The Terminally Ill Prince is the Mad Dog of the Underworld (Novel) - Chapter 11
Chapter 11. Forgetting Time
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“Ahem. Um, young master?”
I raised my head at the librarian’s call, tinged with bewilderment.
“What is it?”
“D-did you really choose that book because of its name?”
“Half-jokingly, but not entirely untrue.”
I answered.
“I plan to skim through everything and choose what I like, so it’s best to start with books whose names attract me.”
Look at this name. ‘Seven Stars of the Black Sea Mental Technique’? It seems to mean something like seven stars rising over a black sea, and while I don’t know what it means, isn’t it cool anyway?
“I see you had such reasons.”
The librarian cautiously suggested.
“Then may I explain a bit more? If you have preferences, I can select and recommend some.”
“Oh?”
If he’d do that, it would save me some trouble.
But not expecting such kindness, I asked:
“It seems I wasn’t disliked by you.”
“Disliked?”
“From what I’ve seen around, I seem to be generally treated as an outcast.”
The librarian waved his hand as if that was nonsense.
“Young master, you’ve often come here since childhood to find books and chat with me.”
“I see we had such a connection.”
“…It’s a shame you’ve forgotten.”
The loneliness in the librarian’s voice resembled Peter’s.
“This old man is simply glad to see you after so long. At some point, you started sending people to borrow books.”
“I heard I became a recluse due to deep mental illness.”
“Yes. But now I don’t sense that at all.”
“That’s generally the case.”
“I’m glad. To think mental illness was cured thanks to a fever, it’s a marvel not found even in books.”
So it wasn’t just out of boredom that he was kind to me. I nodded, guessing at our history.
“By the way, are you well-versed in martial arts as well?”
“As you can see, I’m not suited for physical labor, but I am interested in martial arts as an academic subject.”
“I see.”
Scholars are those who consider study both a hobby and pleasure. This old man was a librarian with a scholar’s soul. If I could get advice from such a person, it would be very welcome.
“You may have forgotten, but House Grünewald is one of the top martial houses in the kingdom.”
“To that extent?”
“To that extent.”
The librarian asserted.
“It’s also a descendant house of the legendary Knight King who left behind great achievements in the past.”
“Knight King?”
“Yes. In fact, our Kingdom of Litvaloir spent a long period of warring states divided into several small kingdoms. It was about 200 years ago that the founding ancestor who established the current dynasty began the unification war.”
“200 years ago?”
“It was the era of Duke Vitenfeld Grünewald, who created that very Seven Stars of the Black Sea Mental Technique you chose.”
“Ah.”
I looked at the old mental technique book with new eyes.
“He made great contributions to founding the kingdom by joining hands with the ambitious king of a neighboring country, and was honorably granted the title of duke.”
“So our ancestor transformed from king of a small country to duke of a great kingdom.”
“The kings who lost in the unification war had to pay the price of extermination or equivalent downfall, so he made the best choice to save the family.”
This was a history I never had the chance to learn properly in my days as Karzan.
“At that time, the king bestowed a sword upon Duke Vitenfeld and granted him the honorable title of ‘My Sword and the Continent’s Greatest Martial Artist’.”
Even if exaggerated, the title of the continent’s greatest martial artist wasn’t one that could be given to just anyone.
“Interesting. Was Grünewald’s martial prowess that strong?”
I chimed in excitedly to the librarian’s words.
“Why is a mental technique created by such a great person so neglected?”
“Firstly, there existed a separate peerless martial art for the family head. Secondly, as it was ‘created and preserved as a pastime,’ little was known about it even within the family. Thirdly, as I mentioned, it’s difficult and inefficient in accumulating mana…”
“That seems enough reason to be underestimated?”
I pushed away this martial arts book with only a cool name.
“They say nothing good comes of those with only fancy words, and this martial art seems just that.”
“That’s not true. I dare say if one ‘truly grasps its principles,’ I guarantee it’s not a martial art that should be here. Duke Vitenfeld was a genius of martial arts counted among the best of his time.”
“To that extent?”
I reached out again and brought the martial arts book to my chest.
“I see. Then I should read it.”
The librarian looked at me somewhat pitifully.
“Ahem, then I’ll continue the story. Unlike the chaos of the founding period, times have changed greatly now. Grünewald City, which is also the capital of the Duchy of Grünewald, is a naturally blessed trade port. Later family heads emphasized the importance of governance and politics while revitalizing the territory through trade here, so the proportion of civil matters has gradually increased.”
“When I looked around this morning, it was indeed a huge and prosperous port city.”
“That’s right.”
I asked.
“Then is the current Grünewald’s martial prowess inferior compared to previous generations?”
“Not at all.”
The librarian firmly denied.
“Grünewald’s martial arts are still powerful. However, in terms of martial fame, it’s true that it’s faded compared to before.”
“Why is that?”
“Though the current family head, Duke Georg, possesses truly great martial prowess, he hasn’t had many occasions to display his skills externally. Because of that, his martial fame hasn’t spread widely.”
“Hmm.”
Not many occasions to display skills externally… It was an ambiguous statement. I couldn’t tell if it meant he was passive in expanding influence, or if there were other internal circumstances I didn’t know about.
In any case, given that I’d never heard the name in my previous life, it seemed clear that the family head had hidden his strength.
‘I’ll learn more gradually.’
“But regardless of the era, Grünewald’s foundation lies in martial arts. The depth and diversity of martial arts passed down through generations are said to rival even the secret techniques of average kingdoms.”
