The Weight of the Sword
The middle of Bukmang Mountain, behind the Zieghart Annex.
“Click.”
Rimer leaned against a long, flat rock that looked as though it had been sliced horizontally, clicking his tongue.
“Master.”
He lifted his head and glanced up at the rock above.
“Why did you entrust Raon to that prickly woman?”
“…”
Glenn did not answer. He simply stared at the Annex glowing faintly in the darkness with a distant gaze.
“If Raon learns Sheryl’s strictness, what then?”
Rimer shook with fear, his hands trembling.
“He’s already full of gaps now. If he starts imitating Sheryl… ugh! Just thinking about it gives me the chills!”
He shook his head vigorously, insisting it must never happen.
“He’s trying to create his own sword style.”
Glenn slowly raised his gaze and spoke.
“Correct. He’s been researching heavy sword techniques.”
Rimer nodded, recalling Raon’s heavy sword training.
“Sheryl has honed every attribute of swordsmanship to its extreme. She is the one who will be most helpful to the boy right now.”
Glenn stated the reason for entrusting Raon to Sheryl with perfect calm.
“You’re still taking care of Raon again. Teaching while commanding the Heavenly Sword Squad. You really are a doting grandfather.”
“Be quiet.”
“If you like Raon that much and want to take care of him, just say so! Or do it yourself in front of everyone! I’m dying of frustration!”
Rimer pounded his chest.
“Master, if you keep holding back like this, you might end up never showing your true feelings. There’s no order to when we reach our age…”
“You sound like you’d rather have a thorn in your mouth every month.”
“Huff!”
A red spark shot from Glenn’s palm, and Rimer clamped his mouth shut.
But he could not endure even a moment of silence. Ten seconds later, he opened it again.
“You meant well by thinking about Raon, but this time you made a mistake.”
“A mistake?”
“That prickly woman won’t teach swordsmanship.”
Rimer’s brows furrowed sharply.
“She’ll start teaching if you insist, but she probably won’t go that far.”
Sheryl was the strictest person in the Zieghart family. There was no chance she would teach Raon easily.
“Raon is amazing in many ways, but to open Sheryl’s heart, he’ll need at least ten joint missions.”
Rimer waved his hands dismissively.
“If you have that much time, why not just open a sword manual and show him various techniques?”
He acknowledged Raon’s talent but did not believe he could overcome Sheryl’s strictness.
“Then what if Sheryl actually teaches Raon swordsmanship?”
“Hmm, it would definitely help.”
Rimer scratched his chin and continued.
“As strict as she is, she’ll teach properly. He’ll grow greatly and return.”
If Sheryl decided to teach, she would teach until she was certain of his sincerity. He would return with a growth far beyond his previous level.
“Then there’s no need to worry.”
Glenn pulled a torn letter envelope from his pocket.
“Sheryl says she’s teaching Raon swordsmanship, but also to other children.”
“Wha—?!”
Rimer’s mouth fell open.
“N-no way! Why?!”
“She fell for Raon’s trick.”
“F-fell for it? That Sheryl?”
“Yes.”
“Ha…”
Rimer trembled. He never imagined the gapless Sheryl would be swayed by Raon’s schemes. That kid really was something.
“He’s telling Raon he’ll definitely teach him heavy sword.”
“Eek…”
“He’ll grow greatly and return.”
Glenn smiled faintly, enjoying Rimer’s shocked reaction.
“It’s somewhat exciting.”
***
Raon narrowed his eyes at Sheryl, who had stopped.
“You’re running away because you don’t want to make dinner again?”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
Sheryl blinked rapidly, looking flustered.
“You ran away from the Yonan family mission after ruining the food several times…”
Surprisingly, Sheryl was terrible at cooking despite being good at everything else. Her dishes carried an oddly earthy taste, as if mud had been accidentally added.
—That was terrifying…
Raon sighed. Even the gluttonous Demon Lord raised both hands, declaring the food was not human.
“That was then, but not this time!”
She shook her head vigorously, as if truly misunderstanding.
“Then why did you suddenly come here?”
“Hoo… You said you’d teach me heavy sword…”
Sheryl’s voice lacked strength, as if she had already given up.
“I finish things once I start. The heavy sword lecture isn’t over yet.”
She pointed at the Heavenly Sky Sword and narrowed her eyes.
“There are big gaps in your heavy sword. I came to teach you what they are. It has nothing to do with food. Really!”
“Ah, I see…”
Raon nodded awkwardly. Since she said it was true, cooking must be involved to some degree.
“Before teaching heavy sword, there’s one thing I want to ask.”
“Please.”
“Why do you want to create a new sword style instead of learning existing ones?”
