Chapter 113: Life in Sigurd Castle

Four days have passed since we arrived in Switzerland.

The daily routine in Nibelung territory is as follows:

5 a.m.: Wake up.

Before the rooster even crows, a quick wash with cold water to wake up. The cold water is inevitable due to the old pipes that don’t allow for hot water.

Understandable, considering how old the building is.

Breakfast starts at exactly 6 a.m.

Breakfast is simple rye bread and cheese.

While this may seem modest for a noble family, it’s not particularly surprising.

Not all nobles have extravagant breakfasts, and besides, I’ve already started to notice that the Swordmaster is quite frugal.

7 a.m. Chopping wood.

Abel and I alternate this task every other day.

Some might wonder, why chop wood in the middle of August?

I agree—at least if we were talking about South Korea.

However, this place, Sigurðr Castle, is located right beneath the Alps.

Even at the end of summer, the mountain peaks remain covered in eternal snow, like a white veil.

In other words, the cold here is bone-chilling all year round.

Since there’s no heating system like Korea’s ondol, we rely on fireplaces to keep warm. It’s like lighting an old-fashioned oven, and it makes me deeply appreciate Korea’s advanced heating technology.

‘If it’s this cold before autumn, how do they even survive here during winter…?’

By the way, the Nibelung family has only two staff members—a butler and a maid.

The butler, a middle-aged man, is named Karon.

He is the perfect archetype of a butler, down to the monocle.

He handles everything: food, cooking, garden maintenance, repairs, guest reception, and more.

He is incredibly efficient, and my first impression of him was that of a silent monk.

He speaks little, responds mostly with nods, and embodies the ideal reserved butler.

Next is the maid, Shail—a striking young woman with a bob haircut.

Karon doesn’t, such as cleaning, laundry, hunting wild animals, security, and patrols.

The most peculiar thing is the small harness on her thigh, where she keeps a metal rod.

Intrigued, I asked Abel about her on the first day.

—Shail? She’s been my maid since I was little. She’s young, only twenty-one—four years older than us… But why do you ask, Kang Geom-Ma? You’re not… interested in Shail, are you!?”

Abel’s exaggerated reaction took me by surprise. It was just a question.

Maybe in Western countries, asking about personal information is considered a major breach of etiquette.

Or perhaps, as her employer, her discomfort was understandable.

Shail, despite appearing distant, is actually quite considerate.

She always appears with whatever you need, even before you ask.

—Knock, knock, knock.

She knocks three times, leaves whatever she brought, and disappears without a trace—like a ghost.

Her ability to move undetected and her stealth are remarkable, though not quite on the level of the Auditore family.

Even so, the aura she gives off and her skills are far from ordinary for a maid.

‘How common is it for a maid to be in charge of hunting and security…?’

Since she belongs to the Nibelung family, her strength must be considerable. I don’t know to what extent, but it’s certainly not insignificant.

Karon and Shail are extremely competent, keeping the castle spotless between just the two of them.

However, no matter how superhuman they are, two people alone can’t do everything.

‘It’s strange that one of the most prestigious noble families has so few staff members.’

I suspect this is due to the Swordmaster’s reserved and reclusive nature.

He despises crowded places, which explains the limited personnel.

That’s why both Abel and I help with tasks beyond Karon and Shail’s scope, such as chopping wood or occasionally going to the market.

So far, no problem. I had planned to earn my stay by helping out, so I was prepared to work hard.

Doing nothing and just eating would be far more uncomfortable.

‘It’s a matter of principle.’

Besides, Abel and the Swordmaster also help, so there’s no room for complaints.

These small tasks are nothing compared to the hardships I faced since entering the workforce at seventeen.

So far, these have been fulfilling days.

The clean, fresh air has done wonders for my lungs after years of breathing pollution.

And the scenery is incredible. Just shifting my gaze gives me postcard-worthy views.

I finally understand why Switzerland is known as one of the best places to live.

However, there is one thing.

One part of this routine that I absolutely cannot stand.

***

The basement of the fortress—the Swordmaster’s private training area.

A gloomy atmosphere and suffocating silence enveloped the place.

“……”

It was so silent that a faint ringing buzzed in my ears.

And what was I doing here? Sitting next to the Swordmaster, both of us in a lotus position, meditating.

We had been doing this since breakfast—for four straight hours.

My knees were numb to the point of being completely unresponsive, and small spasms ran up my back.

I half-opened my right eye and glanced sideways at my companion.

The Swordmaster remained motionless, his posture impeccable, exactly the same as it had been four hours ago. I let out a quiet sigh as I watched him.

The sound of my breath broke the silence, echoing in the oppressive air.

‘Did I come all the way to Switzerland just to meditate?’

The reason behind all this goes back to the main motive for which the Swordmaster brought me to Switzerland.

‘He said he would guide me in training and discipline to become the next member of the Seven Stars.’

The personal tutelage of the man who had held the title of the strongest in humanity for decades.

A privilege so astonishing that anyone would be left speechless upon hearing it.

And as a fellow swordsman, someone with more experience and knowledge than me…

I expected to learn and understand many things.

I had already learned the value of good teaching from my first master, so my expectations were high.

However, reality was this.
Spending every day meditating with him in this position until lunchtime, for four hours straight.

Regarding this, the Swordmaster had explained.

— The foundation of your blessing is already complete. However, it is too powerful and primitive to control easily. Increasing your brute strength in this state is useless. First, you need to adjust that energy so it conforms to you, and the only way to achieve that is through meditation. The first week you spend here will be dedicated to that.

In short, I needed to refine and mold the Blessing of the Sword God, which was almost in a raw state, through meditation.

