Chapter 77

The Sword Emperor Reincarnated in the Sword Master's Family (77)

'Whale Hunter' Galano was once a noble.

Though he was a fallen noble with no land worth calling a fief and no vassals to speak of, his parents were proud of it. They would mock people who dressed similarly to them, boasting that they had blue blood. Both his older brother Dentsu and Galano found it hard to understand. How could people become superior just because of their blood, without honing their martial skills or accumulating wisdom?

And these were people who didn't even properly train in the family's only remaining legacy, spear techniques.

—Dentsu! Galano! Pack your bags! An opportunity has come for us to return to noble society!

A distant relative, the Count, suddenly sent a guest who formally invited his parents and the two brothers.

And he intended to use them all as sacrifices, killing them to provide a pretext for war with a neighboring fief. It was a half-success. The two brothers survived, but their parents were crushed to death in a carriage that fell off a cliff.

—...Brother, how should we live now?

—I don't know.

Dentsu glared into the forest with eyes filled with a little sorrow and immense anger.

The House of Gregorio.

The family that deceived the two with sweet lies and had them killed by soldiers disguised as raiders from a neighboring fief. Unlike Galano, Dentsu had a brilliant mind and could uncover the truth from the slightest clues.

—Mother only knew how to indulge in vanity and luxury, and Father only knew how to boast while drunk. They dreamed beyond their station, but they didn't deserve to die like this.

—Do you want revenge?

—Yes.

Dentsu gripped the short sword on his back and said,

—It's not as difficult as it seems.

Genius.

A talent too great to be born into a fallen noble family, finally freed to show its true colors.

Dentsu, who mastered the family's unique legacy, the <Maelstrom (Whirlpool)>, grew at an unparalleled speed. Galano, learning spear techniques from him, also made rapid progress, though not as fast as Dentsu.

While Dentsu was a genius who could awaken and advance on his own, Galano was a prodigy who could follow a path, even if he couldn't walk it himself.

A considerable amount of time passed.

—Aaaah!

—He even rose to the rank of Count. You're quite talented, Count Gregorio. Do you know who we are?

—...N-no...!

—Of course not. You wouldn't remember the faces or names of relatives you used and discarded.

With a shock, Count Gregorio's head flew off.

The moment the 15-year-long revenge mission came to an end, Dentsu sighed deeply.

—Having killed a high noble, we can no longer operate in this country. Where should we go?

—Brother! If you go far south, there's a place called Atlantis! They say there are no nobles or kings there!

—A land without class distinctions, it must be more free than here.

The two brothers set out on a long journey, following their own steps, and boarded a ship bound for the Maritime League of Atlantis.

From there, their real adventure began.

A life at sea where they had to prove their worth by their skills. The free and adventurous life suited them well, and before long, Dentsu, at the invitation of the A-grade adventure guild 'Aquamarine,' became an official adventurer.

Galano, determined to join 'Aquamarine' one day, diligently practiced his spear.

Following in his brother's footsteps had never failed him.

That belief seemed unshakable.

But.

—A large number of casualties occurred in 'Aquamarine' after successfully sealing the Great Rift <Charybdis>.

The faith that was almost like a religion crumbled in a single day.

His brother didn't return.

Swallowed by the beautiful and enchanting sea, he could no longer show Galano the way.

Whether it was a conspiracy by the <League Council> or the involvement of <Bermuda>, all kinds of conspiracy theories circulated, but Galano couldn't react to any of them and locked himself in his room.

—Brother.

There was no voice to answer.

—How should I live from now on?

In front of Galano, there were no footsteps to follow, no reliable back to lean on.

The man who had lost his direction stopped in his tracks. A dark and blurry future loomed before his eyes.

It was a memory from eight years ago.

* * *

—Guaaaah!

—Kuaaaah!

—Buaaaah!

At the strange cries seeping through the window, Galano furrowed his brow and got up.

A half-finished bottle of alcohol had fallen over, soaking the carpet. The smell was pungent, but his senses had long adapted, so he didn't notice it.

With the skill of a 9th-level External Force expert, his muddled mind quickly cleared.

—What's that noise? Are they slaughtering a pig or something?

Some time ago, a group of guys started following him, calling him "big brother" and "boss." It seemed they had brought a pig to slaughter.

He liked eating pork, but did they really need to drag it into the yard and butcher it?

More irritable than usual due to a hangover, Galano kicked open the door and rushed out. In a few steps, he reached the entrance of the mansion and shouted roughly.

—Shut up, you brats! If you're going to slaughter a pig, do it somewhere else! Or are you going to butcher it with one blow—What?!

At the unexpected scene, Galano was speechless.

The guys who were not much to look at were being beaten by a well-built young man.

With fists, feet, elbows, and knees.

He used his entire body freely, striking relentlessly.

