Chapter 26

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (26)

Every apprentice knight who comes to the Galápagos Islands inevitably undergoes a change that they can't help but notice.

Those who are active on this island are all geniuses, at the very least, talents who have been treated as prodigies. Whether in swordsmanship or mana cultivation, they achieve results several times faster than their peers, earning praise and making it seem natural to think that they deserve it.

However,

"Have I been treated poorly lately?"

Upon reflection, since coming to Galápagos, he hasn't received any praise or achieved outstanding results compared to others.

It's a natural story, after all.

When talented and untalented people are mixed, the talented few stand out, but if everyone is a genius or prodigy, they no longer seem special.

This reality, where they, who were always special, are treated as ordinary, is what drives the children to grind their bones.

The trio of fourth-year apprentice knights was no exception.

"Hey, Hayden! I was just thinking of giving you some encouragement if I ran into you. You've really improved! If you keep growing like this, joining the Golden Dragon Knights won't be a dream!"

It shouldn't have been an exception, right?

"Uh, well, no, ah, thank you?"

"Hahaha! You always act so high and mighty, but you blush when praised! Don't overdo it!"

"Y-You too…."

Hayden saluted the departing knight with a literally blank expression.

He couldn't help it.

Not only did the knight suddenly recognize and stop him, but he even mentioned joining the Golden Dragon Knights, which any knight of the Cardenas family would envy!

It's rare for someone to say such things even as a compliment.

"……"

"……"

Sure enough, as soon as Hayden turned around, his friends, who had been staring at him blankly, pounced.

"Hey, Hayden! What the hell have you been up to?"

"Did you take some kind of elixir without us? Tell us where it came from, and I'll spare your life!"

Ian grabbed his collar and shook him, while Gail tied his legs with a rope and knocked him down.

Despite the situation, Hayden, who had lost his mind, was captured and fell to the ground. Confusion and doubt overwhelmed him more than joy.

Ian and Gail were bewildered by Hayden's state.

"Ian, he's completely out of it, isn't he?"

"Can't you see? It looks that way at a glance. This idiot can't have improved his acting skills enough to fool me, and he seems genuinely confused."

"Did a senior mistake someone else for Hayden and praise him? Is that possible?"

"It's not impossible. They're human, after all."

Ian answered the question with a disbelieving expression, even as he spoke.

The Cardenas family is a knightly house that can boldly claim to be the best in the world, and the knights they appoint are all elite of the elites. It's rare for a mid-level knight, not to mention an apprentice knight, to make a mistake.

The knight ranks are divided into four levels:

Page (Apprentice Knight).

Squire (Junior Knight).

Bachelor (Mid-level Knight).

Banneret (Senior Knight).

After that, the hierarchy is determined by the position, status, or title within the knightly order.

'If we train for a few more years and get appointed, we'll become Squires. After that, we'll have to distinguish ourselves on the front lines and earn the family's recognition to become Bachelors. They mistook someone? Here, of all places, on this island?'

Ian frowned and pondered for a moment.

Then,

"Ah! You're Ian! You're only in your fourth year, yet you're really impressive! I was worried about you wandering around alone, but it was unnecessary. Keep growing and become a pride of the Cardenas family!"

"A, uh, y-yes, sir?"

"You, who always act so arrogantly, are being so humble! Your character is good! You're the type any knightly order would love! Keep it up!"

Another knight, like the one who had praised Hayden, grabbed Ian and showered him with compliments before disappearing.

Turning to look at Gail with a blank face, he saw Gail staring at him as if he had been betrayed.

Ian had to make an excuse, even though he knew it wouldn't work.

"It seems the seniors are mistaken."

"Shut up, you traitors!"

With his eyes wide open, Gail, who had Ian tied up, fell to the sand, landing next to the fallen Hayden.

His eyes, unable to accept the reality, looked like dead fish.

"Spill it all! When did we start lying and hiding from each other? Huh?!"

Gail, with a voice filled with anger, shouted at the two, who looked up at him and tried to explain.

"…You crazy guy, we've always been together. When would we have time to act separately?"

"…There were a few seniors who looked like us. Maybe their hairstyles and clothes have become similar recently."

Both had valid points.

Gail, though confused, felt left out by the seniors' attention.

So, he started dragging the two along as a way to vent.

"Ouch! Untie the ropes first, you brat! It's scratching my back!"

"Sand is getting in my mouth and nose! Gail, you idiot! If I get a brain injury, I'll really kill you!"

In the end, the two used mana to break the ropes and immediately caught Gail, who tried to run away, and beat him up.

With two against one, and similar skills, it was no contest.

"…Traitors…."

Ian and Hayden looked down at the beaten Gail and snorted.

"Shut up."

"Get up quickly. We need to meet Leonard."

Gail, groaning as he got up, said,

"Are you going again today? Isn't it too often?"

