CHAPTER 87

Elric looked at Herman with a face that seemed to ask, "What is this absurdity?"

He wondered what kind of conversation had led to such remarks.

Initially, the people Elric conversed with were not Isabelle and Herman.

It was King Velence.

Although he had received research documents on Body Strengthening Art, there were quite a few parts that he couldn't understand, as it was written from the perspective of the beastmen.

Moreover, King Velence had mentioned that he roughly remembered the contents of the data.

However...

"So, you're saying that Ferocious Tiger Rush should be based not only on the essence of striking and hitting but also on pressure points and discharge energy, right?"

"That's correct. So, we should consider that this ultimate technique involves the formation of points through concentrated energy and the spreading according to its wavelength."

"Well, if it can be interpreted that way, then the phrase 'like dispersing dark clouds' makes sense. And you'll be able to understand the part about the fierce wind and fellow patients."

Their conversation soon naturally turned into a discourse on Body Strengthening Art.

King Velence had many questions about the initial part that Elric had restored, and through this, he was able to grasp the foundational knowledge and key points of Body Strengthening Art that he hadn't known before.

Conversely, even though Elric knew the main structure of Body Strengthening Art, there were many areas he didn't understand deeply. He could now fill in all the gaps he had previously patched up clumsily.

It was as if they were filling in each other's missing pieces.

Moreover, as their discussion grew longer, their thoughts intertwined, revealing many aspects they hadn't seen before.

They also had the opportunity to view Body Strengthening Art from different perspectives.

'...The king is a genius?'

'Our benefactor is a genius! Truly, having someone like him visit our Anthromorph is undoubtedly a blessing from our ancestors!'

Elric could only stare in amazement at King Velence, who effortlessly absorbed his knowledge.

King Velence, on the other hand, now looked at Elric with eyes full of admiration, to the point where he would believe anything Elric said.

However, one thing was certain—the depth of their discourse was profound.

'What the hell? Who are these guys?'

'So what is it? What are they talking about? Speak in terms we can understand!'

Sean and the Blue Hawks all had dumbfounded expressions as they watched from the side.

『There are nearly ten people here, so it's ten times the bewilderment.』

Mephisto's commentary was very straightforward.

Meanwhile,

Augustine and Herman were fascinated by the discussion.

However, their pride prevented them from easily joining in.

"While you two are conversing, may I say something if it's not too rude?"

At that moment, Isabelle suddenly smiled brightly and spoke up.

Elric and King Velence turned their heads in unison, wondering what she wanted.

"Please, go ahead."

"Do you have any other good opinions?"

Isabelle couldn't help but let out a small laugh at how similar the two looked.

"It's nothing special. As the daughter of a martial artist, I've picked up a few things here and there. I'm curious about how the formation of a point, which has the nature of compression, can lead to a wave with the nature of release."

"Oh, that is..."

"It's quite simple, actually."

Elric and King Velence's eyes sparkled as they explained various concepts to their new ally, thrilled to have someone interested in their conversation.

Isabelle smoothly responded and steered the conversation towards her family's stories.

"If that's the case, our family has a similar principle."

"Oh, really?"

"Truly? Can you tell us more about it?"

"Well, it's close to my family's secret art... One moment. Father?"

"Hm? Yes?"

Herman, who had been pretending to sleep with his arms crossed, suddenly lifted his head.

『He looks like he's been dying to join in,』 Mephisto commented.

As if confirming Mephisto's words, Herman's eyes gleamed, eager to answer any questions.

"Ahem! What is it? Ask anything. I'll explain whatever you need to know."

"Didn't we have something related to 'energy release'? It seemed to be a one-inch punch utilizing rotational force."

"Ah, yes. It's about twisting the accumulated short bursts of energy into a spiral form and then releasing it...!"

"Oh!"

"Ah, I see! Using that method!"

Herman was excited and went on explaining various techniques as Elric and King Velence stared at him with sparkling eyes.

'Damn it! Our big brother's really got started now!'

'Why is he bringing up the technique to divide energy without even being asked? At this rate, he'll get to penetrating energy too! How long will this go on? Five hours? Six hours?'

'Ahh! Someone stop him!'

'Who can stop him? They'd just end up getting an earful too!'

'This is hell! Hell, I tell you!'

Though Blue Hawks held great respect for their big brother, Herman, they found his one flaw to be his tendency to over-explain. 

They avoided asking him questions because they feared being held captive by his lengthy discourses, which could go on for hours, especially when it came to his favorite subject—martial arts.

Given Herman's deep interest in studying and researching various martial arts from across the continent, it was no surprise he was fascinated by the intricacies of Body Strengthening Art, which shared some conceptual similarities with the arts he had studied.

However, Blue Hawks hadn't anticipated one crucial detail: Elric and King Velence shared a remarkably similar enthusiasm.

"Then, couldn't this part also be interpreted in this way?"

The moment their explanation turned into a debate, an even greater ordeal awaited them.

'When will this end...?'

'Ugh...!'

The lengthy discussion went on much longer than they expected, stretching into the evening and continuing until almost midnight.

"…I see, it can be understood this way too. Hah! Listening to you, I feel like my mind has been refreshed, able to study phenomena from a completely different angle that a magician might have."

Herman had by now dropped the formalities with Elric and the Velence King. 

