The Demon Lord of the Swordsmanship Family Chapter 18
There’s a saying in the empire.
Smart people find easy ways to accomplish tasks, and wise people entrust those smart individuals with their work.
By that measure, I’m a wise person.
“I’ll give you full authority, Mary. You can decorate this club room however you like.”
In truth, my statement was aimed at the grandfather standing behind Mary, but she turned out to be even more enthusiastic than I expected.
“Hmph, Ki-hyuk. You’ve finally recognized my abilities.”
We sometimes forget that the Mary right in front of us is a princess.
This young lady, who always complains about not wanting to train and has an unusual fondness for fried chicken, is actually the youngest daughter of the Middle Eastern royal family, a family known for their wealth that flows like a fountain.
“I’ll show you what wealth can do.”
And thus began her extravagant spending spree.
Mocking my casual thought that simply wallpapering would suffice, she tore down the walls without hesitation.
It was utter chaos—it felt like the building might collapse. I became worryingly anxious, but then something happened that surpassed even my imagination.
She summoned sorcerers.
“Hmph. It’s impossible to refuse with the amount of money being offered.”
“…A sorcerer’s pride has fallen indeed.”
These sorcerers, who were willing to abandon gate conquering quests, promised immense pay to fortify the foundation with magic while dozens of workers quickly remodeled the interior.
Wait, did I hear that wrong? It wasn’t ten people, it was dozens. The numbers were different.
With such a number of workers, they worked in 24-hour shifts in three teams.
Noise problem? Are the sorcerers hired earlier idle? They’ve already drawn careful magic arrays to block out any sound.
For a pleasant working environment, meals were of the highest quality, wages were doubled, and with every reduction in schedule, the bonuses skyrocketed.
I’ve heard money can make even ghosts work, and it was startling how dedicated they became.
It’s been five days since the renovation began.
We were in the newly renovated club room.
Our gazes crossed quickly.
To my right stood Han Jun-woo with a sword, and to my left, Mary lunged with an aim for my lower body.
Then what about behind me? The reinforced glass wall of the sparring booth blocked it.
No escape route.
The moment my brain finished calculating, my body instantly responded with the best action possible.
Ugh!
I crossed my hands to block Jun-woo’s sword.
Swoosh!
I leaped back, stepping on Mary’s axe.
I immediately changed direction, and like a dolphin leaping out of the water, I jumped gracefully onto the glass wall.
In the blink of an eye, I was behind the two.
“…!!”
“d*mn it!”
Though they retaliated desperately, it was too late.
I deflected Jun-woo’s attack by striking the sword with my hand blade. I ignored Mary’s incantations that were taking form.
My leg would be faster than her spell.
Boom!
“Guh!”
Mary, along with her shield, was sent flying. The spell crumbled the moment she collided with the wall.
“I told you to pay attention!”
Unlike magic that requires incantations, since Mary’s shamanic spells manifest through conversation, her loss of focus breaks the spell.
“Isn’t that easier said than done… Huff!”
As much as she cursed violently, Mary swiftly raised her shield against the incoming weapon.
And the owner of that weapon — Han Jun-woo — was glaring at me as if wanting to m*rder me.
“A swordsman losing his sword is useless. I’ve told you countless times—you need to improve your strength first.”
“Do it properly.”
“I didn’t do it properly before? Come in.”
“…Back off, Merhem.”
Jun-woo’s eyes glared fiercely.
At that moment, a strange sensation arose. The bloodline inheritance ‘Dancer’ had activated. Now, this is the guy’s true mode.
The distorted sensation followed by Han Jun-woo’s sword that I could barely block as I stepped backward.
I always notice this, but that’s really unfair. Manipulating another person’s senses so effortlessly—it’s absurd. And that’s not all. This is like a pretty high-level spell in magic, yet he uses this ability freely without spending a single mana.
How unfair is that?
Still, thanks to this, the scattered senses of the giant’s body I inherited have been remarkably organized through sparring with him, which I’m quite grateful for.
Clang—Clang!
The sounds of impact gradually became clearer.
My hands follow the chaotic sword strikes. The contrast is obvious—I’m not as helpless as during the beginning.
