All-Master Player Of The Academy [EN]: Chapter 23

12. So What? – 1

Ian examined the other iron ores, his meticulousness causing the owner to wonder.

“Are you perhaps a blacksmith?”

“Not really… Could I get some more of this?”

“How much do you need?”

“About ten boxes?”

The merchant was surprised by Ian’s words and shook his head.

“Oh, no! You don’t have to pay. You seem to be a friend of the young master. I’ll just give it to you.”

“I can’t do that. I plan to use you from time to time in the future.”

“If you insist… I’ll take only 1 gold per box.”

“Isn’t that too much?”

“The monsters in the central region have been acting up severely this time, making the process of receiving goods a bit complicated. These days, the transportation costs are higher than the original price.”

“Hey, mister. Still, that’s too much.”

Balla tried to argue further, but Ian stopped him.

“Stop it.”

“Hey. You don’t even have money.”

“Ian, should I lend you money?”

Blanche held up his money pouch.

Ian shook his head at him too.

“I still have money left from selling monster materials last time.”

“You don’t even get an allowance from home. I’ll just buy it for you. It’s only 10 gold…”.

“It’s okay.”

Money can be earned anytime.

With that thought, Ian took out a 10-gold coin from his pocket and handed it over.

“By the way, is this the only southern ore you handle here? What about Podaz?”

Ian’s expression clouded over when he mentioned Podaz.

“That’s… the Magic Tower’s orders have increased these days. I’ll try to get some, but don’t get your hopes up.”

“Even a little is fine, so please get it for me.”

“Understood.”

The owner bowed and pointed to the boxes.

“Where should I send these?”

“To Ian Brandon, Intermediate Class B at the Academy.”

“Understood! If you need anything from the south, please come and find me anytime!”

Receiving his greetings, Ian and his party went outside.

“Hey, Ian. I can lend you money, you know? Buy more if you need it now.”

“We have monster subjugation training soon anyway.”

There was nothing he particularly needed right now, and he could earn money by catching monsters then.

Blanche was disappointed when Ian didn’t care much.

“Hey. But you’ve spent almost all your money. What are you going to do now?”

“I’ll earn it with them, what else.”

Large figures were walking down the alley.

Each of them held clubs or weapons, and they seemed full of murderous intent.

“It’s those bastards!!”

“Ah?! Those guys are?!”.

They must have been accomplices of the pickpocket Ian caught earlier.

But putting that aside, why were they angry at Blanche and Balla?

The three were puzzled and then clapped their hands at the same time.

“Ah!! Those guys!”

They were the ones they had encountered when they came to town before.

Balla smiled at them.

“Ian. I’ll give you all the money I earn from catching them, so teach me some metallurgy later.”

“I’ll teach you when we refine the iron ore we bought today.”

Blanche grabbed a long mop handle from a nearby store.

“It’s time to test what I learned from you.”

“Ha! Those fearless bastards!!”

“Dare to go against the Boridan Faction?!!”

“Kill them all!!”

As a dozen burly men began to rush towards them, Blanche grumbled.

“Balla. I told you to wear our academy uniforms.”

He had changed because he planned to hang out in town, but now he had to beat up unnecessary people.

“Iyaaah!!”

One man jumped up and aimed for Ian.

Ian, who had slapped him away, drew his sword.

“We can’t help it since we already wore these. Here.”

And he moved his sword, cutting down one man.

“Wipe them all out.”

At his command, Balla and Blanche revealed ferocious smiles.

* * *

Boridan, the boss of the Boridan Faction, who had taken over the back alleys a few days ago, put money in the safe and felt proud.

“Oh, teacher. Thank you. Thanks to you…”

“It’s nothing. It’s just cutting down trash like them anyway.”

He repeatedly bowed to the masked man sitting in front of him.

About three months ago, the masked man who had come to him beat up his subordinates and asked to be hired.

As a result of hiring him out of fear, Boridan quickly took over the back alleys.

But he didn’t know whether it was a blessing or a curse that such a strong person had come to him.

Moreover, he didn’t even know who the other person was.

He should at least take off his mask.

But the masked man had never revealed himself even once.

That’s why he was even more anxious.

It seemed like he was just trying to use him.

“But teacher. We’ve been together for some time now, so I think I should at least know your name.”

“We joined hands because we needed each other, so don’t ask unnecessary questions. More importantly, has the information come in?”

“Ah, no. The person who looks like the old man you mentioned is still…”

“Keep looking.”

He nodded as the masked man spoke coldly.

Right. What does it matter who that person is?

The important thing is that he has the back alleys in his hands.

‘If he’s trying to betray me…’

Then he’ll secretly strike.

No matter how strong that masked man is, he’ll die if he gets stabbed, right?

“Then I look forward to working with you in the future!”

-Crack!!

It was then.

He hurriedly opened the window at the commotion coming from below.

“What is it?!”.

His subordinates were being beaten by three young punks.

Boridan gritted his teeth when he saw that.

“Teacher!! Please… Huh?”

The masked man was staring intently at the bottom of the window.

He picked up his sword without even a single movement.

“I’ll take care of that guy.”

And he jumped out of the window.

Boridan was puzzled by the masked man’s words.

“Why ‘that guy’ when there are three of them?”

* * *

Was it because his gang was being attacked?

A gang that seemed to be their comrades rushed in from the alley.

But even so, they were just weaklings to the academy’s intermediate students.

“Haha! You bastards! Come at me!”

Blanche laughed loudly and swung his staff.

