Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 7 : Novel Revision (2)

Novel Revision (2)

'How did it come to this?'

It all began with the Deoric family.

The Silver Star Sword, which could be called the Deoric lineage's signature skill, is divided into a first half and a latter half.

The first half could be learned by anyone of the Deoric family, but the techniques of the latter half could only be mastered by the head of the family and the heir.

So, of course, Baian believed that he would one day master the latter half of the Silver Star Sword.

He was certain that he would surpass his elder brother and become the heir.

But his father never taught him the latter half of the Silver Star Sword. He always avoided speaking about it with a troubled look.

Why?

Even when everyone had started to call him the next head of the family, his father alone refused to acknowledge him.

His father always looked after his eldest brother instead of Baian, even though Baian was much more capable.

'There is no place for me in this family.'

Baian was certain that his father would never recognize him.

'If that's the case, then before my family throws me away, I'll cast them aside first.'

And so Baian became a spy for the Kainzel Kingdom, aiming to destroy the Deoric family together with the Talua Kingdom.

But then—

'Clay Vanhart.'

That guy ruined everything.

Since Duke Gale is dead, the Talua Kingdom's army will collapse soon.

Baian planned to receive the title of count in the Kainzel Kingdom as a reward for his role in the victory.

But things went awry.

Because of the idiot from House Vanhart—someone he thought was incompetent and foolish!

Whoosh!

"...!"

Something flew at Baian just as he was gasping for breath.

He reflexively swung his sword at it.

Clang!

"Guh?!"

It was a small glass bottle.

The bottle shattered against his sword, spilling its contents all over Baian.

A pitch-black liquid soaked his face and arm.

"This is..."

He swiftly turned his gaze toward where the bottle had come from.

"Huff, huff..."

And there he saw Clay Vanhart, looking so pale he seemed about to collapse.

'I thought I was going to die. I barely made it in time.'

He had sprinted here with all his strength after untying the ropes, so he could hardly breathe.

'I was lucky.'

It was all thanks to the last line written in the Synopsis.

"In the end, everything was revealed by Fabian, and Baian fled through a secret passage in the valley..."

That single line enabled him to catch Baian.

'I'm glad I caught him before he entered the passage.'

If Baian had already entered that passage hidden somewhere in the valley, finding him would be impossible.

"Clay Vanhart... I can't believe you followed me all the way here."

"... Honestly, I didn't want to come after you either."

Clay managed to catch his breath as he spoke.

He really hadn't wanted to come. If Baian had been even a bit more foolish or incompetent, Clay wouldn't have bothered.

Even though he made jabs about Baian overestimating himself, Clay knew the truth.

The guy was exceedingly capable and never forgot a grudge once he suffered it.

Baian glanced around and soon let out a hollow laugh.

"You came after me alone? Did you really think you could defeat me by yourself? You?"

"At least at this moment."

Clay raised a hand, propping himself up from his knees, and pointed toward Baian.

"Because you're wounded and poisoned."

"You think just these wounds..."

Baian started to speak but abruptly fell silent.

'Poisoned?'

He stared in disbelief at the liquid soaking his body.

It all felt oddly familiar—the shattered bottle, the strange liquid on his skin.

"Now you get it?"

Baian clenched his teeth at Clay's mocking words.

Half his face was drenched in the liquid. Some had gotten into his eyes and wounds, so he was surely poisoned.

It was just a slow-acting toxin, so the effects hadn't revealed themselves immediately.

Quite a bit of time had already passed during their conversation, so the poison was likely starting to take effect.

"You—!"

Enraged, Baian drew his sword and charged at Clay.

Baian, mentally cornered, no longer resembled his previous self.

No, perhaps this was his true nature.

The impulsive and hot-tempered side hidden behind the mask of a noble knight.

'The true face I saw when we were young.'

Now, only a beast, crazed and even more depraved, remained.

Ka-ka-kang!

"Grrrk!"

Baian closed the more-than-ten-meter gap in a flash.

Because Clay was prepared, he barely managed to block Baian's blow—but even so, his grip was torn, and he was sent flying several meters.

