Chapter 73
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Love It
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[No matter what you call it—a violin's curse—doesn't it just make you play well in the end?]
"That's exactly the problem."
[What's the problem?]
Yuna Kyung tilted her head quizzically.
And who could blame her? Rimon had diligently practiced this violin of deep darkness only in the early days, for about a month.
After starting lessons with Julia, he'd gradually cut back on playing it, and lately, he hadn't touched it at all.
As someone who knew better than anyone what kind of performances Rimon could pull off with the violin of deep darkness, Yuna Kyung simply couldn't wrap her head around it.
Rimon smirked at her puzzled expression.
"Want to hear an interesting story?"
[Every time the team leader says that, it never turns out to be actually interesting...]
"Don't like it? Too bad."
[Come on, now you've got me curious. What story?]
She just couldn't help her curiosity—it was in her nature.
With Yuna Kyung's eyes sparkling in anticipation, Rimon spoke in a low voice.
"Once upon a time, there was an incredible swordsman. The kind who could truly be called the greatest in the world."
[Hmm, the opening sure sounds like a classic old tale.]
"One day, this swordsman got his hands on a certain sword. A divine blade that never broke, could cut through anything, and killed foes with even a graze."
[...Even back then, there were monarch-grade items? What kind of sword has performance that broken?]
"Don't nitpick the logic of a fairy-tale sword, you little chicken-dove. Just listen."
[I'm not a chicken-dove! I'm the bluebird of dreams and hope!]
Whether Yuna Kyung bristled in defense of her spiritual identity or not, Rimon snorted and tossed out a question.
"So, what do you think happened to the swordsman who got that sword?"
[He conquered the world, built a harem, lived luxuriously with three wives and four concubines until he got bored, then jumped to another world to play hero, right?]
"What the hell kind of ridiculous guess is that...?"
Rimon stared at her in disbelief.
[It's from the latest chapter of I Alone Am a Monarch-Grade Player, the novel at the peak of popularity right now.]
"...I can't fathom why garbage like that is popular, but to cut to the chase, he died clashing swords with his archrival."
[What? But he was the greatest in the world?]
Rimon nodded readily at Yuna Kyung, who mirrored his own earlier stupefaction.
"He was."
[Then why'd he lose? With a divine sword on top of being the world's greatest, he should've been an invincible cheat character!]
Whether she'd gotten invested or had some pent-up frustration, Yuna Kyung railed against the story's flawed logic with righteous indignation before suddenly pausing.
[Oh, wait—is it that cliché? Like, his friend or wife steals his sword and stabs him with it? Or he falls into a trap?]
"No, it was a fair one-on-one duel, sword in hand—a divine sword, no less."
[Then why'd he die!?]
"The sword gave him a bug, not a cheat."
[...What does that even mean?]
"A sword that kills with a mere graze means you get flashy with swordplay and forget how to target vitals."
[The world's greatest swordsman forgetting swordsmanship? That make any sense?]
"Swordsmanship changes based on the blade you use."
Thrust-focused rapiers.
Single-edged swords optimized for sharp slashes.
Greatswords emphasizing thickness and strength.
There were countless sword types in the world, so sword styles were built around specific ones.
Change the sword, and the technique had to adapt.
[...But they say true masters can wield any sword, right?]
"That's complete nonsense."
[For real?!]
"Yeah. The higher the master, the more they love famed blades suited to their style. Even Sword Saint Kamiizumi Nobutsuna, a sword master, collected over a thousand named swords."
Rimon could slice boulders with grass blades, yet he always carried a sword.
Why?
Because fiddling with grass every time was a pain compared to a familiar sword at his side year-round.
Likewise, an excellent famed sword let you unleash techniques ten or a hundred times easier than a common iron one.
That's why keen-sensed masters obsessed over them.
"But a master's favorite isn't some overkill 'divine sword' or 'peerless blade'—it's just one that fits their hand well."
[Because it'd ruin their swordsmanship?]
"Exactly."
Using an all-cutting sword leads to ignoring defenses.
An unbreakable one makes you ignore durability.
An immortality-granting sword makes you forget defense.
Sure, your skill seems to improve at first. But relying on the sword's functions for years regresses your technique inevitably.
Even if not, what then?
If the sword breaks? Or meets a foe immune to its powers?
Do you spend life fretting over losing it, fighting only foes it allows?
That's no swordsman anymore.
Just a puppet jerked by a divine sword, like that tale's greatest swordsman.
[...So you're avoiding that violin as much as possible? Scared of becoming a swordsman dependent on a divine blade?]
"Well, that's part of it. If it becomes indispensable, that's just more weakness exposed."
Right now, the violin of deep darkness was Rimon's best tool for melting the constellation power seeped into his body.
If he fought constellations later, every one would flip out to steal it.
Losing it would hinder melting starlight shards, burdening fights against them.
"The main reason I'm learning violin is to find a replacement. Depending on it while learning defeats the purpose."
