Chapter 30

Chapter 30

Some memories are so intense that they are engraved on the mind like a tattoo. The smell, color, and emotions of that time feel vivid.

When that happens, it doesn't just pass away as the past, but becomes something that lives on continuously. Even if a distant time of a hundred years passes.

In his youth, Helauman was quite talented. His physique was also robust, possessing a body suitable for practicing martial arts.

But from some point, Helauman felt a sense of frustration about something unknown. Thoughts that seemed about to surface but didn't tormented him.

At the time, he thought it was just boredom from practicing the same things every day. However, that wasn't it.

Rumors about the peerless great murderer Ricky had been heard for a few years. Rumors that he killed famous knights and swordsmen, and even the elite slaughter unit sent by the Emperor, all by himself.

Is that possible? A false rumor? However, to be simply exaggeration or false rumor, news about him was heard constantly, and later even Helauman's family tried to kill him to make a name for themselves.

Then came that day. At night, someone kicked the guild building gate, smashed it, and barged in.

Including father, brothers, relatives, and disciples practicing in the dojo, all looked at him in surprise. Helauman also watched, stuck among the people.

The person who barged in suddenly was exactly Ricky. Tall height, broad shoulders, and two glaring eyes.

"When chasing me annoyingly like gnats, why does no one attack when I present myself in front of your eyes?"

He said with a cracked metallic voice. The young Helauman's heart beat thump-thump.

And, he quietly went to the closet, hid, and watched. Because he felt instinctively at that time: Everyone will die.

"L-look here. Calm down. There seems to have been a misunderstanding."

Father stepped up and tried to stop him. However, the return was not an answer but a lightning-like sword cut. Father's neck flew before he could even react.

The corpse fell, and Ricky, holding a greatsword, said looking at the people.

"I will kill you all......"

Seeing the father's corpse, the brothers lost their reason. They rushed in first. Followed by the family members and disciples, all of them.

Was that courage? Or was it just to forget the unbearable fear? In Helauman's view, that was just giving up. Giving up one's life just like that. It looked foolish.

Anyway, Helauman witnessed it from the closest place. That picturesque sword skill. That wasn't a skill handling a sword, but art. He was so touched that tears filled his eyes, and he had to block his mouth tight to kill the sobbing sound.

With that emotion, Helauman realized what the frustration in him had been. That was the possibility of where one can reach with a single sword.

The stiff father and stupid brothers couldn't think of it at all, an infinitely high-level sword. Ricky's sword was a peak one should dedicate a lifetime to climb.

First step right, largely cutting down, following move opposite to secure space, again lightning-like sword swung, drive, retreat a little to secure space again, left cut, stab while blocking, block opponent's space using a corpse, right again, about that time golden fire soaring on the blade......

Helauman, recalling that time with closed eyes, moved slightly as if practicing a social dance. His mouth muttered "right, left, forward, backward," the same words continuously.

Rickart looked at such Helauman with an absurd face. But he didn't know when it would end, so he spoke.

"Excuse me......"

"Shh!"

Helauman raised a finger and quieted Rickart, then continued unfolding something in his imagination alone. No, he followed it. That movement he wanted to resemble, repeating countless times for 100 years. But eventually, he couldn't reach it, missing by one inch.

Maybe it wasn't a tattoo engraved in the head, but one he carved by himself incessantly.

Only after a long time passed like that, Helauman took a deep breath with closed eyes and opened them.

"Seu-eup...... Hu...... seen from the beginning...... Hmm......"

He fell into thought with a serious expression. Seen from the beginning, seen, see, not think but see......

Helauman reflected deeply on the logic or meaning of "seeing". Unaware that even Rickart was looking at him like a strange person.

Regretfully, Helauman couldn't awaken clearly. He stopped at the feeling of knowing or not knowing, just ahead of the high ground. However, he didn't feel frustrated or painful.

Because getting a worry meant an interesting thing occurred in his boring life after a long time.

Only then did Helauman look back at Rickart.

"I acted disgracefully. Forgive me, Young Lord."

"No, well......"

"Instead of being like this here, let's move. I invited you but talked standing too much. Follow me."

Helauman took Rickart, climbed narrow spiral stairs, and headed somewhere inside the building.

It wasn't a particularly special place, just an ordinary drawing room. There was one window, and a full view of the city below the hill was visible. The view was very good.

"Originally, I don't come to Beringen often. So there's nothing to treat you with exactly."

Helauman said sitting on a hard wooden chair. He had a very upright sitting posture despite his old age.

"It's fine."

"I had business on the way, and hearing the Young Lord's news, curiosity arose. Unexpectedly, I experienced a good thing."

"I'm glad I became a help unintentionally."

"Hahaha...... Humble. Even without mana, sword talent is also a precious talent. I obsessed with swordsmanship for 50 years, after obsessing only with mana for 30 years. Then again, came back to the beginning. That mana might not be that important, is a recent thought. No matter how much the amount of mana, no matter how pure, the vessel containing it is decided. Mana Drive has a clear limit. But the logic of swordsmanship has no end."

