Chapter: 314
I am a sinner. A sinner who has brought shame upon my household…
“Mmm, I did learn to wield a sword as part of being a member of Valenti, but not professionally like a swordmaster. So, there might be some nuances about martial artists that I don’t get.”
Marghetta spoke softly as she sat in her chair. But despite her gentle tone, my head was gradually drooping lower.
Just because she’s speaking softly doesn’t mean her anger has dissipated. Even though she had calmed the panicked couple before being summoned by the Crown Prince, it was still just calming down someone in a panic. Anger usually comes after a state of confusion, right?
So if I were to say something like, “Thank you for understanding!” at this moment, I could end up with a slap to the face. Even if it doesn’t hurt, it would definitely leave me mentally scarred.
“But you, um…”
Carefully kneeling down, Marghetta wrapped her fingers around my hand, which was resting on the floor.
“You’re not alone anymore, Kal.”
Marghetta was silent for a moment with my hand in hers, then spoke in a quivering voice that stirred a guilt deep within me.
“I’ll graduate from the academy next year. And after that, I’ll marry you, Kal… and have a baby too…”
I heard someone sniffle nearby. With my head still down, it was hard to tell, but it seemed to be Louise.
“So, is it too much for me to want you to take care of yourself, Kal?”
“No, not at all.”
I shot my head up to see Marghetta smiling sadly at me.
Damn it. I thought everything was over when I returned alive to the Crown Prince. At this rate, I’d rather be punished than deal with this. It’s one thing to anger someone, but being pressured with such sorrow is unbearable for any decent person.
“I need to say something this time.”
Baegong’s turn followed right after Marghetta. It was rare for Marcilio to look at me with a cold glare, especially since he usually embraces me with the heart of a mother regardless of what I do.
“Child. What would you have done had there been no priest?”
I bowed my head once more at that penetrating question…
“Lift your head. We are not interrogating you; we are worried about you.”
So much for that.
“Besides, an average priest wouldn’t be able to treat a severed arm immediately. Luckily, having the next saint helped; otherwise, you might have been stuck with just one arm for days.”
“I’m sorry…”
That was all so painfully true that I could only muster a weak apology.
Honestly, I attempted to slice the sky because I thought Tannian was there, but I couldn’t very well say that while being scolded. Otherwise, I’d just get berated more for doing it despite knowing I could get hurt. A mistake and a deliberate action are different things, after all.
So, after enduring Marghetta’s emotional appeal and Marcilio’s factual assault, I discreetly rolled my eyes to the side.
‘Damn it all.’
In the corner, Erich and Rutis were sulking as if they had nothing to do with any of this.
Those two also have a stake in this mess. Erich asked me for guidance, and Rutis requested a sword demonstration. In other words, they’re practically the origin of the incident.
But who would have imagined I’d slice the sky while showing them the sword technique? Everyone was so eager to see me swing the blade that they weren’t about to stop me.
‘Some intuition these idiots have.’
Of course, that didn’t mean I was letting them off the hook entirely; I still kept my emotions in check. After all, human reason and emotions rarely align.
If either Erich or Rutis had said something foolish, they would both have gotten blasted. But the two, knowing full well the need for silence, kept their mouths shut—probably instinctively knowing that now was not the time to speak.
Rutis, if only you would stay quiet like this all the time—
“Hey, Oppa.”
“Huh?”
I quickly turned my attention towards Irina’s sudden voice.
“Were they saying anything from the royal family about you…?”
Irina, who was comforting a sobbing Louise, looked at me with concerned eyes.
That’s a valid question. Cutting the sky in the middle of the academy is no small matter, and Irina had witnessed me being put on probation firsthand. It’s reasonable for her to worry about whether I’d be getting punished again.
“Don’t worry. It was a proud moment for the empire, and they told me to keep training the next generation.”
While the Crown Prince didn’t explicitly say it like that, he meant something similar. It proves that there’s a warrior who can cut the sky, and since that warrior is at the academy, mages would flock there just like they did during Marcilio’s time. As long as I put on a show of teaching those visiting mages, the empire stands to gain a lot.
“Does that mean you’ll be cutting the sky again?”
However, Irina was more concerned about my well-being than the empire’s gain.
“I don’t need to teach them everything, so there’s a good chance that won’t happen.”
“So there’s still a chance you might do it!”
Even though I tried to answer her calmly to soothe her, I unfortunately chose my words poorly.
Dammit, I should’ve said I’d rather not ever do it again in my lifetime. However, I feel like I’ll end up doing it a few more times anyway. It’s not like I want to break promises I can’t keep.
“I’ll try my best to avoid it.”
“Oppa!”
I tried hard to ignore Irina’s screech.
Civil servants don’t make promises they can’t keep.
If I get into trouble, there’s this guy who feels joy as if it were his own business.
“Hey, did you really cut the sky?”
I barely escaped the concerned girlfriends trying to check if I’d hurt anything other than my arm. And as soon as I entered the lodgings, I received a call from the Judicial Minister.
