Genius Gamer Reborn into a Family of Heroes

Chapter 35

Honorary Sword Meeting

Beep-!

The doctor, who was examining Harang with a magical stethoscope, tilted his head in confusion.

When a knight, who was a High Master of Kaladan, had urgently brought this boy to him, it seemed like he had severe internal injuries. But somehow, as time passed, he appeared perfectly fine now.

“His condition has greatly improved. You are said to be a renowned healer, and indeed, your skills are extraordinary.”

At Aran’s words, Havernel, the chief physician of the Honorary Sword Meeting, laughed softly.

“I’m embarrassed. I didn’t do anything. I was just watching.”

“…What do you mean?”

High Master Aran wore a slightly bewildered expression.

It was fortunate that he had found Harang, who had disappeared somewhere alone to heal his internal injuries, as per the family head’s order.

His internal injuries were more serious than anticipated, and he was already on the verge of fainting, unable to use the full potential of the treasured elixir given by the family head.

Elixirs and spiritual pills required one to be fully conscious and focused, utilizing all their mana for the effects to manifest.

However, just before fainting, Harang instinctively grabbed the elixir and put it in his mouth. Typically, a patient on the verge of fainting would be stopped from consuming such a potent elixir, but Aran, with his 9-star swordsman’s instincts, did not interfere.

Why was that?

Undoubtedly, Harang’s life was at risk.

“…I can’t believe it.”

Even while unconscious, Harang instinctively circulated his mana, making the elixir completely his own.

An unconscious patient controlling the flow of mana?

It would be understandable if a skilled martial artist did that, but Harang was only a 2-star swordsman.

“Right. He perfectly absorbed the elixir even while unconscious, healing his injured blood and meridians…”

By perfectly performing the energy circulation with an exceptional elixir, one could even end up with more mana than before the injury.

However, this was extremely rare. If such results were always possible, wealthy martial artists would repeatedly injure themselves and consume expensive elixirs to increase their mana.

A one in a million chance. It was a miraculous situation.

In the body of a 2-star swordsman child who had fainted.

“It could be called a miracle…”

“A miracle? Not really?”

Aran was startled, feeling as if his heart had dropped, and he stepped back, gripping his sword.

He hadn’t sensed any presence, yet he heard a woman’s voice!

“Hey there. Put your sword away. Are you planning to do something dangerous in the hospital room? I don’t think that’s a good idea. More importantly, your master will be very angry.”

“You are…”

The Celestial Palace’s Celestial Star.

Despite being over 100 years old, she still maintained the appearance of a beautiful woman in her 20s, the mysterious 10-star swordsman, Yuriha.

“When did you…?”

Even as a 9-star swordsman, Aran hadn’t sensed her presence at all. Considering the overwhelming aura and presence of 10-star swordsmen, it was unbelievable.

“Is she hiding that terrifying aura completely…?”

Without giving Aran a glance, she quietly stared at the sleeping Harang.

“It’s not a miracle.”

“…Pardon?”

“This child has already performed several miracles, I’ve heard. If that’s the case, it’s not a miracle but ‘will.'”

“Will…?”

“Achieving what others call miracles through sheer willpower. Isn’t it remarkable? With such a young and small body…”

The Celestial Star Yuriha gently stroked Harang’s cheek.

Aran knew well that she harbored no ill intentions. The Celestial Beings of the Celestial Palace lived with kind hearts…

“He’d make a perfect husband for me.”

Aran shouted in shock.

“That’s not allowed!”

“Why not! I don’t want to die without ever holding a man’s hand!”

“Think about the age difference! It’s ten times his age! Have some…”

“Conscience? What?”

Yuriha’s stern look made Aran swallow dryly. Without Duke Kalel present, if she got angry and started rampaging, an entire city might collapse.

Seeing Aran tense up and grip his sword, Yuriha laughed bashfully. Her smile was adorably mischievous for her age.

“I’m joking, I’m joking!”

She waved her hand as if it was a joke, but Aran still felt chills down his spine.

Yuriha, the Celestial Star, was quite famous for her creed.

‘I’ll marry a man stronger and more reliable than me!’

It was a common creed among many female martial artists, most of whom found their ideal husbands and got married.

But Yuriha, the Celestial Star, couldn’t.

She was too strong. Incomparably strong. There was no rival among female martial artists, and even among male martial artists, few could stand against her.

“Sigh~ Why are there so few 10-star martial artists in the world? The ones that do exist are either married or recluses living by the sea or in the mountains. And the magicians don’t seem stronger than me and they reek of medicine!”

“…Are you really joking?”

