Chapter 17

Chapter 17. A New Power (4)

There was such a thing as the boundary of common sense. One part of that common sense was that a person could not break a tree with a single barehanded punch.

Especially not a massive tree that looked as though it had lived for several centuries.

It would have been one thing if someone struck the same spot dozens or hundreds of times and eventually broke a thin tree. But how could anyone possibly shatter a tree so large that it took more than one person to wrap their arms around it, and do it in a single blow?

That was impossible. At least, it lay beyond the realm of man. That was common sense.

And yet that common sense had just been broken.

“I verified it more than ten times. I did not sense even the tiniest trace of mana. There was not even the slightest sign of it. That means your attack was carried out through pure physical force.”

It had been accomplished through pure physical force, without any outside power involved.

And in barely half a day, Calrent had managed to analyze how such a thing had been possible.

“It seems your constitution is rather… extraordinary.”

“My constitution?”

“Yes. Your muscles and bones absorbed mana. Because of that, they were strengthened, and for an instant, they surpassed human limits.”

“Is that special?”

“For most people, that is impossible. The amount of mana they can absorb is drastically too small.”

Since Balun did not understand, Calrent began a very simple theoretical explanation.

After hearing it, this was what Balun understood:

• Mana is power.
• Human bones and muscles are only made to hold an extremely tiny amount of mana.
• With only a tiny amount of mana, no real power can be produced.
• But my bones and muscles can hold far more mana than an ordinary person’s body can.
• Bones and muscles filled with more mana than necessary displayed strength beyond that of a human being.

Balun explained it as best he could.

He did not know enough advanced vocabulary, so his explanation came out somewhat messy, but it was more than enough to let Calrent understand that Balun had understood.

“As expected, you are clever. Your comprehension is unlike that of a barbarian. You understood it perfectly.”

“Was that praise?”

“Of course it was praise.”

‘That did not sound like praise…….’

Why not just say he was smart? Why did Calrent have to add that it was “unlike a barbarian”?

“I cannot be sure without observing further, but you will likely have difficulty gathering mana.”

“What?”

Balun narrowed his eyes. What exactly was that supposed to mean?

“What do you mean?”

“When you practice the cultivation method, your muscles and bones absorb mana. The more mana you gather, the more only your muscles and bones will be strengthened. Your bones will grow sturdier, and your strength will increase.”

“Then what do I do? Balun cannot gather mana?”

“It will not be that bad. You will simply gather far less mana than other people.”

“That is ridiculous.”

Of course it was ridiculous. He had clearly invested in the intelligence stat, yet somehow his strength was going up instead.

“There must be a limit to how much mana your muscles and bones can absorb. Once they have absorbed that total amount, you should be able to gather however much residual mana remains.”

“…….”

“However, since it is only residual mana, your efficiency will be worse than others’. I would need to measure it to know for sure, but it will probably be at least twice as inefficient as theirs.”

Balun blinked and asked,

“Then can I not use a fire axe?”

“Hmm?”

“The Aura of Flames or the Aura of Earth or whatever it was. Are you saying I cannot use that?”

“It is not impossible. It will simply become much more difficult.”

“Heh.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“Because this is absurd.”

The whole thing was so ridiculous that he could not help but laugh under his breath.

‘You really do see all kinds of things if you live long enough.’

How could he ever have predicted that having too much muscle would become a disadvantage?

“Let me ask one thing.”

“Ask.”

“If Balun had no muscles, would Balun gather mana well?”

“According to my hypothesis, yes. You would gather mana far more easily than you do now.”

“Then Balun gives up on the fire axe.”

“What? Gives up?”

“I do not need that anymore.”

Balun cut off his lingering attachment cleanly.

Yes, he greatly wanted a long-range attack technique like magic. But it was not something he wanted badly enough to give up his muscles for.

No matter how one looked at it, Balun’s greatest weapon was still this sturdy body of his.

“Are you truly all right with that? It was something you wanted so badly.”

“Reality is cold. If something cannot be done, then it cannot be done. It is better to give up on such things quickly.”

“Even so, it is not easy to make such a decision so quickly.”

“It cannot be helped. It is the rational choice.”

