Reincarnated Sword Ghost-Chapter 2 : Lazy Ghost

Lazy Ghost
The Lazy Ghost appeared at the training hall.
That news alone caused a stir throughout the training hall.
Even the house's warriors who had been training stopped their hands gripping their swords all at once.
They were all looking towards a corner of the training hall. There, a boy on the threshold of youth stood.
The boy quietly looked down at the wooden sword in his hand.
That very image alone belonged to Jeong-un, the youngest and seldom-seen member of the Yu household.
"I can't believe it."
"Not only did he come out, but he came to the training hall."
"And he's even holding a sword. That lazy young master..."
"It's the first time I've even seen his face."
"Shh! Keep your voice down."
Everywhere in the training hall, the warriors were murmuring. And it wasn't only the warriors.
Even though the Yu household was of considerable size, a number of the house servants who heard the news gathered in the training hall as well.
That was how unbelievable it was that Jeong-un had shown up in the training hall.
At that moment, Jeong-un was immersing himself in the sensation of the wooden sword in his hand.
'... It's not completely satisfactory.'
Even if it was made of wood, a sword was still a sword. From the guard to the tip, its form was that of a perfect sword.
On top of that, it was fairly heavy.
Since it was for training, it couldn't easily break or crack, so it was made from good wood to ensure it was sturdy.
It might have been a wooden sword easily found in the training hall, but each one was actually crafted with considerable care.
Jeong-un relished the feeling of the wooden sword gripping his hand. At the same time, he regretted that he could not wield a real sword.
'How long will it take before father bestows me a real sword?'
He knew it took his siblings quite some time before they received their real swords.
If his memory served, they generally began sword training at five or six, and were given a real sword when they turned ten or so.
That meant he'd have to train for about five years to be granted one.
'... Should I find one on my own?'
But Jeong-un had never in his life left the Yu household.
He had no idea what was beyond its walls or how the world was shaped.
He only knew that, for generations, the family had been the landowners of a significant village.
'For now...'
At last, Jeong-un adopted the middle stance with the wooden sword still in hand.
Now was not the time to think about a real sword.
He had come to the training hall simply to swing, whether it be a wooden sword or a real one, just like the man in his dream.
Of course, he didn't know at all how to grip a sword or wield it. He had never once learned in his life.
However, Jeong-un didn't hesitate in taking his stance. The moment he thought about it, his body moved as if it were familiar.
"Heh, not bad."
"Looks legit."
"Guess blood does tell."
The warriors and servants nearby murmured among themselves.
None of them had ever seen Jeong-un hold, let alone swing, a sword.
In reality, his appearance at the training hall was a first.
"..."
Jeong-un slowly raised the wooden sword gripped with both hands. Then, he brought it straight down in a direct line.
Whoosh—
The onlookers widened their eyes and looked at each other.
"... There's nothing to criticize."
"Isn't this the first time he's picked up a wooden sword?"
"Did he train on his own, maybe?"
Jeong-un held the sword sideways. He swung it horizontally.
Then, pulling the sword guard hand to his solar plexus, he took one step forward and thrust it into the air.
It was like when he practiced an imaginary sword alone in his room.
Right after that, he raised the sword above his head again.
Once.
Twice.
Three times.
Before long, the expressions of the watchers began to sink. They realized what Jeong-un was repeating.
"The Three Talent Sword Technique, huh."
"Not that he would actually know anything."
"Still, the form is pretty good..."
"No, look at that."
Someone pointed at the tip of Jeong-un's sword. The tip was trembling like a quaking aspen, unable to maintain its center.
It was simply too heavy for his body.
"Just as I thought..."
"Tsk, tsk. How can a martial family's young master not even handle a wooden sword..."
"He's been holed up in his room all his life. Of course."
"Ahem, that's enough out of you."
Someone covered their mouth with a finger, but some people didn't bother hiding their ridicule of Jeong-un.
That was how pathetic Jeong-un appeared right now.
'... Hmph.'
A guard watching from a bit of a distance gave a bitter smile. He didn't particularly favor Jeong-un, either.
In his eyes, Jeong-un was shameful.
His days of observation showed Jeong-un's life consisted of nothing but eating and lying down.
At most, he would be summoned to deliver some confections, or fulfill other trivial requests.
That such a young master had suddenly come to the training hall and started swinging a sword.
No one could guess why, or what he meant to accomplish, but in any event, it wasn't something to mock.
Even if he quit in a day or two, the very attempt today was a tremendous thing for Jeong-un.
As someone who watched from nearby, he understood well how big a deal this was.
'And yet this kind of reaction...'
The guard who had watched the crowd with displeased eyes slowly approached Jeong-un.
Jeong-un was still trembling as he swung the wooden sword. The guard bowed his head slightly and spoke.
"Young master."
"..."
"Young master."
But Jeong-un did not reply, continuing to swing the sword.
Even though he was called right next to him with no response, the guard looked up at him, puzzled.
'... Is he entranced?'
