LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 6
Chapter 6: Growth Period
Kaladan Principality.
Kalambren Palace, the 7th Training Ground.
“One!”
“One!”
“Two!”
“Two!”
Once again, the sound of wooden swords slicing through the air and loud shouts echoed without fail today.
“Alright, next move! One!”
“One!”
Instructor Hans continued to guide the swordsmanship practice, and Harang followed without complaint. Although he had already become familiar with the Kaladan swordsmanship, breaking down and practicing each move wasn’t without its benefits.
Meanwhile, he couldn’t stop thinking about the new technique he had acquired.
‘Aside from physical limitations, the problem is that I can’t use it more than twice a day because I lack mana. Is there any way to obtain more mana?’
If anyone heard him, they might laugh. A mere seven-year-old worrying about handling mana?
‘Some of the skills I used in my previous life would be helpful right now.’
While he was lost in such thoughts, a loud noise came from the side.
“Ooh!”
“Master Gidron! You did it!”
Curious about the commotion, Harang turned his head to see Karik’s second son, with a joyful expression, holding out a wooden sword that emitted a white light.
“You’ve finally unleashed sword energy!”
“Congratulations, Second Young Master. You’ve become a 1-star swordsman.”
A 1-star swordsman!
As soon as he heard that, Harang grabbed a nearby trainee and asked.
“Is that really such a big deal?”
“Yes? Of course, it is. Even if you train diligently from the age of seven, it usually takes at least until you’re thirteen or fourteen to unleash sword energy. Geniuses do it at ten or eleven! Master Gidron is a genius!”
Since Gidron was currently eleven, it seemed the term ‘genius’ was not misplaced.
A few days later.
That was until ten-year-old Taron unleashed sword energy.
“Ooh…!”
“Master Taron has also become a 1-star swordsman!”
“Amazing!”
“Haha!”
It was only then that Harang fully understood that the 1-star level signified a swordsman who could emit sword energy for a single moment during swordsmanship practice.
Taron, with an excited expression, ran to Gidron and said.
“Brother! I can use sword energy just like you now!”
“Oh, uh… congratulations. As expected of my brother.”
Although Gidron congratulated him, his expression was not good.
Taron knew it too.
‘I achieved 1-star in three years, whereas my brother took four years. I’m better,’ the ten-year-old boy already knew this fact.
“Is this the so-called bloodline of a swordsmanship family?”
“Amazing. I’m twelve and still can’t use sword energy.”
“Master is a genius!”
Most members of the swordsmanship family were geniuses, and only those who were exceptionally outstanding were recognized as true geniuses.
In fact, calling Taron a genius was ambiguous. The Kaladan family was mostly composed of geniuses or better. Taron was just slightly above average within the family, no more than that.
Receiving congratulations and feeling proud, Taron looked around and spotted Harang, then walked over confidently.
The confidence in his expression was due to his assurance in his abilities.
“Hey, bastard. Didn’t you say you wanted to know what the Kaladan swordsmanship feels like?”
“Did I?”
Harang had no memory of it.
“You argued with the instructor! Said you didn’t get something! Well, since you just started learning swordsmanship, you wouldn’t have any idea.”
He wasn’t wrong. Harang had been learning Kaladan swordsmanship for less than a week, so just barely following the moves and being praised for it was normal.
Taron, grinning, pointed his wooden sword at Harang.
“There’s no better training than sparring with someone stronger. I’ll teach you a thing or two, so grab your wooden sword.”
Seeing Taron arrogantly quoting the instructor as if it were his own words made Harang speechless.
At that moment, a message appeared in the air.
* * *
━━━[Sub Quest]━━━
First Duel, Honorable Victory
Content: Although young, weak, and inexperienced in swordsmanship, you have received a duel challenge as a knight. As a descendant of a hero, you cannot refuse!
Objective: Win the duel
Reward: Proof of the Silver Dragon Contractor
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
* * *
‘Ooh, a quest.’
He had no intention of refusing in the first place, but with a reward, there was even less reason to decline the duel.
‘I don’t know what the Proof of the Contractor is, but it can’t be bad to receive it.’
Harang smiled gently.
“Alright, fine.”
He gripped the wooden sword.
“Learning from a master is the greatest gift for a novice.”
* * *
“Did Master Taron become a 1-star swordsman?”
Since today was the day the knight order returned from their mission, Phillion hadn’t been paying much attention to the training ground.
However, when the instructor rushed in to report the interesting news, the post-mission procedures of the knights took a slight backseat.
“Uh… can we submit our reports later?”
The perceptive knights brushed off the dirt from their armor and asked, to which Phillion shook his head.
“No. Report to the vice-commander. I’ll go to the training ground briefly. You can rest until then. Training is canceled until tomorrow.”
