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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: Simzy
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She was showering as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Not somewhere else, but literally in the annex where I was staying, completely undressed.
Whoosh!
Splash, splash!
Sitting in the living room, I could hear the water. The sound was so distracting, it was hard to bear. I kept imagining Serin showering.
“…”
Her slender frame contrasted with her… ample bosom and generous hips. Honestly, I wanted to see her discarded clothes, and the urge to peek was overwhelming. How could she be so nonchalant? No one could be this casual with a man around.
Perhaps Serin possessed a hidden lascivious nature, unbeknownst even to herself… This pervert!
What am I even thinking?!
Gulp, gulp!
I chugged my innocent green tea, dispelling the lewd thoughts blooming in my mind, and practiced regulating my breathing.
Song.
Right, if it were Song, he would maintain his composure even in this situation. Song would definitely be unfazed. I decided to become a chivalrous warrior like Song. I mustn’t be swayed by such things.
Creak.
Just then, I heard the sound of the door opening, signaling the end of her shower.
“I’m finished.”
“Oh… right.”
I turned around to see Serin fully dressed. Unlike the provocative cheongsam she had been wearing earlier, this was a demure outfit. A silk robe, perhaps. The servant girl had brought it earlier.
But her wet hair accentuated her sexiness. So this was the destructive power emanating from a woman fresh out of the shower.
“My, my, how commendable. You didn’t touch my undergarments. You showed great restraint.”
Serin praised me after checking the basket with her discarded clothes, but I wasn’t pleased at all.
“Stop being suspicious…! I’m not a pervert, and I wouldn’t do something like that!”
“Good boy.”
Saying so, Serin came and sat down, stroking my hair.
“Even though I call you a pervert, I know better than anyone that you’re not. Of course, Geun-hyeop wouldn’t touch my undergarments. And you didn’t peek while I was showering either.”
“If I did something like that, I’d chop my hand off… But, Serin, isn’t this a bit inappropriate?”
“Hmm? What do you mean?”
Serin tilted her head, sitting across from me as if nothing were amiss.
I needed to address this now.
“Well… how should I put this? There’s a man here, you know? And you just casually showered. Plus, your current attire is a little too… revealing.”
“Oh, you’re concerned about that?”
“I can’t help but be, with your beauty.”
“Are you perhaps uncomfortable?”
It wasn’t discomfort.
“I’m not uncomfortable at all”
“Not uncomfortable…?”
“Aren’t we friends? Close friends, even, having saved each other’s lives.”
“That’s true, but…”
“I feel very close to you, Geun-hyeop.”
As she said this, Serin rested her ample bosom on the table. This caused the front of her robe to part, revealing her deep cleavage.
Just how big are they?!
“…!”
But if I kept looking, I’d accumulate more pervert points. So I quickly averted my gaze upwards, only to find Serin wearing a mischievous smile.
Did she notice my gaze just now?
“Hmm? What’s wrong?”
“Nothing. It’s nothing…”
“Is that so? Anyway, Geun-hyeop, haven’t you performed the kowtow to me? I’m practically your master. What’s there to be uncomfortable about?”
“Is that it?”
“Yes. I just want us to interact more deeply as friends, you pervert.”
Interact more deeply?!
And her cleavage is showing…!
“Ugh… I’m not a pervert. I’m a man of principles.”
“Of course. Actually, this is my first time having a friend, so I find teasing you rather enjoyable.”
“If that’s the case…”
A noble family in the martial world was no different from nobles in fantasy stories.
Being a noble lady, she probably had plenty of opportunities to meet people but rarely any to make friends. If so, I could understand.
But was this unguarded behavior just because she was a martial arts master?
“Ah, the food has arrived. Come in.”
“Yes, Miss.”
The servant opened the door and brought in the table.
“Oh my goodness.”
As expected, it was a lavish meal. From the side dishes to the main course, everything was perfect. There was even a whole seasoned fish, making my jaw drop.
“Please, eat.”
“Thank you!”
And so, Serin and I enjoyed the meal together. Training in martial arts and enjoying a delicious meal. This was a stroke of luck I couldn’t have imagined.
