I Obtained Sword God Level Talent

7 – 007. The Knight’s Song (4)

The Knight’s Song was a novel with a calm atmosphere. Maybe because it was aimed at children rather than adults, it was a bit childish in places.

The general plot was about a clueless boy from the back alleys who overcomes all sorts of hardships and grows into a hero.

“Hmm.”

As I moved towards the latter half of the book, I realized something peculiar. It happened when the protagonist, William, was wielding his sword.

Suddenly in my head… I could picture the sword techniques of the young wandering knight in the novel.

Even with my eyes closed, the vivid image wouldn’t fade. It was as if I’d been sucked into the novel, the realistic training scenes were right before my eyes.

‘What the hell is this…….’

It wasn’t like my mind was just letting its imagination run wild. There’s something about this book. The cause was hard to explain clearly, but I could feel it instinctively.

“Is it the writing? The pull? No. It’s something a little different from that.”

It was like my entire consciousness was being drawn into the book. This strange experience was something I’d never encountered before in my life.

In the meantime, the story was racing toward the end. William, after defeating countless enemies, finally returned home after more than ten years had passed. But what greeted him were the graves of his already dead family, friends, and lover.

[William raised his sword. And to avenge his loved ones, he wielded mana. Brilliant mana burst forth from William’s wounded sword. People around him couldn’t believe their eyes. Sword aura, it’s sword aura! But it was different from ordinary sword aura. The sword aura that William unleashed was as dark as pitch-black, reflecting the turbulent emotions he had experienced.]

*Swish-*!

…

..

.

Before I knew it, my consciousness, which had been reading the book, was transported to the final battle scene.

‘……What is this?’

It felt like my consciousness was just floating, adrift. You could say it was an experience close to an out-of-body experience.

*CRASH!*

Rain was pattering down from the sky. William, who had lost his family, friends, even his lover, held his sword, unfazed by the pouring thunder and lightning.

“Is it vengeance? Have you come this far just to get revenge? That woman was a terminal patient. She was going to die anyway!”

“Yes. Humans all die eventually. But I have no intention of forgiving you.”

William’s enemy was a one-armed swordsman. Without a word, without a signal. The duel between the two men began that abruptly.

*Clang! Claaang!*

Sword against sword, slicing through the dark night air. Sparks flew, a collision of black and pure white light, painting the night sky with brilliance.

*Thwack!*

The battle was William’s victory. His sword had pierced the enemy’s belly.

And then.

Left in the pouring rain, William looked up at the sky, thick with dark clouds. The boy who had scraped by as a pickpocket had become a hero. And he’d strived to change the world. For over a decade of adventure, he had lived diligently, even he was proud of himself for it.

But… now, there was no one left by his side. Then, what had he been running so hard for?

“Did you see it?”

*A flinch!*

In a dreamlike vision, as if experiencing an actual battle from a novel, William was looking at “me.”

“…Fucking hell.”

A thought? A hallucination? Was the book Lancelot carried around an artifact of sorts?

William gave a bitter laugh and spoke to me.

“All the enlightenment I gained… I’ve placed it here.”

“…….”

The light was gone from William’s lifeless eyes. The wound he had received from his enemy was clearly minor, but his life seemed devoid of hope.

“From the great sword master of the Western continent to the sect leader of the Demonic Heavenly Cult on the eastern edge of the continent, to the Heavenly Demon himself. My life has been stained with blood.”

*Thud, thud.*

William walked away with no strength. And without looking back, he whispered.

“This tale is a vision, a secret scroll. The swordsmanship I developed… is the Nameless Sword.”

*A shiver,* a chill ran down my spine.

‘Nameless Sword?’

There are countless secret martial arts within ＜Silver Ring＞.

The secret swordsmanship of the Heinz family of the Western continent, who have produced sword masters for generations, or the Demonic Heavenly Arts of the Eastern continent, for example, are impossible to acquire even if you tried.

Then, what about the Nameless Sword?

While it might not compare to the previous two martial arts, it was still a form of swordsmanship worthy of being called ‘secret’. Meaning it was something you couldn’t acquire no matter how much money you had.

‘Even with the talent of a sword god, you definitely need excellent swordsmanship.’

I can beat someone like Gler right now, but to defeat the powerful enemies I’ll meet later, I must acquire ascending swordsmanship and mana techniques… Thinking that, the moment.

*Shwish!*

“……!”

Consciousness fades. I instinctively knew this was the collapse of a space created by the protagonist of the story.

* * *

“The route to obtain the Nameless Sword was never revealed anywhere.”

Sitting in my tent, I muttered, snapping the book shut with a thud.

