The Sword Master's Lesson
Noon the next day. The promised hour had arrived. I had warmed up in advance and was waiting when the guardian arrived right on time. It was his usual teleportation—an Authority I could never get used to, no matter how many times I saw it. If he could use that kind of power outside, the Empire's political landscape would have been reshaped around the Church of Hybras. There would be no defense against a Sword Master teleporting around and slicing up enemy commanders. That very man was now looking at me with a subtle expression.
"Did something happen between you and the Saintess yesterday?"
"Excuse me? That's a bit out of the blue, don't you think?"
"She seemed out of sorts. It looked like she hadn't slept at all."
"Ah... Well, it's nothing major."
The guardian's brow twitched. He looked highly skeptical, but it was hard for me to explain the details. Ever since that kid Ruan asked his question yesterday, Sirien had been acting completely out of sync all day. She even seemed a bit angry, so I hadn't been able to bring myself to talk to her. Was it really something to get that mad about? I could never understand the mind of a teenage girl. It even brought back a few bad memories from my past life in the modern world. Don't go trying to set up random passersby with your friends, you bratty girls. Both sides just end up getting hurt...
"It's really nothing. It's not like we fought or anything."
"Fine. I understand. As long as it doesn't interfere with the ritual, it doesn't matter."
"Is this ritual really that difficult?"
"It's not so much difficult as it is painful. I cannot give you the details."
Seeing him shut down like that, I knew no amount of prying would get an answer out of him. He was a man who absolutely loathed tedious arguments. It was better to change my approach entirely.
"Then what do you suggest I do?"
"There is nothing you can do. Just stay by her side until the ritual. Give her your support."
"Yeah, sure. Let's do that."
"Now, choose a sword. Let us test your skills first."
The guardian had brought several swords with him today. Though they were unsharpened for training purposes, they were all real swords forged from solid steel.
"Can't I just use my own sword? I brought it with me."
"No. You are too accustomed to it."
"I haven't even used it for that long."
"Just choose one when you are told to."
"Fine."
My primary weapon of choice was a sword with a blade slightly under a meter long—a size easily wielded with one hand. Up until now, keeping one hand free had often proven advantageous. Depending on the situation, I could hold a shield, draw a dagger, or use it to grapple my opponent. I tested them one by one, eventually selecting the one whose length and center of gravity felt most familiar. As I gripped it lightly, the sword felt like an extension of my own hand.
"By the way, I've been wondering about this for a while, but what should I call you? I can't keep calling you 'hey you' or 'mister' forever."
"I do not mind if you do."
"Well, I mind. It's uncomfortable for me."
"Then call me whatever you please."
"Really? Anything I want?"
"Yes."
He could have just told me his name. The man was surprisingly tiresome. But he had picked the wrong opponent. I knew exactly how to handle people like him. How dare he try to act all solemn and dignified in front of someone from a nation of natural-born trolls? Getting his name would only take three syllables.
"Hey."
"Hey?"
"You bastard."
Oof. A sharp pain immediately exploded in my head. He had used his scabbard like a club to strike the crown of my skull. It was absurdly fast. I had even braced myself, expecting some form of retribution, but I hadn't been able to react at all.
"What was that for? You told me to call you whatever I wanted."
"I told you to call me whatever you pleased, not to abandon all basic manners."
"Then just tell me your name. Is it really that precious?"
"Tsk. Call me Edwin. You do not need to speak formally, but show at least a modicum of respect."
"Sure thing."
At any rate, I had succeeded in getting his name. Satisfied with that, I took a few steps back to create some distance between us. I slowly analyzed our surroundings. First, this clearing was reasonably spacious. While it didn't have sand laid out like a proper training ground, it was large enough to swing a sword freely. Naturally, there were no specific objects to exploit or watch out for. If I had to pick something, it would be Edwin's collar or hair. In a real battle, one would be wearing armor and a helmet, so those were areas rarely targeted during sparring. I used to exploit them often when training with Therion. It would probably be difficult this time, though.
Edwin's sword was similar in size to mine. From his stance, he seemed to prefer out-fighting. Since he was taller than me, I would be at a slight disadvantage in terms of reach. He didn't look like the type to rely on brute strength, but I wouldn't know for sure until we clashed. I didn't let myself get optimistic.
"Are we using Sword Qi?"
"Use it to your heart's content. I shall only use as much as necessary."
"You seem quite confident."
"Perhaps. At your level, you will not even be able to graze my collar."
Now, where had I heard that before? His sheer confidence made me desperately want to leave a scratch on him.
"Really? Want to make a bet?"
"No."
"If you're not confident, you can just say so. Come on, it's not like I'd tease you about it."
