Chapter 16: Sword Path and Seduction

Chapter 16: Sword Path and Seduction

"I'm done. Tsk, tsk. Teaching those fools is such a headache."

Judging by the stressed expression on the old man's face, it looked like he was finally finished.

Thank goodness. It seemed the instruction had ended.

I hadn’t understood a single thing about what he was teaching, not that it mattered.

I already knew I couldn’t copy those mid-grade sword skills anyway.

It was probably impossible.

They would take time to master, so I still had to rely on my ability to copy only the lowest-grade ones.

That would be enough for now.

Tilting my head with a dazed look, I watched the frail-looking man known as the Sword King walk in my direction.

He was probably coming to demonstrate some basic techniques, just to fulfill my request.

Finally.

I had waited long enough.

"Princess, I'm sorry to have kept you waiting. Teaching those brats is exhausting, especially when their brains seem to be stuck in their butts. They can’t comprehend anything."

Butts? That hit a little too close. I hadn’t been able to copy any of the skills they were using either.

Still, I kept my cheerful expression, pretending to be excited.

This old man had quite a temper, especially toward his students. He seemed like the kind of person who only respected those with higher status. It reminded me of the workplace I used to be part of in my previous life.

If I hadn’t stunned them with my skills, they probably would have talked down to me just like they did to the other new hires. The difference, though, was that this man’s anger came from something real.

He genuinely wanted his students to grow stronger, to even surpass him. That passion fueled his frustration.

Unlike those supervisors in my company. They took credit for others’ work just to appear irreplaceable, constantly dragging people down while pretending to be mentors.

They fed off the reputation they didn’t earn, and it often brought them promotions while the ones doing the real work were left behind.

Just thinking about it brought a strange ache to my chest.

I missed my old life.

I sighed quietly and turned back to the old man.

"What were you teaching them? All I saw was sword swinging. They didn’t seem to be using any mana. Isn’t that strange?"

He stared at me, confused for a moment, as if trying to figure out whether I was joking or not.

Then he composed himself and gave a small nod.

"Princess, have you ever heard of swordmasters?"

The way his voice lowered made me instinctively straighten my back.

"No."

My answer was honest. Lynn and Mia had never mentioned anything about them.

They only talked about mages and how they refined mana to its peak. Swordmasters had never come up.

The old man nodded slowly, then looked at me with something close to pity.

It was like he was looking at a child raised in isolation.

What was with that face? Did he think I was some poor thing locked away from the world? That kind of misunderstanding was ridiculous.

But I let it slide.

At least he wouldn’t ask unnecessary questions.

I stayed quiet and waited.

He wiped at imaginary tears and spoke in a soft voice.

"Princess, it’s easier if I explain it to you properly. Would you like to hear it?"

I gave him a nod, and he continued.

"Based on your mana capacity, I assume you've heard about mages and how they use mana."

"Yes. The maids told me."

I didn’t question how he could gauge my mana capacity. It was obvious that he wasn’t just some ordinary old man.

"Then this will be easier to explain." He took a deep breath.

"You’ve heard that mages who refine mana over decades can become incredibly powerful. Some say nature favors them. That story has been passed around for ages, but it’s not the full truth."

"Why?" I asked.

Why would what I had heard be false? What else was out there?

He gave a small sigh.

"Not all humans are born equal, Princess. Not everyone is blessed with the ability to wield mana. So what do you think happened to those who lacked that talent?"

The words settled heavily in my chest, stirring a quiet unease I could not explain.

I guessed it must have been the path of the swordmasters, but I kept a confused look on my face and waited.

He chuckled quietly.

"If you haven’t figured it out, I’ll tell you. Those who couldn’t control mana were once shunned. They were treated as inferior, pushed aside, ridiculed. Some gave up. Others broke under the pressure and ended their lives. That’s how cruel the world once was."

I listened in silence, letting the weight of his words pass through me without interruption.

His tone turned apologetic, as though he hadn’t meant to bring up such a grim topic.

But when he saw that I was still listening with interest, he continued.

