–What? Puhahahaha! You want me to teach you not just how to become stronger, but how to become strong enough to defeat me?
The Golden Lion burst into laughter as if he had never encountered such a madman before.
Then, with a spark of interest, he narrowed his eyes.
–You don't seriously believe I'd tell you that willingly, do you?
–I believe... that you are that kind of fool.
–Oh dear. What a pity. I'm not that kind of fool.
–Or am I?
At that time, Herman was filled with a desperate desire to grow stronger.
He was deeply moved by the overwhelming prowess that the Golden Lion had displayed and was consumed with the thought of becoming like him, no matter what it took.
The Golden Lion, reading that intensity in Herman's eyes, couldn't simply brush him off, though he could only manage a sarcastic chuckle.
Then, suddenly, as if struck by a whim, he twisted his lips into a crooked grin.
–Well, if you're such a fool, things might get a lot more interesting. Who knows, maybe you'll even kill me one day, eh?
The Golden Lion added with a teasing tone.
–It was a long time ago, but there was once a guy who almost defeated me. But I heard he didn't leave behind a successor. Find out more about him. Maybe that'll lead you to the way.
–What was his name? I'll search for him.
–Hmm...! What was it? It's been so long I can't really remember.
After pondering for a while, the Golden Lion chuckled softly and said:
–I don't know. I don't remember. I have a rule: I don't remember losers.
***
After that...
Herman scoured the continent, searching far and wide for any trace of the person who had supposedly "almost" defeated the Golden Lion.
Each time, the Blue Hawks protested, claiming that the Golden Lion had only spouted nonsense and that there was no way such a person existed.
But Herman couldn't shake the feeling that the story was genuine.
Even though the Golden Lion's tone and behavior were reckless, there was no reason for him to lie and exhaust Herman with such a tale.
Above all, it was the look in his eyes that felt real.
So Herman chased after every trace of the Golden Lion, whatever remnants remained on the continent, asking questions and digging for clues. He spent over ten years chasing the trail of a person whose name he didn't even know.
During that time, Herman's fame only grew, and he was eventually bestowed the title of "Blue Lion." But he didn't care about that in the slightest.
He knew better than anyone that such titles meant nothing when faced with the Golden Lion.
And then, finally, his long-held wish came true.
By sheer chance, in the southern forest region, Herman managed to uncover traces of that nameless person's existence and even found the secluded place where the man had spent his final years...!
「He was a monster.」
「But I fought with everything I had until the very end, to defeat that monster.」
「If he is the king of beasts, who rules the earth, then I shall become the king of birds, who soars through the sky.」
「However... it is regrettable that I never got to face his mane again before my wings and beak were fully formed.」
「And so, I leave this book behind.」
「It is called
「In the hope that the hawk, the king of birds, may once again rise to the sky and place the lion beneath him, I leave this behind.」
When Herman first found The Fighting Spirit of the Hawk, he didn't feel joy but instead a crushing sense of despair.
For certain, the book titled The Fighting Spirit of the Hawk was an extraordinary manual of swordsmanship, an unparalleled treasure in its own right.
But that was it.
The manual was so overwhelmingly difficult to grasp that he had no idea where to even begin.
Even though Herman was one of the continent's foremost martial artists, the manual's complexity was beyond his comprehension. It was almost as if it mocked him for even trying.
After studying it with his sworn brothers for three sleepless days and nights, they all came to the same conclusion:
While the techniques were nearly impossible to execute, the theory and system behind them were flawless.
That was likely the moment everything changed.
Herman and the Blue Hawks began to retreat from public life.
Herman returned to his family, focusing on turning the Weyl family into a martial family, while his sworn brothers each went back to their homelands to pursue their own paths.
The reason was simple.
Each of them had begun interpreting The Fighting Spirit of the Hawk in their own way, pouring their efforts into mastering it.
And then twenty more years passed by.
"In my interpretation of The Fighting Spirit of the Hawk, I have named one technique The Hawk's Beak."
"The Hawk's Beak..."
Elric recalled the swordsmanship Herman used to decapitate Paul. It was so sharp it seemed to split the very air. That must have been The Hawk's Beak.
"Of course, my version of The Hawk's Beak was incomplete... and I forced myself to add one more chain to it, which led to my reflux disease."
Herman explained that he had grown increasingly impatient at that time.
His growth had stalled, and he was making no progress in perfecting The Hawk's Beak. He ended up pushing himself too hard.
And then, by sheer coincidence, he met Elric.... Herman's story ended there.
"Of course, even during that time, I challenged the Golden Lion again and again. After all, I'm officially a vassal of the Lion Duchy. But each time, I failed. I could never last more than one move."
Elric let out a nervous laugh.
To think someone could defeat Herman with a single stroke.
He wasn't sure even Augustine could pull that off.
The word "monster" truly seemed fitting.
"And every time, he would say the same thing: 'At this rate, how long will it take for you to finally kill me?'"
Elric's eyes gleamed curiously.
"He asked you to kill him, not just defeat him?"
"Yes. It was as if he was desperate to die. But, at the same time, he was so carefree and unpredictable... He's an enigma, someone who can't be easily defined."
Herman smiled faintly.
"Anyway, after you master all the basics, you'll learn
Elric nodded quietly.
He had already mastered techniques like body strengthening art and magic martial art, so he was confident that learning a remarkable martial art like this would lead to even greater progress.
And so, it began.
The process of turning Elric into the Blue Lion, and eventually, the Hawk.
***
"Sword, saber, spear, shield, fist... There are so many types of weapons, and each has its own uses. It's impossible to say that one is the best, nephew-in-law."
On the way to the Wynz territory.
