The Swordmaster Wants To Live Peacefully [EN]: Chapter 367

Swordmaster Wants to Live Peacefully – Episode 366

Preparation (2)

“Shouldn’t you be getting used to this after three years?”

If he couldn’t even manage something like this, it was practically an admission of incompetence.

However, his dedication was undeniable. He arrived earlier and stayed later than anyone else.

It was likely this unwavering commitment that kept Bendun from dismissing him.

His skills weren’t quite up to par, but Bendun kept him around solely because of his passion.

The man would spend days crafting a single sword. One might question if the task warranted such time, but he poured his heart and soul into each creation.

As if it were the last thing he would ever make.

The completed, roughly-hewn iron sword was placed in a corner of Bendun’s shop. Mass-produced swords were stacked in oak barrels, awaiting their future owners.

Days turned into weeks, and the swords in the oak barrels gradually disappeared.

Swordsmen, unable to secure custom orders, opted for the ready-made swords as a second choice, slowly depleting the barrels.

The sword crafted by the man remained unsold.

Yet, without a trace of disappointment, he would meticulously clean the sword after work and return it to the oak barrel.

Utmost devotion. That was the only fitting description.

But even the most worn-out straw shoes eventually find a match. One day, a somewhat awkward man stumbled into Bendun’s smithy.

Yuseong-u recognized him instantly. *What a naive face.*

“Hehe.”

He chuckled softly, observing his past self. It felt like an eternity ago.

Before he even reached double digits in this world, back in his inexperienced youth.

He was far from being a Swordmaster, barely able to wield a sword properly.

Of course, as a mere rookie, he couldn’t afford a custom order from Bendun. And with what money?

So, he had come seeking a ready-made blade. The sword he’d been using was so old it couldn’t even slice tofu [a metaphor for being extremely dull].

It was obvious it would shatter with a single swing, prompting him to buy a replacement in advance.

The rookie Yuseong-u couldn’t even dream of the high-end weapons displayed on the wall, and instead rummaged through the lower-quality, ready-made swords, searching for one that appealed to him.

But at that time, he lacked the discernment to properly evaluate a sword.

He didn’t know the qualities of a good or bad sword, leaving him unsure of what to choose.

The logical choice would have been the most expensive, but he only had enough money for a single ready-made iron sword.

-Ha, I can’t even tell by looking…

He muttered softly in Korean, his frustration evident. One of the employees, who was cleaning inside, approached him.

It was the blacksmith who dedicated his life to making swords.

He smiled warmly and asked if he needed assistance, offering recommendations in various ways.

While his swordsmithing skills were lacking, his theoretical knowledge was extensive.

-The length and weight of the sword, they all depend on what kind of swordsmanship you use. What kind of swordsmanship do you use, sir?

-That’s…

A slightly clumsy attempt at the Imperial language [the common language of the realm].

It had been several years since he arrived in this world, but he had to learn a new language every time he crossed a border because there were so many languages to use. Besides, all he knew back then was stabbing and swinging.

To survive.

Perhaps sensing his predicament, the man paused thoughtfully before speaking.

-If you haven’t learned any swordsmanship yet, I recommend a plain straight sword. It can be used to cut with both edges, and it can also be used to stab. The length is also appropriate! It’s a versatile weapon for any swordsmanship.

-Is that so?

-How about this one? It’s a straight sword that I’ve carefully maintained every day. The quality is a bit lacking, but…

He was well aware that the sword he made wasn’t particularly good.

Yuseong-u accepted the straight sword recommended by the man. As if to prove his daily maintenance, it sparkled and gleamed more than the other swords. To the point where he couldn’t understand why this sword hadn’t been sold yet.

Seeing that it looked fine on the outside but hadn’t been sold, it was clear that there was a defect, so the rookie Yuseong-u hesitated for a moment.

As he hesitated, the man said.

-You can think about it a little more. It looks like it will still be here even if you come back in a few days.

-…I understand.

For now, the rookie Yuseong-u left the smithy. The man had a feeling that he wouldn’t return.

Those who reacted like that usually went to other smithies.

However, contrary to the man’s expectations, two days later, the rookie Yuseong-u came back and asked for the sword.

The man was delighted and handed the sword over to Yuseong-u, even throwing in a whetstone and scabbard as a bonus.

Taking it out of his meager salary.

Yuseong-u, now equipped with a new sword, embarked on his adventure with the man’s farewell. He honed his swordsmanship and trained his body, swinging his sword whenever he could.

The relatively kind mercenaries he encountered along the way offered advice on which areas he needed to focus on to improve his swordsmanship.

The rookie Yuseong-u applied modern exercise knowledge to train the necessary muscle groups. He strengthened his lower body and built up the stamina required to wield a sword effectively.

While adventurers and mercenaries typically indulged in food and drink after a successful job, the rookie Yuseong-u was frugal.

He only treated his companions who had been with him from time to time, and invested the rest in himself.

