If there was one thing that children lacked, it was patience. And if one child started bawling and throwing a tantrum, others would soon be swept up in this tide of emotion and start crying as well. They hadn’t even finished cleaning up the mess they had made, yet they were already whining about being tired. Yuda wondered what these kids’ stats were like.
But strangely, while he could see his own status window, he couldn’t view others’ information screens right now. He didn’t know what specific condition he needed to meet, so for now, he had to rely on the average stats he remembered.
Watching the sniveling kids, Yuda felt his desire to keep them around vanish. At the mention of letting them go, they dashed to the entrance as if they’d been waiting, hurriedly put on their shoes, and shot resentful glares at Yuda.
“I’m telling everything to Mom!”
“Well, well.”
Spouting that clichéd line, they bolted off. Through the open front door, Yuda watched them disappear down the alley and let out a small sigh. Telling their moms wouldn’t help. Even fallen, he was a noble, while they were commoners. Plus, the Sabnak family backed him. Any sensible parent wouldn’t dare show up.
Sighing again, he locked the door and finished cleaning. Once done, he collapsed onto the living room sofa, feeling the soft comfort that enveloped him like a hug.
Staring at the ceiling, he was struck by how different the house felt now. For a brief moment, the house, which had been silent for two years, became noisy. A place with no one to greet him, no one to visit. The inside of the house felt as if it were a vast cave.
“Ha, it’s kinda bitter.”
When leaving alone, he could still find comfort in the thought of his parents welcoming him when he turned to his parent's house but here, even that was not possible. If only he had friends, perhaps the loneliness wouldn’t feel as heavy.
He had considered making friends or even accepting Kaseun’s offer to live luxuriously as a noble in his mansion. But what would that mean for his original world? Could he really move on? If he died, he would reset to the beginning, whether through murder or from being too old.
The ability to restart was an advantage, but he didn’t want to repeat that cycle forever. Once he came of age, he planned to leave Serenia and search for the fragments right away. Becoming the official successor was his only option.
“Seriously, if I become the successor, I’ll beat the living daylights out of him till I die.”
Venting his grudge against Sian into the air, Yuda sat up from lying down.
But one nagging issue remained. Becoming a lord’s successor meant forsaking humanity. Monsters were humanity’s enemies by nature, and lords symbolized evil, opposing the virtuous holy kings. The moment he became the successor, humans would fear his immense power and brand him a traitor.
“Coincidentally, my name’s Yuda too, so is it fate?”
Spreading his palm, he moved his mana, and black energy flickered. Whatever, that wasn’t a problem to dwell on now. He could think it over leisurely later.
Alright, time to ditch the gloomy thoughts and plan for what’s ahead.
With some knowledge accumulated, all that remained was training his body more, learning swordsmanship to protect himself anywhere, and picking up survival skills. It wouldn’t be easy, but he had plenty of time.
+++
But within a few days, Yuda realized he couldn’t do it without a mentor.
Even with the system’s assistance, there were too many gaps. All he could manage alone was basic, repetitive labor.
“This is a waste of time.”
He could say it with certainty. This way, he was just squandering time.
Plus, he couldn’t learn what he needed. Basic tasks like cooking were manageable, but mastering swordsmanship or survival techniques was beyond him. He had gained some knowledge from books in the library, but those books didn’t come with pictures. Without hands-on practice, he couldn’t apply what was in his head.
So he tried hunting.
But unlike in the game, they wouldn’t let him out of Serenia’s gates alone. To leave, you needed a guardian, or a license as an adventurer, mercenary, or hunter. Otherwise, they wouldn’t let you pass.
He couldn’t do anything himself. He had to seek someone to teach him.
And the moment he thought that, one person came to mind.
“Kaseun Sabnak.”
A platinum-badge mercenary and Spirit Sword Bearer—finding a better mentor would be hard.
Visiting the lord was an option, but the lord wouldn’t idly teach a random citizen. Kaseun was different, though. After mulling it over several times, Yuda visited his house for the first time with a personal goal.
Kaseun’s home was one of Serenia’s grandest mansions.
The walls surrounding it were as tall as a fortress, and the buildings inside were majestic.
Standing at the entrance, Yuda knocked, and the butler quickly appeared. After greeting him and stating his business, the butler ushered him inside, telling him to wait. Soon, Kaseun arrived.
“Oh, Yuda! I didn’t expect a visit from you. This is a surprise.”
Kaseun seemed genuinely surprised. After exchanging greetings, Yuda looked him in the eye and got straight to the point.
“You want to learn swordsmanship?”
“Yes.”
“Hmm, any reason you came to me?”
“Because you hold a platinum badge as a mercenary and an honorary noble title from Baekje. I thought you’d be the finest mentor in Serenia. You told me to come to you if I needed anything. What I need now is a mentor better than anyone.”
“Did I mention I have an honorary noble title from Baekje? Hm, well. Heh heh heh. True, I am better than anyone.”
Kaseun smiled with satisfaction.
