Chapter 95: My Life Isn’t a Life Full of Excuses (6)

All nations in the continent that had fought against Pendragon would have heard of the name Tristan.

Was it because of the hundred-man force that the Red Eagle had?

No.

Was it because the Tristan was a family with a long history that had lasted for hundreds of years?

Also no.

It was because…

-Fuck! How did those archers not miss any of their shots!?

Tristan’s archers—also known as reputable archers or divine archers, while also being called [Mystical Snipers] sometimes. Whenever they stood on the battlefield, the heads of the Tristan Family always accumulated military achievements that could easily overwhelm even the knights.

They always managed to kill the enemy’s commanding officers with their shots. None of them survived their arrows.

Even if they defended themselves with magic…

Or were accompanied by shield-bearers…

Or even if they tried to run far away from the battlefield…

No matter what it was that they were trying to do, as if mocking all their efforts, Tristan’s arrows would accurately pierce their heads in the end.

It was to the point that people started to say…

Every head of the Tristan Family has a [mystical ability]!

After all, no matter how much someone tried to learn archery, it was absolutely impossible to achieve such a divine level of archery without mystical ability. However, all heads of the Tristan Family who heard it would only laugh at such words.

-Mystical ability, huh? It’s possible to do it without such a thing, though?

Every head of Tristan always said the same thing: ‘As long as someone is trained systematically since childhood, developed their five senses to catch the sound of grass falling from afar, and shoot thousands or tens of thousands arrows a day, anyone could become as strong as me’.

Indeed. They believed that with ‘effort’ and ‘a little talent’, anyone could learn their technique that closely resembled a [mystical ability].

However…

-Well, even if I tell them that, no one could do it in the end, so they just won’t believe me.

They shrugged in resignation, saying that it was regrettable that no one believed them even though they only spoke the truth.

And yet…

…How is this even possible…?

Is this the feeling that everyone who has faced our bow feels?

Jenimia blinked as he watched the knight block the ‘bullet’ he had shot with his mystical— no, bizarre ability, and asked himself that question without realizing it.

“How did you do that?”

“I just did.”

“…That isn’t something someone could just do.”

The knight managed to block Jenimia’s blow with his teeth, or rather, with the strength of his jaws.

Seeing him accurately catching that bullet with merely his jaws was surprising enough, but then the knight continued…

“It is. You just need to put more effort until you can do it.”

“…”

Hearing the same words that he always told the others, a complicated feeling rose in Jenimia’s heart.

Fuck…! I actually caught it…!

Lee Han could feel his gums throb.

He had shown his courage in front of the marquis, but actually, he had no intention of blocking that bullet with his teeth. Originally, he wanted to either dodge or block it with his axe, but he missed the timing to do either, so he had no choice but to do that.

Silent Bow and Arrow.

An arrow that made no sound and only appeared when it was in the process of being shot.

He was lucky enough to block it because of his keen danger sense. If he hadn’t blocked it, he would have met a very miserable end.

Crazy… Why is every single one of the great nobles in this country a monster?

The archduke and duke he had met before were like that too. It turned out that the masters were even more terrifying than their knights. If someone were to pick a fight against them directly, it was clear that they would be the one who would be in trouble instead of those bunch.

Huuuu…!

Lee Han forcibly relaxed his muscles, not even bothering to cool down the cold sweat dripping down his back.

He just couldn’t afford to get his muscles turned even a little stiff. Because if they did…

Ppaang-!

Ppaaaaang-!

Ppaaaang-!!

He’d be unable to dodge the incoming attacks.

The marquis fired his bullets at him again.

“Try to dodge this one!”

“Don’t treat me like your test subject!”

Meanwhile the marquis was so thrilled right now. He was so amazed at Lee Han’s ability to block his bullets with his mouth that he pulled his bowstring without stopping. Every time he did, shots that even his eyes couldn’t keep up with poured out at Lee Han.

There was a saying about how one’s hands were faster than one’s eyes.

Right now, Lee Han was witnessing why such a saying existed.

That gentleman’s rapid fire rate was almost faster than a gun’s reload speed, even though his bow was bigger than the average height of a woman. From the way he handled such a bow as if it was a toy, it was clear that the man was no less powerful than him in terms of strength.

How the fuck did that slender body produce that much strength—?!

Ppaaaang-!

“!!?”

“Finally, I got you. Seriously, just how did you train your body? Normally, my shot would at least break the bones of my target. Am I getting old?”

“…No, you’re still healthy.”

Lee Han barely managed to activate his Vajra Body. If he hadn’t done it, like the gentleman said, his bones would have been cracked, and his skin would have been torn.

That was how scary the man in front of him was.

However, there was one good thing about all this.

I can react to it.

Though the man’s archery was close to divine skill, something that wasn’t inferior to mystical ability or magic, he was still able to react to it and dodge his shots.

After experiencing dozens of his attacks consecutively, at some point, he became able to either block, dodge, or deflect his shots. In other words, his reaction speed was gradually increasing.

With that in mind, he judged that this was the best time for him to launch his counter—

Halt-!

