Chapter 43

After parting ways with Juliet.

I headed to the training grounds with Berald.

‘As expected, the Ryu family is the Ryu family.’

Berald already had the private training grounds I was trying to rent with the gold I… oops, ‘borrowed’ from Juliet.

“Private training grounds are indeed nice. There’s even a noise-canceling barrier around.”

“It was prepared by the family.”

Berald changed into comfortable workout clothes with a somewhat bitter smile.

He lightly stretched as a warm-up and asked, “By the way, why suddenly suggest I learn martial arts? Did you forget I’m a Magic Department candidate?”

The fact that he said ‘also’ suggests he’s often mistaken for being in the Warrior Department.

‘Well, with that build, who would believe he’s in the Magic Department?’

Honestly, I thought he was in the Warrior Department when I first saw him during a supplementary class.

‘I even thought he was an older senior.’

Who would have thought Berald was actually a Magic Department candidate a year below me?

Now that I’m used to it, it doesn’t seem strange, but it was quite shocking at first.

“There’s no rule saying Magic Department candidates can’t learn martial arts, right?”

“Well, that’s true…”

Berald scratched his head and gave an awkward smile.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try if it’s just a light lesson.”

Berald clenched his fist and nodded.

“Good. Let’s start with a simple test then.”

“Test?”

“I need to know your current level.”

“Ah, I see.”

Berald took a stance as if he understood.

“Hu.”

He raised his fists to face level and lowered his body.

Short breaths. Relaxing his muscles to be ready to spring at any moment.

A natural stance without anyone teaching him.

‘He’s a natural at punching.’

I chuckled and stood slightly apart from Berald.

I didn’t take any particular stance.

As if I had just woken up, I stretched my arms and straightened my back.

“……”

Berald’s eyebrow twitched as he saw my stance.

There was no sign of ‘combat’ preparation in my posture.

“Huhu. Seems like you’ve had a big realization since I last saw you.”

Thinking he was being ignored, Berald glared at me fiercely and tightened his fist.

“But you should know this one thing.”

The Holy Mark on Berald’s left chest glowed, and magic power spread throughout his body.

“I may not know magic, but I’m quite confident in my punches.”

Thud!

With a heavy sound echoing through the training grounds, Berald’s body shot forward with terrifying speed.

The distance closed in the blink of an eye.

His magic-infused fist tore through the air, aiming for my face.

Indeed, as Berald said, it was a precise strike that was hard to believe came from someone who had never properly learned martial arts.

“That’s good.”

Tap.

I leisurely reached out towards the incoming fist.

Like a hawk grabbing its prey, I caught Berald’s wrist, kicked his ankle, and roughly pulled the captured wrist.

“I’m also quite confident in my punches.”

Instantly, Berald’s massive body floated into the air.

A sky flip.

The martial arts Berald had taught me had now flipped his own body upside down.

Thud!

“Ugh!”

Berald crashed onto the training grounds floor, back first.

He gasped for breath, letting out pained groans.

“What, is it over already?”

“Ugh… Whatever it is, I definitely had a realization!”

Berald staggered to his feet and charged again.

Boom, boom, boom!

The training grounds floor shook as if an earthquake had hit, and the two-meter-tall giant rushed forward.

“You think brute force is enough, huh?”

Instead of avoiding Berald’s terrifying charge, I ran towards him.

A fiercely swung fist.

Berald’s fist and mine collided.

Bang!

The moment our fists met, something exploded, and Berald’s fist was flung back.

“Ughhh!”

Even though Berald’s pure physical strength and the magic power in his fist were far stronger.

It was Berald who groaned, clutching his fist and stepping back.

I took a step forward towards the retreating Berald.

“If brute force always won, why would martial arts be necessary?”

Thud thud thud!

This time, my fists rained down on Berald’s body.

“Ugh! Gah!”

First, a hit to the face.

Then two consecutive hits to the throat and solar plexus.

A kick to the knee to break his stance, and a chop to the head like a blade.

“Gah!”

Berald screamed a bizarre scream, covering his head with both hands.

“More?”

“N-no! Stop! I give up!”

The overwhelming difference made further competition unnecessary.

Berald blinked in disbelief as he looked at me.

“Ugh, where did you learn such techniques?”

“That’s…”

I could only give a wry smile at Berald’s question.

“…Who knows?”

How could I explain?

The one who taught me was none other than you.

Because of you.

I could be here.

“Ugh. Well, if it’s hard to explain, you don’t have to.”

Berald shook his head and got up.

“Anyway, I was confident in my punches… but Warrior Department candidates are on a different level.”

“No, that’s not it.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Among all Warrior Department candidates, there are probably only a handful who could beat you in hand-to-hand combat.”

Berald already had an exceptional level of skill, making it hard to believe he had never learned martial arts.

A brute strength that could only be described as innate and the vast magic power supporting it.

A heavy yet sharp punch that didn’t seem like it came from someone who had never learned.

Even the sense to instinctively control his breathing with his movements.

‘He’s a natural at punching.’

Despite such innate talent, the reason he couldn’t put up a proper fight against me was simple.

‘Because his opponent was me.’

It’s a bit awkward to say it myself.

