Chapter 14: Qi and Mana (3)

It was very strange.

Just as the sight of the boy named Kevin had reminded him of the Demon of Madness, Chris reminded him of a figure from his memories.

‘He resembles the Blood Demon.’

The Blood Demon and the Demon of Madness.

They were the most loyal subordinates to Roman.

The Demon of Madness was called so because he was so crazy that he would throw himself into a blazing inferno at Roman's command, while the Blood Demon was a master swordsman who had dominated the martial world even before he became a subordinate.

The leader of the Blood Demon Sect. A clash with them for the power of the Demon Path was inevitable, and on a vast plain, the Heavenly Demon and the Blood Demon had a fierce battle.

The battle was intense.

With a single roll of his foot, the earth would be overturned, and with a swing of his sword, the sky would split.

That day.

The Blood Demon was defeated.

Though he was a historical figure who had unified the Blood Demon Sect, the power of his opponent, the Heavenly Demon Baek Joon-hyuk, was on a different level.

The Demon God.

The Blood Demon knelt.

Coughing up blood, he looked up at the Heavenly Demon and said, absurdly,

“...In all my life, I've never seen anyone as strong as you. I admit my defeat. The Blood Demon Sect will follow the Demon Sect of the Heavenly Demon Baek Joon-hyuk. But I have a question: How can I become as strong as you? Since I will be following you from now on, it would be beneficial for both of us if I become stronger, wouldn't it?”

He was a unique and arrogant person.

Even with the face of someone about to die, the Blood Demon had put aside his pride and asked how to become stronger.

At first, such an approach from the Blood Demon was not to Roman's liking, but the Blood Demon was not a man of two words.

From then on, he blindly followed the Heavenly Demon, putting aside his pride as the pinnacle of the Blood Demon Sect and sincerely striving to become stronger.

Thanks to this, the Demon Sect's conquest of the martial world was much smoother.

The head of the Namgung family, known as one of the three great masters of the orthodox school, was beheaded by the Blood Demon's sword, not by the Heavenly Demon Baek Joon-hyuk.

Chris and the Blood Demon.

They were similar people.

Their flushed faces couldn't hide their wounded pride, yet they suppressed it with a desire to become stronger.

‘Showing one's desires is the most human thing.’

Roman liked it.

He had always preferred honest people.

He kept those who boldly asked for what they wanted, rather than those who claimed to have no desires in front of him but secretly orchestrated things behind his back.

The purpose of their desires could be anything.

If they desired wealth, he would grant them wealth, and if they wanted to become stronger, he would make them stronger.

The stronger their desires, the less likely they were to betray him.

Why?

Because they knew the consequences of betrayal.

People with strong desires were quick to face reality, and Roman was a mountain they dared not challenge.

‘What should I do with this kid?’

He became interested.

It was clear that Chris disliked him.

Perhaps there was some past enmity, but what mattered to him more than the enmity was the desire to become stronger.

And.

‘His talent isn't bad.’

Chris's physique was solid.

If he had diligently practiced martial arts in Roman's way, he would have already surpassed the first-class level, given his good talent.

It was just that he hadn't properly utilized his talent with a poor method.

Roman, who had carefully observed Chris, said with a smile on his face,

“I can't give you the answer.”

“...Then what am I supposed to do?”

“I told you. Don't blindly follow someone else's way. Even if I could give you the answer, it wouldn't be different from the life you've lived. If you want the answer, stay by my side from now on. In six months, I will leave for the battlefield. Watch how I become stronger and how I defeat my enemies. If you're still by my side in ten years...”

Chris's eyes wavered.

Roman looked him straight in the eye.

And he said firmly,

“You will definitely find the answer.”

* * *

The training was over.

Left alone after Roman left, Chris looked up at the blue sky and sighed deeply.

“Sigh.”

War.

It was something he would have to experience someday.

He knew it was the destiny of a knight, but he had never imagined he would go to the battlefield following Dmitri's fool.

It would have been fine if he were the second son.

He would have felt proud and followed the one who had already made a name for himself in the capital, but the current situation was unacceptable.

‘My own way.’

Roman's advice.

It was something he had never heard before.

To someone who had always been called a genius for excelling in the family's traditional methods, Roman's words were a shock.

At first, he tried to ignore them.

He dismissed them as nonsense, feeling that his efforts were being negated, but the more he listened to Roman, the faster his heart beat.

It wasn't wrong. The knowledge passed down through generations ultimately came from the same humans.

Becoming a strong swordsman shouldn't be just one path, so why had he always tried to stick to their methods?

If he had struggled a bit and made some mistakes, wouldn't he have found a path that suited him better?

His mind was a tangled mess.

If.

Roman had been just talk.

Chris wouldn't have been so tormented.

But the Roman he had briefly experienced was not the fool called Dmitri.

‘The young master's talent was real. I don't know how he became so strong in such a short time, but the young master, who had less strength than an ordinary person two years ago, has completely changed. Solid sword skills and the talent to emit aura. Unless he had been hiding his strength since childhood, the young master must have found his own way.’

