Academy’s Genius Swordsman

43. Haeju (2)

#43

I was used to the color of the sky I looked at while lying down. Ronan slowly got up. I could see the village built down the hill and the river flowing along the village.

A soft whisper escaped from between Ronan’s lips.

“Nim Button.”

It was the same when I rubbed my eyes and looked again. His hometown was Nimburton.

Ronan walked down the hill as if possessed by something. The feel of the grass rustling under my feet was vivid.

‘Is this my imaginary world?’

The soft sound of the river and the wind tickling the back of my nose were all real. Only the emptiness of the waist dance without La Mancha hanging on it only hinted at the fact that this was not the reality.

Ronan, who had soon entered the village, tilted his head.

“…Did something like this happen?”

A large willow tree stood next to a sign with the name Nimburton. It was so high and lush that it seemed that it could be seen anywhere in the village.

If there was such a thing, I can’t remember. Ronan shrugged once and entered the village.

The scenery of the village was little different from what Ronan knew. The garden where Asher’s parents had been farming was the same, and Lumbert’s inn, where it was noisy every night, was the same.

The only strange thing was that there was no feeling of popularity in the village. As if all the residents had left, only the sound of Ronan’s footsteps could be heard on the quiet street.

“I don’t feel good…”

Even the wind that blew was eerily calm. Ronan was just about to move. The sound of a child’s laughter came from behind.

“Hey!”

Ronan hurriedly turned his head. White and silver hair just turned the corner and disappeared. Light footsteps were quickly moving away. Ronan ran to the place where the child had disappeared, as if possessed by something.

“Damn it, wait!”

Ronan turned the corner. The house where he and his sister lived appeared. Normally, I should have walked a few more minutes, but I didn’t have time to worry about such a contradiction.

There was nothing attached to the outer wall, which was overgrown with ivy. At that moment, the child who had gone ahead appeared behind Ronan.

“Hey!”

“Hey, that’s a surprise.”

It was a girl who looked to be about four or five years old at most. Ronan looked at the child’s face and frowned.

“···sister?”

“Mom!”

The child ignored Ronan and ran straight home. The wooden door opened and closed. Ronan stood there like a man with roots on his feet.

No matter how young you are, you cannot recognize that face. Big eyes with the color of sunset, white silver hair as pale as starlight. It was undoubtedly the sister of her childhood.

‘Then here…’

Unremembered willow trees, slightly less old buildings. little sister. Ronan finally realized that he was wandering around the Nimburton of the past.

– Ong! Ong!

Suddenly, the cry of a baby rang out. It was the sound of Ronan’s house. Ronan looked around and picked up a hoe leaning against the fence.

“…it would be better than nothing.”

you have to remember This is a world of images created to remove the curse that dwells in me. Since the purpose is to cut the curse, we must not assume that this world will be favorable.

Ronan turned inside and pulled the doorknob. The unbarred door opened gently.

There were three chairs around the table. Ronan listened to the sound of words coming from somewhere.

“Is he my brother?”

“Yes. Ill.”

The conversation was coming from the bedroom with the bed. It was the room that Iril was using now. Ronan, holding the plow, cautiously stepped forward.

He hid himself in the doorway and looked inside the room with only his head sticking out. Little Iril was lying on the bed with her eyes twinkling.

“I will protect you. Because he is my brother.”

“Fufu, you are proud of my daughter.”

A dark-haired woman was lying in front of her, stroking Iril’s hair. Ronan’s eyes widened.

The woman’s face was exactly like Iril’s. Although he had never seen it before, Ronan instinctively felt it. that that woman is her mother.

“Mom···?”

Ronan groaned and entered the room. The mother and daughter continued the conversation without showing any reaction.

Ronan’s appearance seemed invisible to them. He reached out and tried to touch his mother, but it passed as if he was whipping through the air.

“Then you…”

Ronan’s gaze, which had subsided even more, turned to the bed. Between Iril’s face and her mother, a small newborn baby was creaking, wrapped in a swaddling cloth.

