Sword Whisperer: Chapter 1
Chapter 1. Reading the Sword (1)
“Why don’t you give up, now. Van.”
In response, Van gripped his sword tightly. It has already been a long while since his colleagues met their fates in this war. He didn’t even have a moment for sadness. There were many enemies to kill, and he was alone.
His opponent spoke.
“You’re the only surviving one, now. To fight at this juncture is meaningless. Why not give up. With your fame as the sword god, you will be well treated by the new empire.”
“I wouldn’t stand here if it was for fame and recognition.”
Van smiled bitterly. There was no enmity to burn. The fight was over, and he was defeated. He looked around with glooming eyes.
“It is a meaningless war. For what did we fight? Everyone…. is dead.”
“This is the war to prevent another war like this. The new empire will bring about everlasting peace to the land.”
“I didn’t know that you believed in such a fairy tale.”
Van held his sword as he mocked. No more stamina. In fact, he couldn’t even see his opponent’s face clearly due to having bled so much. However, the weight of the sword in his hand was clear.
“No more small talks.”
And it was when he was about to swing his sword. Puck! Van grabbed his forehead in pain. He was no longer holding his sword. The enemy forces that were over crowding the fields have all disappeared from his view. What was before his eyes….was only a creased face of a man.
“The end, what a bunch of BS. What kind of dumb dream are you dreaming! Get up. You lazy bum.”
“Ah, tea, teacher….”
“There are many herbs that needed to be gathered. You know that, right?”
“Yes……”
Van got up with a sullen face. Just a moment ago, he was a man who was harshly chastising several tens of thieves, but that was then.
That was so because in real life, he was only an assistant to a pharmacist.
Not even a swordsman, let alone a sword fighter.
§
“…..Ah, that was a good dream though.”
The mountain in the back. Van kept reminiscing about the dream that he had while he was gathering the herbs. Today’s ‘Sword god Van’ dream was rather in a high quality. The feel that he was getting from the sword in his hand was rather vivid, to begin with, and even the script…..
“No more small talks…Wow, what a line.”
He smiled for a moment while aiming the air with a tree branch that he picked up from the mountain, and he again let out a sigh. As always, daydream would end in a sense of shame.
What good was having a good dream. In real life, he was just a lad who has never even held a wooden sword.
Van wanted to be a swordsman. That might appear as quite natural for a 15 year of lad.
Think about it. Think about the vision of a swordsman who separates the ocean by slicing it, and downing the moon by stabbing it. What other kind of daydreams would bring so much anticipation as this to a young lad.
Van stopped digging the ground and picked up the branches. Then he swung the branches in the air for a while and as if he has gotten tired, he threw down the branches.
It was a meaningless training. He wasn’t sure whether or not it was the right way of swinging a sword to begin with, and more than anything, just because he was swinging the branches like this in the back mountain wasn’t going to change his future, anyhow
All that an assistant to a pharmacist could be was a pharmacist. It wasn’t like he was going to be a great swordsman overnight by holding a sword at this juncture and more over, even the guard unit would not accept him. In the village, one pharmacist would be considered to be more important than a swordsman.
The basket soon filled up with the herbs he collected. As he has been coming up to the mountain since his young age, he knew down to the details with respect to where the herbs were and even the trails the wild animals travelled.
Jansen, his teacher, did not know about it. That was so because Van did not immediately return to Jansen just because the basket was full. There was one thing in his daily routine that he couldn’t skip.
That was to stop by the gymnasium where the guards trained. Calling it a gymnasium was pushing it, as it was just an empty open space where they would swing their wooden swords….however, even just by looking at that, Van felt something moving and stimulating inside.
“You, again?”
And it was then. He heard a low husky voice coming from behind him. When he turned he saw a large man, as big as a bear, with scars all over his face looking down on him. It was the captain of the guards, Aidan.
“Ah, Mr. Aidan.”
“If Jansen was to find out, he would chastise you. You know that, right?”
“Yes, I know…..”
He knew that, but he couldn’t help it. Unless he watched them swing their swords even for a brief moment like this, it would always bother him in the back of his mind, and even sleep wouldn’t come easily.
Of course, even Aidan knew how much passion Van had about swordsmanship. And so he couldn’t help, but shake his head more.
“Just learn how to make medicine properly. Jansen is the best pharmacist that I know. When you grow up, you will realize how lucky you would have been for having been his assistant.”
