abcnovels
Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Chapter 26 – Declaration of War (1)
Two presences were approaching.
‘Both at least Expert level.’
Moreover, they were more skilled than Thomas, the knight I faced earlier.
Not all Experts were the same.
In a society that loved to categorize, it was common practice to divide Experts into seven levels:
Lowest, Low, Lower-Middle, Middle, Upper-Middle, High, and Highest.
For comparison, if Thomas was of the Lowest level, then the ones approaching now seemed to be Lower-Middle level at the very least.
In contrast, the five guards on our side were just ordinary territorial soldiers.
This kind of menial work was never the duty of high-ranking knights.
That’s why I had tried to imprison Lady Isabelle as quickly as possible.
Since we wouldn’t be in this situation if I had succeeded.
‘Crying over spilled milk is like preparing a meal for a dead child……’
Flinch.
“……Heh heh heh.”
Suddenly, that damned laugh escaped from me again.
My body was reacting automatically even to old proverbs.
‘Is this what it’s like for a person to go crazy?’
Vrrr!
I shook off my thoughts and quietly activated my mana.
In the end, I had to do it alone.
I was confident.
I hadn’t been sitting idle all this time, after all.
Shaaa.
As I stood up, burning with resolve, two pairs of eyes revealed themselves in the darkness.
“……A kid and one guard.”
“There are more inside. Three? No, four. Far fewer than I expected.”
“There are priorities even in protection. Especially in such an urgent situation, there would have been no other way.”
“This is good for us. Eliminate the target and escape quickly.”
No other conversation was needed for these murderers.
Whoosh!
The guys who had been muttering among themselves immediately swung their swords, filled with murderous intent.
One was aimed at me.
The other was aimed at the soldier with daughters.
“Eek!”
Frightened, Paul stumbled backward.
In that split second, I hesitated.
I had to block both swords simultaneously.
If I missed even one, a life would be lost.
Whether it was mine or the life of the father with a long future ahead.
‘A narrow passageway. The swords’ trajectories are fixed, anyway.’
I absolutely must not dodge.
If I did, the poor fatherwould lose his life.
‘No other choice but to face it head on!’
As soon as I made the decision, my sword moved.
I went all out from the start.
Their guards were down.
This was my only chance to reduce the number of enemies by one.
Vrrr!
“M-Ma……?”
Assassin A, sensing the energy in my sword, tried to shout something in alarm.
However,
Shiing!
Before his voice could even trail off, my sword pierced his throat in an instant.
Furthermore.
Clang!
My sword collided with the one rushing towards Paul.
Instantly, sparks flew as metal clashed in the air.
My hands felt like they were being torn apart.
Cough!
The metallic taste of blood rising in my throat was a nice bonus.
“For now, imitating the swordsmanship of the Arundel family is the best I can do.”
It is said that once you master the secrets of the Arundel family’s swordsmanship and reach the pinnacle of quick swordsmanship, you can even cut lightning.
These small fry wouldn’t have been able to react at all.
“……I see. You’re the greenhorn who killed Thomas.”
“……”
Though he lost his comrade at an unexpected moment, Assassin B remained surprisingly calm.
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Even with the faint sound of the alarm aboveground, his murderous intent only grew stronger.
“……Are you laughing?”
Not only that, a broad smile spread across his face.
“You’re Ancelot, huh? I was looking for you, but you walked right into a grave.”
“Yeah, yours.”
“……Just like the rumors say, you have a foul mouth. My grave, huh. Well, that might be possible.”
The opponent wasn’t even fazed by my obvious provocation.
“I’ve already given up on this life. You’re dying here with me.”
Vrrr!
Immediately, an undeniable resonance filled the room.
I knew from experience.
‘This is dangerous.’
Alarms rang incessantly in my head.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The aura constricting my entire body grew stronger.
A more vivid sword aura filled my vision.
The guy who was only at the Lower-Middle Expert level was now emitting mana several levels higher.
“……He’s using the Mana of Origin.”
The Mana of Origin.
In other words, the energy of life.
Once consumed, it couldn’t be replenished by any means.
Just as he had declared, he was staking his life on this.
Fla-ash!
In the blink of an eye, the ferocious, mana-imbued sword disappeared from my sight.
I quickly changed my approach.
Facing that head-on with brute force would be suicidal.
In that case.
‘Use the opponent’s strength against them.’
The swordsmanship I decided to teach Kirian.
I unleashed the secret technique of the Harhel family that my old friend used for so long.
***
“Ancelot, did you know? There’s nothing more foolish than facing a suicidal attacker head-on.”
Naturally, my friend’s face came to mind.
Even the situations from back then.
“Isn’t that just because you’re scared of a direct confrontation? Coward.”
“What did you say, you bastard?”
“What the hell is soft swordsmanship anyway? Using the opponent’s strength against them? Is that why you get beaten by the Arundel guys every day?”
“Y-You bastard, after being around that annoying king, you’re becoming like him, too.”
“……Is His Highness your friend? Watch your mouth.”
“Wow, what a loyal subject. Just because he’s your Highness, you think he’s ours too? I still shiver when I think of the shit he’s done out of greed. What? Make the only empire on the continent? It’s ridiculous.”
“Just because you don’t acknowledge it doesn’t mean Harhel isn’t part of Swallow’s domain.”
