Chapter 4…
Shedding (4)
The voice that suddenly rang out wasn’t loud, yet it buzzed in everyone’s ears as if it had been whispered right beside them.
The people in the plaza turned their heads, searching for its source.
And the Black Blade soldiers, who had been standing tall, froze in place.
Among them, the Black Blade captain turned pale, cold sweat streaming down his face.
“……?!”
It was nothing more than an old, aged voice.
But the killing intent contained within it was anything but insignificant.
Merely the killing intent carried in that voice was enough to stiffen the body of the Black Blade captain—a man who had reached the officially recognized 7th rank.
‘Who is it?!’
He too was a warrior tempered by countless battlefields.
Forcing his rigid body to move, he brought his hand toward his sword.
Crack. Crack.
His stiffened muscles screamed in protest, but he gritted his teeth and moved his arm.
Just as his hand touched the hilt—
“If you draw that, assume you’re dead.”
The voice sounded again.
This time, everyone knew where it came from.
Rather, it was more accurate to say the owner of the voice had revealed himself.
Step.
A peculiar footstep echoed.
Step.
As the owner of the voice advanced, the crowd parted to either side as if spellbound.
And then he appeared.
About 170 centimeters tall, with a face that looked well past seventy.
Dirty gray hair and a beard.
A cranky-looking expression and clothes like a vagrant’s.
And at his waist, a single saber.
His appearance was unusual in many ways, but what caught people’s attention most of all was his leg.
Step. Step.
The strange sound from earlier—
It came from the old wooden prosthetic attached to his right leg.
Step. Step.
Yet strangely, his gait did not seem like that of someone wearing a prosthetic at all.
Had one not seen it with their own eyes, no one would have thought him disabled.
“Who is he?”
“Where’d this beggar old man come from?”
The crowd murmured at his appearance.
Meanwhile, the Black Blade captain’s face stiffened even further.
‘Don’t tell me?!’
The first thing one did upon becoming a member of the Black Blade—
was memorize the identities of the continent’s supreme experts.
Especially when it came to Masters, even the smallest detail had to be remembered.
And among those Masters, there were certain special individuals.
‘That person… why here?!’
A challenger acknowledged by the owner of the Great Sword.
A Master among Masters.
His name slipped from the Black Blade captain’s mouth.
“Johan… Redner.”
Among those who walked the path of the sword—no, even among those who did not—there was no one who didn’t know that name.
As if proving it, gasps erupted from all sides.
“Johan Redner?”
“No way… that Johan Redner?!”
Though all Masters were famous, none was as widely known as Johan Redner.
Born of the Cradle, he had challenged the Sword Lord twice—
and lost twice.
A usurper.
Yet the only one who had survived after failing to seize the throne.
Because of that, he was known not only as a Master—
“Un… Unbroken Sword?!”
“Unbroken Sword Johan Redner!”
The Unbroken Sword.
At the mention of his title, all eyes turned to the cranky-looking old man.
Excitement spread like wildfire.
“A Master! And the Unbroken Sword at that!”
“Is that really Johan Redner? Truly?”
“Didn’t you hear what the Black Blade soldier just said? Why would they lie?”
“My word… to see the Black Blade and now the Unbroken Sword!”
“But what brings a Master here?”
“Isn’t it obvious? He came to see our young lord!”
“Ah, the Master staying as the lord’s guest—that’s him?!”
“Then does that mean… Young Master Gunter will become his disciple?”
“Of course! The young master is more than qualified!”
Johan’s sudden appearance—especially during Gunter’s examination—sent the crowd into a frenzy of speculation.
Unbothered by the attention, Johan calmly swept his gaze across the area.
Then, at the far edge of the crowd, his eyes briefly met a pair of golden irises.
‘There you are.’
A faint smile curled at the corner of his lips.
Ashraf approached with his retainers and bowed his head.
“I thought you had already left.”
“I was going to. Until I saw something interesting.”
“…Pardon?”
Ashraf asked, but Johan did not answer.
Instead, he rummaged through his clothes.
“Let’s see, I think I put it around here… Hmm… Ah! Here it is!”
What he pulled out was a black dragon token.
Whether it was black from age or from its original material was impossible to tell.
Ashraf’s eyes flashed.
‘That is?!’
Dragon tokens issued by the Cradle were graded by material.
The highest talent received a platinum White Dragon Token.
Even those were rare within a generation—
but rumor spoke of a token ranked above even that.
A token whispered about among the Cradle’s generations like a myth.
‘…The Black Dragon Token!’
Having seen it with his own eyes, Ashraf could not tear his gaze away.
Johan casually tossed the precious Black Dragon Token to the Black Blade soldier and spoke quietly.
“I, Johan Redner of the Cradle’s second generation, request a qualification exam.”
The plaza stirred.
“What… is he saying?”
“The Unbroken Sword is requesting a qualification exam?”
“But our young master’s exam is over?”
“You idiot! That means he’s recommending someone else to the Cradle!”
“Who?”
“…Right. Who?”
No one could imagine anyone other than Young Master Gunter worthy of the Unbroken Sword’s recommendation.
And as if mocking their confusion, Johan extended a finger.
“The one to take the exam… is that brat.”