There were no fatal or serious injuries, but the cumulative impact would knock them out. The dazed and confused guys soon fell one by one.

—Do you want me to finish them off? I can if you want.

Thinking they might be part of his gang, Galano shook his head urgently. He had grown attached to them, so he didn't want to kill them.

Shaken out of his hangover, Galano's gaze fell on Francis, who was standing behind Leonard with a bitter smile.

Galano's eyes widened.

—...Francis? Is that you?

Francis greeted him with a smile.

—Long time no see, Uncle Galano. It's been eight years, hasn't it?

—Is that so? It's already been eight years.

Dentsu often brought his younger brother around, so Galano and Francis were somewhat acquainted.

The two shared a look of mutual understanding about the passage of time.

Eight years.

For some, it was long enough to turn their lives upside down, and for others, it was too short to take a single step forward.

—I'll be straightforward.

Seeing something in Galano's face, Francis said with a slightly darkened expression.

—Aquamarine needs new members. Will you join under my command and help rebuild the guild?

For a moment, numerous doubts and conflicts flickered in Galano's eyes before settling.

He knew Francis well.

This child hasn't given up yet.

Facing the sea and the black curtain that swallowed Njord and Dentsu, she was boldly challenging them again, ready to rise and fight once more.

—I...

Lacking the courage of a child, the man who hadn't taken a step forward since that day hesitated.

With his ash-brown hair and scarred body, he looked like a tough mercenary or adventurer, but inside, he was still a lost child who had lost his brother's back.

It was too shameful to admit, and he doubted he could walk properly even if he forced himself to take a step.

So, Galano decided to run.

—I have no intention of joining an adventure guild anymore.

—Is that so? I understand.

Francis looked at him with a gaze that seemed to say she had expected as much, yet was filled with compassion.

Just as she was about to turn away without hesitation, Leonard, who had been watching their conversation, spoke.

—Have you lost your way?

Galano's face froze like a statue. The words struck at the core of his inner turmoil.

—The path you believed in absolutely has crumbled, and you don't know where to go or what to do. Yet, you can't let go and keep swinging your spear, which is ridiculous. A person who truly gives up wouldn't even look at a spear.

—...What do you know, brat!

Galano's face twisted with shame and anger. The spear he had pulled from behind his back was poised to strike.

He was about to turn the guy into a pincushion.

Just as Galano was about to give in to the impulse,

—The blade is dirty and unpolished, but the shaft is worn smooth. You lack the courage to face your fears, but you don't want to admit your cowardice.

—...So what?

—Some might mock those who can't walk on their own as spineless, but I don't. There are those who lead and those who follow.

Most people belong to the latter.

This was especially true for martial artists.

How many great masters could create new martial arts and reach the pinnacle? Most followed the teachings of their schools and masters, blindly following the paths laid by their predecessors.

Only figures like Bodhidharma or Yuan Yuanzi could live as the former, while the rest walked the paths they created.

—Find a new path. There are many paths in this world. Sitting and lamenting a lost path will only leave you with dust in your hands.

—You talk so easily...! Don't lecture others like that!

All traces of his earlier apathy gone, Galano growled like a wounded beast, his eyes wide with anger.

9th-level External Force.

The killing intent he emitted at that level distorted the air.

Leonard, undeterred, said,

—Words are easy. If you want, I'll show you a new path.

—...If you're just spouting off because you believe in Francis, that's it. Say one more word!

—Can't do it? No, actions speak louder than words.

Leonard, ignoring Galano's threat, kicked up a spear lying at his feet.

It wasn't quite a spear in the traditional sense, but it could be handled as one. Removing the blade would make it a staff, adding a side blade would make it a halberd, and combining it with a crescent moon would make it a trident.

As one of the most threatening weapons to a swordsman, he had practiced both the techniques to counter it and the spear techniques themselves.

Though it was the first time he had held one, Leonard quickly gauged the spear's center of gravity and began to spin it.

Swish.

After a few rotations, the spear's blade cut through the air with a sharp sound, leaving Galano in awe.

It was impossible not to recognize the skill of a spear master.

The art of a master.

The eight basic movements flowed out in sequence, then mixed and combined into an unrecognizable sequence. In an instant, the spear strikes became so wild that even Galano couldn't fully discern them.

—This should be enough.

Though a bit awkward from not having held a spear in a while, it was more than enough to teach a shaken fool.

The Eight Movements of the Six Harmonies and Eight Mothers Spear Technique (楊家六合八母槍法).

Also known as the Pear Blossom Spear (梨花槍) or simply the Yang Family Spear (楊家槍), it was named for its resemblance to pear blossoms. Though the techniques themselves weren't overly complex, they were more than sufficient to face even the highest-level experts.

—Come.

Leonard said.

—I'll show a frog in a well how vast and deep the world is.

—...Don't get cocky!

The two spears shot out like rays of light.

That was the beginning.