Elric was fully absorbed in his preparations to become the Blue Lion, just as Herman had advised.
Since it was still too early for him to master
Luckily, the brothers each trained in different weapons, and their martial styles and approaches varied greatly, which made for a well-rounded education.
Fortunately, Elric had already undergone similar training back in the Black Snowfield, so there wasn't much difficulty in the lessons.
There was, however, one little annoyance.
'They're all so full of themselves.'
"But if I had to choose one weapon to stand above the rest, I would say spearmanship takes the crown."
The third brother, Haman, lightly tapped the spear he was holding.
"The spear is the root of all weapons. It was created as an extension of the limbs for self-defense. Over time, it evolved into a means of self-discipline. As a result, spearmanship is both primal and instinctive, while also offering infinite variety."
Haman took great pride in the spear techniques he had learned.
He firmly believed that spearmanship was the king of all martial arts.
"A sword? It's just a simplified spear thrust. A saber? A spear swing with more weight added. And all those other weapons? Just modified versions of techniques already found in spearmanship."
Haman's eyes gleamed with conviction.
"So, focus on the spear. Once you master it, everything else will naturally fall into place."
After an extended lecture on the fundamentals of spearmanship, Haman finally wrapped it up.
"Now, I'll show you six maneuvers. If you can master all of them, you won't need to learn anything else. These are the ultimate techniques."
Haman was convinced that Elric wouldn't be able to easily grasp the spear techniques.
The maneuvers he was about to teach, though appearing simple at first glance, required precise angles and postures to execute properly.
Though Herman and the second brother, Lasalle, had praised Elric as a genius who could grasp a hundred concepts from just one lesson, Haman wasn't about to let that slide.
'We can't let him get too full of himself!'
Haman wanted to give Elric a significant challenge.
After all, only through hardship and adversity could a genius be tempered and grow stronger. Overcoming such obstacles would leave a lasting impression on him.
Haman hoped that spearmanship would become that kind of challenge for Elric.
So, Haman decided to cheat a little.
'Sorry, big brothers. But what can I do? To steal this genius away, I have to use a few tricks, right? Haha!'
Swish, swish, swoosh—
Haman's spear moved in a dazzling display.
Sometimes heavy, sometimes swift, and sometimes as sharp as a blade.
Though they appeared to be simple movements, they were anything but.
Techniques Haman had trained in to master
In fact, they were the essence of the spear techniques he had continued to hone even after his retirement.
Now, Haman intended to pass these maneuvers on to Elric, just as he would to any future successor!
'I'll make him my successor. Haha!'
Of course, Elric knew nothing of Haman's plans and was about to learn
Haman was well aware that even with Elric's talent for physical arts,
'When my dear nephew-in-law gets frustrated and discouraged, I'll be there to console him... and that's how I'll win him over as my disciple. This one is mine. All mine!'
Haman had his eyes set on Elric's talent and had no intention of sharing him with the other sworn brothers.
Tap!
"So, what do you think? Can you do it?"
After the demonstration, a small twister spun elegantly at the tip of Haman's spear.
Even he had to admit, it was a flashy performance.
It was, of course, an intentional display.
Elric scratched the back of his head, looking somewhat troubled.
"It won't be easy..."
"If it were easy, it wouldn't be martial arts, would it? It'd just be a mere trick."
Haman handed his spear to Elric, giving him a confident grin.
"But martial arts are like climbing stairs. If you keep stepping forward one step at a time, eventually you'll reach the top. So, give it a try."
"Yes."
Elric took the spear and began to adjust his posture.
His eyes sharpened.
His focus was unwavering.
'Ho! As expected, his posture is excellent. His eye for detail is extraordinary.'
Haman's eyes gleamed as he watched Elric. It was just as Herman and Lasalle had said.
'How did such a child not born in a martial family but in a magic one...? What a waste!'
Haman couldn't stop admiring him, though his thoughts were interrupted.
Swish, swoosh, swish!
He had planned to correct Elric's maneuvers if he made any mistakes while performing them. But... there was nothing to correct!
Swooosh—
Whirl, whoosh, swish, swoosh—
Elric flawlessly executed the five maneuvers—breeze, whirlwind, gust, storm, and typhoon—in perfect order, just as Haman had demonstrated!
'This... this is unbelievable!'
Even the slight mistake Haman had made in his own demonstration was copied and repeated exactly as if it had been pasted onto Elric's performance.
At that moment, Haman realized something.
'I'm not the only one who tried to pull a fast one, huh.'
Just like how Haman had secretly tried to cheat, it seemed Herman and Lasalle had likely done the same. They probably taught Elric more than just the basics, passing on their own essence and secret techniques.
And Elric, just like now, had undoubtedly absorbed it all.
The praise about him being a genius, who understood everything from a single lesson, wasn't just empty words after all.
'At this rate, my brothers will all end up revealing their best techniques.'
Haman couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
A talent of this caliber was something that might only appear once in a century, if that.
But there was something strange about it all.
'No matter how talented he is, there's no way he should be able to reach this level of mastery in such a short time. It's almost as if some other spear master is guiding him from the shadows.'
Of course, there was no one else present besides Haman and Elric, so there couldn't be anyone teaching him spear techniques.
Maybe it was just the mark of a true genius.
Sometimes geniuses could do things that defied explanation, so Haman decided to leave it at that.
And because of that, he failed to notice.
The faint, gray aura that had begun to wrap itself around Elric.
The divine power of "Winter," the Northern Wind, had begun to stir, and souls of the dead were beginning to gather around him.
[T/L: You can read ahead chapters and support me here: https://ko-fi.com/revengerscans ]