A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 4

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shrine
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“I’ll guard the door for you!”

On the fourth day, those were the words Hye-ryeong uttered when she saw my noticeably recovered body.

I immediately nodded at her offer.

Although it wasn’t a meditation method that required a guard, having one was better than not having one.

I took my eyes off her, who was standing with her back to me, and sat cross-legged.

You know, knights also sat cross-legged when meditating.

Though not everyone did that, it felt to me like it was naturally the optimal posture.

Isn’t this what they call ‘All paths converge to one end’ in martial arts novels?

…Enough.

Let’s stop with the idle thoughts and focus.

I slowed my breathing.

I initiated the process of mana breathing, which was called ‘Internal Arts’ in the East. Since my mana core was completely empty, I had to slowly gather aura first, before circulating it through the meridians.

Breathe in, breathe out.

With that simple act, the surrounding mana began to be sucked into my nostrils.

It was a subtly foreign energy.

Is this the difference between Western and Eastern mana?

Fortunately, it didn’t seem to be so different that mana breathing itself couldn’t be used.

At least that’s a relief.

If the arts I learned before were completely unusable here, it would have been a huge headache.

I should be at the level of a supreme expert by murims standards, so if they told me to learn from the beginning again, that would be hell.

It’s not like I can magically learn swordsmanship by joining the Haenam Sword Sect like in a game…

…I guess that is so for now, that is.

I finished meditating and checked my body’s condition.

Perhaps because my aura was somewhat replenished, I felt a bit of vitality returning to my body.

I slowly got up to test it out.

Although my whole body ached, I could get up just fine. Next, I stepped forward.

Walking was also okay. It felt a bit awkward, but I think I could even run.

As expected, a knight needs aura.

“Ah, are you okay? Shouldn’t you sit more?”

“I’m fine, so don’t make a fuss.”

“Now that I see you standing, you’re really tall!”

It seemed like there was about a foot difference, I estimated while looking at Hye-ryeong, who barely reached my chest.

This much is quite a normal difference, right? I belonged to the taller group among Westerners.

Back when I first transmigrated, I was even called ‘beanstalk.’

“Can you walk around outside now?”

“Who knows? That’s not for me to decide, but for the Sect Leader to decide.”

In the martial arts world, isn’t it usually considered rude to wander around another sect’s premises without permission?

Even if I have Hye-ryeong as a shield, there’s no need to deliberately invite ill will.

No matter what, I’m an outsider.

Until my body recovers, I should be as discreet as possible.

“Then I’ll go ask Master for permission!”

Hye-ryeong left the room in an instant.

I just threw out the bait, and she immediately bit. I sat back down on the bed and sighed.

It was because my body still felt too heavy to keep standing.

“Reminds me of the old days…”

It was like this 2 years ago too.

It feels like I’ve gone back to my novice days.

I repeated clenching and unclenching my fists, feeling a strange sensation.

—

Permission was granted faster than expected.

Access to a few places was prohibited, but that was natural.

There’s no reason for me to go to where the elders stay, or the library with the Haenam Sword Sect’s secret manuals.

I had no intention of gaining access to them secretly later either.

There’s no point in stealing the secret mauals since I can’t learn from them anyway, and the moment I get caught, it’s obvious I’ll become a public enemy.

Stealing the secret manuals of the Nine Great Sects was enough justification to become a public enemy of all the orthodox sects.

“This is the dining hall!”

I examined the interior of the dining hall we arrived at after a short walk.

Perhaps because it was past mealtime that the inside was quiet, but that didn’t mean there were no other people.

Ignoring the glances directed at me, I followed Hye-ryeong’s guidance and entered.

Hye-ryeong took me to a suitable seat. Perhaps because she’s the youngest disciple of the Sect Leader, she lacks tact.

I watched what she was doing with disbelief at her actions that didn’t even consider the atmosphere.

” Cook Uncle! Two people here!”

“Alright! Wait a bit! I’ll bring out a meal that would surprise even the Emperor!”

A hearty laughter resounded throughout the dining hall.

“Cook Uncle Jung is really good at cooking! He gives generous portions too…”

I let Hye-ryeong’s chatter go in one ear and out the other while observing the atmosphere of the dining hall.

