Chapter 21

The Swordsmanship Genius Possessed by a God — Chapter 21

For a moment, it felt as though the entire world had turned white.

That single, brief word of praise left Allen's mind completely blank.

Allen raised his head and looked at Axion again.

His father's expression was the same as always.

‘What did he just say?’

Allen doubted his own ears.

Excellent?

It was praise from none other than Axion Vishken. From the greatest swordsman on the continent, his father, who had always been so strict and intimidating.

His father, who had hardly ever said even that something was acceptable, had called him excellent.

They were words Allen had thought he would never hear in his lifetime.

As Allen stood there, unsure how to react, Axion continued.

“Did you reach the Third Star of the Celestial Star Style after that battle?”

“Pardon? Yes.”

Allen stammered, unlike his usual self.

“That's... correct.”

“Your progress isn't bad for someone who has only just been freed from the curse. It seems you haven't neglected your training, either. Your swordsmanship and fundamentals are advanced for your level.”

The succession of compliments left Allen dazed.

It felt as though the efforts he had made in his previous life were finally being acknowledged.

His training, his fundamentals, and his swordsmanship.

They were the fruits of everything Allen had built up in his previous life in his pursuit of strength.

Without realizing it, Allen clenched his fists tightly.

He wanted nothing more than to shout. He felt as though a cheer would burst from his mouth the moment he opened his tightly pressed lips.

But he couldn't possibly do that in the middle of the Family Head's Hall.

Had Axion sensed Allen's excitement?

The look in Axion's eyes deepened as he regarded him.

“You said you wanted to become the young family head, didn't you?”

Allen flinched at the sudden question.

But it was not a question that required hesitation.

“That's correct.”

“Are you confident you can do better than your brother?”

There was a faint trace of regret in Axion's voice, which rarely revealed any emotion.

From his father's gaze and tone, Allen could sense what Axion was feeling.

‘Father wanted Brother to become the young family head.’

Lucas Vishken had been extraordinary since childhood.

His older brother was a genius who possessed talent remarkably similar to their father's and had reached the Master level at a young age.

Everyone in the family had believed without a doubt that Lucas would become the family head.

Even now, most people still thought so.

But Axion knew that Lucas had no intention of inheriting the family.

Could he do better than his brother?

For a moment, Allen's thoughts grew complicated.

Some words came to mind, and before he knew it, he had spoken them aloud.

Allen expressed his feelings honestly.

“I don't yet know what it truly means to lead a family. After all, I'm still a novice who has never even commanded a small sword division.”

Becoming the family head meant leading the family.

Allen had never lived a life burdened with such heavy responsibility.

But there was one thing he could say.

“That is why I have only one goal right now. I will become a swordsman stronger than you, Father. And with that strength, I will become someone who protects our family and loved ones.”

His heart pounded.

It was the dream and goal he had cherished since childhood. He had never imagined he would tell his father about it in this way.

How would his father react?

Would he consider it arrogant? Or would he laugh at him?

At Allen's words, Axion smiled faintly.

It was not a mocking smile.

Allen had expected him to scold him for his arrogance or grow angry, but he did neither.

Axion silently rose from his seat.

In the next instant—

Flash.

Axion's figure approached at tremendous speed. Allen heard what sounded like a gust of wind, and the distance between them vanished in an instant.

Having descended from the throne, Axion appeared directly in front of Allen.

At the same time, he held out a book.

“Your footwork is weak compared to your swordsmanship. Footwork developed around a body without mana inevitably has clear limitations.”

“This is...”

“The first half of the Hundred Lotus Steps. Take it and learn it.”

Hundred Lotus Steps.

It was the name of an advanced footwork technique bestowed upon the family's direct descendants.

The footwork Axion had demonstrated just moments ago was the Hundred Lotus Steps.

Not only was he giving Allen the secret manual, but he had even personally demonstrated the technique.

“Th-thank you.”

Allen hurriedly accepted the manual.

He didn't know what had prompted this, but he couldn't leave Axion standing there with his arm extended.

He had already been thinking that he needed a new footwork technique based on mana, and now an unexpected reward had fallen into his lap.

Why on earth was his father giving him this?

The footwork technique was far too valuable to be considered payment for a mission.

That meant this reward had nothing to do with his mission.

Was it perhaps to congratulate his son on overcoming the curse?

Or to celebrate his progress?

Allen quickly dismissed the possibilities that had occurred to him.

‘He's not that kind of person.’

Then why?

He soon learned the reason.

As though stating the price of the footwork technique, Axion spoke.

“Allen Vishken. I hereby appoint you leader of the Second Squad of the Flying Sword Division.”

___________________

After the private audience ended, Allen looked down at the secret manual in his hand.

The Hundred Lotus Steps was a reward bestowed upon squad leaders of the Flying Sword Division.

It was Vishken's custom to grant those appointed to a position the strength appropriate to their responsibilities.

‘Leader of the Second Squad of the Flying Sword Division.’

For the first time, he had been assigned to a sword division.

And it was the same division as his brother's.

Just then, as Allen left the Family Head's Hall, he spotted Lucas waiting for him.

He had always called Lucas his older brother, but at this moment, another title came to mind.

Commander of the Flying Sword Division.

He was now Allen's direct superior.

“Did you hear?”

Apparently, Lucas had already received the news.

Allen nodded.

“You knew about it too, Brother?”

“I heard that you would be joining the Flying Sword Division as part of its personnel reinforcements. Specifically, that you'd be assigned to the Second Squad.”

“Then did you know I was going to be the squad leader?”

“Squad leader?”

Lucas looked surprised.

