The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 343

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 342

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully 342

The Strong (3)

Celine, unaware she was speaking to Veronica, continued, adding fuel to the fire.

“Last time, it was a capture request, but they brought him back as minced meat. So, they didn’t even get the reward money they were aiming for… and the compensation for property damage was enormous.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yes, really. She’s not a bad person, but I wish she would think sometimes.”

Veronica, hearing this directly, clenched her fists until her knuckles turned white.

She knew it was an illusion.

She knew it was coming from someone she missed, but she couldn’t suppress her anger.

Yoo Seong-woo, standing beside her, was also struggling to hold back laughter.

“Anyway, I’ll explain the expedition rules. First, no fighting between members except for sparring. This is the most important rule. There were so many sword-crazy guys that we had a lot of injuries at the beginning.”

In the early days of the expedition, power struggles between members were common.

It was a place where self-proclaimed sword masters from various regions gathered, so conflict was inevitable.

“Of course. We’re not crazy like that. We’re intellectuals who know how to resolve things through conversation.”

“That’s a relief then.”

Celine slammed her quill on the table and continued.

“Second, always eat meals. We must always be ready to fight. If we’re hungry, we can’t fight properly, so never skip meals.”

Then, Celine’s gaze swept past Veronica to the four people behind her.

She narrowed her eyes and said.

“Lastly, dating is prohibited within the expedition. There’s nothing as foolish as being swayed by emotions on the battlefield. Please date or marry after the expedition is disbanded.”

“…Isn’t this a huge flag [a foreshadowing of romance]?”

“Like proposing after this war ends or something?”

“Hey, stop whispering in the back. Anyway, just follow these three rules and listen to the expedition leader. That’s it. Take the blankets next to you according to the number of people, and use tent number 18.”

After finishing the new recruit briefing, Celine buried her head back in her paperwork.

Taking the blankets, they found tent number 18 and went inside, sharing their impressions of the camp.

“This place is no joke. I can’t find anyone weaker than me.”

“…Me neither. Everyone in the camp seems to be at least an S-class Diver [a high-ranking adventurer or warrior].”

“Hehe, this is the Sword Soul Expedition. Amazing, right?”

Veronica said with a proud expression.

The Sword Soul Expedition was the strongest armed group on the continent.

Even the unit called the hidden sword of the most prosperous empire, or the Holy Knight Order of the religion with the most followers, could not rival them.

Power holders, worried about the concentration of military force, had made several attempts to dismantle the Sword Soul Expedition, but they never yielded.

“But the fact that this entire force eventually died…”

Yoo Ji-woo had heard from Yoo Seong-woo about the fate of the Sword Soul Expedition.

They succeeded in killing the Demon God, but in the process, all the other expedition members died.

This was a group of such strong people, so what kind of beings were the enemies they faced that they were annihilated?

Veronica exclaimed.

“If we had been properly supplied, we wouldn’t have been annihilated! Someone cut off our supplies, so we had to keep fighting in the demon lands while starving…”

Recalling the past, she murmured in a slightly depressed voice.

The expedition was successful.

But the result was tragic.

The supplies that should have arrived properly never came, and they had to continue fighting, starving in a barren land where they could not even find food.

The reason why the supplies didn’t arrive was simple. The empire cut off the supplies to ensure they wouldn’t succeed in the expedition and return safely.

“Right? Captain.”

Veronica asked Yoo Seong-woo, who was standing in a corner.

He kept his mouth shut for a moment, then nodded.

What they feared most was not the Demon King’s army, the demons, or the Demon King himself.

It was other humans.

Even though the destruction of the continent was imminent, they were desperately trying to maintain their vested interests instead of helping.

As Yoo Seong-woo, he hated those guys the most. As a result, the expedition ended the way it did because of those selfish bastards.

After dealing with the Demon God, he had thought about taking revenge on them.

But it was better not to.

Now that the common enemy was gone, it would be more painful for them to fight each other and self-destruct.

“…Well, that’s enough about the expedition. Get ready soon. It’s about to start.”

“What’s starting?”

“There was something we always did when new recruits came to the camp.”

“Ah! That!”

Veronica smiled brightly as if she remembered.

And, not long after, someone poked their head into the tent entrance and said.

It was a middle-aged man with a hearty demeanor.

“New recruits, get ready. Let’s see your skills!”

At the man’s words, Veronica jumped out, and the remaining four reluctantly got up and followed Veronica.

Following Veronica, they arrived at a corner of the camp.

The expedition members were gathered in an empty lot.

Some of them were warming up, as if they were about to fight.

The middle-aged man who had called them smiled and said.

“Sorry for the suddenness, but there’s something we always do when new recruits join our expedition.”

“Something you always do when new recruits come?”

“That’s right! Being in the expedition means you’re something special, but shouldn’t we see it for ourselves? See if we can trust you to watch our backs on the battlefield.”

It was a kind of skill test.

Being in the expedition meant that Yoo Seong-woo acknowledged their skills, but others might not.

They had to prove their skills by sparring with existing expedition members.