Falling off a cliff and obtaining a secret manual?
Go ahead and get it.
I’ll be here enjoying my meal.
“Ah, I’m full. That was delicious, Serin.”
“It’s good to see you eat so well. Now then, we have some time until nightfall. Do you have any interesting stories?”
“Heh heh, was that your goal all along?”
“What other goal would I have? If you don’t want me calling you a pervert, you better start telling me some stories.”
“Hold on.”
Alright.
Let’s do this.
This was a story they would never hear in this world.
“Far, far away… No, wait. This is a story from another world.”
“Another world…? Are you talking about a hellish other dimension?”
“Not that kind of world. Anyway, it’s a story from another world.”
This is the story of a man with a truly gloomy past.
“Have you ever heard of the great hero, Gaigeon Duraga?”
“Gaigeon Duraga…?”
It seemed today’s story was going to be a long one.
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I continued to stay at the Namgung estate and receive martial arts training from Serin. It was a challenging but enjoyable time, and my talent synergized with the passionate instruction of my teacher, leading to satisfying achievements.
But honestly, the hardest part wasn’t the training itself, but suppressing my desires. Every time I saw Serin’s exposed skin and her unconscious seductive moves, I nearly went crazy.
“Hup!”
I circulated my internal energy using the Azure Wing Heart Technique and then unleashed the Great Flow Sword Technique.
Swish!
A powerful diagonal slash cut through the air. I immediately twisted my wrist for a horizontal cut and then another diagonal upward slash, creating a continuous flow.
I couldn’t increase the power with each successive strike like Serin had demonstrated, but my continuous attacks connected accurately.
Until I was out of breath.
“Hah!”
I stopped and caught my breath.
“You won’t have time to leisurely catch your breath during a battle. Apply the Rhyming Flow Movement Technique to every movement. Use your internal energy to move more efficiently with fewer breaths. Again.”
“Haa!”
I took a deep breath and resumed the Great Flow Sword Technique, focusing on the Rhyming Flow Movement Technique as Serin instructed.
Breathing.
The subtle differences in the short breaths humans constantly take can produce decisive or fatal results in combat. Therefore, a martial artist must always minimize exertion using internal energy to maintain a longer flow of movement.
Swish!
I swung my sword again until I was out of breath, and only when I couldn’t endure any longer did I drop to one knee to rest.
“Excellent. The duration of your sword technique has increased.”
“Hah, hah! But if this is what happens every time I fight, it’s going to be a problem.”
“Of course, you must create opportunities by pacing yourself and focus on your breathing. In fact, during combat, you have to create your own opportunities to breathe while defending yourself. Likewise, you need to exploit the moments when your opponent is breathing.”
“Martial arts are difficult.”
It was already challenging enough to manage my own breathing, let alone my opponent’s.
And of course, that wasn’t the end of it.
I also had to read the characteristics of the enemy’s swordsmanship, their footwork, their gaze, and even their muscle movements. I had to read everything.
The more I developed this ability, the greater a martial artist I would become.
Even if internal energy could be boosted with elixirs, “control” was something that could only be achieved through self-discovery. The martial world was a hardcore PVP setting.
“But isn’t it fun?”
“Incredibly fun…!”
“It’s more fun because you’re training with a beautiful teacher. Normally, it’s arduous and strenuous.”
“Heh heh, that’s true too.”
I sheathed my Sky Thunder Sword.
“Just learning stronger martial arts is a great joy for me.”
“Hmph, I can’t judge your martial arts talent, Geun-hyeop, but your willpower is certainly extraordinary.”
“Right?”
Anyway, It was time to leave.
I had been treated with utmost hospitality at the Namgung estate, so I had to leave tactfully. The lord had told me to stay as long as I liked, but that didn’t mean forever, did it?
“Thank you for teaching me so well. It was better than my time at the White Sword Martial Arts School.”
“It’s on a completely different level from a local school.”
I had a feeling that the headmaster there, a peak expert, would lose to Serin in a fight.
“True. Anyway… I think it’s time for me to leave.”
When I said that, Serin fell silent for a moment.
Then she nodded.
“I see.”
