Chapter 47
Chapter 47
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 47
Chapter Title: Brudette
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Do-yoon muttered as he examined the label on the wine bottle in his hand.
"...This is ridiculous."
"Ahaha...! Haha!"
Eloa clutched her stomach and burst into laughter upon seeing Do-yoon's face.
"What do you think?"
"You've gotten mischievous in the time I haven't seen you, Brudette."
"People change as they age."
Do-yoon reread the wine label with a truly enigmatic expression.
"Războinic Edition, huh..."
A crystal bottle that let the luscious purple contents shine through transparently. Etched into the bottle in exquisite pure gold lettering were the words Războinic Edition.
The vintage year was 130 years ago—the year Enoch Războinic was born.
"You're really selling this with a premium slapped on it?"
"Handle it with care. If you put that up at auction, it'd fetch at least 500 gold coins."
"...Are you sane? 500 gold coins for one bottle of wine?"
"It's not just the Războinic Edition premium. The wine itself is truly exceptional."
"...Well, I'll drink it with gratitude, then."
"What a sight. Războinic drinking the Războinic Edition..."
"Kuh, keuk, kahaha...!"
As Do-yoon shot Brudette a complicated look, Eloa finally collapsed in hysterics, roaring with laughter.
They passed the wine glasses around and shared stories. Do-yoon recounted his reincarnation to Brudette, just as he had with Eloa, and in turn heard Brudette's tales from the past century.
And Do-yoon asked the question that had long puzzled him.
"Just what the hell happened with your lifespan?"
Despite a hundred years passing, Brudette was only slightly aged and perfectly hale.
He was human. This should have been utterly impossible.
He swirled the wine in his mouth, swallowed, and spoke.
"I don't know."
"...Huh?"
"I really don't. One day while walking, a system message appeared saying I'd received the blessing of a long-lived species. I stopped aging from that point on. I have no idea what caused it."
Do-yoon confirmed through his seventh sense that the man wasn't lying.
Really? Did that even make sense?
"...It's enough to make ghosts weep."
"Yes. Truly, enough to make ghosts weep."
Brudette gave an awkward smile.
But soon, he gazed wistfully down at the purple liquor, swirling his glass as he spoke.
"That's why I think... maybe it really was a ghost's doing."
"A ghost?"
"Maybe my father, watching over me from the afterlife."
"Hm..."
Do-yoon nodded silently.
'Not a bad interpretation.'
The thought of a departed friend stirred an unexpected wistfulness in Do-yoon, and he twirled his wine glass idly.
It was unknowable, and there was nothing more to uncover. Nor was it worth clinging to.
"Well, if that's the case, then good."
Do-yoon decided to think of it positively.
The conversation flowed onward and eventually reached the gallery.
"Right. You still haven't opened the gallery doors."
"...Yes. Embarrassingly, that's correct."
Brudette's face flushed slightly from the alcohol as he smiled sheepishly.
"Nothing to be embarrassed about. Your father was the one called the Sword Emperor, after all. Surpassing him is no easy feat."
"Haha..."
"Want to take a look? I can open it for you."
"Pardon? You can open it?"
At his words, Do-yoon—equally warmed by the wine—grinned and swirled his glass.
"What, you think I can't?"
"Ah... no. On second thought, of course you can."
Brudette was struck anew by who this man before him truly was.
Though overshadowed by the title of Great Hero, the strongest swordsman of the heroic era a century ago had been not his father, but Enoch Războinic.
His father had said it endlessly: the Buske Style was based on the Războinic Style, and in terms of sword enlightenment, he couldn't even touch Enoch's toes.
In truth, this was only natural. Though Brudette didn't know it, Enoch's Războinic Style incorporated even the Buske Style swordsmanship he'd encountered before the 18th cycle.
By the time 18th-cycle Enoch met Buske, his own Buske Style had already far surpassed the original.
The Războinic Style was the ultimate distillation of experience—a fusion of only the finest elements from the Buske Style and countless other geniuses' martial arts that Enoch had encountered.
Moreover, midway through, Enoch had revealed the secret of his regressions to Buske. From then on, in every cycle, Buske passed everything he had to Enoch, and together they endlessly researched, refined, and perfected the Războinic Style.
Buske's lifespan was finite. But Enoch lived countless lives, effectively immortal. Buske would end someday, but Enoch's swordsmanship and research would not. Buske had recognized this.
To Buske, aiding Enoch was part of perfecting the sword. It was the way of the blade.
A genius who set aside everything in life to pursue only the sword's completion.
That was the man called the Sword Emperor, Buske.
And it was this Sword Emperor who acknowledged Enoch's superiority and provided the decisive spark for perfecting the Buske Style—the very creator of the Manifest Sword, standing before Brudette now as Enoch Războinic.
As the mood ripened, Do-yoon turned his head awkwardly and spoke.
"Well... while we're sightseeing, it'd be great if you let me pick one sword."
"Of course! Uncle, feel free to take whichever you like without a second thought."
"Ahem, ahem. Well, since you say that, I'm grateful. Getting fine liquor and now swords too... I feel ashamed; I'll have to teach you the sword diligently to make up for it."