“Ugh…”

“Hey, it’s cute.”

Iril reached out and the baby grabbed her finger. Iril smiled and kissed the baby’s cheek. The mother looked at her two children and smiled softly.

‘I also had a time like this.’

Ronan, forgetting his purpose, watched the harmonious family. Just then, there was the sound of a door opening from behind.

-Profit…

“··········!”

At that moment, a chill that he had never felt before swept across Ronan’s back. Ronan, who grabbed the plow as if to break it, turned his head.

There stood an amorphous shadow that was difficult to describe, lingering like mist. At that moment, Ronan realized that it was a curse he had to cut.

‘It must be cut.’

It was a car about to wield a plow. The shadow standing in the doorway and looking around made a noise.

“■····?”

Ronan’s body stiffened upon hearing the sound.

“■■■ ? Will you? ■■ ···■■ ■■ ■■ ?”

‘uh?’

It was a bizarre voice that was difficult to even recognize as words. He was the only one who could recognize his sister’s name. As if the shadows were chattering, the mother and daughter responded warmly before long.

“Illyl, I think you have come. Come meet me.”

“Wow! ■■ ~”

Little Iril spread her arms and ran. The long shadows on either side embraced Iril.

The shadow entered the main room holding Iril. My mother, who was lying on a blanket, greeted me warmly.

“How did you get the time right? I was just born yesterday. How are you, cute?”

“■ ■■■ ····.”

“Ahaha, I think you look more like me than me… But why is your expression like that? Did something happen?”

“■■■ .”

The shadow that had put down the iris held the newborn baby. The shadow looked at the baby for a long time and then turned to face the mother.

“■■■ . ■ ■■■ . ■■ ■■■ .”

“yes? Is it dangerous? What is that…”

“■■■····.”

“Why, why ■■?”

At that moment, the shadow shook as if boiling. Mother and Iril fell as if asleep. Ronan’s eyes widened as if they were about to pop out.

“no···!”

wow. A cracking sound came from Ronan’s mouth. The muscles in his body were already swollen as if they were about to explode. Right after his body hardened, he was doing everything he could to move.

“■■■ ····. Ill…”

The shadow stopped fluttering. Tears flowed from Ronan’s eyes. Not sure how to explain this situation, but Ronan could see that the Shadow was very sad right now.

The shadow laid Iril and the baby next to their mother. Then he stretched out a part of his body and covered the infant and Iril.

‘What the fuck are you doing?’

For a brief moment, Ronan saw the cursed text that came out of his body vibrated in the shadow’s body. They also flow into the infant’s body.

“■■ ■ ■■■···.”

The shadow, who had been muttering something, came out the door. The moment the shadow shook the house, the bonds that bound Ronan were released.

bang! Ronan bounced off and crashed into the wall. It was because the power that had been stagnant was released at once.

But there was no time for pain. Ronan ran straight to the family. Both mother and daughter and the infant were lying dead.

“no. no···!”

He struggled and tried to support his family, but he was not caught. As my eyes darkened with despair, I heard the sound of someone’s colorful breathing.

“···ah?”

Ronan, who has regained his sanity, looked after his family. Iril’s stomach was slowly inflating and sinking. So were the mother and the baby. Fortunately, they were all asleep.

Iril was holding the baby tight even in her sleep. Ronan, holding the plow, slowly got up. A beast-like voice came out of his mouth.

“This… you fucking bastard…”

Despair was rapidly turning into anger. The wooden sack was broken in half. Ronan looked around and picked up the black iron sword leaning in front of the front door.

Why is the black iron sword here? That fact was not as important as the fact that this was an imaginary world.

It was not known whether this was simply a vain fantasy or if it was showing memories of the past. Only one thing is important. That he did something unacceptable.

bang! Ronan kicked off the door and left the house, and began to run with all his might.

