READ NOVEL ONLINE Chapter 136
Balutak was terrified of Cecilia, and Cecilia despised Balutak.
What more needs to be said when he’s literally called a bug?
It was not a term of endearment like Isabella’s; it was a condescension that came straight from the heart.
Everyone knew their relationship was volatile, but only Cecilia could teach Balutak swordsmanship.
“To that bug?”
As soon as I asked, Cecilia opened her eyes wide in disbelief.
Well, of course.
“Yeah. I mean to Balutak.”
“…That shouldn’t work.”
“Why not at least give it a try?”
“Do you think we could ever understand the Boss’s intentions?”
Charlotte, who had been listening nearby, chimed in.
Normally, if I commanded them, they would take it at face value, intentions be damned. This alone revealed how they both perceived Balutak.
I knew it sounded ridiculous.
Asking an insect to learn swordsmanship?
Common belief held that the insect race lacked the learning ability and intuition for such skills.
Swordsmanship to them was just flailing a club around like some wild troll.
It was not about intelligence, but rather primal instincts.
They were so belligerent that learning refined techniques seemed nearly impossible.
If an insect were to learn professional swordsmanship, I wouldn’t believe it either.
“Who knows? Balutak might be different.”
Right now, he was just a little bug, but Balutak also happened to be the Boss of the Seven Lairs.
Not only did he possess clever intelligence, but he was one of the few insects whose reason surpassed instinct.
More than anything, it was a waste to let six S+ grade items sit around unused.
To be honest, that weighed more heavily on my mind.
If Balutak had even a bit of skill, it wouldn’t go to waste.
Once I mentioned this, both of them reluctantly nodded.
At first, when I told them I’d been ambushed by the Seven Dukes, they were shocked, but since it had ended well and we gained something, they quickly calmed down.
“Certainly, leaving the Holy Sword of the Seven Dukes to waste would be a shame.”
In the dungeon, only Cecilia and I used swords.
In some ways, you could see giving Balutak a chance as a waste, but those items were S+ grade.
It carried a significant meaning to dismiss them as just a waste.
“Even so, it would be a disservice to give that bug a Holy Sword…”
That might be true.
It’s not like you’d hang a pearl necklace on a pig, right?
I didn’t expect Balutak to figure it out alone.
But if we provided him with a good sword and a great master, I believed Balutak would learn.
“I think it’s worth a shot.”
I repeat, who knows? Balutak could be a hidden genius in swordsmanship.
Not getting my hopes too high, but still.
“As for teaching, I’ve only learned from my Master. It’d be better if the Master taught him directly.”
“I am the Boss.”
Would the Boss really step in for such trivial matters? Of course, he wouldn’t.
Charlotte seemed to agree, nodding along.
“Your words hold true. Balutak’s growth would also relate to the dungeon’s vitality. For the dungeon’s sake, and for the Boss’s, Cecilia, you’ll have to step up.”
“…Alright. I’ll give it a shot.”
In the end, Cecilia surrendered completely.
***
It wasn’t too hard to coax Cecilia in comparison to Balutak.
“Keerik! No way!”
Balutak shook his head repeatedly.
He really despised it, flapping around as if trying to escape.
His whole demeanor screamed disgust, like trying to dress up a cat.
…Comparing that adorable cat to this bug felt wrong.
“He says he hates it.”
Cecilia shrugged her shoulders.
Now that I looked, it was really a problem to convince Balutak rather than Cecilia.
In situations like this, there was a surefire method.
Especially with insects, nothing spoke as loudly as the logic of power.
I sighed deeply and shot Cecilia a look.
Nodding, she went after the flying Balutak.
It took her less than ten seconds to subdue him.
“Kiieeek!”
Vwom—Vwom—
Balutak flapped his wings continuously, but he was firmly pinned to the ground.
Thanks to Cecilia pressing down on him with her knee, all his struggling was for naught.
“Are you going to learn or not?”
“I don’t want to! Balutak is strong! He doesn’t need tools!”
To him, weapons must be the belongings of the weak.
I figured there must be some pride in fighting barehanded as an insect.
“Forget that. Just give it a try. If it doesn’t work, I won’t pressure you anymore.”
“Kiieeek!! The Master is scary! Great Chief, save me! Balutak is going to die!”
“I could chop off an arm or two. It’ll regenerate anyway if you just eat well.”
I was serious about threatening him with a sword.
Though I commanded it, it was not exactly a pleasant sight.
Cecilia shot me a side-eye.
Her gaze silently asked if I really would cut off an arm.
“…If he won’t listen, it would be fine to lose an arm.”
After all, it was Balutak.
With a Holy Sword on hand, I could chop off all his limbs and it wouldn’t matter.
