episode_0011

The start of the day was no different from usual.

I woke up early in the morning, ran with the drivers, and then had breakfast with my parents when the time came.

Immediately after that, sword training with my father begins.

“Let’s start with a thousand slashes today.”

“Yes.”

I took a familiar stance holding the sword.

My hands were full of wounds from the training that continued every day.

Blood comes out from an open wound and soaks the bandage.

I could have done the treatment, but my father advised me not to do it.

It is said that it is easy to hold a sword only when the calluses are properly positioned.

Isn’t this the advice of the Sword Saint and not someone else?

Although my hands were sore, I decided to accept it.

Boom-!

Raise the sword up and quickly bring it down.

Move the force raised from the lower body to the waist and from the waist to the arms.

It was a downward slash that eliminated as much unnecessary movement as possible, leaving only the essential movements.

Once, twice, three times.

Repeat the same movement.

My father watched my actions silently, then nodded and stood next to me.

And he held the sword in his hand.

Boom-!

It was a pure downward slash without any aura.

However, it was also full of sharpness and seemed to tear apart space.

The level of swordsmanship was far and high.

It is truly the pinnacle of both talent and effort.

It was a place that I, who was not even a normal person, could not reach no matter how hard I tried.

My father must have repeated thousands, tens of thousands, perhaps more to achieve this.

When I thought that such efforts had gone in vain due to a disease called mana sclerosis, I felt a little bit in vain.

“Albert, erase your random thoughts. While holding the sword, you should feel only the sword.”

“Sorry.”

My father said that the sword contains images.

It is said that you can read a person’s heart and thoughts by looking at the sword.

That’s probably why you asked me what to do.

So, what kind of heart do you put into your sword that will make you the strongest?

A desire to protect? Murderous intent to kill someone?

It’s a long way off for me, who has just started learning how to use a sword, but I hope my sword can at least be a sword that protects someone.

With that in mind, I swung my sword.

Ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times.

Before I knew it, the bandage around my hand had become sticky with blood and fluid mixed in, and I felt slight muscle pain due to the stretching of my entire body’s muscles.

I swept my sweat-soaked hair upward as if it had just been rained on.

As I was trying to catch my breath, I heard my father’s voice.

“Are you feeling a little better?”

“Yes, but it seems a bit excessive.”

“This guy, he’s going to die. We’re going to start now, so stand up straight.”

My father’s education gave no time to rest.

If I hadn’t increased my stamina little by little by running every morning, it would have been difficult to even keep up.

Seup-, hoo-.

I took a short breath and straightened my body.

When I look straight ahead, I see my father.

“Now then, go for it.”

My father’s training methods were quite harsh.

Endless sparring.

I always had to fight with my father until I was too tired to get up anymore.

The fact that a father and son were pointing swords at each other seemed quite comical, but if there was any hesitation, it was not.

No matter how hard I try, there is no way I can reach my father.

Kaan-!

As the sword meets the sword, a creepy sound rings out.

My father lightly struck back my sword and narrowed his eyes.

“Are you afraid of getting hit? The sword is full of hesitation.”

From the moment you hold the sword, hesitation is like death.

The price was, of course, terrible.

Wow!

My father’s kick hit my side.

Even though it wasn’t wearing an aura, it was quite heavy.

For a moment, I felt as if my breath had stopped, and my vision turned completely white.

But I somehow endured the pain and stepped back.

If I remained blank, I would get hit a few more times.

Are you giving it to me as your son?

Such a false story was out of the question.

Rather, he was the one who taught his son more strictly in order to raise him strong.

“Are you going to stay blank? Then I will go.”

My father’s feet stamp on the ground.

Sharp swords rush in quickly.

beast of prey.

That sight felt like a wild beast that was about to tear me apart.

No matter what, death is a certain result.

But, I couldn’t give up.

Don’t I have something to protect?

Kaan-!

My body moved as it pleased, guided by my instincts.

It would be safe to say that it was a reflex action.

My sword and my father’s sword met.

Even though one of my shoulders almost got cut off due to the force, it was a satisfactory result for me.

And it seemed the same was true for my father.

“You can do it, right? But, why are you so scared?”

“It was a coincidence.”

“Yes, that is the case now. From now on, we will have to make that coincidence an inevitability.”

Although I trained in swordsmanship all morning, I only satisfied my father once.

I guess I thought I had grown up, but my father came out stronger and I got hit even more excitedly.

Of course, the price was also terrible.

At a family dinner, my mother started nagging me.

“Wow, really. How much did you hit the kid? I can’t live.”

“It’s better than losing your life on the battlefield.”

“Well, that’s why I’ll kill you with my own hands before you even stand on the battlefield, is that it?”

“Oh, no, it’s not like that… .”

At my mother’s words, my father broke into a cold sweat.

As I was looking at that, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

If my relationship with Luna gets better, will I become like that too?

It was something I couldn’t easily imagine.

Luna always greeted me with an expressionless face.

The fact that the only change in expression I saw was stained with sadness seems a little painful.

But if it can be done.

‘It’s rather good.’

I think she looks adorable no matter what she does.

After a noisy lunch due to my mother’s anger, the time I had been waiting for finally arrived.

Melina said as she adjusted my clothes.

“You said you were going on an inspection, right?”

“Yes, it’s my first time.”

“Are you looking forward to it?”

“It’s a bit like that.”

I may have been there before when I was young, but it was my first time going as an adult.

The reason is simple.

Because I was a mess.

My father must have always left me behind because it would be disrespectful to Young Ji-min to drag his son away like this.

‘It is expected.’

As with anything I try for the first time, I was looking forward to the inspection.

Isn’t Melina aware of this, which is why she put so much care into decorating it?

Soon enough, preparations were completed.

Although he was only wearing a not-so-fancy outfit and a sword on his waist, I really liked it.

When I went outside, my father had already prepared and was waiting for me.

The outfit seemed monotonous for a duke’s head, but it was also unique.

My father doesn’t like flashy things.

“Then let’s go.”

“Yes, father.”

As my father takes a step forward, the coachman bows his head and opens the carriage door.

My father climbs and I follow.

Eventually, a tremor was felt and the carriage started.

* * * * *

The carriage left the castle, and the estate began to appear outside the window.

There was thick fog on the rugged mountainside, and there was a city below.

The sight seemed quite charming, so I stared at it blankly.

“These are the things that I and you must protect. Keep it in your eyes.”

“Yes.”

Did you say that rights come with responsibilities?

Protect the territory, people, and family.

It was an unavoidable duty since one was born into a duke’s family.

At times like this, you realize once again how heavy the things you were carrying on your shoulders were.

It must have been difficult to take care of the territory on my behalf.

Yet you never once complained.

I was so grateful and sorry for that fact.

While I was lost in thought, the carriage arrived at its destination.

The carriage door opens, and the scenery seen from afar appears before my eyes.

Rugged mountains and huge holes.

It was a mine.

When I got off the carriage with my father, someone rushed towards me and bowed my head.

“Count Arus sends greetings to Duke David.”

“Yes, you have worked hard. How is the rescue of the workers going?”

“It is progressing smoothly. It appears that rescue will be possible soon.”

“Okay, try a little harder.”

“Yes, of course.”

Count Arus.

The middle-aged man with impressive red hair was one of the vassals who served Duke David.

After finishing his conversation with his father, he suddenly looked at me and bowed his head.

“It was late to say hello to Youngsik. This is Count Arus.”

“Yes, you always work hard for your family.”

“It’s an honor.”

After briefly saying hello, we walked out looking around.

And not long after, we met.

“Well, my husband is okay, right?!”

They were the families of workers trapped in the mine.