Chapter 8
A Healthy Mind Creates a Healthy Body (1)
It had been a week since I started working in the Helphion Duchy.
Life in the duchy was so monotonous that it made its reputation as the “territory that fights the fiercest in the world” seem absurd.
Around sunrise, a maid—or rather, the head maid—would come to wake me.
I didn’t realize that when they said every position in the duchy had only one person, they meant it literally.
I was so embarrassed when I first learned this.
The newly hired clerk, me, had been making the head maid, who had served for years, run errands like delivering meals to my room.
She had accepted my apology and said it was fine, but she was so expressionless, meticulous, and composed that I couldn’t tell if she truly meant it.
In the morning, after having breakfast with the duke, I would process paperwork.
Perhaps thanks to the struggles of the past two weeks, the amount of paperwork had reduced to one-tenth of what it had been when I first saw it.
One-tenth might not sound like much, but still—what progress!
In just twenty more weeks—four months—I could finish all the accumulated documents!
“Chief Clerk, here you go.”
“Thank you again, as always.”
While processing paperwork, the head maid would bring tea.
It was tea brewed from Selvinius leaves, which grew nourished by the mana and dew of the carcasses of giant monsters.
It was such a rare specialty that in the Empire, a single serving would cost a gold coin.
Yet in this village, it was as common as plain water to cleanse your palate after a meal.
How on earth does this duchy’s economy work?
I need the trading company to arrive soon so someone can make a proper profit.
Has Roné received my letters? Why no response?
I wish they’d come a bit faster. The duchy’s development plan depends on it.
At this rate, nothing can be done.
“The amount of paperwork has decreased quite a bit.”
“Ha ha, we still have a long way to go. But by the way, Head Maid, I could at least carry the tea myself, you know.”
“No. Among these messy battle-crazed people, you’re the only one who still acts like a human being. I must do something like this for you.”
“Ah… ha ha ha…”
With her calm, serious face, I couldn’t tell if she was joking or being sincere.
The head maid sometimes delivers terrifying curses with a youthful, composed expression.
She might look younger than me at first glance, but I’ve heard she’s actually older.
Maybe that’s why she’s the head maid in the duchy—full of mysteries and secrets.
“I’m truly, truly glad the chief clerk is here.”
“Ha ha ha, thank you for saying so. All I do is organize paperwork and write letters.”
“Thanks to you, the duke seems a bit more human.”
I disagreed. In my view, the duke was still no different from a combat golem obsessed with training.
I sighed thinking of him. Even the world’s most luxurious tea tasted bitter.
The duke’s daily routine was monotonous.
After meals, he trained. Lunch, more training. Dinner, training again. Then sleep when night came.
Twice a week, he would go hunting far away, keeping the demons from crossing into human territories.
On those days, the whole duchy was bustling—not just the duke, but the butler and village warriors would all go hunting.
Many would die, many would get injured.
But the duke’s routine changed.
Because of me.
After lunch, before training, he had a one-hour meeting with me.
The reason was simple: to write love letters.
Moreover, today was special—the first time he had received a reply to the countless letters he had sent.
“You’re here!”
The duke in his office was unusually excited—his face flushed, his breathing harsh.
He suddenly stood up and briskly approached me.
“Um… Duke, you look really dangerous right now. Please calm down.”
Sure enough. I was pressed back by his sudden rush, stumbled, and almost fell.
Just as I was about to fall, the duke grabbed my arm to steady me.
“Oh dear, sorry. I moved too quickly.”
“No, it’s my clumsiness. Thank you. More importantly, did you read the letter?”
“Here it is!”
He handed me the letter immediately.
The contents were proper, polite, and formal—nice, but bland.
Aside from elaborate phrasing, there was nothing significant: who Lady Titania was, gratitude for being saved that day, and mild surprise at receiving so many letters.
Well, after sending letters every day for two weeks, one could understand the fatigue.
“Laward, about this letter…”
“Uh… it’s normal…”
“You mean… they want us to have two children?”
“Excuse me?”
What nonsense.
Had the duke gone mad from finally receiving a long-awaited letter?
He looked deadly serious.
“Lady Squaret has a younger sibling. Duke Squaret also runs the duchy with their sibling. And her mother has an aunt, correct?”
“You mean… you interpreted this as wanting two children?”
“…No?”
“Of course not!”
You insane person!
I swallowed the last words internally to preserve my dignity.
The duke examined me suspiciously.
“Really?”
“If you ask anyone in the duke’s family—or anyone in the duchy—they’d say the same thing!”
“Hmm… still fine. Then this part is clear. You want the honeymoon at the Demon King’s Castle…”
“Stop spouting nonsense!”
