Chapter 4: Chapter 4: A rewarding hunt and an improvement in swordsmanship

On the steep, rocky hills climbed a large man, and behind him walked another, carrying various weapons.

The man who walked in front held a long spear in his hand, and was quite tall, of broad shoulders and a stout build. He was dressed very unusually, for he had an overcoat made out of bear pelt, with a snakeskin belt on his waist, where also a sword hung, and a cap made from wolf fur adorned his head, covering his curly scarlet mane that would have otherwise been flowing freely.

With deep boots made from thick leather, he stepped on the rocky ground, crossing the hill, and soon he managed to reach a forest valley. Rocks still filled the ground, as this was an unusually stone filled place, but heavy shrubbery covered the ground.

The man who carried various weapons seemed frightened, and he said “Lord Vikram, must we venture into such an unfriendly place?”

Indeed, it was Vikram who was traversing the wild paths of the mountainous frontier, for this was his fifth year of exile. But despite his exile, he enjoyed his life here.

His funds were not low, as the imperial family provided a monthly salary, and the fact that the client kings and countryside noblemen wished to court favor with Vikram, who, despite being in exile, was their only way to the luxurious capital.

So Vikram often found pleasure in the company of other nobles and lived in great luxury. So instead of being a boorish fellow who would only train or do some similarly unreasonable thing, such as worry, Vikram decided to dedicate much of his time to hunting.

He started hunting at eight, though at that time he only visited the hunting grounds of nobles and royals. Vikram truly found many of the nobles and such upper-class fellows quite agreeable, and so he treated them with the kindness and respect they deserved.

Yet his upbringing changed him slightly, so he grew angry at the servant questioning him.

“You slave! How dare you complain when I gave you the honor of accompanying me?” Vikram said with anger in his voice, for not only has he failed to find much game, but a slave was questioning him!

“I dare not, your highness!” the slave, who served as the temporary spear carrier of Vikram, replied in a fearful tone while kneeling in submission. He had heard of the prince’s vile temper, as he even dared beat a king who dishonored him in some way. If he dared beat a king, even if he was a prince he would have to be wary, as this was not the capital where the many knights of the imperial family could crush all opposition. Would a man dare to act when he could be killed and remain unavenged?

“You sure dare! I don’t know where a slave like you ate the gall of a bear, but to think you would dare complain!” Vikram vented.

The slave-servant dared not respond, as he didn’t mean to offend the prince! How was he to know that Vikram needed something to vent his frustrations?

“You walk so grandly, scaring all possible prey! Not only that but your loudmouth behavior will attract predators! I should just leave you here and travel back on my own!” Vikram exclaimed, but his eyes made a slight movement as he grabbed the slave servant and pulled him to the side, making the servant fall to the ground.

The slave was frightened, thinking that the prince was going to kill him while they were in the wild, only for something large and black to suddenly fly through the space he occupied just a second ago.

It was a humongous beast, larger than a full grown bull, its body knotted with bulging muscle, its eyes bloodshot, and two massive tusks protruding from its mouth. A boar! And not of the common kind!

‘A demonic beast! A boar of all things!’ Vikram said in his heart, as he looked at the rampage of the animal gone berserk, all that touched its tusks burned.

It was not that Vikram never learned of magic, as that was taken care of under his education back in the capital. The fact that magic existed was normal to Vikram, yet he never saw a demonic beast, until today! A demonic beast being a regular beast that mutated due to magic. As such, Vikram was overjoyed, for he would finally hunt an individual he could consider worthy prey!

Taking a javelin from his spear carriers, as javelins were throwing spears, and with all his might he hurled it at the side of the beast’s head, as the beast circled after failing its initial attack.

The missile struck true, as it hit the beast behind the shoulders, penetrating its skin, yet the attack seemed to work more towards enraging the hulking monstrosity instead of slaying it.

Vikram then brandished his spear and took a stance. The stance consisted of him bending his knees, widening the gap between his feet, and firmly clutching it with his left hand in the front and the right hand behind, intending to control it with the left hand, and use to right hand for impulse!

