Enlightenment comes when you least expect it.
Setting aside magical epiphanies or the enlightenment of life, let us speak solely of the martial artist's enlightenment.
Suppose there was a man who swung a sword all day, every day, without rest.
He desperately longed for enlightenment.
For only by obtaining enlightenment could he advance to the next realm.
He believed that if he lived each day diligently, earnestly, and wholeheartedly according to his own routine, he would someday achieve enlightenment.
But enlightenment did not come to him.
He heard that his colleague, who trained while taking breaks as needed, had surpassed him.
That bastard had reached a higher realm than him.
Tormented by countless distracting thoughts, his will was eventually broken.
He locked his door, shut himself in bed, and lived like a shut-in.
Several days passed.
He stepped outside to buy groceries.
In his hand was nothing but a single copper coin.
The man begged and pleaded, paid that single copper coin, and obtained one potato.
'If I eat this single piece, I'll probably starve to death without a doubt.'
The man knew.
That he had to save and savor this as much as possible.
But he hadn't eaten a decent meal in days.
'If this is my last meal anyway, I want to eat it as deliciously as possible.'
He did everything in his power to cook the potato deliciously.
He boiled the potato in water mixed with seawater and freshwater, and with every last ounce of strength in his body, he ground it with milk obtained from a wild cow.
The completed dish was mashed potato, which his mother had often made for him as a child.
It would have tasted more similar if butter or pepper had been added, but unfortunately, he didn't have the money for such luxuries.
"Huk... Heueuk....."
Tears streamed from his eyes.
The mashed potato was already disgustingly salty because he couldn't get the seawater ratio right, but fuck, it was salty as shit.
But none of that mattered.
The man forced the potato into his mouth.
Since it was his last, without regret.
-Tak!
Having emptied the bowl, the man gulped down the water he had set aside in a cup.
Since it was fucking salty, it was the obvious course of action.
Setting the cup down roughly, the man stared blankly at the empty bowl.
How had he ended up in such a situation?
Before, he had been confident that even if his realm's growth had stopped, he was living a decent life.
Why had his life become so miserable?
Realm.
Yes, it was because of his realm.
Because that damned realm wouldn't fucking rise.
Because a bastard who didn't try as hard as him had reached a higher realm.
For that one measly reason, I gave up my normal life, fell into self-loathing and depression, and drove myself into a corner.
I had just eaten a godforsaken salty mashed potato.
But that mashed potato was the most delicious of all the food I had eaten recently.
To others, I must look like a crazy bastard.
But so fucking what.
In the end, it's enough if I'm satisfied with myself.
The man finished his thoughts and closed his eyes without regret.
When tomorrow's sun rose, his stomach would growl again.
But the happiness and satisfaction the man felt now would remain until the moment he closed his eyes.
And so, the next day.
The man opened his eyes as usual.
Perhaps because he had fallen asleep sitting in a chair, his waist was incredibly stiff.
He got up from the chair and stretched.
It was precisely then.
"Huh...?"
The man's physical condition should have been at its worst.
It should have definitely been so.
However,
"This... This..."
The man observed his own body as if he had seen a ghost.
Slowly, as if wanting to confirm that this was truly real.
Praying it wasn't an illusion deceiving him.
Having finished his inspection, the man shed tears.
For within his body, a handful of aura gleamed like morning sunlight had taken root.
The enlightenment he had gained at the very end had awakened his aura.
Swinging a sword every day may look like standard training at a glance.
But enlightenment doesn't unconditionally come just from swinging a sword.
It comes at a truly random moment, at a moment one thought was nothing special.
To others, the man had merely eaten a damn mashed potato.
He awakened his aura and became a Sword Expert over something so trivial.
So should everyone think, 'Ah, fuck, I should eat mashed potato too,' and go mash potatoes?
Then could every dog and cow awaken aura?
Absolutely not.
Because the man had been in such a situation,
because he had lived such a life until now,
the mashed potato he ate at that very moment was able to lead him to enlightenment.
"Many people misunderstand enlightenment. Hearing of another's enlightenment, they think, 'Is that all? He reached a higher realm from that?'"
The old man declared.
"One who takes another's enlightenment lightly cannot grow. No starlight will shine upon that person's narrow thoughts and world."
Having listened to the old man's story to the end, I thought:
'Fuck. So when are you gonna teach me the sword?'
More incomprehensible nonsense again.
Of course, it was a sufficiently edifying teaching, but
'I followed you because you said you'd teach me the sword. If you'd said you were going to teach me about life, I wouldn't have followed.'
Yeah, enlightenment is great.