“Hmm? What?”
Ah, a mistake—but I couldn’t resist yelling.
“No, what part of this letter talks about a honeymoon at the Demon King’s Castle?”
He mentioned the Demon King’s Castle?
I recalled the battle there when I first saw the duke cut down Drake with a single strike—a fierce fight.
That was all. A proper, civilized recounting of events, nothing about a honeymoon!
“Duke, let me remind you, we’re only exchanging social letters.”
“But I asked to court her, and Lady Squaret said to start with letters, so isn’t planning our future via letters normal?”
“That’s why the carriage nearly ran away on its own.”
The duke gave a slightly deflated but suspicious look.
I was exasperated. After scouring the Akashic Records for the world’s secret techniques, am I really meant to babysit this stupid duke?
Ugh. But he pays well, so I have no choice. Two weeks’ earnings already…
“Hurry up and write letters. Tell me about today and your training.”
I prodded him to sit and explain.
“Hmph. Lately, I’ve been pondering one question: about the concept of a single line. It connects to the realization I sent in the first letter.”
What letter challenge will it be today?
When the duke posed a question, I had to answer it via love letters.
“What does it truly mean to wield a sword? If the idea that the fastest line is a straight one disappears, and straight and curved lines mix, how do we structure it to create ultimate swordsmanship?”
Once again, I had no idea what he was saying.
If there was a problem…
“Oh, so today’s topic is about the totality of swordsmanship. Yes, if there is an ultimate, there must be ultimates that encompass it! I am impressed.”
During recent letters, the butler kept peeking in with commentary.
Today was the most ridiculous yet.
Where in that story was the impressive part?
The butler’s eyes even glistened with emotion.
Why? It was just the duke’s words.
“Duke.”
“Yes?”
“Sorry, I don’t understand a single word.”
Both of them stared at me incredulously.
Why the disdainful looks?
“Really?”
Even the butler gave me that “nonsensical human” look.
The head maid was right. Barbarian fools who fight all the time… and the barbarian chief is the Helphion Duke.
“This is a problem. My true feelings won’t reach Lady Squaret if I continue like this.”
“No, the real problem is that the duke throws swordsmanship and training topics into love letters…”
“I can’t help it. Clerk, this is an order. From today, you will learn the sword.”
“Eh?”
“Two hours every day. I will personally teach you.”
Is the duke taking private lessons in nonsense?
He comes up with a new absurdity every day.
“What is…?”
Even the butler seemed surprised.
“Duke, you refused to teach the many warriors and knights who came to see you, yet you choose the clerk… Ah! It shows how deeply you care for Lady Squaret.”
Don’t judge emotional depth like that!
The duke hid his flushed cheeks and cleared his throat.
“Of course, that’s part of it, but there’s another reason.”
“What reason?”
“Your body balance is broken.”
“Not just me, most students at the academy are hunched over writing documents all day.”
“That’s not what I mean. Have you studied martial arts, hand-to-hand combat, swordsmanship techniques in theory, consumed powerful elixirs, or absorbed spiritual energy in ancient temples?”
His eyes pierced me.
Steady, unwavering eyes—the kind I occasionally saw while working in the duchy.
The same deep gaze shown by sages in the Delphi Academy.
“Your movements and occasional reactions, the inspiration from your muscles and balance… yet your body is terrible.”
“Terrible? I’ve lived well with this body for twenty-five years.”
“You may think so, but only for ten more years, at most.”
“…Excuse me?”
“Your body is weak despite the spiritual mana swirling around you. Without resolving it, what do you think will happen?”
“What will happen?”
“To hold much water, you must have a large, solid vessel first. You can’t store water without a proper container.”
A Zen answer. More frightening than clarity.
“Could it be that the duke is mistaken…?”
“You stumbled before, didn’t you? Even today.”
“That was because you suddenly lunged out like a hungry troll seeing prey.”
“Fine. We’ll exercise. My life depends on it, after all.”
“Good decision. Exercise will help. Once your body finds balance, you can control the surging energy within. Then reaching the entry level of Swordmaster won’t be impossible. You might even aim for intermediate level. Then you’ll understand me fully.”
Swordmaster? I hadn’t expected that goal.
A little intrigued, I realized I’d been obsessed with the Akashic Records hoping for magical or psychic powers… yet the skill I’d gain was swordsmanship.
The world is truly unpredictable.
“One more thing. Since your training counts as letter work, I’ll give you overtime bonus.”
I can’t resist a bonus.
“How about four hours instead of two?”
“Ha ha ha. Then you’d die. Two hours is designed to kill you only halfway.”
What did he just say?
That evening, I was carried to bed, completely exhausted, having survived only half of the training course.