“How strange. Your body is already battered, yet you’re still able to react to my techniques. It seems like you have both extraordinary senses and skills. At my age, I could say that I had seen most mystical abilities or skills in this world, but seeing you…! Haha! I guess I still hadn’t seen enough of this world yet!”

“…”

But, Lee Han chose to take a step back instead of counterattacking and used this opportunity to catch his breath. He didn’t know the hows or whys, but he knew that if he were to get any closer, he would just die right there and then.

“Indeed, your sense is extraordinary. Haa… Which means, I shouldn’t be happy if I defeat you with such a trick, huh?”

“Can I ask you how many tricks you have left?”

“Unfortunately, this is all I have left. Which means, it’s time to get serious.”

“…”

Whoosh-!

At that moment, the flow—no, all the currents around the marquis gathered, as if they were concentrating on him. The air and wind moved into one point as if being sucked in, forming the eye of a small typhoon.

Bang-!

Fearing that he might be sucked in too, Lee Han stamped his feet on the ground with all his might and endured the flow that the marquis had created.

What the fuck?! Is he really human?!

He knew that he didn’t have the right to say those words, but after looking at the man in front of him, he couldn’t help but think so.

Gravitational force.

What the marquis was doing right now was generating gravitational force with his small body.

It wasn’t something that a normal human could perform. The fact that this wasn’t rooted from magic or mystical ability only added to the shock.

Only then did Lee Han realize.

This guy…! He’s one step short of becoming a superhuman!!

A superhuman, a disaster in human form.

[Aura User].

He was a person who had touched that realm.

The only reason why he hadn’t become a full-fledged [Aura User] was because he didn’t meet some of the conditions. Nevertheless, he was indeed someone who was on the verge of becoming a superhuman.

That was why Lee Han let out a wry smile. His whole body was already in shambles, while his physical strength could reach its limit at any moment. Even if he was in a normal condition, the marquis clearly wasn’t an opponent that he could easily win against, and yet he had to fight him in his current condition.

It’s hopeless.

Rushing into fighting him right now is no different from committing suicide…

Bang-!

“…”

“Hmm, whenever I unleashed this technique, people always showed me two kinds of reactions. Either begging for help or running away.”

“Those people are smart then. I want to run away too.”

“You said that, but you’re still standing in front of me instead of running away.”

“…Don’t say anything about it, I’m already regretting it.”

Lee Han quickly shook off the despair seeping into him by stomping his feet, and took an offensive stance.

Seeing his action, the marquis’ eyes lit up. He could see the fighting spirit in Lee Han’s eyes.

“You can admit defeat. Being terrified of the strong isn’t something shameful. Your survival is important above all else.”

“I know. After all, my life motto is to live a happy and long life.”

“If so, then why are you doing something like this?”

“…Because I don’t want to make any more excuses.”

“…”

Was it because he wasn’t feeling well?

Or was it because in front of him was a 50-year-old corpse, so he felt that could tell his story without any worry?

Lee Han expressed the feeling that had been building up inside him.

“I had already lived a life full of excuses. A life where I can’t do anything for myself. I kept telling myself that it’s how the world is, and that if I give up, I could live long enough to be happy. And so, I lived my life making all kinds of excuses.”

Wooong-!

“But, a new opportunity came to that loser self, and so, I promised myself to live a life without making excuses! A life without regrets!”

He wanted to quit the Knight Order right away and retire. Power, honor, and even being a knight mean nothing to him. He just wanted to live a comfortable life, maybe raising a cute puppy and a cat while he was at it.

Even if someone thought that he was stupid for wishing such a thing, all he really wanted was just to live a different life from his previous life.

Because…

To live cowardly while always making excuses to myself… Experiencing that kind of life once is enough!

He wanted to live a happy life, not a cowardly life. If he was going to repeat what he had done in his previous life—to keep running away—then, what was the point of his reincarnation?

“I didn’t train myself so that I could bow to others, to watch my people suffer, or to live a frustrating life!”

Lee Han shouted with all his might, reminding himself of his determination.

He wanted to live a happy life, but that didn’t mean he would live a cowardly life.

That was why he kept on fighting. Against the mages, against the thousand-year-old troll…

And now, against the marquis…

Then…

“I’m going to live a damn good life. Without having a single regret!”

Whoosh-!

At that moment, plum blossoms started to bloom.

They didn’t bloom just from his axe, but also from his spirit and the blood he shed. Blood Plum Blossoms. He unleashed everything to make the flower petals bloom.

And so, they bloomed.

The petals covered the sky overseeing the marquis’ mansion.

“…Indeed, you are truly strong! It’s been a long time since I’ve seen someone this strong!”

The marquis earnestly praised him. It was the first time in his life that he had praised someone else like this.

He wasn’t praising the beautiful plum blossoms, but rather the determination the man had expressed, as that alone was enough to elicit praise.

People always said they do their best, but was there anyone who truly tried to live each day of their life as if it were their whole life?

Even the ‘previous king’ didn’t live like that.

“One attack. If you manage to block this one attack, I will admit my defeat.”

“…”

“Don’t get me wrong, I’m not looking down on you. This is just how an archer fights.”

An archer’s battle is decided in one attack.