Last time I did that, he came out alright.
“Kiieeek! This can’t be! How could the Great Chief do this to me! I trusted you!”
Even Charlotte, who had maintained a straight face, frowned deeply.
“Barugore, I will cast silence magic.”
Sometimes she called me the Boss, sometimes she addressed me with respect; her mixed titles confused me, but I let it slide.
Call me whatever you want.
“Kiiee—”
With Charlotte’s Silence spell, Balutak’s screams abruptly stopped.
Finally, in the serene silence, we were able to have a conversation.
I handed one sword after another to Cecilia, who forcibly pressed a blade into Balutak’s grip.
Balutak desperately rejected it, making it quite the ordeal for him.
“I swear if you drop it again, I’ll cut off an arm. Not joking.”
“….”
“If you understand, nod.”
Nod, nod.
Having turned into a bobblehead, Balutak merely nodded along.
“Now, be quiet again. If you understand, nod.”
Nod, nod.
Then, finally, Cecilia released her knee from Balutak, and Charlotte lifted the Silence spell.
Despite becoming quieter, Balutak glared at me intently.
“Balutak is disappointed in the Great Chief…”
Sorry, but it couldn’t be helped.
You try being in my shoes; dealing with a flying insect is not easy.
With four arms and special areas on his shoulders, Balutak finally held the six swords in his hands.
He looked impressive, at least on the outside.
[Lv. 87]
Balutak’s original level was 85.
He possessed six S+ items, but only gained 2 levels.
I understood that. He knew nothing about swordsmanship, so of course, his growth would be stunted.
In other words, if he learned well, he might experience a significant growth spurt.
“I’ll let you learn the basics of swordsmanship first, and you can pick up aura later.”
After saying that, Cecilia stood opposite Balutak.
Charlotte and I kept our distance to watch.
“To a skilled person, a sword is an extension of the body. Well, that’s when you can handle it well, but with six arms like you, expectations will naturally be higher.”
“Keerik?”
“I don’t know much about insects. Still, I’ve heard that their anatomy bears a lot of resemblance to humans. Human swordsmanship may not fit you well, but that’s something you’ll figure out on your own.”
“Keerik….”
Then Cecilia began her serious lecturing on swordsmanship.
Starting with basic grips, explaining how to step, using waist strength, and what kind of cuts there are in basic slash techniques.
It was really just the simplest of lessons, but Balutak tilted his head in confusion.
“What nonsense are you spouting?”
Had he ever seen such a simpleton before?
I thought he might have potential in swordsmanship, but I once again felt like that expectation was unfounded.
Cecilia sighed deeply and tried again.
After hearing everything, Balutak’s response was:
“Keerik… I don’t understand anything.”
“Are you doing this on purpose?”
“Keerik?”
Balutak scratched his head, clearly bewildered.
“Was my explanation too difficult?”
“Keerik. It was really hard. It would be better to show with actions than words.”
Is that the saying “seeing is believing”?
Left with no choice, Cecilia lifted her sword.
She swung it through the air with effortless grace, and it was mesmerizing to watch exactly how perfect her technique was.
Within less than a second, she connected various movements with an unmatchable speed that was impossible to follow with the eye.
Though I didn’t see it, her swordsmanship was undoubtedly flawless.
Cecilia quickly added a clarification.
“What you just saw was a series of diagonal cuts followed by an upward and downward slash. At the end, I thrust and presented the blade’s edge forward.”
“Keerik. I see.”
“To put it in metaphor, think of it as a point, line, and surface. Thrusting is like making a point, cutting is drawing a line, and blocking an opponent’s attack is creating a surface.”
“Keerik? I don’t understand.”
“Just a metaphor, so it doesn’t matter if you don’t get it. If you didn’t see it well, I could show you slowly again.”
“Keerik. I’m good. I’ll try following it once.”
“Then try it with just one sword for now. Put the rest down.”
Balutak tossed aside everything except one sword in a haphazard manner.
He proudly raised the one he held.
You could already tell he was flailing and panicking.
I worried he might end up slicing his own arm.
─!
In an instant, a gust of wind from the sword rushed through.
In a split second, Balutak struck with the sword.
“Is this how it’s done?”
“….”
I couldn’t even track it with my eyes.
So I couldn’t tell if he was just fast or genuinely mimicking Cecilia’s techniques.
When I cast a glance at Cecilia, I was taken aback.
She, who had been indifferent until just now, was now gaping in shock.
Charlotte beside me was no different.
As they both stared at Balutak in astonishment, Charlotte eventually glanced toward me.
“…I apologize for doubting you. You saw the potential for swordsmanship in him, didn’t you?”
“Did the Master see this?”
“….”
I should just keep my mouth shut.