Chapter 22: I know that, but I couldn't care less (5)
Chapter 22: I know that, but I couldn't care less (5).
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There is a huge difference between the noble and the commoner.
In a world like this, even with the development and spread of magic, the scars of the past refuse to fade and dominate the people.
The nobles still remained in their positions, enjoying whatever they desired, whether it was food or clothing, unlike the commoners.
Across the continent, it is the same; there are rich and poor.
If it were only that, it would be fine, but because of these differences, racism became a major measure of these differences.
Abuse and enslavement, social mistreatment, and treating them like cattle, along with rapes and murders during celebrations.
These were daily occurrences that the weak commoners had to endure.
In public, they did nothing, but in secret, far in the shadows, the truth of the masks revealed itself, and their deceptive smiles faded away.
The people of Kanghua or the society of wizards and half-beings were not far from the equation.
The strong in this world were unrestrained.
And the only ones who paid the price were the ordinary people.
What is called justice was nothing but a false standard used by those in power to gain benefits.
For this red-eyed boy, he did not care.
The suffering of the weak or the tyranny of the strong.
None of that moved his heart.
It had nothing to do with him.
This is how it was, simply, he stood before her without any wild emotions.
Even in the past millennium, there had never been a situation where a person of unknown origins stood before a ruler of a state, looking at them without fear or respect.
There were cracks between humans that arose when they were treated harshly.
Truth no longer mattered; only resentment remained.
Therefore, a commoner would not stand in front of someone of a prestigious background without fear or hatred in their eyes.
This was the extent of the wounds that arose from this hereditary system.
In front of everyone here, he had subdued them and stood before an untouchable girl.
Their roles were reversed.
It was just an unusual situation.
Leon Evenius, an unknown origin student who came and caused trouble.
For some reason, he made the students chase him.
Usually, it would have been just a funny chase.
And yet.
Everything turned upside down.
This was for two reasons.
The first was the people who were with Professor Deus.
The second was Leon Evenius himself.
He was arrogant and unapproachable.
Instead of surrendering and simply letting the matter go without many consequences, he made the issue bigger.
He was a strange person.
All the information that everyone here knew was something simple.
This person possessed such power that he stood with arrogance before the most prominent young talents in the states of Cairo and Nanman.
No, he did not stand against them; he overwhelmed them all.
Even the boy who previously held a sword did not show such ferocity.
No one dared to move, and more precisely, no one could move.
Even while standing and moving his body with ease, he overwhelmed them with strange power.
The world under his command subdued them.
This is how it appeared.
He struck someone brutally, and four of his pursuers, not to mention his battle with the girl, which seemed like a delay.
As if he were playing.
This is how everyone here felt.
Standing before someone untouchable, complaints loomed on the horizon.
"Princess, this isn't funny!"
"Ahaha... I'm sorry... but, be quiet!"
What should have been a serious situation turned upside down.
"Seriously! My moment of grandeur and dignity has been ruined! Damn you!"
With a deadly glare in his eyes, he looked towards the root of the cause.
"Hehe! You wish, scoundrel! This is what you get for gloating over us!"
Cleaning.
He sat in the same squatting position, doing the same thing he does after every battle.
He is now cleaning his spear.
Lloyd Daniel.
This boy was someone who fought with a spear.
Since childhood, he loved long weapons, and he ended up carrying a spear.
Was he of noble origin? He was not; he came from humble origins.
Like everyone else, he had his own story.
What was his ambition? How did he live? Now, that doesn't matter.
He should clean his spear and enjoy this sweet moment, laughing at Leon.
That is what matters now.
"This noble son... is complaining now after putting the burden of training these two on me?"
Damn you! You damn scoundrel!
Deus smiled smugly at Leon as his body moved fluidly.
Clang! Clang!! Clang!!!
The swords clashed in this silence.
Since they couldn't move anyway, the audience watched the ongoing battle.
Two people facing one.
He completely overwhelmed them, and it was not hidden from anyone.
But that was not the point of the battle.
This was training.
The girl's eyes flashed coldly.
She was now just a few steps away.
Her target that she aimed for was almost in front of her eyes.
Her struggle throughout her life was for that.
The fear of loneliness and isolation, anxiety and confusion.
All those emotions dissolved from her heart.
Clarity of mind and liberation of the heart.
This is the purest form of the sword, which the swordsman sought.
Clang! Clang!!
Her sword moved smoothly and with a speed unseen by the eyes.
Her opponent was strong beyond her measure.
No matter how fast her sword accelerated, it was faster; no matter how she maneuvered with her sword, his sword was waiting for her.
Yet, she was not alone.
Her graceful movements synchronized with the blond boy's sword beside her, and they attacked together.
A feeling was forming in her heart.
How many times in her life did she want to feel something other than loneliness?
