Swordsmanship Sparring (1)
The swordsmanship training hall at Elphon Academy.
“Hup!”
“Hup!”
A man swung his sword through the air. Sweat beaded on his forehead. It was Radeon.
“Here.”
The man beside him handed Radeon a towel.
“Thank you, sir.”
Radeon smiled brightly.
“You’ve already been practicing for six hours today. With the sparring match coming up, wouldn’t it be better to rest a bit?”
“Ah. My form still isn’t quite where I want it. I’ll practice a little more before we start. We’ve got about an hour left anyway.”
“Haha.”
The instructor watched Radeon with a pleased smile. He carried the blood of the prestigious Greville family. Perhaps because of that, his talent with the sword wasn’t merely excellent—it was unparalleled. Yet he never neglected his training.
“Hup!”
“Hup!”
Radeon continued swinging his sword at the empty air, repeating the exact same motion for the sixth hour straight. Geniuses often grew complacent with their gifts and slacked off on effort. That was why even those with great potential often fell short. But not Radeon.
“Sir, could you check my form for a moment?”
“Of course. Show me what you’ve got.”
“Yes.”
“Hup.”
Radeon swung his sword. To the instructor’s eyes, the movement was flawless—better than what most students could ever hope to achieve. Yet Radeon himself felt it was still lacking. He was a perfectionist.
“Sir, isn’t the angle of the swing a little immature here?”
“You’re right. Tilting it a bit more to the left should help.”
“Understood. I’ll try it that way.”
Radeon kept swinging. The instructor looked at him with a hint of pity. Radeon trained alone not only because of his perfectionist nature, but because no one in Elphon Academy could match him in pure swordsmanship. There were skilled third-years, of course, but the talented ones among them had already joined guilds and were working as hunters. That left him without a proper sparring partner, and it showed—his growth had clearly stalled.
“Doyun, your opponent today is from the Helid family.”
“Really?”
“That’s right. So let’s wrap up practice and head to the training hall.”
“Yes, sir.”
Radeon grinned. The Helid family was one of the great sword houses, always mentioned alongside the Greville family. Their eldest son was visiting today—an opportunity the instructor had secured through considerable connections.
“If you need anything, just say the word.”
“Thank you, sir.”
If Elphon Academy couldn’t provide a worthy opponent, then one would be brought in from outside. The instructor was determined to nurture Radeon no matter what. His talent was far too precious to let it stagnate.
Soon, Radeon and the instructor made their way to the swordsmanship training hall. Waiting there was the eldest son of the Helid family. He bowed politely toward them.
“Hello.”
He greeted the instructor first, then turned his gaze to Radeon and smiled with interest.
“So you’re Radeon. I’ve heard a lot about you. They say you’re incredibly strong.”
As he spoke, he extended his hand for a handshake.
“Haha, not really.”
“Well then, let’s skip the pleasantries and get straight to it.”
“Sounds good.”
Radeon picked up a wooden sword from nearby. The moment he held it, his expression turned serious.
“I’ll be in your care.”
“Likewise.”
The moment the words left his mouth, the eldest son of the Helid family raised his sword and charged. He swung straight for Radeon’s face. Radeon reacted instantly, lifting his own blade to block. The Helid heir smirked. It was a feint. In the next instant, he redirected his strike downward—aiming for Radeon’s calf.
When using a sword, the upper body wasn’t what mattered most. True versatility came from the lower body and its footwork. Rob an opponent of their mobility, and any swordsman would collapse in an instant. The Helid heir grinned confidently. Radeon’s sword was still raised near his face—far too distant to block the incoming strike.
Just as victory seemed certain—
Clang!
Radeon’s sword descended in a blur, deflecting the wooden blade aimed at his leg.
“!!!”
The Helid heir’s eyes widened. The speed was unbelievable. The sword that had been near his face a moment ago had dropped in an instant. His arm was forced backward from the impact. Radeon used the opening to press his blade against the heir’s throat.
“Wow. I lost? You’re really something.”
The Helid heir raised both hands in surrender.
“Haha. I just got lucky.”