'Monster bastard!'

Baian had suffered significant wounds fleeing all the way here.

Now, drenched in poison, he would gradually become more and more intoxicated through his injuries.

That eye that took the brunt of the poison probably couldn't see anymore.

And yet—he was still this strong.

A genius swordsman who reached advanced-rank Sword Expert.

It was by no means an empty reputation.

Shwishwit!

A silver sword light danced in the air.

It was the secret sword art of the Deoric family—the Silver Star Sword.

Sword trails reminiscent of stars unfolded, and under the relentless assault, Clay was instantly sent flying.

His hand, gripping the sword, trembled uncontrollably. Forget swinging at Baian—he doubted he could even block another attack.

'Guh...'

With gritted teeth and in obvious pain, Clay staggered back to his feet—clearly at his limit.

Baian did not bother chasing after Clay.

No, it was more accurate to say he could not. He, too, was battered and poisoned to the core.

"You've always been like that, since childhood."

Baian spoke.

"Struggling for no reason, pointlessly tenacious for someone so useless. Always a nuisance and a bother. Did you ever once manage to beat me by acting that way?"

Just as he said, Baian had never considered Clay a "rival".

Before this incident, he had barely even looked Clay in the eye.

"You know it too, Clay Vanhart. Even if I'm wounded and poisoned, you have no chance of winning against me. That's what stands between us—a difference you cannot overcome."

Clay let out a hollow laugh at those words.

Yes, it was true.

The gap between Baian and himself was enormous.

Advanced-rank Sword Expert versus Sword User.

Baian was the villain, while Clay was just an extra.

They were born with talents and strengths to match.

His limits were clear, and the things he couldn't do far outnumbered those he could.

'And that was supposed to be my role.'

This world.

This novel.

Exactly as this world had ordained—it decreed that Clay would be an extra.

If not for his father's letter, he probably would have continued living and dying that way.

'But...'

The moment he held his father's letter, a chance found him.

The chance to live not by giving up, but by fighting for what he wanted.

Clay steadied his breath and stared at Baian.

'Things have changed.'

If this world had no protagonist,

Then someone else could take up that role.

"Yeah, you're right. That's how it's been until now."

"Until now? You say that as if things have changed."

"That's something nobody can know—for now."

"There is no 'for now' for you. I'll end this here."

Baian approached Clay with slow, resolute steps.

Clay, who had seemed to give up, suddenly spoke.

"Thanks."

With a bright smile.

"For moving just as I predicted."

Clay's eyes were no longer looking at Baian.

[Plausibility has been achieved.]

He had never been so happy to see those words floating in the air.

==

〈Silver Star Sword〉

Required Plausibility

1. Observe the Silver Star Sword over 100 times [Achieved]

2. Receive swordsmanship instruction 10 times from a Sword Expert of 5-star or higher proficiency in Silver Star Sword [Achieved]

==

[Silver Star Sword has been added to your settings.]

At that moment, a silvery light rained down from the sky.

* * *

As the silver light enveloped my body, I felt something incomprehensible enter my mind.

It didn't take long to understand—that was information about the Silver Star Sword.

Every technique of the Silver Star Sword, every method of channeling magic power.

And the relationship between the Deoric family head and Baian.

I now understood why Baian had chosen this path.

That, too, was all part of the Silver Star Sword's "setting".

"What is all this...!"

I could see Baian's face slowly twist with confusion at the sudden occurrence.

No wonder he was startled—a silver light falling from the sky would surprise anyone.

'It won't be easy to add settings carelessly.'

If something like this happens every time I add a setting, it will cause problems quickly.

Thank goodness only Baian and I are here.

"So it was because you couldn't become the heir. I didn't expect it to be related to the Silver Star Sword, though."

"What are you...?"

"I mean, the reason you became a spy for the Kainzel Kingdom. You must have thought Count Deoric would make your elder brother the family head. Since he didn't teach you the latter half of the Silver Star Sword."

At that, Baian's barely collected expression collapsed.

"... Just how do you know that?"

"There are ways to know."

"Did my elder brother tell you? Just to mock me, did he tell someone from another family?!"