It was like an obsession.
Now, she had reached it.
That gray world began to slowly color.
The burdens of the past and present were all severed.
Her opponent was the only thing clear to her foggy vision.
In a world of ambiguity and fog, he stood before her with his fierce eyes.
Every time she looked at him longer, emotions arose in her heart.
They were emotions she had never known before.
Her sword accelerated only and increased the sharpness of her sword.
"Your defense is very shabby; this is your weakness."
The words of the boy Deus when he advised her echoed in her ears, like a lullaby.
"Utilize your body's flexibility and use that as a basis to form your defense."
"Defense is not tied to a rough style; as long as it protects you, it is defense."
"A swordsman must learn from his environment and not be bound by any approach."
"Following one style is good, but it is not the best; do not be bound by anything."
"This is the approach of the sword."
Repeatedly, until it became like an echo in her heart.
His voice filled her world, and everyone disappeared from her field of vision.
The world was dark.
And there were only three swordsmen who were clear in it.
She, Fernando, and Deus.
They fought as if they were in their own world.
There was a sense of connection in this fight.
Deus's words flooded her mind.
Her body moved instinctively.
Her unrestrained attacks were polished, as never before.
She began to focus more on protecting herself rather than just quick attacks.
Be patient, and wait in your burrow, protect yourself with your sword, as if it were a field covering your body; do not be reckless in attacking.
Just wait for the right opportunity to attack.
This is her style now.
When he noticed that, he began to attack her to test her understanding.
At first, she was unaware of what she was doing, but over time — by following her instincts and the instructions in her head — her defense became solid.
She was improving at a rapid pace.
It was not just her.
Whether it was Leon or Deus, they paid special attention to the boy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
It was not just the girl who developed her sword.
It applied to him as well.
If the girl's movements were graceful and fast, the boy was overwhelming and cunning in his movements.
His techniques were characterized by adapting to the environment.
He was now in a state of semi-unconsciousness, his body moved only with the movements of his enemy.
Clang! Clang! Clang!!
When the girl attacked his right side, he immediately went behind the enemy.
A coordinated attack that complemented each other.
Deus easily avoided it by moving his body slightly and parried the girl's sword extensively.
The goal of the battle was not to win.
Thus, he was not discouraged and increased the strength of his sword.
He seemed to be in ecstasy, as if he were following something.
Fernando Nicola.
The youngest son of the Nicola family, and the boy who had struggled his whole life.
Whether it was the hatred from his family, or assassination attempts and kidnappings, or even countless obstacles, the boy had gone through them all.
He wanted to taste the feeling that many around him had experienced.
A longing for something.
He had missed that in his life.
Striving, struggling, the emotions of frustration and joy because of that struggle, the boy did not know what that meant.
Only self-hatred was what the boy had.
As a person hated since childhood, he had a dream.
For most people, it was something within reach, but it was a lifelong wish for Fernando.
He wanted to see his mother.
What was the reason?
Was it longing? Perhaps he wanted to feel comfort after seeing her, since she was the only one he heard loved him before he was born?
Or perhaps just a childish desire?
It did not matter what the reason was.
He had the drive and the longing, so he silently put in his effort.
He never complained about injustice; he had already gotten used to it.
The idea of having someone to lean on had long disappeared from his mind.
He had no friends, and his family did not consider him one of them.
He was alone.
This is the truth, and he had to accept it.
The boy moved forward as he always did, and the day came close for him to become the heir of the family head; his efforts would be rewarded.
Or so he thought.
When he finally saw a glimmer of hope, he was thrown from above.
The family head sent him to the academy, revealing his talent.
And there he had lost hope.
Events followed, and he almost died, but he was saved.
His view of life changed, and his body moved as if possessed.
Everyone on the eastern coast looked at him, but he could not see them.
Two people beside him, one was fighting with him, and the other against him.
These two were the only ones he saw beside him.
He felt a familiarity with these two.
As a person who struggled every day, he knew immediately.
These two were different from him, but they were also similar.
"I always wanted others to appreciate me."
He had often lived that way.
How was he fighting now?
Perhaps no one among the crowd surpassed his fencing style at this moment; admiration filled the eyes of the audience.
It was funny that he did not notice.
No, he noticed them, but it did not stir any emotion in his heart.
"When they see my talent, these looks will change immediately."
Such is human nature.
For a long time, he did not know why he was obsessed with others' appreciation of him.
"Your sword lacks certainty."
As if it were a repetition of the previous incident, Deus's voice rang in Fernando's ears.
Sometimes during the fight, he would miss an opening and not exploit it.
There was a conflict about taking that opening, or perhaps it could be a trap.
"I don't know what you've been through in your life, but as a swordsman, you must have the will to cut, whether it is talent or hard work; they are useless without it."
