Since I created the traits in this novel, I can say with certainty that the Sichuan Tang Clan trait is an absolute cheat that doesn't lose out even when compared to the protagonist's traits.
With throwing weapons and poison that can devour swordsmanship, I had no desire to waste time learning the sword.
"Sorry, I'll just skim through it."
Out of courtesy, I planned to flip through the book once and pretend I had read it to the Marquis. Right now, my head was filled with the thought of testing the newly acquired True Bone Dissolver.
"Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship, author: Kabol."
I opened the book to the middle. Unexpectedly realistic illustrations almost seemed to jump off the page, with detailed explanations of each stance written below.
"They drew this really well."
I finished reading the page labeled Chapter 5 of the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship — Dragon Claw Stance — and was about to close the book when:
[Heavenly Vision, subordinated to Creator's Eye, has engraved Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Chapter 5 — Dragon Claw Stance.]
[Celestial Martial Body allows you to instantly reproduce Dragon Claw Stance.]
"Huh?"
Seeing the message appear before my eyes, my hand lost strength and the book slipped from my grasp.
"What is this…"
I had only looked at the illustration and explanation on that page, yet I felt as if I could perfectly perform the Dragon Claw Stance I had just seen.
"No way…"
I turned to the next page. It was labeled First Variation of Dragon Claw Stance. I slowly read the illustration and explanation just like before.
[Heavenly Vision, subordinated to Creator's Eye, has engraved Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Chapter 5 — First Variation of Dragon Claw Stance.]
[Celestial Martial Body allows you to instantly reproduce the First Variation of Dragon Claw Stance.]
"Is this real…"
The absurd ability to learn swordsmanship just by reading a book left me standing there with my mouth open. If this was true…
"There's no time to waste."
---
"Let's try this out."
I asked the Marquis for permission and brought five swordsmanship manuals from his study back to my room. The Marquis, delighted that I was showing interest, lent them to me with a big smile.
"I should start with the one I was reading."
I sat at the desk and opened the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship manual. From Chapter 1 — Basic Stance: Upright Human Stance — all the way to Chapter 18 — Counterattack Stance: Tiger Whirl Stance — I read everything in one sitting.
"It took longer than I expected."
Although there were only 18 chapters, each one contained applied variations, so the actual content was much more extensive.
After engraving every detail and closing the book, a message appeared before my eyes.
[You have fully acquired Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship.]
[Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship has been subordinated to the Human Seal trait.]
[Human Seal experience has increased by 10%.]
"So sword techniques go into the Human Seal."
The message that the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship had been subordinated to Human Seal meant that any sword technique I learned from now on would be absorbed into it.
"If I read another book, I'll know for sure. But before that…"
Before reading more, there was something I needed to test first — whether I had truly grasped the essence of the kingdom's swordsmanship.
"Agnes."
[What?]
"Turn into a sword."
[Eh? Didn't you say you had no talent for the sword and that's why you didn't use it? What's this about?]
"Shut up and change already."
[Hmph.]
Agnes grumbled but transformed into the ideal sword shape I had in mind.
"Huu…"
I took a deep breath and assumed the stance, holding the guard at waist height. I maintained the basic stance from Chapter 1 for ten seconds, then moved to Chapter 2 and swung the sword powerfully from above my head to below.
*Whoosh!*
A completely different, exhilarating sensation ran through my entire body. I understood exactly what meaning to put into the sword, how to use my inner energy, and which muscles to move. I had fully comprehended every aspect of the Cransis Kingdom swordsmanship.
*Whoosh!*
*Whoosh!*
My swings carried the proficiency of someone who had trained with the sword for decades, and my movements were textbook-perfect, without a single error.
Just by reading one book, I had perfectly executed the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship.
"Phew…"
[Hey!]
As I was enjoying the satisfying feeling after finishing the sword forms, Agnes's loud shout rang out.
"What?"
[You, you, you! What the hell did you just do?!]
"What do you mean?"
I pretended not to know and answered lightly.
[I know your body is special so you can copy other people's stances. But that was all you could do!]
Agnes was referring to the Celestial Martial Body's ability to imitate others' postures and techniques after seeing them once.
[You could only copy the form (形), but now you're putting meaning (義) into it! This is impossible!]
Agnes was so shocked that her cute voice cracked from shouting.
[You're really weird!]
Agnes began to glow. She was scanning my abilities.
[No way… you suddenly gained talent for the sword?]
"Come on, talent can appear, why are you making such a fuss?"
[That's not how it works! Someone with 1 talent can grow to 2, but you had zero! This is like a flower blooming without even planting a seed!]
Seeing Agnes's reaction, I was certain.
Now I could wield the sword not just with the outer form, but with true meaning and intent.
The Human Seal trait had granted me sword talent, and that talent connected with Heavenly Vision, which was subordinated to Creator's Eye.
The cheat-like Heavenly Vision had hammered the true essence of the swordsmanship I had seen into my mind, and the cheat-like Celestial Martial Body had perfectly reproduced it.
"Hehehe…"
[Even your laugh has become evil.]
Uncontainable laughter burst out at the absurd combination of fortune and coincidence.
"Where should I look next… Robelm Swordsmanship? No author listed…"
I opened the book titled Robelm Swordsmanship. The illustrations and explanations looked noticeably lower quality than the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship I had just seen.
"Huh?"
I read an entire stance, but no message appeared.
"Why isn't it showing up?"
I read the next page, but still no status window.
