Chapter 140
Chapter 140
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Translator: True Detective
Chapter: 140
Chapter Title: Sekyung Walker (6)
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The question mark floating above Yuri's head showed no signs of disappearing anytime soon.
It was only natural, given that it stemmed from the label Yohan had slapped on Sekyung: 'the real madman.'
Yuri stood there blankly for a long while.
He finally couldn't hold back the intense curiosity bubbling up inside him and blurted it out without thinking.
"...Crazier than you, old man?"
He paid the price for his thoughtless words.
Thwaaack—!
An even louder crack rang out than before, sending Yuri tumbling backward.
"Kyaack!"
Had he rolled almost three full turns?
With tears welling up in his eyes, Yuri clutched his forehead and shot to his feet, yelling.
"It hurts!"
"I hit you so it would hurt—what, you think I did it to make you feel good?"
"My head almost split open!"
"A person's skull doesn't crack that easily. Back in my day, I smashed plenty of thick heads with just finger flicks."
"...And that's something to brag about?"
Was it just his imagination, or did those words about cracking skulls with finger snaps not sound like empty bluster?
In any case, Yuri couldn't comprehend it at all.
'Is there really someone in this world crazier than this old lunatic?'
No matter how he thought about it, that seemed impossible.
And for that lunatic old man to call someone else a madman—what kind of madman must that person be?
As Yuri rubbed his forehead and glared, Yohan waved his hand dismissively.
"Stop pouting and sit down, you madman."
"...I'm not a madman."
"Who? You?"
"Yeah!"
Yohan had no real retort.
He just stared with eyes that said, 'Is this punk hurt somewhere?'
That only made Yuri feel worse.
"Even if I let everything else slide, I don't want to hear 'madman' from you of all people, old man."
"Yeah, yeah."
Seeing Yohan's half-hearted wave, Yuri's lips pursed as he changed the subject.
"So, how do you know this Sekyung guy?"
"We've known each other since we were kids. The Redner family's lands were close to the Goll tribe's territory. You ever hear of Daesurim?"
"Daesurim? The one next to the Prompel Administrative District?"
"Ask a Goll or Lin tribesman, and they'd say Prompel's next to Daesurim... but yeah, that's the place."
"Wow, so your family was holed up in some total backwater?"
"Hey, you punk! Backwater?!"
"Whether it's Daesurim or Prompel, it's the edge of the continent, right? Total backwater."
If the Krotan Administrative District where Yuri had been was at the continent's northern end, then Prompel was at the southeastern tip.
And the Redner family was in the farthest outskirts of even that Prompel District.
Right on the border with Daesurim, in fact.
So Yuri's 'backwater' comment wasn't exactly wrong, leaving Yohan to cough awkwardly.
"Ahem. Anyway, the Redners and the Goll tribe have always exchanged a lot, and as the next family head, I often met up with that guy—who was tipped as the next Meister of the Ramel School. You could call us childhood friends?"
"Ramel School? What's that? And Meister?"
"Tsk tsk, so ignorant."
"Yeah, yeah, sorry for being ignorant. Mind explaining?"
Truth be told, Yohan knew full well that few people understood the Goll tribe as deeply as the Redner family did.
Even so, he puffed up pretentiously.
"I'll explain it myself, so wash your ears and listen up, you ignorant fool."
"Yes, sir."
Yohan began his explanation as Yuri pouted again.
"The Goll tribe uses their school's name as their surname. They have four major schools in total, and at the top sit the Four Great Meisters. Meister means 'great artisan'—think of it like a master craftsman."
"What are those Four Great Schools?"
"The Goll tribe's Four Great Schools are Walker, Ramel, Henri, and Keller."
Walker of metallurgy.
Ramel of alchemy.
Henri of shipbuilding.
Keller of pharmaceuticals.
According to Yohan, every Goll tribesman had to choose one of these four schools, though they could switch if they discovered a better aptitude elsewhere.
And Sekyung Walker was a prime example.
"That guy was such a genius as a kid that he was already being called the next Meister of Ramel... then one day, he shows up with the surname Walker."
"Oh? So he had talent there too?"
"Talent my ass. In metallurgy, that punk could barely swing a hammer. Sure, that'd make him a fine blacksmith among regular humans, but among the Goll? Just average."
"Huh? Then why switch to Walker School?"
"Because Walker sounded cooler than Ramel."
"...For real?"
"Yeah, for real."
"...What a nutjob."
"He's a madman, alright. He could've coasted to Meister in Ramel easy... but even when the Ramel folks grabbed his pants and begged him to stay, he switched anyway."
"Man, nutjob with a stubborn streak?"
"But why are you asking so much about that guy?"
"Oh, that's..."
After a brief hesitation, Yuri explained how he wanted to learn mechanism knowledge from Sekyung.
Yohan nodded lightly at that.
"Well, not a bad idea."
Emboldened by Yohan's reaction, Yuri asked cautiously.
"...You're not mad?"
"About what?"
"That I'm looking elsewhere besides what you're teaching me?"
Yohan snorted at the question.
"If I got pissy over something that trivial, I never would've let you into the cradle. I'd have chained you down and taught you myself."
"..."
Yuri fell silent.
Looking pensive, he explained about the [Irrefusable Lecture Application].
Once he finished.
Yuri tossed out another question casually.
"What if—and I mean hypothetically—if I got to learn from the Sword Lord... what do you think?"
It was a thought that had crossed his mind when he got the irrefusable application.
He and Yohan, both aiming to surpass the Sword Lord.
And if a chance came to learn from the monster who'd taken Yohan's leg—should he pass it up?
Yohan went quiet at Yuri's tentative question.
"..."
He gazed steadily at Yuri, then soon broke into a gentle smile.
