Chapter 5
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: Swordsmanship Instructor - 2
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All eyes were on us.
Too late to slip away nonchalantly...
"To think you're trying to face me barehanded! Does that mean your skills have grown even more since we last met?!"
"Are you crazy? Who fights the instructor without a weapon?"
She looked ready to charge at any moment.
Even if I didn't draw my sword, Tiana would probably come at me anyway.
-Shing!
"Yes! That's the Earthbound Spirit I know!"
"Hoo... Please go easy on me."
"Nonsense! You're the one and only adventurer I've recognized as a swordsman!"
Tiana assumed a proper stance.
Left foot forward, right foot back.
Both hands crossed on the hilt.
Sword height at mid-guard, facing straight ahead.
The tip always aimed at the opponent.
I could see Tiana's sword.
Light reflected off the blade, sparkling.
It showed the care of daily maintenance.
Honed on a whetstone, not a speck of rust remained.
I matched her stance.
"What the heck is he doing?"
"Who is that guy to spar with the instructor?"
The voices of novice adventurers reached my ears.
The instructor who made them swing at scarecrows hundreds of times in the same stance was now crossing blades with some man. It was bound to draw attention.
Everyone had stopped training, glancing back and forth between Tiana and me.
I didn't love having an audience, but backing out now would look bad.
"Please, after you."
"Hah, no middle ground with you. First you beg to learn a move, now you're acting all relaxed?!"
"It's been a while, and your tongue's gotten longer."
I yielded the first move.
Taunting wasn't my style, but I figured provoking Tiana a bit would end the spar faster.
I had a schedule to keep.
I needed to wrap this up quick and head to Ellie for a commission.
"You'll pay for that arrogance! Allow me to teach you a lesson!"
"After this, you'll still have the energy to hunt slimes...?"
Provoking Tiana might have backfired.
It probably just stoked her fighting spirit unnecessarily.
-Clang!
The clash of steel filled the training grounds.
I barely deflected the vertical slash by angling my blade.
Heavy.
That was my immediate impression as I parried her sword.
"Hup!"
I mobilized my shoulder muscles to shove Tiana's sword to the right.
Her monstrous strength was impressive, but her true strength came from seasoned swordsmanship.
As her first strike failed, Tiana instantly adjusted her blade's path.
A thrust toward my opposite side—I twisted my torso to evade lightly.
The blade that pierced empty air flowed seamlessly into the next motion.
The horizontally aligned edge slashed quickly to the left.
-Kang!
Deflect again.
Not my turn yet.
-Kaang! Ch'eng!
Tiana was lost in the duel.
Intoxicated by the clash of swords.
Yet her swordsmanship was colder and more precise than anyone's.
Even as her body heated up, to her, swordplay was a collection of rational, calculated instants.
Finding an opening against such a Tiana required long patience.
"What, can't keep up? He's just blocking frantically."
"What gave him the guts to charge in?"
Focus.
No time to heed the whispers of those who didn't grasp even the basics of swordsmanship.
"Heh. The newbies are looking down on you. Better step it up."
"I can hear them too, so shut it. You're messing up my breathing."
Left shoulder.
Right side of the neck.
Waist.
Front.
Shoulder again.
She closed the distance in one breath.
A thrust aimed at my left shoulder approached.
Now.
Until now, I'd been stepping back desperately to maintain distance.
This time, I stepped forward instead.
The unexpected shift—Tiana couldn't pivot due to momentum.
I closed in.
With my left hand, I smacked away the hand gripping her sword.
With my right, I swung my blade toward her neck—
"Not so fast!"
-Whoosh!
My left hand had extended to parry her thrust, but she used it as a pivot to whip her body outward.
Her quick spin put me in a corner.
My back fully exposed.
-Ch'eng!
I hurriedly curved my sword over my shoulder to block.
I shook off her grabbed hand and created distance again.
"Whoa, insane... Even the instructor was in danger there."
"He's really from our cohort?"
Thinking she'd seized momentum, Tiana pressed with faster intervals, seeking openings.
