Chapter 4

Reincarnated as a Swordmaster in the Swordmaster Family (4)

‘Fast.’

Leonard briefly evaluated the charge.

This was not the kind of physical ability a 14-year-old could display.

The explosive power to leap over three meters with a single step, the upper body firmly fixed while moving, and the grip strength that could crush the handle of a wooden sword.

Even the direct descendants of the Huangbo family, known for their martial arts, or the Pang family, who wield heavy swords, rarely possessed such qualities.

‘Indeed, there must be some secret hidden in the Cardenas bloodline.’

To understand the true nature of the first Swordmaster, Cardenas, the source of the bloodline.

Otherwise, no matter how much he pondered, it would only be baseless speculation.

With that thought, Leonard leaned to the side.

Whoosh!

The fiercely swung wooden sword grazed past him, and No. 157, with a face flushed with anger, shouted,

“Draw your sword now! I’ll really kill you!”

“Hmm?”

Leonard only shrugged at the words.

“Maybe, but with your skills, it’s a stretch.”

“Bastard!”

Having crossed the final line, No. 157 this time aimed for Leonard’s head, not his body.

Even a wooden sword, if it hits such a vital point, can cause death or severe injury.

Even Cardenas’ robust body, if struck with the same bloodline’s strength, could not escape unscathed.

‘If it doesn’t hit, that’s all there is to it.’

He dodged the vertically falling wooden sword by stepping back half a step, and then avoided it again as it rose, brushing past his nose.

For his age, it was fast and accurate, but that was all there was to it.

‘He’s only thoroughly drilled in the basics. Whoever taught him, they did a good job.’

That’s how well-trained martial artists were.

After laying a solid foundation with martial arts like the Three Talents Sword Technique (三才劍法), Six Harmonies Sword (六合劍), or Eight Directions Saber Technique (八方刀法), they could enter the realm of advanced martial arts and grow much faster than those who neglected the basics.

Even complex and difficult martial arts ultimately relied on the basics for their framework.

However,

‘He’s too honest. Maybe it’s inevitable at his age.’

Mixing feints and real attacks, or breaking established forms, was too advanced for this age group.

Even the so-called prodigies mostly reached this level only after turning 15.

Leonard thought this as he extended his hand.

“You…?!”

No. 157 was terrified by this reckless move, but he couldn’t stop the wooden sword he had already swung.

If this continued, No. 157’s wooden sword would mangle No. 381’s hand.

The others watching from behind were equally shocked.

At that moment,

Thud.

The sound of breaking bones was muffled, as if the wooden sword had been blocked by a straw.

The action itself was simple.

He deflected the incoming diagonal slash with his left hand, and while dodging to the side, he grabbed the wooden sword, which had lost its force and speed, with his right hand.

A performance that demonstrated the overwhelming difference, the art of disarming an opponent with bare hands, known as Kōshu Tō Hakken (空手奪白刃).

And before No. 157 could react,

Snap!

Leonard broke the wooden sword between his palms and struck No. 157’s jaw.

No. 157 collapsed like a puppet with its strings cut.

Without even looking at him, Leonard shook the sawdust off his palms.

‘Even compared to before I recovered my memories, there’s not much difference.’

It was an accurate assessment.

Apart from slightly higher physical abilities and a stronger aggressive nature, there was no significant difference. The reason ‘Leonard’ had remained No. 381 was because he didn’t enjoy hurting others like No. 157 did.

Once a certain level was surpassed, there was no need to distinguish between killing swords (殺劍) and living swords (活劍), but in the fights of children who couldn’t even be considered third-rate, it was an unavoidable variable.

‘A child who doesn’t hesitate to use violence and a child who fears fighting or pain. If their skills are similar, the outcome is obvious.’

Indeed, Swordmaster Lian Wuxie had seen many fall because of their lack of mental fortitude.

The prodigies raised like flowers in a greenhouse, the young ones who had never experienced real combat, and those who hesitated to spill others’ blood due to their gentle nature.

Leonard, who had been obsessed with swordplay until the end of his life, could never understand.

“Do you understand the difference in skill?”

Leonard nudged No. 157, who was lying at his feet, and looked at the two boys.

As befitting children of prestigious families, their eyes were trembling.

They weren’t denying reality by claiming it was an unfair trick; they were recognizing the difference in strength.

Leonard inwardly praised them and wiggled his fingers.

“Come at me together. Or, you can run if you want.”

The children, who had been stepping back without realizing it, stiffened.

The instinctive understanding of the skill gap and the arrogance of youth clashed, and one side emerged victorious.

Unable to bear the shame, No. 121 and No. 98 drew their wooden swords.

In a real fight, their choice to attack together would have cost them their lives.

‘You’re lucky, kids.’

