C5
Eugene was quite pleased with the interviews.
“This place is a goldmine.”
As he watched the martial arts of the freelance knights, he was able to reconnect with the old memories he had only accumulated as ‘knowledge.’ It felt as though his mind had been cleared.
The time passed joyfully, and before he knew it, the interviews were nearing their end.
By the end, two more individuals had entered: a middle-aged swordsman in his late 40s with a playful expression, and a sharp-eyed archer with a bow slung over his shoulder.
After just a brief demonstration, Eugene declared both of them as accepted.
Some still seemed unconvinced, but seeing Markeson glaring at them, they remained silent.
These two were exactly the ones Eugene had been thinking of from the start: Gold Sword and Archer Gui.
“Gold Sword doesn’t even know it himself, but he’s a master when it comes to teaching. He’s produced many top students, some of whom even became notable martial artists. So much so that the Sun God’s Sect had offered to recruit him.”
Also,
“And Archer Gui, his original techniques are far beyond average, both in theory and practice.”
While there were several other successful candidates, the ones Eugene was most interested in were ultimately Gold Sword, Archer Gui, and Tugi.
“If I combine the martial arts of these three, I could create a new combat style—something uniquely destructive and innovative.”
Eugene’s lips curled upward.
Meanwhile, Markeson had disappeared to manage the new recruits.
Only Richard, Lilian, and Eugene remained seated at the judging table.
“Dear, we’ve selected so many, do you think it’ll be alright?” Lilian asked with a worried expression, to which Richard laughed heartily.
“Haha, the Robere family won’t be shaken by this little number. We’ve built up enough to handle it.”
Hearing this reassurance, Eugene spoke up.
“Father, how about we hold another one next year? This feels a bit lacking.”
Richard froze for a moment.
“…A year might be a bit too soon, but how about two years from now? It’s a big event after all…”
“I’m just kidding.”
Eugene chuckled.
* * *
The day after, following Markeson’s guidance, the ten or so martial artists who passed the interview gathered at Robere’s training grounds to begin their training as martial instructors.
They seemed to have had a satisfying night, celebrating the success with the banquet prepared by the Robere family.
For those who primarily used swords, they were given expensive swords, and for those who specialized in spear techniques, sturdy spears were handed out as small rewards.
Of course, the ones who failed were not turned away immediately from the scene.
Markeson, standing behind Eugene, gazed at his back with a small smile.
“As I promised when I convinced Richard and Markeson, I made sure to hold a grand consolation ceremony for the ones who were eliminated, giving them a small token of appreciation. It might seem like a minor cost now, but they will be a great help to our side in the future.”
Just as Eugene had said when convincing Richard and Markeson, he was thinking about the future, even extending a simple consolation to the failed candidates.
Among them were individuals like Yul, who was known for his wild temper, and Byeolryeok, who had been knocked out in one blow by Tugi and lost face.
“They left the estate with satisfied expressions, so… perhaps the Young Master might actually become an emperor.”
Markeson, who understood how difficult it was to read and take care of people’s hearts, found Eugene to be admirable and impressive.
Eugene looked around at the people in front of him.
Pedro, Skolz, Sanandrick…
These were individuals either well-established in the mercenary world or rising stars in the knightly ranks.
Among them stood Gold Sword, Archer Gui, and Tugi.
They seemed to have become quite friendly with each other, chatting and exchanging opinions casually.
However,
They all wore expressions of confusion, as they didn’t understand why they had all gathered here.
It was common sense to have only one teacher for each martial art style for instruction.
“Are you comparing us?” one of them asked.
“Maybe. I’ve been getting the feeling since yesterday that this kid, the Young Master, is impossible to read,” another added.
While they whispered among themselves,
Eugene stepped forward and spoke.
“First, let’s have our first successful candidate, Teacher Pedro, give me some guidance.”
Pedro took a step forward.
He was a man with short hair and a neat appearance.
Eugene gazed at his face.
“A descendant of a fallen noble family, he only learned the family’s vision swordsmanship before becoming a freelance knight. His characteristic is his orthodox swordsmanship.”
