Domain War (1)

The sword form of the Moon Severing Divine Sword is exceptionally beautiful.

As its name suggests, it shines serenely like the moon, and its naturally overwhelming strength truly deserves to be called the swordsmanship of the Sword God.

But Grancesia referred to the Moon Severing Divine Sword like this.

“It feels like something unfinished.”

“Unfinished?”

“It’s well made, but… it feels like it restrains itself.”

During the month I received her teachings in my dreams in Eintban, Grancesia said that.

It seemed like something was being held back. Like a swordsmanship left incomplete.

Honestly, her words didn’t really hit home for me.

‘Even at a glance, it’s far superior to the Hidden Star Sword.’

Even the Hidden Star Sword is a renowned sword art on the continent.

Yet compared to the Moon Severing Divine Sword, it looked pitiful.

Of course, in a first look, the Hidden Star Sword might be more threatening and advantageous for creating variables, but overall, it was laughable to even compare it with the Moon Severing Divine Sword.

To be honest, it’s ridiculous for someone like me, who only recently reached Sword Expert, to judge swordsmanship anyway.

With those thoughts, I made my way to where Damian was.

Passing through the mine, where mining was in full swing, I entered the now-familiar cavern and found a single death knight standing there.

“Your skills have improved dramatically since Eintban.”

Upon seeing me for the first time in months, Damian spoke right away.

“My skills improved?”

“They definitely did. Honestly, it’s surprising.”

Damian looked genuinely shocked.

“With your natural talent, this level is incomprehensible. What on earth happened in Eintban?”

“Well…”

I couldn’t help but hesitate on what to say.

My rapid improvement was, undeniably, because I received Grancesia’s teachings in my dreams.

‘Grancesia asked me not to speak of her story to others.’

Since Grancesia is particularly concerned about Damian, it was hard to bring her up.

“I just happened to encounter a few lucky opportunities.”

“Lucky opportunities… Well, that’s the only way to explain your rate of progress.”

Without probing further, Damian drew his sword.

He meant to ask the rest with his own body.

“Draw your sword, Clay. Let’s see if you’ve made the Moon Severing Divine Sword your own as much as your growth.”

“Yes, sir.”

I drew my sword and stood across from Damian.

It had been months since we last sparred, yet it felt familiar.

‘Is it because I’ve been constantly sparring with Grancesia?’

She was someone who could fell even top-rank demonkin with a single blow.

After crossing swords with her, the nervousness I used to feel facing Damian had lessened.

I calmly observed Damian’s posture, moving my eyes to find an opening.

“… Good.”

Damian let out a short exclamation.

The moment he raised his sword, I lunged at Damian a step ahead.

‘It’s true—I can see so much more than before.’

Thanks to repeated sparring with Grancesia and my fight with the calamity of dreams, I felt I had taken a step forward.

Although it hadn’t really sunk in until now, sparring with Damian made me feel my own growth.

I could feel Damian’s strength much more clearly than before.

“That’s enough.”

After exchanging a few blows, Damian slowly lowered his sword.

“At this rate, you’ll reach advanced-rank Sword Expert before long.”

“Huh? Not intermediate-rank… but advanced-rank?”

“Your swordsmanship already surpasses that level. You only fell short in controlling magic power and making combat decisions.”

The scarlet light flickered within Damian’s helmet.

“But in just a few months, that has improved dramatically. This is beyond simply amazing.”

Damian’s continuous praise left my mouth agape. I’d never received such high praise from him before.

[Hmph! It’s only natural with his teacher, after all.]

Just then, Grancesia, who’d been quiet so far, spoke haughtily.

‘I misjudged you. You truly were a remarkable mentor.’

[I told you, didn’t I? Joy comes after pain. From now on, listen to my teachings even more closely!]

‘Of course, I’ll serve you well.’

If I could keep improving, there was nothing I wouldn’t do.

Now, I felt I could handle any demand Grancesia might make.

“Now we can earnestly start passing down the Moon Severing Divine Sword.”

After a moment’s thought, Damian spoke seriously.

To properly pass down the Moon Severing Divine Sword?

Normally, that would’ve been welcome news, but for some reason, I had a bad feeling.

“Excuse me?”

“I mean, I think we can push the sparring’s intensity much closer to real combat.”

“… Wouldn’t that be difficult?”

“It won’t be.”

Declaring firmly, Damian again drew his sword.

His intent was easily twice as menacing as before.

“To master the techniques of the Moon Severing Divine Sword, this is a necessary step. Draw your sword, Clay.”

“……”

I knew it in my gut.

From here on, I was truly going to get beaten to a pulp.

* * *

While Clay was learning the Moon Severing Divine Sword from Damian—

In the Timmons merchant guild’s building, four women gathered for a little meeting.

Of course, if one knew that among them was a princess of the empire, no one would call it a mere small meeting.

“Welcome, Your Highness. As promised, today we won’t be learning… that, but the education of love.”