Then, a masked man who had fallen from the air avoided his staff and kicked his abdomen.

“Kkeuek!!”

As he rolled across the floor after being knocked back by the blow, the masked man quickly darted out and kicked Balla as well.

The masked man, who had knocked down the two in an instant, drew his sword and pointed it at Ian.

“Ugh… Wh-what is it?”

It was too fast, so he didn’t even know what he had been hit with.

Blanche, who struggled to get up, was horrified at the sight of the masked man facing Ian.

“Gasp!! Th-that sword?!”.

“Ouch, ouch, ouch… What’s wrong?”

“Damn it! Ian!! Join us! Let’s fight together!”

Balla was puzzled by Blanche’s shout.

And his face turned blue at his next words.

“It’s the Sword of the Sword Flower Clan!!”

At his cry, Ian asked confidently.

“So what?”

A moment of silence settled in the back alley.

Blanche bit his lip at Ian’s nonchalant answer.

There is no one in the world of martial arts who does not know the symbol of that sword.

The name of the martial family will fall on the day the Sword of Flower comes.

Fear the flower.

The declaration of the Sword Flower Clan, the most warlike and powerful force in the Forest of Warriors, is a story passed down to many martial families on the continent.

That’s how scary and strong the Sword of the Sword Flower Clan was.

Even Ian wouldn’t be able to easily deal with a swordsman from the Sword Flower Clan.

“Damn it! Balla!! We have to buy time and let Ian attack!!”

“Is the Sword Flower Clan that strong?”

Enough to require three people to stick together?

As Ian muttered, the two jumped in.

The two aim for the masked man at the same time.

But he leisurely blocked their attacks with his aura-filled sword and moved his hand.

-Thwack!! Thwack!!

Instead of buying time, they were knocked out in one blow.

Seeing that, Ian lightly flicked his sword.

“There’s no murderous intent, and you’re showing mercy in your movements? You could have killed them in one blow, but you didn’t.”

“The Sword of Flower, facing a strong opponent, does not cut down anything else.”

With his skills, he could have killed the two with that blow earlier.

But since he didn’t kill them, it would be better to repay him for that.

“Okay. Then I won’t kill you either. Before that, should we introduce ourselves?”

“Is an introduction necessary?”

“Of course.”

Ian smiled coldly and ran forward.

“You should at least know who stabbed you, so you won’t feel so wronged?!”

-Clang!!

The aura-filled sword collided with the ordinary sword.

But Ian’s sword did not break.

The masked man was satisfied with that.

As expected, he hadn’t misjudged him.

“Ian Brandon. From Intermediate Class B at the Academy…”

-Creak!!

The sword is being pushed back.

The aura-filled sword was being pushed back by a sword without aura.

Ian, who had pushed the masked man back with force, chased after him.

“I’m the representative.”

-Clang!!

Once again, a heavy blow is delivered.

The masked man, who blocked it and took a few steps back, was amazed.

“Amazing. Where did you learn that?”

“Who knows?”

The eyes inside the mask shone with interest and a desire to challenge, and Ian pointed his sword.

“And I revealed my name, so if you have a conscience, shouldn’t you reveal yours too? And take off the mask.”

The masked man chuckled softly and grabbed his sword with both hands.

At that moment.

-Whooooong!!

A low vibration sound and aura gather.

A much darker blue sword than before was created, and he rushed at Ian.

“Try to take it off.”

Ian swung his sword at the masked man, who was revealing more of his skills.

“If you want.”

-Clang!! Clang!!

As Blanche said, the skills of the Sword Flower Clan swordsman were on a different level from Acewyn.

The cohesion, quantity, and quality of the aura.

Pure swordsmanship skills too.

He was far superior in every aspect.

Ian frowned slightly as he clashed swords with the aura-filled sword several times.

The sword’s durability has reached its limit.

‘Still, it’s great that it’s held up this far…’

-Crack!

The sword begins to crack.

Ian regretfully released the strength in his hand holding the sword.

“Is that all you’ve got?!”.

Suddenly, the masked man strongly strikes down as he becomes passive.

At that moment, Ian, who had been blocking until just now, lightly dodged the attack.

“Ugh?!!”

He skillfully moved his body to dodge and struck the masked man’s temple with his elbow.

The masked man, who had been hit, staggered back and shook his head a few times to regain his senses.

“Tch…! For a swordsman to not use a sword and use such tricks!”

“I’m not a swordsman.”

“What?”

“Hey! Blanche! If you’re not going to fight, give me that!”

Blanche quickly threw the staff he was using.

Ian grabbed it, spun it around, returned Karza’s sword, which had reached its limit, to its scabbard, and pointed the staff at the masked man.

“A staff… I’ll ask again. Who taught you?”

“You wouldn’t know even if I told you?”

“Looking at the way you use the sword, it’s like a Sword Saint… But looking at the way you handle various weapons, it seems like a Forest Keeper [a master of various weapons and wilderness survival].”

“Why are you talking so much?”

Ian lightly swung his staff.

The Sword Flower Clan swordsman, who blocked it, stepped back and admired.

He had hit the aura-filled sword with just a wooden staff, but the wooden staff seemed fine.

‘This guy…’

What kind of guy is he?

No, what kind of tricks is he using?

‘He’s good enough to become a new talent for the Sword Flower Clan. I need to inform the leader.’

As he stepped back and took a stance, Ian spun the staff and said.

“That sword looks good. Give it to me.”

“Hmm… Good.”

“Huh?”