Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: White Sun Eclipse and Shadow Steps
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If you were to ask what words were most foreign to Collector Keian.
Anyone who knew him would likely give you the same answer.
‘Arrogance, hubris, and carelessness.’
He had served the Bednicker family as a Collector for thirty-four years and had completed all 1,031 missions assigned to him.
While he wasn't the strongest Collector, no one disputed the fact that he was the most flawless.
He never could have imagined.
That today would be the day his perfect record was tarnished.
Of course, Keian's dry personality meant he placed little importance on personal records, but a surprise was still a surprise.
*Have I grown old?*
The voices of those who had urged him to retire echoed in his mind, and Keian felt a sigh building in his chest.
He looked forward again.
The dull blade was aimed at his throat, not trembling in the slightest.
Its master looked down at him with a cool gaze that contrasted with the crooked smile on his lips.
Was this the kind of gaze Ruan Bednicker possessed?
If so, what was that persona he had shown at the main estate?
Had he experienced some kind of awakening in such a short time?
Or if not that…
*Was it all an act?*
Keian shook his head.
He took stock of the pain etched into his body from Ruan's recent assault and spoke.
“…The Bednicker's signature sword art, [Iron Heart].”
“……”
“The strike that lifted my chin was the Seventh Form, Sky Thrust. The barrage that followed—to the center of my chest, solar plexus, and navel—I felt traces of the Fourth Form, Triple Strike.”
Keian looked at Ruan and asked.
“Have you truly created a fist art based on the family's sword art, Young Master?”
Then, Ruan smiled mischievously, withdrew his sword, and said.
“I told you I did.”
“……”
Keian swallowed hard.
It went without saying that the difference between a sword art and a fist art was not small. The deeper one delved, the wider the gap became.
From the start, a blade and a fist served different roles in combat.
What did this mean?
*If he truly created a fist art based on the Bednicker sword art…*
As Ruan had claimed, this was not something that could be described simply as the creation of a new martial art.
It was far more complex.
It was akin to painting a new picture over an existing masterpiece.
And yet, the original atmosphere had to be preserved. There was no point if the original strengths were diminished.
Keian knew.
He knew just how absurd a task that was.
*An act possible only for one with an eye for martial arts several levels above that of the sword art's creator.*
If Ruan Bednicker had truly sublimated the family's sword art into a fist art…
The Bednicker family needed to realize something.
That there was another genius who could stand shoulder to shoulder with the eldest son, Hiiro.
* * *
After lowering his sword and stepping back.
I waited for a moment without a word.
To give the Collector, who seemed lost in thought, time to compose himself.
“……”
Keian, who had been on the ground, stood up.
He first straightened his disheveled clothes. Only after perfectly arranging even the stray strands of his hair did Keian turn his complicated gaze to me.
“White Sun Eclipse.”
At last, he let out a soft sigh and spoke.
“Is that the name of the martial art you created, Young Master?”
“That’s right.”
“It is magnificent.”
To be honest, I didn't create it from scratch, so I felt a little guilty.
I changed the subject to dispel the awkwardness.
“Your movements were excellent as well. That footwork was unusual. What technique is it?”
“……”
Strangely, at these words, a light returned to Keian's eyes. For a long while, he looked at me with an indescribable expression.
“If you can’t tell me, then so be it.”
“It’s not that, but…”
Keian trailed off, then shook his head and looked at me squarely again.
“Would it be possible for you to show me the rest of White Sun Eclipse?”
“Is that the final test?”
“Of course not. You have already proven your worth, Young Master.”
“Oh.”
His complete change in attitude was so absurd that I asked a slightly mischievous question.
“Does that mean you think I'm better than my second brother?”
“If my judgment is not mistaken.”
Keian said, adjusting his clothes.
“Young Master Ruan's peer is not someone on the level of Young Master Hector.”
“……”
Anyone who knew Keian even a little knew he was a man stingy with praise.
So, for him to say this much was tantamount to the highest compliment.
“The request I just made was purely a personal one. Please forget it.”
When I didn't answer right away, Keian spoke first.
Though his words were calm, his expression and voice betrayed his anxiety.
Though he maintained his composure as a Collector, he seemed desperate to see the rest of White Sun Eclipse.
*So this is the reaction I get when I show them White Sun Eclipse.*
As I said, a Collector's duties are varied.
Among their duties are ‘inspection’ and ‘evaluation.’
They personally observe the martial arts learned by the Bednicker bloodline and assign them a score.
And the old man before me was the longest-serving Collector, having evaluated the most martial arts.
For a man of his stature to react this way after just a glimpse of White Sun Eclipse wasn't a bad feeling.
*But I can't just show it to him for free.*
Collector Keian.
He was an opponent from whom I had much to gain.
