Reincarnation of the Sword Master - Chapter 9

Chapter 9 – Swordmaster (1)
Translated by : betterdays

Asher shut his mouth quietly. How would Venicia react? She wouldn’t believe it no matter what, he thought. Who would believe such a weird thing coming from a 12 year-old troublemaker of the estate?

Maybe she’ll be on guard. Asher’s anxiety started to bubble up. IHe slowly looked up and looked at her face. As Asher saw her expression gradually, he was surprised.

“What?”

Venicia was crying. Asher was incredibly embarrassed. In the numerous situations that were played out just now in his head, crying was not one of them.

“Oh, my God. Oh, my God.”

She hugged Asher. Asher flinched again at the warmth of Venicia’s body. She hugged him tightly and patted him on the back.

“You must have been having such a hard time. Are you okay? Since when did you start to lose your memories?”

“…it hasn’t been more than two months.”

Asher turned to Reika with a perplexed face. He said that he had lost his memory, and she was feeling sorry for him? He couldn’t understand the thought process of the two women next to him.

However, Reika looked sullen as if she had guessed this would happen. Her mother cared about him too much.

“Mother, get away from him. He’s flustered.”, Reika interjected.

“Flustered? Why?”

“He just told you he lost his memory, didn’t he? How could he possibly remember you mom?”

“Ah.”

At the words, Venecia wiped away her tears and stepped back. Asher carefully helped Venicia stand properly as she was bending down to hug Asher’s rather small figure.

“Don’t you doubt me?”

“About what?”

“That I lost my memory.”

“Why would I doubt it? There’s no reason for you to lie to me.”

Venicia smiled warmly with her eyes displaying absolute trust, Asher avoided her gaze since it still felt uncomfortable for him.

“…I’m not the kid you know anymore.”

His memories had become jumbled together with the previous body’s owner and he was still uncomfortable with adjusting to his reincarnation. He had also never had somebody show him affection, so Asher naturally tried to push her away from him with rough words.

“You said you raised me. But I don’t have those memories. Not only that, but your face, your name… I forgot all of those things. To me, you’re someone I’ve never met before.”

She was nothing to the current Asher, he was trying to get that point across to her and set a boundary with her. However, both of them in their bodies felt a platonic sense of love and affection for one another, so an uncomfortable silence ensued in the training hall.

“…I don’t know if you remember, but long ago before any of the younger ones were born, I was unable to bear any children.”

“I know.”

Venicia could not give birth to any children for a long time, and when she finally had her first child, she was already in her mid-twenties. Although wealth and influence were nice, having a blood descendant was a necessary must for nobility. The deities and gods that she prayed to, left her calls unanswered until one day… she found a little boy abandoned by the side of a river.

“I was the first one to find you.”

She laughed as she recalled the time she had found the young baby boy, named ‘Asher’.

On a day when she was ridden with stress and shame, Rebecca, her maid, recommended her to take a walk. She didn’t quite have the strength to do that, but while walking through the hallways of the estate and out in the grassy areas of the plains with a sorry heart, she heard a very high pitched wailing sound.

“I brought you back into the mansion with me. I was embarrassed because it was my first time holding a baby in my entire life. I tried to get you a maid that night to help get you to sleep, but you grabbed my finger and held onto it.”

The young baby at that time stopped crying and started to giggle. Fiddling with Venicias fingers, he burst into a fit of giggles. The abandoned child laughed in her arms as soon as he was brought to the estate.

At that moment, Venicia’s world changed. She raised the child in spite of the opposition. She saw the child growing slowly, suffering on his own as an employee of the estate, not leaving his well-being in the hands of a maid. Although she could not adopt him, she poured more love into him than anything else in her life as Asher grew up.

“Why do I trust you? Why do I love you? Isn’t it obvious? Because I think of you as my own child. I raised you and loved you with all my heart. Even if you don’t remember anything, even if you don’t think of me as you did anymore, there’s no problem for me at all.”

Because she loved him. She was her child.

Her eyes were saying so.

“I’m not someone you know anymore.”

Those loving eyes were not for him. Those were for the original Asher. It was directed at the original owner of this body.

“I don’t care, you’re still my child.”

No. He was not her child. Even though he knew that, could he really view her with such eyes and accept such unconditional love? Asher shook his head.

“Okay, Mother.”

Even when he spoke the words, his bitter and guilty feelings did not disappear. Venicia smiled brightly at the words.

***

“It’s heavy.”

Reika, who was still listening, said with an uncomfortable face. She knew that the events would flow like they did, but seeing it in person felt completely different.

It was hard to accept what had just happened in front of her. Reika, although young, could feel that Venicia loved Asher more than her. And Reika was her own blood-related daughter

It hurt quite a bit for her.

“Anyway, has everything been alright for you since then?”

“Yes.”

Asher answered Venicia quietly. When their talk seemed to be over, Karen approached. When Charon coughed slightly, Venicia cleared her throat with surprise as if she had just realized something.

