The Priest of Corruption - Chapter 60: Indeed.

I nodded solemnly, my expression grave.

“Yes, I won’t accompany you, Master. As I mentioned earlier, I have an obligation to fulfill. I’d be quite upset if you knocked me out and kidnapped me. Please, return your hand to the table.”

The white hand that had subtly inched towards the sword hilt returned to the table as if it had never moved. Master Pridiya responded with a mischievous smile.

“Do you truly believe I would resort to such violent methods? What do you take me for?”

I looked at her gently and replied.

“I know you seriously considered it.”

Master Pridiya laughed heartily, spreading her palms wide.

“In the end, I didn’t do it, right? I think it’s best not to dwell on such trivial matters between us.”

I was about to retort but held back, knowing she could instantly grab my throat, knock me out, and kidnap me.

“Phew. Anyway, I really can’t follow you, Master, because I have something to do.”

I decided to play my trump card at this exact moment. A trump card for the unpredictable future that neither she nor I knew about.

“Alright, Master. Once I finish what I’m doing, I’ll return to you and take all the training I’ve been putting off. I won’t complain until I become the ‘Master’ you always talk about.”

“Hmm.”

Master Pridiya pouted her lips, snorted softly, and stared at me. I swallowed hard, hoping that the card I had played would work on her. Honestly, my only other option was to escape in the middle of the night.

However, if I were caught or if I managed to escape openly, I feared the real danger would come the next time we crossed paths. Thus, I dared not take that risk.

Master Pridiya’s contemplation was prolonged. I tried to quickly add something more.

“Alright.”

“I’ll write letters! I’ll write them regularly… Huh? You’re okay with it? Can I really not go back right now?”

Master Pridiya smiled broadly and tapped her sword hilt.

“Alright, my disciple. This merciful, understanding, and beautiful master has made up her mind. I just want to check your skills right now, and as long as you’re not at a level where you’ll get beaten up wherever you go, I’m willing to wait for you very patiently.”

“Does that mean…”

“The backyard of this inn is quite spacious and quiet. Grab a suitable sword and hurry out.”

Isn’t this just a matter of crossing swords once and if Master doesn’t like it, it’s over?

As if she had noticed my thoughts, Master narrowed her eyes and looked at me gently.

“Hurry up. What are you doing without going? If you’re thinking of catching my sword with your bare hands, I won’t stop you, but it’s definitely going to hurt a bit.”

“…I’ll be back soon.”

“That’s right, that’s my good disciple. I’ll go to the backyard first, so hurry back.”

I nodded and quickly went upstairs to grab my Froststeel sword. Dachia, who had followed me, asked.

“Do you think you have a chance?”

I shook my head vigorously.

“Not at all. Even though Master seems a bit lax at times, she’s very strict when it comes to swords. All I can do is try my best and try to persuade her with words.”

Dachia, who had looked around quickly, slowly reached out and grabbed my clothes, whispering in a small voice. Her cheeks turned a slight, very slight, pink.

“P-please do your best!”

Her tiny whisper turned into a strong cheer. I fastened the Froststeel sword to my waist and grinned broadly.

“I was planning to do just that.”

***

Under the dim night sky, the cascading moonlight scattered as it struck the icy blue hair of my master, Pridiya. Her azure eyes mirrored the moon’s reflection. She leaned back, gazing at the sky before slowly lowering her gaze to me, gracing me with a leisurely smile.

“Have you arrived, my disciple?”

“Yes, Master, I have arrived.”

As was her custom, she drew the sword from its sheath at her waist. I had never been permitted to draw my master’s sword from its sheath.

“The conditions remain the same as always.”

Her cherished sword, ‘Desperate Cry’, was pointed towards me, still sheathed.

“I will only use as much strength as you can muster to face you. Try your best to cut me.”

I drew my Froststeel sword from my waist. I had seriously considered using the Butcher, but I refrained, fearing that if I brazenly wielded the Butcher and my master drew her sword, I would be utterly defenseless and severely beaten.

Her sapphire eyes, which had been filled with the moon, now softened.

“Now, come at me, my disciple.”

Crash!

