Chapter 11
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 11
Chapter Title: How to Rule the Sea (3)
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5.
Upon arriving at the training grounds, swordsmanship practice began immediately.
Lord Leo, you will use a real sword to practice the first form of the Sea Wolf Sword Style.
Understood, Sir Jeras.
Leo had started wielding a sword two years before Karron. In contrast, this was the first time Karron had ever formally learned the sword.
Naturally, there was bound to be a difference in their progress.
Perhaps that was why Leo, gripping his treasured sword Silpid, offered a subtle smile.
He had found one thing he was better at than Karron. So, he decided to offer some advice as the older cousin.
The first day of training is really tough, Karron. Don't push yourself too hard. You'll get used to it.
He recalled the memory of returning to his room after his first day of training, suffering from terrible muscle soreness.
For some reason, the thought of Karron experiencing that same pain brought him a sense of pleasure.
Brother.
Karron looked at Leo with a smile.
Yes?
You should just worry about yourself. Got it?
...Thanks for the encouragement.
Now, hurry up and move aside.
Leos shoulders slumped as he headed to the adjacent training area.
And so, only Jeras and Karron remained.
Jeras handed Karron a wooden sword with an iron core embedded in it and spoke.
Your task for today, Lord Karron, is simple. You will swing this wooden sword up and down.
For how long?
Until you feel you can no longer lift it. I will demonstrate the posture for you.
With that, Jeras picked up a wooden sword he had set aside.
He gripped the hilt with both hands and smoothly cut through the air.
Whoosh.
It was an honest downward strike, devoid of any flourish.
It is important to tighten your abdomen. If you don't maintain core pressure, you will likely tire quickly. And you must not draw upon your mana. This must be performed purely with the bodys physical strength.
Jeras demonstrated a few more times before setting the wooden sword down again.
This is a necessary step to master the Sea Wolf Sword Style. So please, do your best.
The signature sword style of the Leston family and the Sea Wolf Knights, the Sea Wolf Sword Style.
It was a relatively simple and straightforward style, notable for its unadorned nature.
In his past life, he had fought Halo to exhaustion countless times, so he was quite knowledgeable about it.
A sword that overwhelms the enemy with sheer power.
It was an honest sword that prioritized strength over technique.
A sword completely different in nature from the one used by the Empires Imperial Guard.
Halo's Sea Wolf Sword Style, in particular, had been incredibly difficult to deal with.
That was because the style gained a tremendous synergistic effect from his ocean-like Azure Mana.
From that perspective, he could fully grasp the meaning of this training.
Hes not just telling me to swing a sword simply, but to develop my muscles and neuromuscular pathways.
To develop the muscles related to the sword by repeating the downward strike.
That was the purpose of this simple act.
A solid foundation was always important.
Of course, for Karron, who had swung a sword until the day he died in his past life, it was an affair so tedious it could make him yawn, but right now, it had its value.
When he lived with his parents, he couldn't swing a sword to his heart's content.
He had managed to train in his spare time before bed with a practice sword he had secretly taken from the knights training grounds, but until he was seven
Mother used to come by too often.
His mother, Sara, would force him to sleep, saying she would read him a fairy tale.
How difficult it had been to pretend to listen to the stories with interest.
Secretly circulating his mana, trying to get a feel for the sword.
He might as well have been a secret agent.
But now, there was no need to be discreet.
Hoo.
With a sense of relief, Karron gripped the wooden sword.
The iron core must have been quite large, as he felt a substantial weight the moment he lifted it.
He swung the sword lightly a few times.
Vwoom-.
He liked that it was much better balanced than the practice sword he had used at home.
Karron nodded in satisfaction and then spoke to Jeras.
Sir Jeras, do you happen to have any wearable sandbags?
We have them prepared, but why do you need them?
I read a paper that said increasing weight is effective for building muscle strength. This feels a bit light.
Jeras narrowed his eyes slightly, looking down at Karron.
Should he take this as a childs bravado?
Or was he trying to get attention on his first day of training?
He had heard that Karron had not received any separate sword training at the third sons estate.
In the first place, the knights stationed at the third sons estate were not members of the Sea Wolf Knights. They were closer to mercenary knights, hired for money.
They had neither the right nor the ability to teach a member of the Leston family. Only the personnel of the Azure Fortress could instruct them.
However, he had heard something interesting during the investigation.
The boy before him had enjoyed exercising with the knights since he was young.
Especially when the knights were doing strength training, he would always show up and join them.
Was that why?
His body is not entirely untrained.
The boys body already had some definition.
His lower body was particularly noteworthy.
The leg muscles were a crucial area when learning swordsmanship. This was especially true for a power-focused style like the Sea Wolf Sword Style. To deliver great force, one needed a solid base to support that power.
A few deductions were possible.
First, the possibility that Peil had been training Karron from a young age. But Jeras lightly shook his head.
He is not that kind of person.
He was a man born into a martial family who hated the sword. People don't change that easily.
Then what about Karrons mother, Sara? It was the same for her. Saras family was a renowned line of public officials. They had no connection to martial families.
Moreover, the couple had no desire to gain recognition from the rest of the family. As Jeras recalled, they had actually hoped their son would not enter the Azure Fortress.
That left one plausible conclusion.
It was his own choice.
This was a boy who had kept the awakening of his mana a secret until now.
Therefore, the idea that he had been steadily training his body to learn swordsmanship was quite plausible.
Very well.
Jeras made his decision.
There was no need to overthink it.
