Chapter 51. Don't Make Say It Twice
Hyunwoo's routine mostly began with swordsmanship training and ended with swordsmanship training.
Today, too, Hyunwoo headed to the training room and ward up by transforming the Cheonbyeondo before starting his training in earnest.
It was training to familiarize himself with the various sword forms registered in the Cheonbyeondo.
As he transford and wielded various swords, he grew accustod to the feel of the Cheonbyeondo.
The Cheonbyeondo instantaneously changed into various sword shapes.
Ssk―
Now, it didn't take long to change the sword's shape.
‘Now I should be able to change the sword's form quickly even in the middle of a fight.’
⌜Cheonbyeondo―1st Awakening
Attribute Slot 1 : Abyssal Ether
Stored Forms : Greatsword, Rapier, Longsword, Dagger, Shortsword, Katana…⌟
Although many sword forms were stored, the two Hyunwoo mainly used were the ‘Greatsword’ and the ‘Rapier’.
In addition, there was the basic form of a ‘Longsword,’ which suited the 3-Star Crux Swordsmanship he had recently learned.
These three forms were Hyunwoo's main forms.
After finishing his warm-up, Hyunwoo transford the sword into a longsword, the form he had been focusing on recently.
Then, he imdiately took a stance for the Crux Swordsmanship.
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―12%⌟
Through his training so far, he had managed to raise the proficiency of the Crux Swordsmanship to so extent.
Two consecutive sword strikes were swung, making a single sound.
Swiik―!
The secret of the Crux Swordsmanship was the release of sword energy.
Hyunwoo focused the mana swimming inside his body, letting it seep into his arms.
‘With the feeling of wrapping every single muscle fiber with mana… done.’
It still took a little ti to envelop his body in mana, but he eventually succeeded.
And then, the release of mana.
The mana, which had been flowing at a constant speed, rode down Hyunwoo's wrist and flowed into the Cheonbyeondo.
Woooong―!
A blue sword energy blossod on the Cheonbyeondo.
And, he imdiately swung the sword.
The Cheonbyeondo’s sword energy embroidered a cross pattern in the empty air.
Ppagak―!
The wooden scarecrow he had set up beforehand split into four pieces.
Whether it was the limit of his proficiency or his mana, he didn't know, but the range of the projected sword energy was still about 1 ter.
Hyunwoo, who had been focused on the Crux Swordsmanship all day, wiped the sweat from his forehead and examined the shattered remains.
The scarecrows he had lined up were broken to the point they were hard to recognize.
At this level, he could say he had learned the basics of ‘Crux Swordsmanship’.
‘At this rate, I should be able to move on to practical application soon.’
Putting away the Cheonbyeondo, Hyunwoo took a long breath and thought about his training status.
As it happened, there was a suitable opponent nearby.
Lucas Cayenne, who had attached himself to the dormitory like a leech.
He felt like he should just give him a whole room and let him settle in for good at this point.
* * *
Ti flew by quickly.
Hyunwoo spent nearly every day with Lucas to raise his Crux Swordsmanship proficiency.
Thanks to the effects of the trait ‘Swordsmanship Genius’ and the title ‘Super Rookie’, his proficiency rose rapidly.
As he was spending his ti in repetitive training, Pierre appeared one morning with a confident expression.
While giving Lucas a room, he had asked Pierre to handle the interior design, and it seed it was finally complete.
Pierre had called him and Lucas over to introduce Lucas's room.
“Hehe… Lord Lucas. Please co this way.”
Bowing and scraping, Pierre was watching Lucas’s expression more than his.
For so reason, Pierre showed a particularly weak side to Lucas.
“Why are you making such a fuss over a single room.”
“It's an important procedure.”
While Lucas's room was being redecorated, Pierre had not allowed anyone to approach it.
So, this was the first ti even he was seeing the finished room.
Pierre’s mouth was stretched into a wide smile, though for what reason, he couldn't tell.
Hyunwoo looked back at Lucas, who was following behind him.
“……”
No emotion was visible on his expressionless face.
‘The actual owner of the room doesn't seem very interested….’
He had no idea why Pierre was so excited.
Hyunwoo and Lucas stood with Pierre in front of the newly decorated room.
Pierre pulled aside the curtain that was covering the doorway.
Chwaak―!
“Ta-da―! Please co in. This is my masterpiece, perfectly reflecting the tastes of a vampire!”
Behind the curtain, Lucas's decorated room was revealed.
Overall, it had a white base with red furniture placed throughout.
Lucas slowly looked around the room, placing a hand on his chin and occasionally humming—hmm—while tilting his head.
“Are you not pleased with it?”
“It's just so-so.”
“……”
It was a natural reaction, if anything.
No matter how hard Pierre tried, there was no way he could et the standards of Lucas, who had been a Demon.
‘I knew it.’
Hyunwoo looked at the crestfallen Pierre and shook his head.
Then he suddenly flinched and looked at Pierre.