He simply believed there was no point in whining.

If something could not be done, then what was the point of clinging to it? It was a hundred times better to spend that time finding what suited him or devoting himself to what he was already good at.

If he could not do that, he would be left behind. Balun had lived that kind of life.

“That is true. If something cannot be done, then it cannot be done. You have already grasped the principles of the world. Hohoho.”

Calrent looked at Balun with approving eyes and chuckled.

‘Let us think positively. I did gain a useful technique.’

Balun tensed both arms. A cracking sound rang out, and he felt his muscles writhe.

He had poured an immense amount of strength into that earlier strike, so he had already used a great deal of power, yet there was still strength left in his forearms. At this rate, it felt like he could use the same attack that had shattered the great tree one or two more times.

‘This is good.’

Ideas began to flood his mind. It felt like there were many ways he could make use of this.

“Calrent. Can you help me?”

“Hmm? What are you planning to do?”

“Practice new technique. Balun needs help.”

Now that he had learned a new technique, he intended to practice until he could use it properly.

***

About two weeks passed in the blink of an eye. During that time, Balun stayed at Calrent’s house, balancing lessons and training.

During the day, he learned from Calrent about mana theory, various methods of magical training, and the basic common sense of the world. In whatever time remained, he devoted himself to personal training.

After roughly two weeks of following a routine centered on intensely practicing the new technique he had named “Enhancement Art,” the technique that made his muscles swell, and then performing Mana Cultivation before bed, he began to see clear results.

Crack!

When Balun tensed his body, the muscles in both arms bulged. He then struck the wooden training dummy in the yard with his fist.

Thud!

With a heavy impact, a fist-sized dent appeared in the dummy’s wooden torso. Balun looked at the practice dummy, now tilted with its chest caved in, and nodded in satisfaction.

‘I finally managed not to break it.’

Balun believed that controlling strength was more important than simply using it. No matter how powerful a force one could unleash, it meant nothing if one could not use it properly.

That was why, above all else, he had focused most on controlling the new power he had acquired, and exactly two weeks after beginning his training, he had succeeded.

‘I am getting pretty used to it now.’

Balun grinned. He had finally succeeded in striking the wooden dummy without smashing it. In other words, he had succeeded in holding back his strength.

‘Now I can probably use it in actual combat.’

There was only one core principle behind this “Enhancement Art.”

The stronger the enhancement, the shorter its duration, but in exchange, the greater its power became.

In other words, it was the same technique, but it could be used in different ways.

He could either tense his muscles as hard as possible and strike once with overwhelming force, or apply a moderate amount of strength and strike multiple times with moderate power.

Now, Balun was finally able to choose between those options.

That was thanks to the bloody effort he had poured in over the past two weeks.

‘Now the problem is how to apply this to an axe…….’

Balun stroked his chin. He had achieved the goal of his special training, but the most important problem still remained.

He could now use and control the strength freely, but when it came time to use an axe, he could not.

He had tried using Enhancement Art and then swinging his axe, and well...

The handle had snapped.

The axe simply could not withstand his enhanced strength.

He had spent all this time thinking and thinking about how to solve the problem, but no matter how much he considered it, there seemed to be only one answer.

‘Do I need to change weapons?’

Balun realized it.

The time had finally come to part with the beloved weapon he had used for so long.

‘I need a sturdy axe that will not break even when I use Enhancement Art.’

He would need to acquire three axes in total: a two-handed axe as his main weapon and two hand axes for general use.

“My good man, Balun! Surely you have not smashed another wooden dummy again!”

At that moment, Calrent’s voice came from behind him.

“Do you know how many wooden dummies you have broken? No fewer than sixty! That means you have been destroying an average of four a day!”

He came stomping over in outrage.

Perfect timing. Balun had been meaning to ask him something anyway.

“You may not know it by looking at them, but those are artifacts enchanted with durability enhancement magic! Each one costs over two gold! Do you have any idea how much money you have extorted from me?”

“Did not break it.”

“Yes, yes, you always say you did not break— Hmm? You did not break it?”

“Look for yourself.”

Calrent walked closer, then stared at the wooden dummy in surprise. What Balun had said was true.