"Some books work, some don't?"
No message appeared, but when I tested it by reading the entire Robelm Swordsmanship book from beginning to end, an experience message finally showed.
[Human Seal experience has increased by 0.01%.]
"What?! The experience difference is a thousand times?!"
Just like when I read the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship, my experience increased, but the gap was enormous — 10% versus 0.01%.
"Ugh, as expected. Then the next book."
I tossed the Robelm Swordsmanship book aside and picked up another one the Marquis had lent me.
"This one doesn't work either."
The third book also gave no stance-engraving message. After reading it to the end, the experience message appeared.
[Human Seal experience has increased by 0.02%.]
"Sigh, of course. If it worked for everything, that would be too broken."
The experience difference was massive, and the stances weren't being engraved. I guessed it depended on the book's quality or the author.
"Then I need to find Kabol's books."
Reading sword manuals just to raise Human Seal experience by 0.01% was too much of a waste of time. I headed to the library to find more books by Kabol, the author of the first manual.
"Pfft!"
The librarian, who had been sitting with his feet on the desk drinking tea, spat out his drink when he saw me.
"H-Hello, sir!"
"Wow, living the good life, huh?"
"Ugh, I'm sorry!"
Since the festival was underway, no one was using the library, so he had been treating it like his own living room.
"I-I'm really sorry…"
"Never mind that. Where are the swordsmanship books?"
"This way."
The librarian, shoulders trembling, guided me.
Because it was a knight family, not many people used the library, but thanks to the Rox name, it was built quite large. The building's design seemed more for show than for actually reading books.
"All the swordsmanship manuals are here."
"Then find me any books with the author Kabol. I'll look on this side, you take the left."
"Understood."
I searched through the entire shelf in front of me, but not a single book by Kabol appeared.
"Sigh…"
Just in case, I opened a swordsmanship manual right in front of me, but as expected, no message appeared.
"Did you mean this one?"
The librarian approached with a single book.
"I searched everywhere and only found this one. Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship, author Kabol. Is this the right one?"
"Robel Kingdom?"
"It no longer exists. It was a kingdom that fell long ago."
"I see. Anyway, thanks."
"No problem. If you need anything else, just call me anytime."
I nodded to the librarian and immediately opened the book. The illustrations and handwriting were the same as the Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship.
"I hope my guess is right."
My heart pounded with anticipation.
After reading the entire first chapter — the basic stance called Roen — a window appeared again.
[Heavenly Vision, subordinated to Creator's Eye, has engraved Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship Chapter 1 — Roen.]
[Celestial Martial Body allows you to instantly reproduce Roen.]
"As expected! Only Kabol's books work!"
I became curious about who Kabol was to create such an absurd book.
"I'll think about that later. For now, keep reading."
I buried my head in the book again. The Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship also had 18 chapters, so reading them all took quite a bit of time.
*Flip.*
When I turned the last page, another new window appeared.
[You have fully acquired Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship.]
[Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship has been subordinated to the Human Seal trait.]
[Due to the Human Seal trait, the previously separated Cransis Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship and Robel Kingdom Basic Swordsmanship have merged back into a single sword.]
[Incomplete Emperor Sword has been created.]
[Forgotten Emperor Sword 2/18]
[Incomplete Emperor Sword has been subordinated to the Human Seal trait.]
[Human Seal experience has increased by 15%.]
"Incomplete Emperor Sword?! Why is this appearing?!"
This was the insane sword technique used by that madman!
---
I searched the library for more of Kabol's books but couldn't find any, so I went back to the Marquis.
"You're back. You should show your face at the festival too."
The Marquis was already wearing an outer robe, preparing to go to the festival.
"Do you know anything about a person named Kabol?"
"Kabol? You mean the author of that book?"
"Yes."
"I know the author of the Swordsmanship Compendium, but I don't know the authors of every book."
The Marquis considered this a good book, but that was all.
"Then where did you find these books?"
"I found them in the library, just like the Robel Kingdom swordsmanship you're holding."
If the Marquis had known the true value of these books, he would never have left them in the library. Only I knew their real worth in this world.
"I found them while skipping work and hiding in the library. Hehe."
"Then…"
"They've probably been here since your grandfather's time, or even earlier. As you can see, they're quite old books."
That meant no one knew why these books were here. I would have to find out for myself.
"Yuren, put the books aside for now and let's go."
"Huh?"
"The hero of this campaign is you. The people at the festival are waiting for you."
"Oh, right."
I followed the Marquis to the festival grounds. It was already in full swing, and the lively noise could be heard from far away.
"His Excellency the Marquis and the Young Master have arrived!"
"Wooo!"
"Your Excellency!"
"Long live Rox!"
"Young Master Yuren!"
As the Marquis and I appeared, soldiers stood up and shouted the name of Rox. Perhaps because they had heard the Sea Serpent corpse was sold to fund the festival, my name was being called even more than the Marquis's.
"Thank you, Young Master Yuren!"
"Sharkrai King Slayer! Sea Serpent Slayer! Yuren!"
"By the way, Slayer… it looks like I gained another new title in the meantime."
"Hm?"
While I was proudly watching the people enjoying the festival, one person caught my eye. While everyone else was heading toward the festival grounds, he was moving in the opposite direction.
"That person…"
For some reason, I had a feeling that man might know something about the books. I followed the man carrying a large pair of scissors toward the garden and spoke to him.
"May I have a word with you for a moment?"