Chapter 22

Well Van Ester was probably not going to try and teach him swordsmanship. But, it didn't really matter. If there was anything new for him to learn, there was no reason to refuse. Van Ester murmured something though at the end that was barely audible.

"You both look alike…. Hm.. the Ghost of Swords"

"Sorry?"

"Nothing, I'll be here for another week anyway. So I can't spend more time than that."

Van Ester chuckled. It was a smile of craziness and joy.

"Is that so?"

Asher got up. Van Ester asked when he saw him leaving the door.

"Where are you going?"

"Outside for a while."

"You're gonna be training anyway, right? Why would you want to go out there if you can do it here?"

"It's because it's something I can't show to others."

Especially for Van Ester. It could be different if he showed it to him since he might understand if anything, but the anxiety factor was still greater than their friendship. Van Ester nodded roughly as if he understood he shouldn't pry any further.

"Bye, I'm getting ready."

Asher closed the door. He lowered his hand. He had been training at the estate for only two months now, but he had already started to develop calluses, and he couldn't find any soft parts on his hands.

Asher clenched his fist. After training his dexterity with his hands, the only thing left to train was the body. He moved himself and left the grounds of the estate. As Asher walked along the road, he felt several gazes land on him.

Suspicion, hostility, and even some rare curiosity. But the emotions in the gazes settling on him were mostly negative. The gazes of the townspeople varied, however none of them dared to get close to him after they had seen what he did to those two grown men that Luke had been ordering around.

Above all, Asher had changed a lot since the reincarnation. Normally people would not hesitate to call him names or scoff at him. But Asher's matured facial expression showed a sense of indifference along with a hidden sense of tension that could strike to anybody that harmed him. Thus, the townspeople did not try to incite a reaction out of him.

When Asher got to the gate, the guard saw him and his facial expression hardened. The day when Asher had first reincarnated, this very guard had looked at Asher with eyes of scorn and contempt.

"What do you want…?"

"I wish to go outside."

"…yes."

The door opened as the guard looked up at the spire and gestured. Asher didn't bother with the guard and moved forwards outside the walls of the territory.

"…Is the rumor true?", the guard suddenly opened his mouth.

"What rumor are you talking about?"

"The rumor around town is that you've become the student of a swordmaster."

Did the rumors of Van Ester trying to recruit him as a disciple spread? Asher looked at the guard indifferently and studied the guard's face. There was jealousy in the guard's eyes and was clenchin his teeth.

"…you're a piece of crap anyways. Good luck, being the student of Swordmaster. Do you know how lucky you are?"

Asher's eyes sank at the answer. He murmured in a melancholic tone of voice.

"Is it luck?"

'it is you lot who are the talented ones.'

Comparing his talent to anybody could make an average joe look like a stellar student.

If such a person was to say he was lucky, they were the ones better off knowing they didn't pursue anything with their lazy attitudes. He may have had no talent with the sword but Asher wasn't as dimwitted to acknowledge how much time he had put in with the sword regardless of that fact.

But it still didn't make sense to be jealous of him. This put Asher in a foul mood.

Asher's emotions started to fluctuate and the air sunk heavily while a leering and ominous killing intent leaked out of the atmosphere around him. The guard's face turned pale as he tried to raise his spear quickly. Asher then realized what was happening and shook his head to calm down.

'It's been a while since I've felt like this.'

Except for his childhood, Asher's emotions had never fluctuated this erratically. But, even as old and composed as he was in his mind, he was still a warrior that had walked several battlefields. And when someone like him, let out their killing intent, it could be dangerous.

'Is it because of what Reika had said?'

She said that she admired him. She said that he was her goal. She, probably the most talented individual he had met across his two lives, admired him, who had abysmal talent.

'I don't understand it.'

He moved slowly down the dirt road away from the territory.