Chapter 6: Running Away From Home (2)

Jaiden was still stroking Baepsae’s head when Aiden approached him with a bright smile on his face. It seemed like he had just finished his training and he immediately went to Jaiden.

“Hyung-nim! Congratulations. Looks like you finally found it.” 

“Yeah. It just happened but I guess I found it.” 

This divine beast ability was something that he had learned from Aiden accidentally. And thanks to this ability developing and blooming by chance, his view of the world had completely changed. 

Meanwhile, Aiden was smiling at him strangely. He looked like he knew what was going on in his heart. The expression that he used to look at Jaiden seemed to say ‘I’m your senior in this field!’ 

“Hmm, hmm… Looks like I haven’t adapted yet.” 

“I’m sure you will.” 

Aiden answered him with a nod but it seemed like Jaiden did not like his attitude. So Jaiden stood up as he clicked his tongue. 

“Let’s go and fight.” 

“Eyy! You have just signed a contract with a divine beast, you should learn from me!” 

“Ugh~” 

Jaiden groaned when he heard Aiden’s words. He sank down and sat back again, defeated. Aiden couldn’t help but let out a smile in satisfaction before he began to explain the information he had heard from the White Lion and the senses that he had felt one by one. 

There were times when Jaiden would ask and he would get excited and explain things in more details saying that it wasn’t like that. 

“It’s harder than I thought.” 

“Right? I didn’t have to do much since White Lion has lived for a long time but he said that it was going to be hard for hyung-nim. Baepsae is still young so it still doesn’t not know much and you have to lead it slowly.” 

“I know.” 

“But hyung-nim will probably do better than me. I still have to find the right body for the White Lion.” 

Aiden still had to find a suitable body for the White Lion King whose body had long disappeared. It was a given that a divine beast’s characteristics and abilities would become much more powerful when they had a body. So his future plans would definitely include hunting lions and lion shaped monsters to find a body that was suitable for the White Lion to live in. 

“But will Baepsae continue on like this?” 

“Nope. When it grows a bit bigger, it will go into the subspace that hyung-nim will generate. Of course, that is only possible if hyung-nim also grows together.”

“Is there something like that?” 

“It’s because you’re too sloppy. Your space is probably only small enough to fit a tiny mouse.” 

“You…” 

“Was what White Lion said. Haha… Hahaha…” 

Jaiden sighed when he heard Aiden’s words. Then, he gestured for his brother to come near him.

“You might have known this too but once you reach a certain age, you’ll be required to follow the Lion’s path.” 

“Ah… I heard about that. They said that it’s very dangerous training…” 

“That’s right. It’s a training where they leave you to spend days, weeks or months in a forest filled with beasts and monsters. There’s a possibility that you can die there but this goddamn family will not care about that at all.” 

Aiden nodded seriously when he heard Jaiden’s words.

The Leonhardt family was a family who would say that their children were weak when they died. However, if they were able to survive the training, then they would be treated with great care.

Strong Man’s Zone.

There was no other place in the continent that could suit that term more than this place. 

“In the next few days, I will fight you like it’s a real life and death situation. This is so you can prepare for the Lion’s path.” 

“Oh…” 

Aiden couldn’t help but tilt his head in confusion. He faintly felt that there was something wrong with what he had said when Jaiden spoke as if those things did not matter to him at all. But Jaiden just continued to speak regardless of that strange sense of incongruity and incompatibility that Aiden felt.

“And there’s also something that you should always keep in mind.” 

“Please speak.” 

“Make sure to investigate the vegetation of the Predator’s Forest. Study how many monsters are distributed in the area as well as where they are located. Learn how to distinguish edible plants from non-edible ones. And make sure to thoroughly remember each monster’s weaknesses.” 

“Is it that bad?” 

“That’s just how dangerous it is.” 

There was a great deal of difference between entering while knowing exactly how dangerous it was and entering while only vaguely aware of the dangers inside. These bastards and lunatics would randomly leave them in the Predator’s Forest so it would be hard to prepare properly making it more dangerous for them to survive. 

“Isn’t it more dangerous for you, hyung-nim? After all, you’ll be the first one to go.” 

