Sword Whisperer: Chapter 14
Chapter 14. It’s Demeaning to be Even Subjected to a Test (2)
However, he did not use his internal energy. Had he accompanied the internal energy in this particular strike, even a lion wouldn’t be in one piece, let alone a wolf.
Just twisting and putting his body weight on the wooden sword was sufficient. Just with that, an ordinary person would be in pain for days. That was, despite the fact that it was a wooden sword.
And a wolf wouldn’t be exempted from that.
Van’s wooden sword accurately pierced the center of wolf’s neck.
“Kaeeeeng!”
It was an unbelievably clean strike. How could he even have the mental wherewithal to target a much bigger wolf than him when that wolf was rushing towards him. Lee Kyung made strong fists as he looked at Van with adoration.
“Definitely, elder brother Van….!”
“Of course, that goblin wouldn’t be overpowered by a wolf.”
“It didn’t look like he even used the internal energy?”
The warriors of the Cho Family shrugged their shoulders as they smiled at the anticipated outcome. The fact that Van has become their focus of attention wasn’t purely because of his god given talent. He had an appropriate power to go with that talent. He wasn’t a fool who did not work hard, trusting only in his talent.
A wolf? It might have had a chance to become a real test, had they brought a lion instead.
That was because Van was the most powerful one of them all.
“…..Hmm.”
Even the test proctors, who used to look at Van as a newbie, seemed to look at him differently, now. He entered, passing through the fence, and looked down at the crying wolf.
“Last 1 minute, he said, not beat up the wolf.”
“Ah, should I start again then?”
“…..No. I don’t think that’s necessary. You’ve a clean skill. I approve. You’ll be a well deserving under classmate.”
“Under…under classmate?”
“Didn’t you hear? Every test proctor is already a student currently enrolled at the academy.”
The testing proctor grinned.
“I’m Carmen. Look me up if you pass the admittance test. I’ll, at least, show you around.”
“Yes. ‘Elder classmate.’”
“Kkkkk, you’re an audacious person.”
Carmen looked at other Cho Family members as he smiled. He looked at them with provocative expression.
“The start was good, but how awesome will the other Cho Family’s warrior members be?”
Having seen Van’s success, they all put on brave expressions. That was because even if it was going to be a fight with only a wolf, it will, none the less, be their very first chance to show their fighting skills.
On that day, no incidence of defaming Cho Family’s name took place.
Without even one person failing, everyone earned the right to take the test.
§
“That Lee Kyung, he acted so brave, but did you see him crawl on all fours with fear, before that wolf?”
“Hey, hey! When did I chicken out and crawl, huh!”
“If that was chickening out, what is? You ran around for the whole 1 minute to save your tail.”
“It wasn’t running around, but dodging the wolf! I didn’t want to torture the wolf, you know?”
“Ah, so punching the lights out of the wolf, Van committed an act of animal abuse, is that it?”
“So, why do you compare me to that! Stop that, alright?”
Lee Kyung yelled in protest. In every aspect, he was a good target to be bullied by others. Putting on a smile, Van placed his hand over Lee Kyung’s head.
“Don’t overreact. That’s why they keep teasing you, every day.”
“Uh….Sorry, elder brother.”
“That lad is acting with good manners only when he talks to Van. Wow, very pretentious.”
“I’m not being pretentious. This is respect, you barbarian bastards.”
“Thup, thup.”
“…..You want to die?”
Lee Kyung became irate again, forgetting about staying calm. It was when Van shook his head wildly, thinking that he could not intervene. A man came forward toward Van. He was bald headed and had brown skin. It was Hazleck who was considered to be the next strongest to Van.
“Van, are you tired?”
“Why. Want to go at it again?”
“Isn’t it already the time that your body’s aching for it?”
“Real sword? Or a fake sword?”
“….Is that a question?”
Hazleck smiled as he replied in a question. Van grabbed a sword as he smiled in return. It was Lucas’ short dagger.
Van walked around with a total of three swords. Lucas’ short dagger and Number Five’s long sword. And the Cho Family’s long sword, specially designed for slicing.
As a matter of fact, made out of metal, Lucas’ short dagger’s quality was clearly lower than the other swords. Even the other warriors around him were questioning why he was even carrying that dagger.
Van simply told them that it was a sentimental weapon, but that wasn’t the main reason. Lucas’ style has mostly been already absorbed a while ago, but the talent was a different story. That was because that was something that could be aligned, not absorbed.
As a result, Van used Lucas’ short dagger to practice Cho Family’s swordsmanship, as well as other already learned sword skills. When the swordsmanship, which was in his head, was to be aligned with the talent that was inside Lucas’ short dagger…. The product from that would always surprise him beyond his imagination, for whatever it was worth.