What the boy had resolved, and what he had prepared before setting foot in the Azure Fortress.
He would see it for himself.
We have weight artifacts used by the knights. They are thin iron plates, so they won't be uncomfortable to wear. Would those suffice?
Oh, thats great.
Please wait a moment.
Jeras immediately returned with the weight artifacts.
Artifacts embedded with weight magic. A tool primarily used by the Sea Wolf Knights during their strength training.
He handed them to Karron and said.
You can set the weight yourself. Simply think of the weight you desire, and it will naturally change to that amount.
Whats the maximum weight?
Up to 100 kilograms per plate is possible.
Karron smiled with satisfaction as he strapped the plates to his arms and legs.
If he had known these existed, he would have asked his father to buy them for him sooner, he thought.
Are you going to keep watching, Sir Jeras?
Yes. Please proceed as you feel comfortable.
I was planning to.
The boy grinned and raised his sword. Then, in the exact posture Jeras had shown him, he began to strike down.
I always think this, but this is a truly magnificent body.
It wasn't just his affinity for mana.
It was the purely physical domainthe speed at which his muscles recovered, their density, and so on.
His body in this life was so superior it couldn't even be compared to his previous one.
It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a born martial artist.
A body that seemed to have been created for the sword.
Halo. It wont take long.
He wanted to grow up quickly and become a thorn in Halos side.
From now on, very fulfilling days would unfold.
Karron smiled as he swung his sword.
This was now entirely his time.
And Jeras simply watched Karron in silence.
6.
After Karrons first day of training ended, night fell.
In the Duke's office at the Azure Fortress, a total of three people were gathered, including Halo.
Halo sat in his chair, quietly listening to what his younger sister was saying.
That kid is a monster.
You speak so freely of my grandson.
What else should I call a monster but a monster? A genius? That would be an insult to him.
Sabina. Its been a long time since Ive seen you this excited.
You should manage your own grandsons properly, brother. Especially the second one. Hes the most dangerous. Hes bound to be jealous of Karrons talent.
Sabina gulped down the whiskey that filled her glass.
Her face was flushed red.
Only she knew whether it was from the alcohol or from her youngest grandnephews talent.
Halo looked at his younger sister with a pathetic expression and shook his head. Then he slowly turned to his right-hand man, Jeras, and spoke.
Do you think the same, Jeras?
How could I possibly agree with the statement that the second young lord is dangerous?
Have you grown more playful in your old age?
Haha If you are asking about the youngest young lords talent, then I share the same opinion as Lady Sabina.
Jeras took a sip of the wine in his glass.
He had watched everything Karron had shown on the Sea Wolf Isle today, from beginning to end.
From his unflinching demeanor in the face of the Sea Wolf Knights spirit, to the way he swung his sword until the sun had completely set.
It couldn't be explained simply by saying he was physically gifted.
He had felt an immense desire and grit from Karron as he swung the sword.
A grit that a ten-year-old should never be able to display.
Pushing ones own body to the brink of muscle rupture was a matter of will.
Among those I have taught, there is no one who can compare to Lord Karron. Not just in physical ability. His nerve, his willin every aspect. Even compared to the first young lord, who is called a genius that is how I see it.
The eldest grandson of the Leston Ducal Family, Hugo Leston.
As the son of the leading heir, Teils, he was a figure who possessed both legitimacy and talent.
Rumors of the ducal heirs genius were rampant throughout the Orias Empire.
But even he could not compare to the first impression Karron had made.
Its only been a day, hasnt it? Both you and Sabina. I think youre overestimating the youngests talent. It is far too early to judge his potential. Karron is just a ten-year-old child. What might happen, and how it will affect his growthno one can say for sure.
Halo said, his voice low and displeased.
It had only been one day since Karron began his training.
Excessive expectations ruin a child.
I wonder.
Sabina refilled her empty glass with whiskey and continued.
Do you really think that kid is ten years old, brother? I dont think you believe that yourself. If you thought he was just an ordinary ten-year-old, would you have deliberately assigned me to that sly little brat?
Sabinas words were true.
Halo answered with silence.
From the way he spoke his mind without flinching after hitting his cousin, to the smile on his face while holding the Guillotine, a sword no different from a cursed blade.
The youngest grandson he had met after 10 years was completely different from what he had expected.
What Sabina and Jeras had seen in Karron were things Halo had already witnessed.
That was why he had assigned Sabina to him.
The boy would bring change to this Azure Fortress. It was his destiny as one who must uphold the Covenant.
He broke the Oath Stone, I heard. So what happens to the next generation? Is our renowned family finished now?
At Sabinas mischievous question, Halo shook his head firmly.
No, it is not.
Then?
The one who broke the stone will raise a new one. Just as our founder raised the stone, so too will Karron.
At those prophetic words, Sabina shrugged.
As expected, our family has so many secrets. Dont you think, Jeras?
Indeed.
By the way, the currents in the North Sea feel ominous. More things are crossing over from the end of the world. Could that also be related to Karron breaking the Oath Stone?
At Sabinas question, Halo nodded silently.
It means the time of the Covenant is near.
The burden on our cute youngests shoulders must be heavy. So, when are you going to tell Karron about it?
At those words, Halo tilted his glass. Then, in a low voice, he said.
When the time is right.
The heavy secrets were, for now, the burden of adults. Those secrets were still too heavy for Karron to bear.
For now, it was time to simply watch Karron grow.
Halo forced a bitter smile as he swallowed his drink.
And three years passed.
The Duke's Family Has a Mad Dog