"The seniors haven't said anything. Taking care of him is fine, right?"

"Even if they don't know, we're benefiting from it."

As the conversation turned to Leonard, Hayden, unable to hide his excitement, spoke passionately.

"That kid is a sword genius! It's no wonder Lord Fabian wrote a recommendation for him."

Ian and Gail nodded in agreement.

The three of them started interacting with Leonard because he requested it after breaking through to the 5th level of the Body Tempering stage in about four months.

Their relationship has been going on for over two months now.

The trio believed that the food they secretly exchanged helped break down the barriers. They didn't expect to learn something from a young kid who had just reached the 5th level of the Body Tempering stage, or to be so stimulated by it.

"If I seal my External Force stage abilities and limit my mana to Leonard's level… I wouldn't stand a chance."

"The dimensions of martial arts are different. My attacks are read or dodged, and I can't even sense his attacks. He's 14? If we were the same age, I might have hanged myself."

The sparring sessions started with Leonard's words, but the trio gained more from them.

The three, who had thought that the level of mana cultivation equaled strength, began to seriously train in swordsmanship because of this.

The number of cores and the level of mana cultivation are ultimately just about output.

If you fall far behind in the realm of martial arts, you're no different from a beast that is helplessly hunted by human skills.

'For some reason, it seems they care more about these guys than me…'

Gail, thinking it might just be his imagination, scratched the back of his head and hurried along.

He, too, looked forward to the time with Leonard.

The 2nd level of the External Force stage is indeed powerful, and the three arrived at Leonard's residence in no time.

"Have you come?"

Leonard, as if waiting for them, was cleaning his sword, having just returned from the "Forest of Scraps."

With a broad smile, Hayden said,

"You did well today, didn't you? How many did you catch?"

"Just over 50 hobgoblins. I think I got about 60 Yawn Crystals."

"Good job. If you keep working hard like this, reaching the External Force stage won't be a problem. If you need daily necessities, we can get them cheaper, so don't buy them with Yawn Crystals."

Leonard, nodding in agreement, inwardly chuckled.

'Just a bit of basic guidance, and they're completely hooked. Well, it's good that they have a strong desire to improve.'

It was a trade-off for using their appearance, but he also gained something from it.

Bradley said that one could only start serious sword training after reaching the 10th level of the Body Tempering stage, but Leonard, who had a rough idea of the martial arts in this world, found that sparring with the trio was enough to observe and learn.

Unlike the martial arts of the world he came from, which start with forms and break them down to reach formlessness, the martial arts here are learned in a formless manner from the beginning.

'The 72 Wave Sword technique I saw at Qingcheng is somewhat similar. It involves freely combining 72 basic sword techniques for various situations.'

The 72 Wave Sword, which allows for endless combinations of techniques, is one of the most remarkable martial arts that even Sword Emperor Lian Wuhex had greatly admired.

'The problem is that it's too difficult.'

As the name suggests, the 72 Wave Sword is famous for being so difficult that even a genius would struggle to master more than 70% of it.

The best swordsman of Qingcheng at the time was only at the peak of the advanced stage because the technique was too difficult to apply in real combat.

Lian Wuhex, after a match, was impressed but thought he would never learn or use it.

"Ahem! Ahem!"

"Ah, I'm sorry."

While lost in thought, the trio, including Hayden, were staring at him with wide eyes.

They wanted him to start, but pride prevented them from speaking first.

Leonard, inwardly amused, drew his sword.

'I can understand the old masters who were attached to their disciples.'

Seeing a successor to their martial arts improve is a joy in itself. Even the sight of them eagerly waiting, like baby birds begging for food, wasn't unpleasant.

The trio, without hesitation, stepped forward and began arguing over who would go first.

The winner was Hayden.

"Let's go! I'm first!"

"Congratulations."

Leonard, with a calm voice, congratulated him and pointed his sword. The excited atmosphere faded, and Hayden's body tensed.

The gap, known to any swordsman, was clear.

He even had the illusion that his head would be cut off in an instant.

"Ha, ha, yeah, this is it."

Despite this, his determination didn't waver. Suppressing his mana, Hayden raised his sword.

The difference between the External Force stage and the Body Tempering stage is significant.

It's a pure test of swordsmanship.

"I'm coming."

"Whenever you're ready."

While Hayden sharpened his focus like a blade, Leonard's stance and gaze were relaxed.

It seemed he could be struck from any angle.

It seemed he would be cut in two from any angle.

Despite the flaws in his stance, a cold sweat ran down Hayden's back. If he hesitated, his concentration would wane, and it would be over.

Hayden's decision was quick.

Whoosh!

If he couldn't tell which flaw was real, he would ignore the gaps and engage in a frontal assault.

Hayden charged with his sword at the midsection.