“…What?”
Anna asked back in a dazed voice as Nameless shrugged his shoulders.
“It’s my Master.”
“So, you mean that was Professor Harang’s doing…?”
Nameless moved forward, leaving Anna lost in thought.
He was heading to see his Master.
‘I’m sure she said she would be waiting in the room….’
Why would she be over there?
Given his Master’s personality, she wouldn’t want to interfere by being a nuisance.
Nameless felt a twinge of disappointment.
Just as he pouted, ready to leap forward…
“Wait a moment, Disciple?”
Anna stopped Nameless with her words.
Nameless turned his head to Anna, noticing her face brimming with anticipation.
“…Cheon Mu-myeong.”
“Then let’s go together, Nameless.”
Although Nameless wanted to greet his Master alone, he had no good reason to refuse, so he nodded.
*
Just after plunging the wooden sword into the ground, the sky began to ripple as if it were a wave, and the earth started to shake as if an earthquake had struck.
Then the sky darkened, the ground shot up, and soon the heavens and earth were about to merge into another world.
And then it stopped.
The sky and the ground returned to their places, and the previously roiling sky and shaking earth gradually calmed down.
I watched in a daze and clicked my tongue.
As expected, it didn’t go as planned.
It was truly a long time since I executed the Divine Slaying Sword Technique without controlling my power.
“…I’m not pleased.”
As suspected, it seemed to lack the effect it had when I originally created this technique.
Of course, I knew this fact too, and I didn’t bother to control my power on purpose.
It was true that seeing the instability with my own eyes made my mouth taste bitter.
Letting out a deep sigh of disappointment, I looked around.
“Is anyone alive?”
Of course, I was looking for Arnold.
Some might wonder who could survive in this atrocity.
I was anxious too, but I believed he was alive.
Since the swordsmanship I focused on didn’t have high lethality.
And…
I’m sorry for Arnold, who had already made up his mind, but I had taken some measures regarding my reluctance to harm others.
“Prof… Professor, I’m here…!”
Fortunately, Arnold signaled his presence by waving his arm from beneath a pile of dirt.
“Oh, you’re alive.”
“…Yes?”
As I approached Arnold, happily waving my arms, he looked at my smiling face with a horrified expression.
Hmm, does he really look that horrified at seeing my face?
“Ugh!”
I grabbed Arnold’s arm buried in the dirt and pulled him out, looking him over.
After all, being young made him resilient.
“There are a few broken spots, but you should be fine.”
“Ha ha…”
At my words, Arnold gave a sheepish smile and let out a sigh of relief.
He then looked around before asking me.
“By any chance, what happened to the dark wizard?”
“…The dark wizard? Ah, the White Bone.”
I couldn’t help but smile at his altruistic question and shook my head.
He must be worried if he was alive, too.
“He has definitely perished.”
In fact, there was no sign of energy around, except for Arnold.
“That’s a relief…”
Perhaps feeling the tension lift, Arnold sank down and let out a deep sigh.
I stared at him, thinking of something I was curious about.
“Arnold.”
“Yes?”
“Earlier, how did you convey your voice to me?”
It was a kind of sound technique commonly called “transmission.”
I had tried numerous times, yet couldn’t seem to master it.
No wonder.
I had spent my time alone training martial arts in the shack, leaving no room for practicing sound techniques.
Hmmm, it would be useful if I knew it.
Salivating over the thought while looking at Arnold, he spoke with an awkward smile.
“Even if I tell you, you probably won’t be able to use it…”
“What?”
I made a quizzical expression, pouting my lips.
“That’s impossible.”
“Ha ha… Well, it’s more like a kind of divinity than magic…”
I crossed my arms and huffed, turning my head away.
Divine power, huh? Sounds so grand.
If he didn’t want to tell me, he could just say so rather than beat around the bush…
As I rambled on, a voice entered my head.
‘Even if you make that expression, only members of our family can use it.’
Quickly turning my head to Arnold, I saw him awkwardly raise the corners of his mouth.
However, that wasn’t what was important now.
I squinted my eyes, concentrating my gaze on the area near Arnold’s dantian.
The qi flowed from his dantian and focused around his vocal cords.
Moments later, it flowed out, creating a unique wave that spread through his throat.
Oh, so that’s how it’s done?
Grinning, I looked at Arnold.
‘Thanks!’
“…?”
With Arnold’s bemused expression, I stood before him, nose high, and used transmission one more time.
‘I’ll make great use of this!’
“…”
Arnold’s expression gradually morphed into one of horror.
*
“Can you walk?”
I asked, looking at Arnold’s swollen legs.
“I can walk—ugh!”
As Arnold glanced at me, trying to stand up in a panic, he ended up plopping back down.
Hmm, so he really can’t walk.
“If you can’t walk, you can just say so.”
“…I think I just need a little rest.”
Arnold kept stealing glances at me as he spoke.
With a sigh of frustration at his response, I wondered why Arnold had been so anxious ever since I used transmission.
…It would be nice to know the reason.
As I muttered to myself in thought, an idea suddenly came to mind.
Perhaps he was embarrassed about calling it a divine power.
Given how I had shown off afterward, it was understandable that he’d feel embarrassed.
I smiled and perched myself on a nearby rock to wait comfortably for Arnold’s legs to recover.
What is he so embarrassed about at that age?
About half an hour passed.
Before Arnold’s legs had completely healed, I started to feel multiple presences approaching from both sides.
“Hm?”
A group approached with disciplined movements, akin to a military formation, and on the opposite side, there were two familiar presences.
Well, since they were coming to see what I did from afar…
But the familiar presence made me uneasy.
Hmm, one was Nameless, and the other was Anna…
Why are they coming together?
I frowned, feeling annoyed.
“Professor? Is something happening?”
“It seems like someone is coming to greet us.”
“Ah…”
As I tilted my head, sensing the restless behavior of Arnold, the ground began to shake.
…How many people are there for the ground to tremble?
With a startled expression, I thought about how I should address them.
“Professor, shall I go ahead first?”
Arnold suggested, trembling, pushing himself to stand.
I tilted my head in confusion.
“Why?”
“Uh… it seems they are coming because of me.”
“They’re coming because of you?”
They weren’t coming to see this havoc?
Arnold, avoiding my gaze, muttered.
“Yes… I signaled them when I was captured by the dark wizard.”
“Hmm…”
Could a signal bring such a large force?
As I pondered, Arnold continued.
“And they tend to be a bit overzealous, so I thought you might be tired…”
Turns out he was trying to send me away out of consideration.
However…
“Thank you for the consideration, but I’ll decline.”
I also found it hard to move my feet easily since Nameless was coming here as well.
I had some discomfort regarding Nameless, so I decided to wait patiently.
As I mulled that over and nodded, the silhouettes of the group I felt earlier began to come into view.
Among them, I saw a flag with a golden lion.
The leader of the group, who seemed to be in command, spotted us and stomped forward, shouting loudly.
“Crown Prince! Are you safe?”
I turned to Arnold.
…Crown Prince?
At my look, Arnold gave a sheepish smile and waved his arms over to them.
“I’m safe!”
Hearing Arnold’s voice, the man nodded and moved with purpose.
“Medical personnel, go check on the Crown Prince’s condition.”
“Yes!”
Some members rushed toward Arnold rapidly.
“Others should spread out and keep an eye out for any potential situations!”
“Yes!”
Most of them scattered across the sloped area, taking positions at intervals.
…While I thought of him as the offspring of the noble family, I never imagined he’d be royalty.
I watched in shock, swallowing hard.
…Did I hit him a bit? I hope he’s okay.