“I have no intentions of doing the Lion’s path.” 

“W… What?” 

“I’m thinking of leaving the family.”

Jaiden’s eyes trembled when he told him his honest thoughts after Aiden asked him innocently. He felt a bit disturbed and worried when he said that he would leave the family. After all, he was the sole backing that this child had. He couldn’t help but grab the hand of this child as he explained it to him calmly.

“You asked me before, remember? About why I was only training in Basic Swordsmanship?”

“…Yes.”

“Because it suits me well. However, you have the talent for the Lion Sword Technique.”

“That…”

“This is the perfect place for you to become strong. But this place is not the one for me.”

Aiden looked confusedly at Jaiden.

“Then hyung, where are you going?”

“The military. To be exact, I will be going to the Northern Military Training Camp.”

“There… Isn’t that a dangerous place too?”

All of the children that enlisted and joined the Northern Military Training Camp were bound to serve in the frontlines. And if one was unlucky enough, then they would be sent to the Northeast. The Northeast was a place that was extremely dangerous. It was even dangerous enough to be placed in the top three most dangerous places in the continent. In other words, they would be deployed to fight in the frontlines. If they were lucky, then they would serve in the North but if they were unlucky, then they would serve in the Northeast.

“Hyung-nim…”

Jaiden stroked Aiden’s hair when he saw him looking at him worriedly.

“You’re already done with the basics. If you train according to the White Lion’s teachings your skills will definitely improve at a rapid pace. I’m sure you’ll surpass me in no time at all.”

“I don’t think so.”

Jaiden smiled when he saw his brother pouting his lips sulkily. 

“Then, shall we train like it’s a real fight?”

Aiden trembled slightly when he saw the evil look on Jaiden’s face. And in just a short while, he finally realized what hell was like for the first time in his life. He fell down and got hit countless times under Jaiden’s unconventional attacks. However, even though he tasted hell, Aiden’s skills still continued to grow rapidly.

Jaiden also realized how frightening a talented genius was when he saw him learn how to counter and respond to his unconventional attacks using the Lion’s Sword Technique. Before he used dirty tricks but now he was using the unconventional attacks that even knights used in fights so it was quite surprising to see him responding to some of them especially since this was his first time seeing those moves. It seemed like his tremendous talent was really blooming now.

“Monster.”

“Hyung-nim shouldn’t be the one to say that.”

In Aiden’s point of view, this was something extremely unfair. After all, he was the one who was beating him like crazy yet he was still calling him a monster. 

When Jaiden saw the expression on his youngest brother’s face, he couldn’t help but grin as he ruffled his hair.

“Don’t go and get beaten up by anyone.”

“…I’ll try my best.”

Aiden realized that his oldest brother was saying goodbye to him. He looked at him sadly as he continued to speak. 

“Will I be able to see you again?”

“Maybe around 20 years later?”

“Yes?”

“Just kidding. I’ll stop by whenever I’m on a vacation.”

Aiden nodded heavily at Jaiden’s words. He wanted to cry in disappointment and ask him why he was leaving him alone but he held back his tears. 

Jaiden looked at him proudly as he turned around and returned to the mansion. For the first time, the two of them spent more time talking instead of training. He even went back early. After all, he had already prepared everything. All he needed to do now was leave. He moved in a hustle as he packed for his imminent departure. He finally fell asleep into the comforts of his bed after he finished all of his final preparations.

The next morning, he headed to his own private training hall. 

“You’re working hard.” 

“Hyung-nim.” 

Jaiden was not wearing his usual training outfit when he went and visited the training hall early in the morning. 

“Are you leaving?”

“Yeah.”

Aiden nodded his head and shook his hands with his brother when he heard his words. Aiden grabbed Jaiden’s hand with both of his and did not let go for a while. 

“Please have a safe trip.”

“Yeah. You have to keep safe too.”

“…Yes.”

Aiden tried his hardest to answer him. Then, Jaiden handed a letter to him.

“This…”

“I left one in my room but… If they find you and ask you, then tell them for me. This is a copy of my application to the military.”

