Episode 31 Preparation (6)
The principal’s office at Joaquin Academy.
Media looked at the swordsman Siegfried with narrowed eyes. He stroked his chin and was deep in thought. His holy hair sparkled like sand on a white beach in the sunset.
Media sighed deeply and called Siegfried.
“What’s going on?”
“Oh, I’m sorry. No.”
“under!”
The speechless Media burst into grief. In the fifty years they had spent together, she had never heard an apology from the inspector twice in one day.
Her attitude was so different from her usual self that it almost seemed like she was suffering from dementia. Media crossed her arms and legs.
“So why did you do that earlier? It’s because one of the instructors reported to me that you and Geomma were sparring. If it weren’t for me, what would have happened? And on top of that, you’re showing the Geomma’s protection against the cadets. Speak up, you old man!”
Media quickly and sharply examined each point. The inspector opened his mouth with a crooked smile and sipped his teacup.
“If I hadn’t manifested the protection, I wouldn’t have been able to gain the upper hand.”
“…what?”
Media, who thought she had misheard, pretended to rip her ears open and looked at the inspector. There was no falsehood in his unwavering tone.
What did I just hear? Was that something that would come out of the mouth of that proud Siegfried? And to begin with, the very assumption that he ‘lost’ was too unfamiliar to Media.
Although his hair was gray and his face was wrinkled, he knew Siegfried’s strength better than anyone else.
Because of his meticulous personality, he never neglected his training even for a single day, and his sword skills became more refined and sharper day by day, befitting his old age.
Of course, we all know that Kang Geum-ma has innate talent, but no matter how innate the talent is, there must be a vibe that comes from experience.
“That guy has already reached the realm of imagination.”
“What, already?! You started to handle it when you were almost thirty. It’s a level that even Changseong reached when he was in his forties. And you’re handling it at the age of seventeen? Do you think that makes sense?”
Media stammered and opened her mouth to ask a question. The inspector took a sip of his teacup and placed it on the table.
“I don’t know. But it would be different if there was something that could offset the experience.”
“oh my god…….”
Media exclaimed and placed her hand on her forehead. She thought of the face of the swordsman she had been training with.
A face where the expression had been erased. A murderous aura flowed from the pitch-black pupils. Because of this, the media at the time flinched for a moment.
I didn’t show it because it was in front of the cadets, but goosebumps quickly ran through my body.
The emotion she felt after half a century stimulated something in the media. Even though she had left the front lines after taking on the position of principal, she could not forget that emotion.
The moment when I first felt my helplessness since I was born, I took control of my body.
It was the oldest and most powerful emotion of mankind: fear.
It was a fear that felt like it had been pierced through the lungs.
The eerie feeling he felt when he first encountered the 6th Corps Commander Basmon was vaguely felt by Kang Geum-ma, who was only a cadet. He felt like a rabbit standing in front of a lynx.
…Is it because the name has ‘Ma (魔)’ in it?
Media pressed her temples. Her mind was complicated. As an educator, what she felt from her students was fear…
Even when I thought about it myself, it was ridiculous. I knew from the moment I entered school that Kang Geum-ma was an exceptional student.
But now it was impossible to even guess how deep the foundation would be. Media wrinkled her nose for no reason.
For a moment, only a quiet silence arose. The inspector was silently sipping his teacup and savoring the taste. Mediah opened her mouth with a displeased expression at the sight.
“So who won?”
The inspector’s right eyebrow twitched and he put the teacup down again. The bottom of the teacup made a nervous noise as it hit the table.
“Why are you asking such an obvious question? Oh, really.”
“Why didn’t you tell me the result when you gave me such an ambiguous answer? No way… Zigg, did you lose? Even after using the Sword Spirit’s protection and aura?”
“How could that be! No matter how innate Kanggeomma’s talent is, it still can’t compare to mine. Not to mention, I wasn’t fully armed at the time!”
“What, why the sudden rash? And isn’t it too ugly for someone who always says that a master doesn’t blame his equipment to make excuses about his weapons? If you look at it that way, our swordsman was a discount store slasher?”
“I, I… … !”
The inspector suddenly got up from his seat with a furious look on his face.
Media looked indifferent and poked one of her ears with her little finger. In response, the inspector folded his arms and slumped back down on the sofa.
“I lost, I won. Just tell me the result.”
“Of course I won.”
Media narrowed her eyelids and looked at the sword master with subtle eyes. The sword master avoided her gaze, sweating profusely. Then Media raised one corner of her mouth and said.
“Just kidding.”
“This… damn bitch… …! You don’t trust what people say!”
The scuffle, which was filled with angry voices and giggling laughter, finally died down after two hours.
* * *
Staring blankly at the dormitory ceiling and reminiscing about the fights we had has become a habit.
The ceiling that had seemed so unfamiliar to me when I entered the academy had now become the warmest roof.
I stroked my chin and took a moment to reflect on the miraculous events of the day.
I accepted the sword master’s provocation and took out the sashimi. Up until that point, there wasn’t much difference from what I usually do.