“Of course! Though, it’s true I came down looking for young talents who might reach 10 stars someday!”

She looked intently at Harang.

“Feed him properly. Why is this boy so small? He wouldn’t look out of place even if I placed him in the Celestial Palace.”

“…Do you want to take Young Master Harang as your disciple? I’m sorry, but he has already been designated as the heir to the Duke.”

“I know, I know. While I did come to the Honorary Sword Meeting to find talent, visiting your young master has another reason.”

“Another reason…?”

“Yes. I sensed an incredibly pure energy of nature from this child. Even as a Celestial Being…”

Yuriha closed her eyes and took a deep breath, as if smelling a fragrant scent.

“I can feel such a sublime and intense natural energy from this child.”

With her eyes tightly closed, Yuriha savored the energy emanating from Harang.

Splash…! Like submerging into a lake, a refreshing and cool breeze gently brushed past her hair.

“…To have such refreshing energy, one would have to consume the core of a mountain spirit whole.”

Opening her eyes after a while, Yuriha looked at Aran with a complicated expression.

“If you don’t feed the child properly, what are you feeding him?”

“I don’t know… But His Highness did not bestow a core upon him. He did give him an elixir to heal his internal injuries this time, but that alone wouldn’t…”

“While the elixir is indeed a rare remedy, it wouldn’t create such a physique.”

“What kind of physique are you talking about?”

“Beyond being loved by nature, it’s like becoming nature itself. It felt like an elf… No, honestly, just from the energy, I first thought he was a fairy.”

“Is it possible for a human to possess such energy?”

“Not at all. For this to be possible, a human would have to completely absorb the core of a spirit-grade mountain spirit before their mana fully settled in their body.”

“But that’s…”

Impossible.

There were two major reasons.

“It’s absurd to think of someone consuming a spirit-grade mountain spirit’s core alone. Even for Kaladan, it would be difficult to obtain.”

A mountain spirit harboring such energy would never give its precious heart to anyone. If hunted, the core would shatter and disperse throughout the world.

“Moreover, even if obtained, how could a child handle it? The core of a spirit is called a poisonous grail for martial artists and magicians alike.”

Successfully absorbing even a part of a spirit’s core would result in tremendous achievements. However, most couldn’t absorb such an elixir, and many went mad while trying.

Yet a young boy absorbed a spirit’s core? Entirely?

“Could it be a natural physique?”

“I’d like to say no, but… Well, maybe.”

Historically, there have been cases where humans were born loved by nature. The contractors of the Spirit King were prime examples.

But this was beyond being loved by the Spirit King; it was like becoming the Spirit King itself.

“This could be dangerous later if not dealt with…”

Yuriha brought her index and middle fingers to her lips and then lightly touched Harang’s forehead.

Soon, a mysterious pink mark absorbed into his skin, glowing before fading away.

“What’s that…”

“A small gift. Don’t tell the boy. He’ll realize it far in the future.”

“Understood.”

“Also, if the opportunity arises, tell him to visit the Celestial Palace.”

“May I ask why?”

“No special reason…”

She gazed at Harang.

“I just have something I want to teach him.”

With a bright smile, Yuriha truly was a world-renowned beauty. An enchanting beauty who captivated countless men… Despite being 100 years old.

“Then, I’ll be off~”

Having finished her business, Yuriha turned into cherry blossom petals and flowed out the window like the wind, disappearing.

After staring at the spot where she vanished for a long time, Aran gathered his belongings and left the hospital room.

* * *

The next day, having completed his external missions as ordered by the family head, Aran returned to Kalambren’s palace for a private audience with Duke Kalel.

“High Master, Aran Paradell. I have completed my mission and returned. Here is the message from His Majesty the Emperor.”

Aran respectfully handed over a scroll, which floated in the air and landed in Duke Kalel’s hand.

Typically, receiving

the emperor’s message should not be done so casually. One must kneel before the emperor’s envoy, listen to the command with respect, and pledge loyalty. But dismissing these formalities as unnecessary, Kalel simply skipped the process.

It wasn’t Kalel who skipped it.

His close friend and comrade, the emperor, abolished these formalities only for Kalel, considering them unnecessary.

Unlike previous emperors who tried to impose constraints on the power and status of Kaladan, this was a unique approach.

“His Majesty wishes to see the youngest grandson.”

Having been informed beforehand, Aran carefully conveyed the message. Although the scroll was long and filled with unnecessary embellishments, it could be summarized in a single line:

‘My daughter and son are interested in your youngest grandson’s swordsmanship. How about a meal together to meet?’

Kalel crumpled the scroll with a frown.