Did the young master have this kind of focus? Somewhat surprised, the guard raised his voice a little.
Jeong-un was now trembling so hard he could barely keep his balance.
"Young master!"
"...?"
Only then did Jeong-un turn his head sharply to the side.
"That's enough for now. I fear for your health."
"Concern for my health, just over...?"
Jeong-un, who had frowned slightly, suddenly shut his mouth. He was utterly out of breath.
Moreover, he realized his body was soaked with sweat. Every muscle in his body was screaming in pain.
"... To think I'd be like this after so little swinging."
In his dream he swung the sword all day, too.
And it hadn't even been a wooden sword, but a much heavier real sword.
That wasn't all.
Though his repertoire was only vertical slash, horizontal slash, and thrust, he'd even won duels against others with just those three moves.
'... Though it was all just a dream.'
A dream so vivid yet ephemeral it felt like he could grab it.
Jeong-un still did not know what to make of that mysterious dream.
He simply wanted to relive the sensations he felt in it.
Blankly, Jeong-un looked down at the hand holding the wooden sword.
It trembled as if someone else was shaking it beside him.
"... All I did was swing for a couple of hours."
Jeong-un muttered, lowering his head completely.
Watching, the guard beside him looked worried, stealing glances at Jeong-un.
'He can't lose interest already...'
Of course, he had never thought Jeong-un would master martial arts.
He'd started too late to learn, and he never imagined Jeong-un had any talent for the sword.
He just didn't want to see the young master locking himself away again.
In fact, the guard found it somewhat admirable that Jeong-un came to the training hall on his own without anyone telling him.
Even if he wouldn't become a great swordsman, he hoped this occasion might change Jeong-un a little.
He took a step closer and cautiously opened his mouth.
"Young master, please don't be too disappointed."
"..."
"Today's your first day of training, right? It's only natural. Start with basic exercises, systematically..."
"... That should work."
"...?"
But Jeong-un wasn't listening. When he murmured in a small voice, the guard glanced at him in confusion.
Jeong-un, gazing at the wooden sword in his hand, mumbled softly.
'What is he saying?'
To be talking to himself and not even hear someone right beside him?
In all his years of service, he'd never seen such a thing from Jeong-un. The guard perked up his ears.
"... You just do it until it works. Ten thousand times a day, no, fifty thousand. Time for eating and sleeping should be enough. No, don't even need to eat. Just a fasting pill will do..."
"...!"
'Is—Is he losing his mind?'
Had he gone crazy from too much time alone? Shocked by Jeong-un's hollow, trance-like expression, the guard nearly shouted.
"Y-Young master!"
"... Hm?"
Jeong-un turned to look at him calmly.
"Are you alright?"
"What's wrong?"
"J-just now, you said some strange things to yourself..."
Just as the guard was about to say more, their gazes met.
"..."
He fell silent before he knew it. That was not the look of a madman.
"... Never mind. Perhaps you should stop for today, young master."
"There's still time left."
"If you wish to continue training, you must rest enough."
"..."
"Especially on the first day. There's always tomorrow."
Jeong-un stared at the guard for a moment, then nodded and stepped away. The guard breathed a quiet sigh of relief despite himself.
Then, Jeong-un suddenly turned back and spoke.
"How do you take a good rest?"
"... Pardon?"
To the dumbfounded guard, Jeong-un continued.
"Can you finish resting in just an hour?"
"Well, one hour really isn't enough for your body..."
"And, do you have an even heavier wooden sword? This isn't the right feeling."
"I'll look into it, but for now, I think it's better to use a lighter one."
"Could I maybe try out your sword for a moment?"
"...."
The guard murmured to himself before he knew it.
'... Was he always this talkative?'
* * *
'A body unable to control internal energy.'
In the dream, he'd spent his whole life obsessed with the sword, yet had a constitution that couldn't use internal energy.
So he spent his lifetime chasing after every method, yearning for internal energy, until, realizing there was no answer, he gave up.
But he only gave up on internal energy, not on the sword.
He holed himself away in a mountain valley, swinging the sword for a lifetime in training.
Jeong-un was that man in the dream, yet he never understood what it was that man sought and why he went so far.
All he wanted was to once again feel the sensation of getting lost in the sword, as that man had.
"To do that, I need to train my body more."
Jeong-un recalled everything that happened today. He had a very frail body.
Though the guard kept trying to dissuade him, he ended up returning to the training hall to swing the sword again.
Otherwise, he couldn't bear the itch in his body.
As a result, every muscle in his body was now aching.
The guard had brought him some medicine for the pain, but it didn't seem to help much.
"Above all, I need to increase my stamina."
Enough to swing a sword all day. Muttering for a moment, Jeong-un kicked off his blanket and rose from his bed.
He then lay prone on the floor and began doing push-ups with great effort.
The muscles that were already sore began to burn as if being torn again.
But Jeong-un kept repeating the motion.
The moonlight streaming through the lattice window was simply too bright for him to fall asleep.