“Being beaten, having teeth pulled, and having bones broken were all just practical training to sharpen one’s real combat sense—the kind of combat I’m talking about.”
Ranista reached out his hand, and from a distant weapons rack, a sword flew and landed firmly in his palm.
“It’s extreme combat where you cross the threshold of death countless times. Death is the best means to temper one’s spirit.”
“When the madman is most terrifying, it’s when he laughs like a madman,” Ranista began to chuckle.
“Well, well. If there’s no way to progress further, it wouldn’t hurt to look back on the path you’ve walked.”
I felt screwed.
“There’s a man named Uwae Hyeop in Samagol.”
“What…?”
“The first man I killed after wielding a sword.”
He’s talking about his past life.
“He may just be a third-rate swordsman, but here, he’ll likely reach the level of an average swordsman.”
Ranista says as she grips the sword.
“I’ll mimic him and exert just that much strength.”
Ranista mentioned extreme combat himself. He’s the one who’d readily cut off my arm. Or maybe my throat…
“Win. If you defeat Uwae Hyeop of Samagol (name of the person Ranista is portraying), you’ll undoubtedly grow. And keep fighting against ‘opponents’ who grow stronger. If you defeat all nine hundred and nine warriors I defeated, you’ll reach the rank just below me.”
I bit my lip and mustered the courage to speak.
“Do you believe in yourself?”
“I do.”
“Promise me you’ll make me stronger.”
“I swear it, disciple.”
I chuckled.
“Alright then, come at me. Uwae Hyeop.”
***
He moved first.
Charging forward, he thrust his sword without slowing down.
When Ranista moved, even a thousand strong army would pale in comparison.
I felt the pressure as if thousands of soldiers were rushing at me.
But now, it was more like a raging bull. Threatening enough, but not unavoidable. I turned my body to dodge sideways.
His attacks were predictable.
Regardless of who ‘Uwae Hyeop’ was, Ranista was clearly showing a low level.
He adjusted his stance again.
Left hand behind, sword held by his right, pointing towards me.
Once again, he charged like a bull.
His extended arm holding the sword, his charge resembled a raging bull’s thrust.
This time, I didn’t dodge.
If Ranista was like a high mountain peak that he dared not climb, mimicking Uwae Hyeop was an obstacle right in front of him.
Something to overcome, something he could overcome.
His movements were obvious. I aimed for an opportunity and swung my staff. Successfully deflecting the sword and intending to strike back.
Clang!
I managed to deflect the sword. The bull without horns lost its means of attack. I tried to quickly swing my staff again to smash Ranista’s head. However, his left hand, hidden behind me, was already reaching out towards me. I glimpsed the glint of the blade and hastily duck to evade.
The sword narrowly missed above my head.
A few strands of brown hair were cut, falling scattered.
Hidden in his left hand all along was the sword.
I glanced between the fallen strands of my hair and Ranista.
“You’re planning to kill me?”
“Didn’t I say it’s combat, where life and death go back and forth?”
If my judgment had been just a bit slower, it would’ve been my head rolling.
Ranista once again assumed the stance of a bull. This time, not just one hand but both were extended forward. His aggression felt fiercer than that of a raging bull.
Deflecting the sword isn’t the right approach at my level. But his movements were clear. So what’s needed is the concise movements of a bullfighter. I changed the form of my staff, the ‘LaMelStar.’
He was right. Mimicking the form of martial arts in this world seen through these eyes isn’t suitable. Although I’ve been learning staff techniques for months, I opted for a better method seen through the eyes of a thousand.
“Ho.”
Ranista said with interest.
“A sword, huh? It’s amusing.”
A sword of just the right length, neither long nor short.
A weapon lacking in destructive power, length, skill, compared to the staff for me.
But it has one advantage.
***
“Damn, this is so damn hard.”
The foul words slipped out involuntarily.
As I returned to bed, I collapsed. My entire body felt tense.
Despite the minor injuries, today’s training session with that Ranista guy was the toughest ordeal yet. It’s tougher to avoid than just taking hits. My fingers still feel numb.
“Goddamn?” (Dalbi)
“Yeah, like a damn dog.”
Dalbi jumped onto the bed and nestled in. Was she trying to give me a massage or something? As I lay in bed, I recalled what just happened. I defeated Ranista’s imitation of ‘Uwae Hyeop.’ To win, I needed a weapon of suitable length for quick movements.
I could dodge the guy charging straight at me, but I lacked the strength to counter.
Without the strength to ward off a bull’s horn, I planned to anticipate his movements without fail, sidestep, and simultaneously thrust the knife into his side.
Swinging a staff was too slow, and stabbing lacked power. So, I opted for a sword of appropriate length.
The outcome was right.
I killed Uwae Hyeop.
Of course, Ranista didn’t die.
The knife clearly pierced his side. I witnessed blood flowing. But Ranista didn’t mind; with one move, he stopped the bleeding, chuckled, and said, “Well done.”