However, the person in front of me is the embodiment of competitiveness. That’s not Han Jun-woo who would idly watch me fight.
A dance now begins.
It started with daggers. When there was a brief gap while he was retracting his broadsword, he threw a pair of daggers.
Aiming for my arm, the daggers came rushing. Naturally, I tried to block them, but…
Were they scattered?
“d*mn!”
Shadow Flying Knives.
A unique kn*fe technique that hides weapons in shadows, exclusive to the special agents of the empire. The technique I once taught is now aimed at me.
I twisted my body and turned my gaze backward.
Dong! Ting!
Heavy attacks came flying toward my back. Attacks that most opponents would have been hit by.
It was impressively clean.
Particularly, the skill of simultaneously distorting senses with shadow flying knives to erase one’s very existence is nothing short of superb.
When did you train so much? I was starting to commend him.
“Skill level is not to be underestimated… Agh!”
Next came the whip. Mixed in with sword strikes, the whip that wriggled like a snake is also something I’ve taught.
Its name is ‘Toned Viper.’
A barbarian technique where the whip is used primarily for ambushes. There’s no better technique for surprise attacks.
And after that, rapiers, flail swords, hidden blades, etc., countless weapons burst forth from Han Jun-woo’s hands.
Swiftly, dazzlingly. Jun-woo truly danced gracefully, like the name ‘Dancer’ inscribed in his bloodline.
Still, though.
The number of books my brother has read and the countless battlefields he has survived are countless. How could I lose to you? That would be embarrassing.
Dong!
“…!!”
“Caught up!”
The dazzling sword finally stopped. To be exact, it stopped because I grabbed it.
It’s over. My victory again today!
Heehee—holding the sword, I smirked.
But…
“Kuh, keh.”
Laughing…? What, now you’re confused?
And soon I understood the meaning of that laughter.
“d*e!”
The moment Mary’s cudgel hit the back of my head.
Beeeeeep—
It was finished. The end of my memory.
I touched the large lump on the back of my head. It was big. Extremely big.
“Ow, my head! Attacking sneakily like that, how unfair…”
“Hmph, war is history written by the victor. For victory, don’t hesitate to use any means necessary. It’s all something you’ve taught me, Ki-hyuk.”
“Utilize everything you can. True teachings from a master.”
“So that’s why you hit your master on the back of the head. I’m so touched, I’m almost shedding tears.”
“Thanks for the excessive praise.”
“You must continue to improve.”
Mary, shrugging her shoulders, and Ki-hyuk, raising his thumb.
Ah, where did those two I first met, the ones who were so innocent, go? Where is the Mary that startled at the mention of learning shamanism, and the Jun-woo who threw tantrums wanting to share swords?
Now there are only ruthless warriors who can mercilessly beat the back of their teacher’s head with full force.
All my fault. I corrupted these innocent youngsters—there’s no one else to blame but me.
“Hey, how did you erase your presence? It was seamless.”
“Following the advice you gave me last time.”
“Hmm, if it’s something I suggested…”
I remembered. It was advice I gave him a few days ago.
Han Jun-woo always focused solely on the opponent in front of him. Thanks to that, his combat prowess in a one-on-one fight was enough to make even me tense, but conversely, his field of vision was narrow.
In fact, this is quite natural. As a warrior, or assassin, focusing on handling their target isn’t strange at all.
But from my perspective, it was a pity.
With the tremendous power he possessed, and his ability to manipulate not only his own but also the senses of others, if he were only performing a one-dimensional role… What a waste.
It’s like bringing a large kn*fe to k*ll a chicken.
“Didn’t I tell you to apply the distortion of senses in a different way? So, you gave it a try.”
“Aha, now I understand. You distorted the entire ‘area’.”
Han Jun-woo didn’t just distort the senses of the opponent but all the senses within the area.
“I also improved my stealth spell. I added mental spells to it.”
“Mental spells? On the ‘excitement’ side, right?”
“Right. It’s less noticeable that way. Don’t you think other types would have caught yours and mine pretty quickly?”
“That’s true. If you’d used illusions or hallucinations, I would have noticed.”
