Chapter 38
Episode 38
The true MacLaine swordsmanship that once upheld the count's household had long since faded into obscurity.
What remained in the MacLaine family's knights was nothing more than a hollow shell—technically still called an intermediate swordsmanship style, but in reality, little more than a name.
Logan had his own reasons for refusing it, but those listening couldn't possibly fathom his true intentions.
"......Hmm. If you insist on that, then fine. If you truly believe that's enough, then follow me."
Logan's request was, as expected, an easy one for the Sword Duke.
"You've arrived. But who is this behind you?"
"My guest."
"......Excuse me?"
The Sword Duke had come to his treasured training grounds with someone in tow—and not just anyone, but a greenhorn barely out of adolescence, whom he had personally referred to as a guest.
The knights guarding the training grounds widened their eyes in disbelief.
"What are you standing around for? Open the gate."
"Yes, sir!"
Prompted by the Sword Duke's command, the knights snapped to attention and pushed open the heavy stone doors.
Grind—
The massive stone slabs, each at least half a meter thick, groaned as they slid apart under the knights' combined strength.
Inside, the training hall—lined with solid rock on all sides—came into view.
The first thing Logan noticed was the display racks lined with countless swords, but his gaze soon shifted to the bookshelf beside them.
As Logan stared curiously at the out-of-place bookshelf, the Sword Duke strode forward without hesitation, plucked a single volume from the shelf, and tossed it to him.
『Skyward』
The title was far too grandiose for a basic swordsmanship manual, and Logan shot Felix a puzzled look.
"It is a beginner's manual. Training with just this would ruin your body. But it has its own merits—worth a read for reference."
But Logan hadn't come here expecting much from a swordsmanship manual anyway.
"And the certification...?"
"Heh. Are you really satisfied with just that? Even humility has its limits."
"It's fine."
"Let me ask again—what about an intermediate manual? I have some decent ones."
A bizarre scene unfolded—the giver growing restless over not being able to give more.
But Logan's stance remained unchanged.
"What if you simply wrote the certification separately? Without naming any specific manual—just state that you've granted me permission..."
The Sword Duke sighed, shaking his head in disbelief, but eventually nodded.
'If I accept an intermediate manual, it'll be a fair trade. And that would mean our connection ends here.'
To Logan, that was the limit.
No matter how pleased the other party was, all he had given was stamina medicine and a cure for impotence.
He picked up the certification placed atop the manual and bowed deeply.
"Thank you."
As Logan examined the document with satisfaction, Felix spoke up in a tone of utter bewilderment.
"......You're not even going to take the manual?"
"Ah—my apologies."
"I truly cannot fathom what goes on in that head of yours."
Logan chuckled awkwardly at the Sword Duke's exasperated sigh—only to freeze at his next words.
"No matter how I look at it, this isn't right."
"Huh?"
"Even if you are satisfied, I am not. This exchange is too one-sided. I'll give you something else. Will you accept it?"
'I'd rather he just kept that sense of indebtedness...'
But refusing the Sword Duke when he was being this insistent would be rude.
"I truly am fine with this, but... haha, it would be improper to refuse further."
Even if it didn't feel like a debt, a mutually satisfying exchange would naturally extend their connection.
With that thought, Logan suddenly felt a spark of anticipation.
'What's he going to give me?'
Knowing the Sword Duke's pride, it wouldn't be some trivial gift.
As Logan's heart raced with possibilities—
"I will personally teach you a technique worth using."
Felix's words turned his blood to ice.
'Teach me?'
And not just anything—a lesson from the kingdom's strongest swordsman.
Intermediate swordsmanship from a renowned knight order wouldn't trade for tens of millions of gold—it was typically considered state-level classified knowledge.
Much less instruction from the Sword Duke himself, the kingdom's strongest Aura User—its value was immeasurable.
'Of course, it might not be anything special... but if it's truly excessive...'
That could itself become a problem, and Logan's expression grew complicated.
"I see now that you're humble and don't seek grand rewards."
"......Huh?"
It was the first time in either of his lives Logan had received such an assessment, leaving him utterly baffled.
"But this is a gift for my peace of mind. And wouldn't this solidify proof of our connection even further?"
The Sword Duke smiled warmly, making an offer impossible to refuse.
Even with the Divine Sword's secret arts, there was no reason to stubbornly reject instruction from the strongest warrior of the current era when he was offering it so earnestly.
Moreover, as the Sword Duke had said, this would forge a bond far beyond what Logan had originally sought through their exchange.
'This is a jackpot.'
The loss he had been prepared to endure for the future had instead multiplied into immense gain.
Having made his decision, Logan immediately dropped to the ground in a deep bow.
"Thank you!"
"Good. Now you finally look like a proper young man your age."
The Sword Duke chuckled at the sight before rising smoothly and approaching Logan.
With each step, the pressure around him intensified—by the time he stood five paces away, the sheer weight of his presence alone was suffocating.
Then, the Sword Duke drew his blade.
Shiiing—
Gulp.
Logan could only watch, speechless, as a calm voice followed.
"Focus. I won't be teaching you kindly. Gauging the talent of exceptional youth is one of an old man's few pleasures."
As he spoke, the Sword Duke's smile vanished, replaced by absolute seriousness.
"Now. Draw your sword."
The moment the words left his lips, an invisible force erupted from the tip of his blade, coiling around Logan's entire body.
