“You have worked very hard today, Your Highness!”
I looked at Rokiyan in my quarters and nodded.
“You were still awake? You have worked hard as well.”
“Not at all. I merely helped the others repair the collapsed houses. Then please rest well, Your Highness!”
Rokiyan bowed deeply and slowly closed the door to my room. I steadied my breathing in my quarters and sat in the lotus position.
Now that I thought about it, Complete Bodily Rebirth was supposed to occur only after connecting all three Dantians into one. Yet I had undergone Complete Bodily Rebirth merely by breaking the chains wrapped around my Middle Dantian.
Kellick’s body had never trained in martial arts, so there was little Energy in his Lower Dantian. However, his Middle Dantian held more Energy than mine had in my previous life.
Could every elf possess a great deal of Energy in the Middle Dantian? If so, the elves might be able to undergo Complete Bodily Rebirth simply by breaking the chains around their Middle Dantians.
Although elves and humans resembled each other as races, I had been told that they were fundamentally different. My common sense might not apply to them.
Once I became able to circulate Energy through my opened Middle Dantian, I could also draw upon a faint measure of the spirit’s power.
A spirit…
Would I have defeated the dragon without its power?
My Lower and Middle Dantians were connected, but I could not know whether I would have won if my Upper Dantian had been connected as well.
Saying I could not know did not mean I might have won.
It meant I might have lost.
After actually fighting one, I could no longer deny that my determination to defeat the dragons solely through my own power had been nothing but obstinacy.
Isn’t refusing a fortuitous opportunity simply foolish?
I slowly closed my eyes and began Energy Circulation.
***
SPLASH. SPLASH.
[Did you have a satisfying day?]
The Flower of Death.
A cold and dark, yet strangely wistful bass voice echoed in my ears.
I walked through the endless darkness and slowly answered.
“I killed a dragon.”
[Hahahaha—! Do you wish to be praised?]
“Thank you for helping me. I would have died without your aid. More importantly, I am unsure how I should address you…”
RUMBLE—!
A tremendous vibration resounded beneath the water. Skulls rose upon the stagnant surface and formed a path like stepping stones.
‘Does it mean for me to follow this path?’
[Yes. Come.]
Can it read my thoughts?
I walked endlessly along the path of bones.
DRIP. DRIP.
It was too dark to see, but with every step, a sticky liquid began falling more heavily, accompanied by the stench of blood.
The blood stung when it entered my eyes, but I had been taught never to close my eyes in a situation that demanded vigilance. I kept my eyes wide open and continued walking without end, until my vision grew steeped in blood and slowly disappeared.
[Wipe your eyes and look straight ahead.]
“How am I to know what you will do? Why should I obey you?”
[Hahaha. That is true.]
The moment murderous intent surged through its laughter—
[Nameless Three Swords, First Technique]
[Wind Scatters the Clouds]
‘This is clearly my sword art, so how could you…?’
I hurled my entire body aside to evade its technique.
SPLASH.
My face plunged into the water beneath my feet.
I hurriedly rose and assumed a defensive stance. The instant I did, I stared blankly at the person before me.
My lord… the Heavenly Demon?
When I saw the Seventh Heavenly Demon—my master, the person I respected most, and the man I had wished to resemble—standing before me, I instinctively dropped to my knees and bowed.
[Is this the form of the one you respect most?]
‘The Flower of Death?’
I heard a voice different from the Heavenly Demon’s and stared at it in bewilderment.
[After rummaging through your memories, I thought this form would be the best way to greet you. What do you think?]
“How dare you take the Heavenly Demon’s form…”
Ignoring my murderous intent, it turned sideways and calmly swung its sword.
[Heavenly Demon Sword, Third Form]
[Heavenly Demon Flame]
FWOOOOSH—!
I had witnessed the Heavenly Demon’s sword art tens of thousands of times, so I could tell.
Its technique, saturated with the Energy of the Heavenly Demon Divine Art, was overwhelmingly more powerful than the Heavenly Demon’s.
A technique combined fundamental sword patterns such as vertical cuts, horizontal cuts, and thrusts to create a particular path. Had it swung that sword at me, I could neither have evaded nor blocked it.
It dragged the sword through the water as it spoke.
[Ah!! I forgot that you spent decades alone after being castrated! Should I have taken the form of one of the women you liked instead? Hahaha!]
Can it assume the form of anyone in my memories? Then if it had done so from the beginning, I wouldn’t have been this wary…
[Perhaps your castration left you so deprived that there were far too many women you secretly longed for. I simply could not choose one. Hahahaha!! Besides, had I taken the form of a woman, would you not have become far too aroused?]
How humiliating.
CLACK. CLACK.
It approached me and spoke.
[I saw you training with countless others at a place called the Demonic Path Academy.]
Standing before me, it demonstrated the basic sword techniques taught within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult one by one. However, every movement from its wrists to its ankles differed subtly. They were unmistakably different, yet far more powerful.
To survive within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult, one had to become strong and revere those stronger than oneself.
If that being had been within the Heavenly Demon Divine Cult…
[You said that only members of the Cheon Clan may become the Heavenly Demon. Do you think I could have succeeded in a rebellion and become the first Heavenly Demon outside the Cheon Clan?]
Ah, it can read my thoughts.
I calmly addressed the Flower of Death in the Heavenly Demon’s form.
“Were you able to see my shortcomings through my memories?”
Without realizing it, I spoke to it formally.
[Something of that degree is not difficult. Now, watch carefully.]
