Chapter 216
Chapter 216
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 86
Chapter Title: Teacher's Grace (1)
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Yuri set out from the village as soon as morning broke. He had no interest in learning what had become of the fugitives.
Before crossing into the plains, Yuri planned to stop by Liberda to see Moyong Chan, if only briefly. The road to Balshard was urgent, but he still needed to visit as planned.
He had to meet Moyong Chan and discuss recent events, including the matter of the heart demon.
The four rode swiftly.
"Aigoo, can't we rest a bit..."
"Rest in the grave."
Francesco whined periodically, but Yuri showed no mercy.
Of course, Francesco didn't complain all the time.
Whenever they stopped, he would sit alone and circulate the Mana Circulation Method.
The energy was too faint for a knight, but he persisted doggedly in his training. He believed he could recover someday and kept searching for a way.
"Not like your average one of the Ten Supremes."
"Indeed."
Yuri nodded at Jared's admiration.
Circulating even a tiny amount of mana was incredibly difficult. One had to maintain that fragile energy without letting it slip and guide it through the entire body.
Yet Francesco, sweating profusely, never stopped.
"If he regains his mana, he might even grow stronger than before."
"No doubt."
"But is it okay to keep pushing him like this?"
"It's fine."
The training Francesco was doing was something Yuri himself had tried in his previous life.
While deeply cultivating the Brioll Mana Method, he had explored various Mana Circulation Methods, training his control by handling minuscule amounts of mana.
"I don't need that kind of training to be great."
"Ah, yes..."
"Wake him when it's time to go."
"Understood."
Jared approached Francesco, while Yuri called out to Simon and Guinness, who were sparring.
"Hey, let's go!"
"Yes!"
"Yes!"
Unlike Francesco, who trained his mana alone, Simon and Guinness spent breaks sparring each other.
Whether it was from traveling Liberda with Moyong Chan, the two now handled their swords far better than before, at a glance.
As their horses approached, Yuri tossed out casual advice.
"Simon."
"Yes."
"Don't just wait for openings—try luring them out yourself."
"Ah, yes!"
"Guinness, your mana flow is too erratic. Practice keeping it steady."
"Got it!"
The two bowed in thanks for Yuri's pointers.
Francesco smirked and chimed in.
"Our Brioll prince has a keen eye, beyond his years."
"I have advice for you too, Sir Francesco."
"Hm?"
"Straighten your back when you sit. You'll ruin your spine like that."
"Ah, right..."
"Let's go."
The five horses broke into a gallop.
"What's that?"
"We'll see when we get there."
As Yuri's group followed the rough road, they encountered an unexpected group.
They occasionally passed merchants or travelers, but this time it was a band of knights.
The knights raised a hand, and Yuri's group slowed to a halt.
"Who might you be?"
Judging by the emblem on their chests, they were from Liberda's knight order.
"I am Yuri Brioll, prince of Brioll. I'm here to see my master, the great hero Moyong Chan."
"Hmm?"
The knight's eyes widened at Yuri's words.
"Er..."
He glanced around. First at Yuri's black hair, then at the group's overall appearance.
"Is there any way to verify your identity?"
Yuri presented his credentials.
The knight examined them, still tilting his head. Being from another nation, he lacked the expertise to distinguish them, and such badges could easily be forged with intent.
Yuri chuckled.
"No point in deceiving you out of nowhere. Or should I demonstrate if this famed Yuri Brioll truly wields the sword as rumored?"
"No, no. I was just startled for a moment. So you're here to see Master Moyong Chan?"
"Yes."
"Then we'll escort you."
"You have business with my master too?"
"Yes."
The knight nodded toward his accompanying knights.
"We're on our way to training."
"Training?"
"Yes. Master Moyong Chan travels Liberda, conducting knight training sessions. He reviews swordsmanship and shares useful methods. Lucky us this time."
He grinned, flashing his teeth. Moyong Chan's sessions seemed quite popular.
"Perfect. Let's go together."
"Yes."
And so Yuri's group ended up traveling with Liberda's knights.
The knight order accompanying Yuri was called the Gale Knights, a group formed by young knights banding together.
No wonder most were young, and their levels varied.
They rode hard to a village on the outskirts of Liberda.
"There?"
"Yes."
But the knights didn't enter the village—they circled outside.
"Master Moyong Chan is... Ah!"
He pointed in one direction.
"Over there."
Yuri soon spotted a flag fluttering high in an open field outside the village.
Written in Eastern script, he couldn't read it, but the brushstrokes radiated power.
And beneath that flag stood Moyong Chan.
"Ah..."
"It's been a while since you've seen him."
"Yes."
The knight, convinced of Yuri's identity during their talk en route, grinned.
"Go ahead and greet him first. We'll follow slowly."
"It's fine..."
He seemed to anticipate a touching master-disciple reunion.
"You should pay respects to your master. Heh, we'll circle once more."
He subtly slowed his pace.
Yuri felt reluctant but ended up riding ahead alone toward Moyong Chan, separate from his group.
Moyong Chan, standing under the flag, suddenly opened his eyes.
Yuri had expected nonchalance, but seeing his master after so long stirred an odd emotion in him.