Baaaaang-!

The Marquis released his bowstring, letting a sound like the air was torn apart.

Craaaack-!

“Keuuuk!”

Lee Han swallowed a groan that was caused by the Marquis’s blow that seemed to tear his entire body apart.

A huge pressure that swallowed even the wind and sound came crashing down on him. The plum blossoms could only barely hold it back, even though they were already in full bloom. It wouldn’t be long until the attack broke through the petals’ defenses.

In front of such a huge flow that he couldn’t resist, Lee Han felt like a bug being crushed by a giant. He had an inkling that he would just instantly die if he were to touch that flow.

His stamina had already completely depleted as he continued to make the plum blossoms bloom, while his vision turned so blurry that he felt he could just lose his consciousness at any moment.

…Am I going to die?

Then, he thought about his own death.

Am I finally returning to death’s embrace…?

Is this…my limit…?

─No…

Not yet!

He had made a promise: To return before it was late.

A promise to return alive.

Because that innocent maid would wait for him until he came back.

And so…

I have to go back!

Whoosh-!

Rumble-!

Lee Han moved his body reflexively. He did the most natural movement that his body remembered.

Swish-!

He clenched his fist, then he slightly bent his waist, and put his left foot forward.

Hundred Steps Divine Fist?

No, he wasn’t going to unleash that technique.

This technique had a similar principle to that, but if he had to find the closest example to it…

-How the hell did you do that anyway?

-What? Anyone could do that as long as they could read the wind’s direction. Those magic freaks often use that.

-…Anyone could do it my ass. This is the first time I’ve even heard that someone can use magic without spells.

-The world of martial arts is neverending. As long as you keep on improving yourself, you’ll easily be able to do all the things that those spellcasters could do.

-Stop bullshitting me.

Ah…

He remembered.

Back when he had a duel with that man, back before he was appointed as an instructor, that man had shown a trick of using his sword to cut through the wind.

At the time, he wondered how he could do it…

He said that it didn’t require much strength…

From what he remembered, that man swung his sword with very light hand movements, but those light movements easily deflected the body slam he had unleashed.

And now, Lee Han was about to use that same technique.

Was it like this?

He was spent, and there was no stamina left in his body. However, he felt that he could imitate that man right now.

Whoosh-!

It was light but heavy, heavy but free and devout. Yes, it was like the compassionate fist of Buddha.

Arhat…

Lee Han thought that name would suit the technique well.

Paaaaat-!

Meanwhile, near a certain tree, a maid was dozing off, leaning against said tree. She could’ve just gone home and slept there instead, but she didn’t want to, so she just stayed silently in her place.

Squirrels and sparrows gathered around her. Deer and wolves also appeared, but for some reason, they didn’t run away or try to eat her, even though the latter was on the higher rank than her in the food chain.

All the animals just watched over the dozing maid.

It was a mysterious sight.

Like a scene from a fairy tale.

However, unlike in fairy tales, the one that the maid was waiting for wasn’t a prince who’d dress her in a luxurious dress or put a crown on her head.

Instead, the maid, Leila Winter, was waiting for…

Step-!

“…Sorry. I was late.”

“…Hehe, welcome back, Sir.”

A rough, yet at the same time, warm man who knew how to keep his promises.

Leila Winter greeted the man with a bright smile, as if she had never fallen asleep in the first place.

The man looked like a mess, there were bandages wrapped all around his body.

To him who had done his best today, Leila…

“Thank you for your hard work, Sir.”

“…”

Just smiled and hugged him. As always.

“…I’m dirty.”

“I can just wash up afterwards.”

“…Is that so?”

The man let out a bitter smile, while the maid replied with her own smile that reached her eyes.

As if she was glad that he had kept his promise.

Whoosh-!

“What a man…”

As the dawnbreak approached, Jenimia shook his head and looked up at the dim sky.

“…He really should’ve got proper treatment before he left at least…”

What a shame…

He wanted to have a cup of tea and chat with the man, but the moment they were done, the man just left.

Jenimia stared blankly at the place where the man stood a few minutes ago, chewing on his regret.

Then…

“…Sir Baltar found someone interesting, hehe.”

That last attack...

It was definitely Sir Baltar’s…

Although, that attack wasn’t exactly the same as his…

Did he receive Sir Baltar’s attack once and made his own version of it?

In any case, Sir Baltar said that he wouldn’t raise any disciples, but he never stopped people from learning on their own from him. Those two men…are very unique…

He soon let out a cheerful laugh, just like an innocent child.

And here I thought Sir Baltar had lost all motivation after the previous king’s passing, just like me. Instead, he found this guy…

“Turned out he was having fun on his own. Tsk, tsk.”

Jeminia touched his abdomen.

It wasn’t hurting or anything, and there wasn’t a single wound on it.

But…

“It’s heavy.”

A heavy energy, or rather, a ‘will’, remained in his abdomen.

“Ahahahaha!!”

He let out a hearty laugh. It had been a long time since he had felt this refreshed.

So refreshed, even more refreshing than the cool air of dawn.

To him this whole thing…

Was an extremely rewarding ‘defeat’.