Meeting (7)
Meeting (7)
Guild Training Ground.
They had poured a fortune into all sorts of magical tools and built a massive training ground, but because the maintenance costs were such a pain, it was a place permitted only to high-rank adventurers who generated fees exceeding those costs. There, Dojin and Emilia stood holding wooden swords.
"......Heavy."
"The weight feels about the same to me."
Emilia grunted as she lifted the wooden sword enchanted with Weight Increase Magic. For her, a Hero with superhuman physical abilities, to react like this meant ordinary adventurers couldn't even pick it up.
She barely hoisted the wooden sword and scanned Dojin with puzzled eyes.
He'd said it was similar weight to hers, yet he wasn't showing any particular reaction.
As if the sword felt utterly weightless.
"How are you so nonchalant......."
"Because the balance is good."
"My balance is good too, ugh-."
Whee-chung-.
No sooner had the words left her mouth than Emilia lost her balance and staggered. But her body reacted with surprisingly sharp agility, snapping back into equilibrium.
She wiped away sweat and glanced at Dojin. Meeting eyes felt kinda awkward.
Dojin, seeing her like that, let out a chuckle and started poking her stomach.
"That's not the balance I'm talking about."
"......Then?"
"I mean this part."
Dojin pressed down hard on Emilia's belly, and some mysterious spot beyond it got stimulated, making something inside her squeak and squirm in response.
There was nothing special in there, but she tilted her head at her body's weird reaction while still tuning into Dojin's explanation.
"Core, the pillar of the body. If that pillar stands straight, you won't lose balance easily."
"Just say that from the start."
"Build up the power to think for yourself. I can't spoon-feed you forever."
Dojin said it with firm resolve. When it came to teaching methods, he had rock-solid convictions.
Think for yourself, realize it yourself. A master's max intervention was just blocking dead-end paths.
Since he hadn't learned that way himself, Dojin was dead set on teaching her—his would-be disciple—that way.
Naturally, Emilia couldn't buy into that philosophy.
"No way, if there's an answer key right there, why should I bust my ass? Isn't that what teachers are for, to solve it for you?"
"......Doing it your way comes with two problems first off."
Dojin suddenly swung his sword. Pretty damn fast for something under Weight Increase Magic, but their reflexes were already superhuman territory.
A little speed wouldn't land a hit no matter how long you swung.
Seeing her block his sword, Dojin pointed at her wooden sword like see what I mean?
"You've got talent. Real genius-level stuff, the enviable kind."
"Genius sounds great, doesn't it? So why......."
"And that talent doesn't mesh with my swordsmanship at all."
Whoosh, Dojin retracted his sword mid-sentence. Her blade, locked in tense clash, got yanked along, so she gripped tight to defend against Dojin's follow-up.
Ttak-!
"Ouch...!?"
"See?"
"Wha, what?"
Hit on the forehead with the wooden sword, Emilia clutched it and stared at Dojin in bewilderment.
She'd seen it clear as day. The sword pulling back, swinging again, and vanishing midway.
"Wha, what the hell was that?"
"Just a basic feint."
Dojin muttered like it was no big deal, but it was a Secret Sword no one short of a master like him could pull off.
Her eyes went wide, sparkling as she stared at Dojin.
She closed in, locked eyes, and demanded answers.
"How'd you do it!?"
"Trade secret, can't spill."
Even if he told her, she couldn't use it anyway, so Dojin concealed the Secret Sword's edge. If you really wanna know, I'll do it a bunch—figure it out yourself.
That lit a fire under Emilia's competitive ass. Fine, whatever. She'd crack that lame trick or two.
She was a Hero, after all. Couldn't conquer this hurdle? What kind of Hero or genius was that?
"Hup!"
Sneaky? Sure, but Emilia lunged at Dojin out of nowhere.
Ttak!
Ttak!
Ttak!
"Ouch! Seriously-!"
Whoosh-!
Dojin dodged Emilia's greatsword swing like it was nothing. And there—the glaring weakness of that exposed greatsword.
Dojin stabbed right at it, like he'd been gunning for it. If she blocked maxing out instinct......
'Here we go again.'
Swish-.
Sword vanishes.
Then reappears.
Ttak!
"Eek!"
Emilia dropped her sword and rubbed her forehead. She stroked the beet-red swollen spot that felt like it might've cracked bone, glaring at Dojin through teary eyes.
"......You're too mean."
