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[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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Chapter 173: Ete Nistyrnur
After finishing my conversation with Somerset, I returned to my residence, changed my clothes, and immediately headed to the training grounds where Ulbhild and the Special Operations Division were waiting.
"So busy, so busy."
"You must be really busy. Even I, who’s just following you around, feel like I’m losing my mind."
Peter was trailing behind me, clutching a box containing the spirit medicine my father had bestowed upon me as if it were a precious treasure.
"Nothing unusual happened at the annex, right?"
"Of course not! The butler is there, after all."
"How’s Julia doing?"
"She’s fine. She’s been snacking a bit lately, so her cheeks have gotten chubbier."
"That’s a relief. What about Marco?"
"Marco is also doing well, nothing out of the ordinary..."
"That’s both fortunate and unfortunate. Make sure to work him hard so his cheeks slim down."
"Ah, yes. Understood."
We exchanged these somewhat trivial conversations as we walked, and before long, we arrived at our destination.
"Big sister!"
"Allen."
Ulbhild, dressed in her training attire, had her hair tied back tightly and was waiting for me comfortably with a practice sword in hand.
"Young master, you’ve arrived."
Harold, who had been standing beside her like a shadow, also bowed to me.
"Harold, how have you been?"
"Ahem. Well, you know."
"Why? Why are you so uncomfortable again?"
"The fact that you’re receiving direct guidance from the Second Commander, and that it’s even an official mission given to our Special Operations Division... This kind of special treatment is truly unbearable."
"You’re not even trying to hide it anymore. You fanatics."
I shuddered.
"By the way, I see all the familiar faces are here today."
Chase, who had initially picked a fight with me, was also there.
From the giant, the spearman, the nimble assassin-like figure, to the woman armed with a bow and dagger—each member of the task force, with their unique skills and strengths, was staring in my direction.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the selection of members truly lives up to the name of the Special Operations Division.
"So, are we doing continuous sparring with these guys today?"
"That’s also part of the training plan."
Ulbhild nodded.
"But first, it’s best to cross the threshold of the 5th tier. All nine members of the Special Operations Division here have surpassed the wall of the 5th tier. It’s still too early for you."
"Uh..."
At this point, I realized I hadn’t yet told her that I had already crossed the 5th tier.
"About that, big sister."
"Hmm?"
"I’ve already reached it."
"What?"
"The 5th tier."
"...When?"
"Two days ago."
Ulbhild and the division members exchanged bewildered looks. I could almost hear them thinking, ‘What’s with this guy?’ or ‘He’s insane.’
"Allen."
"Yes."
"Do you even need a master at this point?"
"What are you talking about?"
I flattered her.
"About 20% of my current strength is thanks to you."
"Only 20%?"
It was a biting joke.
"Ahem. No, that’s not it."
Ulbhild shook her head in disbelief.
"What on earth did you do? Did you have some kind of epiphany while sleeping?"
"How could that be?"
"Then?"
"Do you happen to know a martial art called the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique?"
"Huh? Uh, well..."
Ulbhild tilted her head for a moment before easily recalling the name from the depths of her memory.
"I remember now. Wasn’t it one of the martial arts created by the founding ancestor Vitenfeld?"
"Correct."
"And you mastered it, and your level skyrocketed just like that?"
"Once you understand it, it’s practically a divine art."
"What?"
Ulbhild looked at me as if I were exaggerating.
"Even so, that’s a bit too much—"
"Well, just take a look."
I channeled the 2nd stage’s energy of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique and released a beautiful sword aura that shimmered like light over a blue sea.
Whoosh!
"This is the kind of feeling I got. The aura itself has a slightly different color now."
Ulbhild, being a martial arts enthusiast, showed curiosity.
"Hmm. It seems like the energy of the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique has been overlaid with this."
"To be precise, it’s been integrated with the higher-level energy system of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique."
"Ah, that’s interesting."
"It’s a clear upper-tier evolution and an advanced application of the Eternal Ocean Chain Technique."
"Hmm."
Ulbhild rubbed her chin, lost in thought.
"Moreover, this martial art has a special ability..."
I relayed the latter part of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique to Ulbhild.
"Allen, is that really true?"
"Yes. Of course, since I’m only at the 2nd stage, even the first ability is only half-complete."
"That’s just a matter of time. If it’s true, then this is truly an incredible martial art."
Even Ulbhild couldn’t help but acknowledge it.
"Listening to this, there’s probably no better martial art for you to learn at your current stage."
"Right?"
"And with your genius-level talent, calling it a divine art might not be an exaggeration."
