Chapter 99
“Not going to fight?”
“I have no intention of dying.”
Atria looked at Taesan with a face filled with wonder.
“You’re a monster. The four of us combined could have toppled kingdoms.”
Slowly, Atria laid down his weapon.
“In any case, I still wish to live. If you were to kill me, I’d resist with all I have, but I’d be deeply grateful if you could spare me.”
“Then stay put.”
Unlike the other swordmasters, Atria hadn’t seriously aimed to target him. This meant he wasn’t one to blindly follow Hamon’s revelations.
Taesan had been planning to spare him anyway since he had questions to ask. If Atria was begging for his life, he’d likely answer Taesan’s questions easily, which worked out better.
Atria smiled slightly.
“I appreciate it. I’ll do as you ask.”
“First, let’s deal with this.”
Taesan pointed towards the bodies of the swordmasters.
“Ah…”
Annetsha woke up inside the cave.
She gazed blankly at the ceiling before suddenly jolting up.
“Oh, no.”
She hurriedly stood up and ran outside. Amidst the scenes of destruction, Taesan was nowhere to be found.
“Ah, ahhh…”
Tears streamed down her face.
He’s dead.
He died because of me.
A mix of self-reproach and guilt devoured her emotions.
What’s the point of being alive if those around me just end up dying?
Wouldn’t it be better to just die?
Just as despair was about to engulf her, a voice interrupted.
“What’s this? You’re awake?”
She hastily looked up. Taesan was looking down at her.
He’s alive.
“Where have you been?”
“Dealing with some bodies.”
He had dumped the bodies of the three swordmasters at the entrance of the forest. This would let others know that even swordmasters could not stand against Taesan.
Annetsha, who had been staring blankly at Taesan, suddenly got up.
“Hey?”
She hugged Taesan tightly. Taesan, holding his arms up awkwardly, looked down at her.
He wanted to tell her to let go, but seeing her shivering, he found it hard to speak up. Atria whistled from a distance.
“Looks nice.”
“Shut up.”
After a moment, Annetsha, her face turning red, let go of Taesan.
Growing up as a princess, she had never hugged anyone outside her family like this before.
Catching sight of Atria, her embarrassment intensified.
“…Atria?”
“It’s been a while, princess.”
Annetsha flinched and took a step back, reflexively grabbing a weapon.
Atria raised his hands.
“Don’t worry. I’m not here to capture you. I’m a defeated man.”
“Defeated…?”
“You saw us come earlier, right?”
Atria gestured towards Taesan.
“Three of us died at his hand. I begged for my life and barely survived.”
“Ah…”
Realization dawned on Annetsha.
She had assumed Taesan would die because the four swordmasters came to capture her.
This meant Taesan had survived by defeating them.
Respect and reliance deepened in Annetsha’s gaze towards Taesan, who ignored it and asked.
“Do you know each other?”
“Yes. He used to visit when my father was still alive. …So you were also here to capture me.”
“Well, I was. But I lost. Defeated men don’t plan on fighting again, so relax.”
Atria shrugged nonchalantly.
“I wasn’t seriously here in the first place. Just curious about the renowned guardian of the princess.”
“Following divine commands doesn’t seem to deter you.”
“Hamon might be a god, but I don’t exactly believe in him.”
Taesan looked at Atria curiously as he spoke casually.
“A god who hasn’t even been around for a hundred years massacred demons who had been with us for thousands of years. Does that sound like a reasonable god to you?”
Being a swordmaster beyond human limits, it seemed he had his own thoughts on various matters.
Atria grinned.
“So, there must be a reason you spared me, right? You wouldn’t have done it just because I begged, would you?”
“You’re pretty sharp.”
Taesan opened up.
“Tell me about aura.”
“Aren’t you going to sleep?”
“It’s alright.”
Annetsha sat on a log, staring blankly at Taesan.
Perhaps traumatized by him putting her to sleep and going to fight, she seemed unwilling to take her eyes off him. Atria watched with a grin.
“So, what’s your question? Ask anything. I owe you for my life, after all.”
“As I said before, I want to know how to use aura and how to obtain it.”
“Hmm.”
Atria stroked his chin.
“Given your level, you should have been able to learn aura but didn’t manage to?”
“I come from a different place.”
“A different place, you say.”
Atria’s eyes lit up.
“Are you talking about the labyrinth created by the grand mage?”
“You know about it?”
“I’ve heard rumors. I was particularly interested, so I looked into it. So you’re from that place… Fascinating. I never really thought it existed.”
After a moment of awe, Atria nodded.
“So, you can’t use aura because of that.”
“Right. There was no aura in my world.”
“Hmm.”
Atria tapped his forearm thoughtfully.
“I’m afraid you might not be able to learn it, sorry to say.”
“What?”
Taesan frowned, surprised by the unexpected response.
“It’s a power from our world. Following your words, you came from a world without aura, right?”
Taesan nodded. Atria shook his head.
“Then you probably can’t learn it.”
“Why not?”
“Because your world didn’t have aura to begin with. Those from worlds without it can’t learn it even if they come here. That’s the rule, as far as I know.”
“But my world didn’t have magic either, yet I was able to learn that.”
