How to Live as a Martial Arts Writer in a Fantasy World

32 – 32. Club (2)

32.

“For now, I decline.”

He has no intention of participating in a club he’s not interested in.

From Alan’s standpoint, he’s already balancing his studies and writing. Adding club activities to that would exhaust him even further.

Even though he’s been building up his stamina by practicing with Meia every morning, he still needs time to concentrate on his writing.

“Why not?”

“Balancing studies and writing is quite overwhelming.”

“…Ah.”

Felicia seemed to have briefly forgotten that Alan was the author of the Shuren Chronicle.

Alan smiled wryly and spoke.

“Thanks for your offer, but I don’t feel like participating in club activities for a while. I want to focus on writing the Shuren Chronicle.”

“Well, if Alan won’t join, the reason for creating the club would disappear.”

“I don’t think I necessarily have to be there.”

He should be able to say that’s not the case.

It might be seen as crazy, considering the other party is from the royal family, but at least Alan decided to live by his principles.

Seeing Alan’s reaction, Felicia mumbled, seemingly in deep thought.

“Then let’s consider the club creation null. Actually, I was hoping to surprise Alan with this, but if Alan doesn’t like it…”

“There is truly no need to null the club creation just because…”

“But without you, Alan, there’s no point. I want you to gain a variety of experiences, and write more colorful novels.”

Felicia’s eyes, as they looked at Alan, were full of sincerity. Alan, looking into her eyes, slightly bowed his head.

After a short pause, Alan spoke up.

“…Then there’s no need to specifically be the Coollum Culture Study Department.”

“Hm? Really?”

“There are sections like Adventurers, Exploration, and Travel too.”

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“Oh, I forgot about those! I wonder why I missed them. Maybe I was too focused on the words Shuren Chuanqi and Kunlun.”

Felicia had an expression that was delighted by the pureness.

Then Allen spoke.

“And, Princess…”

“Felicia.”

“Yes?”

“We’ve known each other for quite some time now, but do you plan on addressing me with the title ‘Princess’ till the end? We’re both members of the same academy, before being royalty and nobility. I really feel sad because it seems like you’re keeping your distance.”

Felicia spoke, hands on her hips and a pouting expression on her face as she edged closer to Allen.

If it hadn’t been for the academy uniform that was tightly wrapped around her to prevent any exposure, Allen might have inevitably shifted his gaze towards her chest. He leaned slightly back, considering this.

Felicia grabbed his tie.

“Are you not going to answer?”

“But still…”

“I’m really upset you know. I feel like you’re drawing a line between yourself and me, and between you and Lin.”

“I didn’t mean to…”

“What Felicia says is true. Allen Gongja, you always subtly maintain a distance. Starting from the way you address us.”

When Lin joined in Felicia’s attack, Allen had a face as though the sky was falling.

Felicia, still holding his tie, said.

“Do you know, Allen? You’ve never called anyone by their given name except Maia.”

He was at a loss for words.

It was indeed odd that the only ones Allen treated casually were Maia, who he had spent a lot of time with, and his family member Albert.

“It’s because I see you maintain a slightly isolated position. But as your servant, it’s my honor.”

“Maia, you too?”

“Please accept the reality, sir.”

At Maia’s cold comment, Allen mentally collapsed.

Felicia laughed triumphantly.

“Now, Allen, try calling me Felicia. Be prepared, because I’m not going to let go until you do.”

“… Please save me!!”

***

In the end, only after promising to address Felicia and Lin without formality, was Allen finally able to extricate himself from the two princesses.

Barely escaping from the two princesses, Allen sat down in the shade and sighed.

“How did I end up living life while being tormented by princesses. This is driving me crazy.”

“You could interpret it as the strong influence of the Suhren Chronicle. And of course, the fact that it’s an interesting novel.”

“Well, that’s true but….”

Allen made eye contact with Maya, who was delicately wiping away the sweat on his forehead.

“On second thought, I hardly have any friends since I came here. Is Diabella the only one?”

“You are always holed up writing, hence the fewer encounters. Consider it a fortune that at least the two princesses come to you.”

“Am I a…hikikomori…?”

“What does that mean? It doesn’t seem a word from this empire.”

“Oh, a shut-in?”

“Inferring from the unfamiliar words, it seems to be Kuryong’s language. I’ll remember that.”

“No, don’t. No need to remember.”

Maya did not reply.

Allen sighed.

“It’s a thought while reading the Suhren Chronicle.”

“Hm? What kind of thought?”

“What if people try to implement the martial arts that appear in the Suhren Chronicle?”

“Would there be such a person?”

Maya answered to Allen’s carefree response,

“Hasn’t there already been an attempt once?”

“Swordsmanship study? But you can’t implement it just by studying. The Suhren Chronicle is a novel.”