He looked at the dummy’s chest, caved in but not destroyed, and broke into a broad smile.

“Oh! So you finally succeeded! Congratulations! Now that you can control your strength, I will finally be able to save some money. Hoho!”

To Calrent, the money saved on wooden dummies seemed to bring him even more joy than Balun’s growth.

“I have something to ask. Can you answer?”

“What are you curious about?”

“Do you know where to buy good weapons?”

“Good weapons?”

“Balun needs very sturdy weapons. The smithies in Milford do not have good weapons.”

“Ah, I see what you mean.”

Calrent had spent two weeks with Balun.

He knew very well what Balun had been troubled over these past several days.

“You need a sturdy axe that will not break even when you use Enhancement Art. Am I right?”

“That is right.”

“Hmm, that is not an easy requirement. As you know better than anyone, your Enhancement Art is absurdly powerful.”

Since he had watched Balun train from right beside him, Calrent knew exactly how destructive Enhancement Art was.

It was such terrifying power that it could shatter a massive old tree in a single blow with nothing but a bare fist, without even a trace of mana infused into it.

Naturally, there was no way a wooden axe handle could endure that.

And it was not just wood. It boasted such insane destructive force that even lumps of iron could be crushed by bare hands.

When Calrent had seen Balun fold a blade into four layers using just two fingers, he had nearly lost his mind from shock.

“If an axe is to withstand your Enhancement Art, an ordinary handle will never do. A metal handle might endure to some extent, but it would be too heavy to be efficient.”

Of course, Balun was strong enough to wield an axe made entirely of metal, but the problem was that it would be far too inefficient.

No matter how easily he could swing around a solid chunk of iron, it would consume an enormous amount of stamina.

For efficient combat, a wooden handle was still the best option.

“You are truly difficult to satisfy. If only you used an aura like a normal person, none of this would be such a nuisance. Hmph.”

“Do not say meaningless things. If Balun were normal, Calrent could not have done research. Balun knows Calrent gained much from researching Balun. Therefore, it is a useless assumption.”

“…….”

After that brief rebuke from Balun, Calrent shut his mouth. He simply could not think of anything to say in return.

‘What kind of barbarian is this? How is he so sharp-tongued?’

Unlike his rough appearance, Balun had a surprisingly keen edge to him. It was not the first time Calrent had tried to tease him, only to be turned around and made the fool instead.

To be honest, it was a little embarrassing. Who was he? He was one of the Seven Sages, the Gray Sage.

Even nobles from famous houses could not treat him carelessly, yet this fellow, a fox wearing the skin of a bear, treated him like some old grandfather from the village.

Was this really right?

“Come with me. There is something I will give you.”

Balun followed Calrent up to the study on the second floor. He sat in the guest chair and waited a moment, and soon Calrent returned with something in hand and passed it to him. It was a letter sealed with wax.

“Take this and go to Pordel in the Kingdom of Corint. Once you get there, seek out Seria.”

“Seria?”

“Yes. Give her this letter. She will make a weapon suited for you.”

“That woman, is she a blacksmith?”

“If she can make you a weapon, then naturally she is a blacksmith.”

Balun nodded. Well, that was true enough.

“Is that woman skilled?”

“She is a Grand Smith.”

“Grand... what is that?”

“It is an honorable title granted only to the finest blacksmiths.”

“Oh ho.”

So she was basically an SSS-rank blacksmith?

“For reference, there are fewer than twenty Grand Smiths in all Ten Kingdoms.”

Balun nodded in admiration. So she was truly someone remarkable.

“When you place your order for the weapon, be sure to tell her to use True Elfwood as the material. Everything else is negotiable, but that part is absolutely essential.”

“What is True Elfwood?”

“It is an exceptionally hard wood. That should be able to endure your strength.”

True Elfwood. Balun repeated the term to himself several times.

“Perhaps I should not have told you. This is far too poor a bargain for me……. I am taking an enormous loss on this one. Hmph.”

Balun did not offer any rebuttal. Somehow, it sounded like Calrent meant it.