Sheryl seemed to know Raon wanted to invent a new style by mastering heavy sword.
‘Of course.’
Since he had already learned most sword attributes, he must have understood his goal long ago.
“Can you answer?”
“It’s not difficult.”
Raon nodded calmly.
“I practiced refining sword techniques even after mastering advanced styles. I just wanted to loosen my body and not forget the basics. But at some point, the sword began changing to suit my temperament.”
“Changing?”
“Originally, refining sword techniques emphasized defense more than offense. But recently, my refining sword has a higher offensive ratio. It evolved to match my personality and aura.”
After reaching Expert Peak-Class and creating Glacier, his mind truly sharpened. Once he mastered a technique to its limit, he could even alter the flow of the sword itself.
“However, even if it changes, it still cannot match the sword I create myself. Just as a custom suit is more comfortable than ready-made clothes, my own sword is more powerful, responsive, and offers the farthest path for growth.”
“Indeed. Since you can wield it as you wish, it will suit you better than any other. But that path is extremely treacherous.”
Sheryl gazed at the Heavenly Sky Sword Raon held with a calm, unreadable expression.
“Creating a sword style belongs to the realm of enlightenment. Even after learning countless techniques and raising your proficiency, the door might not open.”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“Huh?”
“As long as I enjoy training and growing stronger, that’s enough.”
Raon smiled. It was no lie. The joy of growing and advancing, as he had told Wrath, was the greatest happiness of all.
“I see. That’s why.”
Sheryl nodded with a faint smile.
‘She really isn’t an ordinary person.’
Her answer was full of spirit. How did a child of that age possess the aura of a great master? Her mental strength and soul were on a completely different level from ordinary people.
‘It’s fine.’
Her confident, relaxed answer was good, but what truly pleased him was that she had mastered the basic refining sword technique to its absolute limit.
“Was my answer sufficient?”
Raon lowered his chin slightly, watching Sheryl lost in thought.
“Yes. It’s enough.”
Although he hadn’t said anything particularly grand, a delicate smile appeared at the corner of Sheryl’s mouth, as if something had pleased her.
“Now that I’ve heard your answer, it’s my turn.”
Sheryl drew the sword she had strapped to her back.
“The method is the same as when I taught Siria. You will strike with the heaviest heavy sword you can wield. I will use my own heavy sword according to your strength and achievement.”
“Understood.”
The body-to-body clash method felt more comfortable than theoretical instruction.
“Come.”
Sheryl snapped her fingers together.
Kugugugu!
Raon raised the Heavenly Sky Sword upward and poured all his mana circuits into Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. He exploded the heat aura racing through his mana circuits and charged toward Sheryl.
Kwaaah!
He struck down with the Heavenly Sky Sword, imbuing it with weight. The weight of the entire Bukmang Mountain, which enveloped the whole of Zieghart, wrapped around the blade.
“That’s it?”
Sheryl flicked her cold gaze and lifted the scabbard she held below.
Kugugugugu!
As if a tidal wave had suddenly erupted from a calm sea, a massive force burst forth and clashed with the Heavenly Sky Sword.
Kwaaah!
The Heavenly Sky Sword and Sheryl’s scabbard collided, and the terrifying shockwave that exploded outward split the ground like spiderwebs.
“Grrk!”
Raon gritted his teeth at the aura of power surging from Sheryl’s scabbard.
‘I’m losing!’
The amount of aura and the weight in the sword were similar, but he was being pushed back mercilessly, as if a branch were blocking steel.
Crack!
Raon could not withstand the immense weight in Sheryl’s scabbard and retreated five steps backward.
“W-what…?”
He could not understand. Sheryl had used aura and heavy sword principles at the same level as promised, yet she had been pushed back too easily, like an adult overpowering a child.
‘Moreover, I was the one attacking.’
When aiming downward and upward strikes, the downward strike should naturally be stronger. Yet he had been pushed back. It was unbelievable.
“May I try again?”
“Of course.”
Sheryl nodded and lowered the scabbard. She wanted him to try a downward strike again.
“Hoo…”
Raon resonated the Ring of Fire and spun Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation. He gathered his concentration to the limit, like in a life-or-death battle, and slammed his foot into the ground.
Hwaaa!
Red flames bloomed above the Heavenly Sky Sword’s blade, blending with the weight to create immense pressure. The weights that had only weighed on the blade now invaded space and poured toward Sheryl.
‘I must observe carefully.’
Raon focused all his mind on Sheryl’s sword while striking with full power.
Chiiing!
Gray aura spread like mist over the scabbard and rose far faster than his own, seizing space.
‘It wasn’t just the sword!’
