Chapter 288: Martial Alliance Headquarters (2)
Chapter 288: Martial Alliance Headquarters (2)
After finishing our greetings with Heavenly Sword, we moved to his office to discuss one of the reasons I had come here.
However, the disciples and the two of us went our separate ways.
As it happened, there were several sects training nearby. Whether they’d had a change of heart on the way here or not, both A-bin and Si-hyun seemed interested in the spectacle.
Our separation happened naturally.
Thus, a private conversation between just the two of us was established.
While I had many questions for Heavenly Sword, the first one I brought up was this:
"What did you think of Black Marauder?"
It was a question I had agonized over for a long time.
Heavenly Sword had told me that Black Marauder and I were different people. I had been worried about that from the moment I met him.
If it were the Lord of Infinite Castles—who is naturally dense and driven by whims—it might have been different. But Heavenly Sword is someone who pierces through the power others hold and moves according to instinct. I feared he might realize the truth the moment he encountered both sides of me.
Of course, considering that my very power structure twists when I’m in the Black Marauder state, I had a glimmer of hope that it would, at most, leave a seed of suspicion that we were the same person.
I never imagined he would flat-out state we were different people.
That was why I squeezed out that question. I couldn't exactly ask him directly.
In response to my short query, Heavenly Sword sat in his simple chair, cradling his hwando with his right arm. He remained still for a moment.
He didn't look like he was deep in thought, but something was likely drifting through his mind.
After about a minute passed.
"Yes, this word should do. Disposition. Your dispositions were different."
Disposition, huh?
That makes it even stranger.
Black Marauder and I are the same person. If our power signatures or combat styles were entirely different, that would be one thing, but I couldn't understand what he meant by our "dispositions" being different.
However, these were the words of Heavenly Sword—someone I hate to admit I’ve been close with for over twenty years.
So.
"Different dispositions? Were our personalities or actions that different?"
I asked, feigning total ignorance about Black Marauder. Officially, I had rarely encountered him directly.
"They were different. Very much so. He was more cruel, more cold-blooded, more primal. It was as if the concept of 'restraint' had been castrated from you, and a metal spike forged of black negation had been driven into its place. The roots are the same, but because of that... I had no choice but to judge the two of you as different entities."
Was it really that different?
Even in an area I wasn't consciously aware of?
He was probably exaggerating. After all, even Heavenly Sword hadn't reached a definitive conclusion until I appeared before him just now.
Still, since it was Heavenly Sword saying it, I felt the need to keep this in mind. If the time comes for me to run wild as Black Marauder again, I should carefully observe my own actions. To see if I truly fall prey to such impulses.
Well, I didn't want to get caught by lingering on this topic too long, so I decided to move on.
Just as I was about to open my mouth for the next subject—
"Though, to be fair, you barely have any restraint to begin with. At the very least, you are aware of the concepts that make a human 'human,' aren't you? There is a vast difference between having such words in one's mind and not having them at all."
Should I kill this guy?
I felt a sudden urge to pull out my hammer and prove his words right then and there.
I wondered if he’d regret saying that if I leveled this main hall, thinking, 'Fine, I'll show you how someone who only knows "restraint" as a dictionary definition acts.'
But.
I endured.
I’m an adult, and this was supposed to be a productive conversation.
So, gritting my teeth, I pulled a metal rod from my coat and bit down on it hard.
"It's impolite to smoke in front of others. Though, I suppose that isn't a cigarette."
"Drop dead, you bastard. What you're saying is way more impolite."
To think a guy like this is the Alliance Leader... Martial artists must be out of their minds.
Anyway, let's get on with it.
"Whew. Fine. Regardless of Black Marauder or my personality, let me tell you the real reason I'm here."
"Ho? So there was a reason. You weren't just here for sightseeing?"
Of course not, you lunatic. What kind of idiot gives an Official Duty Permit to someone just going sightseeing?
Crunch. Crunch.
Taking solace in the rod being ground down between my teeth, I spoke.
"I want you to go public with the basic training methods found in the martial manuals held by the Martial Alliance."
I wasn't asking for advanced content—like specific Forms, the secret techniques created by overlapping them, or the 'flow' that naturally connects one Form to another.
The basic training methods would be enough.
Of course, for many schools, those training methods are the most vital part, and mastering them alone can lead to mastering everything the sect has to offer, but those could be treated as exceptions.
The important thing was to find basic training methods that require low initial power to trigger and are highly efficient, allowing even those who haven't Awakened—and thus have little power—to train.
If we could find those, even non-Heroes would be able to grow sufficiently.
Finding them would take time, but we could solve that through the power of collective intelligence. Once the materials were distributed through the Management Bureau, people would conduct their own research to find the training methods best suited for specific situations.
Or, through research, useless steps might be consolidated, leaving only a few optimal methods.
Either way, this would strengthen humanity. Enough to surpass human limits, even for those who aren't Awakened.
That was my intention, but...
"If that's all, those are basically open to Heroes already. You just need permission to enter the archives. Ah, wait. I'll just write you a permit right now."
Our dear Heavenly Sword completely failed to grasp the depth of my request and started spouting nonsense.
Was my question flawed, or was Heavenly Sword just an idiot?
I wanted to deny the former, but I knew my communication skills weren't exactly top-tier.
"No, I don't want to see them. I'm saying we should release them to the whole world."
I don't need other people's stuff, okay? I accumulate power automatically just by breathing now. Sure, I use the geezer's stuff when I'm in a hurry, but still.
