The Sealed Hall’s door opened.
Inside, it connected to something like a deep cavern.
Seeing it, Jeon Gwangil shivered and looked at me.
"Sergeant Shin. You brought me here for...!"
"I told you—do better from now on."
"...!"
And then—
Miho slipped into the Sealed Hall.
"Thank you for waiting, Benefactor."
A moment later, Miho emerged from the Hall with a single book in her hand.
A book worn and frayed, shabby to the eye.
But its worth was anything but shabby.
[Celestial Execution Divine Art]
[SSS+]
"...!"
On a different plane altogether from the A-rank arts the other soldiers would be learning.
A martial art of immense value.
That book was held out before Jeon Gwangil.
"Take it."
"...!"
Gwangil’s voice trembled as he looked at the book.
"T-this art is..."
"An art created for the Celestial Execution Physique. Our Master personally devised it—the supreme secret."
Corporal Jeon Gwangil received the book with hands that shook.
"If... if I learn this art, I can suppress my Madness!?"
[Madness] was Corporal Jeon Gwangil’s greatest weapon—
And at the same time... his greatest obstacle.
"To truly suppress that Madness, at will...!"
"Excuse me? What do you mean?"
Excited for once at the thought of controlling his stumbling block, Gwangil stammered.
But Miho—
"Suppress?"
She tilted her head, as if to ask what on earth he was talking about.
"Why would you suppress something so precious?"
"...?"
"To some, Celestial Execution is a curse. But handled properly, it’s a force that becomes the finest of blessings. You were born with it, so..."
To the bewildered Gwangil, Miho’s answer was almost absurdly simple.
You don’t suppress it.
"You master it completely—and use it."
****
"...H-ha."
At Miho’s words, Corporal Jeon Gwangil collapsed to the floor, as if all strength had left him.
"S-Sergeant Shin. Did you hear?"
"I did."
"...She says I can control it. That I can control this Madness completely..."
Yeah.
That’s what all this hell was for.
"Hic..."
He lay on the library floor, hands over his face, and began to sob.
Ah. Déjà vu...
A man that big rolling on the floor crying—once in a lifetime, maybe.
Unfortunately, not my first time.
Back when we first did everyone’s awakenings—when he balked because he was scared of monsters—Gwangil looked just like this.
"I—I was scared."
Same as then, the ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) reason for his tears was fear.
But...
The object of that fear was a little different.
"I wasn’t strong enough, and I couldn’t even handle that power..."
"..."
"I was terrified I’d end up being a burden to others someday. But..."
Not fear from something outside.
From within.
Fear born of his own weakness.
But enduring with that fear—right now—
"She says I can control it. And that I can get stronger."
The way to overcome it had appeared.
It must feel like every knot in his body loosened at once.
Watching him suffer under Madness had weighed me down with guilt. How much worse for the man himself.
"Hic..."
All the pent-up feelings burst out as tears.
Go on. Cry.
Cry it all out—and be done with it.
"Gwangil."
"Hhic, yes...!"
I smirked.
"When you get strong later, you’d better not forget me. I’ll be seriously offended."
"Sergeant Shiiin...!"
Yeah.
Don’t you dare forget.
Because this guy Gwangil is about to—
Become unimaginably strong.
****
"I’ll serve you... I’ll serve you for life."
"Alright! I get it, now let go already!"
He was so moved it was ridiculous.
Calming him down after that big crying fit was not easy.
"Snrff—! L-loyalty—loy—alty!"
"Hey—dammit! The snot...!"
He pulled every stunt in the book.
He’s built like a mountain and stronger than me; prying him off wasn’t exactly an option.
"Sniff. Then... I’ll go in."
"Huff... yeah. Go on."
Somehow, I managed to peel him off and send him in.
"You seem close with your comrade."
"He’s not a comrade—he’s my junior."
"...I don’t quite understand. Are those different?"
"Seniority matters."
Miho approached, having watched the scene.
"Even seeing him again, that talent is remarkable. Though the Celestial Execution Physique comes with heaven-sent gifts as well."
"Talent, huh. You can see that at a glance?"
"To a degree. My eyes aren’t perfect, of course."
Hearing that, a question came to mind.
"Then with those eyes—what do you think of my talent for martial arts?"
"..."
"Hm?"
"Should I answer honestly? It might sting a little."
"...Forget it."
Damn it.
I’m a chef anyway. I could’ve guessed I’m not gifted at brawling.
"Then we’ll begin formal instruction tomorrow."
It had grown late. Proper transmission would start the next day.
"Well... I’m counting on you. They’re crucial people in my unit."
"They’re your comrades—your juniors. Of course I’ll give my best. Leave them to me."
I was about to head off for some rest when—
"...Ah! That reminds me."
"Hm?"
Seohwan grabbed my arm as I stepped toward the Shrine Hall.
"I knew we’d forgotten something—something important."
"Important?"
"You and I haven’t had a spar yet."
"...Ah!"
Crap.
Right.
Once we found a lead to solve Gwangil’s problem, I focused on that—
And I still hadn’t sparred with Seohwan.
My own martial art hadn’t been decided yet, either.
"A spar?"
"Ah. Junior Sister."
Miho approached, interested.
Seohwan explained how he’d sparred with my soldiers and selected suitable arts for them.
"Hm. I see."
Miho nodded.
"Then how about this: we all watch the match together."