“Yeah. I felt a little awkward after receiving so much hospitality. It’s time to go.”
“Sigh. Personally, I wish you could stay longer… but you’re right, there’s a certain etiquette to observe.”
“Wouldn’t people talk about you? A strange man coming and going from your annex?”
“Who would dare say such things to me?”
If I were a member of the Namgung family, I would have said something.
Which was why I needed to leave.
“I’m very sad to see you go.”
“Me too.”
We had grown closer through training, eating, and chatting together.
I was called a pervert countless times, inadvertently cast lewd glances, and even witnessed her exposed skin, but as Serin said, such things could happen between friends.
“Then I’ll see you off tomorrow morning.”
“Thanks.”
Would this be our last meeting?
I hoped not.
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The next morning.
I prepared to leave.
“Wow.”
I had received so much this time.
This neat martial arts uniform, the expensive Sky Thunder Sword, and various other clothes. My bag was bulging. Combined with the money I received for the labyrinth, I was practically rich.
I’d have to upgrade my living situation when I got back.
I was thinking of buying those shoes I’d been eyeing.
Ah, but after being treated so well in such a nice place, it was sad to return to reality.
“What can you do?”
A martial artist was someone who overcame adversity.
My martial arts had also grown stronger, so I had nothing to fear.
“Farewell.”
“Take care.”
After exchanging goodbyes with the servant girl, I came out to find Serin waiting for me.
“Serin, I’m so sad to leave, I think I’m going to cry.”
“Don’t be so melodramatic. Let’s go. I’ll see you to the main gate.”
“Thanks!”
I walked with Serin.
“You’re really leaving now. But we’ll meet again someday, won’t we?”
“I believe so too. We’ll meet again someday.”
That’s how encounters were.
“Yes. We’ll definitely meet again. Actually, I realized my own shortcomings this time.”
“Shortcomings?”
“Fighting the Hayagriva… it made me realize some things. I’ve become too accustomed to fighting alongside my unit. Honestly, I felt a great deal of fear when I had to face it alone.”
Ah.
“But you still exuded fighting spirit in that state.”
“It was more like thrashing around because I didn’t want to admit my fear. It’s embarrassing.”
“Is that how it was?”
“Yes. So after I finish a few things, I plan to embark on a journey of training. Let’s meet again then.”
“Oh! That would be great!”
Nothing would make me happier than to meet her again!
“Here. This is a gift from me.”
“This is…!”
Serin offered me an ornately carved jade comb!
“A comb!”
“I noticed your hair is quite nice. Take good care of it and comb it properly. Like this. Bend down.”
“Gasp!”
I bent down, and Serin combed my hair. A woman combing my hair. Even my aunt had never done this for me.
As I stood still, feeling embarrassed, Serin patted my back.
“I’ll see you again next time.”
“I’ll miss you, Serin!”
“Yes.”
It was sad to part ways, but meetings and farewells came as a set.
Let’s leave with the dignity of a true man.
Just as I said goodbye to Serin and turned to leave—
Whoosh!
“Ugh?!”
I felt something trip my feet, and I lost my balance!
But why wasn’t I falling?
Squish.
“Ah.”
Something soft and ample enveloped my face.
In that instant, I fully understood the situation and what I was about to be called.
“Pervert.”
I knew it.
“I tripped! I tripped!”
“Sigh. How exactly do you trip and end up with your face buried in my breasts? Do you think that makes any sense?”
“Something tripped me…!”
It was true!
“There’s nothing here to trip on! Or are you saying I tripped you? That’s a truly perverted thought. Next, you’ll claim you accidentally ripped my undergarments while falling!”
Rip her undergarments?!
“Rip your undergarments?! My hands aren’t that wicked!”
“Oh? Did you just say ‘hands’? Are you implying that you’ll go beyond ripping my undergarments and actually reach in and grope me? Honestly. This pervert says the most outrageous things to a martial arts master of the Namgung family.”
“I’m truly sorry, Master!”
Whoosh!
I had no choice but to flee the Namgung estate.
“See you next time, Serin!”
“Yes.”
Time to go back.
Jaemison and Song would be waiting for me!
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Thanks Simzy!