34 - The Bookworm’s Second Life
Title: A Reader's Redemption Life - Chapter 34 As I strummed the lute in reverence of the great Zhuge Liang, a realization dawned upon me. Although the essence was undeniably mine, traces of Sion Clawz remained within parts of my body. Proof of this was evident; I was effortlessly playing the lute, an instrument I had never touched before. "Sion Clawz hadn’t completely shunned swordsmanship. Swinging a sword haphazardly should be manageable." This self-proclaimed future knight of the kingdom had no right to boast yet, as he was still a mere trainee. Most importantly, Ludwig was too blinded by the strong temptation to display his gallant side, rendering him quite the fool for not seeing his surroundings properly. “Shall we begin?” The arrogance was palpable; his confidence seemed deeply ingrained, like ink on parchment. Apparently, Sion Clawz had avoided sparring with Ludwig numerous times to the point of offending him. ‘I can't fathom why someone like him tangled so persistently with Kim Yuhyeon.’ If Kim Yuhyeon took more pleasure in killing, it would have been better. Kim Yuhyeon's heart softened when deemed an opponent weak or pitiful. Sion Clawz exploited this, relentlessly harassing him. “I can at least offer you the first move.” Ludwig taunted, inviting me with a smug posture. Does he think that pose looks cool? To me, he just looks like a thug waving a wooden sword around. ‘Very well then, no need to decline.’ I decided to experiment and see how skillfully I could wield the sword. Sion advanced and swung the sword vertically downwards. The wooden sword was heavier than expected, and there was a concern I could kill Ludwig if it actually hit him. Fear of sustaining injury if countered sparked within me, but my sword moved on its own. It wasn’t bad. It seems I had some experience handling a sword. But that was as far as it went. “Too slow!” Thwack! Ludwig effortlessly blocked Sion's attack with his own swing. As anticipated, despite my tentative swordplay, it was child’s play compared to Ludwig’s level. In the original storyline, my arm would have been sliced off by Kim Yuhyeon, crippling my ability to handle a sword from then on. ‘Damn, my hand’s numb.’ Even with wooden swords, my hand buzzed with a sting that brought to mind what it would be like if sparring with real swords. “Is that all you've got left, Sion Clawz?” “...Seems like it’s over.” “Then, it’s my turn now.” How to proceed? Overwhelm him until he collapses? Or exploit every opening until he could barely stand? Though tempted to flatten that condescending face, I tolerated it, predicting inevitable repercussions. ‘Let’s focus on his legs.’ Intending to destabilize and send him sprawling on the floor, Ludwig prepared to swing his sword. No, he attempted to. “Surrender.” ...What? Ludwig, who was charging confidently, halted abruptly. Surrender? What was he on about? Just because I blocked an attack? “What are you up to, Sion Clawz?” “Surrender.” Raising both hands slightly without any defensive stance, Sion perfectly conveyed his intent to surrender. At that moment, Ludwig felt his energy completely dissipate. While he knew Sion was timid, he expected at least some semblance of a fight. Yet the moment his attack was blocked, Sion immediately threw in the towel. “Ha.” Baffled, Ludwig trudged over to Sion. Never before had he encountered anyone so cowardly and feeble. In battle, fighting as if ready to die is a supreme decree of the Marquis of Ladenen, a matter of knights’ pride, and a soldiers’ duty. But this man—Sion, the eldest son of the Clausen boundary lord, the so-called heir of the Clausen who are known as the kingdom’s armor—how can this pretty-faced weakling be— “What a weakling! You’re disappointing, Sion Clawz!” “Yes, gotcha?” ...Huh? Something light touched Ludwig’s neck. Lowering his gaze slightly, he realized what it was. At some point, Sion, who had been holding up both hands in surrender, lowered one arm and aimed the wooden sword at Ludwig's neck. “What are you doing now?” “You said it’s over if someone gets aimed at the neck. I aimed at yours, you’re the target. So, I won, and you lost. Did you get that, esteemed knight trainee?” “You, what exactly are you trying...?” Ludwig was bewildered. Using such petty tricks in a spar? Deceiving an opponent in the sacred arena of swordplay? “Just showing you the swordplay said to be used on the battlefield. Isn’t that what you wanted?” “Nonsense! This is just a prank! You mocking me?” “If you’re dissatisfied, let’s go again. Deal?” Unfazed by Sion’s suggestion, Ludwig gritted his teeth and accepted. Having already given the right of first attack, Ludwig planned to aggressively end the spar by swiftly counterattacking this time, frustrated by the dirty trick just pulled on him. ‘Stupid bastard! Your face might be fine, but your actions are pure trash!’ Ludwig indeed had an eye for judging people. His problem, however, was failing to realize that the Sion Clawz before him was no longer truly Sion Clawz. “Let’s begin, Ludwig.” The moment those words left his lips, Ludwig leaped forward, aiming at Sion. Though tempted to thrash his head, he decided to land a blow that would cause only mild injuries. Although Sion had assumed a defensive stance, it was evident that he’d left himself open. It was clear that he had some experience with a sword, but he hadn’t refined his skills into a systematic form. ‘This is it, you fool!’ No, it wasn’t. Idiot. With a snicker, Sion swiftly kicked up his foot without a second thought. Thwack! “Ugh!” Since Ludwig had begun to express his irritation, Sion had been subtly scraping the dirt and sand from the training ground onto his shoes, ready to strike. The fine-grained sand, small and light enough not to cause injury, created a cloud of dust the moment Sion kicked it up. Blinded by the sudden barrage of sand, Ludwig stumbled, losing his momentum. His blurred vision was further incapacitated by the sharp pain of sand irritating his eyes, leaving him helpless. “Got you again, didn’t I?” With laughter still dancing on his lips, Sion once again placed his sword at Ludwig’s throat. It was an impeccably clean and perfect end. The self-proclaimed future knight was left in a state of disbelief. “What in the world are you doing? Twice now, you’ve resorted to trickery in this sacred spar...” “You wanted to see the swordplay used in war. I only gave you what you asked for. Why so confused, Ludwig Ledenen?” “Of course not! How could a knight stoop to using such deceit? This is underhanded! Dishonorable! Dirty tactics! And you—using them blatantly twice...” “Then what does that make you, someone who got caught twice by these deceitful, dishonorable, dirty tricks? Are you really the future knight responsible for our kingdom?” With a smirk, Sion tapped Ludwig’s throat lightly with the wooden sword’s tip, his expression cold and unyielding. “Whatever naive ideals you hold, let me enlighten you, never having set foot on a battlefield. In battle, there’s only one form of cowardice—running away. Anything else goes in war. Since you've been home playing with your sword, you’re missing the bigger picture. Listen well to what your elder has to say—the next time, your head might not be so safe.” For clarification, they were of the same age. Not technically an elder. At least, not yet. “I originally intended to go easy, but since you keep belittling war and demanding to see the swordsmanship used there, I decided to show you. This brother’s giving his little brother a special lesson so his head doesn’t get lopped off next time.” “Nonsense! I won’t fall for such petty tactics...” “Fall for it. Do you think a sword won’t pierce a knight's neck? It’s about the difficulty of getting there, not the outcome. If this were real war, I’d survive, and you’d be dead. Twice now, even.” Retracting his wooden sword, Sion laughed while dusting off his shoulders. The sight of Ludwig—who was previously poised to smash him—now glaring with a face akin to chewing on bitterness, made him want to dance with delight. “Again! Sion Clawz, let’s go again, one more time!” “Oh dear, how pathetic. You’ve lost twice already, and yet you want more? Aren’t you embarrassed?” “Ugh!” “It looks strange to others too. Even if you managed to win once now, the final tally would still be 2-1 in my favor. Wouldn’t it be cleaner to end it as 2-0, Ludwig?” “You only won through deception!” “No war anywhere dismisses a victory gained through trickery. Even sparring is practice for war, so get used to it quickly.” “I can’t accept it! Do it again—one more time!” With that, Sion stepped forward towards Ludwig. Ludwig tensed, wary of more trickery. However, Sion merely let the wooden sword fall to the ground with a resounding clatter and whispered in Ludwig’s ear. “You know, Ludwig.” “...?” “I don’t listen to someone weaker than myself.” With a declaration fit to swell the chest of any hero, Sion completely submerged Ludwig. In Ludwig’s twenty years of life, hearing that he was weak was a novel experience. Ludwig was left astounded, speechless, and seething. Having been defeated twice, he could only gape at Sion, left unable to voice his frustration. ‘Damn, this feels refreshing.’ Finally getting back at the person who’d always looked down on him like a bug (even though it wasn’t truly him), while relishing in sweet victory twice over. Sion’s swordplay left much to be desired, but it was enough to capitalize on openings. Meanwhile, Ludwig—though skilled with a sword—was still an oblivious novice when it came to the ways of the world. Justice is sought in courtrooms, not on battlefields where life and death hang in the balance. Those are the insurance policies set by losers, hollow claims about fair fights. Winning is paramount, and ensuring the enemy’s defeat is all that matters. It’s a world where the victor is the hero and the loser is just that. ‘Now, who’s this?’ As Sion moved to exit, his gaze locked with someone unexpected—a middle-aged man with a robust physique, almost like that of a young man, stood observing Sion and Ludwig in turn. Freezing his steps, Sion bowed respectfully. “Marquis.” Volko Ledenen, the current Marquis Ledenen and a war hero, with a complicated relationship with the Duke of Lichten—none other than Ludwig's father. “It’s been a while, Sion Clawz.” “Has it?” “So, how was it?” “Pardon?” Caught off guard by this abrupt question, Sion was momentarily flustered. Is he asking how I feel about deceiving his son? If that’s the case, I’d better tread carefully. No parent would look kindly upon someone who played dirty tricks on their child. "You’ve demonstrated the swordplay used in war to my son firsthand, haven’t you?" "That’s right." "Then tell me, how was the war you experienced?" Upon hearing this, Sion raised his head slightly to meet Marquis Volko's gaze. Although his eyes held a cold gleam, they didn’t seem accusatory. It was evident he wasn’t perturbed about his son’s defeat due to underhanded tactics. In fact, he appeared rather intrigued, finding something interesting in the sudden change in Sion Clawz’s demeanor. ‘This man is far more refined than Ludwig, a true noble.’ Sion quickly pondered his response. How could he appeal to the marquis? How could he land another blow against Ludwig, sealing a complete 3-0 victory? “...War.” The decision was swift. Sion lowered his voice to its deepest register, crafting a tone brimming with solemnity—an attempt to convey that recalling the horrors of battle was enough to chill his spine and bring tears to his eyes. “War is only sweet and glorious to those who have never experienced it.” “...” The marquis offered no verbal reply. But his reaction was palpable. Sion caught sight of Marquis Volko’s eyebrows arching, as if impressed by the remark. This exchange confirmed it. Ludwig had lost to Sion yet again, making it 3-0! ‘Father, your unwise son is genuinely thankful! Huzzah!’ Sion had immense appreciation for the "Epic Quotes Collection" his father had once brought home in a fit of inspiration after a few drinks. [Author's Note] This marks four consecutive uploads.