Whether Hye-ryeong knew it or not, everyone in the dining hall was looking at me while pretending not to.

The awkwardness in the air was palpable.

Most of the gazes were closer to curiosity, but some were also filled with concern. As an outsider, and a foreigner at that, it was inevitable.

I shifted my gaze back to Hye-ryeong, ignoring the stares.

“Yesterday, with my Senior Martial Brother and Junior Martial Brother Myeong-un…”

“Who is Junior Martial Brother Myeong-un?”

Unfamiliar names keep popping up. I don’t know the names of the Haenam Sword Sect’s disciples.

“He’s Elder Cheon’s disciple! He’s friends with my Senior Martial Brother…”

“Little girl! Are you bothering the guest again?”

The cook’s shout interrupted Hye-ryeong’s endless chatter, and she protested with puffed cheeks.

“I wasn’t bothering him! Since he’s a guest, I’m treating him…”

“Isn’t the guest feeling troubled? Sometimes, knowing when to be quiet is also a virtue when hosting guests!”

“Is… is that true? Ah, Uncle, you… you don’t dislike me talking, right…?”

Hye-ryeong asked, looking at me.

“I’m listening with interest, so don’t worry.”

Since the Sect Leader had requested it, I had to entertain her to some extent anyway, so I couldn’t say I disliked it.

Hye-ryeong’s chatter was also helpful in many ways since she provided me with information.

While I’m not sure if I need to know the trivial relationships within the Haenam Sword Sect…

But it might come in handy someday, so it’s not bad to remember.

“I’ve prepared plenty, so eat up! With that physique, you need to eat a lot to maintain it, don’t you?”

“Thank you.”

Can I finish all this?

A lavish meal was laid out in front of me. It was quite a large portion for two people.

I reached for the tower of dumplings first with my chopsticks.

Since I didn’t recognize any of the dishes, I intended to try the safest looking food first.

After a few attempts, I picked up a fist-sized dumpling and took a bite, and the taste of greasy meat spread in my mouth.

It’s delicious.

The seasoning was a bit strong, but that’s not unusual considering it’s a meal for martial artists.

Martial artists who train every day while sweating must consume salt, after all.

Starting with the dumplings, I began to challenge the unknown items one by one.

Although many of the dishes seemed a bit heavy for a patient to eat, this body of mine was of a Westerner with an unnecessarily strong stomach.

If this level of food was enough to upset my stomach, I would have died long ago.

I diligently stuffed the lavish feast that occupied the table into my mouth.

It didn’t take long for the food that filled the table to almost disappear.

“That was delicious.”

“Uncle, you’re good with chopsticks! I heard foreigners are usually not good with chopsticks!”

“I learned from a friend from the Central Plains.”

“Young man, you have a good appetite!”

“This is the first proper meal I’ve had in 2 years.”

Eating proper food in medieval Europe was even more difficult than seeing Islamic men beg for their lives, saying, “I’ll convert, so please spare me!” while doing the sign of the cross.

They both left a bitter taste in my mouth.

Bread harder than rocks. Porridge made from oats. A few scraps of vegetables the size of a mouse’s tail with a few pieces of meat floating in the soup.

Eating meat generously was a once-a-month occasion at best.

Even that became a fixed oat porridge after I became a slave.

This was the first human-like meal I had eaten since being transmigrated.

The Martial arts world is the best!

Another reason to bury my bones in the martial arts world.

“You’ve been through a lot! Come find me whenever you’re hungry, and I’ll prepare a feast for you!”

“Thank you.”

“Then let’s go for a walk!”

Like a puppy begging to go for a walk, Hye-ryeong jumped up from her seat and shouted.

I’m all for it.

I needed to digest the food and also check the layout of the Haenam Sword Sect while I was at it.

If possible, I planned to ask Hye-ryeong to get me a wooden sword.

Since I couldn’t get a broadsword or a bastard sword here, I had to get used to the swords of the martial arts world as quickly as possible. I needed to acclimate my senses even if I had to push myself a little.

“Is it possible to use the training ground?”

“The training ground?”

“I haven’t been able to move for so long that I want to stretch my body a bit.”

“The training ground on the outskirts should be available at this time! I’ll take you there!”

“Thanks.”

And so, we proceeded to the next destination.

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