The Curse of Being Hated Has Been Lifted

45 – The Forest of Dwarves

Rochtine was a warrior known to have existed in the mythic era.

As his name persists even now from the mythic era, it’s evident he was a remarkable warrior.

Regarding swords, there was nothing he didn’t know, and it’s said that with just a few moves, he could defeat his opponents regardless of who challenged him.

Among the myriad of monsters in the mythic era, in terms of swordsmanship alone, there was no one who could surpass him.

Even with his outstanding swordsmanship, there was a flaw that hindered him from making his mark on the forefront of the mythic era: his congenitally weak body and feeble mana, which prevented him from shining among other heroes.

Though he managed to bridge a gap of about tenfold, in the mythic era where diverse, monstrous beings roamed, there were many with overwhelmingly potent mana that rendered his mana insignificant.

“The weapon that placed such a Rochtine at the forefront of the mythic era was none other than Estalin’s sword!”

Estalin, Rochtine’s close friend, couldn’t tolerate Rochtine being disregarded due to his frail body despite his exceptional swordsmanship.

As a blacksmith, he crafted a masterpiece for Rochtine, and that sword was none other than Estalin’s sword.

“It bestows robust physical prowess and magic in accordance with the wielder’s swordsmanship… truly an artifact perfectly suited for Logan-senior. It makes sense that the Sword Master insisted on Logan’s participation in the test. Perhaps Logan-senior will be the one most capable of wielding Estalin’s sword at the academy!”

Despite Arwa’s enthusiastic reaction, Logan remained indifferent.

Logically speaking, it seemed improbable that relics from the mythic era would still exist unchanged.

Even if it were actually there, there was no way the esteemed Academy’s headmaster could have brought such a precious item.

That’s what he had thought.

“Could it really be an authentic piece?”

As soon as he gripped the sword, vitality surged within his body.

Although he had been training since childhood, his weak constitution and lack of proper nourishment had made his body deficient in strength.

But it wasn’t just his physical abilities that were enhanced.

He could feel the powerful energy from the mana that had resided in his heart spreading throughout his entire body in real time.

The mana that originated from his heart soon permeated every cell of Logan’s body, making him even stronger.

Glancing at the sword, Logan, with a satisfied expression on his face, murmured to himself.

“The master’s work, indeed.”

Just by sensing the surge of vitality upon gripping the sword, it was evident that even if it wasn’t an authentic piece, it possessed tremendous performance.

Moreover, it seemed to be an artifact that suited him perfectly, presumably because of Arna’s strong influence.

“You’ve obtained a good sword.”

“Yes, master.”

Logan smiled a cold smile.

It was a smile familiar to Arna.

Even in his younger years, whenever Logan had any dissatisfaction with himself, he would always wear that kind of smile.

“I went to great lengths to find a sword that’s perfect for my disciple, and yet you wear such an expression. It hurts my heart.”

“I have no intention of denying it.”

“Even if I had obtained it, in the end, it’s a sword you earned through your own strength, isn’t it?”

“It was an exam that favored me too much, wasn’t it?”

“I haven’t interfered with the exam content. Logan, you earned it by performing well, so there’s no need to feel burdened.”

Logan let out a deep sigh before sheathing his sword.

“I understand. Let’s consider this as an investment too.”

“Now that you have a good sword… Will you pick up the sword again?”

******

“I lost.”

Arha said as she sheathed her sword.

“It’s truly a perfect sword for a senior like you. Training in swordsmanship increases both physical ability and magical power…”

The sparring between Arha and Logan ended in Logan’s victory.

Despite Logan not yet fully adapting to the enhanced physical abilities and magical power, he managed to narrowly overpower Arha, proving that Estalin’s sword was indeed a valuable artifact.

Logan placed the sword into the scabbard specially crafted by Redrika and looked at his mentor, who had been watching him intently throughout the duel.

His face was filled with anticipation, not for the value of Estalin’s sword, but for the expectation that if he had a sword of this caliber, he might not pick up another one.

‘Having a sword like this doesn’t efficiently follow the path of the sword.’

The reason Logan possessed swordsmanship surpassing even the prodigy of the Shohel family was simply because he was desperate, with no other option.