The former possibility.

It didn't make sense.

There was no reason to hide his strength, and no reason to reveal it now.

Roman had become strong in a short time.

Seeing him speak with certainty while looking him in the eye, Chris gained an indescribable trust.

That day.

Chris was deep in thought.

The sun set, and it rose again.

He became gaunt from not eating, but eventually made a decision and moved somewhere.

‘I want to become stronger.’

His life goal.

His desire was in power.

He went to find Sir Jonathan, his teacher, and honestly told him that he would follow Roman to the battlefield.

Then.

“...Something must have happened.”

Jonathan.

He looked at Chris calmly.

On a battlefield littered with corpses, Jonathan had first seen a young boy clinging to his mother's body and crying.

That was Chris.

He was a talented child with a strong desire to become stronger, and he grew rapidly.

And he followed him like a father.

For Chris to leave his side and follow Roman, there must have been a special reason.

Mutual trust.

They trusted each other.

Even without Chris explaining the reason, Jonathan nodded.

“If you say so, there must be a special reason. From now on, you are no longer part of the Dmitri Knights. As Roman's bodyguard, achieve your goal no matter what happens.”

“...Thank you.”

Jonathan smiled.

The child.

The dark-skinned boy had grown up and was leaving his side, which made him feel a mix of pride and sadness.

“Thanks to you, I learned one thing. If someone like Chris, whom I've known, says he will follow, Roman must be more than just a fool. From tomorrow, make time whenever you can. To survive the battlefield, you need a secret weapon.”

“...Master!”

Chris's eyes widened.

Whatever the future held, Jonathan was the teacher he followed with his heart.

* * *

Six months later.

Roman will leave Dmitri, whether by choice or not.

While other nobles will make a fuss, the thought of that time made Roman's heart race.

‘I can't grow like a flower in a greenhouse. I need to experience many things and ultimately live a life of dominance to be satisfied. So, to prepare for the future six months from now, I need to start preparing myself now.’

There is no perfect preparation in the world.

Variables are unpredictable.

However, preparing oneself was a different matter.

If he could lay the foundation to overcome any adversity, he was confident he would achieve his goal after enduring hardships.

After parting with Chris.

Roman went to the library of the estate.

And he read various books.

“...The Sixth Rank signifies surpassing human limits. The aura emitted through the sword can reach over a dozen meters, and the condensed mana explosion can sweep away dozens of soldiers in one attack. There are twelve known Sixth Rank knights in the continent, known as the Twelve Swords, who are treated as distinguished guests in any country.”

The Twelve Swords.

Even from the information in the text, they were strong people.

If they could emit an aura over a dozen meters with inefficient qi emission, they had clearly reached the pinnacle of martial arts in this world.

Whether it was the standard of the martial world or not, they were not people he could easily face at his current level.

And.

“From the Seventh Circle, we call them Great Mages. They are half-human, half-god, walking disasters. A single spell can overturn the earth and collapse the sky, and in a situation where they face many opponents, Great Mages are more terrifying than Sixth Rank knights.”

Magic.

A power that didn't exist in the martial world.

The more he read about the new world, the clearer it became what he needed to do now.

‘I don't know when these people will become my enemies. The probability of such trials befalling a village boy like Dmitri is very low, but variables are unpredictable and dangerous. I can't perfectly handle variables with my current abilities, so I must move forward whenever I get the chance.’

He closed the book.

There was something he needed to do now.

* * *

Roman summoned Hans.

Whenever and wherever, he appeared as if he had been waiting for Roman's call.

“Did you call me, young master?”

“I have a favor to ask.”

“Please tell me.”

Hans's attitude was respectful.

Blood Fang.

It was a turning point for Roman to see Hans again.

Hans, who was just a servant, was determined to risk his life for Roman because he recognized him.

Some might mock Hans.

A single word.

A life risked for it, a trivial existence.

But everyone has different values, and to Hans, Roman had become a special existence.

“I need a place to train. It doesn't have to be large, but it must be completely isolated from the outside. Especially, the better the soundproofing, the better. Being disturbed during training is really the worst.”

“I understand.”

He bowed.

He didn't ask questions.

What kind of training.

Why he needed such a place.

A person might ask many questions, but Hans always just accepted Roman's orders.

“And do you know where the boy named Kevin is?”

“Yes. Thinking you might look for him, I have already arranged a residence for Kevin.”

“Good.”

A smile appeared on his face.

Reading his master's mind and acting in advance.

Hans was someone who deserved special treatment.

“Tell me where Kevin is. Back then, I promised that boy. I promised to resolve his problem through the proper process. Since I eliminated the culprit, Blood Fang, as he wished, I should go and tell him the good news. Also, I have a purpose in meeting the boy Kevin again.”

Kevin.

A boy who resembled the Demon of Madness.

Perhaps due to the impact of Chris, he wanted to meet him again.