“Hmm. Hmm. That’s right… I forgot to say why I’m here today….”

She explained slowly. After hearing what she said, Reika clicked her tongue as if she knew this would happen eventually. Venicia looked at her with worried eyes.

“No matter how good you are with the sword, shouldn’t you at least take care of yourself? I mean….”

“You don’t have to worry. I’m going to be practicing more comfortably from now on.”

It was a bluff from Asher to see how Venicia felt about their training. But Benesia showed absolute trust in him. From now on though, it was true that Asher and Reika could train a bit less rough since he had gotten a basic foundation set up for her.

“Oh, really? Then it’ll be okay. But when did you start practicing swordsmanship so much?.”

“It was the very next day after I lost my memory.”

“Really?”

Venicia tilted her head. It had been less than two months, and he was already teaching someone? Even Venicia could feel that was a little odd, and not only that, but how peculiar could it be that Asher started training with the sword the very day after he lost his memories? Reika grumbled at Venicia’s questioning since she just wanted her to leave them already.

“It seems you had a talent for swords.”

“…yes.”

Venicia seemed to have the wrong understanding, but it seemed like the only plausible explanation for everyone who saw someone of such skill by only training a little more than two months

‘Ignorance is bliss.’

He knew he didn’t have any talent, or at least was convinced that he didn’t in this body as well, so he felt guilty for lying to Venicia who was showing him such doting affection.

“I’m sorry, but I can’t let you believe that statement, Miss.”

Charon, who was listening quietly, twisted his mouth.

***

He didn’t hear that Asher had lost his memory two months ago, but Charon knew what Asher was like in the past and had met several of his trouble-making kind. He despised Asher to no end.

Asher was a waste. He never put any effort into anything, had no willingness to abide by the rules of the estate. He was a bug in Charon’s eyes.

That was his assessment of Asher.

If it wasn’t for the protection of Venicia, Asher would have been beaten and kicked out of the estate long ago. And now he was shamelessly claiming to be the teacher of the young miss?

Charon’s muscles swelled up and his face contorted with anger.

He was a knight. He was faithful to the nobility of the Empire and his sword. He had trained for years and years, and this was like an utter disgrace to him.

“You’re talented? And because of that, you’re suddenly qualified to teach Miss Reika?”

A few years ago, Charon was thrilled to see Reika start wielding the sword. As a knight who spent his very life, practicing the sword, he could notice Reika’s talent in a heartbeat.

Although impressed by her talent, he did not give advice or dare try to teach Reika. It was because he was afraid of carelessly stunting her growth with the sword and having her create blemishes in her swordsmanship since he was not qualified to teach others..

But for this disgusting and lying bug to be ruining Miss Reika’s unparalleled talent?!

The hand that was gripped on the handle of his sword was strengthened. Charon wanted to kill him right away, but Venicia was watching. Charon drew the sword while trying to suppress his murderous intent.

“You said you were talented. Talented enough to somehow start teaching the Young Miss after picking up the sword only two months ago, correct?”

Charon spat out venomously at Asher. That trash must have twisted his tongue and fed lies to Lady Venicia and Miss Reika. Anybody who had no education with the sword would have believed it. Asher had no shame in the eyes of Charon.

“Then beat me in a duel. I’m sure if you can beat me then anybody would acknowledge you are truly talented enough to teach others. Pick up the sword.”

“Sir Charon, what are you talking about?!”, Lady Venicia tried to interject as she noticed something clearly awry.

“This was the Lord’s order. I can’t and will not stop no matter times you ask me to stop, Lady Venicia”

Venicia was forced to shut up at Charon’s words. Charon pointed his sword at Asher.

“If you can’t take responsibility for your words and claims, then just beat it. You are nothing but a lowly commoner and have no place being here.”

“Charon…”

Lady Venicia was feeling downhearted since she couldn’t do anything if it was truly the Lord’s order. Not only that, it was clear to her that Charon was also using this as an opportunity to vent his anger at a child.

“It’s all right.”

Asher stepped forward, patting Venicia on the shoulder to relax her. He then locked gazes with Charon. Only contempt and hostility could be seen in Charon’s eyes.

‘It seems this was an order sent by the lord of the estate. Hm…’

Unlike Venicia, It seemed to Asher that the Lord had some bitter feelings and opinions about Asher’s presencel. Well, it was weird in the first place that a nobility like Venicia would even try to raise a commoner boy as her own son in the first place, but Asher felt indebted to her since she was the first person to have ever shown him eyes of affection. He could not let her feel down.

Asher lifted his sword slowly with a resolute and fierce gaze in his eyes.

“What will you do if I win?”

“…I won’t meddle with you or your affairs anymore. If I win, you’ll shut your dirty mouth about being the teacher of Miss Reika, yes?”

“That’s fine with me.”

Asher nodded and then shifted his steps.

***

“So that’s what happened.”

