"Create a hole that is dozens of feet deep with a sword? I do not know what you mean."
Javier furrowed his brows. The way he looked at Lloyd was filled with incredulity and annoyance.
"Something does not add up here. May I speak honestly?"
"Speak honestly?"
"Yes,"
"No thanks. You're going to drop truth bombs on me all over again."
"Again, I have never dropped anything on you or hurt you, Master Lloyd."
"Yes, you have."
"When did I ever do that?"
"In the ant cave. You punched me in the gut."
"Well, that's…"
"Oh, I almost forgot. You slapped me three times in a row to wake me up as well. Am I wrong?"
"Twice, actually. I stopped before landing the third blow since you woke up."
"Oh, so you're saying that you wish you had slapped me, yeah?"
"Of course, I do…not."
"Anyway, to go back and tell you frankly, I have never heard of anyone who succeeded in what you just described."
"None?"
"None, not even of a sword master."
"Really?"
"Yes."
Javier was right. A sword couldn't create a hole several feet deep in the rock. Moreover, blast it from the inside? He had never even heard of such a feat. Such a feat was impossible for even any of the countless sword masters recorded in history.
Well, it was even impossible for Sir Mikael, the founding king, who fell behind others at first but rose to be the most powerful swordsman in history. The record shows that Sir Mikael's sword aura extended as far as three feet. Add to the length of the blade, and he must have been able to slice or destroy anything a little over 6 feet ahead of him.
The sword aura. This technique referred to adding a layer of highly concentrated mana to the sword. It was a signature skill for sword masters as they were the only ones who could use it. However, the skill had its limits despite its destructiveness. The sword master could not attack outside the range of their aura.
After all, swords are short-range weapons. No matter how fatal an attack was, the sword master still needed to move close to slash and stab their opponent. They weren't like mages who could barrage their opponents with magic from a distance. That was what differentiated them from mages. At the same time, it was also their weakness.
"Master Lloyd, you are ignoring common sense. You are stating that you will teach me an imaginary skill that doesn't exist. It's like…"
"I'm losing it?"
"Yes,"
Javier immediately nodded his head.
"You surely are. The words you speak can only come out of someone who is crazy, insane, or losing their mind."
"Hey, I know you may think you're right about this one, but don't be so judgy."
"Judgy? What is that?"
"Haa, never mind. Anyway…"
Lloyd chuckled.
"What if I teach you that skill?"
"Are you really saying that you can do it?"
"Yeah! Just answer the question."
"If your bluffing is proven to be true…"
Javier's eyes grew serious.
"Then I shall happily follow your will."
"Really? You would do anything I ask you?"
"Of course." Javier nodded.
If what Lloyd was saying proved to be true, he had nothing to lose. But at the same time, he thought to himself that Lloyd was bluffing. It was just one of his pretentious talks. There was no way for such gibberish, senseless thing to be true.
"Good. We have a deal. Well then…"
Lloyd held out his hand. Then, he grabbed Javier on the shoulder and nonchalantly said, "Draw your sword, up your mana circle rotation to the max, and force the two circles to collide by overlapping them together."
"Excuse me…?"
"Oh, but the remaining circles must not be used for the collision. The others have to protect the heart. Or else, your heart rate will go up from the trauma until it completely stops. One boom, and you'll be kicking the bucket."
"Why would I kick the bucket…?"
"Just try it, will you?"
"Here? Now?"
"Yes."
Lloyd nodded his head and Javier was flustered. Is it possible? He felt like he was going against common sense. The Asrahan Core Technique almost felt like a part of his body, but this technique felt strange.
He had never tried anything like it. He never gave a thought that it would be possible. Javier's doubts were only logical. Each mana circle rotated around the heart faster, with more power generated into it. Once the rotation gained speed, the repulsive power in each circle increased. Afterward, the circles pushed the other away like two opposing magnetic poles, and here was Lloyd, suggesting to collide them by force.
"It's all right. Just make sure that you protect your heart with the other circle. Everything's going to be fine that way."