"Haha, no need. If you think that way, Uncle, then I'm the one who feels sorry. Don't worry. And..."
Do-yoon looked at Brudette as his words trailed off.
"Father said that if he died in war, I should give you two swords from the collection."
"Huh? That guy said that?"
"Yes. Apparently, it was from a bet..."
Ah.
Do-yoon recalled the bet he'd made with Buske long ago, in front of his treasure vault.
'Ten years. Bet I open this door in ten years.'
'No chance. Even a genius like you—I've died to the Demon King chasing this enlightenment. It'll take me thirty years.'
.
.
.
'Fine. If I win, I take three from your collection.'
'...Two.'
'Deal.'
...Buske, you even accounted for this.
"...The bet was a draw."
"Pardon?"
"So I'll take just one."
Brudette started to say something but closed his mouth.
He could read the longing for a friend in Do-yoon's eyes as he sipped his wine, lids lowered.
"...Yes. As you wish."
Do-yoon swallowed and spoke.
"Shall we go now?"
"I'm ready whenever you are."
Do-yoon nodded, and Eloa, who'd been listening, chimed in.
"Me too! I wanna go!"
"Sure. Finish this glass and we'll head out together."
"Can we bring Sophie too? It's the Sword Emperor's gallery, after all—I'd like her to see it. Gotta convince her why I'm worthy of receiving a sword."
"Yes, no issue. I'll have the head maid fetch them."
"Thanks."
The three slowly emptied their glasses, and soon Brudette rang a bell to summon the head maid.
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The group descended a spiral staircase lit by flickering glowstones.
They'd already circulated their mana to dispel the alcohol's effects. With magical processing besides, even Sophie noticed nothing.
"Wow... The Sword Emperor's gallery, straight out of class lectures. I'm so excited...!"
"Haha. The interior is quite spartan, so don't expect too much."
As the air grew stale, Brudette asked Sophie,
"Does Apostle Sophie know about the gallery's lock?"
"No, is it special?"
"Yes. It operates in a rather unique way, which makes it terribly impractical—now used only for ceremonies or show."
Brudette stopped there. He didn't mention that only two people on the continent could open the gallery's lock, or that the door hadn't opened even once in a hundred years.
Soon, a sizable chamber appeared.
"We're here."
A modest stone door, slightly larger than a person, came into view.
"This is... the lock?"
"Yes. The small slit in the center. That's the keyhole."
"It doesn't look special at all..."
Shing—
Brudette drew the sword at his waist. Sophie glanced at him in surprise at the sudden draw.
"This lock opens when you infuse it with sword aura."
"Pardon? Sword aura?"
Brudette smiled mildly.
In truth, it wasn't just any sword aura.
It required sword aura purer and stronger than what had been used to set it initially.
And this wasn't solved by brute-forcing mana—it was a matter of enlightenment, of swordsmanship realm.
Hence its poor practicality. Sword aura users were rare, but the continent was vast. If you sought someone stronger than the lock's owner, you'd find them.
Except for two. The Sword Emperor Buske and Great Hero Războinic's locks were different. They boasted security stronger than any on the continent.
No key stronger than theirs could exist.
"Apostle Han Do-yoon said he'd like to open it himself."
"Yes, please."
Brudette handed the sword to Do-yoon with a straight face.
Sophie looked puzzled.
"Huh? But Do-yoon can't produce sword aura yet..."
In that instant.
Whoosh—
"...Huh?"
Sophie fell silent. No, her mouth hung open.
She beheld radiant golden sword aura blooming from Do-yoon's blade. And she was stunned.
'As expected...'
Brudette and Eloa inwardly marveled at the sight. Truly, sword aura so pure and brilliant they couldn't even imitate it.
Then, a thud came from behind Do-yoon—someone collapsing.
"Huh?"
Brudette, Do-yoon, and Eloa turned.
Sophie had slumped to the floor, legs giving out, staring wide-eyed at Do-yoon's sword aura.
Her mouth worked in disbelief.
"H-How... sword aura already...?"
Eloa realized her mistake and sent a telepathic message to Brudette and Do-yoon.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙
[Ah... shoot. I forgot.]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Forgot what?]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Sword aura requires Swordsmanship skill level 4 to generate...]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Huh? What do you mean?]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Meaning, the 'Sword Aura' skill only unlocks at that point, letting the System help generate it.]
Brudette looked troubled upon hearing it.
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Oh no. To the world, Uncle just graduated from the Cradle.]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[Exactly...]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[...Am I that abnormal? Normally, how long for a cadet to reach Swordsmanship level 4?]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
>
> [At the very least, it takes three years.]
⚙ TELEPATHY ⚙
[...]
Doyoon was speechless after hearing their explanation.
It was the first time he'd heard of this.
It seemed like it came from a class between the first and second weeks that Doyoon often missed.
'...I guess there's nothing we can do.'
She'd be surprised often in the future.
Every time, he'd have to use his genius to cover it up.
Doyoon walked towards the door, leaving her still speechless.
Then, he thrust a shining golden sword through the crack in the door.
Kukukukukukukung...
>The Sword Emperor's sword collection gallery, which had been tightly shut for 100 years, began to reveal itself.