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Chapter 80

The integration rate is about ninety percent. Compared to Aria... no, never mind; there’s no point in comparing with her.

During Aria’s succession ceremony, she had been the first in the family to perfectly integrate a hundred percent of the ancestor’s sword aura. And so, given that her talent in swordsmanship was beyond measure, it was only right to consider her an exception.

Anyway, with a rate like this, it should be perfectly possible for him to reach S-rank.

Admiring Jake’s potential which was far beyond his own that was stagnant at A-rank, Miles reexamined the Luminescent Sword once more.

And with this, there’s no need for him to wait for a custom sword.

Satisfied by the smoothly proceeding succession ceremony, Miles watched on, but then he noticed a young man suddenly making his way to the training arena.

“...Hmm?”

Realizing that the man was Se-Hoon, Miles wore a puzzled expression.

What is he up to?

Wondering whether there was an urgent matter, he watched Se-Hoon approach swiftly. Then, when Se-Hoon approached closer, he noticed something in Se-Hoon’s right hand.

A hammer...?

Confused by the inexplicable scene, Miles watched Se-Hoon climb onto the training area and squint his eyes at the sight of the Luminescent Sword.

As expected... Se-Hoon thought.

The golden sword aura from Origin had permeated not just the surface but also the inside of the Luminescent Sword. And while that might just seem like a phenomenon that was occurring due to an abundance of sword aura, the reality was slightly different.

It’s being stained by it.

As swords were meant to cut everything except themselves, they shouldn’t ever be tainted by anything they could contain or cut through. If a sword were to be tainted even slightly, it would become completely different from what it was initially.

It shouldn’t be tainted, even if it’s the sword aura of their predecessor.

Having decided how to refine the sword, he moved behind Jake.

At his movement, Miles’s gaze deepened.

He’s not showing any murderous intent, but...

If anything were to interrupt Jake while he was receiving the sword aura, his control over it might loosen, potentially resulting in everyone around him being severely injured. Thus, knowing that it would be dangerous even with the protective barriers in place, Miles was about to subdue Se-Hoon. However, before he could, a calm voice resounded in his ears.

“Just leave him be.”

Following the voice, Miles turned his gaze to Aria, who was watching from below the training area. He was baffled by her instructions.

Just leave him be...?

If it were anyone else, he would’ve dismissed it as nonsense, but since he knew Aria never spoke without reason, he hesitated. And during that moment of hesitation, Se-Hoon, standing right behind Jake, had raised the Black Flame Hammer. Then, with all of his might, he swung at the dimmed and blurred blade of the Luminescent Sword.

Clang!

“Argh?!”

Startled by the strong vibrations, Jake, who had been completely immersed in receiving the sword aura, reflexively gripped the handle tighter.

Crack!

A huge crack immediately spread throughout the blade, blue light leaking from its crevices.

Jake paled, thinking that the sword was about to shatter at any moment, but what actually unfolded was different from his expectation.

The specks of mana that had been sparkling like stars within the blade were interconnected by the crack, causing them to shine even brighter. Then, the shining blue light began pushing out the golden sword aura that had stained the Luminescent Sword. And when the golden sword aura had been completely expelled—

Shhhh-

The sword aura of Origin began to be dyed blue.

“What...”

Miles’s eyes widened upon seeing Origin, the symbol and milestone of his family, the sword which had been imparting the predecessor’s sword aura to generations of the family, was dyed blue by Jake’s very own sword.

What is even happening right now...

Shocked by the sight he had never imagined, Miles froze, not knowing what to do. Similarly, Jake, who was still clutching onto the Luminescent Sword, was also at a loss.

“This, this is....”

Unlike when the succession ceremony started, the sensation Jake currently felt was entirely different. He was overwhelmed by a feeling of fullness; his arms, which felt like they were holding far too much, began to tremble.

The Luminescent Sword, which had previously been much lighter than a similarly-sized two-handed sword, suddenly felt as if its weight had increased by a hundredfold.

Huh...

