Chapter 5
Translator: True Detective
Chapter 5. The Twig of Ristoire
“How dare you…!”
Yuric’s brow furrows, and at the same time, a red hue spreads across his expression.
It’s understandable.
She had smiled exactly like Nagagor, the barbarian he faced a few days ago.
Let’s see, he said he was beaten badly in the past, so would he be even slightly enraged?
‘Emotional agitation before a duel invites openings.’
If an opening appears, Elise will merely thrust her blade towards that spot.
While Elise was assessing the situation internally, someone’s voice rang out urgently.
“Father! The disparity in skill is too great!”
The owner of the voice was none other than the youngest daughter of the Deltarch Grand Ducal House.
Ravia Deltarch.
Carrying a greatsword on her back, she hurriedly waved her hands and interrupted the conversation.
“Lady Elise is only at the 2nd Rank level now! But right now, Brother Yuric is at the 5th Rank! What kind of…!”
“Stop.”
At Ravia’s words, Grand Duke Gayrad raised his hand.
Then Ravia’s words were cut off abruptly.
Gayrad looked at his youngest daughter and spoke.
“Ravia. Did you not witness it clearly? The sight of Lady Blaze here facing Nagagor right before your eyes. Before that, she even saved you, Ravia.”
“That is true! However, what I am concerned about is…!”
“Well, it must be obvious words. Ravia. Basically, there is a difference in Rank. The power each can exert is different. The techniques are different. It must be stories like this.”
“…That is so, Father.”
“Then it is simple.”
Grand Duke Gayrad raised his index finger and spoke to those present.
“The power Yuric can use is limited to the 2nd Rank. Do not emit Aura, Yuric.”
“…Understood, Father.”
“How is it, Lady Blaze.”
Grand Duke Gayrad looked at Elise with his chin resting on his hand.
“If you defeat Yuric, I will give you a decent weapon. That.”
Grand Duke Gayrad pointed to Elise’s simple one-handed sword and spoke.
“Somehow, it is rather crude for Lady Blaze to be holding. If you defeat Yuric, I will give you the Twig of Ristoire.”
“…Wait. Wait a moment, Your Highness?”
At Grand Duke Gayrad’s words, the Seven Wolves gathered here buzzed.
Among them, as a representative, Kalix carefully raised her hand and spoke to the Grand Duke.
“Excuse me. Um. Your Highness?”
“Speak, Kalix.”
“No matter how much I think about it, the Twig of Ristoire is…!”
“What about it. At best, along with making the one holding it healthy, it only has the function of being terribly sturdy and sharp.”
“Even so. Doesn’t that twig have symbolism! given by the Elf Sword King in the past…!”
“Rejected, Kalix.”
Kalix’s words were cut off by Grand Duke Gayrad’s words.
And the Grand Duke spoke immediately to Elise.
“Lady Blaze. Seeing as it is, your physical condition doesn’t seem normal. I can tell just by looking briefly. In the first place, Duke Blaze also had endless worries because the youngest daughter of the family was sick here and there.”
“…That is correct.”
“If you defeat Yuric, I will give you the Twig of Ristoire. The efficacy of the twig will breathe vitality into your sickly body.”
While Grand Duke Gayrad nodded in satisfaction, Elise carefully raised her hand.
“Speak, Lady Blaze.”
“Ah. Yes. Your Highness. If it is not rude, that…. May I know what the Twig of Ristoire is?”
Elise truly didn’t know.
Because most of the stories about this Romance Fantasy, The Withered Flower Finds Its Own Light, were love triangles between Alicia Shudroy and various male leads.
Most of what Elise remembered was also such memories.
Most of it is knowledge to deal wisely when meeting Alicia Shudroy later.
“Mm. Do you not know? Considering the Young Lady’s interest in swords, I thought you would know.”
Grand Duke Gayrad organized his thoughts for a moment and then opened his mouth.
“Then, I should explain from here. Do you know the World Tree?”
“I know it.”
Elise also knows about the World Tree.
There is a mention in The Withered Flower Finds Its Own Light too.
Along with that, the World Tree often appears in other works as well.
“The tree the Elves serve. Isn’t it a kind of Divine Tree?”
“Correct. In fact, it is an existence revered as a transcendent being and a god. The Twig of Ristoire I mentioned is a sword made by cutting a branch of that World Tree.”
“…A wooden sword. You mean?”