Indeed! Vikram was going to meet the boar head on! Why would he not? For he had to prove one thing to himself. Many would say that to accomplish one’s ambition one should use his intelligence, for it was the thing that differentiated us from beasts, as the beasts lacked ambition and greater cognitive ability. So he, Vikram, was going to prove that man could be superior to beast not only in intelligence but also in bodily strength.

One would say he was cheating as he used a spear, but the boar was no longer a common beast! Nor was a regular boar weaponless, for the tusks and might of a boar could best and gore even the greatest of men, if they let their guard soften, so Vikram was merely using a nature given talent of thumbs to hold a weapon.

And so the two met! The boar seemed to look down on the human in front of it, so it charged without much thinking, as it grew capable of thinking. Offended and dishonored by the act of being looked down upon, the warlike prince, a chief of men, lunged at the monstrous beast, infusing much of his internal strength into the strike, while in his mind he roared ‘I may be dishonored, but I shall not be unrevenged!’ and his spear point met the beast’s skull.

The thick skull of the monster failed to protect the beast from such a heavy strike, thus it was shattered as the metal point of the spear reached its brain, splattering it on the ground.

The slave was dumbstruck by the event, as it all happened quite quickly for him, yet he teared up.

“To think that your highness would save me despite my offense-“the servant spoke, only to be interrupted by the frustrated voice of the prince.

“You dog cur! How dare you imagine things so vividly! Truly a born liar you are! Of course, I will not allow for my spear carrier to die! Do you think that carrying so many spears is easy?” Vikram rebuked.

The slave knew not how to respond, and as such Vikram made camp and used a signal. What kind of signal one might ask?

Burning of wolf feces, as it produced quite a heavy smoke, and mixed with some herbs could be of colors other than thick black. Vikram didn’t really know how it worked, but since magic existed he didn’t doubt it, though it did confuse him as to why magic wasn’t used for signals.

But Vikram suddenly stopped just before lighting the signal flame. The servant wanted to ask why he stopped, but since the outburst, he dared not say anything, nor did he act dare act without orders after the outburst of Vikram.

Vikram suddenly dug a stone of considerable size out of the ground and took two javelins in hand. Then he crouched and stealthily he moved throughout the shrubbery.

What he came to see was a group of less than a dozen armed men, if one were to be specific there were four men armed with various weapons.

They seemed to be chatting about something, but Vikram, still undiscovered decided to act!

First, he put the stone on the ground very quietly and put javelins in both his hands. With a cry of war, he hurled the missiles using both his left hand and right hand, for he trained his hands to be as able as each other in martial arts, and the missiles were thrown with great strength.

The armed men were stunned by the warcry, so they were unable to react. One of the javelins hit a man in the earlobe, penetrating throughout the skull and the tip leaving through the other side, making the man fall to the ground.

The other spear struck another man in the chest, hitting the man in his right breast, penetrating yet not causing an immediate fatality to the man, who, with a groan as the javelin pushed the air out of his lungs, fell to the ground in great pain, where he started making movements out of pain and crying relatively quietly.

A man armed with a sword and a shield took a guard, vigilantly looking in the general direction from where the javelins came. The shield bearing man was met with a large rock being used as a projectile against him.

The stone was tossed with such vigor, that despite the man’s relatively successful attempt to block it with his shield, it caused him to lose his shield, for it shattered, and his arm crushed to the force that traveled throughout the shield, for the shield was of the kind one attaches to the forearm with straps made of leather and not the one with a handle.

Suddenly the enormous Vikram rushed at him and cut at the man’s skull with great might, his strike landing true and splitting his foe’s head between the eyebrows, yet force cleaved further, splattering the man’s name as more of the skull was crushed.

As Vikram took the sword out of the man’s head, he looked at the surviving spear wielder, who couldn’t decide whether to avenge or flee, a foolish mistake as the spear is not good at defense, for its greater defense was its reach to slay the opponent before the opponent reaches you.

As such, the spear wielder was met with Vikram thrusting his sword at him, and unable to defend the spear wielder took the hit to his chest, and fell in great pain, for his heart was penetrated.

