NOVEL NEXT WORLD chapter 16
16 – Why Is It Real?
16.
Several days had passed since dining with Stella and Felicia.
As soon as classes ended today, Allen returned to his accommodation and sprawled out on the sofa like freshly laundered clothes just out of the wash.
“There’s talk that those who have read ‘Shuren Chronicles’ are on the rise, researching the cultural styles of Kunlun. It’s just a rumor, of course.”
Allen lifted his head slightly at Meia’s words, who was tidying up the bed.
“…And the second volume hasn’t even come out yet?”
“One might think that’s a testament to its significant impact.”
“Incredible.”
Allen let out an astonished exhalation and leaned his head back again.
“There’s also a rumor going around the Knight Faculty.”
“What now?”
“It seems illustrations that replicate the swordsmanship moves described in ‘Shuren Chronicles’ are making the rounds. I heard it from Miss Evans.”
“From Stella?”
“Yes.”
Having finished straightening the bed, Meia pushed the curtains aside, and bright sunlight poured into Allen’s room.
Allen screamed as he was hit by the direct beams of light.
“Yeeek.”
“Master, you’re not a monster, what’s with that bizarre scream?”
“It’s because you abruptly drew the curtains! Ah, my eyes.”
Allen squinted his forehead in pain after the sudden blast of sunlight.
Rising to sit on the sofa, Allen asked.
“There are drawings going around the Knight Faculty that reproduce the swordsmanship from ‘Shuren Chronicles’?”
“Yes. Although Miss Evans says it’s nothing but a rumor, it seems she herself has seen these illustrations by the way she speaks of them.”
“Absurd.”
Alan thought it was somewhat strange for a novel that had only one volume published to have such an impact.
‘What’s the gain in imitating the illustrations from the book that describes the action, especially when it’s not even a martial arts novel?’
With martial arts novels, even if the descriptions are vague, there are almighty fighters who gain enlightenment from their built-up training.
Fantasy, however, naturally places physical training before mental cultivation.
That was the biggest difference between martial arts and fantasy in the novels that Alan had read.
‘…This is truly inefficiency at its peak.’
In fantasy where, like mana road and martial arts novels, the circulatory pathways of inner energy are not systematically conveyed naturally but are forged by training swordsman skills, mana is foolishly accumulated.
On the other hand, it could be seen as the difference between fantasy, which emphasizes physical training and power itself, and martial arts, which emphasizes mental cultivation and the manipulation of internal energy.
After reincarnating into the fantasy world, Alan grumbled to himself, now even sorting through these considerations.
“…Come to think of it, I shouldn’t even be able to reproduce the mana method from that. It’s a novel, just a novel! It’s imaginative! Why try to reproduce that?”
“The initiative began with the Kunlun exchange students, it seems.”
“Kunlun?”
“Yes.”
At Meia’s answer, Alan’s forehead wrinkled.
“Why are the Kunlun kids appearing from there?!”
***
“I’m not sure how to interpret this part. How should I grasp the pathway that inner energy flows from this movement?”
“There’s more worth discussing about this movement.”
The academy students from Kunlun gathered in the practice hall today as well, carrying on a discussion that has now become routine.
“It’s a pity that only one volume has come out so far.”
“Well, this is true. Honestly, I think it’s of enough value as a martial arts book.”
“How about we extract only parts related to martial arts and record them like a secret book?”
“Good idea. Let’s consider it.”
Shen watched the peers who were gathered, sharing their wisdom.
‘What a waste of time.’
Shen believed that the basis of martial arts could be nurtured by theories, but only completed in intense blood fights, so in his view, the novel Shuren Pneuma was only a scrap of paper.
Shen couldn’t understand why they were holding a discussion, adding grandiose delusions to such a delusional piece of paper.
“Doesn’t seem like you’re in a good mood, Shen?”
At the call coming from behind him, Shen quickly turned around and kneeled.
“Have you arrived, Mama.”
“Don’t be so displeased. You still don’t fancy Prince Allen, do you?”
“…No, it’s not that.”
“I know Shen doesn’t take kindly to it. Hiding it is futile.”
Lynn’s red eyes shone as if piercing through Shen’s inner thoughts.
Shen couldn’t meet her gaze.
“Besides, didn’t you use a message spell on Prince Allen?”
“…That was.”
“Don’t do something so reckless. He’s the son of the Blade King from the West Kingdom. That is, if you don’t wish to incur the wrath of the Blade King.”
“…I shall heed your advice, Your Highness.”
Lynn sighed briefly before turning her eyes away from him.
Although she had been his escort for a long time, Shen was somewhat prone to excess. There were stories behind that, but now was not the time to discuss them.
“Princess Your Highness!”