Pierre was relentlessly studying Lucas’s unresponsive face.
Why was he so wary of Lucas?
Could it be…
‘Does that guy… still think Lucas is a Demon?’
Lucas and Pierre.
There had been a strange atmosphere between them since their first eting.
‘What are you?’
‘Eh? I… am Lord Hyunwoo's faithful subordinate!’
‘Are you the one who supplies these teas?’
‘Yes!’
‘I see.’
Lucas nodded, and Pierre trembled before the vampire.
As soon as Lucas learned that Pierre was the one supplying the tea, he began constantly demanding different types of tea.
And Pierre obediently began to do as he was told.
He recalled a ti when Pierre had stealthily approached him to ask about Lucas's identity, and he had jokingly said ‘a Demon’.
‘…Co on, he'd know if he thought about it for a second, right?’
Lucas's cold voice followed.
“For all your boasting, it’s quite shabby.”
“P-Please kill !”
…Surely, he didn't actually believe those words hook, line, and sinker, did he?
Shaking his head at Pierre's reaction, Hyunwoo led the two of them out to the living room.
Hyunwoo opened his mouth to the dejected Pierre.
“How are things these days?”
“Are you talking about my business?”
“What business, that's too grand a word. Is trade going well?”
“Yes! It's going well. It's all thanks to you, Lord Hyunwoo. Hehe.”
Hyunwoo had transferred the Sylvester Honorary Plaque to Pierre.
Using the plaque, Pierre had been able to earn a large amount of mana stones.
“That's good. That Lucas fellow. Even though his expression is like that, I think he's satisfied, so you did a good job.”
Flinch―
“…Lucas fellow? Lord Hyunwoo, have you beco friends with Lord Lucas, a Demon?”
“A Demon? Who's a Demon?”
“Pardon? You clearly said last ti that Lord Lucas was a Demon……”
“It was a joke. Did you believe it?”
“……”
Pierre's body stiffened.
A mont later, his mouth slightly agape, the dazed Pierre asked.
“I-It's a joke, right?”
“There's no way a Demon would be a gladiator.”
Stupid Pierre.
Couldn't he have figured that out with just a little thought?
Pierre's eyes slowly contorted.
He stomped over to Lucas, seething.
“You… deceived ?”
“Who deceived whom?”
“Because you pretended to be a Demon, I…!”
“When did I ever say I was a Demon?”
Lucas had never called himself a Demon.
Pierre's gaze turned to Hyunwoo.
“I told you it was a joke?”
“……”
He couldn't really say anything to Hyunwoo, who had lent him the Honorary Plaque.
As Pierre looked back at Lucas, Lucas spoke.
“Goblin. Bring new tea.”
He placed the teacup he had been drinking from on the table.
“Ha, as if I would listen to you now….”
“Don't make say it twice.”
“……”
Pierre and Lucas's eyes t.
Looking at Lucas's calm eyes, his own excited heart gradually cald down.
Lucas was a vampire.
Pierre was a goblin.
“Ah…!”
Letting out a short gasp, Pierre ca to a realization.
Even if Lucas was a gladiator and not a Demon, their relationship wouldn't change.
Pierre the goblin was quick to assess the situation.
“Hehe… I was just joking around a bit, too. A joke… you know it was a joke, right? I'll bring the tea. A new tea just ca in… I'll just go to my place and be back!”
Then he quickly exited the dormitory.
Hyunwoo chuckled at the sight and looked at Lucas.
“The slave's training is a ss. Leave him to . I'll manage him.”
“Pierre isn't exactly a slave…”
“He brews tea well.”
As if he couldn't even hear him, he savored the tea.
Fine.
Think whatever you want.
Click―
Lucas finished the rest of his tea and set the cup down.
Seeing him glance at the dormitory door, it seed he was waiting for Pierre, who had gone to get tea.
Waiting for him to finish his tea was one thing, but this was too much.
Hyunwoo opened his mouth.
“Let's go. Ti to spar.”
“Tsk… Fine.”
Lucas clicked his tongue as if annoyed and made his way to the training room.
In the training room, Hyunwoo stood facing Lucas with his sword drawn.
In exchange for giving him a room, he had been sparring with Lucas, which allowed him to raise his swordsmanship proficiency significantly.
⌜Crux Swordsmanship (3-Star)―41%⌟
Crux Swordsmanship, which fired sword energy using mana.
At first, it was difficult to even fire sword energy while standing still, but now he had reached a level where he could use it while moving.
Moreover, he could now launch the sword energy almost 5 ters.
It was now definitely at a level that could be used in a real fight.
Woooong―
As mana gathered in Lucas's hands, Hyunwoo stopped his thoughts.
If he just stood there, he wouldn't even be able to find his own bones.
⌜Ring of Blood⌟
Blood-red mana gathered around Lucas's waist.
‘He's coming at hard from the start.’
Hyunwoo also quickly poured mana into his Cheonbyeondo.