Eugene had judged that he would be helpful for solidifying the basics.
Pedro seemed a little conscious of being the first in line, but soon began demonstrating his sword techniques with ease.
“I’ll first teach you the defense, which is essential for survival, before offense.”
Pedro demonstrated a defensive move.
Thuck, thuck!
Head, left side, right side, lower left, lower right, deflecting, pushing away.
He combined these with steps.
His movements were clean and orthodox, and anyone who knew a little about swordsmanship would nod in acknowledgment of Pedro’s basic technique.
“Would you like to try it?”
All the teachers’ eyes focused on Eugene, curious about the level of the student he would be teaching.
Eugene immediately swung his sword.
Thuck, thuck!
Pedro’s eyes widened.
At first, it was a bit awkward, but Eugene quickly replicated the defensive moves Pedro had just demonstrated.
“Now, please show me the offensive techniques.”
After completing all the movements, Eugene spoke in a calm tone, and Pedro, trying to hide his surprised expression, stepped forward and swung his sword.
He demonstrated precise cutting and thrusting techniques, along with various stances.
“Please try following along.”
This time, there was a subtle tremor in his voice, as if saying, *‘This might be difficult.’*
Eugene moved his sword.
Whoosh, swish…!
At first, his movements were a bit awkward, with unclear speed and direction.
But after a few attempts, his skill quickly improved.
“Ho…”
Pedro could no longer suppress his astonishment.
While defense was difficult and required reaching a certain level of mastery, offense was even harder. Yet, in just a few dozen minutes, Eugene not only mastered the defensive techniques but also mimicked the offensive movements with remarkable precision.
The other teachers watching this scene were also quietly amazed.
*‘He’s no ordinary person.’*
*‘Did he learn that from Markeson?’*
“What’s the next move?”
After completing the offensive techniques, Eugene stood still and asked Pedro.
Pedro, perhaps driven by pride, stepped forward with a slightly stiff expression and grabbed a training dummy placed in the corner of the training area. He set it in the middle and assumed a stance, then swung his sword toward the dummy.
Slash, *whizz…!*
At the same time,
*Thunk—*
The area around them seemed to flash as the dummy was cleanly sliced in half and fell to the ground.
It was the *Battojutsu* (the technique of drawing and cutting).
This was not a technique to be taught to beginners. It was a move that required focus and precision to deliver a lethal blow in an instant.
Strength, body balance, the movement of the arms according to the sword’s direction, and torso rotation—all needed to be perfect. Any small mistake would weaken the strike, leaving openings. It was a technique reserved for skilled practitioners.
“Battojutsu, huh? Pedro’s pushing it,” one of the teachers murmured.
“That’s going to be hard,” another agreed.
The teachers seemed to acknowledge that learning *Battojutsu* immediately was impossible for most.
“Try to replicate it.”
Pedro’s voice now had a hint of pride, as though daring Eugene to attempt it.
Eugene stood in front of the dummy and recalled the training match he had had with Markeson a month ago.
Sword, knife, spear, bow, dual swords, axe, staff, whip.
He had gradually familiarized himself with various weapons, honing his senses for each.
Using those instincts, Eugene quickly replicated the movements Pedro had just shown and was now ready.
*Battojutsu,* he thought.
Pedro’s precise movements were being mentally recorded from every angle, as if Eugene’s mind was taking a 360-degree snapshot.
Perfect memory.
And his heightened awareness of energy flow.
Combining these two abilities with his experience from the past month, Eugene began to understand where and why Pedro focused his energy during the brief moment of the strike.
“I’ll give it a try.”
Eugene gripped his sword, preparing to perform *Battojutsu*, but something felt off.
*…There might be a better way to do this.*
He couldn’t help but feel that something was slightly off in Pedro’s movement.
While Pedro was lost in thought, seemingly thinking Eugene wouldn’t be able to replicate it, a strange smile appeared on his face.
But at the same time, he found it somewhat childish to be showing off to a young boy.