Lloyd sounded way too casual, and his tone made him less trustworthy for Javier. But there was something that was hidden from Javier's knowledge, and it was that he came up with this very skill by himself in the novel. It made him the strongest knight that ever set foot on the Laurasia continent.
But, of course, that happens much later on in the story. Lloyd recalled the story in The Knight of Blood and Iron. Mana blast was the name of the technique. Javier was already a sword master by the time he developed this technique. He also had his fourth circle equipped.
The combination of the sword master status and quadra-circle alone was enough to make him the most powerful knight in history. But one day, he was faced with an obstacle that even he could not surpass, Namaran's Wall.
The wall was under destructive, evil magic. Behind it, thousands of refugees direly waited for Javier to save them. This magic wall stood indomitable despite the powerful combination of the aura-layered sword and the amplification of the quadra-circle. Time passed without any success, and the day the evil mage would appear came near.
Every single refuge was doomed to be sacrificed. When the following morning rolled around, Javier attempted the final assault to bring down the wall. His frantic attempt led to a collision of two circles, causing an unimaginable force to explode and crumble the wall at once. This was the first time he ever used the mana blast. After that event, it became his go-to skill, along with the Asrahan Core Technique.
And now, Lloyd was trying to teach that very skill to Javier. It was a strange experience at the same time, being able to teach the soon-to-be sword master. I should master this once I can manage the triple circle. Even though Lloyd wanted to use the skill, he couldn't learn it at the moment. He could only create two circles, and the skill required an additional one to protect his heart.
In short, the mana blast required three circles to be used. But even those who can use triple circles don't have it easy.
That was true for Javier as well. With that thought in mind, Lloyd put on a smirk.
"Hey, you're still hesitating. Am I that hard to trust?"
"Are you scared?" Lloyd asked.
"Of course not. However…"
"However?"
"I need you to promise me one thing."
"Hmm…Promise you what?"
"That skill you just taught me…"
"Uh-huh."
"IF it is a lie or an attempt to pull my leg…"
"Yeah?"
"Promise me that you will infinitely extend your lullaby service for free."
"What the?"
The suggestion was bolder than Lloyd thought. At the same time, it granted Lloyd a glimpse of what Javier thought of his lullabies.
"Hey," Lloyd said, the corners of his eyes rising.
"I see your body's become dependent on my lullaby service."
Flinch. Javier's shoulders startled very faintly and Lloyd continued to speak.
"Oh, there's no point in hiding. It's way too obvious."
"You are overly speculating."
"Come on. Look me in the eyes when you say it."
"I have never avoided your gaze."
"I guess my eyes sit below my nose."
"You know what? Drop it. I give you my word."
"Do you really mean it?"
"Yes. I promise you a lifetime extension of my service if it's found that I was lying. Completely free, moreover."
"You promised."
"Yeah, yeah. Just go try now. Do you remember what I told you?"
"Yes,"
Swish! Javier pulled out his long sword. Lloyd took a few steps back. I'm sort of worried because it's his first try…But it's Javier we're talking about. He's gonna be okay. When it came to the Asrahan Core Technique, Javier was way ahead of Lloyd. He had a triple circle with him. He controlled each of the mana circles exceedingly well like a seasoned expert.
And so, while he knew that this was Javier's first attempt at the skill, Lloyd believed that nothing bad would happen to his heart. The next few days are going to be an uphill battle for him. This technique involved clashing the two mana circles madly spinning near the heart.
That would put a great strain and pressure on his body, and it'd take time to get used to it, no matter how much of a genius he was. At best, he'd need a week. Or two weeks, even. I gotta adjust the schedule because that's the only time the quarrying work can be done-
Thwack!
"It was a success."
Something utterly unbelievable happened. Lloyd stared at Javier a few steps away from him, his mouth agape. Then, he looked further behind. There was a mark on the floor that wasn't there a while ago.
"I worried for nothing. It turned out to be not difficult."
A long furrow behind him stretched as far as 30 feet. Lloyd noticed how even and delicate the mark was. The long hole appeared from the inside, which meant that the explosion started from there to extend all the way straight.