“Is it a dream or something… … .”
I muttered, staring at the dormitory ceiling with a blank expression.
The realm of imagination.
Before the world of Miracle Protection M was in full swing, the sword master gave Leon several teachings.
From basic things like posture and swordsmanship, to the art of swordsmanship and efficient use of protection, there were also explanations of abstract concepts like the realm of the mind.
A supreme realm that only the most highly sensitive and top-level masters can enter.
An active space that is activated when your proficiency and understanding of your weapon exceeds a certain level.
I know that even within the world, there are only a handful of heroes who can freely enter and exit the realm of the imagination.
Of course, Leon was also able to enter the realm of the mind after three years of one-on-one private lessons with the sword master. I know exactly because I quit at that exact moment.
The realm of the mind is a realm of craftsmanship that only those who have polished a single weapon their entire lives can enter. He mastered it in just three years, so the sword master who taught him and those around him were all amazed.
But why was it that the realm of imagination that even Leon, who was surrounded by main character buffs, had barely acquired after grinding through two years of his childhood, was immediately possible for me?
After thinking about it for a moment, the answer to that question was easy to come up with.
I have only eaten raw food with a knife for 20 years, including my previous life. And I did not just eat it raw. I was a master swordsman known as the best swordsman in the country.
It was only natural that the level of understanding and skill was the highest when it came to sashimi.
Moreover, every time the protection of the sword is manifested, concentration beyond human perception is displayed… … .
My life here, which is all tangled up in a mess, and my life in my previous life are harmoniously intertwined in many ways to overcome the situations. When I thought about it, my lips twitched with a strange sense of elation.
I suddenly came to my senses and jumped out of bed. I had no intention of doing anything, but I was just trying to improve my habit of burying myself in the bed.
Yes, considering the current situation, avoiding the situation would only make it worse. Rather than being passively swayed, let’s solve it step by step by doing what we can do well.
Of course, without being noticed. After finishing the duel with the sword master, the cadets had been looking at me with subtle eyes. Their faces were filled with emotions mixed with jealousy and fear. It wasn’t a very pleasant feeling.
Then, suddenly, I thought about doing some training and grabbed two sticks of sashimi.
Even though the Daiso sashimi was completely spoiled, I couldn’t throw it away. I had grown attached to it, and more than anything, my life focused on sashimi helped me in my academy life.
If you handle the longsword clumsily like in the sparring with Chloe and it breaks… … .
I shudder as I recall the excruciating pain that had been tormenting me for almost a week.
Rather than exceeding the 40-second limit of the pain relief protection and being hospitalized, if you swing the longsword wrong and the blade breaks, you will suffer like a tuberculosis patient with your bones exposed.
And I, too, have somewhat overcome my skepticism towards the ‘Protection of the Sword God’.
In fact, if it weren’t for this protection, I would have crossed the Jordan River several times already.
In addition, I will be able to receive the refined Murasame in two days. I am already excited to see how it will be refined, and I can’t help but open my eyes even while sleeping. That’s because it’s not just about putting oil on the sword, it’s about strengthening the weapon. It’s only natural for a swordsman to feel doubled in anticipation.
‘Strengthen your armament.’
In my experience as a gamer, ‘Miracle Protection M’ is quite lenient when it comes to weapon strengthening and failure.
Even if the level of your item drops by one or two levels when refining or strengthening fails, there are no hundreds or thousands of items that pop up like in other mass-produced mobile games.
If it was a game that had such a conscience, I probably wouldn’t have even started it. My money is precious.
Fortunately, I felt relieved that this was the world that had swallowed me up. But it was still incredibly annoying.
I forced a smile and grabbed the knife from the table. Since it had come to this, I thought I would go to the martial arts studio and try to deal with the realm of the mind.
If you can freely manipulate your mind, you can practice combat without necessarily having to activate the swordsman’s protection.
Although I’ve gotten better at managing the 40-second time limit than before, it’s still a fleeting moment that doesn’t even last a minute.
It is a double-edged sword ability that carries too much risk to prepare for.
As I was about to pack my belongings, turn off the lights, and leave, an idea suddenly flashed through my mind.
‘It can’t hurt to give it a try.’
Inside the dormitory room, the lights were off and the room was dark.
I pulled a stick of sashimi from my waistband.
There was no need to close my eyes to concentrate in a dark room with the lights off. The sensitivity and concentration towards sashimi were engraved on my entire body.
Somehow, I felt certain that those two materials would be enough. I concentrated all my attention on the hilt of the sword I was holding. Suddenly, the sensation of the hilt in my hand seemed to be newly emerging.
In the darkened field of vision, all that was standing was a single sword and me. The moment when the worldly things that filled my mind were erased one by one.
Recalling the sensation of encountering the sword, the vastly expanded sixth sense was broken into small pieces and reassembled to form an intangible mass. Then, a rippling blue energy passed through his hand and stuck to the sashimi as if it was burning.
Immediately after, the sashimi, unable to withstand the force, crumbled and turned into dust. I muttered with a bewildered expression.