“It is not a simple wooden sword. It is harder than average steel and sharper than average blades. It is a wooden sword that thoroughly lives up to the name of Divine Tree. Along with that, isn’t it even more interesting if the one who gave that twig was the Elf Sword King.”
Elf Sword King.
Elf Sword King….
Thoughts go back and forth in Elise’s head.
Shortly after, Elise remembered something.
‘Ah. I remembered. Elf Sword King. There was such a character.’
Elf Sword King.
Name, Ruhra Ristoire.
She remembered him as the master of one of the various male leads involved with the female protagonist, Alicia Shudroy.
‘But why is the sword given by that Elf Sword King here?’
While Elise had doubts, Grand Duke Gayrad spoke as if resolving Elise’s curiosity.
“The reason this wooden sword is in this far North is simple. When the Elf Sword King, Ruhra Ristoire, was wandering the continent being called the Elf Sword Demon for a while. The ancestor Grand Duke Deltarch welcomed him. It is a sword received as a gift in that process. It is a kind of token.”
“…Is it alright to give such a thing to me?”
“It is already a story from several hundred years ago. Besides, a weapon is only a weapon if it has a use after all. Wouldn’t it be delightful if that wooden sword is also used by someone? Ah.”
Gayrad added one word.
“For reference, that wooden sword. Do not catch the eye of the Elf Sword King. At the time of handing over the sword, he reportedly conveyed word to visit the South entrusting the sword to a capable talent.”
“…What does that mean?”
“What else could it be. It means if you catch his eye while holding the wooden sword, the true nature of the Elf Sword King’s Sword Demon days comes out.”
Mm.
Elise made up her mind.
Let’s stay only in the North for the time being.
It was a wise judgment.
“Anyway, I will give you the Twig of Ristoire. Just holding it breathes life force, so it will be quite useful for taking care of your health.”
“Thank you, Your Highness.”
“Oho. We haven’t even seen the match yet. I hope you express gratitude after fighting Yuric and winning first.”
Grand Duke Gayrad, who said so, spoke to those around him.
“Now, then let’s go to the training ground. Let’s see some skills.”
***
Clack—.
Elise drew the one-handed sword she had been holding until now and raised the blade.
‘Considering I just picked it up roughly from the family, the edge is quite alive.’
She picked up anything roughly from the armory, but the edge was still decent.
As expected, should I say it’s like a weapon taken from the armory of one of the Empire’s 5 Great Ducal Houses.
Since it’s a sword that endured against Nagagor of the Seven Wild Monsters who reached the 6th Rank….
‘It will probably endure a few more times.’
While Elise was affirming the situation, on the opposite side, Yuric sneered while holding his sword.
“Are you trying to swing a sword with that sickly body. How about you stop and obediently return to the Blaze family.”
At those words, Elise stared at Yuric for a moment and spoke.
“Young Lord Yuric Deltarch.”
Clack—.
“Did you not hear what Grand Duke Deltarch said? You talk too much. I heard warriors of the North converse with fights rather than mouths. Did I hear wrong?”
At those words, one corner of the Wolves of the North, Kalix, could not hold back her laughter.
“Haha! Young Lady! The more I see you, the more I like you!”
“Be quiet, Kalix. Whose side are you on?”
“Hahaha! Your Highness. Of course, aren’t I on the side of the North.”
Along with Kalix’s laughter, other Wolves also did not hide their smiles.
It seemed the personality of the Young Lady of the Blaze family, Elise Blaze, had taken the fancy of the Northern Wolves before they knew it.
Meanwhile, Yuric’s frown deepened as much as it could.
He drew his greatsword before he knew it and headed towards Elise.
“If that’s the case. I will show you how sharp the fangs lurking in the maw of a Northern warrior are.”
“Let’s have a good match.”
Shortly after, the moment the two confronted each other.
“Then, begin.”
With Grand Duke Gayrad Deltarch’s words, the fight began.
***
As soon as the fight began, Elise did not hesitate.
Unfolding one of the Mount Hua Sect’s footwork techniques, Seven Stars Step, she advanced straight forward.
With elegant movement, Yuric was in front of her eyes, having advanced like flowing water, before she knew it.
“Hap!”
Yuric swept the front flowing powerful strength into his sword.
The sharpness of the wind generated from the greatsword was quite fierce.
Elise’s action following this was simple.
Dodge.
At the same time the elegant movement of the Seven Stars Step narrowly dodged the slash swinging at the front, her sword moved.
‘Six Harmonies Sword.’
The essence of the Six Harmonies Sword is truly simple.
Unfolding six movements elegantly is everything.