Vikram’s look had great mirth engrained in it, for apart from the demonic boar he slew, he successfully hunted bandit. The hunt was enjoyable because of the process, and not because of having corpses to deal with! And the process was battle, which refined Vikram’s body greatly, for only the bloodshed of battle would make him feel the thrill of adrenalin.

As such, he finally lit the signal fire, causing many armed men to arrive.

“Lord Vikram, I must truly say that among the princes of Purson, you are the most valiant and gallant!” said a nobly dressed man, who seemed as the leader of this armed troop.

“No need for such flattery Sir Bukhar! To do deeds by valor is the safest and noblest of all ways of advancement. While I am not looking for advancements in office nor great titles, it is the simplest to be valorous!” Vikram replied, not bothered by the minor flattery.

“Truly wise words!” Bukhar said in response.

And soon the spoils of battle were recovered and the men retreated.

…

In the grand mead hall of King Andras’s stronghold, next to an elongated table, many men sat, and at the head of the table sat the king himself.

The battle loving king started “Let us toast to Lord Vikram for his valiant deeds! For the young lord slew a demonic beast at the mere age of thirteen!”

And many raised their golden cups to the gallantry of Vikram, who sat on the right side of the king, Andras.

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“And let me not fail to mention the words most wise he said!’ To do deeds by valor is the safest and noblest of all ways of advancement’.”

The words resounded with the men in the hall, for in this frontier it is by valor one rises, as many bandits and beasts roamed throughout the land.

The word especially pleased king Andras, for the client kings, they were more like warlords who seek legitimacy in their rule from the imperial capital, as the endless brigades of imperial knights made a mark in the epic tradition of the bards in the region, as such most men were raised listening to tragic songs of their valiant ancestors holding last stands, yet being unable to prevail.

So king Andras, who accomplished his rise to kingship through military accomplishments and martial deeds, was delighted by a prince of imperial stock saying his way of promotion was the noblest one.

“May you tell us of your hunt, Lord Vikram?” the king asked in a respectful tone.

“But of course!” replied Vikram before continuing,” The beast was larger than the bulls of the plane, its body knotted with bulging muscles, its tusks like the swords of the highest quality, and its eye bloodshot and filled by madness…” and so he spoke of the great hunt on the beast.

And as he described the hunt vividly and poetically, many praised him for his valor, for few could slay a demonic beast when ambushed by it, and none could have done it when they were thirteen years of age.

Yet none called him by his title of prince, and as for why? It was because of his implicit demand.

When asked about it he said ‘I wish to be known as Vikram first, and prince second! For I consider myself Vikram first!’ and people respected his wish.

Then they feasted, and drank heavily for all of them were men who enjoyed such things, without much political intrigue. Indeed, it was the most martial of men who could rise to the high positions in the frontier and the surrounding client kingdoms, for they all fought heavily to gain such status.

And they drank and feasted until they could do it no more, some sang, some did not, and it was joyous.

…

Several weeks have passed since the young Vikram slew the demonic beast, and today he decided to rest at his manor.

 The manor was enormous, yet a high wall with mighty battlements surrounded it, for the manor had a second purpose. A fortress for the man who lives in it. The wall was once encompassed with moss, yet Vikram ordered for it to be cleaned so that men would not be able to climb it somehow.

Vikram, during his second life as Cao Xiang, could find dozens who could climb such walls, for they had something to cling on. So Vikram did his best to make sure that no such expert would be able to come in, and he trained his guard vigorously to prevent the possibility of assassins entering.

Yet as he basked in the rays of the sun, an elderly man escorted by guards came.

The elder was tall, and of a broad build with particularly developed shoulders and arms, his dress was blue, and he had a long beard hanging from his face.

“Who might you be Sir?” Vikram asked, curious as to whom his guards would escort inside without his permission.

“You, I presume are Lord Vikram?” said the elder with a look of interest in his mind.

“That would be correct, but you have yet to answer my question.” Said Vikram, though he didn’t lose his patience, as he only lost it when people acted arrogantly or entitled towards him, and when he perceived that people acted arrogantly.