The purpose made sense. One could even say it was the right approach.
The latent power within me was sufficient, but it needed to be refined for me to control it. However…

“Ugh—”

An involuntary groan escaped through my teeth.

The Swordmaster, without opening his eyes, dismissed it immediately.

“Stop complaining. If I, standing on the edge of old age, can do this, a young man like you should be able to as well.”

“…Understood.”

“Just a little longer. Half an hour more, and we’re done.”

“……”

‘Half an hour more?’

I sighed internally. This was torture.

Sitting in the lotus position for so many hours made it feel as if my joints were grinding against each other.

My whole body ached, my hips trembled, and my backside, pressed against the cold stone floor, shifted involuntarily.

‘Ah, hell, I’ve got a cramp!’

Forget “conversing with myself.” All I wanted was to get out of this situation as soon as possible.

However, the Swordmaster, a seventy-year-old man, was sitting there stoically, not moving a single inch.

If he could endure it, how could I complain?

–Knock, knock.

Two knocks on the door broke the suffocating silence of the room.

The Swordmaster’s eyes slowly opened.

He stood up silently and walked toward the door.

I tried to stand up, but his cold gaze made me quickly return to the lotus position.

It was almost as unbearable as the first time I manifested the Blessing of the Sword God.

The Swordmaster opened the door.

—Creak.

The creaking of the old hinges echoed through the air as the figure of Karon, the butler, appeared on the other side. His face showed a slight expression of concern, something rare for someone usually expressionless.

“Sir, I need to speak with you in private.”

Karon whispered something to the Swordmaster. Though I was curious, I averted my gaze.

If he was speaking in such a low tone, it was probably a personal matter, and there was no point in a stranger like me interfering.

Regardless, I had a more urgent problem to deal with.

‘I can’t feel anything below my waist.’

My legs were completely numb, and a tingling sensation had taken over my lower half.

How was I supposed to get up? I couldn’t move a single muscle.

—At that moment.

“What!? That damn Richard!?”

The Swordmaster roared with an expression of anger, his brow deeply furrowed. I had never seen him like this before.

“Sir, young Kang Geom-Ma is right behind you.”

“Ah, ahem.”

The Swordmaster cleared his throat, trying to compose himself, though his face remained tense.

I watched the two of them in silence as I repeated in my head the name he had mentioned.

‘…Richard.’

Even though he hadn’t said the last name, it was easy to guess who he was talking about.

There was only one person in this world who could infuriate the Swordmaster that much.

Rachel’s eldest uncle and one of the Seven Stars—Richard de Mura, the Saint of the Lance.

Although he was slightly behind the Swordmaster in terms of prestige, he had the reputation of being unbeatable in terms of raw strength.

It was said he could crush the head of a B-rank magical beast with a single punch.

According to rumors, he was more of a lion than a human. I had never seen him in the game, so I didn’t know if that was true or not.

However, his physical strength was undoubtedly the most impressive among the Seven Stars heroes.

‘But why is his name coming up now?’

The Swordmaster spoke to Karon.

“I have an urgent matter to attend to. I may be back for dinner, or perhaps a little later. Have the kids eat first.”

“Understood, sir.”

With those words, the Swordmaster hurriedly left the training room.

The sound of his footsteps ascending the stairs echoed for a moment before fading away.

I tried to push myself up off the ground…

…Or at least, that’s what I attempted.

“……”

My eyes met Karon’s, who stood with his hands behind his back.

He observed me with an indifferent expression, his eyes narrowing further.

“Fifteen minutes remain.”

“……”

“Young Kang Geom-Ma.”

I chuckled internally and forced a smile.

I straightened up again and resumed the lotus position.

Finally, Karon nodded as if approving my obedience.

Rigid discipline seemed to be something both the Swordmaster and his butler shared.

…Damn it.

***

“Ugh…”

A groan escaped through my teeth. After four days of sitting cross-legged, it felt as if even my internal organs were twisted.

I hadn’t eaten lunch. I was hungry, but the pain and numbness in my legs outweighed any sense of emptiness in my stomach.

I let my back fall onto the bed, staring at the unfamiliar ceiling above me. As I gazed into the void, a sudden thought crossed my mind.

“Wait… now that I think about it, since I’m in Switzerland, that dungeon should be nearby.”

I sat up abruptly. Immediately, I opened my suitcase and pulled out Murasame.

Looking at the partially unsheathed blade, a smile spread across my face.

“Looks like I got lucky.”

What had seemed like monotonous vacations dedicated solely to training now had a purpose.

However, to enter the dungeon, I needed prior preparations and teammates.

“The requirement was a minimum of three people…”

It wasn’t just an entry requirement; proper equipment was also necessary. The path to the dungeon was treacherous, and most importantly, there was the hidden monster lurking inside…

Though I didn’t want to set foot in that place, I had no choice.

If I prioritized getting stronger, I would have to endure whatever awaited me.

‘That place holds one of the few magic stones in this world…’

As I let out a sigh filled with concern, I heard a sound.

Knock, knock, knock.

As always, three knocks on the door.

“I guess it’s dinnertime.”

I assumed it was the maid, Shail, and didn’t respond. Talking to her never resulted in a reply.

Knock, knock, knock.

However, the knocking came again.

I frowned slightly as I got up to open the door.

Standing there, unexpectedly, was someone I hadn’t expected to see.

“What are you doing here?”

It was Abel. She held a blanket in her arms, glowing faintly under the light.

“I-I came to return something to you.”

“……?”

Abel lifted her gaze just slightly, her golden eyes gleaming beneath her bangs.

“I also wanted to talk to you…”

As she said this, she tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked at me.