Chapter 22
Chapter 22
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 22
Chapter Title: An Unwanted Offer
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“Damage?”
“Breaking it would be too difficult for you. So, just damage it. Dent it, or even just crack it, and I'll count it as a pass.”
“...”
Kaljak looked at our expressions and said with a laugh.
“What? Think it's too easy? Then go ahead and give it a try.”
At that, Arjan looked at me as if seeking my approval. Though her expression was still blank, I could sense a strange eagerness.
It seemed she didn't want to be stuck here for half a year either.
“Go ahead.”
“...If you'll excuse me.”
Arjan placed the scale on the ground and pulled a dagger from her clothes. I had no idea where she kept pulling those daggers from.
Arjan glared at the scale as if it were her mortal enemy, then gripped the dagger with both hands and struck down.
*Clang!*
A sound like striking solid steel rang out.
Arjan looked as if she had nearly lost her grip on the dagger.
If her form had been even slightly off, she might have broken her wrist.
“This is...”
Kaljak said, looking at the scale that had been sent flying.
“Let me tell you, the actual beast's scales are much harder than this one. That one fell off the damn snake's body a while ago.”
“...”
“And you lot, who can't even break a single scale from a Jewel Beast, want to do it in what? Three days? You're delusional.”
Arjan closed her mouth.
Her expression was still blank, but she somehow looked crestfallen.
The slight pouting of her lips made it seem like she wanted a rematch.
“Now that you know your place...”
In the meantime, I picked up the scale and spoke.
“So, I just need to break this?”
“...Did you even hear what I said?”
“I heard you.”
I gazed down at the scale.
Holding it still, my hand grew a little cold.
That was because the scale itself emanated a cold energy.
Just as Kaljak said, if it radiated this much cold despite having been detached for quite some time... fighting the actual creature might feel like battling in a snowstorm.
‘So this is why that Osel fellow prepared such a dagger.’
In that case...
Perhaps the key to conquering this challenge wasn't Kaljak, but me.
“Right. Give it a try. What weapon will you use? I can lend you my sword.”
“That's alright.”
I repeatedly flipped the scale like a coin.
Kaljak watched me with his arm crossed—which looked quite funny with only one arm.
After repeating the motion about five times, I tossed the scale high into the air.
*Fwing—.*
While the scale was floating in the air, I took my stance.
I had already memorized its texture by feeling it.
Thanks to that, I had a good sense of its hardness.
My mind naturally sought out the most effective technique for this scale, for the Jewel Beast, for the Sapphire Snake.
When the floating scale dropped to my eye level, I concentrated the fire energy within my body into my fist.
White Sun Eclipse, Sixth Form.
Falling Fire.
*CRACK!*
With a sound like shattering ice, the scale burst apart in all directions.
The shockwave was violent, but fortunately, the other two here were strong enough.
They blocked or dodged the fragmented pieces of the scale without difficulty.
“My apologies.”
“...”
“...”
The silence wasn't broken by my apology.
Kaljak and Arjan stared at me with similar expressions.
I wasn't sure if it was an apt comparison, but they looked as if they had just witnessed a dog tap-dancing.
It might sound arrogant, but I'd expected them to be surprised, so I waited for a moment.
Kaljak was the first to come to his senses.
His face strangely flushed, he strode toward me.
“That just now... that was a martial art with established forms.”
“That's right.”
“Who taught you?”
“I created it myself.”
Kaljak frowned at that.
“Nonsense. The essence in your movements just now wasn't something developed in a few mere years. It held the profound depth one would only feel from a master who has dedicated their entire life to the martial path.”
As expected of the Sword Master Teacher.
His insight was so exceptional that not even Keian could compare.
But my circumstances didn't allow me to be honest, so I stuck to my story.
“I really did create it. Though I did reference many books.”
“...”
Kaljak gave me a suspicious look, but he wouldn't be able to figure anything out from that alone.
In truth, I had nothing to feel guilty about.
Not only was it not entirely false that I had created it, but even if someone were to dig into my past later, they wouldn't find anything.
“But... no. Still, if it's Delac's son...”
Kaljak, who had been muttering doubtfully, lost in thought, suddenly snapped his head up.
“Brat.”
“Yes?”
His gaze was somehow intense.
Surely he wasn't going to insist he couldn't accept it?
While I was thinking that, Kaljak said something completely unexpected.
“You, become my disciple.”
“...!”
Arjan was surprised.
“Uh, no.”
“...!?”
Arjan was even more surprised.
