novelraw Chapter 84 : Chapter 84
Chapter 84 : Chapter 84
Chapter 84. Training
“Teach me the sword.”
Hakain was utterly flustered.
He couldn’t understand the situation at all.
Yohan had suddenly vanished, and then a demon appeared out of nowhere.
And now that demon was asking him—out of the blue—to teach him swordsmanship.
Hakain sat there dumbfounded, unable to respond.
As he remained frozen, a sharp voice rang out.
“You blasphemous fool! Can’t you hear the sacred voice of the Great End?!”
A flame-wreathed imp shouted from atop the front bookshelf.
It was Zal’karin.
Hakain looked more confused than ever. He mumbled blankly.
“Is this place truly a demon’s den?”
Zal’karin yelled back,
“A den?! This is the cradle of all evil! The cursed domain where the Great End Himself resides!”
Hakain turned a wary gaze to Mapheltan.
“T-Then you must be... the Apostle?”
Zal’karin exploded in fury.
“Now kneel and show proper respect to the End!”
Mapheltan clicked his tongue.
“You’re loud. Enough.”
“But…”
“I said shut it.”
“A-As you command…”
Zal’karin instantly deflated. The flames around him extinguished with a quiet hiss.
Mapheltan looked directly at Hakain.
“Hakain. I’ll say it again. Teach me the sword.”
Hakain still couldn’t answer right away. After taking a moment to collect himself, he finally spoke.
“…Why would a demon want to learn swordsmanship from a human?”
As he finished speaking, a swirl of pitch-black demonic energy condensed in Mapheltan’s hand.
It quickly shaped into a long spear.
The Cursed Spear Turabak—a relic taken from Third Prince Gawain.
Mapheltan brought Turabak close to Hakain’s face.
“To be precise, teach me spear technique for now, and swordsmanship in the morning.”
Sword Demons typically had mastery over all bladed weapons.
Among humans, few could match Hakain in handling weaponry.
To have him as a teacher meant Yohan and Mapheltan could grow rapidly.
But for Hakain, it was all too bewildering.
“Swordsmanship and spear technique… What could a demon possibly need that for?”
Demons were different from humans. They didn’t grow stronger through training.
They grew by accumulating evil deeds and feeding on human fear.
That was undeniably more efficient.
But the method had limits.
Mapheltan finally spoke.
“To combine technique with innate strength. You humans were born weak, yet you honed technique to compensate. And in the end, you rose to dominate the continent—the most insignificant race of all.”
In the past, the continent had been home to many races. Now, humans were virtually the only intelligent beings left.
The weakest species had become the victors.
And the foundation for that was technique.
Art refined by blood and pain—countless skills and disciplines made humans great.
Hakain asked,
“You mean… you intend to train, shed sweat and blood like a human?”
Mapheltan nodded.
“Exactly. You may push me to the brink of death. Teach me the sword and spear.”
That wasn’t something you expected to hear from a demon.
Hakain had encountered many demons in the Dead Shadow, but none like Mapheltan.
There was something... unsettling about him.
“…Do I have a choice in this?”
Mapheltan smiled faintly.
“Of course. I’ll give you two options—become Ilea’s experimental subject, or become my teacher. Choose.”
Hakain gave an awkward laugh.
“Haha. No need to think twice. I’ll be your teacher.”
Ilea sighed.
“Sword Demons are such rare materials… what a shame.”
Whether she was joking or not was impossible to tell.
Hakain’s skin broke out in goosebumps.
He stood up from where he’d been slumped.
“S-Shall we start now, then?”
Mapheltan chuckled.
“Very well. You seem full of motivation.”
Hakain had no choice but to put on his best face.
He would rather die than be used as a test subject by a mage.
He looked over Turabak with a professional gaze.
“I’ll start with the basics. First… let’s loosen up a little.”
Hakain had trained students before, but never a demon.
He honestly didn’t know where to begin.
For now, he would proceed as usual, then adapt the curriculum as needed.
Mapheltan raised the spear.
“So, what should I do?”
A terrifying demon and an enormous black spear—just the sight of them together was overwhelming.
Hakain gave a sheepish smile.
“F-First, please set the spear down and follow my movements.”
He began stretching.
Mapheltan followed suit immediately.
He bent backward, and his massive body curved like a bow.
His head touched the ground.
He looked like a human bridge.
“Like this?”
Hakain was genuinely impressed.
“…That’s right. Your flexibility is… not even comparable to a human’s.”
His resilience and strength, too—far beyond anything human.
If technique were added to his natural strength, Mapheltan would become an unmeasurable monster.
As Mapheltan straightened his back, he said,
“Alright, hurry to the next part.”
He was impatient.
He wanted to grow, even if only a little faster.
Thus, the training began.
***
Time passed quickly.
Even in the warm South, winter arrived.
The old castle was blanketed in snow. The ivy that had once wrapped its walls froze and died, and frost bloomed in the cracks of the worn stone.
The world turned completely white.
