Becoming a Swordmaster by Reading

Chapter 200 : Chapter 200

A northern region where the days with bright sunlight were few in a year.People lived even in this region which neither any nation nor any Mage Tower claimed as their own.

Most of them were people who migrated here long ago when this region still had a warm climate suitable for farming, and had settled down and lived until now.

In such a remote and small village, a child raised his voice.

“Is it reindeer again today? That's amazing, Uncle Valkran! I also want to become a hunter like you, Uncle!”

The man called Valkran smiled, contorting the scars on his face.

Then he stroked the child's head and answered.

“If you train hard, it will be fully possible. You are practicing what I taught you every day, right?”

“Of course! I am your only direct disciple, Uncle!”

“Hahaha. Good job. I'll cut some meat for you here, so take it home and eat it with your mom!”

“Yes! Thank you!”

It was when the child left holding the meat that the man called Valkran had skillfully trimmed and handed over.

A familiar face spoke to Valkran.

“I am against it. That child's aptitude for martial arts is not very exceptional. You wouldn't be unaware of that either, right?”

Valkran glanced at the direction where the voice came from and answered.

“What does aptitude matter. He's a child who will grow up to be a hunter, not a knight anyway. Besides, you know now. That innate aptitude is not everything.”

“…….”

“If it really doesn't work out, I'll ask my nephew to let him learn magic, so don't you worry.”

“…….”

After snapping at the man, Valkran immersed himself in trimming the reindeer again.

A while later, Valkran divided the reindeer meat into regular pieces and split them into two bundles.

“Here, you look like you have nothing to do, so come here and help.”

“…….”

The man silently shouldered one bundle and followed Valkran.

And they began to distribute the reindeer meat contained in it to the villagers one by one.

“Oh my! All this every time! Here, the fruit wine I made has ripened, so take it, Mr. Valkran!”

“Thanks to you, we live in luxury, Mr. Valkran! I can't just stay still either! I have dried herbs at home that are good to eat with meat, so I'll give them to you!”

Although they distributed all the reindeer meat to the villagers, the weight of the burden only became slightly lighter and didn't change much.

In that process, not only did Valkran's expression brighten, but the expression of the man who had been expressionless all along also brightened.

Valkran, who returned home, checked that expression and asked the man.

“It's worth living here too, right?”

“…Well, not bad.”

“Anyway, you're never honest. Is that why you did it?”

“Did what?”

“Is that why you didn't tell your nephew until the end that you saved all your siblings?”

Valkran spoke and handed the man the roasted reindeer meat and the fruit wine he received earlier.

The man looked down at it quietly, then slowly accepted it and answered.

“Because nothing would change even if he knew anyway. Now he is not a Glockner.”

“That is true, but….”

“Being gifted a new era alone is enough. Thanks to that, now no one in Glockner will suffer from the pressure of having to kill their siblings.”

It was so.

In fact, the man's identity was Albrecht, who had stepped down from the position of family head and left Glockner.

And Valkran was a brother of this Albrecht.

Externally known to have lost his life at Albrecht's hands.

Like this, the world knew that Albrecht killed his brothers most cruelly and ruthlessly and ascended to the position of family head, but it was not true.

Albrecht saved all his brothers even while taking the notoriety upon himself.

Thinking that it was the only way to save his brothers at the time.

“Anyway, you make things needlessly too complicated. It would have been fine if you just changed all the rules as soon as you ascended to the position of family head.”

“If I had done that, I would have bought everyone's backlash and been kicked out of the family head position. To change Glockner's rules without any problems, I had to reach at least the level of 10-star.”

“Would that have been the case? I don't think so?”

“What would you know, having never sat in the family head position.”

“Damn it. That talk again.”

Valkran frowned as if annoyed, downed the fruit wine in one go, and took a bite of the reindeer meat.

However, even though alcohol and meat entered his mouth, Valkran's expression did not improve.