No matter how strong his grip was, bearing a weight this heavy was a completely different story. Feeling like he was about to fall, overwhelmed by the weight dragging down his entire body, he relaxed his grip.

Crack!

Slipping out of his grasp, the blade of the Luminescent Sword shattered into pieces, particles of blue light scattering into the air.

“Ah...”

No longer feeling the weight he had felt moments earlier, he realized what had happened.

I wasn’t able to handle my own sword aura...?

Stunned by the ridiculous reality that he, who could comfortably handle even the sword aura of his predecessor, couldn’t withstand his own created sword aura, he blankly stared at the remaining handle of the Luminescent Sword.

“Hm...”

Meanwhile, Se-Hoon stood awkwardly next to him.

“Strange... that shouldn’t have happened...”

Hearing Se-Hoon’s puzzled mutters, Jake’s attention was caught, and he was about to ask what Se-Hoon was talking about. But before he could, Miles yelled out.

“You!”

Coming back to his senses belatedly, he approached Se-Hoon and grabbed him by the shoulders.

“What did you do to Jake’s sword just now? Were you the one who created the blue sword aura? What exactly did you...”

Still trying to organize his thoughts, he continued to raise his voice at Se-Hoon. Naturally, his grip on Se-Hoon’s shoulders tightened, making Se-Hoon furrow his brows.

This guy really should learn how to control his strength...

Thinking that Miles must have forgotten that he was an A-rank hero and that he was just a student, Se-Hoon attempted to wiggle out of his gradually strengthening grip.

Thump!

Suddenly, Miles’s hand was knocked away and Se-Hoon was pulled backward.

“Are you okay?”

Standing protectively in front of him, Aria’s hand gently supported his waist. But rather than being thankful, upon seeing that stance, Se-Hoon wore a bittersweet expression.

“Yes. Well... my shoulders don’t seem broken.”

“That’s good to hear.”

She gently smiled, removed her hand, and then turned to Miles, who still hadn’t grasped the situation.

“Uncle, you should calm down a bit.”

“What? What on earth do you mean... oh.”

Switching glances between his hands and Se-Hoon’s shoulders, he finally understood the situation and panicked slightly.

“I, I’m sorry. It seems I got too worked up...”

“Well, I guess sometimes that happens. I’ll take care of our guest until you’re done sorting yourself out. Jake?”

“Ye-yes!”

Jake quickly responded to Aria’s call, knowing all too well that the smile on her face right now only appeared when she was particularly irritated.

“Come up with your uncle after he has calmed down.”

Understanding that she intended to have a one-on-one conversation with Se-Hoon, Jake quickly nodded.

“Okay, got it.”

He personally also had many questions he wanted to ask Se-Hoon, but he knew that bringing them up insensitively now would only make his life harder. And seeing that her brother perfectly understood, Aria made a satisfied smile. She turned to Se-Hoon.

“Shall we head up and have a chat then?”

Experiencing firsthand how she had swiftly taken control of the entire atmosphere, Se-Hoon realized who was holding the most authority here. Making a wry smile, he responded.

“Let’s go.”

***

Coming out to the back courtyard of the villa, the two sat across from each other at a round table.

“Hm...”

With one hand on her chin, Aria stared intently at the Luminescent Sword. Her long hair shimmered in the sunlight, turning a golden color, and her deep-set eyes gleamed like gold itself.

Her appearance commanded admiration and a sense of awe.

Yet, every time Se-Hoon saw her, his view was overlaid with scenes from before the regression.

“Your swords aren’t that special after all.”

He recalled how Aria looked down at him with eyes full of disdain and a voice dripping with boredom, while his own hands were stained with blood.

The unpleasant scene made his brows furrow slightly.

[Activating Awakening Dream]

Whoosh-!

A cold sensation swept away the clutter in his mind. Realizing that the overlaying memories had vanished, he sighed inwardly.

This is also an illness itself.

Though he tried to keep his memories from before the regression separate from his current memories, it wasn’t easy sometimes.