“Tell them it’s not possible. It’s tradition that family members entering the White Night Castle cannot attend public events until they’ve undergone the conferment ceremony. He knows this…”

“Yes, understood.”

Clicking his tongue, Kalel made Aran stand up.

He had to relay this message to the emperor’s envoys, who were probably pacing outside anxiously.

“Wait, the matter isn’t over.”

“…Please continue.”

“What is the condition of the youngest grandson?”

Aran almost showed a surprised expression but quickly composed himself.

‘It’s rare for His Highness to show interest in the health of his children…’

Despite his surprise, Aran reported Harang’s condition smoothly.

“He suffered severe internal injuries. As you predicted, it seems he overexerted himself beyond his limits.”

“Has the internal injury been treated?”

“Yes. It was astonishing. Even while unconscious, he consumed the elixir you gave him, circulated his mana, and completely healed his internal injuries. He is now in a much better state than before. When he wakes up, he will likely have increased mana.”

Duke Kalel didn’t seem particularly surprised. His attitude suggested that such feats were expected for someone who could be his successor, which made Aran feel slightly embarrassed.

‘What I called a miracle was just an expected action for the Celestial Beings and the youngest grandson…’

Those who performed what others called miracles as if it were normal.

Such individuals were truly worthy of reaching the 10-star realm, surpassing human limits.

‘I have a long way to go…’

Aran, lost in thought, recalled the last swordsmanship Harang displayed.

For hundreds of years, the Kaladan Swordsmanship’s second form, Wind Wolf Hundred Sword Art, was traditionally known as a counter-attack technique. Aran had never doubted this teaching.

But this time, that common sense was overturned.

‘To modify a counter-attack technique into an offensive one, striking a vulnerability…’

Could he have done the same, striking a vulnerability with such modification? No, the very idea of modifying the swordsmanship seemed absurd.

Thinking of modifying Kaladan Swordsmanship was almost blasphemous, and even if allowed, it would be difficult.

Because…

‘Kaladan Swordsmanship has been continuously refined and improved over hundreds of years to be considered the most perfect swordsmanship…’

Though Emblitz and Makris were also renowned swordsmanship families, they could not compare to Kaladan’s swordsmanship.

The countless techniques derived from a single form were unmatched by any other family.

Even among Kaladan’s own bloodline, most couldn’t master all the forms and died. Except for Duke Kalel, no one could confidently claim to have mastered every form of the swordsmanship.

‘Is Kaladan Swordsmanship really the most perfect?’

Duke Kalel once posed this question to Aran, over ten years ago. Despite the passage of time, he still hadn’t resolved this question.

Why had he asked such a question?

Aran, who hadn’t understood until now, finally began to grasp it.

If Kaladan Swordsmanship were truly perfect, there wouldn’t be so many different forms.

There would be only one perfect form, passed down through generations.

‘I see. His Highness had long questioned this and dreamt of the most perfect swordsmanship…’

For his entire life, Duke Kalel hadn’t found such swordsmanship until today.

Finally, he witnessed it.

The youngest grandson, who transformed a counter-attack technique into a perfect offensive-defense Wind Wolf Hundred Sword Art.

It seemed like a miracle.

But it was willpower.

And destiny.

The dream that all Kaladan swordsmen longed for. The belief that even if not in their generation, a descendant would emerge to wield the perfect swordsmanship.

That belief and will, passed down for hundreds of years, finally seemed to manifest in Harang.

“Don’t harbor excessive expectations.”

Perhaps sensing his thoughts, Kalel spoke, resting his chin on his hand.

“Can you guarantee that no child of such talent has ever been born in Kaladan’s hundreds of years of history?”

“No, I believe there have been several. History may not record it, but I believe so.”

Though born with talent, they were not recorded in history.

For a simple reason.

They failed to overcome the ‘trial’ set by the first family head of Kaladan.

‘The first trial of the original family head: surviving the bloody rank duel among the direct descendants of Kaladan and becoming the family head.’

Only after becoming the family head could one finally challenge the ‘All-God Hall,’ but most couldn’t pass the first trial and met their end.

Harang was now just at the starting point of this first trial.

‘A protruding stone gets hit. The youngest grandson is too young, while the direct descendants already established as adults are eyeing their positions.’

All the bloodline would aim their swords at Harang’s neck. They all knew they had to eliminate him, who possessed far superior talent, to have a chance.

Could Harang survive such a situation?

Could Harang pass the first trial set by the original family head?

Extremely low survival rate. Even if he survived, the probability of becoming the family head with all limbs intact was also extremely low.

But, if…

If Harang survived and passed the original family head’s trial…

‘A new history will be written in our generation.’