A Medieval Knight in a Martial Arts Novel – Chapter 60

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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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“…That’s right.”

“I see.”

Seo Ryeon stared at him with curiosity.

Her gaze held a hint of wonder, as if she was trying to figure out how a foreigner like him ended up with the Haenam Sword Sect.

Couldn’t she just leave so he could eat?

He knew she was a somewhat important character in the original story, but right now, his meal was more important.

There was nothing more tragic than letting delicious food go cold.

“Ah, Lady Seo Ryeon. It’s been a while.”

“…Indeed, it has.”

Hajin smoothly joined the conversation.

Judging by his welcoming expression, they seemed to be acquainted.

Seo Ryeon shifted her vacant gaze to Hajin, then back to William.

“Is there something you need?”

“…I’m just curious.”

Then can’t she just leave?

Hye-ryeong, sitting across from him, looked like she was about to sulk.

“Miss, we don’t have much time…”

The bodyguard standing behind Seo Ryeon spoke to her with a troubled expression.

It seemed they were on a tight schedule.

Was he giving them an excuse to leave?

The bodyguard needed to take Seo Ryeon and attend to their duties, while William wanted to enjoy his meal in peace.

Their interests aligned, so it was best to let them go quickly.

“It seems you’re in a hurry. Why don’t you go ahead and have your meal?”

“Then I’ll see you later.”

No, he didn’t want to see her again.

With those parting words, Seo Ryeon dropped a bombshell and left.

“…When did you two meet?”

“Do you remember what I said when we were passing through the mountains before arriving in Wuhan?”

“Um… the stream?”

“I met her there.”

“Ah.”

Hye-ryeong finally gasped, and nodded her head.

Her face showed that she understood.

Then, she looked at William with a strange expression.

What was that look for?

“What a coincidence… Why was Lady Seo Ryeon even in a place like that…?”

“She said she was taking a walk.”

Whether it was truly a walk or if she had another purpose, he didn’t know, but since she claimed it was a walk, there was no need for him to pry.

Besides, getting involved with her would bring more harm than good.

As one of the Five Beauties of Murim, or was it Four?

He couldn’t recall, but being known as one of the most beautiful women in the world meant that many people were interested in her.

In the episode where Seo Ryeon got entangled with the protagonist, the infatuated young master of the Moyong Clan even challenged him to a duel.

William wasn’t a battle maniac, so there was no need to put himself in such a situation.

On top of that, he already stood out as a foreigner.

Getting involved with Seo Ryeon in such a way would only complicate things further.

As an outsider, he was more likely to encounter troublesome situations than the protagonist, who was affiliated with the Wulin Alliance.

Even now, he could feel the sharp gazes directed at him from the surrounding people.

He wondered if one of them might be the young master of the Moyong Clan…but he hoped not.

There was nothing more annoying than dealing with a hot-blooded youngster.

“…Let’s eat.”

The only way to break this awkward atmosphere was to act nonchalant.

As William picked up his chopsticks and began to eat, his companions reluctantly started their meals as well.

Unfortunately, it was a meal he ate without tasting, as if he was shoving food down his throat rather than savoring it.

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“…Mister. It’s morning.”

Tap, tap, tap.

William opened his eyes to the sound of someone knocking on the wall and a voice calling out from beyond.

He wasn’t sure if he should be happy or annoyed about waking up like this.

He got out of bed, straightened the sheets, and opened the window.

A cool breeze brushed against his face.

Judging by the fading darkness, it seemed to be just before sunrise.

William got dressed and washed his face with the water he had prepared the previous night.

The cool water splashed against his face, chasing away any lingering drowsiness.

He decided to start with meditation in the training room.

It was something he should do as a cultivator of aura, but he also felt the need to clear his cluttered mind.

It was also a good opportunity to try and recall the missing pieces of his memory.

He closed the door to his room and knocked on the wall next door, saying,

“I’ll be meditating, so call me after half an hour.”

“Okay~”

He immediately entered the training room and began his meditation.

…It was incredibly quiet.

It seemed unlikely he would be disturbed here unless someone tried to break down the door.

“…Huu.”

Let’s begin.

He closed his eyes and looked inward.

The aura that had been dormant within his mana core, waiting patiently for his command, began to slowly unravel.

Freed from their restraints, the aura flowed through his body, reveling in their newfound freedom.

He immediately gathered his aura, guiding it to the surface of his skin and then back in, repeatedly filling his muscles and withdrawing it.

