Jobless Reincarnation: The King with a Mental Problem

A wide-open meadow, the leaves still glistening with morning dew.

The Shadow King Trevor and Paul, the strongest knight in Buena Village, stand facing each other.

Paul casually slung his sword over his shoulder. I, however, remained expressionless—not to appear cool, but to plot against him.

This battle is serious. Paul and I are both carrying real swords, but with so many people around who can use healing magic, nothing unexpected will happen.

"Don't say your father bullied you." Paul switched the sword from his right shoulder to his left. "This is a large open area with no complicated terrain, so I can only approach you directly. If you lose easily at this distance, don't cry."

indeed.

We were about fifty meters apart.

There was no terrain here that would allow Paul to use as cover to close the distance.

My Sword God style is barely intermediate, my Water God style is beginner, and I only have a rough understanding of the Northern God style.

Moreover, the difference in physical fitness is too great, giving them an overwhelming disadvantage in close combat.

Once we get close, I can't last two rounds against a serious Paul...

Ideally, they would win in one fell swoop before Paul gets close.

At the very least, we need to inflict enough damage on Paul.

Otherwise, there is no chance of winning.

In other words, the upcoming battle will be a contest of distance.

"Father," I said, touching the EA at my waist, "you'd better be careful. If you lose to me when I'm only six years old, I'll write it down in my book and it'll be known all over the world in the future."

The pre-match trash talk segment is indispensable; it's one of the methods used by the Kitakami-ryu school.

"Tch! Today I'll show you what your dad really can do! And remember to write down exactly how I beat you up!"

Instead of launching a direct attack, they chose to respond?

This is a classic example of the saying, "Do as I say, not as I do."

"I will definitely record in detail how my father was defeated."

"All talk and no action," Paul said, lowering his voice. "Anyway... Shall we begin?"

You idiot Paul, my schemes have already begun.

I took a deep breath: "Begin!"

As soon as he finished speaking, he immediately put his hands on the ground.

This is to spread the accumulated magic to the ground to the maximum extent. First, a swamp with a radius of thirty meters—the surface soil is liquefied using earth magic. Then, stone pillars are generated, raising themselves up.

In the blink of an eye, my height has reached more than ten meters.

Fifty meters was not a long distance for Paul. He had already broken into the swamp.

The plan was successful!

I, the King, am issuing a victory declaration ahead of schedule.

"Victory is assured!"

Paul did not reply. His pace noticeably slowed in the mud.

Then came the tornado!

A fierce wind began to swirl around the stone pillar, carrying with it stones and sand.

I conjured tiny, sharp stone shards from my hands and fired them alternately at Paul, trying my best to suppress him. At first, he managed to dodge a few, but as the distance closed, the mud became increasingly difficult to penetrate. The strong winds and sandstorms also impaired my vision and hearing; any pause at that distance meant a guaranteed hit.

Paul used the Water God Style technique to protect his vitals—but it was ultimately just a sword.

Sharp stone shards grazed his body, splattering blood everywhere.

The more you resist, the deeper you get into the mire.

We can win if we keep going like this!

Just as I was thinking this, Paul's demeanor changed.

Pshaw, only getting serious now? You underestimate me.

However—it was I who was distracted.

A sword flew over, spinning.

I am on this stone pillar; there is nowhere for me to hide.

He hurriedly drew his EA to barely block the flying sword, then quickly searched for Paul's location.

Paul, with his spare sword in his mouth, raced across the mud on all fours—using both his hands and feet to distribute his weight.

Is it the four-legged stance of the Kitakami-ryu?

But! It's no use!

Several slingshots missed their mark. Paul had already reached the pillar supporting the king.

He slashed down with his sword.

No, not a single sword strike. It was a series of slashes. Each strike sliced ​​through the stone I had created as easily as cutting tofu.

The Blade of Light? When?

An unexpected situation has arisen! But it's not a big problem; as long as we stall for time, victory is still assured!

Stones are forcibly generated out of thin air, further increasing the height of the stone pillar beneath our feet.

As long as I generate stones faster than he can chop them up, that's fine!

Just as I was thinking this, Paul was already upon me.

So that's how it is—after shattering the stone, you used the falling rocks as footholds to jump up?

A sword slashed down, and immense force struck. I managed to deflect three-tenths of the force using the Water God Style, but the remaining seven-tenths slammed into me solidly.

The king was slashed and sent flying by a single sword strike.

In mid-air, immediately attack with wind magic, while simultaneously using the recoil to further increase the distance.

Landing. Re-establish the stance of the Water God Flow, holding your breath and concentrating.

But at that moment—the Blade of Light was already at my neck.

Paul declared his victory: "Hmph! Not bad. But when I get serious, a little guy like you—"

Before he could finish his declaration of victory, he collapsed to the ground.

I put away EA, used earth magic to lift myself and Paul up again, and then used wind magic to blow hard on his face.

Actually, before releasing the swamp, I did something else—I used wind magic to generate carbon dioxide in the swamp area.

Carbon dioxide is heavier than air, so it settles at lower altitudes.

I, the king, ascended to a higher altitude, while Paul rolled in the mud. Although startled by the breach in the defenses, that final wind magic was fueled by a much longer accumulation of pure carbon dioxide.

Does this count as a win?

It's barely passable...

In the distance, Senis, Loki, Rudy, and Hilfi were on their way.

It's time for me, the king, to deliver my victory speech.

The great Shadow Lord crossed his arms and laughed heartily:

"Hahahaha!!!"

"I told you long ago! Victory was assured from the very beginning!!!"

[Paul's Perspective]

I'm so sleepy, I drank too much last night...

It seems she even cried while hugging Senis...

Pshaw! What are you thinking? I'm having a competition with my son right now!

