Chapter 130
Chapter 130
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 130
Chapter Title: Side Story - A Certain Princess's Memories (11)
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#14 Their Circumstances: Someone's Circumstances.
The self-proclaimed strongest in the universe.
My master, one of the world's greatest swordsmen by reputation, said,
"You're such an annoyingly middling guy."
"Being in the middle is the best."
"A man should aim for the top spot."
"I once aimed for the top job: civil servant."
"Life's full of surprises, huh?"
I nodded as I watched my master cackle.
Life was full of surprises.
"So you gotta get stronger."
"I've already learned everything I can from the universe's strongest master."
"True. You've mastered everything worth learning. Body, mind, and the forms of my swordsmanship, all perfectly unified. Among my disciples, you're the only one who can execute my swordsmanship flawlessly."
"Then mission accomplished. Strongest disciple in terms of sword forms. Now that I'm the strongest, leave me alone. I've got novels I haven't read yet."
"You punk, when your master is talking... Hey, hold up. Stop that. I'm still reading that one."
My master snatched the novel I was reaching for with frantic hands.
Damn it. At his reading speed, I won't get it back for half a day.
"That's the latest volume, so please read it fast. No extensions on the rental period."
"Tch, fine. Latest volume, huh? When's the next one out?"
"Ask the publisher."
As my master dove deeper into subculture, starting with manga, I let out a sigh.
He'd borrowed a ton during our long waits, got interested after a few peeks, and now it had turned into outright theft.
"Damn it, my TemX volume 549..."
It was right at the crucial part where the protagonist's grandson in the virtual world was seducing the enemy kingdom's princess.
Grumbling, as I reached for another novel, my master slapped my hand away.
"Hey now, my teachings aren't over yet!"
"...Put down that thing you're holding in your other hand first."
"Ahem."
His face flushed a bit, but he didn't put down the book.
Too bad. I could've finished it in 30 minutes.
"You damn punk. Weakest among my disciples, yet the one who fears me the least."
"I don't get why I should fear you, Master."
"Tch, if you were just a bit stronger, you'd experience my swordsmanship properly and understand. Then your respect for this great master would skyrocket..."
"Pfft."
"Hey, what's that laugh? How the hell do you see this mas—"
"Me and..."
"Alright, stop there. For King Sejong's sake down in the underworld, I won't listen. Swordsmen can talk about other things without King Sejong knowing."
As my master sheathed the book and drew his sword, I sighed deeply.
"Don't soak the book in sweat like last time. It's the latest volume—if it gets wet again, I'll really trash the rental shop."
Rental shops are hard to find these days. That'd be a real disaster.
"Just buy it."
"You know my salary. Plus, my place is tiny—no room for books."
"Everyone reads e-books these days, right?"
"I pay up faithfully for those yellow house ones, but I can't give up the feel of paper books."
"Fair enough. I'll be careful."
Yet he neither pocketed the book nor sheathed his sword. I sighed again.
No choice. Gotta end this before he breaks a sweat.
"Alright, this is a new sword technique I made. Gonna test it on you before showing the others."
"All that talk of teachings, and I'm just a human punching bag?"
"Ha! I'm showing you my strongest swordsmanship first—what's wrong with being the test dummy!"
"Not copying some manga technique again, like last time?"
Last time, I showed him a classic about a samurai with a reverse-blade sword who supposedly didn't kill. Nearly got hit with a retreating cloud slice and checked out.
Reverse blade my ass—with a slight tweak, it's just a master swinging a steel pipe full force. No way that doesn't kill.
That's right! All that "striking with the flat of the blade" in manga is a lie!
"Ahem, that was just once."
"Before that, you thought it was a monster vs. human comic, but it was humans team-killing, and you tried Sky Slash—nearly sent me to the heavens."
"Ahem."
"And before that, you bit a sword in your mouth for three-sword style, dropped it complaining of jaw pain, and nearly pierced your own foot."
"Kh-hm! Forget the past!"
"Yes, my body and life were at risk, but for a master as lofty as the sky..."
"Th-thanks."
He didn't look grateful at all, but poking him more might make him explode—and I'd be in danger. Better hold back.
"This is for you too, so learn it well. Even just mastering the forms makes it useful."
"Then you'll toss it to me to teach the junior disciples?"
"I'll pay you, right?"
"I'll learn it with all I've got."
Master's salary beats outside gigs. By a lot.
That's why I stick around despite the crap.
"Watch closely. This proves I'm the universe's strongest: the sword that shatters planets, Moonbreaker Swordsmanship!"
My master raised his sword.
But my mouth moved first.
"Master, Moonbreaker Swordsmanship... does that mean it breaks the moon?"
"Uh? Yeah?"
"You said it shatters planets, Master. The moon's a satellite, not a planet."
"......"
My master froze, sword raised.
Ten minutes later.
"Ah, screw it! Not doing it!"
As he fled, cursing to hide his embarrassment, I reached for the remaining novel.
"Ah, my X Speed 549..."
When master sulks, it's three days minimum.
Two days left on the rental.
Just as the rental lady's words—"Handle the overdue fees yourself"—rang in my ears...
"Master!"
I barely caught up to the fleeing master, soothed him by saying Mercury and the moon are similar in size so close enough.
With this technique, he couldn't claim universe strongest, but he dropped "one of the world's greatest swordsmen" to just "world's greatest swordsman."