Finally, Pedro shook his head and said,
“This is *Battojutsu*. It’s too difficult to learn at first…”
He was about to say he would teach it at a later time when—
*Whoosh, whizz—!*
Eugene’s sword cut through the air swiftly.
*Thunk—.*
Eugene had cleanly sliced the training dummy in front of him.
“…”
“…”
“…”
Pedro, along with all the other teachers, was speechless as they stared at the cut surface of the training dummy.
While Pedro’s slice through the dummy had been clean, Eugene’s cut was even more precise.
*Hoo.*
Eugene exhaled deeply.
*‘The movements of the bow-wielder from yesterday helped.’*
What Eugene had slightly modified from Pedro’s demonstration was the use of his lower body.
By using not just his upper body strength but also his lower body, he was able to increase the power of the strike.
In the silence that had fallen over the training area due to the shock, Pedro stared at the ground with a serious expression.
He had observed that Eugene had used his lower body, and it seemed he had gained a faint realization.
*‘…I was wrong to think of him just as the child of a merchant family.’*
Having worked as a free knight and seen countless knights and mercenaries, Pedro had never come across someone with such quick learning ability—especially someone who was only 7 years old.
*‘By not actively using my lower body, I feel that my swordsmanship fundamentals were subtly off. In actual combat with monsters, I would often lose grip and struggle when trying to use *Battojutsu*. I thought it was just a matter of stamina.’*
Pedro bit his lip as he reflected on how his swordsmanship, honed over more than ten years, had been misguided.
It was a humbling realization—he had been struck with an epiphany at an unexpected time, from an unexpected person.
The other free knights watching the scene also noticed this.
*‘Maybe, thanks to Lord Eugene, Pedro has had a moment of awakening.’*
*‘From his expression, it looks like he’s really shocked. I mean, he’s probably more surprised than I am…’*
*‘What kind of person will this boy become in the future?’*
It was a moment that left a deep impression of Eugene.
“…Now I understand why you gathered everyone here.”
Breaking the silence, a man stepped forward after Pedro and nodded his head. It was the bow-wielder, *Gungwi*.
Gungwi didn’t speak further; instead, he immediately demonstrated the movement he intended to teach: footwork.
It was a foundational, essential footwork technique that allowed one to move quickly without making a sound.
Eugene liked Gungwi’s approach.
“I’ll give it a try.”
The phrase “I’ll give it a try” had a magical quality to it, making the teachers nervous.
When Eugene said those words, there was an uncanny sense that he would be able to replicate whatever he was shown.
The characteristic of Gungwi’s footwork was the balanced use of the mana circuit running from the head down to the feet.
Gungwi had learned this technique after countless scoldings from his masters, and he was unsure if Eugene would be able to replicate it, but he showed it anyway.
*Ta-da-da…!*
Eugene immediately mimicked Gungwi’s footwork.
There was a faint sound, but Gungwi’s expression matched the one Pedro had earlier.
As Eugene’s talent captivated one or two of the teachers…
Eventually, *Geumgeom* (the Sword of Gold) stepped forward.
With a serious expression, erasing his usual playful demeanor, he stood before Eugene.
It was undeniable that Eugene was a genius.
But Geumgeom made a promise to himself that he wouldn’t just be amazed like the other teachers.
‘I’m different. My swordsmanship has no fixed forms; it’s free and flexible. This isn’t something he can just imitate. I’ll see if he can feel the swordplay.’
Through countless experiences as a free knight, Geumgeom had developed his own unique techniques and fundamental skills.
He took pride in his self-created swordsmanship.
*Slash!*
Geumgeom took his stance and swung his sword.
It was distinctively different.
Though it had the foundation of Pedro’s basics, it wasn’t predictable.
Even though it stepped on the footwork from Gungwi, it was faster.
*Slash…*
Geumgeom’s sword stopped.
The other teachers, watching, couldn’t help but be amazed by the destructive and fast movements—yet, they still couldn’t predict what would happen next.
Geumgeom turned his head and locked his gaze on Eugene.
Eugene stepped forward.
He moved his sword.
“…Hah!”
Geumgeom was now facing another Geumgeom.
The return of a talent hoarder was truly exceptional.