A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 5

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Shrine
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Wow.

The training grounds have nice facilities.

I exclaimed in admiration while looking around the neatly organized training grounds.

As expected, there’s a huge difference between medieval Europe and China of the same period.

Unless you’re from a fairly well-off family, you can’t even see a well-maintained stone floor there.

The Middle Ages are truly hopeless.

It would have been way better if they had dropped me off during the Renaissance era.

“This is awesome.”

“Hehe, the Haenam Sword Sect’s facilities are the best on Haenam Island!”

Hye-ryeong, who heard my exclamation, boasted with her hands on her waist.

Seeing her reaction filled with pride in her sect, I smiled and asked her.

“Is it possible to borrow a wooden sword? Preferably a large one.”

“Wait a moment!”

Considering the physique of martial artists here, the wooden sword needed to be longer than average to fit my height.

At my request, Hye-ryeong nodded her head vigorously and ran to the weapon storage cabinet in the corner of the training ground. She returned shortly, hugging a long wooden sword and held it out to me.

“This is the longest wooden sword!”

It wasn’t quite the length of a longsword, but it seemed similar in length to a broadsword. I took the wooden sword from her and swung it up and down with just my wrist.

As expected, the center of gravity is a bit different since it’s made of wood.

The grip is also on the shorter side.

“…Come to think of it, this is my first time using a wooden sword.”

“Huh? You don’t use wooden swords in the Western Regions?”

Hye-ryeong asked me with a surprised face.

It would certainly sound strange in the martial arts world.

That curious girl was already looking at me with a face that said, ‘How do you practice without using a wooden sword?’

“We have separate practice swords made of iron. They have no edge and a very narrow blade, so it feels more like a rod than a sword, with even lower lethality than a wooden sword.”

The blade was so dull that it couldn’t properly cut or thrust, there was basically no risk of injury during practice, so it was a weapon I used until my hands were torn apart during my apprentice knight days.

Even so, I only got to handle it for about two months before being thrown into real battles.

Still, there was nothing better for establishing the basics of swordsmanship.

I did struggle a bit later to adapt to a regulation sword, though.

“I want to see the swords of the Western Regions too!”

“If the opportunity arises, you’ll probably see them.”

I lied. Unless a merchant ship brings Western swords, that won’t happen.

“Then, shall I start stretching a bit?”

I slowly walked to the center of the training ground.

Hye-ryeong followed me, then exclaimed as if she had remembered something.

She quickly turned around and apologized to me in a voice full of regret.

“I’m sorry! I almost peeked at your martial arts, Uncle!”

“Don’t worry about it. I can’t perform grandiose movements that can be called martial arts by Central Plains standards anyway.”

Is it taboo to watch someone else’s training in the martial arts world?

Come to think of it, there seemed to be such an unspoken rule.

In the West, they didn’t really care much unless it was something like secret swordsmanship.

“So don’t mind and feel free to watch.”

“But still, that’s a bit…”

“If it bothers you, just keep your back turned.”

“Hmm…”

Hye-ryeong groaned as if she was conflicted between the martial arts world’s implicit taboo and her curiosity.

Why is she hesitating when I gave her permission? She can just watch.

She’s quite the orthodox martial artist, in a peculiar way.

“Then, please excuse me!”

“There’s no need to make such a fuss.”

Shall I try swinging it?

I closed my eyes and gripped the wooden sword’s handle with both hands.

The sensation was clearly different from a metal sword. The hard texture unique to wood felt unfamiliar.

I stepped forward with my right foot and slightly bent my knees.

Then, keeping the blade vertical, I raised the wooden sword to head height.

It was one of the basic stances of the swordsmanship I had learned.

From this state, the core of a knight’s swordsmanship was to change into a defensive stance by swinging the sword either counterclockwise or clockwise depending on the situation in order to defend against the opponent’s attacks.

I changed stances by swinging and thrusting the sword into the air from high, middle, low, and then back to middle, then high positions, before lowering the sword.

My body felt heavy.

I took a deep breath, feeling the unpleasant sensation of my clothes getting soaked with sweat.

With my current body, just taking stances slowly made sweat drip all over my body, showing how poor my condition was.

“This is the basic swordsmanship learned in the West, or as you call it, the Western Regions.”

“Are there no techniques in the Western Regions?”

“It’s not that there aren’t any, but they’re close to being the exclusive property of the Hellenic factions.”

Just thinking about those Greeks makes my teeth chatter.

Their swordsmanship was truly the epitome of obscurity.