In ＜Silver Ring＞, the ways players acquired magic, swordsmanship, and mana cultivation techniques were varied.

The best way to learn magic was to burden yourself with debuffs like ‘Sickly’ or ‘Short-lived’, dump your remaining points into talent, and then go find a Magic Tower.

As a rule, mages tend to immerse themselves in magical talent rather than physical ability. That’s how the ‘mage route’ kings of the game are made – by exploiting their psychology.

Then, what about swordsmanship?

Regrettably, it was much harder to learn than magic.

You had to join a knight order or, if you were lucky, be adopted into an aristocratic family that trained knights, but the odds of them readily accepting a player with no background were slim.

So… I had just acquired an incredible stroke of luck.

Of course, it would take a very long time to fully master the Nameless Sword, but the difference between a 1% chance and a 0% chance was as vast as the heavens and the earth, wasn’t it?

“But how… how am I supposed to learn this?”

Flap!

A sudden thought struck me, and I slowly opened the book again and flipped through the pages.

Most of the secret manuals from the original work had detailed descriptions of martial art essentials and formulas. But this ‘Nameless Sword’ secret manual, ‘The Knight’s Song,’ was practically a novel in itself.

‘Well, it’s not like it’s demon cultivation, blood magic, or black magic.’

Those demanded you commit inhumane acts just to begin training. I had no desire to do such things.

I thought, and turned the page. William’s battle scenes meticulously described changes in the sword’s position and angle, movements of his lower body, and the channeling and release of mana.

“Hmm…….”

It was an absurd level of difficulty for a secret manual.

Fortunately, my trait helped. It was the kind of work that ordinary people would quickly find boring and give up on, but my mind easily conjured up William’s movements.

…

..

.

–

[ Genius ]

Rank: Mythic (UR)

Effect: You are one step, only one step, closer to the truth of all things than others.

–

[Genius] was the ultimate outlier among the ＜Silvering＞’s traits.

Its acquisition required the [Prodigy] trait, and then, depending on random chance… it could suddenly appear, and only in the early game at that.

Yeah, obviously the acquisition difficulty was extreme, utterly insane. Maybe even harder to get than traits like Sword Saint or Overlord.

*Swish!*

“Frey! Wake up. The morning has— Huh? You were already up?”

“What, is it already morning?”

The guy who shattered my concentration showed up right then. Lancelot, who’d said he was going to the Knight Commander last night to get leave, had only just arrived.

“Where were you all this time?”

“I slept in a colleague’s barracks who was on leave. It’s a bit uncomfortable for two men to sleep here, don’t you think?”

He’s got a point. I don’t exactly have a hobby of sleeping in the same bed as a muscular man either.

“Oh right, I’ve thought about your reward.”

“Hmm. Speak. I’ll do my best within my power.”

“It’s nothing big, just give me this.”

I answered shortly and shook ‘Knight’s Song’. Lancelot’s pupils wavered the moment he saw it.

“Being easygoing is fine, but not to that extent.”

“……What?”

“It’s embarrassing to say, but I am a knight who knows honor. I cannot possibly consider that as a reward for you granting my personal request.”

What fantasy was he off in now? Lancelot spoke with a stiffened face.

“You keep it, Frey. That small thing is not worth a reward.”

“Really? Thanks.”

This was exactly what I was hoping for. I briefly wondered if Lancelot had also noticed the swordsmanship hidden within ‘Knight’s Song,’ but it didn’t seem so. This innocent fool.

After that, the preparations for departure went smoothly. Thanks to Lancelot’s prodding, I got to wash my body with warm water and even received new clothes.

“These look a bit expensive?”

“Hmm, well, they’re a bit different in purpose… but it’s fine. This much is nothing.”

The clothes Lancelot handed me were a set of formal wear with an old-fashioned design. The trousers and top seemed like a set, something a young nobleman might wear.

“The size is perfect.”

I threw off the clothes I’d been wearing since the prison, and finished changing with an exclamation of admiration.

It does look kinda cool. I’d bet any of the original players with a knack for ‘fashion’ all had one, or something like it.

“Tsk, clothes maketh the man.”

……This b*stard?

Lancelot, seeing my expression, clicked his tongue. He’d clearly said he didn’t care when he gave me the clothes, but now he seemed a bit regretful.

“Let’s go. Time is of the essence. We only have a week.”

“Just?”

My brow furrowed at the unexpectedly short leave.

I don’t know exactly where this knight order’s encampment is, but getting from here to the fortified city of Loven will obviously take forever. Now I see why Lancelot was moving so fast.

Alright, then.

The capital of the Empire’s north, the fortified city of Loven… and Lancelot’s mother.

I’m coming to see you now.