“Have you heard already?”
“Yeah. I’ve been getting calls from retired folks since yesterday; it’s been chaos.”
At that, I instinctively lowered my gaze. There were more retired soldiers living near the academy than I thought.
“What’s going on all of a sudden? You’ve barely ever used that move even during the war.”
“Because I couldn’t use it during the war. I was preparing to use a technique that would definitely kill without warning; who’s going to wait around for that?”
“That’s true.”
I sighed at the Minister’s chuckles.
If we exclude myself and Dorgon, there were only a few people who could even use the downgraded version of that move. However, its usage was more of a performance to lower morale just before a fight, and it’s rare anyone would actually fire it at an opponent. To be honest, I can’t think of any cases where they did.
If you have to unleash a technique powerful enough to slice the sky, it means you’re in a life-or-death match against someone truly formidable—how can you gather your energy in front of such a foe? Not attacking while they’re transforming is a rule only known between magical girls.
“Krasius Kal, you and I are even! How about we both go for our strongest blow and end this?”
“What a crazy idea.”
Of course, some people live in a completely different world. That idiot Talha suggested we both use our ultimate moves since we couldn’t decide the outcome otherwise.
What a foolish idea. And then I did it right away.
“Anyway, what really happened? Did you and Marcilio have a domestic dispute or something?”
“Well…”
It took quite a bit of courage to admit I only did it to show off for my brother.
*
Lying in my bed, I stared blankly at the ceiling. My head hasn’t been working right since yesterday. Specifically, it was only the crazy antics my brother had pulled that kept replaying in my mind, and nothing else. If Sara hadn’t spoken to me, I might have just turned into dust on the floor.
I genuinely wanted to learn from a great master, check if I was on the right path, and see the destination I’d reach someday. So, I asked my brother for guidance.
“You can reach my level if you keep working hard. What I did, you could do too.”
“Ha.”
Recalling my brother’s words made me let out a hollow laugh. “If you put in the effort, you can do it too?”
Such nonsense. It’s obvious that hard work yields results, but effort can’t solve everything. Some people are simply born with talent.
‘Myeolse.’
Another hollow chuckle escaped my lips. My brother called it slicing the sky but also referred to it as “Myeolse.” That’s why the reverse sinner is referred to as such.
Myeolse, such an intuitively appropriate name. It feels like it’s not just because it cuts the sky.
‘How many souls have shattered beneath it?’
In a war, countless swordsmen would have converged. Soldiers wielding swords, commanders trained in even a bit of swordsmanship, or knights who’ve devoted their lives to the sword—all would’ve witnessed Myeolse.
At that moment, how many swordsmen must have felt despair and hopelessness? They’d see the realm unreachable by their abilities and efforts—a gap so profound it’s humiliating to even call it ‘human.’ The realization that their world was broken by seeing such a disparity. Therefore, the name Myeolse fits like a glove; it sends chills down one’s spine.
‘How can I ever be one?’
I’m the same. Unless I’m reborn, I can never reach my brother’s level. I can’t even guarantee my victory against fellow students.
‘It’s hopeless.’
Having goals is important; however, when you’re blinded by unrealistic goals, you’ll tread the wrong path. Thus, I gave up. I can’t be like my brother.
So, I need to set realistic goals. My brother and I are siblings of the same parents; we’re both trained in swordsmanship. Though my brother was gifted beyond compare with talent, if we share the same blood—
‘Surely, I could cut down a mountain, right?’
I might not destroy the world, but surely, I could bring down a city!
Seeing the overwhelming heights made me feel at ease. While I understood there’s talent disparity among humans, I realized there are no limits. Having someone who can slice the sky doesn’t diminish a mountain’s worth.
‘Let’s hang in there.’
I gathered my thoughts, pushing away any feelings of despair. I shouldn’t feel frustrated by my brother’s achievements; instead, I need to create my own legacy.
…But honestly, I’m still jealous. I want to slice the sky too…
A warrior who can slice the sky with a single sword. Isn’t that the dream of any man?
“Do you think if I asked the instructor once more, he’d show it to me?”
Looking at Rutis’s serious face made it clear. He’s fallen under the enchantment of slicing the sky too.
“If you’re confident you can beat Marcilio, then go for it.”
“Ugh…”
But once I mentioned the harsh reality, he wore a bitter expression and looked ready to give up. Sadly, slicing the sky is no longer something my brother can do at will.
To persuade the four fiancées surrounding my brother? It’s apparent they’d snatch me away before I ever got to him after asking the wrong question.
‘I’ll probably never get to see it again.’
And regardless of who, I can’t picture a scene where I’d successfully persuade Marcilio.
“Why isn’t there someone like this in Armein…?”
In the midst of all this, I almost nodded at Rutis’s lingering complaint.
If such a person existed in every kingdom, wouldn’t that be a sign of the apocalypse?
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