"Excuse me?"
"If we’re to decide what suits Benefactor, we should put our heads together."
"Even including Senior Brother Jeochil?"
"Mm. I scolded him thoroughly. He won’t cause a scene."
And so—
Late at night, my spar with Seohwan was set.
Inside the Shrine Hall, a large training floor.
Weapons of various types hung across the walls.
"Hmm."
Among them, a little over ten were short blades.
"Hm? Benefactor uses daggers? Unexpected."
"I do. Is that so unexpected?"
"Short blades—unless you’re an ambusher by trade, not a primary weapon."
So even in Seohwan’s world.
From the array, I picked the two daggers I liked best.
And thought to myself:
Probably not the time to use cooking buffs, right?
If we’re sparring, it’d be right to show my full strength—but that’s not quite my everyday state.
"Let me ask—there isn’t a martial art for chefs, is there?"
"A martial art for a cook?"
Seohwan barked a laugh.
"Of course there isn’t!"
"..."
"Haha. Benefactor, that’s absurd."
All the more reason not to use cooking buffs.
Without cooking, my combat ability is bland as water. I worried whether I’d even get a proper art out of this.
"I think I see what worries you."
"Hm?"
"There’s no art for cooks. But, like I said—"
Seohwan glanced at Miho.
Miho gave me a slight nod.
"Junior Sister Miho is adept at creating martial arts."
"Ah...!"
"She didn’t volunteer to observe for nothing. If nothing suits you—"
"She’ll craft one for me?"
"Exactly."
I looked to Miho.
She nodded as if that had been the plan from the start.
"There is no art for chefs to begin with. However—"
"It can be made."
"If it’s Junior Sister Miho, certainly."
I see.
If they’d go that far, I couldn’t ask for more.
"Then—come at me with everything you’ve got, Benefactor."
"Everything, huh."
Feeling comparatively relaxed, I prepared to spar—
And then—
Ah. Right.
One thought drifted through my head.
There was a skill I’d picked up recently, wasn’t there?
Hmm.
I hadn’t tried it in a real fight yet.
Might as well test it here.
"Alright then... I’m going all out."
"Come!"
I set my stance, tactics aligned in my head for dealing with him.
My old fighting posture, two daggers in hand.
And while I settled in—
I murmured silently:
Activate skill...
[Skill: ‘Assistant Chef’ activates.]
Then—
The roughly ten wooden daggers behind me—the ones I hadn’t picked—
"...?"
Floated...
The daggers slowly rose into the air.
As if animated by a will of their own, the blades formed ranks at my back.
That was possible because of the skill I’d acquired after hitting level 30:
[Assistant Chef]
[Invisible assistant chefs support your work.]
[Assistant chefs share the player’s stats.]
[Assistant chefs possess the trait ‘Intermediate Cooking Tool Mastery.’]
The effect of [Assistant Chef] was simple.
Exactly as written:
Something invisible helps me cook.
The funny part was—
That “something” wasn’t just invisible; it seemed to have no physical body at all.
Which led to—
Thrum... thrum...
This:
Knives bobbing in midair like that.
"Good. Here I go—huh?"
With the skill fully active, I was about to crash into Seohwan at full power—
"..."
"..."
"..."
"Excuse me?"
A heavy silence fell over the vast training floor of Heavenly Mountain.
No—strictly speaking, not everyone was silent.
"Uh—ububuh. Ubububububu..."
Just one person babbled like a man possessed:
The pig-man who’d tried to split me in half—Jeochil.
Even if Miho had scolded him, he still hadn’t been looking at me kindly—
"Ah—ah. Earlier, I truly..."
"? "
"I committed a mortal sin!"
He smashed his forehead into the floor with terrifying force.
"...What?"
As I stared, wondering what the hell he was doing—
"...Ha. I’m speechless."
Seohwan seemed at a loss for words as well; he quietly lowered the staff he’d been gripping.
"In just these few days, I’ve seen something more astonishing than the Celestial Execution Physique. Benefactor, you astound me."
And Miho, seated to one side to observe—
"I thought I had an eye for talent. I was mistaken."
She stared blankly at the daggers hovering behind me, then muttered under her breath:
"Sword Control by Will..."
Her voice was thick with barely concealed shock.
"For someone who handles that as if it were nothing—what on earth should I craft?"
****
And so—
Development of a martial art for Sergeant Shin Youngjun began.
Ten legion soldiers also began learning under Seohwan.
Northwest Gangwon Province.
At the farthest edge—the black wall.
"We have arrived, my lady."
"Mmm~ finally?"
There, a certain band took their place.
Scores—perhaps nearly a hundred.
And the great coffin they bore in with solemn care.
From within that coffin—
A woman emerged.
"Whew! It’s been a while since I could do this without watching for prying eyes."
Gold hair cascaded in a radiant spill.
Even in a rough military uniform, her surreal beauty could not be hidden.
And paired with that unearthly beauty—a peculiar dread from blood-red eyes and sharp fangs.
"I’d love a little vacation, but if I try that, my master will cancel a serving of grace..."
A noble of the night.
Baron of the Karstein bloodline.
Ariella Karstein.
She set foot in a corner of Cheorwon County—territory of the Green Manes.
"Well then."
Her red eyes picked out one [Green Mane Warrior] prowling nearby.
"Let’s start by swelling our numbers, shall we?"