"When you attack, do not waste a moment; do not think too much, or your head will be the one flying, not your enemy."
"Your sword is devoid of emotion; this is good, but what is lacking in a place must be filled with something else."
When the fencing style is devoid of emotions, something else must take its place.
It is the will.
The boy's unrefined movements began to improve.
"Forget everything else, and focus on your sword; why does your sword cut? Why do you carry the sword?"
This is what your mind should focus on.
The answer to that will be what you are looking for.
And that will be your will.
He felt his head grow cold; his emotions were stagnant.
There was nothing to worry about anymore.
There was nothing weighing on his mind.
Clang!! Clang!! Clang!!
A speed barely visible to the eye.
The blond boy and the blond girl waved their swords quickly.
Their bodies accelerated.
The initial mistakes were no longer visible.
Even Leon could only admire what he saw.
The princess stared at him in astonishment.
"... Weren't you going to ask me about the reason for what is happening or something like that...?"
"And miss such a show? No, thank you! That can wait!"
"... Alright."
She could only respond like that.
"Tsk!" He clicked his tongue, thinking in his mind: "Haven't they arrived yet? Is there something delaying them? Well... the duel happening now in my favor will be excellent promotion."
Leon stood in the air and sat as if he were sitting on a couch.
He did what he had to do, and now he could only wait.
There was no longer a great need for Lucia's information now; he would know in time.
There is a change in the plan.
After interacting with her personally, she was as the rumors said.
"She is kind." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye: "This girl is good at judging quick situations, and she did not react as I thought when I mentioned my hatred for her father."
"I can't judge whether that was an act or not at this moment."
Not to mention anything, he had felt strange fluctuations in her magical energy earlier.
The Eye of Insight is likely the reason.
There were rumors that it helped her understand the general situation of an event.
What does that have to do with Leon? He had not started doing anything that would affect the general situation yet, nor was there any specific reason for her to use it on him.
Why did she do that?
More than anything, when she used the Eye of Insight, Leon felt something trying to enter his mind.
The Nightmare Call technique prevented anything external from entering his mind and made the person trying to do so see an illusion that instilled terror in their being.
Why did the Nightmare Call technique react that way?
Does the Eye of Insight see more than just the general situation?
A thought flashed in Leon's head immediately.
He did not need many clues to understand the reason.
"She is likely reading thoughts or emotions."
If it weren't for the Nightmare Call, he might not have seen or even felt what she was doing.
He might have felt the strange fluctuations of magical energy, but he wouldn't be able to do anything.
But there is something not right.
Leon's thoughts raced as he watched the fight reach its peak.
If she could read thoughts and emotions as she wished, she would be omnipotent; she wouldn't need to bring this many people to confirm Leon's intentions.
This means there is a flaw equal to the power of this Eye of Insight.
"Most likely, it resembles my Nightmare Call; the difference in power affects how much she can see."
"But since it is a bloodline ability, it won't be as lethal as the Nightmare Call technique, which is a demonic technique with many risks."
All in all, this girl has such an ability, but I have not heard of any abuse in using it.
"When I confirm that she is as I think, it won't be harmful to use it."
Leon watched Princess Lucia with high expectations as she watched the ongoing battle with eyes of admiration.
This kind girl did not realize that because of her ability that always protects her, she would enter a chaos she never imagined would happen in her life.
What a pity ~.
The swords clashed and sparks flew.
This is what the ear hears and the eye sees.
This was no longer a simple duel; it had become a battle encompassing the entire environment.
Clang!! Clang! Clang!!
Boom!!
The sounds of bodies colliding with the sand rang through the ears.
Clouds of dust were flying.
The girl was as fast as a snake, and her sword swayed like the movements of a whip.
The boy Fernando was as strong as a tiger and cunning as a fox.
What about Deus? He mixed and combined all of that together.
His sword was strange.
If you said it was fast, it was fast; if you said it was overwhelming, it was overwhelming.
Just as water takes the shape of its container, his sword changed with the movements of his enemies.
There was one word to describe this fencing style.
Perfect.
His stance was unwavering, his hand swinging the sword did not tremble or falter; the sword went exactly as he wanted.
The sword was an extension of his body, and his body was an extension of the sword.
A magnificent sight.
This scene would not be forgotten by anyone here for the rest of their lives.
The three people were waving their swords.
Deus faced the two while making his strength slightly higher than theirs; nevertheless, the two kept up with him with their implicit cooperation.
Such things happen in life sometimes; people do not just need time to understand each other; it was also related to the way of thinking and living at times.
Struggle and struggle.
These two lived their lives that way and carved their paths with that mentality.
Whether it was uncertainty or isolation, the two lived that only way.
Uncertainty, the boy faced such an emotion daily.