And.
“Hazleck. I’m ready.”
Lowering the sword, Van looked at Hazleck. On the surface, he looked to be defenseless, but that wasn’t the case. That was because Cho Family’s swordsman could always execute a perfect, slicing maneuver from any posture.
Even though Van told him to attack, Hazleck wasn’t able to approach Van, so easily. He bit his lips.
‘I don’t see any openings.’
The sixth sense of a swordsman was telling him that this wasn’t a time for attack. It wasn’t like this in the old days. For crying out loud, just exactly when did this monster make this much advancements. Was he even really living in the same time continuum as with others.
His hand, grasping the sword tightly, was already dripping with sweat. Briefly looking at Hazleck, Van spoke quietly.
“If you can’t, then I’ll go.”
It was when he spoke those words. Van kicked the earth. Even without using the internal energy, Van’s sword was already getting close to Hazleck’s side.
Chang!
“Krr!”
It was a pure luck that he was able to block it. However, Van’s attacks did not stop there. Van’s sword once again drew an attack line even before Hazleck was able to recompose himself, and when Hazleck raised his head after rolling on the ground, a chilling edge of a sword was already making a contact with his neck.
“…..I’ve lost.”
“Crazy. Hazleck loses that quickly?”
“…..I’ve never beaten Hazleck in my life.”
It wasn’t an issue of whether knowing how to use the internal energy or not. That was because Van did not overlay internal energy in that attack sequence.
It was just that he was on a different plain as a swordsman.
That was the main point.
“Elder brother…..”
“Whoa, look at you, Lee Kyung bastard. Be honest. Do you like man?”
“….What is the problem with a swordsman, liking a more powerful swordsman?”
“That’s a problem. A swordsman should not like a more powerful swordsman. Rather, he should want to defeat a more powerful swordsman.”
Jeonkil, who always argued with Lee Kyung, said that. He murmured as he moistened his lips.
“Wait. I’ll show you what a true swordsman’s decorum is all about. Van! Let’s fight! You have enough strength, still, right?”
“Come. Not an issue.”
Van properly held his sword as he shrugged. And a moment later, without even a need for Van to draw his sword, Jeonkil was knocked down to the ground with a single kick. Lee Kyung smirked as he looked down on Jeonkil.
“See. Mouthing off gets you this?”
“….Shut, Aaahh, shut up.”
It was a usual occurrence. Dared to fight Van, and lose. As far as the warriors of the Cho Family went, there was no one who grew up without hearing that they were geniuses. However, every time they faced Van, they felt to their bones, the concept, that talent was ultimately comparative.
Even after that, a few warriors challenged Van, but there wasn’t anyone who could even make contact with Van’s clothes. It was as if Van knew the perfect answers in advance in terms of where he should be, how the sword should be swung.
It was because whenever they saw Van get out of the area to which they were going to swing their swords at, so they would naturally call Van a goblin.
“….In this round of admittance test, Van would definitely be the main person?”
Jeonkil murmured. Hazleck spoke in half proud and half bittersweet tone of voice.
“If it was not that bastard then who would take that status?”
§
The admittance test at the Citadel Academy in the capitol city wasn’t always the same. It was because they wanted to cultivate discernments, and wanted to conduct the annual admittance test which took place in the capitol as a time for festivities, in some ways. That was because they thought that festivals to be going obsolete ere a problem.
However, the thing that did not change over the past several tens of years was the ‘tournament’.
Swordsmen to swordsmen. Archers. Jousts. It was the blood soaked battlefield where everyone was to slice and fight against everyone in order to stand as a victor.
It was the ultimate festival which burned everyone’s heart, regardless of the era.
The mode of operation was simple. In the first rounds, every one repeated fighting until eight warriors remained, in each of the eight randomly chosen groups. They would all wear the same armor suits and masks to prevent people from forming alliance with those whom they knew.
Those who survived through the initial rounds would have a guaranteed spot at the academy, but that was not the end of it. That was because those who survived through the initial rounds would never be satisfied with simply earning the admittances.
There was a saying. Those who entered the academy through testing would in fact have their futures guaranteed from the moment of the testing and beyond the academy. It wasn’t just the ordinary citizens that watched the testing. The nine great family representatives, along with the incredibly wealthy people would be very interested and would be watching with their hawk eyes to see who would come out as the victor.
Van stroked the facemask which he was wearing. The fact that it hindered his vision was very uncomfortable, but he couldn’t complain since everyone else would feel the same discomfort.
“A great festival. I’ll leave my mark.’
So that every year, every spectator that came to the coliseum would naturally recall the name of Van, the swordsman.
Van tightly held the sword.
He was ready.
That was, to be the protagonist of this festival.