1 – The old man from the countryside welcomes a visitor

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Hey folks, picking up this webnovel to translate and clear my brain when I get too fed up with Orc Hero’s lengthy ass chapters.

Another story about an older protagonist who also happens to be single.

Just two isn’t a pattern yet, right?

“Hey, Beryl.
When am I going to finally see my grandchildren?”

“Father… we’re all the way out here in the boonies, what do you want me to do…?”

 

This morning at my swordsmanship dojo in the countryside began with my father’s incomprehensible mutterings and nagging.

 

 

I’m Beryl Gardernant.

I’m an old man.

I’ll introduce myself without wasting too much time on the details.

To keep it short, I’m the head instructor at a swordsmanship dojo that has been around for generations.

We’re also located in the countryside.

 

You might think that I’m leaving out too many details, but I can’t help it.

There’s nothing else, really.

I’m a good old man, and I’m the master of a swordsmanship dojo in the countryside.

Nothing more, nothing less.

 

“You know, you won’t meet anyone if all you do on your day off is meditate…”

“And who raised me this way, father?”

 

He’s been babbling on and on about this nonsense ever since he retired and handed over the dojo to me.

I’d like to meet someone too if I could, damn it.

 

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Given my family’s lineage and history with swords, I’ve been messing around with a wooden sword for as long as I can remember.

My parents birthed me and raised me with all the care in the world.
I was healthy and had a regular, plain childhood.
Unfortunately, it looks like I haven’t inherited my father’s great swordsmanship talent.

 

I tried my best, of course.

I didn’t dislike swords.
In addition, out here in this rural area, I didn’t have any other hobbies to devote myself to.

 

My youth was filled with childlike curiosity.

In my teenage years, I was at the peak of my life.

In my twenties, my mind caught up to my body, and both are fulfilled and synchronized.

In my thirties, I kept on training and studying while feeling fulfilled and satisfied.

Well, I guess it’s true that I had spent my fair share of time training until I reached my forties, when the experience I had gained would be of great value.

 

In the end, all I got for my efforts were muscles and techniques that made me somewhat of a better fighter than your average Joe.

The bare minimum to call myself a swordsman.

I’ve got good reflexes for my age, and that’s about it.

 

If you were to ask me if I was satisfied with my life, I’d say no.
But I wasn’t dissatisfied either.

I had this strange conviction that fate had led me to where I was.
That my goal was here.
The fact that my father didn’t have huge expectations of me and let me spend my time relaxing likely factored into that as well.

 

“Didn’t you have that one apprentice? She was a nice girl, wasn’t she?”

“You know, father, this is a swordsmanship dojo, not a dating service.”

 

I offhandedly dismissed his ramblings.

I’m halfway sure he kept on shamelessly repeating himself because I’m his son, but that doesn’t make it any less deliberate.

 

I’m not sure whether it was due to only his age that my father had handed over the dojo to me, but we’ve both noticed something since then.

Though my skill with the sword was only so-so, I apparently had the talent to teach.

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Even though the government protected us, there were still many dangers out here, far from the cities.

Once you step outside the village’s fences, you’re in the wilderness, where ferocious animals and dangerous monsters live.
Of course, it was still pretty rare for any monsters to come close to the village, but even so, better be safe than sorry.

 

The urban areas and the capital were protected by huge, magnificent walls and patrolled by knights and guards.

 

Here in the countryside, the only people who knew how to deal with the threats were people who made a living off it, like me, or hunters.
There were also wandering mercenaries and adventurers, but that’s about it.

 

That being said, there’s a decent demand for swordsmanship lessons as self-defense or as a means to support yourself.

Sure, you could also use magic…

But I’m not good at magic.
At all.
I’m not sure what magic even is.
All I’ve been doing is swinging around wooden swords since I was a child.

 

Magicians were far and few in between in this world.
The Capital has its own, publicly funded magicians, but even then, their numbers are said to be extremely small.

 

Ah.

Speaking of disciples, I’m pretty sure I had an ex-student who used to tell me, with the most serious look in the world, “When I grow up, I’ll marry you, Master!”

Well, she was way too young for me to take it seriously, so I just let it slide and laughed it off.

I remember her being quite pretty, and she had this eye-catching sparkling silver hair.

 

But I digress.

I was talking about the fact that I had a bit of a talent for teaching swordsmanship.

 

Perhaps it was a combination of supply and demand, but my dojo had many students for being so out of the way.

From the neighborhood ruffians to the village chief’s daughter, and even the city’s aristocracy and their children.

 

I’m sure there are plenty of other swordsmanship dojos out there, and I’m not sure why they keep coming here.

But hey, I won’t be the one to complain.
The more students we have, the more money we get.
The more money we get, to better our standards of living.

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We charge monthly.
It’s not like we’re running a charity here, you know?

 

“Well, why don’t you start showing some filial piety?”

“I’m taking over this dojo, I’m getting more disciples, I’m getting more income.
What’s that if not filial piety?”

“And another thing!”

“Ah…”

 

What a cheerful old man you are this morning, father.

 

So, here’s the thing.

I’ve been a teacher for quite a while now, and some of the students that have graduated from our dojo have gone on to become high-ranking adventurers or even members of the country’s knightly order.

 

Many of them continue to come back to report to me or send me letters after leaving.

Listen, guys, I know that I have some talent for teaching, but I’m not that great.
I appreciate your concern for me, and it makes me feel warm and fuzzy, but I can’t help but think that you’re wasting your time paying that much attention to this old man.

 

You know, I’ve even gotten letters from the head of the country’s knight order.

Don’t you have better things to do? Other people to deal with?

 

Ah… it makes my heart ache that I’m getting letters from people that I can’t even compare too in terms of success.
And the fact that they used to be my students make it even worse.

 

If only I had a little more talent with the sword.

Maybe I would have been the one to leave this village.
To live a nice life of leisure in the city.

 

“You could give me a little hope, you know?”

“Yes, yes, I also wish I could get a chance to meet someone…”

 

But at the end of the day, that’s just a dream that will remain forever unfulfilled.
I’m somewhat glad that I’ve reached the limit of my abilities.
At my age, I’ve come to terms with disappointment.

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“….Fu.”

 

I was left alone in the dojo once my father had left, enjoying the fresh morning air brushing on my skin.

Not a bad morning to meditate.

 

“—Excuse me!”

 

As I was slowly confronting my own spirit, I heard a voice.

A visitor?

 

Hmm, who could it be? It’s a day off today, so it’s not likely to be one of my students.
In the first place, those kids only came here to learn.
I’m sure they’ll come barging in without even a polite greeting anyways.

 

“Yes, yes, I’m coming.
Who is it?”

 

I lifted my hips, which had become rusty and heavy with age, and opened the dojo’s door.

 

Standing there was a beautiful woman, her waist length silver hair tied back.

She looked serene and dignified.

 

“Master, it’s been a while.”

“…Huh, you’re…Alexia?”

“Yes, Master.
I haven’t heard from you for a long time.”

 

Relaxing her face, Alexia responded.

 

Huh.

I wonder what the Kingdom’s Knight Captain is doing all the way out here in the countryside?

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