After all, if he was introducing Balun to an expert of whom there were fewer than twenty across ten kingdoms, then he had clearly gone far out of his way for him.

“But you are not lying, right?”

“You doubt me now? Even after watching me for two whole weeks?”

“You said the Kingdom of Corint is far away. If Balun goes there and it turns out to be for nothing, Balun will split Calrent’s head open. Split it vertically.”

Balun made a chopping gesture over his head with the edge of his hand. Calrent let out a hollow laugh.

He truly was an insolent brat. Who had ever dared threaten him like that before?

“Ah, all right then. Split it open! You may split it into a million pieces if you like!”

“You are serious. Balun will trust you.”

In truth, Balun already knew that Calrent had not been lying. Even so, he had demanded a clear answer purely because of his own personality.

Balun only moved once he was certain. He was the kind of man who had to test even a stone bridge before crossing it.

Only now did Balun feel sure. This old man would not lie to him. He was someone worth trusting.

Balun looked at Calrent. The unspoken contract between them had come to an end. It was time for them to part.

“Will you come again?”

“Calrent is a good man. If fate allows it, Balun will come.”

Calrent smiled. He was almost touched. To think he would hear a fearsome barbarian like this call him a good man.

“The next time you come to find me, do bring a research subject tempting enough to lure me in. I ask this of you.”

“Balun will try.”

“Then let us at least shake hands before parting, my young friend.”

“Thank you. Thanks to you, Balun learned much.”

Even more valuable than the new power he had gained and the many training methods he had learned was the fact that he now understood how the world worked.

Two weeks ago, Balun had been little different from a blind man with his eyes open, but not anymore. He had learned about the world from Calrent.

What kind of world the civilized people lived in, what nations existed, what kinds of transcendent beings walked the land, and how great their power was.

That precious common sense had nourished Balun. It had broadened his perspective.

“And thanks to you, I was able to gather valuable research material as well.”

Calrent smiled faintly as he extended his hand. Balun grasped it and shook it lightly.

***

After spending one more night at Calrent’s house, Balun left early the next morning.

When he returned to Milford after two weeks, he saw crowds of people everywhere. The sight was surprisingly welcome.

The human heart truly was mysterious. He had not even stayed in this city that long, so why did it feel so good to be back?

‘He told me to stop by the Mercenary Guild.’

Balun recalled Calrent’s advice before he left.

• It is quite a long way from here to the Kingdom of Corint. Since it will be your first journey there, it will likely be very difficult. You will probably lose your way, and you will encounter many bandits on the road. Especially for a barbarian like you, just stepping into the world for the first time, I can guarantee it would be a road to hell.
• Then what should Balun do?
• There are quite a few Merchant Companies that set out on long-distance trade journeys to the Kingdom of Corint. Before leaving, they regularly hire mercenaries.
• You are saying Balun should get hired as a mercenary and leave with them?
• Precisely. You can earn money and shorten your travel time at once. Two birds with one stone.

The advice had been to join a Merchant Company by getting hired as a mercenary. Balun intended to do exactly that.

First, in the meantime, he bought two cheap hand axes from an arms merchant, then headed for the Mercenary Guild.

Creak—

The sour stench he had smelled before struck his nose again. The unpleasant odor made Balun’s face twist at once.

‘Do these bastards never wash?’

Why did this place smell like this? Even Calrent’s house, where that old man lived alone, had never smelled like this.

While thinking that, Balun looked around, and suddenly the scene in the lobby came into focus.

Around twenty mercenaries were either sitting or standing throughout the room.

Every last one of them was staring at him.

Their eyes were full of fear.

‘Huh?’

What was this? Why were they staring at him while trembling like that?

“Th-that is the Axe Massacrer.”

Someone suddenly blurted it out.

Then whispers followed.

“That is him. The barbarian who wiped out an entire Rogue Guild.”

“I thought he had left Milford.”

“Where has he been hiding until now?”

Hearing that conversation, Balun frowned.

No matter how he looked at it, they seemed to be talking about him.

The barbarian who had wiped out a Rogue Guild? That was obviously him.

‘And what is this Axe Massacrer supposed to be?’

When exactly had he picked up that kind of infamous nickname?