Why the hell are they trying to express the Pythagorean theorem through swordsmanship?

This is what happens when you have a surplus of philosophers coming up with new ideas.

I clicked my tongue, recalling the memory of sparring with a knight from the Pythagorean faction long ago.

It would be a lie to say the spar wasn’t helpful, but it wasn’t a particularly fond memory.

“It’s fascinating! The swordsmanship of the Western Regions is really different from the martial arts world’s swordsmanship!”

I guess it’s different enough to surprise Hye-ryeong.

I scratched my head and nodded at her words. It is quite different after all.

It was also one of the reasons I never thought I was in a martial arts novel.

“For now, this is as much as I can move today. I’m sorry, but let’s stop here for today.”

“Okay!”

If possible, I planned to keep coming to the training grounds to stretch my body a bit. It would be much better than lying around as a patient.

I wiped the wooden sword’s handle with my clothes and placed it back into the weapon storage cabinet.

—

It’s been a week since I’ve begun using the training grounds.

I think I’ve recovered about two-thirds of the way by now.

Perhaps because the Sect Leader of the Haenam Sword Sect had me take medicine that was good for meridian recovery, but my condition was improving faster than I expected.

At this rate, my body would be completely fine within a week.

There couldn’t be better news for me.

The faster my body healed, the more aptly I could prepare for the evil cult.

“Here’s a towel!”

“You don’t need to take care of me to this extent. Just relax.”

“As a disciple of the Sect Leader, it’s only proper for me to take care of the sect’s guest, you know?”

It’s a fair argument, but why are you doing it and not a maid?

Other people are feeling uncomfortable because you’re taking care of me.

The disciples’ gazes are becoming increasingly filled with suspicion.

At this rate, I’ll earn the title ‘the immoral foreigner who seduced the youngest disciple of the Sect Leader.’

That was definitely not what I wanted. It’s not like I dislike women, but I haven’t fallen so low as to look at my benefactor in that way.

Besides, as a knight, I’m a man who maintains a certain level of courtesy towards ladies.

Chivalry is a bitch.

Although I haven’t really met a lady yet as I don’t consider the burly female knights back West ladies.

“You already talk to me well, no need to attend to me as well.”

“Hehe.”

Hye-ryeong laughed it off despite my scolding.

She must be used to brushing off such things and not being questioned due to her invincible position as the beloved youngest disciple.

Thinking I had let it slide, Hye-ryeong, who had been observing me for a moment, flapped her arms and shouted.

“Uncle! Let’s go eat dinner!”

“I got it, so stop making a fuss. Are you a penguin?”

“Penguin? What’s that?”

“It’s an animal that you resemble.”

What she does is exactly like a penguin.

Overflowing with curiosity, flapping her arms about when excited. Even the hair color is similar.

Come to think of it, if a penguin were to transform into a human, wouldn’t it look just like her?

“It’s not a weird animal, right?”

Is that so important?

“It’s a cute animal, so don’t worry.”

“Are you hitting on me right now? I’m not that easy of a woman, you know.”

How did you arrive at that conclusion?

I want to punch her.

But as a guest, I can’t hit the host’s youngest disciple. If I get misunderstood, I’ll be in trouble. I lowered my fist with reluctantly and turned around.

“Let’s just go eat.”

“Let’s go together!”

I walked the now-familiar path and arrived at the dining hall.

Since the dining hall was filled with martial artists who had just finished their training, I guess we had come at the busiest time.

We managed to find seats and sat down.

While waiting for the meal to be served, we engaged in light conversation as usual.

To be precise, it was a repetition of Hye-ryeong’s endless chatter and my responses.

When we were preparing to leave after eating as usual.

I placed my hand on my waist, sensing someone approaching me.

Ah, I don’t have a sword.

“Greetings.”

Is that a salute?

I awkwardly imitated the salute and looked at the martial artist in front of me.

“Junior Martial Brother Mu-guang? What’s the matter?”

Hearing that prickly tone, I glanced at Hye-ryeong and saw her looking at the guy called Junior Martial Brother Mu-guang with a disgusted face.

Is this the appearance of another troublemaker aside from Hye-ryeong?

“Senior Martial Sister Hye-ryeong, may I have a brief conversation with this gentleman?”

The young man pleaded with her in an earnest voice.

“Didn’t Martial Uncle warn you not to bother the guest?”

“How can I restrain myself when someone who walks the path of the sword in the Western Regions has come?!”

Ah, so that’s what it was.

I clicked my tongue at the appearance of a sword fanatic, such a common trope in martial arts novels.

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