At the sa ti, he enveloped his body in mana for physical enhancent.
⌜Mana Circulation⌟
The seed of Anesta, which had taken root and settled inside Hyunwoo's body, spread its energy throughout his form.
He felt a powerful force in his clenched fist.
It was the result of the past month.
Hyunwoo could now handle mana as if it were his own hands.
Ssssk―
As the red ring flew towards him like an arrow, Hyunwoo dove inside the ring.
A fight between a swordsman and a mage is a battle of distance.
The structure was such that the closer the distance, the higher Hyunwoo's chances of victory as a swordsman.
Tat―!
Hyunwoo sliced through the Ring of Blood with his Cheonbyeondo and quickly rolled to the side.
⌜Thorn of Pain⌟
Kwazik―!
A blood-red cone shot up from where Hyunwoo had been.
It was a grueso attack that would have pierced right through his body had it hit.
Lucas had predicted that Hyunwoo would dodge and used his next magic spell in succession.
In the spars they had every day for the past month, this level of tactical exchange was basic.
Kwazik―!
Tat―!
Blood-red magic poured from Lucas's hands.
Hyunwoo dodged or cut through Lucas's magic, getting closer and closer to him.
Finally, having reached Lucas's side, Hyunwoo thrust the Cheonbyeondo.
He would have a blood-red barrier around his body, but it was an attack from a distance where he could deal a proper blow.
This ti for sure.
‘It reach—!’
Just before Hyunwoo's sword touched Lucas's mana barrier, the translucent, blood-red mana barrier that had been swirling around his body disappeared.
‘Huh?’
An unexpected, irregular attack.
A mont's hesitation decided the match.
Lucas, having dispelled his mana barrier, deflected the sword with his mana-clad hand and threw a punch.
Peok―!
“Keok!”
The punch landed squarely in his solar plexus, knocking the wind out of him and making him double over.
Before Hyunwoo could raise his sword again, Lucas raised his hand above Hyunwoo's head.
“I win.”
Hyunwoo lifted his head and saw the blood-red mana swirling above him.
“Is a mage allowed to throw punches?”
“A dead corpse is talking.”
“…Tch.”
As if there would be any restrictions on techniques in a real-fight-like spar.
Hyunwoo licked his lips, having no choice but to admit defeat.
“Alright, you're the best.”
“I know.”
Lucas shrugged as if it were obvious.
What a jerk.
It was currently impossible for Hyunwoo to defeat Lucas, who had recovered a fair amount of his mana.
Of course, Hyunwoo hadn't gone all out, but the sa was true for Lucas.
‘What a monster.’
Even when he got close, there was a fundantal difference in physical ability that couldn't be bridged with physical enhancent.
‘I need to find a way to strengthen my body itself.’
Thud―
The sparring wasn't only helpful to Hyunwoo.
Lucas quietly sat down and closed his eyes.
It was the process of refilling his depleted mana through ditation.
Through this process, Lucas was able to gradually recover his sealed mana.
Only the sound of their ragged breaths filled the silent training room.
A mont later, after catching his breath to so extent, Hyunwoo spoke.
“Good work today.”
“……”
Lucas remained motionless with his eyes closed.
He knew very well that Lucas was listening to everything he said.
“How much of your mana have you recovered now?”
Lucas opened his eyes.
“About 40 percent of my pri now. With ti, I should be able to recover it quickly.”
“Yeah. That's good.”
“The spars with you have been a great help.”
“Didn't you say it was a hassle?”
“……”
Lucas pretended not to hear and slowly closed his eyes again.
Hyunwoo chuckled at the sight.
Lucas regaining his strength was a welco developnt for him as well.
“But… the paynt for the request is a bit late this ti. You haven't received it yet either,right?”
“…I haven’t heard anything.”
Lucas opened his eyes a crack and spoke.
…If he was going to do that, why pretend to ditate?
Averting his gaze from Lucas's foolish behavior, he continued his thoughts on the request fee.
A considerable amount of ti had passed since Van had told him to ‘wait a bit longer for the request reward’.
As a rule, gladiators who returned from requests were supposed to receive their fees imdiately.
“Bation said he'd give sothing, but there's been no word on that either.”
“Did the lord of the castle make a separate promise?”
“He'll probably just give so more mana stones.”
“That's right. Don't trust those Demon bastards. Most of them are sinister.”
“Weren't you a Demon, too?”
“……”
Lucas closed his eyes again and shut his mouth, but the aning was conveyed well.
‘Well, you can't trust those Demon bastards.’
He had thought they'd just toss him so more mana stones.
Hyunwoo's prediction was correct.
However, the scale was different.
* * *
The next morning.
After finishing his spar with Lucas as usual, he was enjoying refreshnts prepared by Pierre with Lucas.
“Hyunwoo!!!”
Van burst in as if to break down the door.
Judging by his expression, it seed he had heard so shocking news.
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