He soon dismounted and approached.
It had been quite some time, and much had happened, yet Moyong Chan looked unchanged from Yuri's memories of the past.
"Master."
"Yuri."
The two eyed each other.
And then.
They swung their swords.
"Your eyes say you've grown cocky."
"Master, your pronunciation hasn't improved at all."
"Wasting good diction on you!"
They clashed blades repeatedly, each vying to cut the other. Their mana erupted briefly, kicking up dust around them.
The knights circling nearby seemed startled.
But the two didn't stop.
"Oh ho, your Joint Strike got stronger in that time. Mana's bulked up too."
"I've always been taller."
"Cheeky brat!"
They glared, probing each other's energy.
Soon, both looked impressed.
"Master, you've grown stronger."
"And you."
Yuri grinned, sensing the pure energy rippling from Moyong Chan's body.
When the Shadowless Sword mentioned the Demonic Cult, he'd thought they might be the strongest in the East. Apparently not—Moyong Chan matched him.
"I met a guy called the Shadowless Sword."
"One of the Ten Supremes."
"Yes. He was strong. And he came from the East."
Moyong Chan's brow twitched.
"From the East?"
"Yes. He called himself the Heavenly Demon."
His brow arched higher.
Then he swung at Yuri.
"Keep talking."
As they exchanged blows, Yuri explained recent events.
Moyong Chan couldn't hide his bitterness over Cedric being the monster, and Fiore and Rolang's disappearance.
"Dark Heavenly Demon Command Secretary, huh. Such a thing existed."
Moyong Chan now spoke with perfect pronunciation.
Yuri grew suspicious. Maybe Moyong Chan wasn't clumsy with the common tongue—he could speak properly but twisted it to tease. When distracted, proper speech emerged naturally.
"We'll uncover it someday."
Yuri snapped back as Moyong Chan's blade flew viciously.
"Yes. Seems the Shadowless Sword follows Cedric for that reason too."
"Makes sense. The Demonic Cult reveres divine artifacts absolutely."
"Absorbing the Dark Heavenly Demon Command Secretary's power turns a man into something inhuman, far stronger."
"Is that so. Truly bizarre and grotesque."
"Fancy words, flashy..."
"Anyway!"
He'd spoken fine before Fiore too, but now even more fluently.
"Cedric seemed decent. Guess he was too good to be true..."
"If he seemed decent, why assume the worst?"
"Most humans aren't decent. Suspect anyone suddenly acting good."
"Are you really from the orthodox sects?"
Moyong Chan's worldview was hardly normal.
As the two dueled and talked, the rest of the group and the Gale Knights had dismounted, watching from afar.
Each flash of sword ki drew gasps of awe.
"Yuri. Your disciples are watching. Gonna show them an ugly sight?"
"My students are here too. Worry about yourself, Master."
"Insolent pup."
"Honorable master."
They locked eyes and laughed.
Unspoken, Moyong Chan sensed his disciple's tremendous growth.
Not just aura—the energy felt different. The Heart-Soul Severing exuded refined power, but now it was subtly turbid.
Chaos.
His disciple harbored it.
Yet the mana's quality hadn't declined—quite the opposite.
Even he couldn't peer inside now.
High realm, low realm, things beyond his grasp—all jumbled randomly within.
Thus, Yuri Brioll stood in uncharted territory.
Moyong Chan grimaced, recalling what his disciple endured for this.
Others wouldn't dare start this path, yet his disciple strode it boldly. Admirable, yet heartbreaking.
No way to overcome a heart demon.
Thus.
Only one way to handle chaos.
"Have you made madness your friend?"
Embrace the heart demon.
"Yes."
Yuri grinned.
He acknowledged the heart demon crushing his dreams nightly as part of himself.
This second life was his chance.
No hedging bets.
If he broke, he'd advance broken. If it let him kill Cedric and eradicate black magic, he'd pay any price.
"Good."
Moyong Chan spread his arms.
"I see your resolve. Show me. Did that mindset yield true power, or is it mere bluff? I'll judge."
"Me too."
Yuri raised Guilty. Chaos roiled atop it.
"Show me something, Master."
"What?"
"That perfect speech isn't normal—you're twisting your tongue on purpose."
"N-no."
"Fine. Knock you out, douse you in cold water—we'll know."
"How?"
"Lose consciousness, natural reaction emerges. Say 'Ah, cold!' and I'm right. 'Oof, chilly!' and you're right."
"You knock me out?"
"Master."
Yuri stepped forward.
"Sleep ugly, and I'll cover for you."
"Fine. I'll collect your knocked-out teeth."
The master and disciple hurled insults, raising their energies.
Yuri lifted Guilty.
Suddenly, wind stirred.
This vast plain had spectators at a safe distance—all knights who could protect themselves.
No need to hold back.
The wind intensified, forming a proper vortex.
Cogwheels of sword ki meshed and spun.
Small to large, large to larger.
A fractal whirlwind of pulverizing gears manifested on Liberda's plain.
But Moyong Chan didn't stand idle.
Straight, smooth sword ki, quelling all chaos, rose nobly before the vortex.
Two swordsmen.
Two monsters they birthed.
The Gale Knights gaped at the sight.