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Chapter 128

After the noisy family gathering at the Lionel Count’s residence, Yeon-woo returned to his room to rest before dinner. He finished his shower and flopped his tired body onto the bed.

“That was tough….”

Honestly, meeting Albert’s parents was harder than the sparring. Physical fatigue was one thing, but the mental exhaustion was a whole different beast.

“So, that’s what a true socialite looks like…! So different from our fake socialite dad…!!”

“W-why are you suddenly hitting on dad?!”

“That hurts more….”

Sure, Shar was joking, but when Tae-oh said it like that, it sounded like he genuinely thought so.

Putting on a wounded face, Yeon-woo covered his smile with his hands and started to sniffle.

“Eing, I know it was just a joke!”

Tae-oh, probably fed up with too many pranks lately, turned his head away, pouting. It was now a battle of patience. After a while of sniffling, Tae-oh cautiously approached Yeon-woo.

“I’m sorry, Dad…!!”

If he teased too long, he’d feel guilty enough to burst into tears, so timing was everything. Yeon-woo quickly turned his face into a funny expression.

“Cuckoo~”

“…Eing!! That scared me…!!”

Yeon-woo swept Tae-oh into a hug while he began to tear up. He’d loosened a lot of the inferiority complex he had about being loved, but that attitude wasn’t completely gone yet.

It wasn’t a prank to make dad think he didn’t love him; he would throw in this kind of joke every now and then. Just thinking about ignoring dad entirely made him worry, but somehow, he found Tae-oh’s brashness cute.

Rolling around on the bed with Tae-oh, it wasn’t long before Shar joined the fun.

“I wanna play too!!”

“Aha, ahihih!”

They tumbled around on the bed for quite some time. After rolling until they were sweating, all three needed to calm their excited breaths.

“I clearly intended to rest, but how did it come to this…?”

“Hek… hek…. This is tiring….”

“Phew… phew….”

The kids probably hadn’t used any mana since they were just playing, but Yeon-woo had to manage the ‘entertainment’ while enjoying, so using Aura made it less exhausting for him than it was for the kids.

Of course, this leisure wouldn’t last long. The energy of young children was insane; in just about 10 minutes, they would be up and trying to figure out what to do next. They drained every last bit of energy they could muster while playing, truly.

‘Can’t talk like that in front of my kids.’

With no breastfeeding mother around, he’d never seen them that young before. He might as well say they used up the energy they had saved for that.

While the kids gasped for breath, Yeon-woo reflected on the sparring match to review it in his mind. In fact, the overall dynamics had been fine.

Though he had acted stubbornly, it was merely an experiment during a sparring session. It was a spar meant for that purpose.

However, it was frustrating to be purely outmatched in technique.

He couldn’t blame it on anyone else. Albert wielded his sword with ease and lightness, far beyond Yeon-woo’s capabilities. Even the Full Moon Swordsmanship was equal to the Lion Sword in finesse.

This feeling would likely be something he carried with him for a lifetime in the world of swordsmanship. Despite knowing this, Yeon-woo wanted to follow the path of the sword.

Originally, his potential lay elsewhere, not in swords. Fighting without considering that, even in sparring, was like bearing penalties beyond Albert’s level.

If fought like it was actual combat, he could at least expect a draw.

‘But techniques, huh.’

The version of himself before regression had no connections to the Lionel Count’s household, so he didn’t know precisely what that was. Yet, he understood what the preliminary movements mean for transforming all his aura into an Aura Blade.

“To manifest at fifteen years old, huh.”

As known, Elemental Mana represents a person’s life. Even among the Ice properties from the Ice Palace, everyone used the elements differently; it was an entirely different story when it came to ordinary hunters who didn’t correct their Elemental Mana.

Take Darius’s ‘Thread,’ for example. The thread is the conceptual Elemental Mana. Just hearing the term leads people to think, “Ah, I see what that might be.”

Such Elemental Mana is immediately reflected in the Aura Blade.

Darius’ Aura Blade was thin and elongated, like a thread. Yet, its destructive power remained intact, utilized as a follow-up attack. Maximizing its applicability was what holders of conceptual Elemental Mana should do.

But the world wasn’t limited to just conceptual Elemental Mana. This was true for Lionel, Yuri, and Claire. Or rather, there was also the Elemental Mana ‘Deception’ possessed by the deceiver, Louis.

Such things are called ideological Elemental Mana. They can’t be clearly defined in form. Who knows what “deception” means?

Because of this, even if ideological ability users manifest an Aura Blade, its form doesn’t immediately reveal itself. Thus, it often takes on a form reminiscent of the aura wrapping around the sword, like “Sword Qi” spoken of in martial arts.

However, this is precisely why ideological ability users face an insurmountable wall.

Imagine if there was exclusive equipment that offered a mere 5 more damage to characters ranked in a mobile game. Those without it would hear, “No matter how much you pour affection into your character, you’ll still be 5 damage short.”

That wouldn’t feel good, would it?

Overcoming that was what the second Aura Blade, often referred to as manifestation, was. Albert’s preliminary movement was a typical precursor to manifestation. It was a masculine imagination learned through books about the Aura Blade.

“It’s a tricky technique, though….”

It seems there are many conditions, but Yeon-woo wasn’t sure. It was just sad to focus on something he couldn’t even use. After all, some legacies of such techniques were passed down in each family.