I watched the man silently for a moment before slowly opening my mouth.
“White Sun Eclipse is not yet a complete fist art, so it’s a bit much to show you everything.”
“I see.”
An incomplete martial art naturally has many flaws.
A thoughtless demonstration in front of others could reveal its weaknesses or counters before it was even perfected.
Even without my saying so, Keian seemed to understand the underlying meaning.
His dejected silence was proof enough.
Then, perhaps I should toss him some bait.
“Of course, I know you are a trustworthy man, Sir Keian. So I have a proposal…”
I continued, looking at Keian's tense face.
“I'll show you a few forms of White Sun Eclipse. In return, can you teach me the footwork you just demonstrated?”
“My footwork, you say?”
“You know, the one you just used. The technique where you vary your stride to create a disconnect between your perceived and actual speed.”
“……”
The moment I said this, Keian's expression changed dramatically.
Did I say something wrong?
His expression was so peculiar that it was hard to describe in a few words.
I looked at Keian's complex face and said.
“Did I overstep as well?”
“Not at all. It’s just…”
Keian closed his eyes.
He seemed lost in deep thought, but surprisingly, he spoke again quickly.
“Thirty-four years ago.”
“Hm?”
“Back when I was a mere freelance knight, I met Lord Delac—the current Family Head.”
“……”
“It was after the Battle of Krunbel. The empire had effectively lost, and I fled for three days and nights without a wink of sleep. The disgusting followers of the Dark Cult pursued me relentlessly. Resigned to death, I drew my sword and fought. How long did I fight? Just as my consciousness began to fade and my body refused to move, the Family Head appeared.”
I never knew Keian could be so talkative.
Regardless of that thought, as I quietly listened to his voice, the scenery of that time vividly painted itself in my mind.
“He slaughtered the Dark Cult in an instant and saved me. And the first words the Family Head spoke were…”
A faint smile bloomed on Keian’s lips.
“That footwork is unusual. What technique is it?”
I narrowed my eyes.
Whether by chance or by fate.
The Iron-Blooded Duke of the past had spoken the exact same words I just had.
Does that mean I was the one echoing the Iron-Blooded Duke?
“And then he added, ‘Could you teach it to me?’”
“……”
“Facing you today, Young Master, brings back old, dusty memories. So…”
Keian paused, searching for words, then shook his head.
“My apologies for the long-winded story. For some reason, I felt compelled to tell you about that time.”
Keian himself didn't seem to know why he had suddenly brought up this story.
I, too, remained silent for a moment.
The smile I had just seen on Keian's face was that of an old man reminiscing about the distant past.
Considering his age, it wasn't strange.
And yet, it was the first time I knew Keian could make such a smile.
What made me feel the strangest was the fact that if I hadn't returned to the past, I would have never known this.
In my memories, Keian would have remained a cold, heartless Collector to the very end.
“The footwork I showed you doesn't have a grand name. I personally call it Shadow Steps.”
“Shadow Steps.”
“Teaching it to you is not difficult… but I am not sure if it will be of any help to you, Young Master.”
“What do you mean?”
“That is because it is an exceptionally difficult technique to master correctly.”
It certainly looked that way.
Keian continued.
“As you saw, it is a practical technique, so a few other Collectors—as well as the other young masters—have asked me to share it. It's not as if I have anything to hide, so I taught them, but…”
“No one managed to learn it properly?”
“As far as I know, the only one who has mastered it correctly is the Family Head.”
“Hmm…”
It certainly seemed like a difficult technique, but was it that hard?
Just by watching, I couldn't tell.
As if sensing my thoughts, Keian put some distance between us.
He demonstrated the footwork from a moment ago as if for a performance, explaining as he moved.
“The movement of the shoulders is more important than the footwork. This is because people naturally focus on the upper body when looking at someone.”
The difference was that he moved much slower this time, and he showed me from the side, making it more intuitive than when I first saw it.
I stared intently at his footwork and then said.
“I see. The key is to differentiate the movements of the upper and lower body to confuse the opponent's perception.”
“That is correct. The upper body's movement is gentle, while the stride is slow but wide. In theory, that is all there is to it, but…”
“The rest is a matter of sense, then. Alright.”
I glanced at Keian and tried to imitate the movement.
“…Like this?”
One step, two steps, three steps.
I couldn't take a fourth.
“Whoa, whoa, whoaaa—!?”
I lost my balance, stumbled, and planted my face in the carpet.
It was such a ridiculous sight that I burst out laughing.
“This is going to be hard to use right away. I can't even imitate it if my back can't support it. How were my Shadow Steps just now?”
“……”
Keian stood silent, a look of speechlessness on his face, before asking.
“Since when?”
“Hm?”
“Since when have you been deceiving the family, Young Master?”
*Deceiving them about what?*