Chapter 318

A puppy doesn’t know the fear of a tiger. It’s a saying from Johan, not the Hwan Empire.

When translated to Hwan Empire style, it becomes “The mantis blocks the cart.” It means a mantis trying to stop a wagon.

It’s a phrase criticizing the foolishness of attempting to take on someone much stronger without knowing one’s own limits.

On the flip side, it could also respect the bravery of standing up against immense power without kneeling.

Regardless of the interpretation, the existence of overwhelming power remains unchanged. And there will always be someone who stands against that power.

*“Cough… cough…!”*

“Interesting. It’s a rare fighting style I’ve seen recently.”

Rod fought against such a person and was overwhelmingly defeated.

After spilling several cups of blood, he looked up with fear in his eyes.

Unlike his battered self, the woman with purple eyes remained unscathed.

“Your expression says you don’t understand. I suppose that makes sense.”

*Cough!*

“No matter how high-flying a life may be, it means nothing in front of a true lady.”

Arrogant. But at the same time, it is undeniably true.

Rod had dueled with countless opponents. Thanks to that, he had considerable insight into human psychology.

But this woman before him was different. He felt as if he were fighting nature itself, not a human.

Can a mere human living under the sky challenge nature? Impossible.

Nature is fickle, unpredictable, and even a simple change can leave one helpless.

She was the embodiment of a natural disaster. The woman with purple eyes was nature itself, surpassing the heavens.

Even a powerful empire is helpless against a mighty earthquake, and the sea is an environment rife with death.

“Still, it’s impressive that you have managed to injure my noble body. You seem to have some understanding of the heavens.”

“Ugh…”

Injuries? Rod was spouting curses while trying to regain control over his wrecked insides.

A noble body? He was talking about just a hair. He had barely cut a hair, yet here she was with that nonsense.

Is there such humiliation in being wounded? The woman was actually curiously fiddling with the severed hair.

“I’ll spare your life since I’ve been entertained.”

“…”

“I hope you’ll be stronger when we meet next time.”

The purple-eyed woman said this and left, not revealing her name or title.

Rod belatedly learned her identity but found her someone he never wanted to cross paths with again.

Perhaps it was because she forcefully instilled etiquette in him. Or was it from facing a giant wall?

Ever since that day, Rod’s skills had risen day by day, and he started to stand tall as an unmatched force with the sword.

‘It’s partly because the sword is the most comfortable to use…’

In reality, Rod was quite adept with not just swords but also other weapons.

He was not someone who learned any special martial arts but trained mainly in basic techniques.

So sometimes he would use a spear or even a shield, just wielding them randomly.

He treated everything simply as ‘sword’—the only martial arts training he had was basic sword skills learned long ago.

“Hey. That guy is the famous inspector, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right.”

“Didn’t they say he was originally rude?”

“Seems he’s fixed his personality recently.”

After getting thoroughly beaten by the purple woman, the disdain he held for his opponents disappeared. Etiquette was drilled into him.

Thanks to that, his posture became calmer, and his once fiery temperament cooled a lot. The rough personality from his days in the slums had nearly vanished.

Of course, if someone provoked him, he was merciless. At that time, he showed not with words but with actions.

It was during this period that he wandered around the world, living as a vagabond.

“May I know your name?”

“Please, call me Rize.”

“Oh. So it’s Rize. Are you free tonight?”

“…?”

He had a chance meeting with Rize, a truly beautiful woman. Among all the women he had seen, she was undeniably one of a kind.

Not only was her face stunning, but her figure was… indescribably beautiful.

Even though his demeanor had calmed, Rod was still a man. In front of a beautiful woman, he felt like a love-struck animal.

Living as a vagabond didn’t mean he lacked sexual desires. In fact, he had shared many hot nights with this woman and that.

But he had never felt such a strong attraction before. Rod trailed after Rize like a lost puppy, persistently courting her.

“I’m sorry. I already have a man I like.”

“Is he stronger than me?”

Rod desperately tried to appeal, even bringing up strength in an unflattering way.

“Generally, he seems innocent, but when he’s angry, he’s really scary. I can’t guarantee a win myself.”

“Oh, so he’s the type who would commit violence against a lady!”

“…”

Rize’s reaction was something to behold. With one eyebrow raised, her expression seemed to say, “Who’s this guy?”

In any case, Rod didn’t seem to tire of his courting. No matter how gentle Rize was, she would get irritated eventually.

Eventually, Rize sighed heavily and reluctantly suggested,

“Well, if you can defeat me in combat, I’ll grant you a wish.”

“Sure!”

He got annihilated. It was a beating almost as bad as what he faced against the natural disaster in the East.

At first, he laughed, thinking what harm could a delicate-looking woman with a big chest do, but once the fight began, the situation drastically changed.

“Do you want to keep going?”

“I’m sorry.”

Rize was not only well-endowed but also *muscular*. Rod was dumbfounded.

No matter how impressive the musculature, surely receiving a blow from a weapon should leave at least a cut, right?

Yet that insane muscle-bound woman seemed immune. What little effective strikes he landed barely grazed her.

He ultimately gave up.

“Still, you’re something else. You managed to land a hit, even if weak.”

“I think I heard something similar before…”

Rize seemed to compliment even the slight scratches. It was nearly identical to what the natural disaster had said.

After a simple duel, Rod adequately gave up on Rize. The trauma from being heavily injured by the monster from the East resurfaced.

A person should look like a person. Before transformation, she was the most beautiful woman in the world; afterward, she was a muscle monster.