Aiden opened the letter as he looked at Jaiden in shock. This was because the application letter was filled with warnings and legal provisions. It seemed like they were even warning against someone joining them. 

“It might look strange but that’s the truth.”

“I see.”

Aiden looked down at the strange military application letter. He nodded his head quietly as he said his goodbyes once again. He also made sure to urge him to come back home and visit him. Jaiden turned away from him after telling him once again to ‘Keep yourself safe’.

It had been a long time since he walked in the halls of the Leonhardt’s mansion. After all, he had only been staying at his private training hall. However, walking down these halls made him fall into a strange sense of nostalgia. 

Since he left early in the morning, the grass around the mansion was still covered with dew. Even the dim view of the mansion felt strangely nice. He thought that this view would be extremely popular in the real world if he took a photo and posted it on social media. 

But this scene was not something that he could enjoy for a long time. So he left behind this wonderful scene as he walked straight towards the main entrance. This was the first time that he came here since he spent all his time training with his youngest brother in his private training hall. This was even his first time going out of the mansion.

“Who… Ah. By any chance, are you the first young master?” 

“That’s right.” 

The knight who felt wary of a child walking out of the mansion hurriedly bowed his head when he realized who was in front of him. He might not have seen Jaiden or Aiden before so he was not that sure of their faces but he immediately bowed when he noticed his good posture and his noble air. 

“Where will you be going this early in the morning?” 

“I’ve got a place to stop by… I’m also going to look at weapons and go sightseeing.” 

“I see. Did you happen to bring your noble plaque?” 

When he heard the knight’s question, Jaiden pulled out his small noble plaque from his chest and showed it to him. The knight nodded gently when he saw it. 

“But it’s dangerous for you to go out alone. Someone should go and accompany you. Or perhaps you should go once dawn has passed…” 

“But I heard that blacksmiths have good concentration in the morning. Right?” 

“That… Well, that’s right. But it’s still dangerous for you to go alone.” 

The knight called two soldiers over as he spoke these words.

“Please let these two escort you. They’re quick witted so they won’t get in the way of whatever you do.”

Jaiden nodded lightly at the end of the knight’s spiel. 

Although the knight called them escorts, they were actually watchmen. However, if he did not accept this much then he would be misunderstood. Anyway, it did not matter whether they followed him or not. After all, everything would be over once he entered the military training camp.

After getting Jaiden’s consent, the knight opened the gates. He was finally able to get out of the mansion. 

“Please tell me the destination and I will bring you there.”

“First, go to the Artisans’ Street.”

“Yes!”

The soldier responded enthusiastically as he walked slowly and matched Jaiden’s pace. When they got to the street, Jaiden looked around and saw the Mercenary Street. He quickly entered the street. Then, he walked past the Merchant’s street. After going around one street after another, he finally arrived at his destination. 

“We’re here. You guys can go back now.”

“Yes?”

Jaiden smiled broadly when they asked him in a dumb voice. The soldiers then looked at him foolishly as they dug their fingers in their ears. Perhaps they were thinking that they had misheard him. 

“I’m going to enlist so tell him that when you get back. Thank you for escorting me all the way here.”

“Huh… Young master?”

“Young master? If you go there then how can we…”

Jaiden waved at them enthusiastically as he went inside alone. The soldiers just stared at his disappearing back owlishly.

The two soldiers stood there for a long time without knowing what to do. They couldn’t help but think for a long time. From the fact that the Duke’s eldest son volunteered to join the army to the fact that this was their reality and that they did not know what to do. In the end, they concluded that there was nothing that they could do right now. The first thing that they decided to do was to quickly return. They thought that they should report to the top as soon as possible. 

A grin curled up on his lips when Jaiden saw them hurriedly running back from one of the windows in the building. Then, he quickly went further inside the building where the hopefuls were standing in line.

***

Notes

[Noble Plaque] 신분패 so 패 is like an ID card during the feudal times. It’s basically the equivalent of a jade plaque. It’s a wooden plaque that shows the owner’s identity and 신분 is something that shows one’s status. So I combined it together and translated it as a noble plaque. Basically it’s Jaiden’s ID.

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