Chapter 1: The World’s Strongest Swordsmanship

If a protagonist becomes obsessed with a certain skill, the trigger is usually something dramatic.

Perhaps they were saved by someone who used that skill when they were in danger.

Or maybe their family had been researching the skill for generations, so it came naturally to them.

It could also be that someone they respected used the skill, and so on.

There are many possible triggers.

In my case, it would have been nice if that were true, but I was simply impressed by an anime character using Baldo.

Sheathing the sword, drawing it, and cutting.

It was just a simple action, yet the static image somehow made my heart race.

The contradictory nature of the scene, both calm like a lakeside and intense like a waterfall, captivated me.

After watching that anime, I consumed anything featuring Baldo, whether it was manga, anime, movies, dramas, or novels.

The more I learned about the Baldo, the more I became fascinated by it.

In the end, just watching it wasn’t enough, so I decided to learn the actual technique in real life.

The first thing that came to mind was a nearby kendo dojo.

Most kendo dojos didn’t teach Baldo, claiming they were too Japanese, but some did.

A branch of a famous Japanese swordsmanship school in Korea.

Fortunately, I wasn’t the only Korean captivated by the technique, and I could learn authentic Baldo without going to Japan.

However…

‘No, member! That’s not how you do Baldo!’

‘What? What do you mean?’

‘I’ve told you many times, Baldo is fundamentally for surprise attacks. Why do you draw the sword and then put it back in the sheath?’

‘Why? Because you can swing it faster that way, can’t you?’

‘No, that’s not how it works! Drawing it from the sheath and swinging it is stronger!’

Why didn’t we understand each other, even though we spoke the same language?

Thinking about that day made my chest feel tight, as if something was blocking my breath.

After a few months, I left the dojo and looked for another, but no one understood my explanation.

Was it because they were all from the arts? If they had studied sciences like me, they might have understood.

Despairing at the harsh reality that couldn’t accept Baldo, I returned to my fantasies.

I searched for and found works related to Baldo and eventually arrived at the Royal Academy’s Sword Saint.

This novel, about a protagonist born into the Sword Saint family who grew into a hero at the academy, was famous for its high level of accuracy.

Moreover, the protagonist was a master of all weapons, not just swords.

Naturally, katana was included, raising my expectations even higher.

However, in the much-anticipated chapter 32 where a katana first appeared…

[Do you not use Baldo?]

[Baldo? Oh, you mean the assassins’ sneaky technique? I would never use such a cowardly method to ambush an unsuspecting opponent.]

‘What, what?! This, this damn bastard…!!’

I shouted aloud in anger at those words, which seemed to challenge the 50 million Baldo association members nationwide.

Sure, Baldo, a potential form of swordsmanship, could be used for assassination, but that wasn’t all there was to it.

Normally, I would have said I would tear the author’s parents apart with Baldo, but I had not only trained my body but also my mind, so I didn’t resort to the petty act of cursing in the comments.

Baldojae: Author… I’m an avid reader of your work. I understand that everyone can make mistakes, so I wasn’t going to point them out, but this time you’ve crossed the line.

While Baldo can be used for assassination, their main purpose is a fatal counterattack. Please correct this part.

┗Swordmaster: Excuse me? A fatal what?

┗Baldojae: A fatal counterattack. The technique uses the friction from drawing the sword from the sheath to instantly cut down an enemy. This is common knowledge, even children know it.

┗Swordmaster: I don’t know what you’re talking about, but that’s something you see in manga, not reality. I’ve tried it myself, and it doesn’t work that way.

What the hell does this crazy guy mean by saying he tried it himself?

Did this madman think he was a real knight just because he wrote a novel about them?

That day’s conversation ended there, but I continued to leave comments until the series concluded, hoping to enlighten this ignorant non-user of Baldo.

Baldojae: Author, I enjoyed today’s chapter. But I see you still haven’t corrected chapter 32.