“One more thing. Your senses are oddly dull. I exploited that.”
My head nodded in agreement.
Truly, a precise assessment. I still haven’t fully controlled the giant’s body.
In fact, it’s more accurate to say that everything is utterly out of balance.
Of course, this is natural. The giants, along with dragons, weren’t just random world dominators for nothing.
Their potential is fundamentally different. Their very vessels are unmatched. If I ever lose control of this violent strength, I might not even be myself anymore.
On a side note, the original owner of this body most likely succumbed to this power to some extent. If I, a Demon Lord, feel this overwhelmed, how could an ordinary human have endured?
“It’s not reasonable, you know.”
In any case, how did my senses settle after mere months of training?
Yeah, it’s fine when it’s a matter of life and d*ath. In such a battlefield, I just unleash all the power I have.
However, this is a sparring session, isn’t it? You can’t get hurt. I struggle to control myself, yet I have to worry about the kids’ safety, so from my point of view, it’s more challenging.
But praise deserves praise.
“d*mn you guys, you figured out my weakness accurately. Did you really want to hit me on the back of the head?”
“Hmph, we’ve gone easy on you. If we hit with full force, Ki-hyuk would have ended up in the hospital.”
“Kick, do you think I’m stupid? If you used full power on the spells, I’d have caught it from the mana waves. You know that, right? So, you carefully kept it within appropriate limits.”
“…Che, that’s why quick-witted men are no good.”
“Jun-woo can now also distort entire areas. Since when could you do that?”
“Not long ago. I succeeded the day before yesterday.”
“Ho, so today was your first practical combat?”
“Yes.”
“Wow… You both have grown so much. I truly fell for it. That was skillfully done.”
“To catch you, we thought we had to go this far.”
“Yeah, Ki-hyuk is a monster after all.”
Clap clap, I couldn’t help but applaud.
They accurately know their place and clearly recognize their opponents.
With the courage to not bow to the gap, the efforts to find weaknesses, and the will to claim victory at the end.
It truly is an impressive kind of growth.
They develop every day. This is exactly how it is.
They are commendable. It’s heartwarming.
This is the taste of training disciples. Now, I finally understand the feeling.
I smiled at them warmly.
“But I do have a question for you, Ki-hyuk.”
“Hmm, what is it?”
Mary paused a moment.
As if organizing her thoughts, she soon said,
“I understand why you don’t use magic. Ki-hyuk’s magic is beyond what Mary or Jun-woo can handle. Even the presence of those unknown skeletons alone prevents any real sparring from happening.”
“Our senses not being honed yet makes sense too.”
“Both correct answers. So, what exactly is what Mary wants to ask?”
Mary and Jun-woo exchanged glances, then,
“Why don’t you use a sword?”
“You’re a swordsman, aren’t you? You’re from the Sword Master family. Why don’t you use a sword in training?”
What is this? Smiling slightly, I said,
“I’ve mentioned this before—because it’s hard to control.”
The moment the word ‘control’ came out of my mouth, as if they’d been waiting for this, the children seriously asked,
“What is it that you can’t control?”
“Are you worried we’ll get hurt? We’re fine with that.”
“Wait, wait, kids, I don’t understand why you suddenly ask this?”
“One-sided relationships aren’t good.”
“That’s right. We know Ki-hyuk spares us. We know you help us, too. But we want to help you. We don’t want to only receive help. We can help Ki-hyuk, too, right?”
“So why do you want to help me?”
They looked at me as though I was asking something obvious, and answered in a bewildered tone.
“Because you’re our friend.”
“You’re our friend, aren’t you.”
“…!”
It felt like I’d been hit hard, my mind ringing.
Friend… the too unfamiliar word was swirling in my head.
“Why are you surprised? Isn’t this why you helped me? I believed in you because I thought of you as a friend. Was I mistaken?”
“We spend more than half the day together, aren’t we friends?”
“Aa….”
Now I get it. I saw them as disciples, but they regarded me as a friend.
And also, another fact hit me—through both my previous life and this current one, I’ve never had a friend.
“Remember this, Ki-hyuk. Friends are… people who are together.”
Friend, friend…
It was a refreshing shock in various ways.