#15 Their Circumstances: The Sword Princess's Circumstances.
"Damn."
A short curse slipped from Sir Ast's lips.
This would perfectly embody justice.
I'd heard tons about the swordsman nicknamed Sword Heaven, Sword of the Skies, since childhood—but never that he punched people barehanded.
In a way, Sir Ast was truly remarkable.
"Huh?"
But Sir Ast was even more remarkable than I thought.
"Falling Moon."
A small dagger popped from his sleeve.
A tiny thing that looked only good for peeling fruit besides throwing—yet it halted Sword Heaven's sword cold.
"What swordsmanship is that?!"
A continental master of swordsmanship.
Sword Heaven, whom even Sword Saints and Sword Emperors couldn't beat in pure sword handling—now dominated by his opponent's sword path.
"Severing Moon."
"Kuh?"
"Again?"
Sword Heaven's sword, raised for another strike, halted on Sir Ast's blade again.
Even without sword aura—no, Sword Heaven was called strongest in pure swordsmanship without mana.
Yet he wasn't losing in strength or mana—he was purely out-sworded.
"Huh?"
The sight was so hilarious, it flustered Her Highness, who nearly became the first imperial to die laughing.
"Hey, Reia. I don't know much about swordsmanship, but... Ast winning right now is just my imagination, right? Or did that self-proclaimed Sword Heaven scam me? Or did a Sword Heaven lookalike crash in mid-laugh?"
Utterly un-princess-like words from Her Highness.
Scenes so unbelievable, even she—who trusted her eyes above all—doubted them.
Pushing back Sword Heaven with a throwing dagger barely qualifying as one.
Who on the continent could've imagined it?
Stab—
"Ah. It is Ast. So that old man was a scammer just like me, fooling me perfectly?"
"How can you use such swordsmanship for such dirty tricks!"
But the illusory sword dance crumbled like a sandcastle on the sand Sir Ast threw.
"Ah, why..."
A complaint slipped out unbidden.
As a swordsman, I'd been entranced by an unreachable realm of swordsmanship.
If I'd kept watching... I could've gained something!
"Moonlight Heaven-Shatter Chain!"
"Krgh!"
But Sir Ast seamlessly continued, unfazed.
"You—!"
Sword Heaven asks the man dubbed Heaven of Swords: "What is a sword?"
"Another trick?"
"A simple question."
Calmly swinging, Sir Ast pressed Sword Heaven with questions.
"What is a sword? A physical blade? The one in your hand? Or in Lady Reia's? Or this small one in mine?"
"All are swords!"
"Yes. Even the kitchen knife that thug held earlier is a sword."
"What nonsense!"
Amid the clear clang of clashing steel, their voices rang out.
Klang!
"Hah!"
Even supreme swordsmanship can't ignore blade differences.
Sir Ast's mana-less tiny dagger finally shattered against Sword Heaven's sword.
"Tch. Straight up: a weapon to harm people—that's a sword's essence. Born to kill."
But Sir Ast deftly drew another dagger from his sleeve.
"A sword is not such a thing!"
"No, it is. Humans seek convenience: sharpening stones, cutting wood, melting bronze, forging iron into swords. To kill stronger beasts, monsters, enemies."
"Not to kill. To avoid being killed."
"That decision is man's."
"That's what swordsmanship teaches!"
The song of swords resumes.
"No. Swordsmanship is taught by men too. Unless a Sword God descends, it's just a human byproduct of the sword."
"True. But what's wrong with that?"
"I never said wrong. Just asked: what is a sword?"
"So what're you getting at?"
"Literal. Swords are man-made, swordsmanship too. Thus, what a sword is... is defined by man. What is your sword?"
"My sword..."
Sword Heaven pondered deeply. I blankly wondered too.
What is a sword to me?
'My everything.'
"A sword is my everything."
Sword Heaven seemed to think the same. Probably all swordsmen do.
"Yours... already?!"
No longer flustered, just incredulous, Sword Heaven's gaze followed to the longsword now in Sir Ast's hand.
"I always tried hard but gained nothing. Couldn't grasp what I reached for. So the sword I casually practiced with stayed in hand. To me, the sword is life itself. But not living for the sword like you—it's merely a tool for my life."
"Different, eh?"
"Yes. Different from swordsmen who stake life on the sword. It's just a means to survive. Like beasts with fangs and claws—I took up the sword just to live."
"Life for the sword vs. sword for life..."
"Poison, darts, sand, traps, using surroundings—all my sword."
"Strange sword."
"Strange life."
"A sword I'll never understand."
"A life no one understands."
Strange sword, strange life.
Sword and life one and the same.
'Am I living like that?'
Could someone see my life in my sword?
"Yes... that's why I never understood your sword. Everything was your sword."
Sir Ast just looked bored as Sword Heaven nodded.
"Dinner time soon—hurry up. If Her Highness is late, the head chef yells at me."
"Already this late."
Sword Heaven nodded at the setting sun, raising his sword.
"My strongest technique—take it! Heavenly Flow Sword, secret—"
"No time for form names! No Moon!"
"Till the end?!"
True to form, Sir Ast ruined his own cool moment, thrusting two beats faster.
"Huh?"
"No way!"
That two-beat gap.
"Kuh..."
Defying our expectations, Sir Ast defeated Sword Heaven.