The real thing is different (3)
My nephew, talking about strange things, was very annoying.
But there was something else that really offended me.
Those eyes. That look.
At first, I couldn’t figure out what that twisted look meant.
It was a gaze that I had never seen before, an uncomfortable expression I have never encountered.
Pity.
It was with pity that my nephew stared at me.
I couldn’t understand it.
The distinction between the weak and the strong is clear.
Everyone who is watching who between us is strong and who is weak.
If someone was to be pitied, it was his nephew.
But what is with that gaze?
Why does he look like a strong man that looks down on the weak?
“With mana chains, you cannot reach Transcendence,” I heard him say.
What’s worse, I felt that I was shaking as I listened to him.
“You have to know… how great it is that you have lost.”
The moment I heard his dry voice, my chest slumped. I felt like I had lost something important.
There was a feeling of emptiness in my chest.
I struggled with confusing emotions and grabbed my sword.
I’m going to end this with a single blow.
Both the battle and the delusion in my heart.
Suddenly, an unknown song came out of my nephew’s mouth.
“I cut the scales of the dragon that cannot be cut by any sword, and drink its hot blood.”
My heart shook and tightened as I listened to the song he hummed.
Woo woo woo-!
I filled my sword with mana from one ring as I watched his sword glow with mana.
It was then…
Click-!
In an instant, my nephew’s untrained sword was crushing against mine.
If I blocked it a split-second too late, it would have bit my cheeks.
I watched my wooden sword get grounded little by little with his strong drive.
Half my sword was reduced to wood chips falling on the ground, bit by bit.
His blade would soon reach my face.
Unconsciously, my rings started spinning.
One. Two. Three.
Finally, the last one spun, too.
Bang-!
My nephew was thrown backward, crashing to the floor.
“Your Highness!”
The court knights began rushing in, but we’re stopped by my nephew’s hand.
“I’m fine!”
He stumbled to his feet and spat blood.
“You said you’d only use one ring,” he smiled, exposing bloody teeth.
Confused eyes inside the room all turned to me.
There was a blade of light rising about a meter or so from my hand.
It was the Aura Blade, which appeared only when four rings were activated.
I could not believe my eyes.
Unconsciously, I have used the Aura Blade just to stop a wooden sword.
I immediately turned off the Aura Blade in shock.
Unbelievable.
Mana hearts are of lower quality than mana rings. It was the truth. It was common sense.
However, common sense was denied in front of me.
By my nephew.
Who has not even had a full year of swordsmanship training.
My expression sank even more.
I thought I could finish this quickly, but in the end, I have ended nothing.
Not my nephew. Not the delusions.
“Count Bale Balahard,” I heard him say. “You lost.”
His voice was sharp.
Then, he collapsed.
“Your Highness!”
Court knights rushed in to help him.
I watched the scene helplessly, not knowing what to say or do next.
* * *
I had a terrible nightmare.
In my dreams, I was a slave without any senses except for sight and hearing.
It was so vivid. I thought it was not a dream.
When I woke up, I felt terrible discomfort.
My head was a mess. I didn’t know whether I was a sword or a human.
“Okay.”
If it wasn’t for the physical pain I felt in my muscles; I would have been pushing the boundaries between reality and unreality for a longer time.
The nightmare was a price for unreasonably pulling out the power of Muhun-si.
So was the pain in my muscles. They seem to be tearing apart.
Above all, I have a splitting headache.
I don’t think I will recover for a while.
I was prepared for this, however.
The Poem of the Dragon Slayer was a [Myth] level song.
I have not even used the entire verse available.
Only three phrases in a single verse.
My body was too weak.
“One hundred victories are my pride, my strength.”
“I endured a thousand waves while competing a hundred times.”
The first verse that I wove myself. Another line has been added to it.
“I will be proud in front of the bigger wave.”
『The rating of [Dalian Poetry] has risen slightly』
Every new line will become my strength.
“Now, I’m going to use it.”
I can’t use the Poem of the Dragonslayer at every battle and suffer these results every time.
In that sense, [Dalian Poetry] was the perfect poem for me right now.
There is a knife for cutting chicken, and a knife for cutting cattle.
With the upcoming sparring against the Third Prince, [Dalian Poetry] would be enough.
“Your Highness?”
Adelia caught me giggling.
“Hmm.” I coughed to cover it up, then looked at her.
I didn’t see she was beside me because my eyes were only half-open.
It must have been strange for her. She laughed a little.
She was not as shy as she was in the past. Her spirit was stronger now.
It has been rewarding to continually engrave my presence on her.
“I’m glad you’re awake now, Your Highness.”
“I didn’t want to… kidding. How much time has passed?”
“Five days.”
It seems that the aftereffect of Muhun-si was bigger than I thought.
I asked her what had happened while I was asleep.
“There was turmoil when you fell unconscious. At that time, your condition was so critical…”
Adelia explained the situation.
The muscles on both arms turned blue, and I have kept vomiting blood.
She said there had been quite a fuss, and that priests were summoned to stop the blood and return the skin color to its original form.
“It was the first time I saw the Queen so angry,” she continued
When the Queen appeared, she took one look at me and grabbed Uncle by the ears.
The Queen’s anger grew even more, when Carls stood up and confessed the brutality of Uncle, who promised to use only one ring but ended up mobilizing the Aura Blade.
My stomach hurt from laughing as I listened to Adelia.
“Tell me more, more!” I asked her as I giggled.
Adelia calmly explained the rest of the story.
The Queen dragged Uncle outside, and after a while, she returned to check my condition but didn’t stay long.
“Sir Bale Balahard was sent out of the palace.”
“Of course, he should be. He pulled out the Aura Blade on me.”
“But before he left, he left me a message for you.”
“Don’t tell me yet. I need a break.”
I really had to rest.
Excessive use of Muhun-si affects not only the body, so it was necessary to be absolutely stable for a while.
If I don’t recover completely, I will pay a terrible price.
First, the memories of the reality and the past were mixed up.
At some point, the boundary of reality completely collapses, and it becomes an unending madness.
Moments of frustration and moments of glory are endlessly replayed. Terrible nightmares or dazzling glory.
It was something I absolutely wanted to avoid. I became trapped in the memories of when I was a sword.
“Your Highness, I have prepared some soup, so take care of your hunger.”
It wasn’t until I heard that from Adelia that I realized that I haven’t eaten for five days.
I ate the soup heartily.
After filling my stomach, I had a job to do.
“Adelia, how much have you heard from me and my uncle’s conversation that day?”
“I heard it all. Muhun-si, knights from 400 years ago made a mistake…”
I began to tell her the story that I have put off.
I told her about her ancestor and about Muhun-si.
While she was dubious about the fact that her ancestor was such a great knight, she was curious about Muhun-si.
“I will teach you a very special poem. But not now,” I promised her.
After all, Agnes Bavaria’s poem was as great as the Poem of the Dragon Slayer.
However, if Adelia takes it on without enough preparation, it would kill her.
She had S-class swordsmanship and A-class mana response, but her soul rating is not proportional to her physical talent.
Then, there is one thing we can do for now.
To make Adelia weave her own poem, just like I did with [Dalian Poetry].
Only
“So… what do you want to do with your sword?”
She thought hard. She told me she hadn’t thought about it yet.
She looked ashamed that she didn’t have any ambition.
“So, start thinking about it now,” I told her.
Her brows furrowed in concentration for a while, and then she responded.
“I really want to be a knight.”
Adelia looked straight at me with a persistent gaze.
Her eyes shone.
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