episode_0101

101. Test

“Then, let’s begin the meeting.”

Jang Cheong, who had been standing behind Johan, said.

Currently, Johan and the disciples were seated at a rectangular table.

Johan was seated at the head of the table, with Master and Squad Leader Marim sitting closest to him.

Johan looked straight ahead. No one was sitting at the end of the long table. Frankly, it didn’t matter much, but Master had instructed him to do so.

‘How could we sit facing the Sect Leader? That seat should be left empty.’

Johan agreed. The words of a native who had been in this world longer than him were probably correct.

“Has anything unusual happened today? I’ve been so focused on training that I’m out of touch with the outside world.”

Squad Leader Marim answered. Johan’s head inadvertently turned to the left.

“Nothing special has happened. The residents are confused by the changes in the Black Forest Clan, but it’s nothing to worry about too much.”

“I see. And, is there anything else?”

The disciples were all silent. Yes, it would be stranger if something happened every day.

This must be normal.

“Sect Leader.”

“What is it, Master?”

Johan turned his head to the right.

“Come to think of it, there’s something I haven’t told you. About a month from now, a messenger will come from the Black King Castle.”

“Black King Castle? Ah, you said it was the largest power in the Black Province.”

“That’s right.”

“Why are they coming? What’s the reason?”

“Well, before you arrived, the Black Forest Clan was soon to be a faction affiliated with the Black King Castle.”

“I didn’t know that. This is the first I’m hearing of it.”

Squad Leader Marim didn’t know either. His eyes widened as he spoke to Master.

“What are you saying? Black King Castle? I wasn’t told anything like that.”

“I only heard about it yesterday. On the morning you came here, Sect Leader, a carrier pigeon came to my room. By the way, my subordinates don’t know about this yet.”

Squad Leader Marim nodded as if he understood.

“I see, now that we’re getting a bit bigger, they’re trying to collect some taxes? They’re just thugs.”

“Isn’t the Black Province originally a group of thugs? Nothing new.”

“That’s true.”

Suddenly, Johan tilted his head.

“Wait a minute, if we had banished Master yesterday, we would have welcomed the messenger from the Black King Castle without knowing anything. Is that right?”

“That’s right.”

“······.”

Master’s attitude was brazen to the point of being rigid. Johan was dumbfounded. Was he trying to trick him?

Johan rubbed his forehead as if he had a headache.

“······Okay. Well, I guess it could happen. So, what do we need to prepare? We can’t just wait around.”

“No, it doesn’t matter if we just wait. In fact, that’s what they’ll want.”

“What does that mean?”

“Literally, the conditions for entering the Black King Castle are a bit unique.”

Master pointed at Johan.

“That is, the leader of the group must fight the messenger from the Black King Castle. If the leader wins, the tribute will be greatly reduced. If they lose, on the other hand······.”

Everyone’s eyes were focused on Master’s lips.

“You’ll have to pay tribute like you’re throwing money away. It’s terrible.”

“······.”

Johan pondered for a moment before asking.

“What is the messenger’s level of martial prowess? Are they that strong?”

“I don’t know either. But how strong could a messenger coming to a third-rate faction like this be? Maybe similar to me, or a little stronger.”

“Then it’s fine.”

“That’s right.”

He was worried for nothing. Johan said to the disciples around him, thinking so.

“I believe the issue we just discussed can be resolved with diligent training. Now, let’s move on to the next issue.”

“Yes.”

The meeting continued as if nothing had happened. They showed no fear of the messenger from the Black King Castle.

Unless a cadre from the Black King Castle comes, there’s no need to be afraid of just a messenger.

***

About a month passed since then.

Clang!

Two sharply honed longswords clash against each other.

The sound of wooden dummies colliding is no longer heard. Only the sound of martial artists wielding longswords competing with each other’s martial arts is heard.

Swoosh-

The sleeve of Johan’s right arm was slightly cut off. This is an opportunity. He immediately twisted his body and stabbed his sword.

“Not a chance.”

Master showed off that movement again. He dodged Johan’s stab by bending his neck strangely.

He said that it was a natural flexibility since he was young. He said that he developed it further with the power of martial arts.

It was a skill that Johan couldn’t imitate yet. But that’s okay. Johan had his own vision.

─────.

The world becomes quiet. The flow of passing air stimulates all of Johan’s senses.

It stings. Thanks to that subtle pain, Master’s movements are even clearer.