Honestly, there was a gap between Berald and me that couldn’t be bridged by mere talent.

Even Professor Lucas probably couldn’t match me in hand-to-hand combat, so how could Berald, who hadn’t even properly learned martial arts, stand a chance?

‘Don’t feel unfair.’

Because it was you who made me who I am today.

“But what you just showed me… is that really martial arts?”

“Huh?”

“It felt a bit different from the martial arts I know.”

Berald narrowed his eyes and continued.

“Remember when our fists collided earlier? Before your fist even touched mine, something exploded, and my fist was flung back.”

“……”

“How should I put it… It’s hard to explain, but it felt like there was a bit of magic mixed in…? Not pure martial arts.”

“…Huh.”

A wry smile escaped my lips.

‘Well, no matter what anyone says, it’s the martial arts you created.’

Who would have thought he’d figure it out so quickly.

“Right. This is a martial art that can only be properly used by learning magic.”

“Martial arts that require learning magic…? Does such a thing exist?”

“Yes.”

I nodded slightly, and Berald let out a low hum.

“What’s the name of this martial art?”

“Name?”

“Such a high-level martial art must have a name, right?”

“Name, huh…”

I swallowed a chuckle and shook my head.

Suddenly.

A fragment of my past life flashed through my mind.

-Hey, by the way, what’s the name of this martial art?

-Name, you say?

-Yeah. Well, even though it’s a mix of many things, it’s essentially the martial art you created, right?

-Hmm. I never really thought of a name.

-Hey, but such a high-level martial art without a name? That doesn’t make sense.

-Hahaha! If it needs a name, let’s call it ‘Berald Martial Arts’!

-Wait, are you serious?

-Isn’t it cool?

I shook my head as Berald shrugged.

-There are names like Taekwondo or Five Elements Fist… something more fitting?

-Haha! But I like Berald Martial Arts!

-Why?

-Only you and I know this martial art on this vast continent.

-So?

-You’re immortal, so you’ll live for a very long time, right? Our old man used to forget even his own children’s names as he got older.

-……

-But no matter how long you live, you won’t forget the name of a technique you’ve practiced your whole life, right?

That’s why.

Berald Martial Arts.

-Even if I die, remember the name.

-Who’s dying, you brat.

-Haha. Anyway, since I created this martial art, I’ll name it as I please!

-Sigh. Fine, let’s call it Berald Martial Arts. So… stop talking about dying.

-Haha! Of course! Do I look like someone who would die easily? I’ll live long enough to smash the Devil God’s skull and paint the walls with his guts!

-Yeah, buddy. I’ll clean up the mess then.

Not long after that.

Berald fell before me, a cold corpse.

“……”

Crack.

Thick veins bulged from my clenched fist.

“Huh? What’s wrong?”

“Nothing, just lost in thought for a moment.”

“Hmm. So, what’s the name of that martial art?”

“The name is…”

I shrugged as I looked at Berald.

“It doesn’t have a name.”

“What? Such a high-level martial art doesn’t have a name?”

“Martial arts are a niche skill, after all.”

“Even so…”

Berald sighed and shook his head.

“Then how about this?”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“If you fully master this martial art… we’ll name it after you.”

“After me?”

“Yeah.”

I nodded and continued.

“We’ll call it Berald Martial Arts.”

“No, how can we name a martial art you taught me after me? If anything, it should be named after you.”

“Shut up. If I say so, then it’s so. Or I won’t teach you.”

“Ugh.”

Berald swallowed his embarrassment and nodded.

“Alright, if I ever fully master the martial art you teach me, I’ll call it that.”

“Good. Then let’s start right away.”

I showed Berald two fingers.

“There are two main ways to handle magic power. One is circulating it within the body to affect the internal world. The other is releasing it outside to affect the external world.”

Combining these two appropriately is the core principle of Berald Martial Arts.

“W-wait, why are we suddenly talking about magic? Weren’t you supposed to teach me martial arts?”

“Just listen. You need to know this to use the martial art I’m teaching you.”

“But I’m terrible at theory…”

Berald looked sullen as he trailed off.

The urge to smack his head rose, but I held back.

‘Patience.’

Didn’t I react the same way when Berald first suggested I learn martial arts?

“Generally, what we call ‘magic’ refers to releasing magic power outside to affect the external world… the macro world.”

“Is that so?”

“…What do you mean ‘is that so’? You learned this in your first year.”

“Cough, cough! Strange… I don’t remember learning this…”

“……”

Patience.

Patience.

In my past life, Berald must have been just as frustrated, but he never complained while teaching me.

“Anyway… what’s more important here isn’t the macro world where visible phenomena occur, but the micro world.”

“Ooh, the micro world! That makes sense!”

Berald nodded as if he understood, stroking his chin.

‘Good. Even if you skipped classes, you should know this basic常识.’

I felt a bit proud and was about to continue when.

“I didn’t know we had the same taste!”

“What?”

What same taste?

“Hahaha! After all, when it comes to women, micro is the best, right?”

“No.”

What are you talking about?

“The sorrow and loneliness of a woman who has lost her partner! The mature charm you can’t find in young girls…”

“Shut up.”

“Huh? What should I shut up about?”

“Your head.”

You idiot.