***
The obsession the Head of the Bednicker Family—the Iron-Blooded Duke—had with bloodlines was beyond imagination.
To be precise, it was an obsession with his own flesh and blood, his children.
- Potential lies dormant in the blood.
A statement like the one above had become so synonymous with the Iron-Blooded Duke that it was talked about throughout the entire empire; that said it all.
He was more serious about raising his children than anyone, and if he saw even a glimmer of potential, he would spare no expense in providing them with his full, literal support.
They would consume all sorts of precious elixirs and potions instead of meals and be granted famous swords kept within the family.
Under the pretext of growth, they would receive treatment as lavish as that of royalty.
However, there was just one thing.
No matter how much the Iron-Blooded Duke cherished his children, there was one element he simply could not attend to.
Their teaching.
The Iron-Blooded Duke's skill was never omitted when discussing the strongest in the empire.
Naturally, his children revered their father more than anyone and desperately wished to receive even a single word of advice from him.
It was a physical impossibility.
The Iron-Blooded Duke was not only the Head of the Bednicker Family but also the empire's foremost demon hunter, the sword of the imperial family, and an enforcer for the Great Families.
Even his most minimal duties would require two bodies to handle, so no matter how precious his children were, he had no time to oversee their training.
That was why the Iron-Blooded Duke traveled the empire himself.
To personally invite those who could teach his children in his stead.
The position of Grand Master Teacher of the Bednicker Family was created in this way.
The ten Grand Master Teachers each had different fields of expertise.
From masters of weapons like the sword, spear, axe, and bow, to scholars who taught etiquette, culture, and history, and even experts in theology, spirit studies, and magic.
They were, in a word, the finest talents in their respective fields, personally selected by the Iron-Blooded Duke as he wandered across the empire.
And Kaljak knew.
He knew that among all the Grand Master Teachers, the one the Iron-Blooded Duke's children showed the most interest in was the Sword Master Teacher—himself.
It was only natural.
Even the weapon of the Family Head, the Iron-Blooded Duke, was a sword.
It was a given that the children, most of whom admired the Family Head, would have their interest drawn to a master of the sword.
Which was why Kaljak found this situation all the more baffling.
‘What the hell is with this kid?’
What had this brat just said?
- Uh, no.
He was pretty sure that's what he heard.
He wasn't deaf yet, so he couldn't have misheard.
So, Kaljak immediately considered another possibility.
“Did you misspeak? It happens. I'll do you a favor and say it again, kid. To be the disciple of the Sword Master Teacher, Kaljak—”
“I'm not interested.”
“...”
Kaljak's jaw dropped.
***
Even seeing Kaljak's dumbfounded expression, my mind hadn't changed.
After a moment, Kaljak snapped back to his senses and spoke.
“You... do you not realize what a precious opportunity this is? Or what, do you think I'm lying? Aha. I get it now. You're worried I'll take it back later, right? Hey, I'm not that kind of scoundrel. I don't go back on my word.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah! So think it over again, and—”
“No, thank you.”
“...Ha, haha.”
Kaljak burst out laughing as if he'd lost his mind. Then, as if changing targets, he looked at Arjan.
“Hey, your young master doesn't seem to be in his right mind. As his butler, don't you have something to say?”
“...”
Arjan thought for a moment, then looked at me and opened her mouth.
“Young Master, this is an extremely valuable opportunity.”
Her characteristically calm voice continued.
“Forging a master-disciple bond with the Sword Master Teacher means more than just learning his martial arts. If you are acknowledged by a Grand Master Teacher, the Council of Elders' view of you will change, and it won't be long before word reaches the Family Head's ears. Ultimately, this could be the first step in changing the poor perception people have of you.”
“...That's a bit too political of a perspective, but it was good nonetheless.”
Kaljak gave Arjan a thumbs-up, then looked back at me.
It felt rather unpleasant to have a middle-aged man with a beard down to his collarbone give me such a pleading, sparkly-eyed look.
‘She's not wrong.’
Of course, I understood what Arjan was saying.
Beyond what she just explained, the advantages I could gain by taking Kaljak as my master would be endless.
“Even so, I'll pass.”
It wasn't because I was stupid that I kept refusing this offer.
In fact, right after I refused, even I didn't understand why I was being so firm.
But after some thought, the reason was simple.
It seemed I didn't want to serve anyone as my master other than Baek Rogwang, the World's Greatest.
“No, but still—”
“Let's stop talking about discipleship. Since I broke the scale, you'll follow my lead now, right?”