Today, I'll finally show my true colors. Getting beaten up by my own dad is better than losing my life out there.

Surprisingly, they were suppressed after the battle began!

Damn it! This kid is serious!

No! I'm the one who's wrong! I should say I was still having a playful attitude!

I intended to educate my son, but ended up being educated instead?

Ah! I'm so proud!

You're definitely qualified! In that case, let me give it my all and play with you!

Perhaps it was due to the continuous training recently, or perhaps it was a change in mindset, but recalling the way Gilead wielded his sword, his swordsmanship broke through.

The ultimate technique of the Sword God style—the Blade of Light!

Once you learn it, you'll reach the Saint level of the Sword God style.

Not only are the slashes faster, but the quality of the battle aura has also improved!

Next! We can win!

He rushed in front of him and sent Trevor flying with a single sword strike.

The counterattack was launched by wind magic, which had low destructive power.

You still dare to underestimate me at a time like this! You've lost!

After adjusting his stance even faster, he instantly increased his speed and swung the Blade of Light once more!

Cool!

Before Trevor could even get into position, the blade was already at his neck.

╭(╯^╰)╮Hmph!

I did well, but I still won.

I'm so tired. Is it a consequence of using the Blade of Light?

He collapsed before he could finish his sentence...

"What...is going on..."

Paul Grealat – Defeat!

It took a lot of effort to get Paul down to the tree.

As for getting it to our homes... the journey is too far for us women and children.

Fortunately, it's not a big problem; I just need to use an antidote spell and then let some air blow on it.

Let Paul get some more sleep and recover from his hangover.

While waiting for Paul to wake up, Lilia and Senis went home to get some things and came here for a picnic.

Loki, Rudy, and Hilfi asked me what I had done.

"The principle behind it?"

I stand with my hands behind my back, facing Loki, Rudy, and Sylphie.

"Witches who seek out forbidden things should know that in enclosed ruins or dungeons, if there are too many people or if fire magic is used for a long time, people will gradually feel dizzy, weak, or even suffocate and faint."

"Indeed." Loki nodded. "Therefore, fire magic is prohibited during dungeon exploration unless absolutely necessary. If such a situation occurs, ventilation must be provided immediately, and antidote magic must be used to treat it."

"That's right." I raised my head and looked at the distant horizon. "In the dead of night, with shadows as my companions, I repeatedly deduced and finally extracted a purer form from that 'suffocating breath'—a colorless and odorless breath of shadow that sinks to the bottom and can put all things to sleep."

"You bastard—" Rudy's face flushed red, "Did you use me for experiments?!"

"How could I harm my beloved knight?" I gazed at him calmly. "Your safety, even though we were in the same room, is the best proof of that."

Wang did not give a direct response.

Rudy jumped up.

"You used me as a guinea pig, didn't you? That must be it, right? I'll never forgive you!!!"

"In that case—" I raised my hand slightly, "Based on this battle, the secret technique I created, 'Breath of Shadows,' will only be taught to the most loyal knights."

Rudy's expression shifted from anger to fawning in a mere 0.3 seconds.

"Brother! You know! I will always be your most loyal knight!"

"Second brother, where's your face...?"

Hilufi covered her face and muttered softly.

I ignored their commotion.

Because the real adversary has awakened.

Paul sat up from under the tree, rubbing his temples, and glared at the king with the look one would give an unfilial son.

"You bastard—you cheated! You resorted to underhanded tactics!"

"Father," I replied calmly, "all kinds of martial arts, this is—the Northern Divine Style! You taught me."

"When did I @#￥%!"

I raised one finger, mimicking Paul's lecturing manner.

"Some people from the Northern Divine Clan love to spout trash talk before a fight! It affects their mood and buys them time to prepare their tricks. Most of the bandits on the streets these days are from the Northern Divine Clan, so be careful not to fall into their trap! Listening to their rambling is stupid, but joining in their rambling is incredibly stupid! Countless fools have lost their lives this way!"

Paul opened his mouth, as if he could already see himself losing face to the whole world.

"But in the end, I was the one who struck you first!"

"well......"

Wang sighed helplessly.

"Old Deng, I have many tricks up my sleeve, and I have already tried my best not to harm you. If I had used other underhanded tactics when you answered, you would be all you have left with this stubborn mouth by now."

Paul's face turned red, his upper and lower lips were sucked into his mouth and bitten, and the veins on his neck bulged.

Is this what they mean by blushing and getting red in the face?

Then, just like the traditional rednecks, they pressed me down on their laps and played music with my buttocks.

...Actually, I was being stubborn, because my pursuit of a perfect victory led to unexpected problems.

Senis walked over, carrying a picnic basket, and looked at him with a smile: "A loss is a loss."

"...You're lucky." Paul turned his face away and threw the FA♂ instrument he had just played aside.

I lay on the ground, repairing my badly damaged hip armor.

The wind blew across the plains, carrying the scent of grass and the smell of victory.

"Father," I said finally, "your defeat will be recorded in the Shadow Epic as the chapter of 'The Shadow Lord's First Battle,' to be passed down to future generations."

"You dare!"

"You'll see if I dare!!!"

[Information Now Available to be Released: Swordsman]

There are roughly three schools of swordsmanship in this world.

The Sword God style excels at offense.

The Water God Style excels at counterattacks.

Kitakami Ryu is good at creating hilarious antics.

The levels are: Lower, Intermediate, Upper, Saint, King, Emperor, and God.

In this world, swordsmen dominate in combat, and the core of combat power lies in battle aura.

Battle aura is the most fundamental power of a warrior; it is the result of using magic in a specific way.

You can imbue your body or weapon with magic to achieve explosive physical enhancement.

It greatly increases strength, defense, speed, and agility; even reaction speed can be enhanced.