“I apologize for that, as I heard you are but thirteen years of age,” said the old man with a smile,” My name is Charles de Epee, first duke de Epee.”

“You are the sword saint?” exclaimed Vikram in surprise, then upon composing himself he said, “ I wished to meet you, but unfortunately my exile proved to be quite a hindrance.”

“I also wished to meet you, yet it was only now that I found the time to do it.” Said the sword saint, not admitting that he only now decided to meet Vikram because he heard of his deed of slaying a demonic beast at thirteen.

Charles de Epee did in fact wish to meet Vikram, as he valued his granddaughter quite a lot, but he could not be bothered to meet the exiled prince as he thought it would not be worth his time, as the prince would return to the capital eventually.

As for thinking that he might die before Vikram returned? Charles didn’t even consider it, as he was among the few swordmasters of the continent, and the defining trait of swordmasters was the fact that their lives were extended to around a hundred and sixty years, and the ability to manifest mana outside their body.

As a man of merely sixty years of age, Charles did not believe that someone could slay him, for even among the swordmasters he was the peak, the closest one to reach the realm of sword wizard, and extending his life to three hundred years.

“I see…Since you’ve visited, could we hold a sparring session?” requested Vikram, for he wished to try the might of the sword saint.

Vikram, as Cao Xiang, was a swordsman his whole life, and as such, he knew that the most appropriate thing to do to improve his swordsmanship was to duel and practice.

“Haha! Very well, let us have a bout!” said the sword saint in mild surprise, as few would dare ask him for a duel.

Soon they came to an area filled with flat tiles, making an appropriate training field. So the two masters wielded swords of wood and stood in confrontation.

The sword saint was bewildered! His opponent’s stance had no openings! This was truly a fearsome thing, for even the sword saint was prone to making openings, and he made one which the young man exploited.

The battle was fierce, yet it was dominated by Vikram, who exploited many of the openings of Charles, but what was even more unusual was that both of them were improving with every exchange!

Vikram was overjoyed! His opponent, while he started bewildered and confused, upon the start of the battle showed the eyes that befit a swordsman! No wonder he was called the sword saint in this world, for Vikram only saw two opponents with such eyes, despite his many travels.

The wooden blade was met with another, yet Vikram was much more flexible in his techniques, excelling Charles.

But it was to be expected, for Vikram unknowingly bested a draconic princess that was half a millennia old! He was truly a genius, a prodigy in the way of the sword.

The battle lasted for a great length, and it ended in Vikram’s victory, for the sword saint wasn’t so shameless to use his mana in a duel of technique. But as soon as the battle ended, he sat on the ground, seemingly in a daze of his defeat.

But in Vikram’s eyes, it was different,” A breakthrough!” he exclaimed.

Overjoyed at the prospect of an even stronger opponent, Vikram made a decision! He shall protect the elder for as long as it is needed.

And for three whole days, he stood awake, with a sword in hand, ordering his servant not to disturb him, and refusing all invitations.

When the elder woke up, he tremblingly exclaimed din great joy” I-I became a sword wizard!”

“Young man I thank you greatly!”

“No need! Our bout just pushed you in the right direction!”

“You still have my gratitude! If there was no spar I would have not been enlightened in the way of the sword!” the elder said, for he was convinced in that.

“No need I say again! Elder, you’re the greatest opponent I have fought in this life of mine!” Vikram said, not lying as this was the greatest opponent he had in this third life.

“I see…”

“But I wish to ask you…what kind of breakthrough did you have?”

“What?”

And so Vikram showed his lack of knowledge about swordmasters, whereupon the mortified sword saint explained to him everything he knew. The fact that mortified the sword saint was that the young man had such prowess in the sword art without any instruction from swordmasters.

And so Vikram learned how to project his internal energy, and do various things with it, as this world’s mana worked differently from the internal energy of his previous life. As such he grew quite a bit stronger, for he learned things that only a veteran swordmaster knew.

Truly it was a gratifying day for both of them, as the soon became friends.

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