The Second Salvation Myth of a Retired Regressed Hero

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Sophie, Eloah, and Doyun boarded the carriage bound for the Buske residence.

Doyun had decided to bring Sophie along too. After Haineken, this would be her second encounter with the peerless ‘Hero’ of this era, so he wanted to expose her to as much as possible.

Before boarding, Sophie had said to Doyun,

“Shouldn’t we bring a gift…?”

“A gift?”

“Yes. He’s the legendary Hero, after all. Or, um… am I being too tense…?”

Doyun pondered briefly. Well, he had given Eloah a gift too.

‘Should I bring some gold coins?’

But Brudhild wasn’t in Eloah’s position of operating a guild, so mere coins seemed inappropriate.

After some thought, Doyun recalled a suitable gift and nodded.

“No need to worry about a gift. Eloah has already prepared one.”

“Ah, that’s a relief…!”

The two boarded the carriage.

Like Buske, Brudhild too walked the path of the sword. For her, the greatest gift would be something aiding her martial progress.

‘I wonder how much she has trained.’

The 18th iteration Buske’s Style was based on the Manifest Sword enlightenment. But during Buske’s lifetime, Brudhild had not yet reached a level to comprehend Manifest Sword.

By the time she had cultivated sufficient skill, both Buske and Doyun were already long gone from this world. No one remained to impart Manifest Sword’s teachings to her.

Yet for her to independently attain that enlightenment within 100 years would have been utterly impossible.

‘In her conversation with Eloah, she mentioned recently facing a wall.’

Brudhild. The niece-like figure Enoch had doted upon.

Anticipating the gift he would bestow upon her, Doyun gazed out the passing scenery with expectation.

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Having apparently been notified in advance, guards respectfully opened the gates upon their arrival at the Buske residence.
“Please wait a moment. We shall welcome the Hero and bring tea and refreshments.”

“Yes.”

The four were led to the reception room to await there.
Doyun surveyed the interior.
‘Just the same.’

To Doyun, this mansion and this very room were familiar places. Only routine maintenance had been done to preserve the house, leaving the ambiance, interior design, and all else reflecting Buske’s tastes from his lifetime, unchanged even after 100 years.

Doyun felt a sense of pride like a nephew honoring his father, savoring his long-missed friend’s lingering traces and nostalgia.

Soon, the door opened and a man in pristine white robes entered with a serene smile.

“Welcome, everyone.”

The hero of Skeletonia and the Sword Saint Buske’s disciple – Brudhild.

‘Hmm…’

Upon seeing him, Doyun let out a soft hum.

Instead of the strikingly handsome youth he had been, a poised middle-aged gentleman with a neatly trimmed beard and profound dignity now stood before Doyun.

Just as promised, he had indeed ceased aging around his fifties.

‘She has trained diligently.’

And his presence had transformed as much as his appearance.

Where once a young swordsman suppressing his vigor for asceticism, now an undisputed sword master with a sharp, piercing aura and gaze.

Brudhild first shook hands with Sophie, gauging her skill.

‘Impressive. To have reached this level as a fresh Cradle graduate…’

His deep-set eyes studied Sophie intently.

‘So she’s the Boss Monster Killer they brought…’

After a brief handshake,

‘No, that wasn’t her sword hand just now.’

Brudhild and Doyun clasped hands.

“…!”

“Han Doyun.”

In that moment, through their palms, Doyun sensed Brudhild’s hand muscles reflexively move.

Treating the blade surface engaged with one’s opponent as a mirror, discerning their minutest movements, state, psyche, and breaths – the Sword Mirror technique of Buske’s Style Swordsmanship.

‘So she has mastered using it through her hands as well.’

Doyun felt a renewed sense of pride.

But unlike him, Brudhild was momentarily petrified, unable to respond.

“Han… Doyun?”

“Yes.”
Brudhild slowly turned her head, looking at Eloah behind Sophie.
Unable to contain her mischievous grin, Eloah merely shrugged at Brudhild’s dumbfounded expression, clearly enjoying the situation.

Brudhild scrutinized Doyun from head to toe once more.

“…You did say I’d be in for a shock…”

Eloah’s words had rung true – she was utterly stunned.

Sophie watched the two men whose handshake lingered.

Assuming it was the Hero appraising Doyun’s prowess, she inwardly marveled.

After a brief silence, Brudhild gave Doyun a faint smile.

“My apologies. That introduction was too long.”

“Not at all.”

As they released their grip, a playful urge suddenly struck Doyun.

‘…Shall I shock her once more?’

