No. If I fail to kill him and he awakens as the Demon King, I’ll be the one who dies. And even though I’m just the illegitimate son from a marginal country weaker than the vassal states, if I’m caught dealing with royalty, I’m fucked too.
I should stick to my original plan: learn everything I can, acquire all possible wealth, and then trick the old man into thinking I’m going on a graduation trip as soon as I graduate from the Royal Academy, and flee.
After he awakens, I know of a country that remained untouched by the Demon King’s hands during the nearly decade-long war. My goal is to survive there until the hero deals with the Demon King.
There’s also the option of finding the hero from the novel and sponsoring him to deal with the Demon King as quickly as possible, now that I have money and power. But to use that method, I’d need to find the hero who’s somewhere in the free trade city right now.
The problem is that the description of what the hero looks like before awakening, his name, and exactly where he lives is all vague. And that’s not all. Even after awakening as the hero, he was simply called “the hero.” Even the damned Demon King has a name.
When the Demon King recognizes his blood and awakens, the hero also receives the blessing and revelation from the God of Light. If there’s a way to find someone who transforms from an ordinary person to a hero like that spider-man or American captain from some hero movie, I’d like to know it myself right now.
“I’ll help you prepare for martial arts class, young master.”
“Thanks as always, Jerry.”
Jerry, who had momentarily stepped away at the sound of my sigh, returned with armor. I tied my blue-violet hair covering my nape tightly like a bird’s tail. I put on a long shirt and pants, and protectors, greaves, and gauntlets made from tanned leather.
The fairly heavy leather armor had a peculiar pungent smell of leather treatment chemicals. I can’t get used to this. After adjusting the shoulder rest that rubbed against my neck, I went down to the training ground where Knight Tom gave a slight bow before immediately directing me to train.
My training was overseen by two knights, including Tom, who took turns. On days when the old man made time to visit, he would personally oversee the training.
“How is your physical condition? If there’s any pain in your joints, organs, or muscles that’s difficult to ignore compared to usual, tell me immediately.”
“None. I’m fine. Can we start right away then?”
“You know the order. Run.”
The leather armor adds weight to the body’s burden on top of my body weight. The more the muscles tear, the stronger the body becomes. That’s the purpose of wearing leather armor.
After warming up lightly, I immediately ran around the training ground. After eating and moving well for a month, I’d gained decent muscle and flesh. Even so, it was just a skinny twig becoming an average body.
“Your breathing is becoming irregular, young master. If your posture falters, your joints will be damaged. Be mindful.”
“I know, huff… I know.”
I exhale slowly and then inhale. I kept my stride even to avoid damaging my knees and ran until my back was soaked with sweat. After that, I replenished fluids and rested briefly. I shouldn’t rest until the body cools down. Then it was straight to spear training.
The Bliss family spear isn’t a wedge-shaped cavalry spear but a form closer to a crescent blade. It’s a thick, sturdy blade about the height of a child with a handle longer than the blade. When swung, it makes a sharp sound like cutting the wind, and when struck down, it can crush a skull and windpipe in one blow.
They said I wasn’t yet at the level to wield the Bliss spear. Of course not. I should be thinking, “You’re expecting too much after just a month of training,” but I felt a bit frustrated.
Getting frustrated over this is exactly what Tom wants, but frustration is frustration, so I’m rolling, running, swinging, and thrusting as instructed.
Honestly, when war breaks out later, it won’t be the humanities I learned from Dainel that determines life and death, but how well I can escape and how well I can fight.
With breath reaching my chin and after vomiting bitter water a couple of times, I rinsed my mouth with lukewarm water and gave myself a reasonable explanation. If you can’t study, you just can’t. But if you’re weak, you’ll die in a few years.
No matter how I think about it, he’s really a fucking Demon King.
I understand his tragic past. Still, I can’t sympathize with someone who’s going to ruin me. Even if my arms and legs are trembling, this much is fine. I can still move. Right now, no matter how clumsy I am, I won’t lose my hands or have my neck cut.
I need to live to find a way to return to my world, don’t I? I like watching others roll from a safe place while eating popcorn, but I don’t like rolling myself. So I roll now, when I can still learn comfortably despite rolling.
I grit my teeth and thrust the spear. Again. I pay attention not to let my posture falter at Tom’s gruff commands. Though I’d like to learn more after dinner, Tom discouraged it, saying my muscles aren’t fully developed yet and moving more would damage my bones.
“That’s how it is now. When your body is complete, you’ll be able to train more as you wish.”
“I hope that happens soon.”
Don’t smile with satisfaction. Don’t look at me like I’m admirable. I gritted my teeth viciously and swung the spear one more time. Eventually, after training a little more than was scheduled for today, I dragged my half-collapsed, trembling body to the bath to wash.
It took half a year to build the basic foundation of my body.
Compared to when I first arrived here, the body reflected in the mirror looks quite human now. Now I could eat rich food without my stomach turning. Not only that, but the amount I ate had more than doubled, as if it would all become my bones and flesh.
I crawled out after half-dozing in the bathtub. Even tired, there was no time to rest. I roughly dried my damp hair and immediately practiced breathing techniques.
The Bliss of the Spear, one of the six families guarding the Empire, knew how to strengthen the body by manipulating ki instead of using magic.
This breathing technique, passed down only to direct descendants, was tailored specifically for the Bliss bloodline. The more one practiced the breathing technique, the more it tempered the Bliss body to be stronger and sturdier, they said.
It was a breathing technique the old man taught me in private before returning to his territory. He said that even if I couldn’t manage it, I should practice for at least an hour a day in a quiet, undisturbed space, and when the time came, I would naturally be able to maintain this breathing technique in everyday life.
He said that “time” would come to anyone of the Bliss bloodline. It sounds like a setting from a martial arts novel rather than fantasy, but I decided to give up thinking about it too deeply.
Actually, even as I practice, I wonder if this is helpful. In the side story, Zaher Bliss was horribly crushed as punishment for betraying the Demon King. Though he might have been trash who relied solely on unexpected fortune without any effort, he was still someone who studied at home for just 5 years before entering the Royal Academy. That means he had talent.
I decided to save the monthly allowance the old man sends me rather than waste it. Anyway, clothes and supplies were all purchased by butler Noah. I’ve had so much to learn that since entering the mansion, except for horseback riding lessons, I haven’t gone outside the mansion.
Noah wanted to bring in another horse for my riding lessons, but I refused. Since I was only learning for an hour every other day, I felt uncomfortable bringing in a living creature as my own.
Author: Hyacinthus B
Hyacinthus