The weight in her sword strike was not only in the blade. The refining sword principle was embedded in the branches of aura spreading from the scabbard.
Kwaaah!
The Heavenly Sky Sword and scabbard collided again, and Raon bounced back like rubber, dropping to one knee.
“Now I understand.”
Raon exhaled roughly and stood up.
“The way of imbuing weight.”
“Hmm?”
“I’ve been imbuing weight only into the blade until now. Following the flow of water like a fish, I used the weight in the blade to seize space. But Lord Sheryl’s sword strike was different.”
He pointed at her scabbard and continued.
“The weight was not only in the blade but also in the branches of aura spreading from the blade. That’s why I was pushed back. I seized more space more quickly.”
Even though the aura and refining sword principle in the sword were the same, the reason for being pushed back was because she had imbued weight into the aura spreading from the sword, not just the sword itself.
“Correct.”
Sheryl smiled faintly and nodded.
“You only loaded weight into the blade. Thanks to your aura and physical strength, you showed great power, but the space being consumed was narrow.”
“Correct.”
“But if you load weight not only into the sword but also into the spreading aura, the power, speed, and range will double. And…”
She lifted the scabbard for the first time. Gray energy gathered on the scabbard and condensed into perfectly formed ganggi.
Kwaaah!
Even without moving, an overwhelming pressure poured out. The heavy sword she had shown during the lecture was now being used with Ten Thousand Flames Cultivation, yet it felt as if his whole body would be crushed.
Kugugugu!
Not only himself, but the entire training ground was being crushed. This space was essentially in her grasp.
“If you use ganggi and true heavy sword simultaneously, this is the result. Only those who have reached the same level as me can fight inside this space.”
“Kuu…”
“Do not bury yourself in the sword. Practice imbuing the sword’s attribute into both aura and space. The hint is, as I said before, the mind.”
Sheryl erased the ganggi and sheathed the scabbard on her back.
“If you can achieve that, your sword style will advance to a higher level. And that…”
She paused and looked up at the sky.
“Is one of the paths to reaching Sword Realm Manifestation.”
“Sword Realm Manifestation…”
A dry lump formed in Raon’s throat at the words.
“I thought it would take a long time, but I didn’t expect it to end so quickly. You’re a difficult student to teach.”
Sheryl chuckled and turned her back, heading toward the camping ground without looking back.
“Thank you.”
Raon bowed his head toward Sheryl’s retreating back.
‘It’s different from what I thought.’
When I first saw Sheryl, I thought she was just a strict swordswoman as rumored. But after traveling with her, I see many sides. She seems to have more kindness and consideration than I expected.
“Since I’ve learned, I should practice.”
—You don’t need to practice such poor skills. Just go eat.
‘I’m not a Demon Lord, so I need practice.’
—What are you saying?! Your mind is already that of a great Demon Lord! This King must learn from you too!
Raon’s eyes widened in genuine surprise.
“Is this praise or insult…?”
Raon sighed and placed the refining sword principle on the blade of the Heavenly Sky Sword.
‘Not just the sword, but also into aura…’
He imbued the refining sword principle into the flames blooming like mist from the blade. But the flames scattered before the weight could be properly applied.
‘It’s not easy.’
Imbuing the refining sword principle into the spreading aura, as Sheryl had called true heavy sword, was extremely difficult.
‘It’ll be fun.’
A smile formed. It was hard and difficult, but the anticipation of how his heavy sword would change after achieving it brought joy.
‘And…’
Sword Realm Manifestation.
Although he had not deliberately thought about it because it was too distant, Sheryl’s words made the name appear in his mind.
“So it’s possible…?”
He struck down, loading the refining sword principle fully onto the silver blade.
Kwaaah!
Unlike before, weight was applied to the right-side aura, blackening the right side of the ground and exploding outward.
“Master.”
Raon smiled and raised the Heavenly Sky Sword above his head again.
Wherever it was.
***
When Raon returned after training, the tent was complete and the meal preparation was finished, filling the camping ground with the aroma of drool-worthy food.
—The scent is good. Today’s meat must be duck. Roasted duck with butter is always delicious.
Hearing Raon’s murmur as he smelled the food, Encia headed toward the carriage where she was.
A small bonfire burned in front of the carriage, and Encia, Runaan, Dorian, and Crain sat in a circle.
“Um, Encia-nim?”
Dorian tossed a log into the fire and waved at Encia.
“I heard you have an excellent aesthetic sense. Is that true?”
“It’s not that great. Just a little better than others.”
Encia smiled lightly, as if it were nothing special.
“Then can you look at my face too? How is my face?”
Dorian pointed at his own face with his finger.
“Hmm.”
Encia narrowed her eyes and examined Dorian’s face from all angles, then nodded.