But shouldn't I learn sword techniques or forms first, then worry about getting enlightenment or not?
Isn't the order wrong here?
Ahh, really.
Could it be you don't even know how to swing a sword?
I don't think I've seen that old man swing a sword even once until now?
Just a horizontal slash. An aura flash.
I think that was it?
Well...
Sigh.
It's the same old story, but what can I do.
The old man I chose~ The Demon Realm I chose~.
It's my fault for being swayed by a brief display of skill~ I should've found a proven master with lots of teaching experience~.
I should have been more careful.
The older mercenaries emphasized several times to be careful with contracts,
and I ended up getting scammed after all! Aigoo!!!!!!
"I understand, but can't you teach me the sword first before saying such things...? Other kids all learn something from their masters before hearing this stuff. These days, people pay to listen to holiday nagging."
"......."
H-he's gone silent again.
He's just going to say whatever he wants and then shut his mouth completely, isn't he?
I'm really going crazy over that old man. What am I going to do, really.
Can't even hit him.
If he acted like this in our mercenary band, he'd immediately become a marked mercenary.
"Ukki-kki-kik!"
Ha, fuck...
I'm already restless, and now these monkey bastards are acting up with perfect timing.
The bastards who first kicked my ass in the Demon Realm.
Bastards I disliked at first sight.
These bastards are in for it.
-Sslring.
The sword was drawn smoothly from its scabbard.
'You want a taste of their blood too?'
This time, as if it were our turn to fuck them up, aura blazed intensely.
Thanks to the nature of aura responding to its user's will, I could visibly confirm exactly how fucking much I hated those monkey bastards.
-Fwoosh!!!!
Dark red aura engulfed my sword.
Guilt? Pity?
I have no such shit for beastly bastards.
"I like it. At this level, I can definitely send those bastards straight to the underworld."
I swung my sword.
Since I hadn't learned any sword techniques from the old man, I just swung it roughly as I pleased.
Even if I had known any, I would have swung without any form anyway.
Carefully swinging my sword at bastards like this is a waste.
"Hahahahahahaha!!!!! You maggot bastards!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hahahahahahahahahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!"
For the record... it's definitely not because I'm still stinging from last time...
I'm not usually like this.
I'm a kind young man who started working as a mercenary because I like helping others.
But wait...
That old man,
why did he look at me with eyes that said he was embarrassed, even if just for a moment?
Haha.
Hahahaha.
Fuck.
-Whish. Cha-cha-chap.
Having cut down the last monkey, I shook the blood off my sword.
Unlike before, the remaining blood and flesh were quite simple to deal with.
-Fwoosh.
Who am I?
I'm a Sword Expert.
"....."
The old man sheathed his sword and looked at me silently as I approached him.
"What are you looking at?? Does it remind you of old times???"
The older mercenaries sometimes said that to me.
That seeing me reminded them of when they first started as mercenaries.
The romance of that time, the tension of that time, the aroma of alcohol pouring endlessly down their throats.
Forgotten memories buried in a corner of the mind, all of it, would suddenly rise like a mirage and then vanish.
Perhaps the old man had similar thoughts to those older mercenaries?
For some reason, it felt that way.
"Branch."
The old man ignored my words again and said only what he wanted to say.
Branch this, branch that, branch.
Fine. Eat lots of branches, old man.
I ain't eating them.
***
It's already the fifth day since I left for the Demon Realm.
Two days remain.
If that old man hasn't forgotten his promise due to dementia, he should start teaching me the sword today.
"From today, I shall show you what you so desperately wanted."
Finally. At last!
Wow, fuck, how long I've waited for this moment. (Not really.)
Yes, yes, O great hermit master, sir. Please show me some sword techniques befitting your hair-raising might.
Of course, I'm a pretty talented bastard, so I already know quite a few techniques from guys who came claiming to teach me but ran out of moves.
Knowing them is as good as not knowing them.
There was actually one more reason I said I wouldn't use any known techniques when catching those monkeys.
If I freely used someone's techniques without becoming their disciple, I would probably have to quit the mercenary life and spend all day running away.
They were likely clan secrets or techniques with deep sect history.
For a non-disciple to use such things openly?
They wouldn't leave me alone.
That's why I waited for that old man to teach me the sword.
Since that old man has permitted me to learn his sword.
Once I learn it, I can use it to my heart's content without looking over my shoulder.
'Ha, fuck, I'm excited. It better not be nothing special. I'll really lose it!'
...I said that, but.
I can't forget that the old man is far stronger than me.
Fuck.
It was another valuable lesson in realizing, yet again, that the weak have it rough.