Chapter 9
Chapter 9
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 1
Chapter Title: Grasping the Weakness and Shaking It
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It was supposed to be just once, but it somehow turned into twice, and eventually three times. He could no longer control himself from coming here every day off.
The unfortunate truth was that he had no talent whatsoever for gambling. Debts that he could easily pay off with his salary at first snowballed into something unmanageable before he knew it.
"Blackjack."
So it was only natural that his gaze drifted toward the man in the white mask with his elegant jawline.
Boyish cheeks that made him look no older than his twenties, a low and pleasant voice. Above all, his relaxed demeanor didn't suit his age at all, which left a strong impression.
The young man smoothly racked up win after win, and each time, chips piled up on the table.
'Is he the god of gambling?'
Liam watched the young man intently, even thinking something like that. Then he noticed a few people around the table smacking their lips.
'Looks like a naive young master who doesn't know the ways of the world. He's in for a rough time today.'
He didn't really want to get involved. But when a chip from the young man rolled right in front of him, he couldn't help but intervene.
"Here you go."
The moment he picked it up and handed it over, his eyes met the ones behind the mask.
"Thanks."
Eyes of a clear purple that no one could forget after seeing them once. The shape was strikingly similar to the eyes of the lord he served.
'No way, Abel Kindriel?'
Liam froze in shock. He stared at Abel's back as he walked away to exchange the chips.
At first, he hadn't recognized him because of the hair color. But now, considering his age and build, he was certain.
'It really is Abel Kindriel.'
He respected Lord Diego's skills and character, but he certainly didn't respect how he raised his children.
Lord Diego's one flaw. The headache of Ovest Territory. The wastrel who caused trouble every other day.
So it wasn't all that surprising that he had shown up at a gambling den like this.
What shocked Liam was for a different reason.
He had seen Abel once before, from a distance outside the castle. He had been walking with the butler Philip by his side.
Abel's face back then had been utterly sinister. Only ruthless cruelty had dwelled there, like an ogre.
And unlike his father, his eyes had been filthy, like muddy water. It had been quite unpleasant to look at.
'His eyes... are different.'
Just moments ago, Abel's eyes had been incredibly clear. They shone transparently, like a well reflecting the night sky.
'Had the young master ever had eyes like that?'
It was as if he were a completely different person.
Suppressing his bewilderment, Liam hurriedly followed after Abel. Just in time, Abel was facing off against some thugs who had trailed him for his money.
"What are you gonna do if we don't wanna?"
He wasn't backing down even against three thugs. No, he was boldly provoking them with guts.
'What does he have to be so confident about?'
Liam thought Abel would reveal his identity.
No matter the territory, no one could treat the only son of Lord Ovest lightly.
But what Abel chose was to pick up a weapon himself and punish them.
"Aaaagh!"
The fight was anticlimactic. No, it was questionable whether it could even be called a fight.
The thugs who had caught fleeing prostitutes and were handing them over.
They were rough by nature, hardened by street brawls. Most people would cower at their presence and run.
Yet Abel subdued them all too easily. It was nothing more than a predator tearing into its prey.
'Am I seeing this wrong?'
Liam rubbed his eyes in disbelief.
"He couldn't have learned swordsmanship."
And yet, why did he sense a seasoned proficiency from Abel, like someone who had fought battles many times over?
'Even if he's young, is it because he's that lord's son?'
Why had the lord forbidden teaching swordsmanship to a son with such astonishing talent?
Liam couldn't hide his puzzlement. Meanwhile, Abel had wiped the blood completely off his dagger and tucked it away.
'Time to go now.'
Just as he turned to leave,
"Liam Schmidt. Why don't you come out already?"
At first, he thought he'd misheard. But Abel was clearly speaking toward where he was.
"I know you've been watching. Come out and talk."
Liam tried to slip away pretending he hadn't heard. Until Abel's next words.
"I guess I'll have to head back to the territory right now and report who I saw in Cadere today."
"......"
In the end, he had no choice but to step out from the alley, chewing on his lips.
Under the piercingly blue moonlight, Abel stood at a slant. His eyes toward Liam sparkled with interest.
The moment he saw that gaze, Liam had a gut feeling that he would be inextricably tangled with this young master.
"Liam."
A low voice snapped him out of his thoughts. Before he knew it, Abel was standing behind him.
"Young master."
He had been so deep in thought that he hadn't even noticed the footsteps. Liam forced a calm expression to hide his embarrassment.
"You're here."
Instead of answering, Abel tossed something over.
'What is he throwing now?'
Grumbling inwardly, Liam quickly caught it. It was a round cylinder.
"What's this?"
Abel patted his own right shoulder.
"You're hurt here."
"......"
"I know you haven't seen a doctor. This works fast, so put it on."
Abel's tone was utterly indifferent. There was no concern or warmth toward Liam in it.