Only then did Radeon’s expression soften back to its usual warmth. The Helid heir chuckled. That hadn’t been luck. The overwhelming talent with the sword—he’d heard the rumors, but seeing it firsthand made it clear. A true monster had been born in the Greville family. Part of him felt uneasy. If this continued, even the Helid family might fall behind. But another part of him felt anticipation. Just how far could this talent take him?
“Good work.”
He offered Radeon a handshake.
“You too, sir.”
Radeon bowed his head slightly as he spoke. The Helid heir smiled faintly. Of course, if mana had been allowed, he wouldn’t have lost. But in pure swordsmanship alone, he had no confidence in winning. This boy’s talent was truly exceptional.
He walked over to the Elphon Academy instructor who had brought him here.
“Ah, I’m sorry. You invited me here hoping I’d be of some help, but…”
“Not at all. This alone was a valuable experience for him.”
“I see. Then I’ll be taking my leave.”
The Helid heir bowed and exited the training hall. The instructor watched him go. He had invited the heir hoping he could help Radeon, but even he hadn’t been a match. It was bitter. The fact that this boy had no worthy opponent… and because of that, he could no longer improve.
“Doyun, you can head back for today.”
“Yes, sir.”
Radeon bowed and stepped outside.
Knock knock.
A knock came from the door. There shouldn’t be anyone else coming today. Had Radeon forgotten something? The instructor tilted his head.
“Come in.”
Creak—
A man opened the door and entered. It was Nam Doyun.
***
I stared at my phone.
[Swordsmanship Sparring - D-7]
Before I knew it, the sparring match was only seven days away. I needed to unlock the skill as soon as possible.
Footsteps of the Sword Saint — Allows the use of the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship.
But honestly, I didn’t want to unlock it. The conditions weren’t just grinding—they were extreme grinding.
Unlock Conditions
Downward Swing — 0/1000
Upward Swing — 0/1000
Horizontal Swing — 0/1000
Simply going through the motions wouldn’t count. The swings had to be performed with proper form.
“I’m going to need someone’s guidance…”
There was no choice. I needed instruction. The most suitable person was Elvin, the teacher in charge of the swordsmanship club. I had to find him.
***
When I arrived at the swordsmanship club room, Elvin was there.
“Hello.”
I bowed my head.
“Oh. Is something the matter?”
He looked puzzled. Understandable—I had no connection to swords, so my presence here must have seemed strange.
“I’d like to learn how to use a sword.”
“Learn swordsmanship? Why all of a sudden?”
He looked genuinely confused.
“Ah, well… I have a sparring match scheduled with Radeon in a week.”
“……”
“So I thought I should get some guidance before then.”
“……”
He froze in place, speechless. After about a minute, he finally spoke with a dumbfounded expression.
“Your sparring match is in a week, and you’re starting training now?”
“Yes.”
“How much difference do you think you can make in just seven days? You’d be better off just managing your condition. That’s my honest opinion.”
He shook his head.
“Please, sir. I’d really appreciate your guidance.”
I bowed again. He wore a troubled look. I knew his personality—he could never turn away a student with genuine enthusiasm.
“Alright. Take this.”
He handed me a wooden sword.
“Yes.”
“What exactly do you want me to teach you?”
“I want to learn downward swings.”
“Then watch my form carefully.”
Whoosh—
As he swung, the sound of the blade cutting through air rang out. His posture was nearly perfect.
“Now you try.”
“Yes.”
I gripped the sword and swung downward.
Whoosh—
Even I could tell how sloppy it looked. His expression grew increasingly stiff.
“You… have you never held a sword before?”
“No.”
“……”
Once again, he fell silent. After a minute, he spoke.
“And yet you’re planning to spar with Radeon?”
“Yes.”
“Then what’s your goal in this match?”
“My goal? What do you mean?”
“You’re not seriously thinking you can win, so let’s set that aside. What do you want to show in this sparring match?”
“….?”
I gave him a blank look, then answered.
“My goal is to beat Radeon.”
“……”
The instructor’s face hardened.
Footsteps of the Sword Saint — Allows the use of the Sword Saint’s swordsmanship.
Unlock Conditions
Downward Swing — 0/1000
Upward Swing — 0/1000
Horizontal Swing — 0/1000
If I could just meet these conditions, I could defeat Radeon.
“Please. Teach me properly, sir.”