"It seems you're alright with this topic, Princess. Then I’ll go on. Among those who were abandoned, not everyone gave up. There was one woman who refused to accept the fate society gave her. She walked into the wilderness, a place overrun with monsters, carrying only a sword. Through countless battles and relentless survival, she found something that no one else had. A path. The path of the sword. Her discovery caused an uproar. Because the power she gained could rival that of a ninth-circle mage."

For the first time, my wandering thoughts stilled completely.

I blinked, stunned.

What? A sword user, matching someone who could bend the laws of space? What kind of power was that?

The old man noticed my shock and gently smiled.

"Princess, do you remember the story of the one who first discovered mana?"

"Yes. Mia told me about it."

He nodded.

"That founder was later called the Archmage. Today, that title belongs to those who reach the eighth circle. As for the one who founded the sword path, she became known as the Sword God. Her power rivaled that of gods and demons. She was the first to reach the ninth rank in sword mastery, where the aura of the sword reaches its highest possible form."

Seriously? These top powers were fascinating. Each path they discovered seemed unique, overflowing with potential. Could it be that countless other paths still waited to be found, hidden simply because no one had uncovered them yet?

I glanced at the old man. His voice carried reverence, pride, and something deeply sincere.

He genuinely admired those ancient figures. He was rambling now, saying too many things I could no longer follow, but I kept listening anyway.

I focused on his expression instead, on the reverence that never faded from his eyes.

I had to maintain my innocent act so no one would form the wrong impression of me. Earning trust was important, and gaining allies started with appearances.

Besides, I needed him to demonstrate the low-grade sword skills. If I could copy them quickly, I could return to my room and try the potion and mana stone I had requested.

No matter how grand the history sounded, I could not afford to lose sight of reality.

I needed to preserve my health to prevent further complications.

So, I waited patiently, pretending to be interested as he enthusiastically explained the history.

Still, watching him struggle with each gesture made me wonder if he was really alright.

His frail hands trembled as he waved them around. He looked out of breath.

Is he okay?

I was about to ask but hesitated.

Should I tell him to stop? I really didn’t want to be accused of killing an old man after just having a short conversation.

No.

Even if he collapsed right here, based on my calculations, no one could realistically blame me. There was no point in panicking.

The best move was to just keep listening and play along.

With a calm expression, I nodded to his words as if I understood everything, pretending to follow his story.

But before he could say more, he stopped mid-sentence.

I thought the explanation would finally come to an end.

His gaze shifted, and a voice I knew all too well rang out behind me.

"Nerine...!?"

"Mother!" I gasped in mock surprise as I turned around.

There she was, a beautiful woman with long white hair, her face suddenly close to mine.

She wrapped her arms around me from behind, her hand gently resting on my belly.

It was awkward, especially on a bench in the backyard, with so many eyes on us. But Szélanya didn’t seem to care at all.

She pressed her cheek to mine, hugging me with overflowing affection.

The old man looked utterly stunned. His body shook as he stared, clearly shocked to see me being treated as the daughter of a spirit.

I wasn’t sure what thoughts ran through his head, but I could tell he was trying to process it all.

I ignored him.

Szélanya’s soft hands kept stroking my belly, her touch gentle and warm.

It almost made me moan.

My overly sensitive body was reacting again, and I struggled to keep control.

I fought the sensation, forcing myself to resist.

I lifted my gaze slightly and saw her lips close to mine.

Compared to my slightly fuller lips, hers were thinner with a vivid red hue. The contrast against her flawless white skin was stunning, creating an urge to bite them. Her flowing, casual dress only enhanced her ethereal elegance.

She looked like a goddess who could seduce anyone with a glance.

But even so, I kept my composure and whispered, breathless and trembling,

"M-mother... stop. My belly... it’s s-sensitive."

"Ohh!"

Szélanya finally pulled her hand back. She had already noticed my reaction.

This was mortifying.

Some of the nearby knights were blushing as they watched us. This woman was the last person I wanted to see.

She had a terrible habit of making me feel completely out of place. Her clinginess was overwhelming, twisting my stomach with discomfort.

I struggled to return to my composed facade and asked softly,

"Mother... did you come here for something?"

I couldn’t think clearly anymore. I just responded on instinct, trying to read her expression.

Her eyes held something strange, a subtle flicker of frustration, but her voice remained calm.