if I gave all the hints,
it would only hinder organizing into three forms.
It wouldn't help at all.
'Gotta watch for a while...'
So for now,
my job was just to observe as he refined his swordsmanship.
'It'll be soon...'
However... it wouldn't take long.
Emperor Reinhardt's talent
was the type to comprehend instantly with just a simple hint.
So...
'This damn trial is finally ending...'
Now,
I just wanted to quickly end
this trial of nothing but tragedy and despair.
Aden, that suddenly appearing existence,
and several days after touring villages
subjugating monsters.
'He's definitely not an evil person...'
The man called Aden I'd observed so far
was certainly suspicious.
Even if hiding many secrets, I was convinced he wasn't evil.
That was why...
"Lately, I've been thinking about a new swordsmanship..."
To someone at a similar
or even higher realm than me,
I showed my own swordsmanship,
the one I'd been developing for a long time,
but suddenly hit a wall and couldn't progress further.
"That series of... connected sword techniques... couldn't you divide them into three forms?"
Honestly, even at a similar realm,
my sword would look complete to an outsider,
so I had no great expectations for his response.
However... unlike my expectations,
he proposed an unimaginable approach.
'Three forms... divide it...?'
My already complete swordsmanship.
To anyone watching,
even a swordsman superior to me,
it was complete,
virtually impossible to improve.
That refined and intricate.
But Aden
was different.
Divide into three forms,
something I'd never considered...
Essentially, abandon the near-complete swordsmanship
and return to the beginning to explore new possibilities.
But the moment I heard it,
the instant I imagined the three divided forms.
I knew for sure.
'The path to perfect swordsmanship...'
Even if I had to go back to the start,
even if I redesigned every motion and form... every mana flow from scratch.
Aden.
His words
were the answer.
My swordsmanship
had the wrong foundation from the beginning.
'Ha... So hollow...'
Realizing that,
a clear sense of emptiness washed over me.
However,
like finding the answer to a dead-end problem,
a refreshing joy instantly erased the hollowness.
Feeling such complex emotions,
as I pondered the three-form swordsmanship.
"Let's get moving soon."
Aden
spoke to me again.
'So calm...'
His demeanor was utterly nonchalant,
impossible to believe he'd just
laid the foundation for perfect swordsmanship,
the core method itself.
'Coincidence...?'
Seeing that,
I wondered if the earlier advice was mere chance,
but
'Whatever... doesn't matter.'
I shook off the thought,
and followed him as he started moving first,
heading to the next village.
And the next village we arrived at,
again in wretched condition.
Kieeeek-!
Against the monsters in that village,
just as I tried unfolding the new insight from before.
As if to prove the advice wasn't coincidence,
"Try reversing your mana there."
Aden's voice rang out, the one who'd subjugated monsters instantly in our first village.
That voice advised on the mana flow for the very first motion.
"Make the first form's motion short and wide-ranging."
The next day, he advised on the format of the first form, not yet precisely divided.
"Wrong, twist the motion more."
And the day after, even the minutest movements,
advice piercing only to the truth.
Thus...
The birth of the Emperor.
That tale
began at a faster pace than before.
'I see...'
My swordsmanship.
Its first stance had just
been completed.
Boom----!!
At the same moment,
the already ruined village,
the space itself shook.
The corrupted monster.
Among them, one with considerable power,
rated just below disaster-class magical beast.
An ogre
began slowly approaching us.
"Blow it away, Reinhardt."
Normally,
I wouldn't use a swordsmanship of unknown power,
the first stance just completed,
on that beast.
"One shot will do."
Such reckless... needless risk,
I wouldn't attempt.
However...
"Even if it fails, I'll back you up."
'Ha... For a shady bastard... he sure talks well...'
Right now, behind me...
was an ally.
Unknown origins... hiding his strength,
even suspicious motives... utterly shady.
' 'Now...? Leave these people here..?' '
Yet, for people who'd lost the will to live,
he worried till the end.
' 'Yeah...? At least this way, we can save one more person...' '
Even when I said our job ended with saving them,
he shortened his own sleep to encourage them to live,
a temporary measure, but helped rebuild the walls to block monsters till the end... needless things.
' 'Reinhardt, hurry up and build your nation... It's hard to watch...' '
All that... suspicious as it was, proved he wasn't evil.
So I trusted.
Foolish perhaps,
but I trusted him and closed my eyes.
Prepared the beginning
of my swordsmanship.
'Reverse mana, short and wide-ranging.'
And the strike finally revealed to the world—
Emperor's Sword
First Stance
[Emperor's Chronicle]
—halted the despair rooted in the world,
purified the dreams devoured by fear.
No longer shall disaster extend its roots,
stand in awe,
for now, the Emperor's tale begins.
Emitting brilliant golden mana,
it proclaimed to the world the Emperor's birth.