“Thinking it through, I got mana but can’t use it, so there’s no need to care, right?”

A person who can’t use it will be unable to even after a lifetime of effort—that’s the realm of manifestation and Aura Masters; that’s a perfect description!

Trying to shake off the gloomy feelings, he watched the rolling kids and found comfort in them. My sun and daughter… the tonic for my heart…

‘…By the way, what was that?’

Just before Albert manifested, it felt as if a gentle breeze was moving him forward as if nudging him.

It was completely different from the sensation of the Crescent Stigmata. Suddenly, his instinct told him to step forward, and trusting it, he just stepped.

‘Is it another effect of the Floating Step?’

It was a movement technique that was hard to use in sparring, but he hoped that’s what it was. Thinking this way, Yeon-woo got ready once more to entertain the children.

*

A person can’t just fight all day. Of course, it was a bit inappropriate for Yeon-woo to mention this after being invited to spar, but under the pleading of Yeon-woo and the sorrowful gazes of the children who asked if they couldn’t play with dad, Lady Brunhilde herself set the rules.

One sparring session in the morning, and one in the afternoon—additional sessions could be decided by mutual agreement.

Since the Countess would entertain them while sparring, it was an excellent condition for Yeon-woo. Naturally, he accepted.

While Albert seemed a bit disappointed, he calculated that was enough for a good time and agreed. Of course, Yeon-woo had no intention of granting more than three… no, four sessions a day.

However, the conditions for the next day’s morning spar were surprisingly good enough that Yeon-woo wanted to do it again.

“Alright, come at me in one go.”

Richard, dressed simply in a white shirt rather than the extravagant clothes from yesterday meant for attending the palace, stood in the middle of the sparring arena.

Yeon-woo and Albert positioned themselves to encircle him with their swords drawn. Yeon-woo would have preferred using another weapon for sparring with Albert, but it made sense to use a sword against Richard.

Exchanging glances with Albert, who stood opposite Richard, they began their search phase. Yeon-woo knew nothing of Richard. Assuming this guy would use the Lion Sword better than Albert was enough.

“Use whatever you can. Both of you.”

With that said, Yeon-woo had no intention of holding back. Bringing along Shar and Tae-oh wouldn’t significantly help with training, but he decided to utilize everything he could, excluding tools.

Shadows colored the area where Yeon-woo stood. Albert picked up a sword in each hand, dual-wielding.

‘Cutting…!? No, he’s just holding two swords.’

Feeling like he would have gotten angry had he tried to cut, it was a relief. Regardless of Yeon-woo’s thoughts, Richard was leisurely practicing with the sword in one hand.

Could he create tension? That seemed unlikely. Trying too hard to achieve results was a bad habit of his. He needed to relax and see what he could gain from the experience.

“Good. Checking your positioning before really swinging it is a good posture, Yeon-woo.”

“…Thank you.”

As if signaling the start, Albert charged forward with a sharp slicing sound, like a stretched rubber band snapping. This determined Yeon-woo’s course of action.

‘First, let’s distract Albert.’

Richard aimed his wooden sword slowly towards Albert. Albert swung both swords simultaneously. His center of gravity stabilized, and the two swords targeted different points.

Richard’s response to trajectories that Yeon-woo couldn’t block with just one sword was strange.

He swung the wooden sword slowly, to describe it as a blunt weapon was fitting.

The wooden sword twirled clockwise, smoothly turning. As a result, Albert’s swords were pulled in, as if they were being swept away like raindrops sliding down a car’s windshield.

“You didn’t put enough power into it, Albert.”

Richard merely rotated his wrist in place. Yet Albert’s powerful strike, capable of tearing clothes, was effortlessly blocked.

‘What…!?’

No matter how esteemed the Count Lionel was, Yeon-woo thought he’d get hit or would have to embody a dodge-and-block technique. That strike was certainly filled with enough power. All the assumptions he had built up crumbled away in an instant.

Tsk, Albert clicked his tongue and spun around to draw his sword. Richard just looked on, seemingly amused.

In the interim, Yeon-woo changed his plans. He would abandon any thoughts of predicting Richard’s moves and simply scatter his attacks.

The centrifugal force created by Albert’s spinning strike slammed into Richard’s side. Suppressing the desire to see where Richard’s sword aimed, he unleashed the assembled energy.

Dozens of shadow knives materialized from the shadows. The timing was perfect. The shadow knives would arrive right as Albert’s strike did. Richard, turning his back to Yeon-woo, had to choose one of two options.

Richard had no intention of doing so. He didn’t envelop his body in aura. The dozens of sharp shadow knives surged toward his broad back.

Kaan!!

As Richard deflected Albert’s blade, the explosive shadow knives couldn’t pierce or even scratch him. The bulging muscles revealed between the torn fabric of his shirt were beautifully defined.

“No way, it sounds like iron clashing with iron!?”

“Haha, training consistently brings you this result.”

Even if one were an Aura Master, they couldn’t deflect blades with an unprotected body.

Yeon-woo knew this because he had once seen Yuri testing a knife’s sharpness on her own finger. Aura Masters are still human, and getting on the receiving end of a blade would cause bleeding.

But there he stood, a man breaking that fundamental premise of “Aura Masters are also human.”

(Continued in the next installment)

 

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