“Ah, damn it. It's too tough. If I knew it would be like this, I should have gotten the recipe for Billem Meatballs from my nephew.”

Albrecht reacted to those words.

“What? Did you meet Ernst? When?”

“No, I just came back after seeing his face from a distance. It was before he had a one-on-one duel with you.”

The man who liked that he could finally eat Billem Meatballs in Lucrene last time.

That man was exactly Valkran.

“Don't go visit again. Because I don't want to be a burden to that child anymore.”

“I told you I didn't meet him? Above all, wouldn't your nephew also be a bit curious about your news?”

“…I wasn't such a good father.”

“Who doesn't know that? Still, children naturally miss their fathers. Even I sometimes miss our dead father, you know? Aren't you like that?”

“Not really.”

“You must have forgotten that Father turned a blind eye to you saving the brothers. You ungrateful fellow.”

“…That's because Father also received the same grace from Grandfather. So he just returned it to me.”

“What? Father also never killed his brothers? Even Grandfather?”

“Right.”

“Then who on earth killed the brothers?”

“Well? The first family head who made this rule?”

“Ha. At this point, I feel wronged. In fact, the Glockner bloodline is so timid that they can't even kill a single rabbit, but they are almost demonized.”

“Don't say such things while eating the reindeer you just caught and roasted.”

“Was that a bit much? Anyway, here they come. My brothers, cute like rabbits.”

Valkran spoke while looking out the window, and Albrecht's gaze also turned out the window.

There, as Valkran mentioned, the brothers who had competed with Albrecht for the position of family head were walking over while laughing.

Albrecht's expression brightened at once.

***

Roden, who received Chevalier's report in the study, spoke.

“It's a relief that Father is doing well. It's also unexpected that all of Father's brothers are alive.”

“I was also surprised when I heard the news. I didn't know such a backstory was hidden. Even more, that there are more survivors than the dead in the past Succession Wars. It was a shock.”

“The Glockner way of making siblings kill each other didn't make sense in the first place. Later, I hope brother Leon restores the names of everyone who had to be forcibly erased from Glockner.”

“Even if he can't do it in this generation, it will be possible in the next. Since Glockner is changing smoothly with the Lord's help.”

“What did I do? Anyway, thank you for delivering the news.”

“Yes. Then I will withdraw, Lord.”

Like that, Chevalier left the study, and Roden watched him quietly before closing the book he was holding in his hand.

After hearing Chevalier's story, he became rather more curious.

How his siblings were doing.

‘Shall I go just to watch for a moment?’

Simultaneously with the thought, Roden waved his hand once in the air.

Then the scenery changed, and he could immediately confirm the appearance of Malena, who was in class at the Mediale Knight Academy.

Malena discovered Roden, widened her eyes in surprise, and hugged him tightly.

“Youngest! What brings you all the way here?”

“I was bored, so I came to see you for a moment, sister.”

“Great! Since it's come to this, help me a bit!”

“With what?”

“Teaching the kids! We can't miss such a good opportunity!”

That day, Roden taught Malena's disciples unexpectedly.

Being taught by a 10-star knight was a great honor for cadets that they couldn't hide their excitement about, and this day's event became known to the entire continent in a few days.

The next year, the Mediale Knight Academy had 10 times more applicants than the previous year.

***

Afterward, Roden waved his hand once again and met Paul.

“It's been a long time. Have you been well in the meantime?”

“Yes, brother. I have been well. You are preparing to open a restaurant? Actually, I moved my body suddenly and am a bit hungry. Can I get a meal?”

“That turned out well. I also wanted to get some taste evaluation before opening the restaurant. Please wait a moment.”

Paul's cooking skills were beyond expectation.

Especially dishes utilizing seafood such as bouillabaisse, grilled fish, ceviche, and pasta were impressive.

“How is it? Is it worth comparing to Billem Meatballs?”

“Yes. It's substantial. We should be a bit nervous too.”