During the time when he believed there was no way to survive without enrolling in the academy, he spent the whole day honing his sword skills.

‘I can’t topple a noble in a day with just brute force.’

To topple a noble in a day, or even Leia Harue, what was needed wasn’t just powerful force but authority.

While already pursuing alternative methods, raising strength might serve as insurance, but it could never be the main focus.

And, originally, Logan had no talent for swordsmanship.

The reason Logan possesses superior swordsmanship compared to Arva is not because he had a talent for it, but simply because his mentor was a master of the sword, and he was more determined, investing more time in the art of swordsmanship than Arva ever did.

“Now, it seems worthy to wield the sword again.”

Logan’s rationale delivered an appropriate response.

Although relearning swordsmanship was an inefficient endeavor, approaching it as a means to secure time with his mentor mitigated the losses.

“Hmm.”

Arna cleared her throat, giving Logan a meaningful look.

Since it was evident what she wanted, Logan kneeled on one side in front of Arna.

“Master, can you teach me again?”

“Barehanded?”

“If you don’t want to, it’s fine.”

Suppressing Logan with mana, Arna immediately stopped him from rising.

“Barehanded?”

“Alright. I’ll grant you a wish.”

At the thrilling resonance of the wish token, Arna unconsciously released the mana enveloping Logan.

‘I hope this isn’t happening elsewhere.’

“Can you handle a wish token?”

A sinister desire emerged in Logan’s mind, driven by the possibilities.

“Of course.”

Just as the mind of the sword master was filled with various desires.

“I trust you, Master.”

From Noble mtl dot com

In Logan’s sharp eyes, Arna could not help but feel desire burning.

“Anyway, are you going to teach me the sword again?”

“Yes, let’s start right away.”

As an instructor at the academy, Logan had taught Arna a lot, but he couldn’t fully concentrate on Logan alone because he had to be mindful of others at the academy.

“Physical training is now useless, so let’s focus more on swordsmanship.”

*******

“If that’s the case, why not drop out?”

“I’m seriously considering it.”

It was Monday today, but Logan was not going to the academy. Instead, he was walking along a forest path.

Ashuhit was walking beside him. If it weren’t for Estalin’s sword, Anna or Ara would have been with them as escorts. However, since obtaining Estalin’s sword, Logan’s power had greatly increased, so there was no need to bring escorts.

“Where on earth are we going that requires two days of travel and penetrating the forest?”

“We’re going to the Dwarves’ forest.”

“Dwarves?”

Ashuhit had heard stories about the Dwarves before.

A dwarf race with exceptional skill in handling metals.

There were hardly any confirmed individuals, and their existence was only evident from the occasional release of Dwarven goods into the world.

“A Dwarves’ forest… Is such a thing real? Even if it is, how do you know about it?”

“My master never lies.”

Ashuhit immediately sealed his lips.

When it came to information about swordsmanship, it was definitely trustworthy.

“The forest of dwarves… Even if I could fetch nothing but failures by talking big, it could still yield a huge profit, couldn’t it?”

Ashuheet couldn’t help but have doubts even as he spoke like that.

Sure, it might be a big money-maker, but that wasn’t Logan’s way.

Though they hadn’t been together for long, the Logan Ashuheet knew didn’t prefer the style of making a quick buck after a flashy moment.

“Master used to say that dwarves, due to their peculiar nature, wouldn’t release anything akin to a failure into the world.”

“… Then why on earth are we going? And why am I being dragged along again?”

“You’ll know when we get there.”

-Thud!

As they leisurely walked down the path, a golem made of blue light suddenly dropped in front of them.

It was quite massive, causing vibrations so strong that it felt like the ground might tremble.

“… Can you catch that thing?”

“Of course not.”

That’s a decisive weapon crafted by the ancient dwarves.

Maybe if it were a master, but it wasn’t something an apprentice of a master could catch.

“But you could catch it, couldn’t you?”

Logan grabbed Ashuheet and hurled him toward the golem.

“Hey, you jerk!”

[The test begins.]

The golem, with its dense body, approached Ashuheet.

“Hey, you lazy bum! Did pretending to work become so bad that it’s led you to such a grave mistake?”

Before Ashuheet’s words could close, a golem appeared in front of Ashuheet.