"Once you sprain something, it's prone to happening again."
Liam stared blankly at the ointment tube in his hand.
'This ointment...'
It was far better than what the knight order provided—top-grade stuff circulated among nobles. It relieved pain the moment you applied it.
'I know it's pretty expensive.'
And it was a decent size too. Seemed like it was meant for future injuries as well.
Liam slowly stroked the ointment tube in his hand.
"Were you worried about me?"
"As if."
Abel's reply was curt.
"If you're hurt, it'll delay me learning swordsmanship from you."
Abel crossed his arms in a prickly manner and abruptly held out his hand.
"You're talking nonsense, so you must be fine. Give it back."
"Why give it and then take it back?"
Liam quickly turned away from Abel. Then, as if to show off, he scooped out a generous amount of ointment from the tube.
"......"
For all his words, Abel silently waited until Liam had finished applying it.
As Liam carefully applied the ointment, he stole glances at Abel.
'I thought he was just a thoughtless wastrel.'
His words and actions were rough and blunt, but he took good care of people. He was quicker and smarter than expected.
Though the time spent with Abel was short, he could already make various judgments about him.
'Looks like I didn't misread that gaze.'
Liam pocketed the ointment tube and readjusted his wooden sword.
"All done."
As he approached Abel, memories of their last spar flooded back vividly.
'I was careless last time.'
It had been his mistake. He'd treated him like a commoner with no swordsmanship experience.
'Still, I must have learned something from watching.'
Liam raised his internal evaluation of Abel. At the same time, a question arose in a corner of his mind.
'...Was it really just carelessness?'
Last time, he'd thought he'd end the spar without taking a single hit.
But that was a miscalculation. Abel had suddenly vanished from his sight, and he'd taken a blow.
'Suddenly... his stance changed.'
When Abel first gripped the wooden sword, everything was clumsy. But as he blocked Liam's attacks, his stance gradually shifted.
At some point, it resembled the basic stance of Ovest swordsmanship.
'Is that possible?'
To mimic his stance after seeing it just a few minutes? While defending against relentless attacks?
'Maybe I saw wrong. Or it was a coincidence.'
That's what he'd thought ever since that day.
And today, to confirm it, he had hurried here. With a different mindset than when he first came.
Calming his pounding heart, Liam said.
"Let's begin."
"Sure."
Abel sauntered over with his wooden sword slung over his shoulder. He took up a stance in front of Liam, slowly.
"Come at me."
His eyes emitted a languid yet sharply honed fighting spirit.
"......"
Liam stood frozen, as if struck by lightning. He barely managed to inhale and wet his dry lips.
'No way.'
The way Abel held his sword now matched the Ovest Territory basic swordsmanship perfectly.
The angle of his arms, the tension in his wrists, the direction of his toes. Everything was flawless.
Abel had grasped the essence of the basic stance and embodied it completely.
"...How did you do it?"
"Do what?"
"Your stance, the way you grip the sword—everything's changed completely."
Liam chewed his lip before asking.
"Did someone else teach you?"
That was the only way to explain this.
Even at Liam's bewildered reaction, Abel remained nonchalant.
"What are you talking about? I learned from you."
"Me? When did I..."
"You showed me."
Liam gasped.
"You mean... you copied what I did exactly?"
"Yeah. It was easy."
Abel scratched the bridge of his nose indifferently. Liam blinked slowly at him.
'Lies.'
He thought, then,
'No need for him to lie. So I didn't see wrong? It wasn't a coincidence?'
From their very first spar, Abel had been closely observing his movements and making them his own.
'What nonsense is this?'
Most soldiers took a month just to master this stance. Even Liam, who was quick, had needed two weeks.
'And in just a few days?'
It was unprecedented—a monstrous aptitude.
"Hah."
Only a hollow laugh escaped him. He shook his head.
'Judging by stance alone is premature. I need to see him move to judge accurately.'
Liam slowly wiped the smile from his face, cleared his throat, and said.
"Then let's start."
"Alright."
"Here I go!"
Liam swung his sword lightly and charged at Abel. As before, Abel chose to deflect rather than block forcefully.
But.
"-!"
Liam's eyes widened in shock.
The trajectory of the swing, the wrist snap, the footwork. It was all his own swordsmanship exactly.
'It's not just the stance.'
In disbelief, he tried attacking again. This time, he approached from the side and slashed at mid-level.
Clack!
With a crisp strike, the sword slid away. Abel held his sword diagonally, waist slightly twisted.
"......"
There was no room for doubt anymore.
Abel had perfectly mastered the Ovest swordsmanship basics. And he understood exactly how they shifted with movement.
'Is this possible from just one spar?'
A sharp shiver ran down Liam's spine.
He instinctively knew he had encountered an extraordinary genius. One he might meet only once in a lifetime.