Still, thanks to losing all romantic feelings, they managed to build a sturdy friendship. He also received some advice from Rize along the way.

“Rod, I’m sure you’ll reach greater heights.”

“I’ve been told similar things before. By the way, have you met any monsters from the East? A woman with impressive purple eyes?”

“I don’t want anything to do with that crazy woman.”

It seemed they had met. But from the way her beautiful face twisted, it was clear their relationship wasn’t great.

After traveling together for several days, they parted ways cleanly. Not long after, Rize started being hailed as a *Saint*.

To add, she took the title of *Gwonseong*. It seems like the titles suited the divine presence of Chaos, yet felt somewhat out of place.

‘I guess I’ll have to stay in this town for a while.’

Rod’s life was largely filled with wandering, but even he needed a rest period.

After escaping the slums, he hadn’t stopped moving, so he was due for a break.

He had earned a lot from various requests. So he could live without any issues.

“Would you like the usual beer and sausage platter today?”

“Huh?”

“You visit so often.”

And in that town, fate struck. Rod met the waitress who spoke to him.

Compared to other beauties he had met, she was plain, her figure typical. But her bright smile left an impression.

Maybe he was drawn in by that smile. Rod found himself staring at her for a while before nodding awkwardly.

“What’s your name?”

“My name is Mary.”

“Nice name.”

“It’s a wonderful name.”

The life of a vagabond ended there. Rod quickly became close with the woman named Mary.

Though Rod had become more reserved after being drilled in etiquette, Mary could talk to the point of excess.

But did that mean she lacked etiquette? Not at all. Her experiences from working at the inn had given her an innate sense of manners.

“Oh my. What’s this?”

“I found it on the way.”

“Thank you.”

As they exchanged flowers and gradually grew closer, they soon formed a family. It was indeed a fateful encounter.

In those times, it was only natural to have children after forming a family. The pair had a child shortly after their union.

As the saying goes, you never know how life will turn out; even Rod was surprisingly startled. He thought he would die living as a vagabond, never dreaming he would settle down.

“I told you not to do this so many times?!”

“I have my own way of doing things.”

Of course, it wasn’t always harmonious. Like in any peaceful home, they had their share of disagreements.

However, domestic quarrels are often as harmless as cutting water. They quickly grew close again as if they had never fought.

Moreover, after Mary became pregnant, Rod willingly followed her lead. Ever since the beginning, women with children are usually protected.

“Daddy! Daddy!”

“Rod! Rod! Did you hear that? Our baby just…!”

“I heard it too. Want to try saying ‘Daddy’?”

“Dada!”

The child grew rapidly. She especially resembled Mary with her radiant smile.

The problem was she had a terrible habit of disobeying. Nevertheless, Rod did his utmost to guide her.

If things had continued like this, their life would have been blissful, but trials are inevitable in human life.

That was the worst trial for Rod.

“Do we really have to go?”

“I want our child to grow up in a good environment.”

“Can’t we just put in the effort?”

“Sadly, sometimes effort alone isn’t enough.”

Every parent thinks this way. They hope their child grows up in a better environment.

Rod held onto that sentiment, deciding to return to adventuring. He wanted to earn a lot of money to provide for his family.

It was his hope to give his child an aristocratic level of education by enrolling them in the United Academy.

But little did Rod know how that would turn out to be the worst decision he could make.

-Swoosh!

“…?”

It was a day where torrential rain poured down. Rod stared blankly ahead.

Before him lay two neatly maintained graves. Their headstones bore names he knew all too well.

It had been good that he managed to make a lot of money. He had come back joyfully envisioning the happy faces of his family.

However, what he was met with were two headstones. At first, he couldn’t believe it. It felt unreal.

“There was a plague.”

“…a plague?”

“Yes. A plague.”

“I had enough money for treatment.”

“And what good is having treatment money? There were no priests.”

Not every village has a church. In fact, there are more that don’t.

The village where he had formed his family had barely just transitioned from being a village, so there was no church.

There was a herbalist, but they didn’t have the expertise to treat a plague.

“Ha…”

Rod looked up at the sky, lamenting. He felt resentment toward the world.

How could he lose the happiness he had so painstakingly gained in such a manner? It was utterly beyond belief.

‘What have I done wrong?’

He questioned the heavens. Naturally, the heavens just continued to pour down heavy rain.

Tears of grief flowed endlessly but were concealed by the rain. As days passed, Rod helplessly returned to his journey.

He realized a settled life was not for him. What good is it to grasp happiness when it could be taken away without resistance?

‘How cruel the heavens are.’

Curiosity mixed with resentment grew. What exactly did the heavens see to let him go through such a life?

As he raised this curiosity, his understanding of the heavenly principles deepened, yet his questions remained.

As time passed, even after attaining the title of *Sword Saint*, receiving respect and admiration from everyone, Rod was unfazed.

Honor means nothing if an individual isn’t happy. He simply continued to live a laid-back life.

‘The Academy…’

Then, unexpectedly, the thought of the Academy came to mind. If everything had gone smoothly, it would have been the place where his son enrolled.

Finishing up the remainder of his life at that place wouldn’t be too bad. He had grown older and wanted to take a break now.

Due to his title, getting the position of headmaster wasn’t difficult. Though, the title of headmaster was just a prestigious name.

Thanks to that, he was able to lead a comfortable life without any political obstacles.

“Headmaster?”

“What is it?”

“Two students brought someone from the Chaos Forest.”

“What?”

Before anything could completely ruin his peaceful life, *Chaos* itself arrived.

“Bring them in.”

Rod couldn’t live comfortably until the very end.

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