When it comes to martial arts, Ulbhild has an astonishing depth of knowledge.
If she vouches for it, then it must be true.
"But if you’re only at the 2nd stage, you still have a long way to go."
"Yes. I’ve just reached the 5th tier, so my absolute mana capacity is still lacking."
"In that case, you should get some spirit medicines..."
At this point, I glanced back at Peter.
"Actually, I just received some earlier."
Ulbhild let out a dry laugh.
"You’re quite the planner."
"I’ve always been a bit of a planner."
"Then today, I’ll help you digest the spirit medicine, and we can discuss which higher-level martial arts you should learn next."
"Understood."
"You can leave after that."
"Huh? Is that all?"
"Yes. Today was mainly about formally introducing you to the division members you’ll be sweating with from now on."
"You’re not getting tired of me, are you?"
I joked.
"Seeing you grow at an unreasonable pace makes me want some alone time..."
"Gasp."
"Just kidding."
Ulbhild smiled faintly.
"Looks like the Young lady Valkenhain is in for a big surprise this time. This big sister has high expectations too."
* * *
Duke Georg Grunewald was reading the latter part of an old martial arts manual.
"Amazing."
Despite its age, the manual for the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique was almost untouched by time.
"Ludan’s description wasn’t too exaggerated."
Compared to the supreme martial art that Grunewald prided himself on, which was called a divine art, its power was naturally inferior—
But the existence of an ability that was concise and universally applicable, regardless of one’s level, even surprised the Duke.
'The problem is that no one bothered to read the latter part of this manual.'
Only the librarian, Ludan, had read the entire book with scholarly passion, finally revealing the true value of this long-forgotten martial art.
'And it was Allen’s kindness that deeply touched the heart of an old man who had aged within the library.'
And even after losing his memory, Allenvert still cherished his connection with Ludan—
Thus, the long-forgotten martial art finally saw the light of day.
'What an interesting fellow.'
Though he sometimes seems crazy and often does insane things, it seems the kindness from his childhood still remains. Perhaps even if memories fade, the human soul doesn’t change.
"If I had known earlier that the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique had such an ability, I would have gladly learned it myself."
Georg’s level had already reached a transcendent stage where he didn’t need to worry about one or two abilities—
But even so, the heart of a martial artist still feels regret and longing.
* * *
Ulbhild assisted me in fully absorbing the spirit medicine.
"Big sister, thank you."
Thanks to her help, I safely converted the spirit medicine my father had given me into the energy of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique.
"With this, I’ve reached the 5th stage of the Seven Stars of the Black Sea Technique."
"Unbelievable."
To think that just one spirit medicine could raise my level from the 2nd stage to the 5th stage? Even I think it’s insane.
"The quality of the spirit medicine was that good, and above all, your help was crucial. If I had done it alone, I probably would have stopped at the 4th stage."
"That’s still impressive."
"Hehe."
In any case, Ulbhild’s assistance was indeed a great help in mastering the martial arts of a prestigious clan like Grunewald, especially the heart methods.
Her understanding of mana flow and energy circulation is probably even better than mine.
'By the way, this morning I helped Zizek break through a wall, and in the afternoon, I received help from Ulbhild in return.'
“In a way, does that make Ulbhild something like Zizek’s master’s master?”
‘How absurd.’
Of course, the chances of Ulbhild and Zizek ever meeting seemed slim.
“By the way, Allenvert, does this mean you’ve gained the second ability of the Seven Stars Heart Technique?”
“Yes.”
Vitenfeld had uniquely set three distinct abilities for each stage of the Seven Stars Heart Technique.
‘One ability for every four stages.’
Thus, at the 1-stage stage, I had acquired the first ability.
‘Light Star.’
The seven organs symbolizing the Big Dipper.
By accelerating the flow of mana circulating between them to its limit, it creates a momentary burst of immense explosive power.
‘And the second stage is Dark Star.’
Having just entered the 5th stage of the Seven Stars Heart Technique, I had recently gained this second ability.
In contrast to Light Star, this ability suppresses the flow of mana within the body to an extreme degree. If combined with a stealth technique like the Whispering Snow in the Night, it could hide both presence and mana, making it far superior to any ordinary assassin’s stealth.
‘Finally, the third stage is Insight Star.’
As the name suggests, it sharpens one’s senses, heightens intuition, and enhances vision, allowing one to detect even the subtlest movements of an enemy.
‘If one trains to the limit and reaches a high enough stage, theoretically, it could become a power close to precognition.’
If anyone else had said this, I would have laughed, but these were the words of a master once hailed as the greatest on the continent. So, I couldn’t help but believe it.
