Chapter 3

Sword Emperor Reborn in the Sword Duke Family (3)

Leonard arrived at the grand dining hall without delay, and looked up at the flags decorating its entrance.

The sun, symbolizing the empire, and the sword crossing it.

This emblem is granted only to the founding duke family, the Cardenas.

It is said that only the Sword Duke Cardenas is allowed to wear a sword even in the presence of the emperor, a fact that the instructors, responsible for the history of the continent and mental education, would praise tirelessly.

'The Arcadia Empire, the founding emperor, and a family that has monopolized the title of the strongest swordsman for hundreds of years.'

It was a story that couldn't help but be intriguing.

From the twin peaks of the Wu Tang and Shaolin, to the Heavenly Horse Sect, which grew up under the rule of the strong, to the imperial palace, which easily cultivated experts with vast resources.

In none of these places could a generation of the greatest in the world be produced every generation.

Even if it were limited to the title of "Sword," it would still be impossible.

'I could learn a lot from the sword techniques of the Wu Tang, Zhong Nan, and the Nan Gong family, but ultimately, the greatest swordsman of my era was me.'

Sword Emperor.

The Taiji Sword Immortal, the greatest sword of the Wu Tang, and the Yun Sword, the greatest sword of the Zhong Nan, were both inferior to him when compared.

The only one who surpassed him, Heavenly Horse Dan Mu Jin, was unfortunately a martial artist who did not wield a sword.

However, Sword Emperor Yan Wu Xie had never received the teachings or support of a prestigious school, and had honed his half-practiced family martial arts through innate talent, relentless effort, and the struggle of facing death.

'One can easily reach a certain level with talent, effort, and resources, but beyond that, luck is needed.'

This was not about the cliché of obtaining a fortuitous encounter at the bottom of a cliff. It refers to the uncertainty of the future, such as a struggle where victory cannot be guaranteed or efforts that may not be rewarded, which is summarized in one word: "luck."

To reach a transcendent realm, one must dive into this luck and continue to struggle desperately.

"So, this family has produced the greatest swordsman in the world without fail for hundreds of years...?"

There are two possibilities.

Truth or falsehood.

If it's false, it was probably just a way to enhance the family's status or to package it as a family responsible for protecting the empire.

But if it's true, even by a slim chance?

'There might be some secret hidden in this family or bloodline.'

Leonard turned his eyes away after thinking this far.

It was meaningless to think further at this point.

As one of the many collateral bloodline members, there would be clear limits to the knowledge and information he could access. These questions could only be answered after climbing higher in the family hierarchy or through strength.

Creak.

The door, which looked heavy, opened smoothly.

As soon as Leonard took a step inside, hundreds of pairs of eyes flew toward him.

"It's 381, isn't it?"

"Finally came to his senses, huh? It seems to be true."

"Passed out for three days after getting hit by that weakling 403? How weak can you be? If I hit you, you'd be dead."

"Can't even break a dummy, yet he talks big."

They murmured for a moment, then lost interest and turned their attention to their food and the people next to them.

'Most of them are from collateral bloodlines, so their appearances are all different.'

Especially the colorful hair and eyes, which he had never seen even in the new world, where people of different races were quite common.

While gold and brown were common, colors like red and blue were hard to come by naturally. He had only seen a few cases where they appeared after reaching a certain level through martial arts that changed one's constitution.

The master of the Northern Sea Ice Palace or the Flame King of the Southern Barbarian Jungle, for example?

"Hmm."

While Leonard was momentarily lost in old thoughts, his plate was soon piled high with food.

He sat at an empty table and picked up a spoon.

In the Central Plains, he had often eaten wallflower pills or noodles and spring rolls at inns. The plate piled high with meat, bread, and eggs felt awkward despite his body's familiarity with it.

Squish.

He started with a few spoonfuls of warm soup, then chewed on the meat, bread, and eggs without distinction.

To properly develop a growing body, sufficient nutrients were essential. Until he regained the Hua Jing level, known as Master here, he needed to maintain his body with at least a decent meal.

"...It tastes better than I expected."

Leonard felt a bit embarrassed as he looked at his empty plate.

He had forgotten the joy of eating for decades, trying to save time.

It was a moment when both his body and mind were satisfied.

His body, which had been starved for three days, quickly absorbed the nutrients, and his pale complexion turned rosy.

"What, 381. Did you wake up well-rested and have a good appetite?"

At that moment, a trainee, nearly twice the size of the others, sat down next to him without permission and spoke.

Leonard recognized his face.

"8... right?"

"No, 7. I knocked out a guy the other day."

A proud smile spread across his large, youthful face, and he naturally showed the 7 badge on his chest.

In this facility, the number a trainee held represented their position. Currently, it only meant a larger room and cleaner, nicer clothes, but as time went on, it would bring more benefits from the family.

'The method of fostering competition from a young age is similar to what I saw in the dark path, but it's much milder in comparison. It's not like they tell each other to kill until only a few are left.'

Leonard thought this as he looked at 8, no, 7.

"What do you want?"

"Your tone seems a bit different."

7 looked at him with a puzzled expression for a moment.

"Never mind. It doesn't matter. I came to teach you some information you don't know."

"Information I don't know?"

"Yeah. Listen carefully."

7 leaned in close to Leonard's ear and whispered.