An opposite thought to Ice's opinion. Since he worried for so long, is Helauman's opinion right?

Just, not arguing who is strong, but if arguing which is right, it's unknown. The opinion that the Mana Drive limit is clear might be wrong too?

Anyway, it was not an interesting subject to Rickart.

"Is there anything you wish for? If possible, I want to grant everything."

Helauman said.

"Um, I want you to send an Ancient Script professor. I've been waiting for a long time, but one is never appointed at all. And, if I master the Ancient Script, I want to see something called a Codex once."

At Rickart's words, Helauman made an expression of not understanding. He thought he would ask for a famous sword, or at least a lot of money. Or ask for a territory.

"May I ask the reason?"

"Eastern Expeditionary Land, there was a war 100 years ago there. I heard the reason for that war was the Codex. I'm curious if it was worth waging war to see the Codex."

Hearing Rickart's words, Helauman showed a similar reaction to others. Why curious about such a thing?

But since he himself said he was curious, he couldn't say anything.

"I also don't know exactly, but they didn't wage war only because of the Codex."

"Yes?"

"As long as humans live on this land, war is bound to be always. Isn't it? Even now somewhere killing and being killed for some trivial or big reason. And monarchs dreaming of greatness are bound to cause big wars. Only then can they establish immortal achievements, and obtain eternal life with those achievements."

"......"

At the unthought-of absurd words, Rickart felt his brain activity stopping momentarily. Living eternally? That's not right? Have so many people destroy themselves mentally and physically because of such a thing?

"The professor can be sent soon. But seeing the Codex seems difficult. Because it is in the Imperial Library. Codices circulating in the market, it's hard to distinguish authenticity. Mostly fake. I saw one directly once, but since I don't know ancient scripts, I wonder if that's so important."

"I see...... Anyway, thank you. Finally, I can take the Ancient Script class."

"Hahaha, honestly a bit absurd. When I was young, they deliberately made boys not learn writing. Believed they become weak if they learn writing. Thinking now, it seems quite a correct word, Ancient Script. Hahaha......"

"Well, doing it as a hobby is fine."

"Originally geniuses possess an eccentric corner. But, asking to see you separately is because I was curious about the Young Lord, but also had separate business."

"Speak."

"From now on more and more nobles will enter the Academy. The era has changed. People's thinking changed too. So I hope the Young Lord leads well."

"Me?"

"In my thought, if you kill a Clan Master at 11 years old, no one can match you among the Academy students. I will become the Young Lord's sponsor, so if anything is needed or a difficult situation happens, contact me through Dunkel anytime."

Court Count and Emperor's Champion becoming a sponsor meant obtaining huge backing. However, Rickart didn't have much of an impression.

Because he believed if he needed something he could obtain it by himself, and if a difficult situation happens he could also solve it by himself.

No, there is a needed thing right now. Rickart had a thought rising momentarily.

"I need something right now."

"Hmm? What."

"Please install a railing on the stairs going to the Academy. It's dangerous if you miss a step. And, the place students live is a bit narrow. The place professors live is the inner castle, but actually professors don't stay there long either, so meaningless space remains too much, it seems. I want students to use there."

"I will take action immediately. Anything else?"

"First of all, that's it."

"Indeed, Noblesse Oblige. If a noble, one rightfully should bestow charity. Good. I thought I saw the person well. At about this age, 'feeling' develops very much. Guesses almost accurately."

"Then if you gamble with dice, you would make big money."

Rickart recalled words Arno said before, and quoted them.

Hearing the unexpected words, Helauman tilted his head back and laughed loud.

"What? Hahahahaha! I couldn't think of that until now! Young Lord! Hahahahaha!"

Rickart also smiled slyly. He seemed like an old man crazy about swords and out of his mind, but he liked the easygoing personality.

Like that, Rickart could return to the Academy finally after meeting Helauman.

About a week after Rickart and the high-rank students left the Academy to support the adventurer's request, ominous news was transmitted to the Academy.

That was the news that students, including Rickart, were attacked by a rival guild and died. The person most surprised contacting that news was Bori-bori.

Heart beating thump-thump, while thinking no way, tears flowed trickle-trickle.

"N-no. Can't be. How strong Ricky is."

Since the era transmits wrong news sometimes, at first other students didn't believe half of it.

However, external news was not transmitted immediately to the Academy; while Rickart's party stayed in Torveil, the news that they died turned into an established fact gradually inside the Academy.

Then students' gaze towards Bori-bori also changed secretly.

Then one day, one student approached Bori-bori resting in bed.

"Hey."

"Uh?"

"Change seats."

Bori-bori was originally next to Rickart, so the middle of the aisle bed on the 2nd floor. Living there without rank itself was impossible without Rickart.

"Uh...... Okay."

Bori-bori, knowing that, moved aside obediently. Packing his own items and coming down from the bed, he felt gazes here and there. Not very good gazes.

But as soon as he organized his luggage after changing seats, another student came.

"Hey."

"Uh?"

"Change seats."