“Didn’t you see the elder’s swordsmanship?”

“…what?”

Cold sweat trickled down Allen’s forehead.

“Crazy?”

Why didn’t he think of that?

***

“The winner, Albert Elling von Mueller!”

Having lightly won one game in the swordsmanship class again, Albert descended from the competition ground with his wooden sword.

“Good job, Albert.”

“You were great today!”

“Your swordsmanship has improved from what I remember. Do you have a secret?”

At the enquiries of his followers, Albert let out a small chuckle.

“A secret? Perhaps it’s the ‘Chronicles of Shuren’.”

“That trashy novel?”

“Remember, the one who wrote that trashy novel you’re speaking of is my younger brother. Thoughtless words can attract trouble.”

“My apologies! I was careless!”

Seeing his follower hurriedly bow, Albert, who had clicked his tongue, hung his wooden sword on the rack.

However, what he said was not false.

In the Chronicles of Shuren, Albert had truly felt a strange resonance.

The Lion’s Sword Technique of the Duke of Mueller which was simply overpowering with brute force was indeed impressive, but its consumption was also great.

To compensate for the disadvantage, the Duke of Mueller continued researching generations after generations, yet it only delayed the inevitable decline of its prime.

“I never thought the answer would be in the Chronicles of Shuren.”

The Lion’s Sword Technique is a method that thoroughly relies on power, discarding tricks.

However, in the Chronicles of Shuren written by Allen, it clearly showed the counter to such a method.

The recently released third volume, as well as the first and second, gave Albert a strange inspiration by showing Shuren facing against various swordsmanship.

“Do you mean you actually got something from the Chronicles of Shuren, Albert?”

“I see no reason to lie.”

“I do admit that the Chronicles of Shuren is an interesting novel…”

Albert removed his gaze from the female student who was stretching her words.

“If Allen had carelessly written Chronicles of Shuren, the recent commotion wouldn’t have occurred. It feels like just yesterday that they were making a fuss over those pictures.”

“That, that is…”

“To get all riled up because orcs were described differently in Allen’s novel, what a laughable spectacle.”

At Albert’s cold criticism, his followers closed their mouths.

No matter how many mouths they had, they had nothing to say.

Since they had actually flip-flopped their attitudes.

“Don’t follow me.”

With classes over, Albert immediately left the training grounds.

Albert, full of sweat on his forehead, wiped it off with a towel and headed towards the private training room in the dormitory.

Albert, who entered his own personal training room that only knight students like him could use, pulled out his beloved sword that he brought from his room.

“It’s fascinating, this guy Allen.”

Albert, who had lifted his sword towards the sky, silently chuckled as he thought of his youngest brother’s face.

“He might have been more of a theorist than a practical fighter.”

A blueish mana gathered on Albert’s sword.

The faint circle drawn by the sword rendered a peculiar pattern in the air.

A large, circular pattern, almost as if split into black and white, seemed to pop out like a shield in front of Albert, when all of a sudden it let out an intimidating sound.

Bang!

On the wall of the personal training room, made entirely of solid metal, a strange pattern appears that could only be seen in Kunlun. Also, despite the violent noise, the depth of the sword trail engraved on the wall—made of solid metal and treated with magic—was shallow.

However, Albert was looking at it with a strangely satisfied smile.

“Good. It went in a little deeper than before.”

Before, he couldn’t even draw such a clear figure.

He had been practicing this sword technique alone for about a month, concentrating on making the shape of that pattern clearer, and now he had finally achieved tangible results.

Albert unfurled his sword, looking at the pattern engraved on the wall.

“The people of Kunlun call this the ‘Taiji,’ yes?”

One of the sword techniques of the clan that the volume one Shuren had used.

It was also the sword technique that had given Albert a powerful inspiration.

Learning from Shuren’s sword technique, which taught him that destruction is not the end, he has been training in this sword technique all alone.

Offense and defense as one, this swordsmanship is the polar opposite of the lion-sword technique, which intensifies from receiving an opponent’s attack and then strikes back with even greater strength.

Albert liked this sword technique very much.

It uses less magic power, and it is highly effective in that it reflects the opponent’s attack with little power and counterattacks.

If there is an enemy he cannot handle with this sword technique, he can use the lion’s sword.

Feeling good as if he had gained a new weapon.

“…So I must call this the ‘Taiji Sword.'”

The name of the sword method used by Shuren was also called the ‘Taiji Sword.’

Albert, seeing that the Taiji pattern’s sword trail engraved on the training room wall had deepened a bit more, smiled a small chuckle.

“…Father would have loved it too.”

All this was happening in one corner of the Knight Academy, in Albert’s exclusive training room, where Allen would be surprised to hear about it.