Rutia, wearing a pair of sharp red glasses of uncertain origin, spoke in a somewhat intellectual tone.

Before Rutia sat her three students: Riya, Maria, and Monet, all sitting demurely.

“It really is legitimate this time, right?”

“Of course, of course.”

Rutia answered Riya, who eyed her suspiciously, with great confidence.

“… Mother, why must I be here?”

“Well, I felt so sorry for not doing enough for my Maria, I just wanted to help in any way…”

Rutia dabbed at tears with her handkerchief, and Maria closed her mouth in resignation.

It was a bit annoying, but since she had spare time anyway, she didn’t mind accompanying them.

“I was told by the young master to look after Her Highness, so I plan to stay by your side, Princess.”

Monet, on the other hand, seemed genuinely interested.

But instinctively, Rutia realized this maid was by no means an easy opponent.

“First of all, this meeting is purely to support Her Highness’s love, and there is no ulterior motive involved.”

“… What about these two?”

Riya glanced skeptically at the women sitting beside her.

Maria and Monet both shook their heads.

“I do respect the count, but if it comes to romantic feelings… I’m not sure.”

“The young master is the young master, after all.”

A textbook response.

But Riya’s eyes narrowed.

A woman’s intuition told her those answers couldn’t be trusted at face value.

‘Honestly—’

A variety of negative thoughts fluttered through her mind.

In the past, she might have ruthlessly driven them away.

But Riya didn’t want to do anything Clay would hate.

That was why she’d come here to hear Rutia’s advice.

“… Fine. Unlike these two, I want to make Clay mine.”

“Hold on, Your Highness. Possessiveness is fine, but showing it too much is a bad thing!”

As if making a declaration to the others, Rutia hurriedly cut in at Riya’s words.

Riya frowned at the sudden admonition.

“Too much possessiveness?”

“I’ve told you before, but excessive jealousy will tire a man out. If you want to capture the count’s heart, you need to play a little hard to get.”

“Hard to get?”

There was too much she didn’t know.

Growing up as a princess of the Asktalin Empire, ruling the continent, she had always gotten what she wanted.

The idea of hiding her heart didn’t resonate with her.

“For example… I heard Your Highness has been helping out the Vanhart count family recently.”

“Yes, that’s right.”

“You wanted to feel like the mistress of the house, didn’t you?”

“……”

She couldn’t deny it.

By gradually building her presence at the mansion, she intended to make herself someone Clay couldn’t do without.

To Riya, Rutia crossed her arms in an X and said,

“I get the intention, but your approach is totally wrong.”

“Wrong?”

Riya’s lips curled into a smile at Rutia’s words.

Naturally, her eyes didn’t smile at all.

Thanks to that, Monet and Maria, sitting nearby, flinched and momentarily pondered if they should step in.

Rutia also flinched for a moment but quickly corrected her expression and resumed firmly,

“Excessive action will make the other party feel burdened and annoyed. And showing too much affection will make you seem like a fish already caught, which lowers your charm!”

“……”

Listening with a forced smile that dared Rutia to try it, Riya’s lips slowly drooped.

She glanced at the women next to her, as if asking if that was true.

“I don’t know.”

“The young master doesn’t like others interfering too much in his affairs.”

Maria shook her head, and Monet agreed with Rutia, criticizing Riya’s behavior.

“Hmph…”

Riya’s expression turned sulky, having grasped the situation.

She still looked cute and aloof on the outside, but inside, she was quite disheartened.

Others may not have noticed, but at least Rutia did.

“You just need to do better from now on. This teacher will guide you well.”

“… I’ll trust you just this once.”

Her trust for Rutia having strangely increased, Riya nodded.

Watching the two, Monet quietly asked Maria, who wore a blank expression,

“Miss Rutia must be very skilled at romance, huh?”

“I can’t really trust her.”

“Why?”

“If she was that good at romance, she wouldn’t have married someone like my father.”

Maria’s absurd answer left Monet speechless.

* * *

「…!」

A tremendous roar spread, covering the entire vast forest.

Something huge exploded and scattered in all directions, and all vegetation it touched melted away as if turning to water.

“Still not dead?”

The remains that covered the entire forest began to gather in one spot, slowly regaining their original form.

Countless demonkin observing the scene clicked their tongues.

“As expected of a calamity.”

What lay scattered before them was none other than the ‘calamity of corrosion’.

Though it was just an enormous slime that had yet to awaken its true power as a calamity, its transcendental regenerative ability was undoubtedly extraordinary.

If time passed and it awakened as a calamity, it would surely become a being worthy of that name.

“And… it seems the probability of Seven Swords Under Heaven being where a calamity appears is quite high.”

The top-rank demonkin leading the horde of demonkin lifted the thin blade in his hand.

“This is the fifth sword—Silfin.”

This was the second of the Seven Swords Under Heaven the demonkin had discovered.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep