Chapter 68

"What do you want...? Money? Equipment?"

Woojin shook his head at Karlan's question.

"What I want isn't as difficult as you think."

"What is it?"

"A private audience with your father, Aswell Balan."

Karlan's face twisted.

"You lunatic... Are you that desperate to die? If Father finds out you escorted me, you're finished! Once we're through the portal, you need to slip away without a trace!"

"Don't worry. I'll handle what comes afterward."

"People really do find all sorts of ways to kill themselves..."

"So, is that a no?"

He hastily shook his head before Woojin could say anything else.

[You have discovered a quest.]

[Quest Name: Escort Karlan Balan]

▶ Rank: C

▶ Escort Karlan Balan to the portal leading to the central continent.

'It's been a while since I had a C-rank quest.'

Woojin had seen so many high-ranked quests that C-rank quests looked easy now.

"Here."

Woojin thrust a glass of water at him.

"Drink up and sober up. We're leaving right away."

"... Mmph?"

-Mmmph?

Some distance away, Ruen and Setsuna lifted their heads like meerkats, bread still in their mouths.

* * *

"Where are the horses? The carriage?!"

"You should know this. The snowy forest around Hundred Flowers Valley is too rugged for horses. We have to walk."

"Damn it..."

"Surely the scion of a great swordsmanship family isn't complaining about a mere two days' walk? The Sword Emperor's son?"

"Wh-what are you talking about?!"

Huffing at Woojin's words, Karlan took the lead, but his gait alone made him look ready to collapse from exhaustion.

'They're both nineteen, yet they're this different...'

Thinking of Irurin, Woojin let out a quiet sigh.

"Waaagh!"

Just as he had expected, Karlan's foot sank into the piled snow, sending him pitching forward.

"Damn it...! It's cold! Ack!"

When Woojin lifted him by the scruff of his neck, he flailed with a bizarre shriek.

"It's snow. Of course it's cold. Were you expecting it to be warm?"

"Damn it. The Kingdom of Tekan is warm all year round, without four seasons! Stupid snow...! It's not even pretty! It's garbage!"

Dangling from Woojin's hand, Karlan flailed and threw a furious tantrum.

"Have you ever learned swordsmanship?"

"Of course! Do you know who my father is? The great—"

"I know, so spare me. Anyway, that's good."

"... What?"

"It's time to use your sword."

[GRRRRR!!!]

That was when ice trolls appeared around the forest.

'There are a lot of them.'

There looked to be roughly twenty of them, all level 47 or 48.

'Did the ecosystem change after the Ice Cave appeared?'

The ice trolls and ogres had begun forming packs after the dungeon appeared, after all.

"So it wasn't just because you're a spoiled brat that no one would escort you."

It would take a party of at least five to face twenty ice trolls at once.

"E-eek...?!"

The moment he saw the monsters, Karlan cried out and backed away, his face deathly pale.

"Where are you going?"

"Wh-what?!"

"You have to fight."

"Fight?! That's your job! Hurry up and protect me!"

At Woojin's words, Karlan turned tail and began to flee.

"W-wait...!"

"Let go! Just fight them!"

He shook off Ruen's restraining hand and ran, only to trip over a tree root.

"Aaaagh?!"

He tumbled across the snowy ground.

"That's why I tried to stop you..."

"Leave him."

Woojin clicked his tongue at the sprawled Karlan and turned away.

'I know he's an NPC, but he still gets on my nerves...'

"Ruen, take the left."

"Got it!"

The moment he gave the order, Ruen drew her bow.

WHOOOSH!!!

Arrows sliced between the trees and struck an ice troll squarely in the head.

WHOOSH! WHOOSH-WHOOSH!!

[Activating Rapid Fire.]

As the troll at the front fell, two more arrows flew in.

'Her attacks have changed a little.'

Woojin watched Ruen as he fought the trolls on the other side.

NPCs generally tended to use their skills before their normal attacks. But Ruen had just fired one arrow first, then used Rapid Fire to shoot two more.

Since Rapid Fire let her draw faster than a normal attack, using it afterward reduced the delay between shots. It might seem trivial, but such subtle adjustments were rarely seen in NPCs.

'A growth-type NPC.'

Perhaps that meant more than simply being able to level up.

Woojin darted aside, avoiding an ice troll's spear, and drove his sword into its flank.

[GAAH!!]

As its dying scream rang out, he glided forward with a thrust.

Bolton Secret Art, First Form - Wind and Waves

KRAKABOOM!!!

With a sharp roar, Woojin's body zigzagged forward.

SLASH...! SLASH-SLASH...!!

He covered ten meters in an instant, his sword cleaving through three ice trolls in the same pass.

'It's a little different from when Chason used it...'

It was tremendously powerful, but compared to Chason's First Form, his swordsmanship was crude and rough. Rather than sharp, swift cuts, it felt like he was relying on strength to smash through things.

'Is it because my Dexterity is low?'

Most people would have focused solely on the skill's power, but Woojin, who had actually wielded a sword, was different.

"I'll have to try it some more."

Adjusting his grip, Woojin began tearing through the ice trolls.

[GRAH!!]

[GRAAAAGH...!!]

Troll screams erupted all around.

Though the Dark Forest was a beginner area, ice trolls were still among its higher-level monsters. Yet now they had been reduced to mere practice targets.

[GRRRRR!!!]

Before long, the trolls no longer dared rush recklessly at Woojin.

'Are the ice trolls... scared?'

Karlan watched, speechless.

'They weren't even afraid of the guards Father assigned me...'

Who on earth was this man?

Even as these thoughts ran through his mind, he stared blankly at Woojin, who casually sliced through another troll's neck.

WHOOSH!!!

"Eek?!"

Just then, an arrow flew past, barely grazing Karlan's shoulder.

"Hey! What do you think you're doing?!"

Clenching his fists, he shouted at Ruen, who had fired the arrow.

"Your master's skilled, but his underlings are utterly unreliable. Tsk, tsk. How do you expect to get paid like th...?"

Rather than answer his prattling, Ruen pointed behind him.

THUD.

At that moment, he heard something fall.

He gulped. Turning around, he saw a troll lying there with an arrow planted squarely in its forehead.

'J-just a mercenary...'

Despite that thought, Karlan found himself clenching his fists tightly.

Something ached deep in his chest.

"Ready to come out now?"

Karlan looked up at Woojin's call.

All the trolls had already been dealt with, and the others were casually tending to their weapons.

It was then that Karlan understood what he had felt a moment ago.

It was a yearning for strength.

["The Sword Emperor's son?"]

["He was born with everything."]

["How strong must he be, having learned from the Sword Emperor?"]

People did not remember him as Karlan. They only called him the Sword Emperor's son.

The words "Sword Emperor" were a label that followed him everywhere.

Every time he looked at his father, he felt ashamed of himself. Standing at such lofty heights, his father was an object of awe he could not even dream of approaching.

So he had given up. He knew better than anyone that no amount of effort would ever let him surpass his father.

That was why he had become all the more wayward. If the Sword Emperor himself gave up on his son, Karlan would no longer have to be the Sword Emperor's son.

And yet...

"... Why are you strong?"

Still dazed, Karlan found himself asking Woojin.

"Did you learn swordsmanship too?"

"I did."

"Th-that's what I thought. You couldn't possibly do that without learning..."

"You learned too."

Woojin casually cut through Karlan's attempt to rationalize it.

"Besides, if you learned the Sword Emperor's swordsmanship, wouldn't it be something greater than what I learned?"

Then Woojin told him,

"But you're weak."

"Th-that's...!"

Karlan wanted to argue, but no reply came. He could only lower his head and bite his lip.

"Pearls before swine."

"... What?"

"I'm saying even the greatest swordsmanship is useless to someone without the talent for it."

Karlan ground his teeth, biting his lip at Woojin's scathing words.

"From now on, stop making trouble and just live quietly."

As though he had nothing more to say, Woojin signaled Ruen with his eyes.

"Let's go. More monsters will come once they smell the blood. We keep moving."

"I... I wanted to...!"

Just as they were about to leave, Karlan shouted.

"I wanted to be strong! Talent? Yes, I know I don't have any! But I still wanted to be strong!"

Yet he could never forget how his father's gaze grew colder the more he learned.