Lord Halvark leaned against the chair and muttered to himself. He was having a headache just listening to the story and pressed his hands to rub his temples.

“You challenged Asher to a fight… and you lost?”

“Yes.”

Charon bit his lips. His face, whose lips and cheekbones were colored in black and blue with bruises, looked rather funny.

“I don’t remember telling you to challenge Asher to a duel.”

“…I’m sorry.”

Charon bowed his head. However, Lord Halvark did not rebuke him. As a result, Charon’s actions actually brought forwards some important information.

“…It’s been said he has training with the sword for less than 2 months, and even Reika corroborated the truth of that matter. But I still can’t believe he beat you.”

Charon was incredibly strong. He became a knight of Lord Halvark’s small estate to repay the kindness he received from Lord Halvark long ago, but he was originally a well-known knight in the Empire. He was not a person who would be beaten by even the most talented of children who had been learning swordsmanship from birth. But for some child to beat him… and one that had been only training for 2 months?

“And you couldn’t even raise your hands because he overwhelmed you to such an extent?”

“…yes.”

Charon replied in a gloomy tone. There was no room to refute what happened since the rumors had already spread from all the staff in the estate to even the villagers of the town. If Reika and Venicia hadn’t stopped Asher in the middle of their so-called ‘duel’, Charon would have beaten bloody till he was crippled. Charon trembled at the thought of such a monstrous kid.

“Hmm.”

Lord Halvark narrowed his eyes and tapped his fingers on his desk. He couldn’t even try and guess what else happened to Asher since losing his memories. Everything he heard was completely opposite to Asher he once knew.

“It’s like a completely different person….”

But that clearly couldn’t happen. In the end, Lord Halvark only got more of a headache trying to figure it out.

“How does his relationship with Reika look?”

“It didn’t look bad.”

“Clearly Asher is brilliant. If I had noticed sooner I could have made a plan-”

Lord Halvark mumbled and was suddenly cut-off.

“You’re telling an interesting story.”

An old man’s voice suddenly rang out from behind them. Charon immediately flinched and turned around, drawing his sword at the ready.

Since when did this person get behind him? There was an old man standing by the window. Charon was shocked. He was in a small room together with Lord Halvark, and he who was an Empirical knight couldn’t even notice this man’s presence?

“Who… who are you?”

“You are in no position to question me as a servant.”

“…I don’t know who you are, but if you have come all the way here just to sneak into the Lord’s room, you’d better be prepared!”

Charon yelled as he stomped his foot on the ground with strength and shot forwards

“Wait Charon….”

Lord Halvark tried to stop him, but Charon’s sword had already drawn a trajectory in the air. All of a sudden a flash of light lit up the dark room where the three of them were, and Charon’s sword was blocked

“Hmmm… the speed is good.”

“Huh…?”

Charon looked at his sword with an incredible face. The unknown old man was holding onto his sword with two fingers. The old man chuckled.

“Go away.”

Boom-

“Cough!”

The shock struck Charon’s body. Charon collapsed on the floor throwing up blood and slowly managed to lift the sword with trembling hands as a cane.

The old man whistled.

“Oh you didn’t let go of the sword? What a waste. You would have been worth raising if I were a little younger, but I’m too old these days to teach.”

“You really are too much..”, Lord Halvark sighed.

The old man approached Lord Halvark with a grin.

“Your knight will get better in two days. I can protect you while he’s getting treated, so what’s the problem? There’s no one better that you could possibly have for a personal guard than myself.”

“What’s going on this time that made you want to visit?”, Lord Halvark asked in a tired voice.

“I was just going to drop by for a while, but I heard quite an interesting story while listening to that guy over there. Yeah… that’s right. You say a boy who hasn’t even trained with the sword for more than two months beat this guy over here?”

The old man spoke, pointing to Charon.

As the old man saw it, the level of Charon was quite high. Even those with great talent from birth, would not be able to defeat Charon unless they trained diligently and with motivation regularly. But some young boy had beaten this knight of the empire after picking up the sword only 2 months ago? He was definitely not going to miss this interesting story.

“You are…”

Charon looked up at the old man blankly as he spoke with shock in his voice. The old man’s facial features were that of a man in his early 80s, but his body was one of a stout young man in his 20’s.

In addition, the most unusual thing was the color of the old man’s hair. As if the old man had rejected the passage of time, his beard and hair was pitch black instead of gray and white.

“It can’t be….”, Charon muttered.

“Oh it seems you know me. I thought I’d be forgotten since it’s been such a long time since I was active.”

“How could I not know who you are sir…!”

There was a desire in the eyes of Charon. The old man in front of him, was a man anybody who followed the path of the sword would revere and want to learn from.

Lord Halvark got up from his seat and leaned over.

“It’s been 20 years. We welcome your visit. High Count Van Ester. The master of the Halvark family, and the sword of the Empire. Thank you for your visit, Swordmaster.”