"If I agree, you will only throw some reckless gamble just to tear my collar. I have no reason to ruin a perfectly good set of clothes. What I wish to see is your skill, not how insane you can be."
I was left speechless.
"If the idle chatter is over, let us begin."
My opponent was a Sword Master who was undoubtedly stronger than me. There was no need to test the waters. I unleashed my Sword Qi right from the start and lunged forward.
Crackle! Red sparks erupted before my eyes. Perhaps because my physical condition had improved, the light was far more intense than before. My pitch-black Sword Qi sliced through the empty air in rapid succession.
Edwin did not use his teleportation, yet his movements were incredibly swift. He slowly closed the distance, cornering me so that simple evasion would no longer suffice. Eventually, the moment came when he, too, had to move his sword. The instant our blades clashed, a powerful shockwave forced both of us back. For the first time, the corners of Edwin's mouth curled upward.
"Not bad. For an unorthodox practitioner, you possess remarkable talent."
"Is that supposed to be a compliment?"
"Halfway. Though it would have been far better had you become a Sword Master through conventional means."
"As if I had a choice in the matter."
Edwin's Sword Qi was a somber, ash-gray color. The gray aura wrapped thickly around his blade, much denser than before. It meant he felt that a thin layer of aura would be insufficient to handle me. It was definitely a good sign. Every time our respective auras collided, a powerful shock reverberated through the air. My arms felt numb at first, but my body quickly adapted. After all, the overload caused by my own Sword Qi was far more painful than a mere impact.
"Theoretically, when two Sword Masters fight, it is difficult to clash blades directly. This is because their respective auras naturally repel each other."
It was a useful lesson, but there was no need to reply to every single word. Edwin didn't expect an answer either. Instead, he chose to demonstrate his point through action. He went on a more aggressive offensive. Using his back foot for leverage, he threw his entire weight into a massive strike—a mid-level slash that was nearly impossible to evade through simple movement. The moment our blades bounced off each other due to the repulsive force of our Sword Qi, I immediately capitalized on the rebound to strike again. Five times in a row, I launched brutal, relentless attacks, like a battering ram pounding against a castle gate.
"I have another dagger. Can I draw it?"
"Try it."
"It's quite sharp."
"You worry too much."
A dark aura enveloped the dagger in my hand as well—a pitch-black mist, like ink bleeding into the air. I slipped the dagger in a fraction of a second before our main swords clashed. If our Sword Qi repelled each other, I simply had to utilize that very repulsion to my advantage. I used the dagger to deflect Edwin's sword. Forced off course, his blade instantly lost its function as a defensive barrier. I felt like I could completely seize the momentum if I pressed on now—but suddenly, my sword lost all its power.
"Theory is merely theory. Just because the forces repel each other does not mean the battle of technique disappears. If anything, it only becomes more complex."
The ash-gray Sword Qi began to encroach upon my blade. The red lightning that seemed capable of tearing apart anything it touched lost its spark, and the black mist vanished without a trace. I had to retreat immediately before I completely lost control of my sword.
"Amateur swordsmen talk as if they can cut through anything once they learn to manifest Sword Qi. That is because they only look at the aura of a Sword Master."
It was true that the power of Sword Qi was incredibly alluring. A force capable of slicing through magic and divine power alike, unless faced with an equal force. How could any swordsman not covet such power? But Sword Qi was not all there was to being a Sword Master.
"It is a fundamentally flawed perspective. The realm of a Sword Master can only be reached by those who have glimpsed the absolute limit of the sword. To think that reaching such a peak merely turns one into a machine that pumps out Sword Qi... How could that possibly be the case?"
In truth, one didn't need to be a Sword Master to effortlessly cut down the weak. A normal fighter wielding a sword enchanted with powerful magic could achieve a similar feat. Utilizing a sharp blade required no complex techniques. Therefore, the true significance of a Sword Master lay in the mastery and application of this new energy called Sword Qi. In a duel between Sword Masters, one had to utilize every technique they had ever learned, seamlessly weaving their Sword Qi into their movements in a myriad of ways.
"Sword Qi is merely a tool. Just as you have paid close attention to your opponent's every movement and breath until now, you must now pay the same attention to their Sword Qi. Becoming a Sword Master is not the end of the road. It is a new beginning."
By default, Sword Qi repelled other auras. However, depending on how it was manipulated, it could also devour them. Once your aura was devoured, you lost control. Even though it was my own sword, it became incredibly difficult to handle. It felt as if my sword and body were being dragged along with every swing of Edwin's blade. My blade was forced outward, leaving my defenses completely exposed. Edwin's sword stopped just short of my throat. It was an absolute, flawless defeat.
"I shall tear down your basics and rebuild them from scratch. Any objections?"
"...None."