Baldojae: Author, the scene where the protagonist uses the katana was excellent today. But why don’t they use Baldo?

Baldojae: Author… don’t you hear the protagonist’s katana crying? It’s crying out to use Baldo.

Baldojae: Author, if you correct chapter 32, I’ll donate twice the amount of the combined top 10 donation rankings.

The chapters piled up, surpassing 50, 100, 200, and finally reaching the conclusion at 653 chapters.

Baldojae: Thank you for your hard work until the end. However, I still hope you will correct the inaccuracies regarding baldo described in chapter 32.

It’s common knowledge that the friction created during the draw converts to kinetic energy, resulting in greater speed and power compared to a regular swing. For your honor, I sincerely hope you will revise the description in chapter 32.

┗Swordmaster: Ha… I don’t even have the energy for this bullsh*t anymore. If this Baldo is so great, why don’t you try it yourself?

With that problematic comment, I lost consciousness. And when I woke up….

“Wah!!”

I was a baby.

It took me less than 10 seconds to figure out what was going on.

[Baldo] [Grade: F]

[A technique that involves drawing the sword from its sheath to strike the enemy in an instant. Simply swinging the sword without drawing is faster and stronger.]

Only a fool wouldn’t notice something was wrong when such an incorrect and rude description was in front of their eyes.

Reincarnated with the strongest skill, Baldo, my new name was Ian Barthow.

My title was baronet, a pitiful noble rank barely scraping the bottom, but it didn’t matter.

With the strongest swordsmanship technique, I could go anywhere.

After reincarnation, I was filled with dreams of mastering Baldo, a feat I couldn’t achieve in my previous life due to physical limitations.

Unfortunately, as a baby, I couldn’t even hold my own head up, let alone use Baldo.

So, I had to content myself with imagination until my body grew strong enough.

Thus began my hellish days.

Despite having the strongest skill, Baldo, I couldn’t use it!

All I could do was imagine myself using the technique.

While sucking on my mother’s milk or soiling my diaper, I constantly thought about Baldo, training my mind.

And as the years passed, when I turned five…

“Father! I want a sword!”

As soon as I could control my body, I asked my father for a sword.

“What?!”

My father’s initial shock quickly turned to joy at my interest in swords.

“Alright, Ian! That’s what it means to be a man! I’ll give you the one I used when I was young….”

“No! I want a specific sword!”

“Oh? Which one?”

“Yes! I want a katana, an Eastern weapon!”

“Katana? How do you even know about such a weapon…?”

My father looked surprised when I mentioned the name of the strongest weapon most suitable for Baldo.

It made sense; hearing such a fearsome weapon’s name from a five-year-old child would naturally be shocking.

“Well… it’s not a bad weapon, I guess. Alright, I’ll get it for you soon!”

“Yes!!”

A few days later, my father kept his promise and brought me two katanas.

With the katana in my hand, I constantly trained in Baldo, even in my sleep.

On a sunny spring day, with the warm spring breeze, I drew my sword.

“Baldoooooooo!!!”

In the scorching summer, under the blazing sun, I drew my sword.

“Haa… Haa… Ba, Baldoooooooo!!!”

In the fall, as the leaves turned red and the joy of harvest filled the air, I drew my sword while eating sweet potatoes.

“Chomp chomp… Baldoooooooo!!!”

In the harsh winter, as everything turned white and fell asleep, I drew my sword, enduring the bitter cold.

“Ba, Ba-Baldoooooo…!!”

I always thought only of sword-drawing, even when I was sick or when my father passed away, never missing a day of drawing my sword.

As a result…

“Baldo.”

The sword, drawn from its sheath in a flash, cut down a large tree with a deafening roar and shockwave.

[Baldo] [Grade: B++]

[A technique that involves drawing the sword from its sheath to strike the enemy in an instant. What made you like this?]

After 15 years of training, my sword-drawing surpassed the speed of sound, tearing through the air.