After all, the most important thing for a martial artist was their body, aura was merely an auxiliary.

No matter how skilled a martial artist was, they couldn’t wield a sword without muscles.

It wasn’t impossible to swing a sword with aura alone, but what was the point of a swing without substance?

His aura-infused muscles repeatedly expanded and contracted, while his mana core replenished the aura that had been expended.

His mana core was similar to a muscle in nature, so by repeatedly emptying and filling it, he could gradually increase its capacity.

Just like completing a cycle of exercises, he finished a round of meditation and withdrew his aura back into his mana core.

Steam rose from his body, which had been heated by the circulation of aura.

“…Huu.”

He exhaled and moved on to the next cycle.

…It was time to start thinking.

His top priority was to find the protagonist of the original story, Dan Mokgyeong.

He wasn’t sure about the exact timing, but judging by the early chapters of the original story, it should be around the time Dan Mokgyeong joined the Patrol Unit or was about to take the entrance exam.

Unlike other units, the Patrol Unit held entrance exams on a rolling basis, so it was difficult to determine the exact timeline based on that alone.

The best course of action was to head to the Patrol Unit and search for Dan Mokgyeong.

If the timing was right, he would be able to meet Dan Mokgyeong.

No, it might not be a good idea to go looking for him.

If it became known that he was searching for the protagonist, it could draw unwanted attention to Dan Mokgyeong.

He didn’t know how the protagonist’s actions would change since he had altered the original storyline, but at this stage, it was best for Dan Mokgyeong to remain unnoticed.

In the original story, it took about half a year after joining the Patrol Unit for Dan Mokgyeong to start standing out.

It would be better to let him gain experience slowly for now.

Of course, this was all assuming Dan Mokgyeong actually existed in this world.

…And that was the biggest problem.

What if Dan Mokgyeong didn’t exist?

Could they stop the Demonic Cult?

He had to reach at least the peak of the Transcendent Realm to even stand a chance against the Heavenly Demon.

Even among absolute masters, very few reached that realm.

Was it even possible?

The protagonist had shown an insane growth rate, going from second-rate to a transcendent expert in just a year and a half, thanks to his absurd talent and fortuitous encounters.

But William, while talented, wasn’t on that level.

Even with such talent, the protagonist’s ending was a mutual destruction with the Heavenly Demon.

Could William even achieve that?

…The future looked bleak.

But since he had decided to settle here, he had no choice.

Kill or be killed.

If he couldn’t kill the Heavenly Demon, the Central Plains would be devastated anyway.

At this point, escaping back to the West was practically impossible.

It would be better to somehow kill the Heavenly Demon, drive the Demonic Cult out of the Central Plains, and live comfortably here.

He had escaped from one battlefield only to find himself in another.

What a cruel world.

But he had to try.

He slowly recalled the events of the original story.

First, the martial arts tournament and the Gathering of Heroes, followed by the appearance of the Demonic Cultivators.

The rampage of the Yangtze River Waterway Gang and the Green Forest.

The secrets surrounding the Five Great Clans and the encounter with the former masters of the Nine Great Sects…

…The death of the Wulin Alliance Leader.

He was going to be busy.

He finished his meditation and opened his eyes.

He had spent enough time gathering his aura.

Now it was time to achieve his first goal.

He walked over to his room and knocked on the wall, saying,

“Hye-ryeong. Let’s go grab a bite to eat.”

“…”

Was she meditating?

William left his room and checked Hye-ryeong’s door.

The tightly shut door stood firm like an impenetrable fortress.

He could go ahead without her, but that would only make her sulk.

She had a childish side to her and was easily upset.

With those thoughts in mind, he leaned against the wall next to her door and looked ahead.

The sunlight from the rising sun was streaming through the open space in the center of the building, painting the floor in a bright light.

“…Huu.”

Creak-

“Mister? Have you been waiting?”

“It’s time to eat. And I have a place I want to go to after.”

“A place?”

Hye-ryeong tilted her head, looking up at him curiously.

Her twin tails, tied neatly, swayed as they tilted to one side.

“I was thinking of going to the Patrol Unit.”

“Why the Patrol Unit?”

“…For some preliminary research. It wouldn’t hurt to figure out which unit would be best to join if I’m going to join the Wulin Alliance.”

“Then let’s go together!”

She was going to follow him anyway, even if he hadn’t said anything.

William nodded at Hye-ryeong’s words.

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[i have no idea wtf is going on but im likin it so far – Daddy Fusion]