The direction of his finger.
Those standing along its line flinched and shuffled aside.
One person. Two. Three.
More than twenty people moved, opening a path.
And at the end of it stood a single boy.
Black hair. Golden eyes.
Yuri did not avoid Johan’s gaze.
Instead, as if baffled, he pointed at himself.
“…Me?”
“Yes. You.”
Johan smirked. Yuri’s gaze remained indifferent.
Murmurs spread.
“Isn’t that Yuri?”
“Who?”
“The orphan kid living outside the outer walls.”
“So Johan Redner is recommending him? To the Cradle?!”
“What in the world is happening…?”
Unlike the restless crowd, Yuri did not move.
Instead, he studied Johan cautiously.
‘So that old man’s a Master, huh?’
And a renowned one at that—the Unbroken Sword.
It surprised him a little.
But only a little.
‘…What’s that old geezer plotting?’
Yuri knew that goodwill could exist without conditions.
But in his experience, goodwill wrapped around malice was far more common than genuine kindness.
That was why he did not lower his guard.
He spoke lightly.
“Why me?”
“Because I recommended you.”
“I’m asking why you recommended me.”
“Because I felt like it.”
“Don’t joke around.”
“Who’s joking?”
“Even so-called geniuses fail that exam. How am I supposed to pass it?”
“Puhaha. Do you truly believe that?”
Johan burst into laughter, looking at Yuri as if to say, You’re the one joking.
As if he knew him well.
Yuri’s face instantly turned cold, as though his thoughts had been exposed.
His tone changed.
“Old man, do you know me? Why act like we’re close?”
His words lacked even a shred of respect.
Yet Johan only laughed more.
“Of course I do! I know you very well!”
“…?”
“You’re a cripple. A cripple who’s about to die.”
“…?!”
Yuri’s pupils shook.
His heart pounded violently.
‘What does that old man know to say something like that?’
Did he know about his condition?
Or was it just an insult?
Many thoughts raced through his mind, but Yuri forced himself to remain calm.
“So you’re recommending me to the Cradle?”
“That’s right.”
“I appreciate the offer, but whether I take the exam or not—that’s my choice, isn’t it?”
It was a choice that would make others call him insane for rejecting such an opportunity.
But Johan liked that caution even more.
Relentless suspicion. Constant self-examination.
Wasn’t that essential for survival?
He laughed heartily.
“Goodwill? You think I’m doing you a favor?”
“Aren’t you?”
“I’m simply proposing a deal.”
“A deal?”
“There’s something I want to confirm through you.”
“…What?”
“I’ll tell you if you pass the exam.”
Yuri’s eyes sank.
“Then… what do I gain from this deal?”
As if waiting for that question, Johan replied.
“You’re broken somewhere, aren’t you?”
“…?!”
Yuri’s eyes widened.
‘He knew!’
When Johan called him a cripple, it hadn’t been a mere insult.
He had seen through Yuri’s condition.
‘How? I’ve never told anyone.’
Seeing Yuri’s shaken eyes, Johan smiled.
“Terrible headaches. Vomiting blood. And… don’t you sometimes see yourself in your dreams? Rampaging as a monster?”
With each word, Yuri’s face darkened.
His voice came out strained.
“You… know about this curse?”
“Curse… hm. Not entirely wrong. Left alone, ‘that thing’ would have devoured you. You’ve guessed as much yourself, haven’t you? That your life… flickers like a candle in the wind?”
“……”
“You asked what you’d gain?”
With a deep smile, Johan made an irresistible offer.
“I’ll save you. And I’ll tell you what that curse is. If you accept the deal…”
He unfastened the sword at his waist and held it out.
“Come. Lift this sword. And show me whether you’re worth saving from that curse.”
Yuri stared silently at the offered blade.
‘Save me…?’
The curse that had turned him into a lit fuse on a bomb.
He didn’t want to die.
He wanted to live.
To find a way to rid himself of the curse, he had traveled across the continent.
Believing that if he kept searching, he would one day find an answer.
He met countless people.
But what he gained was not a solution—
only cold reality.
When he finally found someone after great effort, he was met with icy disdain for being young and penniless.
Or honeyed lies from those trying to swindle him.
Thus, he had not even grasped a clue to the curse’s nature.
‘And now, an old man I just met claims to know about it…’
And says he’ll free him from it.
‘Can I trust him?’
It didn’t seem like he’d lose anything.
What did that sly old man want from him?
Did he truly know about the curse?
Questions swirled in his mind—
but his heart had already decided.
Yuri stepped forward with a sigh.
Step.
“Ha…”
Only fifteen years old.
Yet he had lived more fiercely than most.
‘I want to live.’
He didn’t want to die like this.
He wanted to live longer.
Driven by that desire, he put strength into his legs.
Step. Step.
The hesitant first step gradually grew firm.
Passing the onlookers, Yuri stopped before Johan.
“…I’ll warn you.”
He glared at him and extended his arm.
His pale hand finally touched Johan’s sword.
“You said to show you, so I will… but if someone dies, that’s not my problem. It’ll be your responsibility, old man.”
Click.
With a heavy sound, Johan’s sword passed fully into Yuri’s grasp.
The moment the deal was sealed.