Why was he obsessed with others' appreciation of him? It was the same reason for his obsession with meeting his mother.
It is the fear of loneliness and the lack of something to look forward to.
Contrary to what he showed others, he was afraid.
The girl was the same; in her daily life, she only remembered doing the same monotonous thing.
Day after day, to keep the last remnants of her family in the world, she struggled to enter the world of the sword.
She was obsessed with the sword.
And this obsession was a means of escaping her loneliness.
The two had their own lives, but they felt each other.
Deus opened his mouth, but only they heard his words.
People who have darkness in their hearts always reveal each other.
Some live alone, and others live together.
That does not remain the same.
Sometimes a person will live in isolation for a long time.
And at other times, they will live with others for a long time.
Isolated islands come together and separate; some are destroyed, and new islands emerge.
This is how life went.
And now, it was time for new islands to come together.
With their similar blond hair, the two looked like brothers.
When Deus was about to surprise one of them, the other immediately protected him.
The two were a support for each other.
Deus could only smile.
They were growing together.
This is the relationship of the swordsman.
And it is a brotherhood that does not wither easily.
While he fought them in the chaos of the beach, Deus opened his mouth.
His voice was clear to everyone.
"In fact, I never asked you, do you want to carry the sword for a purpose? Or is the sword your pursuit?"
Carrying the sword for a purpose, or is it a pure desire to carry the sword?
The question resonated deeply in the heart.
Uncertainty, this was an answer that had always filled the hearts of these two.
But now, the clarity of mind in their hearts was evident.
The girl, who had lived alone her whole life, looked at the young Deus in a way she never thought she would see in a living person again.
The young swordsman was strange.
He cut through everything.
Does such a thing exist in the world?
The girl could not see it.
This unreachable goal, the girl could not feel the possibility of it happening.
And yet, why is he like this?
Certainty without doubts or fears.
His words were filled with confidence.
This is the way of living of the swordsman.
Raise your sword with courage, and do not lower it in the face of adversity.
Your sword will not fail you; wield your sword, and it will protect you.
When you possess the spirit of the swordsman, you will never regret as long as you fight.
This is only if you put in all your effort.
The words of her father's book echoed in her mind.
These words were the first thing her father wrote in the fencing style he possessed.
He had created a sword technique.
And he worked hard on it, hoping to complete it one day.
The last move was what he could not master.
The man died in battle, protecting her and her mother.
He was proud of what he did.
And the girl inherited that technique.
The boy before her reminded her of the first words of the book.
The spirit of the swordsman, she had lacked that determination.
"I... probably, I would have ended my life here."
She began to speak at length.
Shocking words came out of her mouth.
The audience was stunned.
And the battle stopped.
They wanted to speak.
But the pressure on their bodies had increased, preventing them from speaking.
Many struggled to stay conscious and not lose it.
"No one dares to open their mouth even."
His cold words fell upon the place.
His voice was colder than ice.
Leon, glared at them with unrestrained killing intent.
His aura was indeed terrifying; after revealing his intent to kill them, everyone froze and trembled in their places out of fear.
The desire to speak was no longer present.
The strong pressure had been alleviated, but not to the extent of allowing a person to move as they wished.
They had lost hope that Leon's magical energy would run out to free them from the bonds of this siege.
Common sense did not apply to him.
This is what everyone here decided to agree upon.
He is a monster.
"I don't think the reason is despair; your eyes, they tell something else."
Fernando stood silently in his place.
What Deus said was true.
He himself had tried to commit suicide.
These are not the eyes of someone who has surrendered to life and tried to end their life because of that.
He felt it instinctively; what happens today will change their lives completely.
After analyzing people throughout his life, Fernando knew people well.
Deus is not a strong sword fighter.
He is a true swordsman.
Following him was a radical decision that would become a central point in his life.
He stood holding his sword beside the girl, as if he were silently offering support.
"The reason is something deeper... have you perhaps... decided that a long time ago?"
The girl fell silent.
She felt that she was easy to understand for others today.
Or perhaps it was because Leon and Deus were special people?
She understood Deus to some extent; their clash with swords was enough for them to understand each other.
But Leon was the one who was incomprehensible; this person was a riddle that could not be understood.
From her silence, Deus was sure that he was right in his words.
"But that is not all, is it?"
"There is a reason for you to say this."
Yes, he could read her completely, just as he did with Leon; the girl abandoned her thoughts on the matter.
"Your sword, when I saw it... I felt emotions I had never felt before."
It was a sword she had never seen before.
"I was confused; I didn't know what to do, so I decided to end my life as long as I reached the sword I aspire to."
This decision was harsh and required courage.
For the first time, the girl spoke of what she had tasted in her life.
She never thought she would do that.
"Previously... I was afraid."
She would say everything.
This is what she felt, and what she wanted to do now.