“Yes, sir!”
Heading quickly to the 7th Training Ground, Phillion found the trainees forming a circle around two young masters standing in the octagonal arena.
“Sir Phillion has come to watch.”
“Really? That must be so much pressure…”
The trainees murmured with tense expressions at Phillion’s appearance.
The instructor, standing at the entrance of the arena to stop the match if necessary, spoke to the young masters who were warming up.
“Once one falls, no further attacks are allowed. You know it’s dishonorable to attack a fallen opponent during a duel, right?”
“Of course. I know.”
Taron replied confidently and snorted. He seemed eager to start the duel.
Harang felt the same way.
Up until now, he had only swung at the air or wooden dummies. This was his first proper duel.
“Then… take your positions.”
While holding their swords vertically to their faces in the ceremonial salute.
Each boy had different thoughts.
‘How should I taunt him after I knock him down to relieve this stress? Hehe.’
Children under seven were never to be touched. That was a strict rule of Kaladan.
But now that Harang had started learning swordsmanship, there was no problem beating him up.
Taron hated seeing the arrogant bastard strut around the training ground after learning some swordsmanship. He planned to establish a clear hierarchy this time.
On the other hand, as Harang watched Taron take the ceremonial salute…
‘There are about forty possible scenarios.’
He began to imagine the actions Taron could take.
It was a sort of simulation.
‘I don’t think I’ll lose to a child, but the time I’ve spent learning swordsmanship is absurdly short. Taron might be more skilled.’
Recalling Taron’s usual movements, he contrasted them with the real Taron in front of him.
In his mind, the imaginary Taron took the first form of Kaladan swordsmanship immediately after the ceremonial salute and used an overhead slash like a shooting star.
‘Can I block it?’
In his imagination, Harang brought up his sword to meet the attack.
‘Clang-!!’
The imaginary Taron and Harang’s wooden swords clashed, but Harang didn’t budge.
The imaginary Taron was surprised.
He didn’t expect Harang to be this strong.
‘I can win if I push through with strength.’
Here, the simulation split into two variables.
First scenario, judgment.
Taron quickly realized his strength was inferior and retreated to prepare for the next move.
Second scenario, personality.
Taron, thinking he couldn’t possibly lose in a strength contest to someone three years younger, gritted his teeth and pushed harder.
Harang didn’t just consider one possibility but assumed all scenarios could happen, running through the simulations.
The two possibilities branched into four, then eight, then sixteen, and over forty scenarios.
“Both swordsmen, complete the salute.”
The time taken to finish these simulations was a mere ten seconds.
During that brief moment of saluting, he analyzed Taron’s movements to gauge his abilities.
“Begin the duel!”
As soon as the instructor shouted, Harang naturally lifted his wooden sword to the left, taking a defensive stance.
On the other hand, Taron rushed at him like the imagined Taron, swinging his sword widely to the right.
Thud-!!
When Taron’s sword, swung with fearsome momentum, was blocked by Harang’s wooden sword, the trainees gasped in amazement.
“Huh?”
“Young Master Harang is stronger than I thought.”
“His reaction speed is fast too…”
While the trainees were busy making such observations, Phillion noticed something different about Harang and his eyes gleamed.
‘Before Young Master Taron even lunged, Young Master Harang had already positioned his wooden sword to block the attack.’
It was as if he could predict the future.
“Ugh…!”
Taron, surprised by Harang’s unexpected strength, continued their struggle, trying to overpower him.
‘His strength is weaker than I thought.’
With that judgment, Harang pushed Taron back with more force.
Thump! Pushed backward, Taron stumbled and nearly lost his balance, while Harang seized the opportunity and thrust his sword.
His strike was none other than a stab.
“Whoa?!”
Thunk! As the wooden sword struck his chest guard, Taron fell backward, gasping for breath.
“Ugh, cough…!”
One must never attack a fallen opponent.
After finishing his thrust, Harang stood in proper stance, gripping his wooden sword with both hands, waiting for Taron to get up.
“Already…?”
The first form had very little doctrine about stabbing. At most, he might have learned a bit from the Mankeul Swordsmanship, but to execute it so precisely was astonishing.
“His thrust was quite clean and precise. Instructor Hans, did you teach him?”
“What? Ah, no. Other than the Mankeul Swordsmanship and Kaladan Swordsmanship’s first form…”
If that was the case, it meant that Harang had mastered the thrust entirely on his own.
“Tsk, I let my guard down for a moment and he took advantage of it.”
Taron, tears welling up from the pain of the wooden sword’s impact on his chest, got back on his feet and assumed his stance again.
“I won’t go easy anymore!”
Taron yelled as he charged.