"But... it's too hard... Father's swordsmanship..."

Karlan sank to the ground, tears spilling from his brimming eyes as though he were pouring out all his pent-up frustration.

'Could it be...?'

Watching him sob, Woojin felt that something did not quite fit.

Did he truly lack talent?

Woojin had treated him that way because of what Irurin had said, but in truth, none of it had been verified.

"Have you ever... learned anything besides the Sword Emperor's swordsmanship?"

Karlan shook his head.

"Hah..."

A thought occurred to Woojin.

'Being exceptional doesn't make you a good teacher.'

He had never seen the Sword Emperor's swordsmanship, but it was called the greatest on the continent. Naturally, it had to be profoundly complex.

'It's not something you can learn easily.'

The Sword Emperor had started him off with swordsmanship that should only be attempted after building solid fundamentals and a deeper understanding of the sword.

'His overflowing love as a father led him astray instead.'

"Start over with the basics."

"... What?"

"Being exceptional doesn't necessarily make someone a good teacher. He probably judged you by his own standards. Since he could do it, he assumed his son could too."

It was a mistake any parent could make.

"If your father's swordsmanship is too difficult, start with something easier."

"Then..."

At that moment, Karlan stepped in front of Woojin, his eyes shining.

'I have a bad feeling about this.'

Woojin frowned slightly at him. He would have preferred Karlan to act like the empty-headed noble from before, but instead his eyes were gleaming for no good reason.

"What?"

"Could you teach me swordsmanship?"

"What could I possibly teach y...?"

'No. There is something.'

At that moment, Woojin remembered Raoul.

["I can't teach you Dragon Heaven... but I can teach you the fundamentals."]

Those had been his words.

How to hold a sword, the stance for pointing it, where to look, how long his steps should be...

There were certainly things he could teach Karlan.

"Do you really... want to learn from me? Surely there are swordsmanship instructors back at your family estate?"

"No one will teach me swordsmanship."

Well... he was the Sword Emperor's son.

Perhaps even those who thought something was wrong had been unable to speak up. He was the Sword Emperor, after all. There had to be a reason for what he did.

'That's probably what everyone thought.'

"I'm not particularly different from them."

"You agreed to escort me."

"... What?"

"Taking the escort job alone means defying Father, but you did it anyway."

It was an unusual reason, but he was not wrong.

"Well... I'll teach you the fundamentals on the way to the portal."

Feeling awkward, Woojin repeated the very words Raoul had once said to him.

"R-really?!"

"But you have to take it seriously. It won't take us long to reach the portal."

"Of course! I mean, of course, sir!"

Karlan clutched Woojin's arm and cried out joyfully.

DING.

Just then, Woojin opened the window that appeared with the notification chime.

'What's this?'

He could not help being astonished.

[You have discovered a hidden quest.]

[Karlan Balan's Talent]

▶ Rank: C–S

▶ Description: Teach Karlan Balan swordsmanship.

▶ The rank and rewards will change depending on how much he learns.

'What is this...?'

The rank could vary all the way from C to S?

He knew the value of an S-rank quest better than anyone.

'Could it be...?'

He gazed steadily at Karlan.

[You can now recruit Karlan.]

[Would you like Karlan to join your party?]

Karlan's status window appeared alongside the notifications.

Name: Karlan Balan

Class: Sword Emperor's Son

Level: 50

Strength 90 Agility 50

Constitution 80 Conviction 20

Dexterity 30 Tactics 40

Total Points: 310

Traits: Sturdy Build, Monstrous Strength

'Hmm...'

His Dexterity was on the low side, but his physical abilities were excellent.

'With Strength in the nineties, he seems useful.'

Had he simply been overshadowed by the Sword Emperor's overwhelming brilliance?

'No. There must be another reason this could earn an S rank...'

Just then,

[Trait: Shell Eyes activates.]

▶ You can see what is concealed.

His vision suddenly wavered, just as it had when he saw Ruen's traits, and something began appearing in the status window.

"...!!"

Woojin could not help being astonished.

"Hah..."

'So this was it.'

The moment he saw the hidden status window, he involuntarily let out a disbelieving laugh.

'This spoiled brat everyone curses...'

He might one day change the history of the continent.