"Hey, Javier?"
"Yes, Master Lloyd."
"Are you a monster?"
"No. I am, of course, a human."
No, I think you're a monster. Or the rumored family friend my mother knows. Lloyd stared at Javier with an embarrassed look and a corner of his lip rose elegantly.
"Thank you, Master Lloyd. Now I know that you were not making fun of me."
"You learned that just now?"
"Yes,"
"Whew. You are so brazen."
"I had no choice. I have never thought of it that way."
"How about now? Can you make sense of it?"
"Yes, however…"
"However? What is it again?"
"I'm curious how you managed to come up with such a brilliant technique."
"Why, am I not allowed to come up with one?"
"Of course, it's not that, but…"
Javier stuttered and tightening the muscles around his neck, Lloyd said,
"Never mind. Keep your promise. Can we agree that I'm not teasing you?"
"Yes,"
"Does that mean you'll do what I tell you to do without a fight?"
"I'm at your service."
He's a bit snobby, but he does it when he says he will. Javier nodded. Just then, a message popped in front of his eyes.
Ding Dong.
[Javier Asrahan is very grateful for what you are doing for him.]
[Your likeability with Javier Asrahan has increased by three points.]
[Current RP with Javier Asrahan: -11]
[You have earned 54 RP by improving relationships with main characters.]
[Current RP: 561]
Amazing. Lloyd was certain that Javier had raised his white flag for certain. Now, it was time to test him out for the quarry work.
****
"Okay, from now on, you'll be a human dynamite."
The following morning rolled around. Lloyd and Javier were on the far western side of the orc village. Lloyd held up a large brush as he stood on the granite bedrock that revealed the range foot. He dipped the brush into the jar he was carrying in his arms. Splash. The red ink had been given by the orcs. He held up the dipped brush and splotched the ground in even intervals.
"Here. And here. Here too."
Sweep! Sweep! Sweep! Red dots as big as his fist were painted on the ground.
"Do you see these points?"
"Yes, is that where I need to stab my sword?"
"Yes. Smart boy. Stab, mana circle collision, bang. Got it?"
"I understand. By the way, how deep should I go?"
"Uhm, thirty feet."
"Thirty feet?"
"That's the deepest you can get at this moment, right?"
"Yes,"
"Stab it evenly. And make an explosion with all the power you got."
Lloyd clenched his fists and opened them up.
"I marked those dots because I already calculated the depth. But make sure you run back here after making the explosion, okay? I don't want you to be pressed under the rocks and go ouch. Okay?"
"Yes…" Javier nodded.
Lloyd moved far, far away from the explosion spot. He held up his arms high, facing Javier.
"Three! Two! One! Fire in the hole!" Lloyd shouted.
A second later, he saw Javier holding up his sword, and a few more seconds later, Javier disappeared from his sight. No, he grew faint. Javier was stabbing the rocks with his sword as he moved around at lightning speed. Lloyd clenched his fists as he saw Javier do so. Please succeed.
His success would make the quarry job thousands of times easier. Just like how Alfred Nobel revolutionized quarry work and shortened the year of painstaking work it used to require to a mere few days by inventing dynamite. If Javier acted as the ANFO or New MITE, both of which were used to create a confined blast, Lloyd could complete the seokbinggo within this month.
I taught you the mana blast for this very reason! So show me that it wasn't all for nothing! Lloyd wished in his heart and then, he saw it happen. Flash!
Rays of light burst out of the large granite bedrock. Lloyd noticed Javier rushing in his direction. Javier came to a stop a second later.
"I did it."
Clank! Javier put the sword back into the sheath. Just then… Boom! A massive shockwave and subsequent sandstorm engulfed the land.
Rumble! The ground shook, followed by an overwhelming roar. Lloyd tightly squeezed his fist without realizing it. He was certain.
"You did it."
At last, all preparations for the construction were complete. It was now time to get started.
Translator: https://bettertranslation9.wordpress.com