Leonard extended his hands in the form of a hand blade (手刀) and smiled at the two approaching him, tense and ready. He had no intention of going all out against children.

Swordmaster Lian Wuxie.

Before he earned the title of one of the Ten Greats of the Inner Circle, the names used to describe him were all terrifying.

Blood Sword Asura (血劍修羅), Deathbringer (絶命客), Sword Demon (劍鬼).

His nature, which even members of the Demon Sect feared, was such that once he drew his sword, he wouldn’t stop until he saw someone’s blood.

* * *

As four trainees bickered early in the morning, a pair of eyes watched from a distance.

A bell tower that overlooked the entire training ground.

At its topmost floor, there were those who constantly monitored the trainees’ movements. While the instructors patrolled the building’s interior, these observers watched the entire outdoor area.

One of the reconnaissance knights, commonly known as ‘Owls,’ muttered,

“I’m surprised. No. 381 is such a strong kid.”

He had been watching the four trainees move to a different location just before morning training and saw something that exceeded his expectations.

The reason he knew their numbers was simple.

The badges worn by the trainees contained devices that detected their status, alerting their supervisors if they moved violently or lost consciousness.

“Wow, he’s really toying with them.”

In the Owl’s field of vision, No. 381 had slipped between No. 121 and No. 98, positioning himself behind them.

He could have ended it by just grazing their heads, but No. 381 was taunting them, even crossing his arms behind his back. His lips moved, but the distance was too great to read them with lip-reading skills.

No. 121 and No. 98 even attempted a clumsy coordinated attack on No. 381, but they couldn’t even touch his clothes.

Then,

“It’s over.”

The moment their breathing became rough from the continuous attacks, No. 381 darted forward and struck their chests.

The trainees, whose abdominal muscles had relaxed due to their heavy breathing, fell in the same posture. It was fortunate that they hadn’t eaten breakfast, or they might have vomited.

It was a decisive victory without any room for argument.

“No. 157 is one thing, but to take down No. 121 and No. 98 with bare hands without even getting hit. He’s a completely different person from before he went to the infirmary. Could the blow to the back of his head have had a positive effect?”

The Owl scratched the back of his head, as if realizing he had said something foolish, and continued writing.

“Was he hiding his skills? If so, why? The kid’s background is too clear to be a spy. Perhaps he started showing his true strength because the factional struggles have begun.”

The pen, which had been running across the report, suddenly stopped.

“…Huh?!”

Perhaps it was just a feeling, but it seemed that No. 381’s gaze had met his after looking at the bell tower.

However, after a moment, No. 381 started walking in an unknown direction.

The Owl shook his head.

‘No way. It’s not a distance where I can detect without using mana. But if he felt my gaze, he must have a very good sense.’

The talent corresponding to the sixth sense (六感).

If he had been hiding his strength, the skills he displayed earlier were understandable. If he could sense a gaze from this distance without any hostility, he could easily dodge the honest attacks of the trainees with his eyes closed.

The Owl added ‘likely possesses heightened senses’ to the bottom of the report and put down his pen.

“This batch of trainees will be interesting to watch. I hope it doesn’t end up as predictable as the last batch.”

The bloodline of the Cardenas always exceeded expectations.

But when only members of that bloodline competed, they often failed to see the bigger picture.

The most outstanding trainees in the facility were almost always direct descendants, and factional struggles typically centered around them.

“But if a collateral descendant not only reaches the top but also maintains his position without joining any faction…?”

No. 381 could be the turning point for this batch of trainees.

“Let’s see, No. 381. Or, should I say, No. 98 now.”

The Owl, who had decided to update Leonard’s number, smiled.

When he was bored, he wanted to return to the front lines, but the occasional oddballs kept things interesting.

Without realizing it, No. 98, now Leonard, had left his field of vision and disappeared into the building.

* * *

“Indeed, there was someone watching.”

As soon as he entered the room, Leonard sighed, feeling the gaze that had abruptly cut off.

Judging by the direction, it was probably from the top of the bell tower.

It was a natural setup to prevent children from fighting and getting seriously injured. If Leonard had seemed to be using excessive force, they would have intervened, not just watched.

‘Anyway, there was nothing to hide except for the parts I shouldn’t reveal, so it’s fine…’

However, he had a premonition that the factional struggles would be larger and more complex than he had anticipated.

The 1st faction, which aggressively recruited members, the collateral descendants who began to unite under the pretext of opposing the direct line, and the existence of two other factions were quite troublesome.

If they just fought among themselves, he could ignore it, but now that Leonard had started showing his true strength, he would likely be seen as a valuable asset they couldn’t afford to miss.

For Leonard, who just wanted to protect his training time, this was an unacceptable situation.

“Hmm, this is difficult.”

No matter how much