“...”
Kaljak still looked dissatisfied as he said.
“Fine, you're one thing, brat, but Arjan still couldn't break it.”
“She's holding back her power, so it's fine.”
On this matter, Kaljak probably knew better than I did.
They must have discussed something related to this just before I woke up.
As expected, Kaljak grumbled for a bit before letting out a deep sigh.
“...I can't go back on my word to Delac's son. But if you die, it's not on me.”
“We won't die.”
I said with a grin.
“Let's go together, Senior.”
***
Three days from now was the optimal timing I had chosen after considering various factors.
It was a timing that considered not just our party's condition, but also our remaining food supply, the sharing of information, and the tight schedule for returning to the main family estate afterward.
“This is so damn good I could cry. Got any more?”
“Ah-ah. We need to ration it.”
Kaljak had become a beef jerky hunter.
I had wondered what he'd been eating to survive here, and it turned out to be water trickling through cracks, moss, and the occasional cave bat.
It was certainly a diet that would make hard jerky feel like a grand feast.
After our short meal, we listened to Kaljak's explanation about the Jewel Beast—the Sapphire Snake.
“Do you know that there are different classes among Jewel Beasts?”
“Yes. I heard the ones the Family Head subjugated were among the lower-to-middle class.”
Kaljak nodded.
“That's right. And the Sapphire Snake is clearly high-class. You can probably tell just by its size.”
Kaljak continued speaking as he scratched a drawing of a snake on the wall with a sharp rock.
“Physique. It's such a crucial factor in combat that it's a waste of breath to even mention it. Even a snail would be a disaster at that size, but this thing is a snake. And it's cunning, too, for something so big.”
“Mm.”
“A head-on confrontation is insane. That's why I observed it for a very long time, and in the fight before last...”
Kaljak's snake drawing was surprisingly good; he drew it well even with his left hand.
He might have been left-handed from the start.
“...I found its weakness.”
*Stab!*
Kaljak jabbed a point on the snake drawing with the piece of rock.
“Under its jaw, there's a scale that's flipped backward. That's its weak spot.”
A reversed scale.
I muttered, recalling the great serpent I had once caught on Spirit Mountain.
“...The reverse scale.”
“What did you say?”
“Nothing.”
Kaljak habitually stroked his beard, then stared into space as if recalling the past.
“In the middle of a frantic fight, I happened to touch that scale, and it went absolutely berserk, like it had been kicked in the balls.”
Suddenly, Arjan clenched her fist.
So she likes those kinds of jokes. A bit of a turn-off.
“If I had stabbed a little deeper, it would have been a fatal blow.”
“Stabbing it there might not kill it, but it would certainly make the fight easier.”
“Exactly. My plan is to sneak up on it while it's sleeping, land a blow on its weak spot, and then start the fight.”
Then he added with a slightly embarrassed look.
“To be honest, I had several chances to do that while I was stuck here, but I guess I just don't have a talent for moving stealthily.”
Same here.
Moving while hiding my presence isn't my specialty.
My gaze naturally turned to Arjan.
Kaljak, who knew more about her than I did, also looked her way.
Arjan quickly understood her role and said.
“I will take on that mission.”
“You sure you can handle it?”
“Yes.”
“Good.”
Afterward, Kaljak gave us a few more points to be cautious about.
I was worried he was just reluctantly going along with my plan, but hearing his passionate explanation, I could tell my fears were unfounded.
In fact, Kaljak was far more serious about hunting the Jewel Beast than either Arjan or I.
And so, after the explanation ended, we did some light warm-ups, circulated our energy, trained, ate, slept, and I also talked with Arjan.
Of course, there were also annoyances.
“Hey, are you really not going to be my disciple?”
“...”
After watching me train, Kaljak started pestering me again.
After my initial refusal on the first day, I had tried to decline politely, but he whined about it as if it were breathing, and my patience was starting to wear thin.
“I'm busy, so please go away. I need to train.”
When I shooed him away like a street vendor, Kaljak would retreat, yelling, “You disrespectful brat! You think you're so great!”
Then he would come back a little later and repeat the same thing.
In truth, fending off Kaljak was more mentally exhausting than the training itself.
And so, in a whirlwind of chaos, three days passed in a flash.
“...You ready?”
“Yes.”
“Let's go.”
“Alright.”
*Crack.*
Kaljak muttered as he cracked his neck.
“...When this is all over, maybe we'll try some snake meat.”
The day of the snake hunt had finally dawned.