The First Lesson
Every single blow felt like a strike from a heavy mace. Her hands weren't just trembling; dark blue bruises had already begun to form on her wrists.
'Ugh!' Garena swallowed a groan and barely managed to raise her sword. However, even willpower had its limits. Crack! The blade shattered as if it had been finely sliced, and Garena lost her grip entirely.
"..."
A swordsman had dropped her sword. A swordsman dropping the weapon that was as precious as her own life.
How disappointed will Senior be? She was too terrified to lift her head.
As she hesitated to look up, unexpected words reached her ears.
"You held out pretty well."
Unless her ears were playing tricks on her, that was a compliment, right? Garena gathered her courage and looked up at the completely unexpected response. Senior Kanteil was wearing a satisfied smile.
"To be honest, I thought you'd drop out after ten exchanges, but you held out for thirty. Especially with hands like those."
Hands too rough to be called a lady's. Both hands were bruised blue, and even the slightest movement brought a stabbing pain. They were the hands of a warrior yearning for a higher realm.
"Not bad."
A simple remark. But those words made an inexplicable emotion well up from the depths of her heart.
I've been acknowledged! And by the senior she looked up to as a role model, no less. Unlike the forced compliments others had given her in the past, his praise was genuinely sincere.
"That's why I'm asking. Would you like to learn my swordsmanship?"
"Your swordsmanship, Senior?"
A rising powerhouse who had recently made a name for himself. Why would someone so incomparably stronger than her offer this?
In just a few days, people will be lining up to learn his swordsmanship. Today, only those who saw him in person knew of his skills, but in a few days, rumors would spread all over the academy. Then, geniuses far superior to an underachiever like her would line up.
After all, it's the swordsmanship of a Sword Master! Aside from the Disciplinary Committee President, the other superhuman seniors in the academy rarely engaged in campus activities. Moreover, they were third-years, making them practically untouchable. On the other hand, what about Kanteil, a second-year?
He's much more approachable compared to the others.
Honestly, when she saw that duel, she had wanted to cling to him and beg him to teach her. She had given up on the idea, thinking it was beyond her station.
But he's offering to teach me? And he brought it up first without me even asking?
Is he after my body? she wondered for a moment, but shook her head. Although she was called the most beautiful girl in her territory, it made no sense for him to covet her when there were so many noble ladies at the academy. Then, was he really teaching her because he thought highly of her?
Folding her lingering thoughts and tossing them to the wind, Garena made her choice.
"I'd love to!"
She decided to accept this suspicious proposal. Even if she felt a little uneasy.
A way to get close to this training maniac...
There's only one, right?
"Pick up your sword. We're starting now."
I would gladly become her training partner.
And so, the duel began. She managed to hold out somehow, but eventually, Garena dropped her sword. Having dropped her shattered weapon, Garena's eyes welled with tears, looking as if she might burst into tears at any moment.
Garena was soft-hearted back then. A girl like a reed. She would hold on tenaciously through hardships, but if someone maliciously applied pressure, she would easily snap. She would overcome it on her own eventually, but...
I've never had a taste for watching people despair.
I genuinely praised Garena. It wasn't just because I didn't want to see her cry. It felt a bit embarrassing to blow my own horn, but honestly, I was easily one of the top five strongest students in the academy. Even though we fought with equalized stats, she had held out for thirty exchanges against me. The training she had put herself through was finally bearing fruit.
"Not bad."
This time, it was pure sincerity.
"That's why I'm asking. Would you like to learn my swordsmanship?"
An offer with absolutely no explanation. A normal person would never accept such a proposal. Yet, Garena nodded vigorously. Accepting such a suspicious offer without any further explanation showed just how cornered and desperate she was. Still,
"Good choice."
I could guarantee that this choice would lead her to a much better life than before.
I'll give you the strength to carry the burden you bear. Her parents' entire fortune, and the favor of her lord. The crushing pressure weighing down on the shoulders of a country girl. If she couldn't lay that pressure down, then I just had to give her the strength to overcome it effortlessly. Just as Idrian Goldenroad had awakened her talent and turned her into the 'Goddess of War'.
"You won't regret it. Look forward to it."
Kanteil's lips curled up slightly.
"Excuse me."