"Uh...... O-okay."

Bori-bori packed the luggage he had just unpacked again, and changed seats again. But, this time too, as soon as he unpacked his luggage, another student demanded changing seats.

Going through trouble he didn't have to do, he was pushed to the outside more and more.

However, this was just the beginning. Surrounding students increased the intensity of bullying gradually and cleverly.

First touching level, next pinching for nothing when passing, stealing Bori-bori's personal items, later throwing the shoes Rickart bought under the cliff altogether.

Bori-bori went down under the cliff searching the surroundings and found them again. From morning to evening, taking the whole day. And students threw the found shoes under the cliff again.

The bullying became severe endlessly. Mobilizing all cruel methods imaginable, they tormented him mentally and physically in all aspects.

Dragging forcibly, telling him to close eyes and say "ah", feeding him bugs, if he couldn't eat properly and spit it out many ran and beat him, kept him standing night watch unable to sleep properly, extorted money needed for tuition.

But the sad point here is, not students with rank did so, but the so-called 'lower class' with similar situations mainly bullied him.

They were not bad with Bori-bori usually, but changed immediately as Rickart disappeared.

Bori-bori didn't resist. Couldn't know if he can't, or won't.

But the thing making Bori-bori resist the most was accepting the fact Rickart died.

Bori-bori became devastated day by day, nevertheless, the intensity of bullying became severe day by day.

Cutting grass, emptying dung buckets, cleaning, various chores were originally work he did, but he had to do what others did, taking charge of all. So this small body possessed no talent for enduring.

One day drooping helplessly on the bed, he really felt like dying like this. His eyes were swollen plumply and blue bruise marks were many here and there on his face and body.

Nevertheless, kids came and said severe words for nothing again. No place to run away. Since originally the place he came from abandoned him.

"Hey, heard your mom is a maid. But she seduced the master? Wow, no good, this."

Truly nasty thing is, insulting parents while the situation is not much different for oneself.

"You resemble your mom, lewd right? Right?"

"Did you bewitch Ricky like that too? Can't you do it once for me?"

"Kukuku, hey, crazy?"

"N-no. Don't speak bad about Ricky."

Bori-bori said. While only suffering quietly even with any bullying, even insulting parents, he reacted as Rickart was mentioned.

"Did this bastard go crazy? Hey, the Ricky you like so much died, you know? I was going to kill that faggot bastard."

"Should have smashed that bastard's teeth before going out. Kikiki."

They say people insult the King or Emperor where they are not seeing, but this was too mean beyond measure.

"D-don't."

"This bastard really will wake up if beaten."

Saying so, the kids tried to drag Bori-bori from the bed. Bori-bori held the bed leg and endured not to be dragged without any strength.

"This bastard! Come out when speaking nicely!"

"Say Ricky is a retard faggot bastard!"

"Ricky gone! Retard! Died!"

Kids beat, pulled, scratched Bori-bori. Knowing he didn't resist even if they did so until now. Will occur in the future too.

However, it wasn't.

"Don't do it!"

Crash!

The voice was definitely a boy's voice. However, the loudness of the voice was really like thunder. The dorm inside echoed ringing.

And Bori-bori ripped off the bed leg unknowingly. The bed tilted as one pillar disappeared.

Startled kids fell flat. With no mind of what happened, Bori-bori losing reason grabbed the collar of one kid bullying him and lifted him up.

The kid grabbed by the collar saw. Black ink-like energy rippling in Bori-bori's eyes.

That was mana. However, there was no case where mana was visible outside the body in this way.

Not shaped along a sword trajectory due to delicate Mana Drive like Ice, but pure mana overflowing out of the body.

The vessel size Helauman spoke of. Bori-bori's body, although small, so weak in power he can't fight, the size of the vessel containing mana was immeasurable.

Bori-bori pushed the kid grabbed by the collar to the wall hard.

Puck!

"Kuck!"

And beat wildly as possible. Since never beat a person, reckless. However, where superpower springs from, clavicle, rib, organ etc, every place touched was all broken and ruptured.

Puck! Puck! Puck! Puuck!

Bori-bori made the person into a rag completely with bare hands. And said still grabbing the collar. Tears flowed trickling from eyes rippling with black energy.

"Please. Insult Ricky once more. Then I feel like I can kill you."

Didn't know what sound, definitely a scary word. However, the student grabbed by the collar was already knocking on the door of the underworld.

But it was then.

"Bori, what are you doing?"

That moment, Bori-bori hardened like stone. Couldn't accept the friend's death, but the mind kept breaking. But, the voice of that friend.

Momentarily black energy scattered in Bori-bori's eyes. When he turned his head and saw, Rickart was standing backing the light at the entrance.

Indescribable relief rushed in, sad anger burning like burning the brain cooled down fast like a lie.

Fortunately, Bori-bori didn't cross the boundary between human and monster. Didn't break. Unlike Ricky of previous life, and unlike that deserter.

True friend, just by the fact of living became a pillar of soul to each other. Not to collapse.

Quite a long journey. To anyone.