A response was unnecessary. I kicked off the ground and charged towards my master, stepping into ‘range’ without hesitation. The range within which I could strike her with my sword.

I put my all into the first strike. I swung my sword in a straight line, pouring all the strength I could muster into it. As my sword fell from above in a lethal strike, my master’s hand moved slightly.

Thud!

My sword’s trajectory twisted as it struck the sheath. Yes, I had expected this. If it were a normal training session, my master’s fist would have landed on my jaw by now. I quickly retreated, kicking off the ground.

But my master did not pursue me. She merely smiled and flicked her sword.

“Come again.”

I was slightly annoyed by her attitude, as if she were dealing with a child. I gritted my teeth and charged again. The distance between us closed once more. I calmly unleashed a flurry of attacks on my master.

Cut, cut, and cut again.

I swung my sword with all the strength I could muster. I didn’t consider the possibility of my master counterattacking. No, I hoped she would counter my one-sided onslaught. Even if it meant sacrificing my bones to take her flesh, I trusted my sturdy body.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

My master merely smiled quietly, lightly flicking her sword to deflect my attacks with minimal movement. It was as if she was trying to read something from my sword.

“Haah!”

I launched another attack.

Thud!

My horizontal strike was deflected by my master’s sheath, which had risen from below, and my sword veered off its intended path. For the first time, my master, who had only been defending, moved. The moment I saw her blue hair fluttering, her heel was already striking my head.

Crash!

I was sent flying and crashed into the ground. My bones ached. I quickly regained my footing, but my balance was off due to the blow to my head. Even though I was off balance, I raised my sword to prepare for the next attack.

If this had been a regular training session, my master would have mercilessly beaten me while I was disoriented.

But my master did not chase after me. She just stood still, staring at me intently.

“Hmm.”

Her lips slowly parted after a brief snort.

“My disciple.”

My vision finally stabilized. I still held my sword aloft as I responded.

“Yes.”

“What do you think is the most important thing to become a ‘Master’?”

This was the first time she had directly mentioned the term ‘Master’.

“Isn’t it a swordsmanship honed to the extreme and a body trained to its limits?”

My master chuckled.

“That’s the bare minimum. If it were that easy to become a ‘Master’, I would have become one within five years of starting my training, at the very latest.”

“Do you realize how unlucky you sometimes are?”

At my jab, my master just smiled and replied.

“What can I do? It’s the truth. My dear disciple, use your imagination a bit more. What could be the most important thing to become a ‘Master’?”

I thought hard, but I really didn’t know.

“I… I don’t know.”

Pridiya, my master, tapped her shoulder with her sheath and said,

“I always find your honesty endearing. Let this beautiful and understanding master reveal the secret to becoming a ‘Master’.”

She slowly approached me and pointed at my chest with her white finger.

“It’s this.”

“A strong heart? So, the secret to becoming a ‘Master’ lies in ‘blood circulation’. I thought so.”

Seeing my master at a loss for words, I quickly opened my mouth.

“I’m joking.”

“Sometimes, your sudden jokes really catch me off guard. Anyway, the most fundamental thing to become a ‘Master’ is your ‘heart’. A sword imbued with your ‘heart’ can cut through anything, even things considered uncuttable. Yes, to give you a rough idea, a ‘Master’ can even cut through ‘magic’.”

With a swishing sound, the icy blue blade emerged from the sheath. My master looked at the sword and slowly opened her lips.

“But to become a ‘Master’, you must completely separate your ‘heart’ from others. Especially, you must rid yourself of any ‘dependence’ on others. If you want to become a ‘Master’, you must strive to ‘independence’ from this world. But, my dear disciple.”

The icy blue blade touched the skin of my neck. A chilling killing intent flowed from her blue eyes.

In the midst of the dizzying killing intent, my master smiled softly.

“It seems our adorable disciple is terribly ‘dependent’ on something, isn’t it? I’ve spent three years trying to reduce that dependence, but what on earth are you so ‘dependent’ on?”

The icy blue blade dug slightly into my skin. A drop of blood rolled down the blade.

Pridiya, my master, wearing a pure white smile, gently asked.

“Why don’t you confide in this beautiful and understanding master? Tell me, Yeon.”