"Is there a need for that? A significant amount of data is already registered on the Management Bureau’s network, and the important contents can be viewed if one comes to this headquarters."
Heavenly Sword’s response was filled with genuine confusion. He looked like he truly didn't understand why we should do such a thing.
It was a natural reaction. I only realized the necessity after seeing other worlds in the Deep Otherworld.
So, I quietly continued.
"Yeah, as long as you've Awakened as a Hero, you can access most things except the truly vital parts. But here's the thing. I saw something in the Otherworld..."
Now, let's talk.
About the desperate worlds I encountered.
About the new world I am envisioning.
* * *
After listening to my relatively short explanation, Heavenly Sword spoke, his expression unchanged and his face as arrogant as ever.
"In the end, you want to make everyone strong."
"That's right. We can't protect the world on our own. Someday, something that surpasses everything will appear."
Even the mighty Star Race eventually perished. Destroyed by monsters larger than planets and countless Avatars that descended via the Pillars.
Al’shel told me that if he released all his power, he could take down maybe one of them—assuming he didn't care if the Earth was blown away in the process. In other words, I could probably stop at least one as well.
However, their numbers were simply too great. The Star Race was overwhelmed by sheer quantity.
Then how did the Magic Kingdom survive?
The Queen's existence was a factor, of course, but it was also because the general quality of the populace had risen drastically, allowing new powerhouses to be born from among them.
Therefore, we must take those same steps. Like the Demon Train, like the Magic Kingdom.
Heavenly Sword seemed to understand. He nodded in agreement as he processed the story.
"But even if we distribute the training methods, whether people will actually train is a different matter. Even now, general training methods for martial arts are scattered everywhere, yet very few people actually try to learn them. The desire for strength isn't that common."
"That doesn't matter. What's important is providing the foundation. If an era of chaos like our time comes again, people will look to that foundation. Not for strength, but for survival."
I don't know how that chaos will come.
Whether it will be the Nautilus released from its seal.
Whether something accidental will happen, just like thirty years ago.
Or whether I myself will be the one to trigger such an event.
No one knows.
But both I and Heavenly Sword know that day will eventually come.
That’s likely why Heavenly Sword didn't reject the idea of going public.
To a Martial Artist, the teachings of each sect are incredibly secretive. There had been massive backlash even when discussing keeping copies of martial manuals at the Alliance headquarters or opening non-essential parts to Heroes and researchers.
What kind of resistance would there be now, opening it up to ordinary people who aren't even Heroes?
Yet, Heavenly Sword probably didn't think much of it. He likely intended to handle it himself if the discussion arose.
Still, that didn't mean it wouldn't be a burden for him. As time passed, the intervals in his thinking grew shorter.
"...I'll ask one more thing."
Heavenly Sword, who had been lost in thought again, finally spoke.
"Go ahead."
"Is this disclosure of information limited only to our martial arts techniques?"
"No, the Management Bureau will release public techniques like bestowal techniques, and as for the mages... I'll have to persuade them from now on."
Me, personally. How the hell am I going to persuade those mages?
Sigh.
Heavenly Sword might be an idiot, but at least he's reasonable, so things are moving along smoothly here. But those stubborn mages...
As I grumbled to myself—
"The Management Bureau is releasing them? Does that mean the Bureau is cooperating?"
"Yeah. Hyun-seok said that once I get permission from the mages and the martial artists, he'll submit it as a formal proposal."
Wait, was that it? Or did he say he'd pass it no matter what? I don't remember exactly, just that Hyun-seok said he'd do something about it.
"I see. Then, I will personally agree to the disclosure."
The words of agreement I had hoped for finally flowed from Heavenly Sword’s mouth.
However, there was one problem.
That word, 'personally.' Whenever that word is involved, things never go perfectly.
"What's with the 'personally'?"
"It means that while I agree, as the Alliance Leader, I will need time to persuade the members. It'll probably take a year or two. Oh, and it will also take time to sift through the mountain of manuals in the archives to find the useful ones."
I knew it.
Hmm. A year or two.
Well, it doesn't matter. Even if he had said ten years, the only thing that mattered to me was the fact that Heavenly Sword had agreed.
I'll leave the rest to The Society and Yumil.
By the way.
Is a sifting process really necessary?
"People will filter them out themselves once they're public. Do you really need to sift through them first?"
Wasn't that one of the reasons for going public? Once interest is piqued and researchers gather, the junk will be filtered out naturally.
I asked with that intent, but Heavenly Sword just gave a bitter smile. He stood up, pulled a manual from a bookshelf that took up an entire wall, and handed it to me.
"What's this?"
The manual I received was incredibly thin. The cover was thick, as if trying to look impressive, but the actual pages were only two or three at most.
The name written on the cover was...
Two-Talent Sword Style (二才劍法)
...Not Three-Talent?
"What is this?"
"You'll know once you read it."
Fine. Two or three pages shouldn't take long.
With that thought, I opened the book and began reading the preface.
In less than thirty seconds, I hurled the manual out the window.
To summarize:
'In swordsmanship, horizontal slashes, vertical slashes, and stabs are the basics. However, in my life as a Martial Artist, I have almost never used a stab. Realizing there is a deeper realm...'
Is this guy insane?
"Bring the author of this thing to me. I'm going to destroy him using nothing but hammer stabs."
"Unfortunately, after he retired, he drank too much and died suddenly of high blood pressure."
What a shame.