“You’ve already tried using the Light Star ability, right?”
“Yes. It wasn’t too difficult.”
“Then, this time, try adding the Dark Star ability and infuse it with sword energy.”
Following Ulbhild’s instructions, the blue aura glowing around me instantly turned transparent.
“This is…”
“Incredible.”
Ulbhild marveled.
“The sword energy is clearly there, but it’s invisible to the eye.”
It was like an invisible blade.
“We should call this Invisible Sword Energy.”
Ulbhild coined the term on the spot.
“If you use this Invisible Sword Energy in combat, you could strike your enemy from a distance they wouldn’t expect.”
A swordsman’s life depends on controlling distance. The ability to disrupt that distance while remaining unseen?
‘It’s completely overpowered.’
In a situation where victory or defeat is decided by a hair’s breadth, having such a hidden trump card is an incredible weapon.
“Moreover, if you master the Dark Star stage, you can deliver powerful attacks while concealing your true strength.”
Ulbhild continued her explanation.
“Normally, when you gather mana for a powerful attack, your enemy would naturally sense it.”
“But if you can hide that, it would be perfect for catching them off guard.”
“For example.”
Ulbhild demonstrated the Shadow Flowing Phantom Sword in mid-air.
‘Wow.’
I was impressed. Her interpretation of the technique was different from mine.
‘Flexible, yet even smoother in using the enemy’s momentum.’
If you added the principles of ice energy to this, your opponent’s limbs would freeze and shatter into ice without even clashing swords.
‘The more I think about it, the scarier it gets.’
If I had faced Ulbhild in a real battle without any prior knowledge, even my past self would have been caught off guard and struggled.
‘Maybe I should learn the Snow Blossom Sword Technique too.’
But ice energy is closely tied to yin energy, and accumulating cold energy isn’t easy. Finding the right spirit medicines is also difficult.
‘Sigh.’
As I pondered this, Ulbhild continued.
“As you know, techniques like the Shadow Flowing Phantom Sword rely on how well you can conceal the real attack within the feints, making it unpredictable.”
“But a master would notice the subtle difference in power between the feints and the real attack.”
“Exactly. So, if you properly incorporate the Dark Star ability, both the Shadow Flowing Phantom Sword and Moon Dance techniques will become even more lethal.”
Above all, Ulbhild added.
“If you use the Light Star ability to maximize power while concealing it with the Dark Star ability—”
“You can deliver a devastating attack seamlessly within a natural exchange.”
For example, if you unleashed the Moon Slash without any warning, your opponent’s wrist might snap, or their sword could break.
‘It’s incredibly tricky to counter.’
I was in awe of Ulbhild’s insights.
“Thanks to you, I’ve gained a huge clue. If I study this well, I might even be able to defeat opponents stronger than me.”
But Ulbhild shook her head as if it were no big deal.
“Allenvert, you would have reached the same conclusion soon enough. It’s like how someone watching a chess game can see the moves better than the players.”
“Heh, that’s true.”
I laughed happily. Honestly, I couldn’t stop smiling.
‘I must look like a madman.’
Growing stronger is this exhilarating.
“…With the power of the 5th tier, the energy of the Seven Stars Heart Technique, the new Moon Dance technique, and the proper use of both Light Star and Dark Star abilities.”
Ulbhild seemed to gauge my current level before speaking.
“You could easily take a seat among the ‘Ete Nistyrnur.’”
…Ete, what?
I tilted my head and asked.
“What’s that?”
“It means ‘Eight Supernovas.’ It refers to the eight most prominent rising stars in the entire Litvaleur Kingdom.”
“Wow, I didn’t know that.”
“For reference, the 1st seat is Brother Verdzig, and the 2nd seat is me.”
“Ah, I see.”
Suddenly, something occurred to me, and I asked.
“Then, is that Young Lady Valkenhain also part of this Ete Nistyrnur thing?”
“Yes.”
Ulbhild nodded.
“Young Lady Siena Valkenhain holds the 6th seat.”
“…6th seat.”
The 2nd seat and the 6th seat—four steps apart.
That was the distance between Ulbhild and the young lady of Valkenhain.
‘It’s far, but…’
At the same time, it’s closer than you’d think. I had already deeply acknowledged the level of mastery Ulbhild had achieved.
“Then, I’ll push the Young lady of Valkenhain down to the 7th seat and take her place. That’s the least I can do to feel worthy of your teachings.”
Ulbhild laughed at my bold declaration.
“If you manage that, three out of the eight seats would be held by us, the Grunewald siblings.”
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[Translator - Pot]
[Proofreader - Kawaii]
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