The Bastard Swordsman Of The Imperial Guard [EN]: Chapter 101

“Do I really have to come all the way here?”

Ra-El looked around with a disgruntled expression.

A place full of lush trees and dense magical energy.

It was the Special Guard’s training grounds.

“It’s a rare lesson for my disciple, so it must be conducted in a proper place,” the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master said, smiling as he looked around.

Others may not know, but he quite liked this place.

The Special Guard’s training grounds, filled with the Demon King’s magical energy and aura, were similar to a battlefield.

It reminded him of the time when he crossed swords with demons, a time when his swordsmanship reached its peak.

“Draw your sword, Ra-El. I congratulate you on accepting the flow of the times after reaching the realm of Ascension, but you are still slow compared to your talent.”

“You should at least teach properly before saying such things. Mr. Pretender Teacher.”

*Does he even know how many times Ra-El has received teachings from the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master so far?*

Excluding their first meeting, it was only once.

He received more words from Ghent than swordsmanship from him.

He might as well call Ghent his teacher.

“I couldn’t help it. I had to stop the demons’ rampages.”

“…Demons’ rampages?”

“I don’t know why, but demons and monsters have begun to proliferate in various parts of Alheim. I tried my best to stop them, but some slipped through. A great war will begin soon, so you should prepare as well.”

“…”

Ra-El felt a sense of responsibility for some reason.

The demons’ rampages, different from the original story, must be a butterfly effect he created.

“The Thousand Slaughter Sword is a sword that cuts the sky. To cut down the tenacious demons, you had to create a sword stronger than any other swordsmanship.”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master raised his sword.

Ra-El stared at the vivid Sky Severing Sword Energy blazing from his sword.

‘It’s definitely the same sword as mine… but much sharper.’

His slowly blooming sword began to flow as if riding the wind.

Ra-El blankly stared at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s swordsmanship.

If it were him from a year ago, he wouldn’t have felt anything from that sword.

‘Cutting the sky…’

Ra-El raised one corner of his mouth.

He was annoyed because he felt like he understood the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s vague words a little.

“Sky Entry and Ascension are like the basics of the Thousand Slaughter Sword.”

Swish-

A sharp sword, though not flashy, unfolded before Ra-El’s eyes.

The sword energy he had to concentrate on drawing out and the sword of Ascension seemed effortlessly light to him.

“If you have risen to the sky, then you must firmly solidify the ground. That is the 3rd form: Sky Treading.”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s sword became lighter.

His sword, moving as if dancing, cut through the air in unexpected places.

“…?”

Ra-El blankly stared at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s sword cutting through the air, then turned his head.

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master raised his sword and pointed it towards the other side.

“Ra-El, you should now be able to handle the magic of the sky. In the realm of Sky Treading, you must surpass that magic.”

Whoosh!

At that moment, with an explosion of tremendous magical energy, the air was torn apart.

The sword energy, transcending space, exploded with a roar and cut down the forest several tens of meters away.

“…Huh?”

Ra-El blinked as he watched the trees that Ghent had worked so hard to cultivate being destroyed.

He didn’t see anything.

He didn’t notice when the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master cut down those trees until the very end.

“What was that? What just happened?”

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master quietly sheathed his sword.

“Ra-El, swordsmanship is a fight against time and distance. I must have told you that.”

“Yes, I remember.”

“Not reaching the opponent’s distance, but entering your own distance before the opponent can react. That is swordsmanship. However, the monsters beyond the Geumji Alheim [Forbidden Alheim, a dangerous area] ignore such common sense.”

“…”

“That’s why I created the Thousand Slaughter Sword 3rd Form, Sky Treading: a sword that treads the sky.”

Ra-El couldn’t understand his words.

However, he knew what he had to do.

Ra-El carefully raised his sword.

Seeing this, the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master gave him advice.

“Ra-El, just as you borrow the magic of the sky in the realm of Ascension, in the realm of Sky Treading, you must tread and surpass the sky.”

“Don’t lie. I just have to shout ‘Sky Treading’ again, right?”

“What on earth are you talking about? This is something that transcends the five senses: treading on a non-existent sky. That is the task given to you.”

“Thousand Slaughter Sword 3rd Form: Sky Treading!”

Ra-El ignored the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s words and swung his sword.

However, his sword could not transcend space.

“Mind and body as one. And, one above all, ten thousand below. This is the mindset to reach the realm of Sky Treading.”

“Thousand Slaughter Sword 3rd Form: Sky Treading!”

“Ra-El, Sky Treading is not a sword that can be mastered by shouting.”

“…”

Ra-El stared intently at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master.

*That’s not how you do it?*

*Then what have I been learning so far?*

“Let me explain it a little easier. Think of the sky as this world.”

“This world?”

“Trample this world and stand above it. Gather the gaze of the entire sky upon you. That is the path of Sky Treading.”

“So what does that mean?”

Ra-El stared at the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master for a moment, then turned his head.

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master smiled slightly, as if satisfied with his explanation.

“I am satisfied that I have given you a hint of enlightenment. Ponder it, and I will give you another hint soon.”

“Hey, Thousand Slaughter Sword Master, don’t start preparing to run away… Hey! Where are you going!”

Dada-da-

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master left those words behind and disappeared into the forest.

Ra-El shook his head as he watched the back of that crazy old man.

“Couldn’t you tell me in more detail? Can’t you do eye-level education or something?”

Ra-El sighed and raised his sword.

In the end, it’s just training.

To master that crazy sword, he had to recall the old man’s appearance and swing his sword again.

“Teleporting the sword energy…? No, at least explain the basic principles. Tsk. Why is this Sky Treading? It has nothing to do with treading.”

Sky Entry, Ascension, and Sky Treading.

