Emotionless Swordsmanship Genius

Chapter 1: The Emotionless Child

Karon fell from a wagon and suffered a severe head injury when he was very young.

It was just around the time he started running around, not even three years old yet.

Due to the accident, he not only couldn’t wake up for a while but also spent his days in a daze even after regaining consciousness.

The most significant issue was that as he grew up after the accident, he hardly felt any emotions.

It was unclear whether the injury had affected the nerves in his brain.

A child with curly brown hair, devoid of emotions.

Perhaps because of that, people were often startled when they suddenly encountered Karon.

He had such a lack of presence, and his emotionless behavior made people feel a strong sense of alienation.

Some might have even seen him as a monster.

Fortunately, there were no physical problems, but even by the time he was thirteen, he spent most of his time alone, staring vacantly into space.

No matter what happened, there was no change in his emotions.

Due to his parents’ profession, it was hard for him to make friends.

His parents led a small mercenary group.

They mostly roamed the continent, tasked with protecting merchant caravans, and since they couldn’t leave Karon alone, they always took him with them.

He was smaller and less talkative than his peers, and he wasn’t active either.

Naturally, his parents were worried.

However, there was a positive side too, as he received the mercenaries’ attention and lived a rather “busy” life.

Why did the mercenaries like this expressionless child?

The reason was his special ability.

“Karon! About a week ago, do you remember where we put the saw we used when we camped? I’m sure we loaded it into the wagon with the tool chest, but I can’t find it anywhere. I’m about to get scolded by the boss. Please help me out.”

When Jan, a mercenary, pleaded with his hands together, Karon responded in a dry tone.

“You packed it late and wedged it beside the food cart.”

“Oh! Right! Thank you, Karon!”

Jan bowed his head and quickly disappeared.

That’s right. Karon never forgot anything he saw.

Whether it was a fleeting glance or something from years ago, it didn’t matter. Because of this, he often found himself in absurd situations.

One such situation was being asked to witness a loan.

Scott, a bald, muscular mercenary, approached Karon with his close colleague, Glion.

“Karon! I’m lending Glion 2,000 shillings. Can you witness it?”

“Sure.”

Two thousand shillings was equivalent to a month’s salary for a mercenary.

Karon replied blandly.

“Glion, here’s 2,000 shillings. When you repay, make sure you do it in front of Karon with 2,200 shillings. If Karon doesn’t remember, it means you didn’t repay. If you lie about it, you’re dead! You know how flawless Karon’s memory is, right?”

“Yeah, yeah! Thanks, I’ll definitely repay it within a month.”

The mercenaries trusted Karon’s memory so much that they always exchanged money and other things in front of him.

“Karon, have you eaten?”

The mercenary who completed the deal asked.

Karon didn’t reply, instead staring blankly into space again. The two mercenaries didn’t give up and kept asking.

“Hey, we’re grilling some meat over by the bonfire. Want to join us?”

“Should we bring it over to you?”

“Let’s do that.”

The two exchanged words, made their decision, and left.

Conversations with Karon usually went like that.

Once the two disappeared, Karon sighed softly and buried himself in the pile of luggage on top of the wagon.

It was starting again.

He had another ability he hadn’t told anyone about. Sometimes, his senses would become extremely heightened.

In fact, he had already known about the bonfire and the grilling meat without the mercenaries saying anything.

The sound and smell of the meat grilling had already filled his mind.

Whenever that happened, he would deliberately blur his thoughts by staring into space.

* * *

That day wasn’t much different from any other.

The mercenary group had accepted a commission from a merchant guild to escort rare trade goods from a small town.

It was a two-week-long journey, so they had a lot of supplies to pack.

The large wooden wagon, with its massive wheels, was loaded with tents, food, daily necessities, and toolboxes.

They needed these items to camp while escorting the merchant caravan.

Karon always watched over their preparations.

He remembered past journeys, comparing them to the current one, and would discreetly point out anything missing. Sometimes, the mercenaries even asked him directly.

To them, Karon was indispensable.

That’s when his parents, Anessa and Fedder, approached him.

“Karon. This job could be quite dangerous, so you must stay close to us.”

“Anessa, how long are you going to keep babying him? Karon’s grown up now. He needs to learn to fight on his own.”

Anessa, tightly holding Karon’s hand, spoke, and Fedder, watching from the side, sternly interjected.

“Karon! You’re already fourteen. You need to start defending yourself. We can’t protect you forever. Here, take this.”

Fedder handed him a dagger sheathed in an intricately stitched scabbard, which looked quite luxurious.

Anessa, outraged, shouted back.

“Fedder! What are you doing?! Are you crazy? Why are you giving a child a knife?!”

“Anessa, other kids his age are already training with swords. He needs to be raised the same way!”

“Karon isn’t like other kids. You know that! You know our child is special!”

When Anessa stood her ground, Fedder softened his approach and tried to reason with her.

“Hmm. But we can’t keep him under our protection forever. It’s for Karon’s sake.”

“Give it to me.”

Karon suddenly interjected.

“Huh?”

“Give me the dagger. I’ll learn.”

He said, extending his small hand.

The couple exchanged glances. Since Karon’s words and expression conveyed no emotion, they had no idea why he was suddenly behaving this way.

Anessa knelt and embraced Karon.

“Karon~ You don’t have to. You’ll always be with us.”

“Still, just in case, I’ll keep it with me.”

With Karon insisting, Anessa had nothing more to say. Taking advantage of the moment, Fedder quickly fastened the scabbard to Karon’s waist. Due to his small size, the dagger seemed unusually large on him.

In fact, it was slightly longer than an average dagger.