'Ghk!'
Though commanded to draw, even that proved difficult.
His hand trembled violently, unable to break free from the Sword Duke's oppressive aura to reach the hilt at his waist.
'So this is an Aura User...'
In his past life, Logan had never even imagined facing one directly.
As a mercenary, whether ally or enemy, he was never in a position to approach them.
As an independence fighter, his own side's Aura Users had no time to spare for him, while the Empire's were to be avoided at all costs.
Thus, experiencing firsthand what he had only ever observed from afar was invaluable.
'Damn it.'
But the gap in their strength was even wider than he'd thought.
As he strained to move his shaking hand, a sudden doubt arose.
'Can all Aura Users do this?'
No matter how inferior his own skills, was it truly possible to bind someone's entire body with intangible force like magic?
If so, every war on the continent would be decided solely by clashes between Aura Users, rendering conventional armies meaningless.
'This must be a specialized technique.'
The moment his perspective shifted, so did his approach.
Vwoom—
His heart's Force Core vibrated, unleashing a surge of energy.
Amplified through his dual cores, the Force enhanced not his physical abilities—but his senses alone.
For a fleeting moment, his perception sharpened to near-meditative clarity, allowing him to analyze the oppressive force binding his body.
Slowly, the situation became clearer.
'Amplification. Concentration. Dispersion.'
The Sword Duke's Force, naturally radiating outward, would suddenly amplify at specific moments, condense into a single point, and press down on Logan's body.
Yet that alone shouldn't have been enough to immobilize him completely.
'Every time I try to move, he disrupts the starting point, scattering my strength into nothing.'
Though he understood the principle, how it was possible remained a mystery.
Still, he found a way to move—by acting half a beat faster than the Sword Duke's force could disperse his strength.
With that simple adjustment, Logan finally drew his sword.
Shing!
"As expected... you have talent."
The Sword Duke's murmur of admiration was followed by the pressure vanishing—only for it to coalesce around his blade in the next instant.
Huummm—
A crimson edge began forming over the steel.
'An Aura Blade?'
The convergence of internal Force and external aura into a tangible, supernatural edge—the hallmark of a master swordsman.
The sight burned itself into Logan's senses.
'No... no, this isn't...'
Just as the light of realization dawned in his eyes—
"Watch closely. This is the Heavy Pressure Sword."
With those words, a massive crimson blade descended toward his head.
At a glance, it was over three meters long.
The sheer oppressive force radiating from it alone made blocking unthinkable.
"Master this, and it will serve you well against opponents below a certain level. I'll demonstrate slowly. Pay attention!"
The crimson blade fell—slowly, agonizingly slowly.
'Dodge—! Ghk!'
He tried to evade, but his body wouldn't obey.
The aura emanating from the blade seeped into his flesh, scrambling his senses.
The earlier pressure was nothing compared to this—his limbs utterly refused his commands.
'That blade is amplifying the aura's effect.'
Without his prior experience, he wouldn't have even grasped the principle.
But understanding the principle didn't mean he had a solution.
Vwoom—
At that moment, a faint vibration within his body snapped Logan's eyes wide open.
His Force surged violently, neutralizing the invading pressure—and sensation returned to his limbs.
Even Logan hadn't anticipated this.
"Oh?"
The Sword Duke smirked in surprise—then, in an instant, the crimson blade moved faster than ever before.
Instinct screamed that dodging was impossible.
'Tch!'
At the last possible moment, Logan's sword erupted in a golden radiance, slashing upward.
BOOOOM!
A deafening explosion sent Logan hurtling backward.
Thud.
Crash.
His body slammed into the training hall's wall before collapsing to the floor.
Gritting his teeth, Logan lifted his head—and spat out a mouthful of blood.
Cough—
Bracing himself on his broken sword, he barely managed to rise to his knees—his severe internal injuries obvious to anyone watching.
Yet his first words upon regaining his breath were about the technique itself.
"Th-that wasn't... an Aura Blade...?"
The Sword Duke's lips curled into a pleased smile at the question.
"Why would I teach you something you can't replicate? You saw it correctly."
Hearing that, a faint grin spread across Logan's bloodied face—
Thud.
—before he toppled over, unconscious.
Rumble—
The knights outside bowed uniformly as the Sword Duke emerged from the training hall.
"There's an unconscious boy inside. Take him to the infirmary."
"......Sir?"
Though they were his trusted retainers, the unexpected order gave them pause.
'A guest, he said?'
The same question flashed across their faces.
But the Sword Duke offered no explanation.
"First aid is done. Ensure he fully recovers, then report to me. I still have more to say to him."
"Yes, sir!"
As the knights acknowledged the order, the Sword Duke smiled faintly, lost in thought.
'Truly, talent is talent.'
He had spoken harshly, but he hadn't actually planned to go this far.
The sword that had sliced his robe that day had been sharp—but he never expected the boy to move under the Heavy Pressure Sword.
Yet Logan had defied expectations, and in response, the Sword Duke had gotten serious.
After all, the best lessons were those learned through pain.
'Is there anyone among the younger generation who can compare to him...?'
No matter how much he thought, even within the Esperanza Knights—his own disciples—none possessed talent on that level.
'Yes... this will be interesting to watch.'
Felix Esperanza, the Sword Duke, had begun taking real interest in Logan.