"Fine by me."
"Fine?"
No sooner had Yuri echoed him than a storm brewed in Yohan's serene smile.
He locked eyes with Yuri.
"Lessons from the Sword Lord? If I could get them, I'd jump at it. If it meant my sword could reach him... I'd take any!"
Yohan pressed on, radiating fierce intensity.
"So if that chance comes your way, grab it—no matter what."
He wanted Yuri to learn more than just what he taught.
He hoped for massive growth.
Even if it was from the Sword Lord, his lifelong goal.
Meanwhile, Yuri sensed not fear, but desperation in Yohan's ferocity.
"..."
"..."
Silence hung between them briefly.
Yohan broke it.
"Learn everything you can. And if you're gonna learn from Sekyung anyway, skip the mechanism stuff—pick something else."
"Something else?"
"Sure, he came from Ramel, but he was called their greatest genius ever. And even after joining Walker, he kept researching alchemy."
"Wait, then why switch schools for real? Just for the surname?"
"Who are we mortals to understand a madman's mind?"
"Fair enough."
"Exactly."
Yohan nodded solemnly as Yuri nodded first.
"So what should I learn from him? Alchemy?"
Yohan shook his head at the question.
"You know what Sekyung's nickname is?"
"What?"
Yohan answered with a grave look as Yuri tilted his head.
"Blast Fiend."
"...Blast Fiend?"
"A psycho pervert obsessed with explosions. That's Sekyung."
Hearing that, Yuri recalled the massive blast that had obliterated the stockades yesterday.
Meanwhile, Yohan shared the philosophy Sekyung had once preached to him.
[The ancient dwarves poisoned dragons to usher in a new era. That's why poisoning is the greatest form of killing. But that's outdated now—relic of a bygone age!]
[The era of blasting is coming! Expansion of power! Collision! Destruction! Annihilation! That's the great killing fit for a new age! I'll make it happen!]
Yohan recounted Sekyung's past ravings, his face paling as he remembered that mad expression.
"...That's what that punk said to me back then."
"What?"
"That in the next thirty years, he'd unleash a blast to blow the continent sky-high."
"...Total madman."
Even Yuri had to concede now.
Sekyung Walker—he was a real madman.
An undeniable truth.
"And the scariest part? His freakish talent makes it feel like those ravings might actually happen."
"..."
"Well, last I saw him was over thirty years ago, and the continent's still here, so I guess the plan flopped. Thank the gods. Still, his explosives are top-tier—unmatched anywhere. So if you wanna learn from Sekyung... go for explosive crafting."
"Hmm..."
Yuri stroked his chin.
'Not a bad idea, actually.'
His ideals were impure, sure, but his talent had even Yohan acknowledging it.
And even if his metallurgy aptitude was low, Goll average was still plenty for Yuri.
Of course, one condition had to hold.
Yuri eyed Yohan.
"Old man. You and this Sekyung—you were close, right?"
"You bet."
"Yeah? Any nicknames you used for each other? Something only you two would know?"
"Of course."
"Oh! What?"
"Kongsool. I mostly called him 'Hey, Kongsool.'"
Yuri nodded slightly at Yohan's wistful, nostalgic look.
'Sounds like they really were tight.'
No way he'd know intimate details like that without real friendship.
'Alright, perfect!'
As Yuri rejoiced that he could leverage this connection.
Yohan sprang up.
"Looks like homework check's done. I'm off. Anything else?"
"Nope."
"I'll drop by unannounced again, so keep up with your homework!"
With that, Yohan whipped up a gust like when he arrived and vanished.
Left alone, Yuri stared at the spot Yohan had occupied and muttered softly.
"Hmm, yeah, no way I could ask for an autograph."
The signed note from Yohan, promised as payment for the Bluebird's request.
But he couldn't bring himself to ask.
No—even if he could, it was better not to.
'Someone who idolizes the old man asks me to get an autograph... how do I even say that!'
If he did, Yohan would strut around with a 'See? That's how revered I am!' look.
Yuri didn't want to see that smug face.
'Whatever, I can just forge one later.'
Who could tell if it was his or Yohan's?
"Autographs aren't important right now anyway."
What mattered was the lecture application for Sekyung.
Not the irrefusable one—a standard 10,000-point one.
But Yuri had zero regular applications left.
With a sigh, he stood.
"Sigh... Never thought I'd shell out 10k points to buy that junk again."
Muttering, Yuri left the hideout and trudged to the special shop.
Having bought a regular application, he started filling it out right there.
* * *
-Lecture Application Reason:
Kongsool, take good care of our Yuri boy.
-From your best childhood buddy-
* * *
Yuri finished and submitted it with a grin.
'Perfect!'
The exclusive nickname, the 'best buddy' bit.
If they were as close as Yohan said, he'd respond quick.
Yuri had no doubt.
***
KABOOOM!
A earth-shaking blast sent the stockades flying.
Seeing the sparse remnants explode one after another, Arin hid behind Yuri and muttered.
"That old Goll's going even wilder than the other day? Must be extra pissed. Yuri, what'd you do now?"
"..."
Yuri said nothing.
He just sighed inwardly and watched Sekyung rampage.
'Sigh...'
As expected, Sekyung's response came fast.
Just not the one Yuri wanted.
As Yuri spaced out, a gravelly roar reached him.
"You goddamn son of a..."
KABOOOOOM!
"...where's that old bastard?!"
The cursing dragged on five times longer than when he'd stormed in cursing—and nonstop blasts punctuated it.
Yuri muttered softly.
"...Weren't you close, you damn old fart?"
If that was how close friends greeted each other, wars wouldn't exist in this world.
No—maybe the word 'war' wouldn't even exist.
Life would be war itself.