“You’ve arrived!”
The cadets, who had been in a heated debate over the Shuren swordsmanship, stood up and knelt.
Lynn smiled faintly at them.
“I did say that formalities would be exempt during our time at the academy.”
Exemption of formalities—literally, being spared from the obligation of decorum.
Despite Lynn repeatedly granting them this exemption, their refusal to abandon their formal gestures might be seen as stubbornness.
Lynn sighed lightly.
“…It’s gratifying to see all of you so dedicated.”
“We have much to learn, certainly. Magic is… somewhat tricky to deal with.”
“The depth of magic is impressively comparable to the martial arts we have built up in our homeland.”
“Considering the similarities to our sorcery, it seems there could be a fierce competition between our homeland’s sorcerers and the mages here.”
All of them were spouting bellicose tales.
Lynn shook her head.
‘This is also due to the old grudges built up over a long time…’
The Tyranto Empire and the Kunlun Empire.
Relations between these two empires weren’t exactly amiable. The relationship had somewhat improved when Lynn’s father ascended the throne, succeeding the empire from the previous generations and started working on improving ties with the Tyranto Empire.
Had it not been for the efforts of previous generations, Lynn studying abroad in the Tyranto Empire would have been unthinkable.
“The swordsmanship in the Shuren chronicles becomes more intriguing the more I see it. Descriptions of sword techniques, the use of inner energy—their similarity to the martial arts of our homeland…”
“It’s surprising to find someone who understands our homeland so deeply in Westland.”
“It truly is surprising.”
That was one of the reasons Lynn became interested in Allen.
How could a man from Westland, from Toronto, write a novel with swordplay that mirrors the martial arts from Kunlun?
“There’s a rumor going around that drawings copying Shuren’s swordplay movements are circulating within the Knight Academy. Apparently, there’s someone collecting them…”
“Copied swordplay moves? From simple writings?”
Shen butts in with a furrowed brow. Lynn tilted his head as if he found it strange too.
“Since when?”
“Fairly recently. It’s been popular within the academy for the past week. There are even betting matches going on, with illustrations depicting actual swordplay moves at stake.”
“Hmm….”
Lynn closed his eyes.
Such competitions were common in Kunlun.
He did not expect to see them here in Westland, in Toronto.
“Having a competition with illustrated swordplay… it’s eerily similar to our local battles. Maybe it’s a good thing that they only involve betting matches. To think that such events are happening here too…”
“It certainly is surprising.”
As Lynn said, this was something one would expect to happen in Kunlun.
It was hardly ever seen in Westland, in Toronto.
While the real-life swordplay of Toronto’s mercenaries and Kunlun’s lords do seem similar, when it comes to martial arts and swordplay, that’s another story altogether.
“I heard that in Westland, swordplay techniques are only passed within family lines.”
“That’s correct. It’s peculiar, isn’t it?”
In Kunlun, martial arts are taught within clans, whereas in Toronto, noble families teach swordplay and magic. While they are similar, they also differ.
This subtle resemblance yet difference illustrates the character disparity between Toronto and Kunlun.
Shen said.
“I heard there are people who are trying to compile these illustrations into a manual.”
“If things go wrong, this could become a problem.”
Lynn frowned.
“We should check on Allen.”
***
“Really, bro?”
“Right. It’s also a headache in the student council. Most of the guys in the knight department are going crazy trying to get their hands on the picture containing the swordsmanship moves.”
“No, it’s just a movement in a novel! Why is this a big deal?!”
Allen was genuinely flabbergasted.
“Even if you mimic the moves, if you don’t know how to put mana into it, it’s meaningless!”
“Everyone knows. The problem is, it seems that there’s a foreign student from Kunlun who has seen success with this.”
“Really?”
“So far, it’s just a rumor. Only the first volume has come out, but if someone starts showing visible progress through the Shuren Chronicles, the situation might change.”
“This is nuts, honestly.”
Allen, regardless of what Albert said, plopped down on the sofa.
“And hearing that people in the knight department are betting on the pictures of the swordsmanship moves from my novel is ridiculous.”
“Calm down, Allen. It’s just a rumor so far.”
“I’m astonished, really astonished.”
“Speaking of which, It seems like the second volume will be out soon. Is that true?”
“Is there nothing else to ask?”
At Allen’s retort, Albert shrugged his shoulders.
“How about you, Allen, watching a martial arts session since you’re in the knight department.”
“A session? Absolutely?”
“I understand that meia has raised your standards, but it is not that you can’t condescend. Shuren Chronicles can be helpful in writing.”
“Well, if you insist.”
Allen stood up from his spot, convinced that by watching just the meia could also limit his perspective.
“Shall we go right away?”
“Sounds good.”