To survive in this world, he had to work twice as hard as others. It was a world where survival depended on relentless effort.

Moreover, the mercenaries who took on the most dangerous jobs lived with their lives constantly on the line.

So even more, they didn’t know when they would die, so they might have been spending all the money they had on hand.

It would be a bit unfair to die with money left unused.

Thus, Yuseong-u was considered an oddity even among the mercenaries.

He was often mocked by others, who questioned what he was saving his money for. He wasn’t an Imperial, and his skills weren’t particularly impressive.

But he consistently succeeded in his requests and returned safely, which stirred resentment in some.

A seemingly ordinary guy was returning unscathed, while they were failing.

That was because they didn’t know anything. Yuseong-u was acutely aware of his own limitations, and he approached every request with extreme caution.

He gathered information and didn’t act until he was certain of success. Based on the information, he set traps and overwhelmed his opponents before they had a chance to react.

That was Yuseong-u’s method for completing requests, while they simply charged in blindly without any information, fueling their envy.

Anyway.

Yuseong-u made good use of the ready-made sword he bought from Bendun’s smithy.

Despite the blacksmith’s inexperience, the blade was sharp and provided a satisfying cutting feel.

Whenever it became slightly dull, he would sharpen it again with the whetstone he had received as a gift.

He took meticulous care of the sword, intending to use it for as long as possible. It was a sword he had purchased with considerable effort, and he was determined to use it until it wore out and broke.

Yuseong-u carried the sword at his waist, along with a backpack filled with various sundries, and traveled while working as a mercenary.

It was an aimless journey with no specific destination. It was a journey to find a way to return to Earth.

He sought to gather information about dimensional travel as he traversed the continent. This was also the reason he was saving money.

To purchase magic books or historical texts that discussed dimensional travel.

Because books made of paper were luxury goods in this world.

Yuseong-u’s journey was monotonous and, at times, fraught with danger.

He mostly traveled on foot, occasionally hitching a ride on a carriage.

He faced monster hordes on the plains and encountered bandits while crossing the mountains.

Sometimes he was cut or pierced by swords, finding himself on the brink of death. But Yuseong-u tenaciously survived.

Because Yuji-u was still on Earth. He couldn’t give up on life, consumed by worry for the child he had left behind after his disappearance.

He couldn’t abandon hope of returning, even after repeated failures to find information about dimensional travel.

He didn’t stop. He fought and killed every day, living his life with Ilsaeng [likely the sword’s name, meaning “one life”].

The ready-made sword purchased from Bendun’s smithy proved surprisingly sturdy, and perhaps due to his frequent sharpening, it had a long lifespan.

Maybe it was because he rebalanced it whenever he stopped by a village with a smithy.

Ilsaeng, having been through several smithies, was no longer a shabby sword with unbalanced weight and center of gravity.

And around that time, Yuseong-u was also gradually becoming a complete swordsman.

The rookie who knew nothing of swordsmanship had reached a mature level and roamed the world with a single sword.

He had seen much and defeated many enemies over the years.

It must have been when he had traveled about half of the vast continent.

At some point, he naturally began to use red aura and was known as the ‘Mercenary King’ among the mercenaries.

Everyone was impressed by his flawless handling of requests, even though he mostly worked alone.

Moreover, he even took on high-level requests that others couldn’t manage.

The name of the Mercenary King spread across half the continent, and he was simultaneously recognized as a Swordmaster.

It was the birth of a new Swordmaster, one of the few on the continent, and the completion of a new sword to fight against the demons.

However, Yuseong-u remained consistent.

He continued to wander the continent, searching for clues about dimensional travel.

Cutting down anyone who stood in his way, whether they were humans, demons, or monsters.

Ilsaeng, which he had carried since his rookie days, became his beloved sword. Although the sword gradually turned red as it absorbed a lot of blood.

He didn’t care much.

The blacksmiths also found it strange, but it showed no signs of being a demonic sword.

The Swordmaster, wielding his red sword, wandered the continent for decades to achieve his goal.

He crossed the sea to visit other continents and gathered companions to collect information.

That’s how decades passed.

Many things happened over the decades. Companions grew old and died, or were killed by enemies.

He had to return from other continents empty-handed.

He fought countless wars.

He had to accept the challenges initiated by Swordmasters from other countries, and he was pursued by various groups.

But Yuseong-u never lost in any of those situations.

He was still dedicating his life to returning to Earth.

Then, the Demon King’s army stirred, and a divine message was delivered. The founding god of the ‘Cheonji Church (天志敎) [Heaven’s Will Church],’ which held the greatest power on the continent, specifically mentioned Yuseong-u.

‘If you defeat the Demon Kings and Gods on the opposite side of the continent, you can get what you want─’ was the divine message.

Thus, Yuseong-u formed an expedition to the Demon World for the selfish reason of achieving his goal.

It was a march of fools who would help him achieve his ridiculously foolish goal.

The biggest fool among them was undoubtedly Yuseong-u.

The second biggest fool was Veronica.