Even one’s breath came out as cold, pale mist.
Yohan lay sprawled in the snow, exhaling foggy breaths.
He was panting heavily, on the brink of collapse.
‘I’m going to die. Seriously.’
His half-naked body was covered in injuries—gashes, bruises, small scars. It was no longer the body of a nobleman.
It resembled that of a mercenary or soldier.
He had built considerable muscle. No longer thin or frail.
Hakain approached with a calm expression.
“You’ve made enormous progress. Frankly, talent like yours is extremely rare.”
It had been nearly two months since Yohan began training under Hakain.
He hadn’t missed a single day of physical training.
The result was significant growth.
Ordinary humans were no match for him anymore.
Yohan struggled to sit up. He slumped into the snow and spoke.
“Still not enough. Especially with the sword—it just doesn’t feel right.”
He was training in both spear and sword techniques.
He found the spear more comfortable.
His skill levels between the two had diverged noticeably.
Hakain said,
“Even with the sword, your growth is impressive. Purely based on talent, you’re in the top five among all my disciples.”
Yohan replied,
“That’s not very reassuring. I probably won’t reach your level with the sword.”
“I won’t deny that. However, it’s a different story with the spear.”
“You think I’m better with it too?”
Hakain nodded.
“My Lord, you’re a genius with the spear. With effort, you could reach any level.”
He now referred to Yohan as “Baron.”
Yohan had officially received his barony.
The Count had truly changed the law.
Yohan Miyatro—Watcher of the Abyss.
Yohan said,
“A genius, huh. Nice to hear for once.”
In this world, power was law.
That reality would only intensify in the latter half.
Given the world’s focus on strength, this development was very welcome.
Hakain added,
“All that remains is awakening Aura. To be honest, sword or spear alone has its limits.”
Swordsmen fell into two categories—those who could wield Aura, and those who couldn’t.
No matter how skilled, without Aura, one would always hit a ceiling.
Without it, true mastery of the blade was impossible.
Yohan knew that well.
He said,
“I don’t plan to learn Aura.”
“You mentioned that before. Is there a particular reason?”
Once one filled their dantian with Aura, they became unable to learn other powers.
Yohan intended to possess abilities beyond Aura.
He shrugged.
“My dantian’s too precious.”
Hakain didn’t quite understand.
“…I see. So you must have something else in mind.”
Yohan nodded.
“Something like that. Anyway, let’s call it a day.”
He needed rest.
Once night fell, he’d be swinging a spear again—inside Mapheltan’s body.
As he finished speaking, Raguel set down his bow.
“Yohan, great work today.”
He had been training with the bow for two months.
At first, Hakain had instructed him, but that was no longer necessary.
Raguel was a High Elf.
His talent with the bow was overwhelming.
He could strike tiny targets over 100 meters away.
Yohan said,
“Raguel, you worked hard too. I’ll get you a good bow later.”
Even a Class-1 artifact wouldn’t be wasted on him.
Raguel was now among their top assets.
He beamed.
“Really? Thank you!”
He had brightened a lot. He smiled more, spoke with energy.
The timid boy from before was gone.
In his place stood a confident, lively youth.
Yohan ruffled his hair lightly.
“Alright, let’s head in. It’s getting cold.”
Now that their training heat had worn off, the chill began to creep in.
Yohan stood up.
As he was about to step away, Ilea’s voice called out.
“Yohan, I have good news.”
She stepped into the training grounds. A faint ripple shimmered as she crossed the barrier.
The grounds were shielded by a ward.
It was to hide Raguel’s presence.
Cumbersome, but necessary.
If the castle staff saw Raguel training with a bow, they’d be suspicious.
After all, the boy had once been blind.
At least a minimal layer of protection was needed.
Yohan looked at her.
“Good news? What is it?”
She held out a large parchment scroll.
“It’s from the royal capital. Read it.”
Yohan unrolled the scroll with a rustle.
As he read its contents, the corners of his mouth lifted.
『Royal Council Decree』——Regarding the formal recognition of the Miyatro Family’s entry into the Council and the Watcher of the Abyss.
The Kingdom is currently facing an unprecedented threat. The descent of Apostles, the emergence of ancient demons, and an assault on the capital by demonic armies are not isolated incidents—they are omens shaking the foundation of our nation. Thus, the Royal Family and Council, in the name of national survival and order, decree the following as an irreversible mandate…
Article 1: Although the Miyatro family’s lineage was previously severed… [Truncated]
The contents were simple.
Yohan was now formally recognized as a member of the Royal Council.
He had become one of the eleven nobles who governed the kingdom.
‘He’s efficient, as always.’
The Count was performing his tasks admirably.
Yohan was quite satisfied.
He said,
“Time to prepare for a trip to the capital. Ilea, get me a good carriage and some decent clothes. I need to look the part, at least.”
The territory was poor, but Yohan didn’t mind.
He could borrow all the money he needed in the Count’s name.
From now on, he had no intention of holding back on investments.