Chapter 29
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 29. 5 Days of Closed-Door Training
Thump—. Thump—.
Sounds ring out in succession.
Deep inside the Razor Wind Forest.
The master of this place lurking in this deep place where even the tree spirits, Dryads, were too afraid to come.
The Dragon of Eternity moves its massive body and approaches them.
To catch the intruders who entered its hideout.
“Does it know how to do enemy detection or something!”
As Ragna muttered like that, Elise answered.
“It seems like it!”
“Damn it!”
While everyone is running away, Kuhata hurriedly speaks.
“What do we do! Miss Elise! Probably the Dryads won't rush at us! They'll probably hide afraid of the darkness, ya see!”
“Yes! So eventually this darkness is the problem! We have to shake it off!”
“I don't know what kind of guy that is, but judging by the location where the strange scream rang out, it noticed we are here even though it's quite far away! It'll probably be hard to run away!”
“If so!”
“This is right to fight! If we run away and rather run out of stamina, we are at a disadvantage!”
Kuhata's advice was valid.
The proportion the black forest takes up in the Razor Wind Forest….
Seeing as it is, the Dryads also noticed that the black forest is the detection range of the Dragon of Eternity.
So they didn't even go near that area.
And according to what Elise checked….
That area where the black forest is, was quite wide.
“First! Let's see if it chases even after escaping the black forest! It might not follow after escaping!”
“Understood! Everyone run with full power! Like the Miss's words, let's try escaping the area!”
Saying so, Kuhata runs adding even more speed.
Perhaps because he used to be a guide, the appearance of him going straight ahead without falling behind was quite amazing.
The group running taking Kuhata as the lead.
Shortly after the moment they escaped the black forest.
—————————————!!!
A giant voice rang out once.
Thump—. Thump—.
Shortly after, the Dragon of Eternity returning while making massive sounds.
Watching that appearance, the group exhaled a sigh near the entrance of the black forest.
“It seems it has no intention to go outside its territory.”
“It seems so.”
At Elise's words, Ragna agreed.
At his agreement, Elise looked at Ragna for a moment.
“What. Why.”
“…No. Because talking nonchalantly with a guy I've been fighting with for half a year is strange.”
“Tsk. You place meaning on things like that more than I thought.”
Thanks to his acupoints being unsealed before he knew it, Ragna softly moved his left arm and spoke to Elise.
“You and I. Since we have a mind to catch that guy…. How about gathering here, in the Razor Wind Forest, in a week.”
“A week?”
“Right. Cooperate and catch one of those Five Darknesses, the so-called Dragon of Eternity together.”
“…In the meantime, it seems you noticed what that is?”
“Hmph. I picked up legends handed down in the tribe.”
Meanwhile, Kuhata, who picked up the conversation from one side, nodded and spoke.
“Ah. I also know what it is. Miss Elise. If it's the Dragon of Eternity, it's a story handed down in our Blue Tree Tribe too.”
“…Really?”
“That's right. I'll tell ya right away when we go back.”
“Oho.”
Elise nodded.
If it was going to be like this, should I have brought up the story of the Dragon of Eternity to Kuhata.
Mm. No.
Come to think of it, I really have nothing to say if he asks where I picked it up from.
Still, thanks to that guy Ragna, I got to hear it from Kuhata, so is it a profit.
“Then, I'm going. Let's see each other in a week.”
“…Okay.”
Ragna leaving nonchalantly.
Looking at his back, Elise fell into thought for a moment.
‘That guy's left arm is injured, should I just kill him.’
She was colored by a brief impulse, but Elise soon shook her head.
No, it'll just become needlessly annoying.
Meanwhile, as Elise kept staring at Ragna, Ragna uselessly looked back.
“What is it. Keep staring and all.”
“Debating whether to kill you or not.”
“Can you even kill me?”
“Of course?”
“Damn it. I better scram quickly.”
Saying so, Ragna hastening his steps.
What kind of weirdos are they.
It was the thought that entered the heads of the two people.
***
“I plan to go in 5 days.”
The next day.
Elise nonchalantly declared that she was breaking the promise with Ragna.
“Eh? Miss Elise. What does that mean? The promise with Ragna, that barbarian bastard, is now 6 days away?”
When Kuhata tilted his head and asked, Elise chuckled and spoke.
“Of course I intend to break the promise. We plan to quickly sweep it and run away first.”
“…Ah! That's fun. Miss Elise. We can deal a blow to that Blue Fang.”
Only then did Kuhata understand Elise's words.
The action of playing a trick on Ragna seemed to please him quite a bit too.
“Kuhata. So before we go…. Could you explain about that Dragon of Eternity one more time?”
“Mm! As long as I bear the karma of a guide, I must tell ya right away. I will organize it for ya right away.”
Kuhata immediately started explaining.
“Actually, this thing called Five Darknesses. Is really terrifying. Because the first precaution barbarians hear when young is precisely not to go to the places where the Five Darknesses are.”
“Mm.”
“Because each of the Five Darknesses possesses terrifying power. Among them, the darkness in the Razor Wind Forest, the so-called Dragon of Eternity is….”
Kuhata drew a line across his neck with his hand and spoke.
“It boasts immense recovery power. I know that even if its neck is dangling, the neck regenerates immediately and it walks around.”