“Good, good. You might even become a good rival for Kain. Alright, but first, we need to check your basic stamina.”
“Check?”
“Yes, so I can adjust the training intensity.”
Thankfully, he didn’t refuse. Looking pleased that he’d wanted to teach rather, he stroked his beard.
“If you’re tired today, you can come back tomorrow, no problem.”
“No, I’m fine doing it now.”
“Really? Then let’s head to the training ground.”
Kaseun set down his teacup and stood, and Yuda followed.
They walked deeper into the mansion, reaching a training ground the size of a small sports field. As Yuda marveled at the vast space, he suddenly felt a heavy hand drop onto his shoulder.
“Since you’ve asked me to teach you, let me warn you upfront. I’ll train you properly. If you whine that it’s too hard, it won’t work. It’s already too late. A man must follow through with his decisions.”
“Yes. Don’t worry. I won’t show you anything disappointing.”
“Good answer, Yuda. I hear you run along the walls every morning? Then show me the results. Run around this training ground until you collapse from exhaustion.”
Kaseun sat under the canopy in the training ground and waited.
Confirming he’d watch to the end, Yuda warmed up lightly and started running. Not at full speed, but with a steady jog around the ground.
There was no slacking. He regulated his breathing and moved his feet at consistent intervals.
He didn’t count the minutes or laps. Focused solely on running, he circled the track.
Sweat poured like rain, but thanks to the passive skill Warrior’s Spirit, he didn’t tire easily.
After a while, Kaseun, impressed, said he could stop. Then came simple push-ups, horse stance, and tests for stamina and reflexes.
“Good! Very good!”
No, I’m totally not good.
After hours of nonstop movement, he was physically at his limit.
[“Your body has reached its limit. Warrior’s Spirit activates, temporarily enabling continued combat.”]
A message like that had popped up midway, so of course he was exhausted.
In the overwhelming fatigue, like his body might collapse, Yuda looked at Kaseun.
He nodded, looking very satisfied.
“Is this enough?”
“Ho ho, of course. Your basic stamina might even surpass Kain’s. Beyond my expectations. Since your stamina is solid, I’ll train you for three hours every morning, starting tomorrow. Around… 9 o’clock should work. Come then.”
“…Okay.”
Yuda flopped onto the sandy training ground. Kaseun came over, sat beside him, and started massaging his thighs and calves. Yuda tried to sit up, but Kaseun pressed down on his shoulder, preventing him from moving.
“Just lie there. You need to relieve physical fatigue, so don’t feel burdened.”
“…”
Yuda hesitated but eventually lay back. The pressure on his shoulder lifted.
“Thank you.”
“Yes, in times like this, a simple thank you is enough. Nothing else needed.”
The massage hurt a bit, but the refreshing feeling was stronger. Kaseun clearly had skill in this area.
“Yuda.”
“Yes.”
“Why suddenly learn the sword? I heard you just read books at the library. Weren’t you aiming to be a scholar, official, or mage?”
Yuda froze at the question. How could he answer briefly? He almost said “Just because,” but Kaseun’s serious gaze made him pause. It made him thought his own parents. He couldn’t tell Kaseun everything, but he could offer a rough explanation.
“I don’t want to be a scholar. I’m not interested in being a mage, or an official.”
“Then?”
“I’m going to leave.”
“When? Where?”
“The day of my coming-of-age ceremony, anywhere. I plan to travel the world first. Reading books is so I won’t be looked down on wherever I go. Learning the sword is to protect myself from danger. And above all, with strength, I won’t just stand by helplessly when I want to protect someone.”
Kaseun flinched at Yuda’s last words, as though struck by them. He had heard harsh words directed at Yuda before, from kids and adults alike. It was likely those words had left hidden scars.
Reading books was to avoid being looked down on for lacking parents.
Running along the walls daily to build stamina might’ve been to prepare for potential bullying.
Wanting to learn swordsmanship, Yuda said it was to protect his life, but really, it was likely to avoid helplessly watching someone precious die at another’s hands, like his parents.
“To have strength to protect…! Is that it? At this young age, such thoughts…”
Kaseun was clearly misunderstanding. Yuda hadn’t meant it that way at all. In order to collect the fragments, he had to travel across various lands, and understanding their cultures and etiquette was essential. Since his memories and records might not align, he had read books to prepare and build knowledge. Kaseun patted Yuda’s shoulder encouragingly.
“Don’t worry.”
“Huh?”
Yuda, baffled by Kaseun’s reaction, wore a puzzled look. He just flashed a thumbs-up with a thick hand as big as Yuda’s head and grinned, showing yellowed teeth.
“I’ll train you thoroughly. It’s not exactly early, but nine also isn’t too late.”
“Oh, yes.”
“I’d love to make you a Spirit Sword Bearer, but that takes talent… No, even without it, it doesn't really matter. I’ll make you strong enough that no one can speak to you carelessly. Trust me.”
Seeing Kaseun thump his chest loudly, Yuda broke into a cold sweat.
…Something’s gone wrong.
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