“I don’t want to talk about this with you. Anyway, back to the point. When did we get beaten by the Arundel guys every day? From what I remember, it’s at least 5:5…… ahem, more like 4:6.”
“I’ll get back to the point, too. The idea of using the opponent’s strength against them isn’t bad. It’s effective against opponents stronger than you. But you can’t do anything about ‘speed,’ can you? Before you can use their strength against them, their sword will pierce your heart.”
“Why do you keep acting like you don’t get it? Do you think only mages have affinities? Swordsmanship has affinities too. That’s why you train all your life to avoid being outmatched by speed.”
“I’m saying don’t stick to just one thing. You should start learning a diversity of styles, like me. Just use the right swordsmanship for the situation. Why make things complicated?”
“Crazy bastard. Do you think everyone in the world is like you?”
“Heh heh. So you admit I’m an unparalleled genius.”
“Ugh, so annoying. I’ll manage to scrounge up 500 gold. Just let me punch you once, please. You love money, don’t you?”
“It’s not me, it’s my old man who loves money.”
***
A smile naturally crept onto my lips.
Even in a perilous situation where I could lose my neck at any moment.
Looking back, those times were among the few happy moments in my life.
‘Yes, Jaeger. It seems you were right.’
In the split second that divided a second into fractions.
In my time, the sword was slowly but surely rushing towards me.
It was clearly strong and fast.
But,
‘As long as one is not completely outmatched in speed, the swordsmanship of the Harhel family is second to none.’
That’s why we constantly train our bodies.
To have dynamic vision that can follow fast swords.
To have reflexes that can respond quickly to the opponent’s attacks.
To have muscles and cells that can launch the optimal counterattack right after an attack.
Yes.
There is certainly an element of affinity in swordsmanship.
But it is not absolute.
In the end, it’s about who has shed more blood and sweat over their lifetime.
Victory and defeat are determined solely by that.
Fwip!
I raised my sword diagonally upward.
Connecting the dots along the optimal path.
If the essence of Arundel’s swordsmanship is to find the shortest straight line,
‘The essence of Harhel’s swordsmanship is to draw the most gentle circle.’
My eyes constantly followed the opponent.
Where they were concentrating their strength.
Where the central point that could disrupt their balance was.
When the optimal timing was.
‘Now!’
My eyes flashed for a moment.
It was the instant when the opponent’s sword was about to split my head like a comb.
Screeeeech!
An unpleasant metallic sound reverberated continuously.
They say that if softness reaches its peak, such noise won’t even occur, but it doesn’t matter.
This is something time will resolve.
For now, I focus solely on deflecting the opponent’s sword.
And then, using that force to draw a circle.
‘Swirl.’
The swordsmanship of the Harhel family shines especially in such confined linear attacks.
‘Draw the optimal circle.’
Don’t try to overpower him.
Use the opponent’s strength against them.
The stronger the divine power infused in the enemy’s sword, the higher the success rate.
Even if it’s not faster, heavier, or more domineering compared to other swordsmanships.
‘No swordsmanship in this world can dare invade the circle I draw.’
The most perfect circle in the world.
Who can break through this absolute domain?
The basic and core secret of Harhel’s swordsmanship, the first secret technique.
‘The Splitting White Night.’
***
A strange day where the sun and night coexisted.
My sword was the sun.
The opponent’s sword was the night.
Even though these two opposing forces clashed, neither extinguished the other.
They mingled and coexisted, eternally illuminating the heavens and the earth.
***
Swish.
“……!”
Sensing something amiss, the opponent tried to let go of the sword, but it was meaningless.
Slash!
Finally, the two swords drew a circle, and at the same time, a single sound resonated.
“……Light……?”
Thud, roll.
These were the last words left by Assassin B.
“A-A single strike against an Expert-level knight……?”
The voice of the astonished father reached my ears.
Then.
“Gasp! My L-Lord!”
The remaining guards, who had rushed out upon hearing the commotion, suddenly prostrated themselves on the ground.
Just in time, Count Arsene also arrived at the scene.
“I apologize. I am not yet skilled enough to capture such formidable foes alive.”
“……”
Count Arsen, who witnessed me cutting down the enemy, stood there with his mouth agape.
“The war has already begun.”
I gave a light nod as a gesture of respect and walked past him.
Only then did Count Arsen regain his senses and hurriedly grabbed me.
“W-Wait. Where are you going now?”
“As you can see, there is no time to waste.”
I glanced back as I replied.
“So, I’m going to train my disciples in preparation for the impending war. As a teacher, I cannot stand by and watch my disciples die.”
“D-Disciples……?”
“And, incidentally, I’ll be taking on the role of a father as well.”
“……!”
Count Arsen’s eyes widened instantly.
“They must be struggling. They lost their mother and brother so suddenly.”
“……”
“Even so, we cannot remain in despair like this. We must show them. No matter what kind of vile actions they take, the Arsene family will not be broken. In the end, it will be you who breaks.”
“……”
“So, Count, you should do your part. I will do mine.”
“……”
“Perhaps, over time, you might feel a bit grateful to me. When that time comes, please show your gratitude in monetary terms, not words.”
I made a circle with my thumb and middle finger and flashed a sly smile.
Count Arsen, who had be
en staring blankly at me for a long while, finally broke his silence.
“……I already……am.”
“Excuse me?”
Count Arsen’s eyes were bloodshot as he spoke.
“I already…… am immensely grateful. My… No, our benefactor.”