-Chaeng! Ch'eng! Chae-cha-ch'eng!
Sparks flew between clashing blades.
"Hup...!"
"Hah, hup!"
Breathing grew ragged.
Stray hair strands gradually soaked with sweat.
Metal clanged repeatedly, feet thudded on the ground.
From then on, even the onlookers hesitated to speak.
Instinct told them not to disturb this moment.
"Hyap!"
Dozens of blocks, then dozens more strikes unleashed.
As if by agreement, they exchanged offense and defense, blades meeting.
Every adventurer in the training grounds was captivated by their sword dance.
The day I first met Tiana.
It must have been the second day after entering the tower.
Like most adventurers, I'd lived far from swordsmanship before the tower.
Outside, there was no need to wield swords against monsters.
After our first spar, her evaluation was unparalleled among adventurers.
I still vividly remembered her shocked expression upon seeing my skills.
Even from long ago, this moment made it crystal clear.
"You really... really are something."
Unfortunately, not in a good way.
"To handle a sword this poorly—it's the worst talent in my instructor career!"
"Th-that bad?"
"Of course. I stake my honor on it."
Amelia—Sua back then—couldn't stop laughing at Tiana's assessment.
Even though we weren't close enough to drop formalities yet.
"What's so funny...?"
"Pfft, khk! S-sorry!"
Truth be told, Sua was the next worst after me.
Now she's Amelia, the face of fire magic fame, but back on floor 1, swordsmanship was the only measure of combat ability.
She had magic talent, but none for swords.
Maybe that's why she found it amusing that she wasn't last—whenever she saw Tiana thrash me, she always burst out laughing.
Was that the reason?
My pride stung a bit, or maybe I wanted to get stronger—I spent the most time in the training grounds before leaving floor 1.
"Unexpected!"
"What is?"
"I thought my harsh words last time went too far, but you showed up again!"
"And you noticed..."
⋯
"Coming to the training grounds early morning again! Very model behavior!"
"Yeah, well... It's the quietest time."
⋯
"You're the only adventurer who's come every day for a week."
"Is it bothering you that I show up daily?"
"No, not at all! Having a daily visitor has reignited my passion after so long!"
"Instructor, your passion's always burning..."
⋯
"Shouldn't you rest now? It's been ten days already..."
"I'm fine."
"Blindly increasing training time doesn't make you stronger. Proper rest between sessions is key."
I never earned her full recognition before heading to floor 2, but I got decent praise.
"Keep this attitude, and getting stronger is just a matter of time."
"With talent this abysmal, can time close the gap?"
"Of course! What does mere talent matter amid endless effort?"
Back then, I dismissed it as consolation, but later I realized she was right.
With enough time, deficient talent was no issue.
And in that regard, I had a real advantage over others.
"Off to floor 2 tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Regretting it now that I'm leaving?"
"What master regrets a disciple advancing? A bit bittersweet, sure."
"Disciple? I'm too weak to claim a master without shame."
All the adventurers who'd arrived with me learned from Tiana, but she'd never called anyone her disciple before.
The skill gap made it hard to call them spars, but by clashes alone, I was number one.
We never used master-disciple terms again after this.
"No, you are my disciple."
"Really?"
"Weakest among adventurers, maybe, but no one matches your effort. Why be ashamed to call you that?"
"...You mean it?"
"I stake my honor on it."
"..."
"Among the countless adventurers I've taught, you're the only one to surpass me."
Tiana finally collapsed, stamina spent.
I couldn't move a step without catching my breath either.
"If I told you this was the same guy from when we first met, you wouldn't believe it."
"Never thought I'd hear flattery from you, Instructor."
"Not flattery. You're at a level where I should learn now."
Tiana spoke in a voice drained of strength.
"The talentless first blame the heavens. Then parents, then circumstances."
"..."
"I don't know why you gave up climbing the tower, but it led to great proof."
"..."
"That even from the bottom, you can reach the top!"
Among countless adventurers,
I claimed a precious victory.
Proof that the experience in my sword wasn't solely from floor 1—a victory laced with a bit of deceit.