"While you were out for three days, the higher-numbered trainees have almost all started gathering their forces. You know, 1, 2, and 4—."

"Direct bloodline, right?"

"Shh! Your voice is too loud, idiot!"

Startled by his response, 7 reflexively swung his hand, but Leonard easily dodged the clumsy slap with a slight tilt of his head.

"Huh? What?"

"Don't mess around and keep explaining. What about 1, 2, and 4?"

"Ah, well, anyway, they formed a gang. More than half of the 500 have already joined them. But there's no rule that you can't form a gang without being from the direct bloodline. So, 3, me, and 9 are trying to team up among the higher numbers."

Leonard immediately understood why 7 had come and cut him off.

"Enough. I have no intention of joining any gang."

"Huh?"

"Thanks for the information. I'll return the favor later."

Taking advantage of 7's stunned silence, Leonard stood up, returned his plate, and immediately left the dining hall.

In his past life, Yan Wu Xie had avoided joining any group, as it reduced the time for training and the number of opponents to fight. Leonard, inheriting this mindset, had no interest in the petty squabbles of young children.

'If there are martial arts passed down only to the direct bloodline, I might want to fight, but it will be a few years before that happens.'

What could a 14-year-old learn?

Therefore, Leonard decided to focus on his own body first.

'I'll postpone the cultivation of internal energy for now. If I'm discovered, it could raise suspicion and prevent me from learning the family's martial arts.'

Thus, his task was clear.

"External martial arts."

* * *

The very next day.

Leonard opened his eyes early in the morning and immediately began twisting his body strangely on the bed.

The cracking sounds from his ankles, knees, waist, and shoulders continued, but he did not stop. He stretched and twisted his body to its limits.

These bizarre and extreme movements were the basic techniques of yoga he had learned by chance at the Potala Palace in ancient India.

―Haha, your bones must not be just strong. How limited would the techniques be if performed with a stiff body? The only regret is that you are too old. Yoga is most effective when practiced before the body is fully grown.

Leonard stretched and twisted his body to its limits without injuring his muscles and tendons and stopped after an hour.

His clothes were drenched in sweat from the pain and tension, but the clear progress he felt, having started training after fully growing, made the discomfort fade away.

'Twice as fast as in my past life. At this rate, I can complete the basics in three months.'

Superhuman flexibility becomes a variable and a weapon to toy with an opponent bound by convention.

The high-level techniques of the Potala Palace's experts were not considered magical for nothing. The techniques themselves were ordinary, but the bodies of those who used them were extraordinary.

Those who practiced yoga from a young age could move as if they had no bones in their bodies.

"...Training starts at 7, right?"

When the bell rings, the trainees gather in the training room in the basement of the dormitory and undergo physical training under the guidance of the instructors.

However, Leonard had been granted a week of rest.

'The training methods here are quite excellent. They are even more systematic than those of Shaolin.'

Leonard nodded in satisfaction, recalling the morning training from his memories.

The training methods using precisely weighted discs, poles, and iron balls had much to teach. The well-trained bones and muscles of the children he had seen the previous day were likely due to this.

'Since I can use the training room anytime, I'll visit when it's empty.'

Leonard got out of bed and changed into his clothes.

The plain training uniform, similar to the one he had discarded, had a 381 badge sewn onto the grayish-white tunic.

Before heading to breakfast, he planned to explore the still unfamiliar training facility.

"Oh, I should have taken my wooden sword."

Trainees must carry a wooden sword at all times outside the dormitory.

There had been no issue yesterday, as he had just been discharged, but today, someone might pick on him.

He attached the wooden sword to the belt around his waist and left his room.

'I've already been to the dining hall and the infirmary. The training room will be in use soon, so later. Then, the places I can explore are—.'

Leonard stopped, drawing a mental map of the training facility.

He had not decided on a destination.

He had simply stopped because a reason to do so had appeared.

"Do you have something to talk to me about? Training starts soon."

As if in response to Leonard's call, three children emerged from behind a pillar.

It seemed like an attempt to pressure him, but from the perspective of a Sword Emperor who had killed Hua Jing level assassins, their appearance was just laughable.

"Pretty good, 381. We're from 1's faction."

One of them started speaking, and the others followed.

"You might not know, but 1 is one of the top in the direct bloodline. It won't hurt to be loyal to him."

"Refusing 7's trick is a plus."

Leonard smirked at this.

It seemed that 1's faction was aware of the plots among the collateral bloodline members.

'This is quite an interesting children's gang fight.'

But it was far from enough to take his time.

"I have no interest in factional disputes. So, move aside."

When Leonard firmly refused, the faces of the three blocking his path twisted in unison. They saw his rejection of their "mercy" as an insult.

The lowest-ranked among them, 157, quickly drew his wooden sword.

The boy with slightly cunning eyes said,

"You should have listened when we were being nice, huh? For a weakling like you."

The two behind him chuckled and chimed in.

"Beat him until he agrees to join 1. Oh, avoid his head. He'll be lying down for four days again."

"Moving him to the infirmary is a hassle, too."

What a nuisance from the start of the day.

Leonard sighed deeply, reached for his wooden sword, but then let his hand drop.

A 14-year-old brat as his first opponent with a wooden sword.

No matter how he thought about it, it wasn't exciting.

"Stop blabbering and attack. If you're going to, do it together."

The three looked at each other in disbelief at Leonard's words, then glared at him