“You look cute.”
“C-cute? No, how about handsome…?”
“You seem kind.”
She comforted Dorian with the usual words when she had nothing to praise about appearance.
“No, not kind. There’s something else! It’s for the Vice Captain!”
“You suit the clothes well.”
She smiled brightly without saying he was handsome. She seemed to have a personality that could never tell a lie.
“I’ll look too.”
Crain brushed his bangs covering his left eye and stood in front of Encia. His voice cracked, as if he desperately wanted to hear that he was handsome.
“You won’t be disappointed no matter where you go with your face…”
“You look cool.”
“I’m asking if you’re handsome…?”
“You have good atmosphere.”
Encia laughed brightly again, saying words Crain did not want to hear.
“Then what about Raon-nim’s face…”
“Shut up! You’re ridiculously handsome!”
Encia raised her voice, looking behind her at Raon who had been watching.
“His hair, skin, and nose bridge are all insane…”
“I also heard people say I’m handsome…”
“You’re incomparable!”
She seemed to be angry at why he was asking.
“Dorian.”
“Huh.”
Crain called Dorian, who slowly stood up after nodding.
“Die.”
“Huh.”
Both closed their eyes and nodded with a moaning sound as if crying.
“What’s so important about the face…”
Raon clicked his tongue at the two.
“Kuhk!”
“It’s too much!”
Dorian and Crain wiped their eyes with their sleeves and ran into the forest.
—You really suit being a Demon Lord.
***
The journey had been smooth.
The road was well maintained, there were no monsters or bandit groups, and Encia had held up well, so they would likely reach Retran earlier than scheduled.
“When we cross this forest, we’ll reach Retran immediately. We’ll move without rest, so eat well and stay alert!”
Sheryl pointed at the lush Creun Forest filled with broadleaf trees and animal fur. Passing through this forest would be the fastest way to Retran, as it would take three more days to return.
“Advance!”
After confirming everyone was ready, she led the way into the Creun Forest.
“Advance!”
Raon and the swordsmen followed Sheryl’s commands in unison. They opened their senses and advanced along the forest path, but nothing unusual was felt.
‘Still nothing coming?’
They had expected an ambush here, as it was the best place for the Roberts to strike, but they only sensed animals and monsters.
‘With his personality, he should definitely come.’
“Vice Captain.”
When Temus was trying to predict what Dorian was thinking, he approached from the side.
“I heard there’s been fighting in Retran for several months. What exactly are they fighting about?”
The boy scratched his cheek, now curious about the war. Other swordsmen glanced over with interest.
“You’re mistaken. Wars don’t start for big reasons.”
“Really? Then what?”
“Most of the time, they’re very trivial. Retran is the same.”
Raon spoke not only to Dorian but to the other swordsmen.
“The families fighting in Retran are the Basin and Trian families. Their reason for fighting is…”
“W-what is it?”
“One child.”
“A child?”
“A child?”
It was certain because he had heard from Judiel and from Dembel City. The reason for war in Retran was simple. Both sides fought over a boy with prodigious talent, and the conflict escalated into war.
“I-is that possible? A war over one child…?”
“At first it was just one child, but the two families are dividing Retran. It started as a pride battle and turned into war.”
“Then what happened to the child?”
“He probably doesn’t care anymore. They’re fighting over pride.”
Wars of this kind were very common on the continent. In his previous life, wars had started over small pieces of land or even insignificant objects.
“The Saint must be suffering.”
“That’s likely…”
Raon nodded, then narrowed his eyes.
Huuuung!
The moment they entered the area where the broadleaf trees’ leaves had darkened, the air became cool and very faint presences were detected.
‘He came after all.’
They had worried he might have given up because it was too peaceful, but no. Temus had not disappointed expectations. He had come in advance, set up formations, and prepared assassins.
Sheryl and Econ’s gazes had grown heavy, as if they had known this situation. They seemed to want to use the Light Wind Squad’s training for this.
Kugugugu.
As Encia’s carriage passed a large hole in a plane tree, the presences covering the entire forest moved simultaneously.
“Enemy!”
“Battle preparation!”
As soon as Sheryl and Econ issued orders, the Heavenly Sword Squad spread out and formed a defensive line.
“Light Wind Squad, deploy scout formation and fall back behind the carriage!”
“Understood!”
After Berren assessed the situation and moved the swordsmen behind the carriage, he deployed the sword formation.
“If we move as instructed, no one will die!”
Raon raised the tension of the Light Wind Squad and turned his head.
Chiiing!
Looking at the forest twisting like caught in a whirlpool because of the formation, he smiled leisurely.
“You waited a long time?”
I waited for you as you waited for me.
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