21 Chapter 21 ( swordmaster 9)

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Asher had no intention of becoming the disciple of Van Ester. So Van Ester gave up on his nagging for now, and decided to ask Asher if he wanted to spar.

There was nothing wrong with that. He said he would also train and spar with Reika, but the difference in basic skills was too big for the two of them to compete. If Asher didn't start to learn how to move his body properly, He would become incredibly rusty. Asher naturally agreed since having a swordmaster as a sparring opponent was the best he could possibly ask for, and one he agreed, he and Van Ester had been sparring every single day.

The sword moved.

Asher measured the gap in the space between them by bumping his tip of the sword and counting the seconds Van Ester took to launch a full offensive. At that moment, Van Ester's spear fell in a flash. Asher deflected, avoided, and strok back all in one sequence. Van Ester turned the sword around and waved his arm in a whip-like motion.

Avoiding by a fingernail's length apart, Asher dodged with complete minimalistic fluidity in his movements, and continued to maintain an unbelievable center of gravity whilst doing so. Van Ester admired the awareness of space that Asher had for a while.

"Oh, my God, you're even better than me when it comes to pure mechanics and battle instinct."

"That's all I have."

Asher swung his sword roughly like a wolf's paw. At that moment, Van Ester shook his wrist. The spear started to bend in a curve, seemingly in slow motion. Then, it's image blurred and an afterimage was all that was left. Asher hurried to defend himself.

Boom!

With a thunderous collision, Asher's body bounced up from the ground and groaned painfully. Van Ester tilted his head.

"But… you're incredibly untalented with swordsmanship. It's inexplicably weird no matter how much I look at it."

"That's because you're right. I'm not talented."

Asher rose up, holding his throbbing wrist. As a warrior, his battle sense was almost unparalleled. But in the realm of swordsmanship, he was incredibly unfortunate, having not been blessed with an ounce of talent.

He was hopeful at first with this new body when he reincarnated, and he tried other forms of swordsmanship just in case, but the result was completely the same as his past life. Van Ester twirled the spear.

"Is this all you have for me today?"

"I can't even swing a sword with this wrist."

"Okay, I'm warmed up. So get ready."

Van Ester approached with a sly smile, that was unique to those of old age.

"What was the deal with the atmosphere earlier? A lover's quarrel? Well. You two are pretty close. What do you think of her?"

"It's not like that."

Asher clicked his tongue. Van Ester had become such a mischievous man throughout old age. Asher missed the past Van Ester that was rather serious and tight-lipped.

"Why. You're young, so you must be interested in that way. She's cute and fresh."

"Not at all."

Reika was cute even objectively. Maybe in three or four years, she would be as beautiful as a royal princess.

But the age difference was far too big. Even if his body was young, his mind was old, so naturally he felt like he was looking at his granddaughter. So he didn't pay attention to Van Ester's incessant nonsense.

"A woodcutter? So what the hell was that job even for in the first place if you were this proficient with the sword?"

"There's not much of a reason really."

Asher avoided answering the question. He needed some kind of job to fill his time at the estate and cover his shifts. Not only that, it was perfect for muscle training.

"…you look just like him."

"Who are you talking about…?"

"There was a man I knew once, a man just like you and had mastered the Imperial Swordsmanship. He had been known to have no talent, a defeatist attitude, and wasl. to completely pessimistic."

Asher couldn't agree with Van Ester. He wasn't pessimistic, he just spoke the cold, hard truth.

Van Ester smiled bitterly and spoke.

"Thinking for oneself is each individual's own freedom. None of us thought he was talented either. But now… I don't even know what talent is anymore."

At the last words Van Ester mentioned, Asher looked at him in surprise. In the past, Van Ester had completely believed in the widely-known concept of talent. He knew he was talented, and he never once took it for granted. He thoroughly treated it as a blessing and matched it with hard work. Thus, whenever Asher had spoken to him in his previous life, Van Ester would always talk about how he wanted to match his talent with Asher's hardcore work ethic and devotion to the sword.

Asher couldn't believe Van Ester was saying this.

'What happened to him in these past 20 years?'

Asher had known him for more than 50 years, and one's values did not change easily, especially as one became older. Thus, Asher couldn't understand just what had happened to Van Ester.

"So I have a proposal for you."

Van Ester grinned and shook the speartip. The spear rode it's course smoothly like a water current in a stream.

"I won't ask you to be my disciple anymore. I already know now that you have nothing left to learn. Instead, I'll give you one thing."

"It depends on what you intend to give me."

"I originally made it for a friend who looked like you. They already died and I've never tested it, but I'm sure it'll be useful to you."

"In that case, I shall accept it."

Asher nodded. He wasn't surprised that Van Ester made it for him in his previous life. At that time, there was a bet among his acquaintances about who could somehow teach him something new with his poor talent. There was no winner.