[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]

Chapter 328: The Days of Training

“Before we begin training.”

Verdzig spoke.

“Although I cannot learn the Clan Head’s martial arts, I too must break through the wall of the 8th tier. The enemy has a force of no less than five superhumans.”

My father nodded.

“Correct. But how do you plan to train?”

“I am thinking of training with Kasimir Montera, no, with Kasimir ‘who has abandoned his name’.”

At that, Siena, Ulbhild, Zamuel, Ghir, Knut, and Ludgarda all raised their hands in a rush.

“May I join as well?”

“Of course, Princess.”

It seemed everyone planned to spend the coming days training in their own way.

“Say your farewells in advance.”

My father said.

“It will be difficult to see each other’s faces for some time.”

It was the prelude to a hellish training regimen.

***

“From now on, you will live inside a barrier I have created. You will never be able to leave on your own until I let you out.”

The world within the barrier that Geninghen led me to with his stern warning was a truly desolate plateau.

“Wow, what a bleak landscape.”

Whoooosh.

The wind that blew with a cutting chill was incredibly dry and intense.

“It feels like I’ve come to the end of the world.”

“The bountiful sea, the rough and cold sea, the silent and inescapable open ocean.”

Geninghen said.

“Just as all those are attributes of the sea, this vast continent also has lands like this where no life exists. This space is a replica of a plateau I discovered long ago when I wandered the continent training in magic.”

The power to create an entire world. To think that this was the power of an Archmage…

“Magic is truly incredible. No matter how I look at it, this feels completely real.”

Geninghen cackled.

“You martial artists who cut down and destroy all of our various fucking shenanigans with a single damn sword aren’t normal either.”

“That’s true too.”

I nodded my head.

“Why did you specifically choose a place like this for training?”

“An attitude of questioning everything. I like it.”

Geninghen pointed at me.

“You probably would have reached a high state even if you had learned magic.”

I thought back to the days when I was learning from Adeline and shook my head.

“I hate studying.”

“Kukuku, you’ll do it when you have to.”

Geninghen laughed heartily and answered my question.

“A peaceful beach, or a quiet and safe mountainside, wouldn’t they be too safe? The martial arts you must learn from now on are not something that can be mastered peacefully, as if cultivating the Way.”

Geninghen explained.

“A single real battle that crosses the line between life and death makes a martial artist grow more than countless duels. If you are to defeat the Dark King, even your training must be like a war.”

In that sense, I had no objection to the idea that I must first drive myself into a harsh and hostile environment.

After all, a human in their natural state, without weapons, wisdom, or cooperation, is nothing more than weak, slow, and easily injured prey.

‘From the perspective of the natural world, a single human individual is extremely weak.’

Perhaps the essence of martial arts is to turn such a weak human into an absolute powerhouse.

Just as the people of Eisenach, Angantyr, and the Mountain Folk had become strong.

“Besides, while this is certainly a dangerous environment, in another sense, it is also safer than anywhere else.”

“Why is that?”

“Because it is another dimension, one that cannot be entered from the outside. Do you understand what that means?”

“…”

A chill ran down my spine. With a dreadful premonition, I looked at my father.

“If your training is delayed, we will throw our bodies before the Dark King one by one to buy you time.”

My father said calmly.

“So, strive. If you want to save us all, that is.”

These were, in a way, the most terrifying words of all.

“…I understand.”

“Your gaze is firm. Firm enough to endure the hell that is about to unfold.”

My father’s words did not sound like a joke at all.

“Well then, Allen, as you might have expected,”

My father said.

“I shall oversee the first training session.”

Dressed in martial arts attire, my father showed the aspect of a martial artist who had reached an overwhelming state, rather than the authority of a Duke or a Clan Head.

“We don’t have much time, but we cannot rush things either.”

My father declared.

“Before you can be taught the martial arts, you will first undergo various other training exercises.”

“What kind of training?”

“We will start from the beginning. First, with all your mana gone, you will feel the weight of the sword with your body alone. Then, the 1st tier. Then, the 2nd tier. You will slowly raise the level, limiting your power to each respective state.”

My father explained.

“This is because your growth is unprecedented. You have built a castle far too quickly, one that should have been built over long years and with sufficient research.”

“So you’re saying it might be a castle built on sand.”

“Even if the Dark King has trained in dark arts and consumed all sorts of elixirs, it is impossible that his skill was built without arduous training.”

Leszek, silent as always, spoke.

“Although the time is short, you must re-forge every step of the process, even if it has to be compressed.”

“I understand.”

“It seems you are convinced.”

As if he had been waiting, Geninghen snapped his fingers.

“Hm?”

Then, ferocious beasts with sharp claws appeared.

“This is your first task. Survive against these things without using a single bit of mana.”

“…”

I let out a deep sigh.

“Isn't the difficulty of this first lesson a bit brutal?”

“It has to be.”

My father smirked.

“Just controlling yourself not to use any mana at all will prove to be a surprisingly difficult condition.”

That was true.

Human nature desires what is easier and more efficient, so not breaking the rules even in a dangerous moment is an extremely difficult task.