"So, you get it now?"
"......Kinda."
Only after tanking it body-first a bunch did Emilia crack the technique's secret. The blind spot from her massive wooden sword.
A strike slithering in like a snake, hidden in that shadow.
Reason Dojin said she couldn't use it.
'How the hell do I pull that with my sword?'
Dojin's sword vanished because her wooden sword dwarfed his by a mile.
Shadow Sword, lurking in the shadow.
Put differently: needed a sword smaller than the shadow.
"......Yeah, I get I can't use it. Got it-!"
"So what?"
"What's that got to do with not being able to teach me!"
Vocabulary-limited Emilia threw everything she had at questioning Dojin. He shrugged like still not clicking?
"Look, weapons we use, gender, personality, build, habits—everything's different. You think I can teach you perfectly?"
"Uh...... Can't you?"
"Yeah, sure. Dismantle you, swap weapons, rewire your personality, swap bodies."
Exactly what Dohun—Dojin's dad—did to him.
From kid days: body type, habits, quirks, personality—all molded identical or damn close. Let talent-poor Dojin hit Dohun's level.
Brute-force idiocy taking over a decade. No way Emilia could swing that.
"And if I remake you like that into my perfect pet project, what's left of you?"
"Hot disciple status?"
"......Nada."
"What? Why am I nada!?"
"You know why I'm even teaching you?"
Emilia, mid-backlash rage, clamped her mouth shut. She'd flashed tits and pussy for sword lessons—wasn't that a shady deal?
Swordsmen at Dojin's caliber? Dudes would sell souls, fortunes, even daughters' virginity for a shot.
Snagging that for a peek at boobs or pussy? Even she couldn't wrap her head around it.
"......Why are you teaching me?"
"'Cause you've got talent."
"Talent?"
"Yeah, the kind that'll soar if nurtured right."
Sleeping Dragon.
Raw gem, talent unbloomed sans proper master.
Swordsman-bait talent and man-magnet looks—who wouldn't crave her?
"Then nurture my talented ass right!"
"Don't know how. Only trick I got is raising 'em like me."
She'd ditch her gifts, tread Dojin's road.
If she picked his path? No need for him to teach.
"Say you'll copy my path exactly—why bother raising you?"
"That's......."
"No leaning on me yet. Learn to think solo."
Sure, sword arts shared basics/principles—could nix rookie mistakes.
Past a point? Couldn't teach her.
Only she could.
Emilia lifted her chin, eyeing Dojin.
Thought he was just whaling on her brainlessly......
Dude had layers.
"......Gotcha."
Squeeze.
She hefted her sword, shoving the greatsword-mimic monster wooden sword at Dojin and declaring:
"I'll forge my own sword! Become a Hero so great everyone bows!"
Hero's oath. Vow carves into the world.
Emilia felt it anchor her soul.
Heavy anchor—but sturdy pillar holding her up.
"─Good."
Dojin grinned at her vow, twirling his sword lightly. Great Hero, huh? Kid stuff—pure, kid-pure words only she'd spit.
"I'll help."
Piece of cake. Nail sword basics, fix swordsman sins.
Then?
Beatdown.
Pound till death, extra smack for good measure.
She'd enlighten herself.
Dojin's hard-knocks truth, twenty years etched in flesh.
"Feels like dying? Speak up."
"......Huh?"
Gulp-.
Emilia's gut screamed oh shit, but too damn late.
Sword incoming.
Ilone, pulling Guard Force duty, stood tense at the city gate immigration office, waiting for someone.
Flanking her: Guard Force vice-captain, squad leader, even devil-rep seniors—all rigid with nerves.
Newbie recruit, fresh enlistee clueless on this vibe, whispered super low to his senior about the tension.
"Um...... Squad Leader-nim?"
"What?"
"Why so tense...?"
"What? Fuck, moron—wanna die?"
"S-Sorry!"
Recruit snapped to rigid attention, bracing for the beatdown in statue-still pose.
Vicious seniors wouldn't smack rookies in front of Guard Force captain/vice, though.
Senior side-eyed the scene, then whispered in the kid's ear.
"Don't piss yourself later......."
"Huh? Piss...... what?"
"Piss, dumbass, piss."
Recruit blanked, but spotting rising Ilena, he matched the salute.
Clop-clop-.
Hooves clattered, heavy metal clanking behind.
Recruit snuck a peek at the source.
Knights.
Knights Order rolling in.