“Now, who’s going first? You can even designate your opponent. Beat up someone who looks weaker than you and make them your subordinate.”

The man said that, but the four thought it was ridiculous.

Could there really be anyone weaker than them in this camp?

The woman named Celine they had just met was in charge of general affairs, but they had seen it.

The calluses firmly engraved on her hands.

Even though she was wearing glasses and holding a pen, she was a stronger swordsman than them.

The rapier she was wearing on her waist was not for decoration but for actual combat.

They couldn’t imagine winning against anyone in this expedition where such a person was in charge of general affairs.

But, if they were intimidated and backed down in a place like this, when would they ever grow?

They had to become stronger.

And, this world in memory that Yoo Seong-woo had prepared was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They had to learn everything they could from this expedition, where only geniuses gathered.

“I’ll go first.”

Baek Woo-hyun stepped forward, drawing his dust sword. He emitted sparks all over his body, ready to go all out at any time.

“Oh oh… What school is that? A swordsmanship that uses lightning.”

“Is it the embodiment of Aura [a magical energy]? No, it doesn’t seem to be that level.”

“Who’s going to go out? Seems fun. Should I go?”

“If you go, he’ll die. Hmm, okay. Carlton! You go!”

The expedition members looked at Baek Woo-hyun strangely and sent out one person.

A young man in armor named Carlton scratched the back of his head as if he couldn’t help it and stepped forward.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Carlton Evernia.”

“…Light. Nice to meet you.”

Baek Woo-hyun awkwardly introduced himself.

It felt like proudly introducing an English name he had made up in school when he was a child.

They whispered about his name in the back.

“Hey, did he just use ‘Light’ from ‘Lightning’ as his name?”

“I doubt he named it that simply.”

Hong Seo-hwa poked him, and Yoo Ji-woo made fun of him.

Baek Woo-hyun prepared for the sparring with tears in his eyes.

Carlton, Baek Woo-hyun’s opponent, took a deep breath and assumed a stance.

“Shall we start then?”

“Yes.”

“I’ll give you the first attack.”

At Carlton’s words, Baek Woo-hyun acknowledged that he was inferior to him.

The aura flowing from Carlton’s body was that of a well-refined warrior.

A swordsman who had built up his skills through good education and actual combat since childhood.

Baek Woo-hyun raised his tension and took a step.

With sparks flying in all directions, he rushed forward at lightning speed and swung his sword.

The sword, swung at lightning speed, fell towards Carlton, but he only showed a slightly surprised look and smiled as he deflected Baek Woo-hyun’s sword.

And then Baek Woo-hyun launched continuous attacks.

In an instant, the sword light flashed several times, and the sharp tip of the sword was aimed at Carlton, but not a single attack hit properly.

Watching Baek Woo-hyun, the expedition members shared their impressions.

“The speed alone is amazing.”

“Is it the characteristic of the swordsmanship? It seems like there are hardly any guys who can react to that speed.”

“But the opponent was a bad match.”

Hearing the whispering sounds of the expedition members, he asked Yoo Seong-woo, who was standing next to him.

“What are they talking about?”

“They’re talking about the Evernia family’s secret swordsmanship.”

Carlton Evernia.

The third son of the Evernia family, a swordsman who had been called a swordsmanship genius since childhood.

The Evernia family’s secret swordsmanship is called ‘Reading the Number’.

Swordsmen read the number while fighting.

They read the trajectory of how and where the opponent’s attack will come, deflecting the opponent’s attack or preempting the position.

However, the secret swordsmanship used by the Evernia family shows a different level of reading the number.

Through the intuitive power and thinking power that the Evernia family is born with, they can see further than others.

Therefore, no matter how fast the speed is, it is useless.

Moreover, Carlton was born with the most outstanding talent in the history of the Evernia family.

Not only sight and hearing, but even using touch, he boasts a clear vision as if he had eyes on the back of his head, so he can react no matter where the attack comes from.

After that, he reads the opponent’s number through secret swordsmanship and counterattacks.

The most outstanding talent swordsman born from the Evernia family.

“Then isn’t he the strongest?”

“That’s not it. It ends if you press down with a strong force that prevents counterattacks. But, as much as Carlton has trained, it’s impossible with Baek Woo-hyun’s strength alone.”

Carlton was a man on the verge of becoming a Swordmaster.

Eventually, Baek Woo-hyun, exhausted from swinging his sword, knelt on one knee, panting.

Carlton approached him, smiling and reaching out his hand.

“Good work. It’s a swordsmanship I’ve never seen before, can I hear about what kind of swordsmanship it is?”

“…Good work. I learned a lot. Anything about my swordsmanship.”

It was Carlton’s victory.

Baek Woo-hyun was sweating profusely, while Carlton maintained his composure even in such a fierce battle.

When the two’s sparring ended, the middle-aged man from earlier said.

“Okay, next one, come out quickly! Who is it this time?!”

“…I’ll do it.”

The next one to go out was Choi Ah-yeon. When she came out with daggers in both hands, the middle-aged man looked at her with interest and shouted.

“Hey! Tian! It’s a dagger user! How about you do it this time?!”