“Then let’s begin. Don’t die.”

***

A day passed.

“That kid, that kid.”

Geninghen, who was watching Allenvert’s training through a crystal ball, clicked his tongue.

“When did he become such a monster? His body itself is already not human.”

“While breaking through the walls several times, the level of his physical body has also risen to a frightening degree.”

Georg said.

“He could probably subdue a 3rd or 4th tier martial artist with ease without a shred of mana.”

It wasn’t an exaggeration.

Allenvert, facing the beasts with only a single sword, at first employed tactics like aiming for vital spots or exploiting weaknesses, but…

Now, he had simply thrown the sword aside and was beating a bear to death with his bare fists, chasing down a fleeing tiger to strangle it, and catching a diving hawk to snap its neck.

“The man himself is just strong.”

Geninghen licked his lips.

“Then is this training even meaningful?”

“Of course.”

Georg said.

“At first, he used the sword cautiously. Then, he faced them head-on with the sword. Finally, with only his two fists.”

“…There was martial art in every one of those processes. With only the physical body, with only external arts.”

Leszek added an explanation to Georg’s words with his eyes closed.

“Allenvert’s martial studies are undergoing a final inspection.”

That was right. Every one of Allenvert’s movements now contained the essence of martial arts.

And it was something that was infinitely close to perfection even without the power of mana.

“Still, we might need to speed up the progress a bit.”

“I agree with that.”

.

.

.

Amidst the tension, the time for training passed quickly.

It was the same outside the barrier.

“…Everyone is so grim.”

“It cannot be helped.”

Verdzig nodded at the 8th Prince’s words.

“We don’t know when the Dark King will realize the truth.”

During that time, the 8th Prince had been busy.

Purging the 3rd Prince’s faction, assigning blame, and deciding the fate of the Montera and Lavinia’s execution was by no means an easy process.

Verdzig’s presence and schemes played a large role in that process.

“Is the Dark King such a powerful being?”

“My father, Duke Georg Grunewald, and the elder of the sword, Lord Leszek, are surely strong enough to be counted among the top five on the continent.”

Verdzig stated with certainty.

“But if those two together did not dare to face the Dark King alone, it means he is a being akin to a demon god.”

The 8th Prince asked with a tense expression.

“Then no matter how the 4th Prince obtains the Dragon Heart, wouldn’t it be difficult to surpass that power?”

“Thinking about it coolly, it might be impossible.”

Verdzig said.

“But Allen has always managed to overcome fights that seemed impossible.”

When the brothers first entered the war for the throne on two separate paths, Allenvert had been clearly weaker than him.

But now, had it not been a long time since he himself was surpassed?

“Even if he cannot surpass the Dark King right away, I cannot help but believe in his potential.”

And because he believed that.

“Only when our overall strength becomes as equal to theirs as possible will the final battle between the leaders become easier.”

To have the mindset that it was okay not to be the main character in the face of a great enemy.

That was a truly difficult change of heart for Verdzig, who had lived his entire life at the center of the world.

“Fortunately, I gained considerable enlightenment while training with the former Grand Commander of the Royal Guard. It seems I will be able to break the wall of the 8th tier without being too late.”

The 8th Prince shook his head.

“Was that a state that could be surpassed so simply?”

Originally, both the next Duke of Grunewald and the title of the Kingdom’s Greatest Sword would have surely belonged to Verdzig. If it weren’t for Allenvert.

“I also heard that Princess Siena has broken through the wall of the 7th tier.”

“She seems to have gained some enlightenment after sparring frequently with Ulbhild and Ludgarda in particular.”

Not only them, but Knut, Ghir, Zizek, Barclava, Jeffrey, and Nagan also achieved great accomplishments.

Zizek, in particular, after receiving Zamuel’s teachings for a few days, finally surpassed Nagan and rose to a level where he could contend with Jeffrey to some extent.

‘Everyone is breaking through their walls. Everyone except Zamuel.’

Zamuel was already past his prime, and it had been a long time since he had confirmed the limits of his potential.

‘Even that is a great feat.’

For an underworld swordsman to surpass the 7th tier.

‘It’s amazing, now that I think about it.’

All these powerful individuals had gathered under Allenvert’s banner.

‘The vassals who will lead the next generation of Grunewald may become even more powerful than those of the previous generation.’

Verdzig smiled bitterly.

Leaving aside the size of their forces, the sheer potential of the core members already made it difficult for him to be a match for Allenvert.

***

During that time, I synthesized the fragments of martial arts that had been scattered in various ways.

The process was filled with quiet meditation, wild rampages set against the desolate plateau, and various experiments accompanied by explosions and destruction.

“…Good.”

My father watched the process from the side, sparing no advice or help.

“You have finished all preparations much faster than I expected.”

“It is thanks to you, Father.”

“You have followed well. If you hadn’t made these preparations, you would have surely suffered from internal mana deviation in the next stage.”

In other words.

“From today, I will teach you the secret martial art permitted only to the head of Grunewald.”

[Translator - Pot ]

[Proofreader - Kawaii ]