"Of course not. Your elder brother actually wishes you would become the family head instead of himself."

"Shut up! Then why didn't Father teach me the complete Silver Star Sword?!"

The reason Count Deoric didn't teach Baian the latter half of the Silver Star Sword.

It was simple.

"It doesn't suit you."

"... What?"

"He couldn't teach it to someone who can't control himself. In other words, you lack the qualifications."

The current Silver Star Sword is a sword art founded on defense.

Its key lies in deflecting the enemy's attacks and then smoothly counterattacking at the precise moment of opportunity.

But Baian carved out paths with sheer force, as if wielding a heavy blade.

His temperament fundamentally didn't match the Silver Star Sword, which was based on flow.

'... If only the sword art hadn't been lost, this issue wouldn't have arisen.'

In truth, the Silver Star Sword wasn't always a defensive technique. Over the generations, most of its latter half was lost, leaving it in its current form.

In short, the present Silver Star Sword is an "incomplete" sword art.

'And yet, they still call it the kingdom's greatest swordsmanship. That's impressive.'

I couldn't help but chuckle.

"Don't make me laugh."

Did he take that as mockery? Baian, biting his lips tightly, spoke in a voice overflowing with rage.

"I said, don't laugh!"

"You see? You have no patience."

Watching Baian charge like a beast, I slowly lowered my upper body.

I stepped forward with my right foot, just past shoulder width, grabbed the scabbard tightly with my left hand, and placed my right hand lightly atop the pommel.

"...!"

Baian's pupils shook as he saw my stance.

He must have realized what stance I was taking now.

Dr, drdrdrdr!

My left hand, gripping the scabbard, trembled. No—more accurately, the scabbard was shaking under the pressure of the magic power gathering inside.

My body moved with natural perfection, as though it had practiced this move thousands upon thousands of times.

As if I had spent years mastering this sword art.

In this very moment, insights developed over decades were being infused into my body.

"This is ridiculous... This can't be happening..."

Unreasonable.

Such an unreasonable power.

Baian could now sense it firsthand.

"How do you—"

At first, he must have thought I was simply imitating the motion.

But soon, he had no choice but to accept that what was happening before his eyes was undeniable fact.

The silver-tinted magic power.

The silver rings encircling my irises.

They all attested that I was displaying the latter half of the Silver Star Sword.

"Clay Vanhart—!!"

With a scream that almost sounded like a wail, Baian brought his sword down toward my head.

Blue aura flashed, poised to cleave my head apart in a single stroke.

If I were my old self, I would have had no way to survive this situation.

In strength and speed, in every respect, I had no chance against Baian.

Between Baian, a Sword Expert, and myself, a Sword User, was an insurmountable gap.

But now.

Now, I possessed the perfect Silver Star Sword—something that existed only in the settings.

"Hidden Star Sword (隱星劍)."

Most people assume that the "eun" in the Silver Star Sword refers to the color silver (銀).

Since the ultimate move dyes one's magic aura silver, it's understandable.

But the "eun" (隱) in Silver Star Sword means "hidden".

"Second Half(後半部)."

I spoke clearly so he could hear.

Look—this is the latter half of the Hidden Star Sword, the very thing you longed to witness and obtain.

"First Technique(第 一招式)."

The first half of the Hidden Star Sword is an elaborate, defensive sword art designed to deceive the eye with its brilliance, whereas the latter half is entirely different.

The latter half consists of five ultimate techniques, each hinging on a single decisive strike.

You hide these finals within the dazzling swordplay of the first half, then end the match by unleashing exactly one, at the crucial moment.

That is the foundation of the Hidden Star Sword.

Long ago, the founder of the Deoric family was known for this sword art as—

― Invincible upon first glimpse.

The latter half of the Hidden Star Sword, First Technique.

"New Star."

A silver star shattered.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=

Silver/Hidden Star Sword has the character 은성검, however, depending on pinyin/chinese character used, the character 은(eun) can mean silver(銀) or star(隱).

Hence, moving forward, the Silver Star Sword will be Hidden Star Sword...

【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】