He was bending his body like a snake and wielding his sword. At first glance, he looked like a hunchback, or like an Imoogi hoping to ascend.

If he was born flexible, Johan was born a prodigy.

The speed of perception and thought, and the shining intelligence, became even more brilliant with the blessing of the Tower.

Whoosh-

Johan’s waist was thrown back. He could see the white flash passing before his eyes. Johan used the force of falling as it was and swung his sword.

Master’s eyes widened.

“······!”

Whack!

Whoosh-

The dust swirling around blurred their figures. Master, who roughly brushed off the dust to clear his vision, reached out his hand.

“Amazing. To avoid that and counterattack. I almost got into trouble.”

Johan grabbed that hand and quickly got up. A faint membrane was overlaid on his abdomen.

It was a shield that Johan had deliberately weakened.

“I thought I’d land a blow this time. Too bad.”

“······You’ve only been learning swordsmanship for a month, yet you’re being too greedy.”

“Is that not allowed?”

“Did you just ask if it’s not allowed?”

Master grabbed Johan’s hand so hard that it would break and laughed loudly. The space of the training hall was filled with his thunderous laughter.

“Of course not. If you’re going to be the strongest in the world, you have to be like that. Of course.”

And I am the master of that strongest person in the world. Master held back the rest of his words.

As the two of them were exuding a warm atmosphere, Jang Cheong suddenly approached them.

“Sect Leader. He has arrived.”

“Ah, is it already that time?”

Johan wasn’t flustered by the sudden words. He had already expected it.

“Come to think of it, it’s already been a month. Time flies so fast.”

Johan stroked his sword. It had been quite a while since he had adjusted to the new sword.

“Call him here. I’m curious to see what kind of person the famous envoy of the Black King Castle is.”

“Yes.”

Jang Cheong bowed his head and quickly retreated. Master said from the side.

“Can you win?”

“I’m not sure what you mean. Didn’t you say that an envoy similar to you in level, or a little stronger, would come to the Black Forest Clan?”

Then there’s no way I can lose. Johan was saying so with his eyes.

Master shook his head.

“No, no. Of course, in terms of pure force, you are superior. However, when it comes to swordsmanship alone, it’s a different story.”

Master pointed to Johan’s longsword.

“If you don’t use that strange vision, you won’t win easily. What are you going to do?”

Johan finally understood what Master was saying. So, he was worried about Johan’s level without using magic.

Certainly, Johan’s swordsmanship still had many flaws. He had been rolling on the ground until just now.

“I’ll use magic if I can’t win in a fight. I’d like to win without using it if possible.”

“It won’t be easy.”

Johan shrugged his shoulders.

“That’s obvious. What’s easy in the world?”

At that moment, he felt a ferocious and viscous gaze from somewhere. The moment Johan rolled his eyes to look at him─

“Nice to meet you. Clan Leader of the Black Forest Clan.”

A man with hair as lush as a lion’s mane had arrived before him. To be exact, in front of Master.

Muscles twitching as if he was about to start a battle at any moment, two eyes that were slightly bloodshot.

He was truly a natural fighter. Master, who was looking at such a man with a nonchalant gaze, said.

“It seems that the Black King Castle’s intelligence isn’t as good as it used to be. Or maybe─”

Master fondled his longsword and growled.

“You’re pretending not to know even though you do.”

The man grinned fiercely. And he turned his body around and looked at Johan.

“Oops, my bad. I’ve been rude. Right, the third-rate faction called the Black Forest Clan had disappeared from this world, right?”

The man approached Johan with heavy steps. Johan could instinctively feel it.

‘He’s not just a little stronger than Master?’

I need to revise my thoughts. I was going to try to win by using as little magic as possible, but······

‘That won’t be enough.’

The man’s height seemed to be about 190cm. The man looked down at Johan and said.

It was quite an arrogant tone, and he was a man who didn’t consider the listener’s position at all.

“To hand over the faction to this kid, it’s absurd. That glasses-wearing guy must be senile. To try to make a third-rate faction that’s being taken away by a child a part of the Black King Castle?”

His eyes were looking into the distance as if he was imagining someone.

“Insolent.”

“Hmm?”

Johan chanted in a calm tone.

“Why are you talking so much? Didn’t you come here to fight? Does the Black King Castle fight with their mouths?”

“······Huh, this rude bastard.”

“If you don’t want to fight, I’ll move first.”

“······What?”

Immediately after, Johan’s right hand blurred. Soon, a clear slash drawn in the air rushed towards the man’s neck.