If the librarian’s words were true, this could be an even greater opportunity than initially expected.
“Hearing this story makes me feel a surge of loyalty to the family.”
“That’s very welcome to hear.”
The librarian became excited as if he had a grandchild who agreed well with him.
“The overall characteristics of House Grünewald’s martial arts are excellent stability and versatility.”
I nodded.
“I suppose they’re not particularly explosive in power?”
“That’s right. But there are advantages.”
“Can one continue fighting for a long time with little strength?”
“Oh, that’s correct.”
“And high versatility means there’s less chance of conflict when learning higher-level mental techniques later?”
The librarian’s eyes widened.
“Truly perceptive. How did you understand three things from just one?”
I couldn’t say I knew well from direct experience. I’ll just attribute it to my being a genius.
“Stability and versatility aren’t just about mental techniques. The characteristic of Grünewald’s sword technique is pursuing perfect balance in both offense and defense.”
“I suppose you place significant emphasis on defense.”
“That’s right. The principle is that attacking blindly without knowing the enemy’s skills and tactics generally involves high risk.”
The concept of balance between offense and defense essentially meant prioritizing a strategy of defending first, deflecting, and then counterattacking.
‘This isn’t quite my style.’
But that’s precisely why it seemed interesting. Karzan’s martial arts typically centered on ambush, deception, adaptability, and flexibility.
‘If I apply this by solidly defending while finding ways to break through, and mix in ambush and deception, it might create a synergistic effect.’
My mouth watered. Various scenarios were already emerging in my mind.
But right now, swordsmanship isn’t the priority.
“I want to learn mental techniques first.”
“Oh, swordsmanship without mental techniques is only half complete. Since you already understand this well, our discussion will be quick.”
The librarian brought an unusually well-worn book.
“This is the Ocean Circulation Mental Technique. Virtually all Grünewald descendants, direct or branch line, begin accumulating mana through this technique.”
“I see.”
“After deeply mastering and excelling in this, you can later learn higher-level techniques according to individual aptitudes.”
Indeed. How quickly and accurately one could acquire higher-level techniques would be one of the criteria determining heir quality.
“So that’s why it’s called ‘circulation’?”
“Precisely.”
“Then what about this?”
I held up the grandly named Seven Stars of the Black Sea Mental Technique.
“This is an outstanding technique at the entry level, but-“
“But?”
“Paradoxically, it’s so profound that when one reaches the level of understanding it, its necessity actually diminishes.”
“The more I hear, the more I understand why it was neglected.”
How could something be so ambiguous?
“Ahem. Consider it differently. While the Ocean Circulation Technique isn’t significantly affected by the user’s wisdom, this technique’s results vary greatly depending on the user’s qualities and comprehension.”
“I see.”
That was welcome news.
I’m someone who has never felt my wisdom was lacking. The reactions from noble-born knights and swordsmen who had opportunities to cross blades or synchronize breathing with me made that clear.
‘Take it or leave it.’
With a lingering question, I asked the librarian:
“Then this technique suits me, doesn’t it? My reputation doesn’t suggest I lack martial talent.”
Of course, I didn’t genuinely believe this.
“Who could guarantee that? As far as I know, you’ve never properly learned martial arts.”
The librarian shook his head.
“Now that I meet you, I see a flame that didn’t exist before. A young man’s potential is infinite when he’s determined.”
“…Ah, I see.”
It was strange that this nameless old man was the only one believing in my potential when currently no one else would.
‘Perhaps I misjudged this fellow.’
“That’s why I was surprised yet expectant when you chose it. You’ve conveniently selected a technique suitable for your current stage.”
“The more I hear, the more curious I become.”
I asked:
“If I skip the Ocean Circulation Technique and learn this first, would there be potential conflicts?”
“From my understanding, no. However, the Seven Stars Technique has many sections that can be skipped, assuming a deep understanding of the Ocean Circulation Technique…”
“Then today I’ll first read the basics and then read the Seven Stars Technique to get ahead.”
“What? The Ocean Circulation Technique is long and profound, difficult to master at once.”
“I’ll try, and if it doesn’t work, so be it.”
I casually spread out and sat down. The moderately hard and uncomfortable floor actually awakened all my senses.
“Are you reading right away?”
“Quiet.”
“!”
The librarian immediately sealed his mouth.
“…”
I felt the smell of the old book, layers of accumulated dust, and the stagnant air where no wind blew.
I imagined a quiet, small struggle between a spider walking in darkness somewhere in this library and the flying insects caught in its web.
…I’m quite a sensitive man.
My chronic condition is having nerves constantly on edge, never ceasing observation and thought. Because the essence of martial arts lies in the point of not letting daily life and time flow meaninglessly.
‘Blade wielder Karzan didn’t walk the night relying solely on coincidence and talent.’
And now I’ve forgotten all of that.
To awaken all senses and then erase them one by one, focusing solely on the text and its meaning.
The narrative continues with deep insights into mana cultivation, revealing profound principles about accumulating and circulating energy through multiple organs, not just the heart.
As he reads, he experiences a transformative moment, realizing new perspectives on martial arts and energy cultivation that he could never approach before.
‘I have two destinies.’
One is Karzan’s destiny, one is Allenbert’s destiny. And perhaps they are not so different.
For revenge from a past life, to win the heir’s battle, to obtain the item Erischker to overcome his terminal condition, to understand the secrets behind his mother’s seclusion…
‘I need strength.’
That strength is not so far away.
And so, he forgot time.