The moment he left the house, the buildings of the village scattered like mist and disappeared. Ronan ran like crazy in the middle of Nimburton, where only the road remained.

Before long, the figure of a fallen willow tree and its shadow caught my eye. He was breathing heavily in front of the stump, with parts of his body pulled out like a knife.

“■■■, Iril…■■. ■■ ■■■■ ■■···.”

Suddenly, tears welled up in Ronan’s eyes. Sadness and anger, many times greater and intense than the anger that had engulfed him, began to swirl in his chest.

Ronan instinctively noticed that it was the emotion the shadow was feeling. However, he did not slow the pace of his run.

The distance has been narrowed down enough. The shadow still didn’t notice Ronan. He exclaimed as if vomiting his lungs with the unknown emotions that had been piling up in the back of his throat.

“Stand there! You bastard!!”

“■?!”

The shadow turned its head. At that moment, Ronan’s body shot forward like a flash of light. The fastest sword strike he had ever wielded rushed towards the shadow’s body.

visor! Black embers jumped out of the air.

“What?!”

“■···■■?”

The raid was a failure. The black iron sword in contact with the shadow was flying in the air. After spitting on the floor, Ronan swung his sword again.

Kang! Kang! Kang! A series of slashes that ordinary people could not even see were fired. However, the shadow lightly countered all of Ronan’s attacks.

“Damn…!”

Even if they tried to attack as irregularly as possible while changing swordsmanship, they were all avoided or blocked. Ronan clenched it. I felt like I was playing with them instead of being treated properly.

Around the time the sum went back and forth about twenty times, the shadow that had been only defending all the time shook like an explosion.

“■■■■!”

“Wow!”

The atmosphere was completely different from before. A strange sword pierced into Ronan’s arms.

The sword strike that could not be stopped ripped through the body. Whoops! The stabs that dug in for a moment pierced Ronan’s thighs and wrists in a row.

“Huh!”

changgang. The black iron sword fell to the floor. Ronan fell down on one knee. The shadow pointed the tip of the sword at Ronan’s neck. He was prepared for the end, but the shadow didn’t take any further action.

“········”

“Huh, what are you doing…? Heh, I won’t kill you…”

The shadow just stood still and looked at Ronan. Again, desperate sadness and anger came into Ronan’s head. The shadow lifted the sword.

“■■.”

Eventually, the shadow swung in the air as if scattering a sword turned and started walking. Ronan stood up limp and picked up a black iron sword with his left hand.

“Damn… Heo Eok, stand there…!”

The shadows didn’t stop. He bowed down to the willow he had cut and continued walking. If I went on like this, I really felt like I was going to miss it.

Ronan took a deep breath. I needed something to stop the shadows. There was one thing that came to mind, but I really didn’t want to say it even if I died.

Three chairs in front of the table. Iril smiles brightly and hugs her. My mother said that she resembles you more than me.

He had already noticed it in his head, but he didn’t want to admit it. I was afraid to face the truth. The moment it came out of my mouth, I felt like I was denying myself.

‘Fuck.’

But there was no way. Blood did not stop flowing from his legs and wrists. Ronan took a deep breath and shouted toward the shadow.

“Are you still a father? You motherfucker!”

“···■?”

The shadow stopped. The unmistakable agitation of emotion was transmitted through the image. Immediately, an indescribable shiver ran through Ronan’s body.

‘Once a chance.’

Ronan grabbed the hilt. Whoo! The shadows that swirled in place rushed towards Ronan.

Ronan’s vision narrowed and time slowed down. I had to finish it with a single blow now that my opponent was agitated. The shadow approaching right in front of him drew his sword.

‘uh?’

At that moment, something gleaming caught Ronan’s eyes. It was like a stream of water, and it looked like it had been colored by the wind.

The worn-out black iron sword had turned into a smooth Ramancha. Ronan swung his sword towards the shadow that was approaching right in front of him. Not just randomly, but following the flowing stream in the air.

spatula.

The shadow split in half.