[Yeah, that makes sense.]
She nodded at his uncharacteristically logical explanation, convinced for a moment.
Then Yuna Kyung tilted her head again.
[But if that's one reason, are there others?]
"Yep."
[What?]
"My pride."
[Huh?]
Rimon curled his lip at the bluebird's blank look.
"Cursed violin or whatever—a mere tool's performance outdoing mine? Infuriating."
[...Team leader, a violin is an instrument? It's a tool meant to be used, not a rival for your pride?]
"Exactly. It's toyed with me plenty, so don't I deserve at least one proper performance on it?"
[What is this, racing a train?!]
"Na-kyung, people don't outrun trains not because legs are slow, but because they never try."
[That's just for lunatics like you, team leader! Normal folks don't even think that insane...!]
Smack!
[Eek!]
"What lunatic talk to your sky-high team leader, you lunatic."
Rimon delivered heavenly punishment to Yuna Kyung's forehead as she flailed.
He left her fuming with stars over her head, arms crossed in thought.
'Hmm, what to do with this thing, really.'
There was some joking, but he did need to boost his playing fast.
To devour the Seven Dragon Society and gain power against constellations, his training time was limited.
Even with ample time, it'd be the same.
'Suspicious as hell.'
Rimon eyed the case holding the violin of deep darkness.
Folks today might not get it.
Even to Rimon, familiar with magic tools, this thing was oddly bizarre.
'The power to melt constellation force, and that weird presence only when playing it. Can't pin down its true nature.'
A violin infused with near-curse-level magic, supposedly made by a muse's priest to offer music to a god.
Even after asking Li Chingwei to investigate, its exact origins remained unknown.
The amusement park old man who'd given it had vanished into thin air.
Rimon couldn't help suspecting the violin's identity.
'Magic tools are all shady anyway... but unknown origins always spell trouble.'
Like using a cup thinking it just improves booze taste, only for it to be the Holy Grail sparking church wars.
Or getting a mystery ring, drawing power-hungry pleas to sell, then endless thieves.
He frowned, recalling past magic-tool woes.
'Eh, it'll be fine.'
Rimon chuckled wryly in the end.
In this era, no one coveted mere magic tools over items anyway.
No time to waste, so he decided to consult an expert.
"...Ri, are you joking with me right now?"
"No, dead serious."
Julia lost her composure at the out-of-left-field question.
"Do you even know how long you've been learning violin from me?"
"A bit under a month."
"Right—just over three weeks. Including time wasted on sheet music at the start."
Julia sighed and continued.
"But in those three weeks, you've surpassed music academy level. Even among top violinists, your technique is peerless."
No exaggeration.
In mere dozens of days, Rimon had absorbed every trick of hers, the violin witch.
And not just that.
From tutorial videos to online clips.
He replicated other violinists' performances near-perfectly after one watch, mastering their techniques too.
Even Julia, showing him videos just in case, was floored.
"And now you're asking how to learn violin faster than this? Ri, have you no shame?"
"Since when was shame part of this equation?"
"If I weren't your teacher, I'd sue you already."
"Sue? For what crime?"
"Talent monopoly."
"Hmm, if that were law, I'd be drowning in lawsuits."
Aware his learning speed was freakish, the black-haired youth nodded readily, but Julia eyed him coldly.
Undeterred by her gaze, Rimon pressed on stubbornly.
"Still, I need to improve faster for reasons. Any way?"
"Practice steadily and work hard."
"Great advice."
"Not joking, Ri."
Julia's face turned grave as Rimon smirked.
"Honestly, technique-wise, I have nothing left to teach."
Purely as violin-playing skill, Rimon had reached independent mastery.
Superhuman sword master's body.
Curse in the violin of deep darkness.
Julia's intensive lessons.
All synergized to make him capable of any performance.
"To go beyond, you need something transcending mere technique."
But to Julia, Rimon was still an empty vessel.
No matter how sturdy or beautiful, a vessel is empty without filling.
To become a true violinist, he needed content.
"That's the line between top-tier and elite violinists too."
"So, unteachable territory."
"Yes."
Thus, Julia readily admitted she had nothing more to teach.
Now it was pure talent domain.
Sensibility finding answers instinctively.
Emotion drawing a thousand melodies.
Feeling stirring universal empathy.
All self-discovered and filled; teacher's role was just watching without interfering—her philosophy.
"If I must advise: Ri, try loving music."
"...How?"
"Ri, you don't particularly love playing, do you? You're learning as a means for some reason."
Hit the nail on the head?
Julia smiled at his silence.
"Sure, you can play without loving music. But if you love the performance itself..."
If Rimon were ordinary, she wouldn't say this.
But as a violinist before teacher.
And as one thrilled by his talent, Julia smiled softly at the youth who might surpass her someday.
"Ri, you'll play far better than now."
That was Julia's final lesson before ending all sessions and departing.