I picked up the hilt of the sword Garena had dropped. It felt a bit thin in my hand, but that wasn't a problem.
"First of all, with your talent, you won't be able to master everything about my swordsmanship."
I thought about my ability. The thousands of sword paths that became visible whenever I held a sword. Was there a way to melt this down into a swordsmanship style? I had succeeded in turning only three of those paths into a swordsmanship technique. A technique that could be used by someone other than myself. Though it was incredibly lacking compared to the sword paths I saw.
I'm not sure if the current Garena can learn it. There was a high probability that it was impossible. Still, if it was the talent of the one who would be called the Goddess of War...
Wouldn't it be possible? Kanteil thought.
Slice. The sword blade carved into space. The blade, which should have been completely shattered like finely sliced vegetables, was drawn out from the hilt.
"Sword Force..."
Garena muttered blankly at the sight. The proof of a superhuman, the authority to cut through all things. Also known as the Aura Blade, it radiated a brilliant light.
"Watch closely. Doing this twice will cause problems."
Following Kanteil's hand, the blade fell downward. A black line was drawn in the empty air. As if engraving his mark upon the world itself. Unable to withstand the force, space itself split wide open.
"Ugh! Huh? It's nothing?"
A massive gravitational pull generated in that instant pulled Garena toward it, but it vanished just as quickly. It happened in the blink of an eye, to the point where even she, the one affected, thought she had imagined it.
That was close. I almost drew the sword path perfectly by mistake. Not in an incomplete state like the one I made into a swordsmanship technique.
Whew... let's wrap this up cleanly.
The sword that had carved into space was pulled back. The split rift healed itself, and I smiled at Garena.
"How about it? Think you can do it?"
Kanteil, who had just split space with a single strike. Seeing such martial prowess, the first thing Garena felt was neither fear nor awe.
Wow. He is seriously obnoxious.
It was 'obnoxious'.
Seeing her gaze, which was completely different from her previous respectful eyes, Kanteil scratched his head.
"I'm kidding. Just kidding. There's no way I'd just show you that and expect you to learn it."
"R-right? Haha..."
Garena still cast a highly suspicious look at him. Her reaction was like that of a viewer watching a genius painter create a beautiful masterpiece and then say, 'See? It's easy, right?'
"Shall we get serious then?"
Kanteil flashed a chilling smile.
"Don't just focus on raw power! Fit it into the mold!"
"Yes, Senior!"
"Are you swinging the sword with only your hands?! If you're going to do that, just stand still and shoot a bow! Move your feet properly and use your entire body!"
"Yes!"
The training continued. I did nothing but parry Garena's sword.
She definitely has talent. Is this the talent of someone destined to become a transcendent, even if it's currently half-baked? Though agonizingly slow, with every swing of her sword, she was succeeding in fitting her swordsmanship into the imaginary mold.
As expected, she understands the swordsmanship. If she didn't understand it, there wouldn't be any growth. Yet, her growth was continuous. This meant she understood the swordsmanship I was teaching her. However, the reason her growth was so slow...
"Ugh!"
Her body couldn't keep up. Her mind understood, but her body refused to follow. Is what I understood correct? What if I'm wrong? These constant doubts clouded Garena's mind.
"Don't doubt yourself. I'll be the judge of that. And you are growing, even now."
A voice reached her ears. Don't doubt. Like the Creator God in Genesis instructing a doubting human, his words corrected her posture.
"Yes. I will only follow your words, Senior."
The one teaching her was a Sword Master. There was no way a senior who had reached the pinnacle of swordsmanship would give her wrong instructions.
She swung. She swung. And she swung again. Her palms tore open, dripping red blood onto the floor. The lights of the massive training hall illuminated only the two of them.
Long after everyone else had finished training and left, even as the surroundings filled with emptiness, Garena's focus did not waver. Her blood-stained hands once again raised the bladeless sword. Her skin, sticky with dried sweat, squeezed out the last of her strength.
Whoosh. The hilt pointed toward the ground. Drenched in sweat enough to wet the floor around her, she looked like a noble warrior as she swung her sword.
"Well done."
Kanteil's praise echoed through the massive training hall. Garena raised a trembling hand to make a V-sign. And then, her body lost all strength, and she collapsed.