Before me, it demonstrated every technique I knew—from those I had learned at the Demonic Path Academy to the Nameless Sword Art taught by the Seventh Nameless and the Heavenly Demon Divine Art taught by the Seventh Heavenly Demon.
[Nameless Three Swords, First Technique]
[Wind Scatters the Clouds]
It demonstrated not only the sword forms I had learned from the Seventh Heavenly Demon and the Previous Nameless, but also the Nameless Three Swords, which I had spent years creating to accommodate the changes in my body after my castration.
Everything differed from my movements, from landing upon the balls of its feet instead of the soles to the position of its shoulders.
“Are you teaching me?”
It wiped the beads of sweat from its forehead. Perhaps feeling hot, it crudely grabbed the legs of its trousers and flapped them.
[That is correct.]
Apparently uncomfortable in its clothes, it shuffled awkwardly and crudely scratched at its crotch as it continued.
[Teach everyone every technique and training method you learned at the Demonic Path Academy.]
“Everyone?”
[The sword arts will become even stronger when wielded while in Bloom. Even without Bloom, however, they will grow stronger than you once were.]
I silently stared at the Flower of Death wearing the Heavenly Demon’s form.
[Why? Simple. You all need to join forces…]
Its eyes soon filled with sorrow.
[Only then can you protect the World Tree cherished by Mother of Nature.]
Regret permeated its voice. I nodded as though I understood it and answered.
“This is the land where I was born anew and the place I will lead. I had already intended to teach them while continuously rooting out the traitors.”
[Since that is what you chose, I merely taught you. Now, sit. This Energy Circulation of yours also has many flaws, and I have much to teach you, beginning with magic.]
***
KNOCK. KNOCK.
“Your Highness, it is time to wake… Gasp! Your Highness!”
“You are awake.”
Rokiyan approached me and spoke in a worried voice.
“Th-that… what was it? Am I not supposed to… touch you again…?”
“No. It does not matter today.”
“Do not tell me you remained like this all night.”
During Energy Circulation, the Flower of Death had taught me without holding anything back. The value of those teachings was beyond calculation.
[Blink]
It had even taught me the mysterious art known as magic.
“Your Highness! Did you not say that you had forgotten every spell? Furthermore, that casting speed…?”
“Let us go.”
Rokiyan stared at me with an expression full of questions.
“Where are we going? What about breakfast…?”
The food here, especially the fruit, seemed to make me even hungrier after eating it, so it did not agree with me. There was no need to tell Rokiyan that.
Ah, the wine had been delicious, though.
“We are going to the training grounds.”
“Why the training grounds… Ah! You said that starting today, you would teach the Guardian Unit the swordsmanship and that energy circu… thing you learned from the spirit, correct?”
“Not ‘energy circu-something.’ Energy Circulation.”
Because I had defied the heavens and arrived in this place, I had lied that a spirit had taught me every martial art that had not previously existed here, including swordsmanship and Energy Circulation.
Yet yesterday, I truly had learned many things.
Of course, I would have to train consistently to make those teachings entirely my own.
“Will you be fine without eating? Ah! Since you’ll be doing your morning Energy Circulation, I suppose you won’t need a morning meal? Hahaha!”
Rokiyan burst into a broad grin, apparently finding his own words amusing.
‘What part of that is funny?’
As I stared blankly at him, Rokiyan scratched the back of his head and gave an embarrassed smile.
“Let us be off, Your Highness.”
***
“Welcome, Your Highness!”
The members of the Guardian Unit looked at me with tense expressions. As I had requested of Elder Philn, each of them held a wooden staff roughly the length of a sword in one hand.
CLACK. CLACK.
I approached the person at the very front.
“May I borrow your staff?”
SWISH.
Standing rigidly at attention, They presented the staff to me with both hands.
They were likely not this tense merely because I was the prince. When they had regarded me only as a prince, they had instead welcomed me warmly.
Is it because I was the first elf to kill a dragon?
CLACK. CLACK.
I walked back toward the platform overlooking the entire training ground and sent a Sound Transmission to Elder Philn, who was watching from outside.
[Elder Philn, listen carefully to what I am about to say.]
Elder Philn flinched and turned his head before answering through Sound Transmission.
[Your Highness? Telepathy is advanced magic. When did you learn it?]
Telepathy?
Do they call Sound Transmission “Telepathy” here?
Fortunately, Elder Philn can use Sound Transmission as well.
[Did I not explain my plan to you last night?]
Elder Philn answered in a worried voice.
[As I said yesterday, it is far too dangerous for you to operate outside. Are you not our future, Your Highness?]
[As I told you yesterday, I am doing this precisely because our future is at stake. Furthermore, my ears are as short as a human’s. No one will suspect me.]
[King Hellorn is also deeply concerned.]
[Did he not tell you to trust me and proceed? First, Elder Philn.]
[Yes, Your Highness.]
[Any spy will undoubtedly report what happened today within the next few days. Find those who display suspicious behavior during that time and deal with them.]
[We will handle the traitors among the Guardian Unit members as you instructed, but do you truly intend to deal with the Investigation Unit members personally?]
[There is a need to show them the fate of those who choose betrayal. Do not ask me again. The plan will proceed unchanged.]
[Understood.]
Standing atop the platform, I looked down at the assembled members of the Guardian Unit and shouted.
“The sword art I will teach you from this moment onward is called the Blooming Sword Dance. It is a refined version of the technique I used to kill that dragon bastard!”
Perhaps because I had called it the technique that killed a dragon, every pair of eyes beneath the platform widened.