“I’m doing my best. I also appreciate him very much.”
“…..Then you coming here continually like this means that you cannot give it up?”
Van tightly held on to the basket full of the herbs with awkward expression.
“Isn’t just observing OK?”
“You’re persistent.”
Aidan sighed out. Truthfully, it wasn’t that he couldn’t understand him. It wasn’t like he didn’t know how immature the boys in this age group were.
He placed his hand on Van’s head. His hand was rough full of callous.
“Swordsmanship is a technique that is used to kill people in the end. On the other hand, you can save people. If I am in envy of you, will you believe me?”
“No, I’m not going to believe that.”
“….Boy.”
At his boldness, Aidan weakly laughed in the end. In fact, he knew that Van’s yearning wouldn’t be suppressed with words only. Therefore, Aidan didn’t necessarily dislike Van coming here.
Well, if he was to stop visiting, Aidan might even feel disappointed. It was because there was no one, even among the guard unit, who had this much passion.
‘What if this lad had held a sword from very early…..’
Then not just a guard, but he might even set his eyes on being a ‘knight’ as well. Although he didn’t know about his talent, if he had this much passion about swords then there was no way that the lad wouldn’t improve.
However, it was already too late. His physicality would be already fully formed having reached the age of 15. Even if he was allowed to study the swordsmanship at this juncture, there was a very little chance of him developing into a great swordsman.
Perhaps, that might be a better thing for Van. To live as a pharmacist in this small village, that was. It was not a glamorous life, but it was not going to be a misfortunate one, either.
“Do not stay too long.”
“OK.”
Van replied without any hesitation.
And he watched the gymnasium until the sunset. He saw the lines the swords drew. He saw the end of the blades shaking. He saw the swords, along with writhing muscles as their feet trampled the ground.
More. More. And more….
§
“Where have you been to be late again?”
“I’ve, I’ve been to nowhere. I’m back from just gathering these herbs.”
“How many years have you been gathering herbs that your hand is so slow?”
“What do you mean slow, not that slow….”
Van came into the house muttering. Jansen stared at him with eagle eyes, but soon he spoke in a calm voice.
“Don’t stay out too late. It’s dangerous.”
“I’m all grown up, now. You don’t need to worry like that.”
“All grown up? You still talk in sleep and say things like ‘I’ll let you die without pain’.”
“Ah, well, that’s! Teacher! Not fair to be talking about dreams?”
“Quiet, lad! Go pick out some herbs, quickly.”
“…..Yes, sir.”
He really had nothing to say when the topic of ‘The swordsman Van’ was brought up. His ears turning red, Van ran to the warehouse and began picking out the herbs. It was a strange thing. That that great interesting dream would become a shameful topic in real life.
‘Ah, I don’t know. Only if it was just once, I want to swing a sword.’
Although he had one wooden sword at home, for some reason a wooden sword wouldn’t give him the satisfaction that he wanted. He wanted to feel the sharpened blade slice through the air.
The weight of the sword pressing on his wrist, and the light being shattered by that sharpened blade…..
‘What would the teacher say if I tell him that I want to be a swordsman?’
I would be lucky if I wasn’t beaten up. To be thrown out would be a given.
It was then. Was it because there were so many useless thoughts, dropping the basket, Van spilled the herbs on top of the herbs that have been sorted. It was the moment that nearly half an hour of work has gone by the wayside.
“…..Ah, please.”
Sighing, Van began to pick up the herbs one by one to place them back in to the basket. It was when he was thinking how much time he needed to spend to get the herbs sorted. When he was picking out the herb that was stuck in the cracks of the raised wooden floor, he frowned and stared the floor.
‘What is that?’
He didn’t realize it as he didn’t pay much attention until now, but something was strange with the floor. Curious, he extended his hand out, and as if it was natural, the floor raised up. And when he found a box underneath, Van couldn’t help, but unconsciously laugh.
‘What was he hiding like this?’
It would look strange to anyone. Van subtly peeked at the door, and then carefully picked up the box. Did he hide a honey pot or something here? Or did it contain something awful that he could not show the content in front of his apprentice? Whatever it was, he wanted it to be something amazing. So, that he could rebut him with it when he would bring up ‘The swordsman Van’ dream.
However, when he opened the box after a while, Van couldn’t help, but feel that he got stabbed on his back.
It was something that he could not have ever imagined.
“……A sword?”