Fedder placed his hands on Karon’s shoulders and spoke earnestly.

“Good. That’s the right decision. Never lose it. Think of it as part of your body.”

“Yes.”

Fedder had arranged to acquire this dagger from a merchant guild a long time ago.

Recently, a light yet sturdy dagger had arrived, and though it was expensive, Fedder bought it without hesitation.

Karon had already clearly heard the conversation between his father and the merchant, even from a distance. It was something he knew he would have to face eventually.

“Karon, even though it’s just a dagger, the blade is sharp, so you need to handle it carefully.”

“Yes, Mother.”

Anessa looked at Karon with concern in her eyes, but she quickly let go of her worries, thinking it would be fine for him to carry it for self-defense.

Then, she removed the necklace she always wore and placed it around Karon’s neck.

It had a small pendant with overlapping diamond shapes.

“This is something I’ve always worn like a talisman. It will protect you, my son, from ever being swept into misfortune. Don’t ever lose it.”

“Yes.”

His response was still emotionless, and his tone was dry.

Yet, to Anessa, Karon seemed more lovable than ever.

Later that afternoon, as the sun was setting, strong winds began to blow, and the gathering storm clouds suggested something was brewing. It looked as if the rain could pour down at any moment.

The merchant caravan and the mercenaries hurried to find an open space to set up camp. They secured the tents firmly and dug ditches to channel the water.

The trade goods were already covered with waterproof tarps, wrapped in several layers, and tied down with ropes.

Since everyone had extensive experience camping, their preparations went smoothly.

Once everything was set, and they had a quick outdoor meal, they divided into watch shifts and returned to their tents to rest.

Meanwhile, Karon was learning how to handle the dagger from Jan.

However, given Karon’s lack of physical strength, it was challenging for him to even follow the motions.

Though it was just a dagger, it felt heavy for Karon due to his small frame.

Yet Jan was inwardly amazed.

“He’s following every move perfectly after just seeing it once… He really is different.”

“Ugh…”

Karon struggled as he swung the dagger.

“You’ll find it easier to swing if you grip the dagger closer to the hilt.”

Fedder, who had been watching from a distance, approached suddenly and adjusted Karon’s grip higher up the dagger. Then, he quietly disappeared again.

“Hmm.”

As he gripped the dagger closer to the hilt, the balance improved, and it required less effort.

But now his feet were getting tangled up. Jan’s movements had been too fast for him.

“There’s no need to take such large steps. Moving as wide as your shoulders is enough.”

Fedder reappeared, shortened Karon’s steps, and was about to leave again when Jan pouted and called out.

“Captain! If you’re going to do this, you might as well teach him from the start…”

Jan trailed off as Fedder clenched his fist and glared at him. Jan shook his head and helped adjust Karon’s posture again.

Watching from a distance, Anessa smiled softly, amused by the situation.

Fedder, although outwardly stern, was more attentive to Karon than anyone else.

“If only he’d just show his feelings.”

Anessa shook her head and entered her tent. Not long after, the rain began to fall, with the sound of the droplets growing louder as time passed.

It wasn’t until the rain intensified that Fedder brought Karon back to the tent. By then, Anessa had already spread out the bedding and laid down blankets.

“Aren’t you rushing things? He’s not even used to it yet.”

“I never told him to do it. Jan is the one who coaxed Karon.”

Fedder casually averted his gaze as he spoke.

“Oh, is that so?”

Anessa let it slide, though she knew full well that Fedder had instructed Jan to teach Karon.

“Let’s get to bed early if we want to leave at dawn. Come here, Karon!”

“Anessa, don’t you think it’s time to stop cuddling him to sleep? He’s grown up now, and it might spoil him.”

“Okay. Starting tomorrow, I’ll stop. Come here, my son!”

Karon, expressionless as ever, embraced Anessa. Though he looked like a doll devoid of emotion, his actions were no different from any other child.

He must have learned such behaviors from watching others somewhere.

But that wasn’t all there was to it.

Amazingly, when in his mother’s arms, Karon’s heightened senses seemed to settle.

It allowed him to fall into a deep sleep, more profound than at any other time.

Without his mother, Karon’s hypersensitivity made it nearly impossible for him to sleep properly.

But tonight, his sleep wouldn’t last long.

Just before dawn, during the darkest part of the night, Karon faintly heard a sharp sound from somewhere.

Both Fedder and Anessa opened their eyes simultaneously.

“Did you hear that?”

“Yes. It was definitely a scream.”

It seemed the guards had been attacked by intruders.

Without hesitation, the two of them equipped their gear and drew their swords.

Karon had already woken up.

Anessa hugged Karon and, locking eyes with him, spoke firmly.

“Whatever happens, you must not leave. Do you understand?”

Karon nodded in response. She kissed his forehead before heading out.

Once they were gone, Karon instinctively clutched his dagger. Moments later, the sounds of clashing weapons and people shouting filled the air.

“Intruders!”

“Everyone, prepare for battle!”

*Dong-dong-dong-dong*—

Fedder’s booming shout echoed alongside the frantic sound of bells ringing.

Karon winced, shutting his eyes and covering his ears with both hands.

Yet the screams of the people and the chilling sound of flesh being cut still reached his ears.

The battle outside was intense, as the clanging of weapons continued without pause.

After what felt like an eternity, Karon’s eyes suddenly shot open.

The scream he had just heard was unmistakably Anessa’s voice.

Amid the cacophony of sounds, Karon had been able to discern her voice with precision.

Standing up, Karon glanced at his dagger and, as if making a decision, pushed aside the tent flaps and stepped outside without hesitation.

Left behind in the tent was nothing but the scabbard that had once covered the dagger.