Roden did not spare his praise, and satisfied with this, Paul put the words ‘The taste highly praised by Ernst Duaren!’ largely on the signboard when he opened the restaurant a few years later.

Next, Roden met Laura, who was soon to become a mother of three children.

“Kids! It's your youngest uncle!”

Laura, who was taking a walk in the garden, shouted as soon as she met Roden.

An eight-year-old girl and a five-year-old boy reacted to that voice.

“Wow! Uncle!”

“Hello!”

The children were quite sociable.

They even brought up strange stories, perhaps because Laura had taught them something.

“Uncle! Buy us Imprinted Weapons!”

“Me too! I want an Imprinted Weapon!”

Roden scratched his cheek and gifted them suitable ones among those he had made before.

Of course, he didn't forget the gift for the third one in the belly.

It was the moment three treasures, which might not have been revealed forever, appeared in the world.

The fourth one he met was Michael.

Michael was faithfully fulfilling the role of the Lord of Bellar today as well.

“How about reducing sleep by just one hour? Then work efficiency would increase.”

Of course, thanks to that, the retainers seemed very distressed.

Roden hurriedly stopped Michael.

“The Lord is harsh to the retainers today as well. Even though I said what is more important than finishing work quickly is working slowly for a long time.”

Only then did Michael confirm Roden's appearance and sprang up from his seat.

“When did you come? Without notifying in advance.”

“Because if I come in advance, I won't be able to correct things like this.”

“…I was a bit hasty. Let's make sure to get enough sleep.”

Like that, Michael apologized and dismissed the retainers, and Roden could have a deep conversation with Michael after a long time.

And in that process, he learned that Michael had an unexpected worry.

“Do you not have thoughts of marriage yet?”

“I don't? What about you, brother?”

“I'm worried. Whether it is right for a person like me to become a father.”

Certainly, except for Laura, none of Roden's siblings were married.

And at the base of that, a worry about whether a person like themselves should become a parent seemed to be laid.

It was a point where one could realize anew what kind of scars the Succession War left on the siblings.

“A new era has opened, so what can you not do? If you don't know how to become a parent, you can just learn as you go.”

Michael nodded upon hearing Roden's answer.

Then he opened his mouth as if he had been waiting.

“Right. Then get married quickly.”

“What?”

“Actually, all your subordinates are worried. That you might not leave a bloodline like this.”

“Ah….”

He thought it was Michael's worry, but it wasn't.

It was a trap.

The fifth one he met was Leon.

Leon was sitting alone in the waiting room, lost in thought.

“What are you thinking about so much?”

Leon discovered Roden belatedly, but only showed a surprised expression for a moment.

As if he knew a day like this would come someday.

“…I was just thinking about whether I am going on the right path. Should I say I became a bit fearful after losing my way once.”

“Have you ever lost your way?”

“I did. At that time, I almost did something terrible to you. I'm sorry.”

Leon showed a bitter smile and apologized to Roden.

However, no negative emotion was felt at all in Roden's expression receiving that apology.

Rather, he received Leon's words with a bright expression.

“Then it's a problem not worth worrying about much. Just as sister Malena corrected brother's mistake back then, other people will do so this time too.”

“Ah.”

“Trust the people around you. When you do, you will be able to achieve something greater than the achievements a single human can accomplish.”

Leon, who couldn't continue his words for a while, nodded.

“I will do so.”

Lastly, Roden watched from a distance the small house where Albrecht was happily dining with his brothers.

It was a place brightly illuminating the northern region where sunlight did not reach well.

***

Roden, who checked everyone's well-being like that, returned to the study and began writing the book again.

‘Now I must finish the long story.’

Simultaneously with making up his mind, Roden began to write the book at a very fast speed.

‘Done.’

And 3 years later, finally, a 101-volume book was completed in Roden's hands.

In the introduction of this book titled , the following text was written.

[Anyone who reads this book can become a Swordmaster. Since I did, you will too.]