It was clear that the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s taste was reflected in the names.

Ra-El expressed dissatisfaction with the educational environment, which was worse than a street mercenary training center, but the person who would listen to his complaints had already disappeared.

“I can’t even grasp the feeling… Well, should I try it anyway?”

He could at least grasp the feeling of Sky Entry and Ascension.

But he couldn’t even dream of reaching the realm of Sky Treading.

‘”Trample this world and stand above it. And gather the gaze of the entire sky upon you,” he said.’

Even if he listened to the explanation, he didn’t understand it, but the Thousand Slaughter Sword was originally such a sword.

Maybe if he swung his sword, a solution would appear in an unexpected place.

Is that what they call enlightenment?

‘Surpass the sky… Tread on a non-existent sky… Tsk.’

Ra-El recalled the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s movements and swung his sword.

The training that started when the moon rose continued until the moon hid behind the mountain.

“Damn it… I don’t understand anything.”

However, this time was different from before.

He felt something when he followed the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s sword in the realms of Sky Entry and Ascension.

But no matter how many hours he swung his sword, he couldn’t even approach the realm of Sky Treading.

“…Haa. I’m so tired.”

Ra-El lay down on the ground.

His whole body was soaked with sweat after swinging his sword for several hours.

‘It’s awkward to go to the orphanage or Sara’s inn in this state… Should I just sleep like this?’

It was too late, so it would only be a nuisance if he went now.

He was quite used to sleeping on the streets, so it wasn’t difficult.

It would be better to fall asleep now and train a little more when he opened his eyes.

Ra-El closed his eyes, watching the sky slowly brighten.

*

Warm sunlight shone on his face.

“Hmm, that’s a strange thing. Reina, you didn’t do this, did you?”

“I came in with you, you silly Ghent. And an elf would never touch a tree, would she?”

Consciousness slowly returned to him as he heard voices around him.

His body was still tired, but he could hear the conversation clearly.

“Then who destroyed all the trees that I had been pruning and decorating for months?”

“Don’t you know? There’s a culprit sleeping here with a sword.”

“Hmm, is that so? There’s only one culprit here. He must have been rampaging with his sword and fell asleep from exhaustion. Feel the pain of the trees, Ra-El.”

“…”

Ra-El’s senses detected danger.

Ra-El, who opened his eyes, saw Ghent holding a trowel and immediately raised his hands.

“It wasn’t me, so put it down, Ghent.”

“Ra-El, if you lie, there will be aggravated punishment.”

“Don’t be ridiculous. The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master did it, so don’t take it out on me.”

“Hmm, I thought there was a possibility… Is that really so?”

Ghent put down the trowel with a slightly disappointed expression.

He sighed at the thought of having to cultivate those trees again.

“Ghent, look at this. Vermeil III is dancing on my head.”

“Oh, that’s a great thing.”

“…Are you a psychopath? You forgot about the trees in an instant.”

Ra-El got up as he watched Reina, who was saying something out of the blue.

Vermeil III was actually rolling around on her head.

He didn’t know what that meant, but he was glad that she seemed happy.

“Ghent, what time is it now?”

“It’s 10 in the morning.”

“Damn it, I didn’t even get to sleep much.”

Ra-El yawned and stretched.

The Thousand Slaughter Sword Master came late at night, so it was already late dawn when he finished training.

“Ra-El, but why were you sleeping here? Did you become a real beggar after playing with the beggars? If you don’t have a home, would you like to come to my house?”

“…No, I just fell asleep while training.”

Ra-El shook his head as he looked at Reina’s pure eyes.

“Training? Training with the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master? I’m envious.”

“Envious, my ass. That old man is so unkind. He doesn’t even teach me properly after seeing me for the first time in a while.”

Ra-El leaned against the tree next to the hammock where Reina was lying.

And he talked about the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master’s atrocities.

He wanted others to know about this frustration.

“Hmm, Ra-El, you mean… you practiced the swordsmanship you learned last night all day long, but you couldn’t grasp any feeling.”

Ghent listened to Ra-El’s words and nodded with his arms crossed.

“Yeah. How nice would it be if he told me more kindly.”

“Ra-El.”

“Yeah?”

“Trying to realize something in just one day after learning a new swordsmanship? There’s no such thing as a robber baron [someone who gets rich quickly and ruthlessly].”

“You crazy giant, is this my fault?”

“Originally, it’s more difficult to go from 95 points to 96 points than from 50 points to 80 points. Ra-El, geniuses often think it’s unfair to face the walls that everyone else experiences.”

Ghent shook his head.

He liked outstanding warriors, but this shouldn’t be the case.

“No, is it really my fault?”

Ra-El struggled in frustration.

[Trample this world and stand above it.]

*Does that mean the teacher who taught him such a thing as swordsmanship is not at fault?*

Ghent seemed to respect the Thousand Slaughter Sword Master from a long time ago, so it was clear that they had some kind of warrior cartel.

“I agree. I agree. Ra-El is sometimes weird.”

“…”

However, even Reina, who was lying in the hammock, blamed Ra-El.

He could take it from Ghent, but to hear such words from Reina…

This time it was the longevity species cartel.

“Ra-El, don’t be too hasty. There’s a saying passed down among the giants that if you run too fast, your side will hurt. Take it easy.”

“…That’s a very intuitive teaching.”

Ra-El smiled wryly and looked at Ghent, then smiled.

Yeah, maybe he was being too hasty.

He could just walk slowly, one step at a time.

“Ghent, you said something nice, so I’ll let you off the hook this time.”

“What are you talking about?”

Ra-El smiled as he watched the giant tilting his head.

He decided to let the story about the Belmos family, descendants of the giants, go this time.