I never expected Ranista to get wounded for real. I asked if he was okay out of surprise, and he said he wanted to experience such intense battles that make one contemplate life and death again. The crazy guy was impressive.
The difference between him and me is that if I had a hole in my side bleeding profusely, I’d immediately call for Wooshas and face a dire tragedy.
In real battles with death on the line, even with fewer injuries compared to sparring, the exhaustion doesn’t compare.
Uwae Hyeop is said to be the weakest guy, the one Ranista killed at the age of seven.
Seven years old, what a guy.
I engage in real battles with Ranista once every three days.
So, at least once every three days, I could either kill or be killed.
I dismissed thoughts like “even if that’s the case.” If I entertained such confidence, Ranista might decide to end these fierce battles at any moment.
“Girlie!”
A hot bath was urgent to relax my tense muscles.
Ding dong!
I called Girlie, but she didn’t come.
“What’s she up to again?”
When we were on the southern island, Girlie occasionally disappeared.
Usually, I’d let it slide, like with the runaway Sergeant of mine in my previous life during work, but this time, I was curious about Girlie’s whereabouts. Maybe it’s because my body’s excitement and tension wouldn’t ease easily. Normally, I’d leave her be, but this time, I felt motivated to move my body.
I went to find Girlie.
Following Girlie’s traces and guessing her whereabouts.
“Hmm.”
She wasn’t on the floor I stayed on.
Nor where the maids resided.
Not in the kitchen, nor the repairing banquet hall, nor the lobby.
But I noticed.
Dogs have a keen sense of smell.
Visible traces are evidence of tracking.
I didn’t wander around here and there in a mediocre body without a trace of past life.
“This is strange.”
Girlie’s traces led to places she shouldn’t be.
Quilz Castle holds many secrets. The ancient castle, several hundred years old, is engraved with the desires of nobles wanting to conceal secrets.
My father’s constructed external passages or several hidden rooms concealed by the former owner, the Solgar family.
Girliei’s traces led to the darkest secret of Quilz Castle’s underground. Prisons, lodging for non-existent criminals, and places for disposing of unwanted things are located in the castle’s underground.
“There are no guards.”
Girlie’s traces were complex. It took a lot of effort to barely chase her, to the point my head throbbed. She headed to underground passages I didn’t know of.
There were no guards even there. I sighed as I hesitated at the entrance.
Why does life here have so many secrets?
As we descended several floors’ depth of stairs, a short corridor emerged.
Dim and damp, but several gas lamps hung on the walls, lit as if just ignited. It was Girlie’s traces. I shrugged. My destiny lies in underground passages unknown even to Quilz Castle guards.
The end of the corridor was blocked. But as I concentrated, strange patterns began to appear on the wall. It’s probably the door to secrets.
My father sealed the door with the power of the ancestors. This wasn’t done by my father. Magic perhaps? Melissa’s doing?
Klunk!
As I examined the traces, the wall began to vibrate, and I stepped back a few paces.
The wall moved on its own. The sound of gears turning was audible. Bricks pushed aside, forming a door. More akin to mechanical engineering than magic. A nauseating smell wafted from beyond the door.
The room beyond looked like a library filled with books.
Klunk!
Girlie emerged from that room. She came out as if familiar, operated the door, and concealed it with the wall again. She held two books in her hands. Old books with no titles on the cover.
“Girlie?”
I called Girlie.
“Huh?”
The shoulders of Gilie twitched for a moment, then slowly turned around.
“Kki-e-e-e-eek!”
I had never heard such a loud and strange scream in my life. Girlie was startled and stumbled backward, then screamed in horror. Her expression was absurd. Her eyes, nose, and mouth almost met in the center of her face. The underground corridor echoed with Girlie’s scream, making my ears ring.
“What’s wrong?”
“Y-Your, Your Excellency? H-huff, huff.”
It was only then that Girlie recognized who I was. She pounded her chest for a while, as if struggling to catch her breath. Yet she didn’t let go of the two books. Finally, the real Girlie stood up. But her legs were still trembling.
“Where are we?”
I asked quietly.
Wiping his sweat, Girlie replied, “We’re in Madam’s study.”
“Mom’s?”
“I-I’m running an errand…”
Girlie showed me the books.
I stared at her silently. She didn’t seem to be lying.
“Girlie, there’s something you’re hiding from me.”
I decided to probe. Girlie grimaced at my words, then, as if determined, he bit his lip and began to speak with a firm gaze.
“Your Excellency, the truth is…”
When it came to ‘secrets,’ I was quite confident, having experienced enough nonsense at the age of ten, especially with the twins around. I was prepared to calmly listen to Girlie’s secret.
But seeing Girlie’s wavering gaze, I found myself tensing up too.
Swallowing saliva, I waited for Girlie to continue.
“The truth is, I am…”
Girlie said resolutely.
“Smart.”
“What?”
“I’m smart.”
Girlie looked relieved as if she had just revealed a great secret.