As he tried to organize his somewhat chaotic thoughts, Aria spoke up. “I wasn’t really sure at the Noblesse, but...”

Trailing off, Aria observed him for a moment, then, with a gentle smile, she continued, “You do really hate me.”

“...”

Anticipating that such a situation would happen someday—when he tried to hide his emotions in front of someone as sensitive as Aria—he had prepared a response in advance.

“I have my pride as a blacksmith, you know.”

“Pride?”

“How can I like someone who treats my swords like mere branches?”

“...”

Hearing his answer, Aria’s eyes widened slightly before she covered her mouth and let out a small laugh.

“I see. I overlooked that part.”

Accepting the reason she couldn’t deny, she looked at Se-Hoon with a satisfied smile.

“Then you should strive harder; I don’t want to be disliked by someone I admire, you see.”

“...I see.”

He internally scoffed at her, who had just openly criticized his lack of skill.

If she truly took a liking to me, a bond would have been established already. Lies after lies...

Just like the first time she praised Jake’s sword, her reactions were not to be taken superficially.

This is exactly the reason I didn’t want to show anything to her.

He immediately began pondering if what he had shown earlier might have been another detriment to her.

“Oh, about the refinement of Jake’s sword earlier.”

With a faint smile, Aria closely observed his reaction.

“It was quite amusing.”

Her response was somewhat lukewarm compared to how shocked Miles was, but Se-Hoon was surprised—she was being genuine.

I swear it wasn’t anything that impressive...

He had merely refined it because he had caught onto a part that could be easily fixed; he wasn’t expecting any sort of favorable evaluation for a Hero-tier weapon.

Seeing Se-Hoon appear ambivalent, Aria continued, “The Fragment contained in Origin has a quite flexible power. It fills in the void when there’s emptiness in the other sword, and conversely, it seeks to fill its own void when the other sword seems filled.”

Pondering for a moment, Se-Hoon asked, “So, you mean that the initial blade that Jake created with the Luminescent Sword had empty spots in it.”

“Right. Of course, my foolish brother is to blame for that—”

“But being able to compensate for such shortcomings is also a mark of a blacksmith’s talents.”

At the perfect interception of what she was about to say, Aria looked at Se-Hoon with interest.

“It’s strange. We haven’t met many times, but I feel a sense of familiarity with you. Is this what they call good chemistry?”

“It’s probably because I’m somewhat proficient in dealing with people.”

Upon Se-Hoon’s refusal to even politely agree to the remark about good chemistry, she inadvertently chuckled, reminded of a chained wild dog snarling defiantly.

He’s a truly interesting individual.

How long had it been since she had a conversation with someone this intriguing? Wanting to know more about him, she brought up what seemed like the most appropriate topic for the current situation.

“Anyways, I have a proposal for you.”

“A proposal?”

“Jake hasn’t had a proper sword in a long time, but I feel like he will keep on misusing it if things stay as they are. Can you help me with this?”

“Hm....”

Contemplating her request for a moment, Se-Hoon calmly asked, “What’s the compensation?”

“Whatever I can provide that’s within a reasonable range.”

Though the answer was vague, he instantly knew that she was willing to accommodate nearly anything.

“Then, I’ll accept your proposal.”

Aria smiled satisfactorily at his straightforward acceptance.

“My brother may be slow, so I’m counting on you.”

“Don’t worry. Now, if you’ll excuse me.”

“Sure. Take care on your way.”

But instead of leaving, Se-Hoon stopped and turned around right before he was about to step inside the villa.

“By the way, how did your succession ceremony turn out?”

He had asked due to mere curiosity about how the Fragment in Origin had reacted to Aria’s talent. A moment of silence ensued.

“The sword aura of my great-grandfather—”

Breaking the silence, Aria’s answer was tinged with boredom.

“—shone a bit differently than now.”

All along, the ancestral sword aura had long been replaced by that of someone far more skilled—Aria herself. Surprised by the unexpected answer, Se-Hoon only had one thought.

Jerk.

He realized once again that they were indeed not a good match.