“Magic and aura are different.”
Atria cut him off sharply.
“I was curious, so I looked into it. Wielding a sword to gain power akin to magic. Odd, isn’t it? At least I thought so. It’s not normal.”
Atria continued, his face brightening.
“It might be old sayings or legends, but I found something. Aura is a power directly granted by the god of swords. He chooses a world he likes and bestows it there. Conversely, it means inhabitants of worlds not chosen by the god can’t learn it.”
“…”
It made sense. Yurei was surprised by the lack of magic in TaeSan’s world but said nothing about aura. And he never mentioned learning aura either.
There was a clear distinction between worlds where it could be learned and those where it couldn’t.
‘The god of swords, huh.’
The god of magic was in the labyrinth.
The god of swords might also exist.
Atria groaned.
“Sorry about that.”
“No.”
TaeSan glanced at the air.
“I think I’ll manage.”
[Special Always-On Skill: Qualification: Proof of the Sword] [You have been granted the Qualification: Proof of the Sword.]
A mysterious skill obtained by defeating the swordmaster.
This must be the permission granted by the god.
“Really? You can learn it?”
“I’ve got the qualification.”
“Oho? Is that a power you gained in the labyrinth?”
It was acquired through the rise in rank, but Atria, unaware of this, was even more intrigued.
“Does the labyrinth house the god of swords? That’s fascinating… very fascinating…”
After mumbling to himself, Atria smiled broadly.
“Alright, let me give you a brief explanation then.”
Atria began to explain.
“What do you think aura is?”
“I only learned about it from you guys, and now you’re asking me?”
“True, I always ask before starting. It’s become a habit.”
Embarrassed, Atria drew his sword, and a blue light surged around it.
“Those with talent eventually acquire aura through wielding their swords. It’s described as reaching a noble state or whatever, but in the end, it results in a sharper, unbreakable sword. It’s not that impressive on its own. However, once you become a swordmaster, the story changes.”
The aura exploded, enveloping Atria’s sword. The aura was vast and immense.
“Like this, you can modify aura to suit yourself. Having seen it, you should have an idea of what it’s like.”
The red-haired swordmaster manipulated multiple swords with aura. The blue-haired swordmaster shot it like sword energy, and the white-haired swordmaster controlled it like a living creature.
Everyone used aura to surpass the limits of swordsmanship in their unique ways.
“How you handle aura depends on the individual. I just wanted a bigger sword. That’s how it manifested for me.”
“Can’t you control swords?”
“It’s not that I can’t. But it’s hardly worth doing.”
Atria threw his sword, and it stopped mid-air, moving on its own.
“Think you can’t catch it?”
“I can probably grab it.”
The movement of the sword was clumsy, like a three-year-old handling it.
“It’s like this. Even transcending humanity has its limits. Quite disappointing.”
Disappointment lingered on Atria’s face.
It was somewhat clear. Aura changes according to the individual, and while it’s possible to use it in different ways, it’s awkward.
Now to the main point.
“How do you learn it?”
“It’s quite simple.”
Atria grinned.
“Just swing your sword.”
“…That’s it?”
“That’s all. Just swing relentlessly, and at some point, you’ll reach it.”
TaeSan stared at Atria incredulously. Atria waved his hand.
“Sounds like a joke, but it’s the truth. Some say you need enlightenment or meditation, but what’s the point? Reaching your limit through training is all there is to it.”
“I’ve been doing that all along. Shouldn’t have bothered saving you.”
TaeSan grumbled as he picked up his sword. Now, with the qualification, he could truly learn aura.
Atria raised his hand.
“What should I do now?”
“You’re free to go if you want.”
“Hmm.”
Given the clear go-ahead, Atria scratched his cheek.
“If it’s alright with you, may I stay by your side?”
“Why?”
“I’m curious. I want to see if you can really learn aura.”
Atria’s eyes sparkled with deep interest.
“If you’re worried I might harm the princess, I can swear not to. I won’t do anything here.”
TaeSan glanced at Annetsha. She nodded.
“If TaeSan agrees, it’s fine by me.”
“Then I don’t mind. But on one condition.”
[TaeSan has proposed a contract to Atria. Atria cannot undertake hostile actions against TaeSan and Annetsha.]
“Hm?”
Atria looked surprised.
“I feel something in my chest.”
“It’s a temporary contract that prevents you from harming us. Accept, and I’ll keep you around.”
“Is this another power from the labyrinth? There’s really a variety of things.”
Atria pressed his chest with an interested expression.
[The contract has been accepted.]
The following days were uneventful.
With the four swordmasters dead, no one else approached. The silence was so profound that even Atria commented it was to be expected.
“With eight swordmasters worldwide, excluding those with circumstances or in seclusion, all who could come did. And they all died. Who else would be mad enough to come?”
No enemies approached.
Unable to move until the demons came directly, Taesan continued his training undisturbed.
He wielded his sword, repeating the patterns of the Storm Scar Sword.
For 22 hours out of every 24, he swung his sword. He slept for two hours, then woke up to swing his sword again.
Atria watched in awe.
This routine lasted three days, and then the demons arrived.