Though he was a child, being a first-star swordsman, his mana-infused movements carried substantial weight, strong enough to knock out an adult if hit improperly, and he aimed a powerful strike at Harang’s shoulder.
It was the same move as before, but this time Harang didn’t respond the same way.
He raised his wooden sword at an angle, deflecting Taron’s blow and sliding his sword down Taron’s, striking his shoulder instead.
Smack!
“Ugh!”
Despite the impact on his shoulder, Taron gritted his teeth and swung his sword again.
Whoosh!
His sword, cutting through the air fiercely, clearly incorporated Kaladan’s unique doctrines.
It stung like a bee, moved slowly like a butterfly, and swirled like the wind.
Thwack! Thud! Whack!
Although Taron was the one taking damage, the more they fought, the more Taron began to display his swordsmanship, and the instructor could foresee the outcome.
‘I don’t know how Young Master Harang managed to gain the upper hand against Young Master Taron, who has learned swordsmanship… But once the sword energy is released, it’s over.’
A sword imbued with sword energy couldn’t be blocked by an ordinary wooden sword. The moment the sword energy was released, he intended to halt the match, declaring Harang’s defeat.
“Don’t intervene.”
“What? But if he strikes with sword energy, it’ll be dangerous.”
“Do I need to repeat myself?”
“…Sorry.”
The instructor trembled at Phillion’s command, given without even looking at him.
By now, the duel was reaching its climax. Despite being severely battered by Harang, Taron, with remarkable concentration, began to perfectly execute Kaladan Swordsmanship’s first form.
‘Charge and slash, spin and retreat, then slash upward from below!’
Harang, having memorized all these moves, did not get hit even once, yet Taron remained undeterred.
‘Finally, retreat and then slash down hard from above…!’
In the final move, he knew his sword would glow, smashing that arrogant face!
Flash!
Sword energy surged from Taron’s wooden sword. With sword energy imbued, his strike aimed at Harang’s head descended with a speed unlike anything before.
Kaladan Swordsmanship First Form
Speed Butterfly Sword
Fly like a butterfly, strike swiftly.
“It’s over!”
Taron, filled with exhilaration, bared his teeth as he swung his wooden sword.
Clang-!!
A sound like glass shattering against glass echoed.
“…Huh?”
Taron couldn’t comprehend why his sword, now blocked by something, refused to move. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Who had blocked it?
Had the instructor intervened?
There were still five steps remaining to reach Harang.
Then why…?
No, it wasn’t that.
“Why, did you think only you could do it?”
[Kaladan Swordsmanship First Moon Form]
[Speed Butterfly Sword Moon Leopard]
The thing blocking his sword was none other than Harang’s wooden sword, also glowing with sword energy, just like his own.
“What?”
Taron made a foolish sound as he let go of his grip on the wooden sword. The sword energy dissipated as he lost his strength.
Harang didn’t miss the chance and struck Taron’s shoulder hard with his wooden sword.
Thwack!
Despite the sword energy, the special protective gear absorbed the impact, sending Taron flying backward with a powerful jolt.
With Taron sprawled on the ground and Harang standing tall, even as Harang’s sword energy faded, the crowd was enveloped in a tense silence, unable to speak.
In the face of such an unbelievable event, who could dare to speak?
Except for one person.
Clap! Clap!
Phillion Knight started clapping slowly, finally bringing the trainees back to their senses, who then followed with applause.
Clap, clap, clap, clap!
‘My legs feel like they’re about to break because of Crescent Moon Step… But hearing the applause makes me feel good.’
Harang loved the cheers and applause, often called an ‘attention seeker.’
It might be a habit from his pro-gamer days.
[Quest Complete!]
[You have bravely accepted a duel against a much stronger opponent and claimed your first victory!]
[As proof of the Silver Dragon Contractor, a ‘Silver Heart’ has formed in your dantian.]
[Agility increased by 3 points!]
[Strength increased by 2 points!]
While Harang was checking the system messages, the trainees were engaged in rapid conversations amongst themselves.
“Did you see that?”
“Young Master Harang has only been learning swordsmanship for a week.”
“But he already produced sword energy…?”
“How is that possible?”
Even Instructor Hans was at a loss for words, while Phillion watched Harang, standing unscathed in the arena.
‘A dragon has emerged from Kaladan…’
Harang’s overwhelming talent was so evident that he didn’t even feel the desire to take him as his disciple.
How could one cage a dragon?
‘Just as the Knight Commander said, he’ll likely step forward in this year’s proving ceremony on his own.’
That child would bring a great wind to this world.
His heart raced like never before, witnessing the duel of two swordsmen, not yet ten years old.
While everyone applauded Harang, Phillion tightly gripped the sword at his waist and left the training ground.
The path of personal training, neglected for so long due to his dedication to the family, beckoned once again.