However, those movements were the beginning of Mount Hua and the root of Mount Hua.
Basic.
There is a joke that if one masters the Three Powers Sword Arts rolling around in a mere market street to the extreme, one can even covet the seat of Number One Under the Heavens.
This is also a rumor of the Murim emphasizing the importance of basics that much.
Elise also knew that fact well.
Basics do not betray.
Basics always become a reliable support for a martial artist.
Her blade heads straight for Yuric’s side.
Slice!
Elise, who made a large wound on the leather armor, made eye contact with Yuric who twisted his body before she knew it.
Elise sneered just like a little while ago.
!!!
Yuric’s face flushes red in an instant.
It’s understandable.
She smiled exactly like Nagagor.
“How dare you!”
His greatsword draws numerous sword paths and wraps around the front violently.
The moment the blade of the greatsword occupied all directions and tried to surround Elise.
She gave strong force to the one-handed sword she was holding.
‘Shaking it off is impossible. However.’
A faint smile lingers on her lips.
‘If it is a sword path shaking like this, even with a slight intervention.’
The moment her sword prepares to stab the front.
‘It is bound to collapse.’
Naturally, there was also a stabbing motion in the Six Harmonies Sword emphasizing basics.
It is a motion she did over tens of times.
It is a motion she obviously exceeded hundreds of times.
That single motion bloomed starting from her embrace.
A single blade flew in suddenly through Yuric’s greatsword which was flowing chaotically like rolling in mud.
At that moment, Yuric’s sword flow was cut off.
Bang!
“This crazy!”
Yuric spat out an exclamation mixed with a curse without realizing it.
How.
How does she freeze the Deltarch family’s greatsword art in one strike.
However, Yuric’s admiration ended up stopping immediately.
Because he faced Elise’s blade flying in blooming before he knew it intact.
Along with a clangorous sound, a rupture sound rings out.
While the resonance between swords rings, Elise’s sword ensnared Yuric before he knew it.
“Damn it!”
Yuric’s expression distorts.
At the same time, he unfolds the Deltarch greatsword art, but Elise’s sword tip blocks his trajectory before he knew it.
Besieged on All Sides.
Even though his limbs were fine, Yuric felt as if he was bound.
‘This damn it!’
Yuric’s eyes become sharp for an instant.
Along with that, formless energy began to ripple from his greatsword.
“Huh?”
“Uh uh uh? Young Master!”
“Brother!”
The moment the Seven Wolves of the North and Ravia were flustered.
Yuric summoned Aura from the blade without hesitation.
At the same time, he shot the blade towards Elise.
‘Crazy bastard. Sword Qi?’
The technique accepted as Aura in this world and familiar to her as Sword Qi.
The blade wrapped in internal energy to contain even stronger power shot towards her.
But the panic was for a moment.
Her blade shot out outstripping the emotion called panic.
A single curve shooting out without blockage settled under the greatsword harboring Aura.
At the same time, her blade gently twisted the path of the greatsword.
Kang!
Twisting means resistance.
At the same time Elise’s one-handed sword that resisted the Aura shattered, Yuric’s greatsword passed right over Elise’s head.
At that moment, someone jumped in.
Bang!
Yuric, who was hit by the kick of someone who rushed in, falls far away.
In front of the vision of Elise, who was holding only the handle with the blade shattered, a man with long white hair appeared suddenly.
“I apologize for my younger brother’s rudeness. Lady Blaze.”
Elise recalled this man who had been silent until now.
This man is.
“The next successor and eldest son of the Deltarch Grand Ducal House, Hardger Deltarch, apologizes personally.”
“…It’s fine. You may raise your head.”
While Elise was looking at Hardger, Grand Duke Gayrad Deltarch who was standing on one side spoke.
“The outcome is decided. Yuric, it is your defeat.”
“Ugh…. Ugh.”
“Don’t make a fuss. Yuric. I told you not to use Aura, yet you use it and make a scene. Tsk.”
Grand Duke Gayrad, who clicked his tongue looking at Yuric sprawled on one side, looked at Elise and spoke.
“To think it would end like this. I didn’t know our wastrel son would be broken like this.”
He spoke with a refreshing smile.
“Now, then I will provide the reward as promised. Follow me. Yuric, you stay sprawled there continuously.”
Grand Duke Gayrad, who clicked his tongue towards Yuric who was sprawled on one side, beckoned to Elise.
She put the sword with only the handle remaining roughly into the sheath and followed the Grand Duke.