“…If so?”
“With a single stroke. Ya have to blow off its neck with a single stroke or something. Dame Ereka. And Miss Elise. Can ya do it?”
At Kuhata's question, Ereka opened her mouth.
“I am an assistant to the end. If told to do it, I could do it, but….”
Ereka's gaze naturally heads towards Elise.
“I think Lady Elise will be able to do it sufficiently.”
“Mm.”
At the words of the Grand Duke's guard, Ereka, Elise was silent for a moment.
Currently Elise's Rank is the 4th Rank.
In terms of martial arts, it is safe to call it the entry to Transcendent Peak.
‘Is it possible with the entry to Transcendent Peak.’
Elise pondered for a moment.
Is it possible with this….
Then for a moment, Elise realized one more fact.
‘…Come to think of it, why am I.’
“Debating with this.”
When Elise muttered, the two people in this place tilted their heads, but Elise spoke without caring.
“I will try.”
“Will it be okay? Miss Elise? If ya can't end it with a single stroke, the fight will probably drag on slowly. If so, it will be disadvantageous for Miss Elise in many ways….”
“It's fine. I am confident. Instead.”
Elise spoke to Kuhata and Ereka.
“Please just give me about 3 days of time.”
***
3 days.
If called short, it can be a short time.
If called long, it can be a long time.
During that period, Elise decided to do a short Closed-Door Training.
The purpose was simple.
Dragon of Eternity raid.
It was preparation for this.
Elise was sitting quietly in a lotus position in her room, being silent.
‘Let's see. Let's see let's see let's see…. What should I pull out.’
There were many moves.
And quite a lot at that.
Collecting the enlightenment gained while undergoing ascension in the late years of my life.
Organizing the sword traces of the previous Number One Under the Heavens, the Plum Blossom Divine Sword.
Looking back at the essence of Mount Hua, the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword.
Etc etc etc.
Come to think of it, Elise had too many cards, so it was a problem.
It was Elise thinking she could slice the Dragon of Eternity using just one of these.
‘The enlightenment gained right before ascension or the sword traces of the Plum Blossom Divine Sword are unreasonable for me, who is at the Transcendent Peak level, to touch.’
And Elise was also fast at grasping the situation.
‘So…. Wouldn't it be best to look at the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword after all.’
It was Elise naturally looking at the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword, the foundation of Mount Hua.
Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword.
Called the essence of Mount Hua, a sword art composed of 24 forms.
Because this sword is the foundation and essence of Mount Hua, the more you delve into it, the more profound principles you realize.
Most of the martial artists of Mount Hua delve into this Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword for their whole lives, so need I say more.
Of course, Elise also delved into this sword considerably in her previous life.
‘I've become quite free in wielding it now, though.’
Even just when she first arrived in the North half a year ago, she couldn't easily unfold the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword.
But now, half a year later, she unfolds it quite freely, so isn't it a relief this way and that.
In that sense, Elise nodded.
Thinking she would inspect this again.
“Good.”
She opened her closed eyes.
And lifted her sword without hesitating.
She didn't intend to swing it haphazardly.
Rather than that, she intended to swing it very slowly.
‘Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword. 1st Form.’
Elise, who muttered softly in her heart, slowly began to move her sword.
Very. Very slowly.
At a speed where sweat would flow from moving too slowly.
Elise's action was simple.
She intended to deploy the forms as slowly as possible and retrace and feel the essence of the Twenty-Four Plum Blossom Sword intactly.
Even if the proper harmony of Essence, Qi, and Spirit wasn't achieved, the stage Elise built up in her previous life was truly at a level that reached the sky.
Therefore, rather than training like usual, it was better to try various methods and operate the sword.
‘Retracing up to the 24th Form like this.’
While retracing, a path will be seen.
It was Elise who thought so.
Like that, 5 days passed.
***
“I wonder if Miss Elise prepared well this way and that. Dame Ereka. Is that word really true? That she only swung her sword for 5 days?”
Kuhata, who was waiting in front of the Grand Duke's castle.
He, who had already packed the luggage well, asked Ereka who had come out in advance.
“That is correct.”
“Hoh. It would have been better to rest a bit for one day to manage her condition…. I am worried this way and that.”
At Kuhata's words, Ereka also secretly nodded.
It's a true word.
She told her she would only do it for about 3 days.
To think she only trained until the promised 5th day before anyone knew it.
Ereka secretly thought inside that she was no ordinary tough one.
At that time when the two people were talking this way and that.
Someone was walking out of the Grand Duke's castle.
“No, Miss. Even so, not washing properly for 5 days….”
“So Luna washed me well. Right?”
“You have to wash every day! No matter if you smell of that plum blossom scent, this is a bit!”
“Got it….”
Elise appeared with her maid without being able to erase a gloomy expression.
She, who had even finished preparing before they knew it, spoke to Ereka and Kuhata.
“Then, shall we go. Let's hit the back of Ragna's head too. And let's get the heart of the Dragon of Eternity too.”
At Elise's confidence, Kuhata asked subtly.
“Miss Elise. Have ya, thought of a countermeasure?”
At his question, Elise chuckled and spoke.
“Yes. I've thought of something.”
She nodded while sending a gaze full of confidence.
“So do not worry.”
It was Elise who had found a method in the 5 days of training.