Initially, due to their statuses, he had intended to maintain some level of decorum, but after over ten hours of an engaging debate, they had naturally bonded.

"No, it was a beneficial time for me as well, allowing me to gain a deeper understanding of martial arts, which I had previously only scratched the surface of."

"Me too! Me too!"

At their words, Herman smiled contentedly.

And then.

"Which brings me to say..."

Herman cautiously brought up the thought he had been having since he sought out Elric.

He asked if Elric had any interest in learning swordsmanship.

That's how things progressed.

"Sword...smanship, you say?"

"Yes, from me, of course. Based on what we've discussed so far, and the way you've fought over the past few days, I think it could be very useful for you. So...!"

Herman's eyes sparkled as he was about to add more, but then.

"Says who."

Augustine, who had been silently listening to Elric and the others' discourse, now glared fiercely.

Whoosh!

The air inside the carriage heated up intensely.

The Blue Hawks, who had been dozing off, immediately tensed up, reaching for their weapons nearby.

"You'd better stay still."

"…!"

"…!"

"…!"

They froze in place, as each of them suddenly felt the presence of a fly on their throats.

They instinctively knew that any sudden movement would lead to an explosion.

Gility, sitting across from them, smirked.

"Hyung-nim, what should we do? Should I blow all their heads off? The outside air is quite chilly, so cleaning up shouldn't be too hard."

Gility displayed the ferocity of the Beast King, a title he once held as he wreaked havoc across the Empire.

As a result, King Velence, exposed to the killing intent, turned pale but was able to breathe again thanks to Heize's protection.

Isabelle also had to hide closely behind her father, Herman.

The Blue Hawks exchanged quick glances, trying to figure out how to respond to the situation.

"My proposal was never meant to take the disciple of the old monster as my own student."

Herman gestured to his sworn brothers to cease any unnecessary actions and bowed his head to Augustine.

Augustine stared at Herman with an emotionless gaze.

There was an unspoken rule between the martial artists and the magicians who had been in a long-standing rivalry.

No matter how extraordinary a genius appeared, if one side had already marked them, the other side would never touch them.

While there might be internal power struggles within each faction, no one was to cross the boundary.

Of course, this rule was rarely followed to the letter, but it was generally respected that talented individuals who had reached a certain level were left alone.

Augustine saw Herman's actions as a violation of this unspoken rule.

And doing so right in front of him was tantamount to showing blatant disrespect.

It wouldn't have been surprising if Augustine had decided to kill Herman on the spot for such an affront.

"As I said, your disciple fights in a manner completely different from typical magicians. This could be due to your teachings or the traditions of the Melvinger family. But one thing is certain: whether it's swordsmanship or martial arts, if he is properly trained in this area, he could achieve a significant breakthrough. Don't you agree?"

"..."

Augustine remained silent.

This implied that he wasn't convinced by Herman's explanation. His gaze remained fierce.

Or perhaps it was an invitation to keep persuading him.

However,

"And to set the record straight."

"…?"

Herman hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to continue.

"His interest in martial arts, even before meeting you, indicates a deep commitment to physical training, don't you think?"

Despite Herman's usual courteous demeanor, he was essentially a lion.

A fierce and wild lion.

The moment one tried to tame him, his savage nature would surface!

BAM!

In the blink of an eye, one side of the carriage door exploded open, and Augustine and Herman simultaneously leapt out, engaging in fierce combat.

BOOM, BOOM, BOOM!

CRASH, CRASH, CRASH!

As Herman retreated, Augustine pursued him with a relentless, expressionless face, swinging his arms in rapid succession.

Each time, the dark elf arm implanted in Augustine's right arm would glow ominously, releasing black lightning strikes.

In response, Herman would unleash bursts of aura, persistently trying to exploit Augustine's vulnerabilities.

Limited by his incomplete physical recovery, Herman was fighting with a disadvantage.

WHOOSH, WHOOSH, WHOOSH!

As the sandstorm of the General Winter swirled chaotically, the entire area was thrown into disarray.

Thud!

Crash!

A collision erupted between Blue Hawks and Gility.

Boom, boom, boom…!

The shockwave rippled outward, causing the ground to tremble violently.

"You rascal! He's my disciple! Stop meddling, you lot!"

"Meddling? He's a Melvinger in the first place! From what I know, Melvinger, despite being a magician, was quite open-minded about martial arts, unlike those narrow-minded tower magicians! Rumor has it that even the eccentric Usdun Melvinger was a master of physical combat!"

Amidst the explosive outbursts of Augustine and Herman reverberating between the crashes...

"What in the world are they doing...!"

Karl, who was sitting in the coach seat, had to open her mouth and let out a silent scream.

Even with renowned masters and dignitaries purportedly guiding disciples, why were they engaging in such reckless behavior, clashing and brawling with each other?

Would anyone believe this situation, no matter where you told it?

'No, more importantly, how can they justify fighting like this when the person in question hasn't said a word?'

"Karl!"

Just as Karl pondered how to make sense of it all, he suddenly heard Elric calling him from behind.

"Yes, yes?"

"What are you doing? We're not going that way."

When Elric told him to just ignore them and go, he wondered if that was really okay.

Thud!

Karl quickly shoved the broken door aside and pulled the reins, urging the carriage forward.

Clip-clop, clip-clop.

Even after Elric and the others had left, the fighting continued for quite some time.

Boom, boom, boom…!

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