In the moment their palms grazed apart,

Doyun used the Sword Mirror through his palm, just as Brudhild had done.

“…!”

Whereas Brudhild had only faltered in her calm smile before, this time her entire expression froze.

Withdrawing his hand, Doyun lowered his gaze – Brudhild’s left hand already gripped her sword hilt, halted mid-draw.

‘Her reflexes have improved too.’

The blade’s menacing gleam protruded a finger’s length, from an angle concealed from Sophie.

Still, she hadn’t fully unsheathed her sword. Ordinarily, her reflexive sword strike would have severed Doyun’s limbs before interrogating him, but Brudhild trusted Eloah – this situation clearly posed no threat.

“Just what…”

Brudhild looked at Eloah again, her face drained of color.

“Pfft, hahah…”

Now forgetting Sophie’s presence, Eloah hunched over, clutching her stomach as she guffawed uncontrollably.
Seeing her state, Brudhild let out a helpless laugh while the bewildered Sophie alternated her baffled gaze between them.

After that brief commotion, the five took their seats to converse.

“I’ve heard the stories. While rumors claim the hidden blade who repelled the invasion belonged to the World Tree, those in the know at Skeletonia were aware it was the Boss Monster Killer.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“I didn’t fully believe it at first. Even within the Holy Stone’s barrier, for a newly graduated disciple to face eighteen of Satan’s imps – no matter their status as Boss Monster Killer, it seemed inconceivable.”

Doyun sipped his tea as he listened.

“…But after meeting you in person, I’ve changed my mind. To my eyes, you possess prowess unbelievable for a mere disciple.”

“You flatter me.”

Even as he drank his tea, Brudhild did not take her eyes off Doyun’s nonchalant response.

From their first encounter until now, the sense of foreboding she felt towards Doyun only continued intensifying.

‘He resembles him…’

The aura was too uncannily reminiscent of that personage 100 years ago. Eerily so.

Brudhild persistently shot questioning looks at Eloah, but she merely shrugged her shoulders with a mischievous smile, clearly relishing the situation.

Inwardly sighing at Eloah’s playfulness, Brudhild lowered her gaze towards Doyun.

“Incidentally…”

Having no choice, she directly addressed him.

“What was that maneuver you used earlier?”

Referring to the Sword Mirror Doyun had employed.

Doyun sipped his tea before setting the cup down, then gestured towards Eloah.

Taking the cue, Eloah sent Brudhild a telepathic message beyond Sophie’s hearing range. Though puzzled, Brudhild remained silent for now.

Eloah then addressed Sophie and Doyun,

“Brudhild and I need to discuss something privately for a bit. Could you two excuse us for a moment?”

“Ah, of course! Please, take your time!”

Sophie quickly set down her cup and politely responded.
“Then where should we…”

Brudhild smiled faintly.

“We can hardly have guests loitering in the hallway… I was told your primary specialties are swordsmanship and martial arts respectively. Some of our team members proficient in those happen to be here. Why don’t you converse with them for a while?”

At those words, Sophie’s eyes lit up.

Brudhild’s suggestion had clearly been an offer of tutelage. Rare opportunities to learn from the Hero’s elite comrades didn’t come often.

Sophie answered with some excitement,

“If that would be alright?”

“Of course.”

Brudhild rang a small bell in the room, and soon a maid entered through the door.

“Summon Leon and Beth.”

Along with her verbal command, Brudhild sent the maid a telepathic message.

Through his Seventh Sense, Doyun eavesdropped – she was instructing to only call for Leon, since Beth was already present. So Beth was likely a swordswoman while Leon was a martial artist.

“Understood.”

After the maid withdrew, the hero team member named Leon soon arrived to escort Sophie out.

Leaving just the three of them in the room.

“Ah, jeez. I almost died from holding in my laughter.”

Eloah relaxed her prim posture, leaning back against the sofa.

Seeing her demeanor, Brudhild felt perplexed. Had Eloah already become so casual with Disciple Han Doyun, barely a week after recruiting him? Rather unexpected.

“So, will you explain things now?”

Brudhild leaned forward, hands clasped as she looked at Doyun and Eloah.

Ever since earlier, Eloah had been giddily poking Doyun’s arm with her finger, as if greatly anticipating something.

“Hmm…”

Doyun briefly pondered how to begin before glancing at the sword on Brudhild’s hip and speaking,

“Rather than lengthy explanations… why don’t we have a brief exchange of blows?”

“Hm?”

Taken aback by his brazen request, Brudhild’s eyes widened.