Apparently, he hadn't known that much.

“...No. I was told you would be joining as an ordinary member.”

“You started in the Flying Sword Division too, didn't you?”

“That's right. I worked my way up from an ordinary member.”

Even that was an impressive accomplishment.

The Flying Sword Division was one of the few sword divisions in the main castle responsible for carrying out missions directly assigned by the family head.

Unless a swordsman's abilities and accomplishments were sufficiently recognized, they couldn't even enter the Flying Sword Division.

“The position I knew you were being assigned to was an ordinary member of the Second Squad. I suppose the family head had judged your abilities to be at the level of a Flying Sword Division member.”

Allen's assignment to the Flying Sword Division had been decided in advance, but his promotion to squad leader had been determined inside the Family Head's Hall.

Lucas believed that decision was connected to Allen's private audience with Axion.

“Your promotion to squad leader was decided suddenly inside the Family Head's Hall. This is the first time the family head has reversed a decision so quickly. It must mean he recognized your abilities to that extent.”

After watching Allen recreate his battle with the Iron Shackles Society, Axion had called his performance excellent.

Apparently, after witnessing that demonstration, he had abruptly changed Allen's appointment to squad leader.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason Allen had been assigned to the Flying Sword Division.

“Father asked me something. He asked whether I was confident I could do better than you.”

“The family head did?”

“He sent me to the Flying Sword Division because he wants to compare us.”

Lucas was the youngest commander in the history of the Flying Sword Division.

He had achieved that position because both his abilities and his capacity to complete missions had been recognized, regardless of his status.

Some even argued that he deserved a position higher than commander of the Flying Sword Division.

“If I prove inferior to you, I'll probably be transferred somewhere else immediately.”

“I think so too. The family head isn't someone who shows favoritism just because a person is related to him by blood.”

Allen accepted this as another kind of test.

What would he accomplish while serving in the same division as his brother?

And being appointed squad leader didn't necessarily put him in a better position than Lucas had been.

“You should be prepared for a certain amount of opposition.”

Allen nodded at Lucas's words.

“I suppose so. I failed my first mission, and as far as everyone knows, I still haven't recovered from the Curse of Mana Deprivation.”

“That's right. Perhaps even your own subordinates won't acknowledge you, let alone the other squad leaders. And I have no intention of giving you special treatment just because you're my younger brother.”

“I think there's something wrong with that.”

“What do you mean?”

“Isn't that backward? Why should a superior seek recognition from his subordinates? It should be the other way around.”

Lucas's eyes gleamed at Allen's words.

He was certainly right. What Allen had said was a fundamental principle of the chain of command.

But for Allen, who had never belonged to a sword division, to understand that so clearly—

“Not bad.”

“Of course. Whose son and younger brother do you think I am?”

Allen grinned and bowed his head toward Lucas.

“Then I look forward to serving under you, Commander.”

_________________

Upon returning to the annex, Allen headed straight for the training ground.

Meeting Pedrock and handing over the money he had brought back from the dungeon was important, but there was something even more urgent on his mind.

In Allen's hand was a single shimmering flower.

The Flower of Stars.

It was the first elixir that had come to Allen's mind after overcoming the Curse of Mana Deprivation.

Of course, there were still many other things he needed to obtain afterward.

‘After the Flower of Stars comes the Demon Sword, and then the Ancient God's Secret Record... There's a mountain of things I need to acquire.’

In any case, he had obtained one of the essential things he needed to change the future.

Knowing what would happen in the future was an enormous advantage.

It meant he could obtain treasures no one else knew about and sometimes prevent events that should never occur.

“Phew.”

Allen took a moment to steady his breathing.

How much of an elixir's mana a person could absorb depended on the individual consuming it.

Some absorbed as little as twenty percent of the mana contained in an elixir, while others could absorb as much as fifty percent. The difference was more than twofold.

‘My goal is fifty percent.’

He had no idea when he would next have the opportunity to consume an elixir as extraordinary as the Flower of Stars.

Therefore, he needed to obtain as much mana as possible from this single opportunity.

‘Focus.’

Allen closed his eyes, slowly placed the Flower of Stars in his mouth, and began chewing.

It felt as though he were chewing an enormous mass of mana.

Afraid that even a little mana might escape, Allen kept his mouth tightly closed as he chewed and swallowed the flower.

Gulp.

The entire flower passed down his throat.

Allen immediately shut out every sensation from his surroundings and concentrated on the elixir's energy entering his body.

Whoooo.

Bubble—

His insides burned as though he had swallowed lava rather than a flower. He could feel the overflowing mana flowing down toward his lower abdomen.

He had consumed countless elixirs before, but never one with energy so powerful that it made his insides burn like this.

‘Don't let any escape. Not a single bit.’

He opened every sense and channel in his body, striving to absorb the elixir's energy.

The elixir's energy erupted like a raging waterfall.

Just as he was about to lose control of some of it, unable to contain the entire torrent—

Whooom.

His eyelids remained closed.

Yet within his vision, which should have shown nothing, the flow of mana appeared as clearly as streams of water.

‘This is...’

Rooooar!

The elixir's energy flowed through his body like a waterfall.

The energy he managed to control spread in every direction like branching streams, while the energy he failed to control descended through his esophagus.

‘Is this another effect of the Reflecting Eye?’

The power to see through the flow of mana.

Within that mysterious vision, he could now see exactly how the elixir's energy was moving.

‘If that's the case.’

A smile spread across Allen's lips as he sat with his eyes closed.

Fifty percent?

If this was possible, he needed to change his goal.

‘I'll absorb it all.’

Without letting a single drop escape.