Episode 368
Episode 368
Fundamentally, people don't change that easily.
If they could change so readily, why would Giselle be suffering so much in White Tiger Tower?
No matter how much they were beaten or locked in the punishment room, White Tiger Tower students would always choose outdoor pleasures over studying. Even wild beasts would be more obedient than them.
"Moradi. What do you think?"
"...They seem sincere."
Unlike the two extremely skeptical individuals, the Beech Knights were genuinely sincere.
Though Lee Han didn't fully perceive it, the terror felt by the knights who had directly faced the wrath of Duke Icaldoren was on an entirely different level.
The kind of fear that makes you think you might actually die here.
That sort of fear has the power to make one reflect on their actions and repent.
The knights who had barely escaped the crisis were sincerely ashamed of their previous behavior.
"Well... it was nothing much. I'm just glad everyone's alright."
Unable to discern their true intentions, Lee Han gave a vague response.
He planned to play along for now and then create some distance.
"Is that knight who got hit and flew back... I mean, the one who fell pretty far back... is he okay?"
"Broke a few bones, but he'll live."
'Doesn't sound okay to me.'
Lee Han subtly positioned himself behind Giselle. Just in case things went south.
"That was truly incredible magic. We knew Einrogard students were skilled, but..."
"No..."
"That was..."
Lee Han and Giselle simultaneously tried to deny it.
Not only had they stacked all their Enhancement Magic before the duel started, but spells like Yumidihus' Water Prison Bomb had only been completed because they dragged out the preparation time until the last moment.
In truth, if Lee Han hadn't cheated, those would have been unacceptable fouls—yet here they were being praised as magical prowess.
"There were actually some hidden circumstances behind..."
"How modest of you."
"Normally, magic that takes this long to cast isn't considered properly mastered..."
"Truly humble."
"......"
There was only so much they could explain to knights who knew nothing about magic.
Lee Han tapped Giselle's shoulder. A signal to take over the talking. Naturally, Giselle ignored him.
'Wait. When did he move behind me?'
Noticing Lee Han's repositioning, Giselle turned her head and scowled.
This bastard...
"We wish to repay you."
"Repay us how?"
"We shall teach you swordsmanship!"
"......"
"......"
Lee Han and Giselle stared at the knights in utter bewilderment.
Contrary to what one might think, knights teaching swordsmanship to nobles wasn't uncommon.
Many nobles learned swordsmanship for cultivation, as a hobby, or for light self-defense, and knights were really the only ones qualified to teach them.
No matter how skilled they were, few nobles would learn from adventurers or mercenaries of uncertain social standing.
For nobles, it was a chance to learn swordsmanship; for knights, an opportunity to build connections with nobility—a mutually beneficial arrangement.
But... Lee Han's case was slightly different.
He hadn't learned swordsmanship as cultivation or self-defense—he'd been rigorously trained for actual combat.
His skill level, ranked among the best in Einrogard's swordsmanship curriculum, meant he wouldn't lose even when compared to apprentice knights of his age across the entire Empire.
To further develop swordsmanship at Lee Han's level, one couldn't approach it lightly, treating it as mere cultivation or self-defense.
It required deep, dedicated training—breaking through walls and pushing past limits...
'No matter how I look at it, they couldn't have made that offer with that level of resolve.'
Lee Han's thoughts aligned with Giselle's.
It clearly seemed like they intended to teach at a superficial level.
If they crossed swords and discovered Lee Han's true skill, it would only lead to mutual embarrassment.
Lee Han decided to trust his friend to handle this.
"You reject them. Moradi."
"What kind of insane— How am I supposed to refuse?!"
"Say I'm too sickly to learn swordsmanship properly?"
"......"
Giselle looked Lee Han up and down as if he were a madman.
Calling himself sickly might have ended up making Giselle the laughingstock of the blind.
"You're usually so quick to spin lies... Don't you have any other excuses?"
"Nothing comes to mind right now. You're on better terms with knight families than I am, so why don't you turn them down for me?"
"Is that really what you're saying right now?"
Even for her, bluntly rejecting the knights' sincere offer would be quite burdensome.
Lee Han might not be from a knight family, but Giselle was. Who knew if they'd start harboring grudges, saying, 'The Moradi bloodline interfered with repaying a debt...!'
"...It seems we've made another presumptuous request. We only wished to repay our debt somehow..."
The knights, noticing Lee Han and Giselle whispering, suddenly grew despondent.
"Well, we understand if you wouldn't want to learn swordsmanship from knights like us."
"Ah, no. That's... Learning swordsmanship would be good. I'd like to learn."
"Really!?"
"Yeah."
Lee Han gave up.
Rather than being the bad guy, it seemed better to let the Beech Knights feel awkward instead.
"Glad that's settled. Then I'll—"
"Moradi will be learning together too."
"......"
As expected, within less than thirty minutes, the knights were thoroughly embarrassed.
"Ahem."
"Ehem."
"Your swordsmanship... is exceptional."
Lee Han silently nodded.
He had done his best.
The Beech Knights' discomfort was practically self-inflicted.
"What about channeling mana into the sword...?"
"I haven't mastered circulation yet, but I do know how to infuse it."
"......"
The knights grew even more flustered, exchanging glances.
They were silently debating, 'What exactly are we supposed to teach now?'
-At this rate, there's nothing left to teach, is there? What should we even cover?
-If we go any further, today's lesson won't be enough...
-Maybe teach him another sword style?
-But if he's already mastered one style and is refining it, what's the point of teaching another?
-And wasn't he a mage? Why on earth is his swordsmanship at this level...?
The knights were experiencing the exact same bewilderment the White Tiger Tower students had felt.
...Just why was he so absurdly skilled in swordsmanship?!
No matter how they looked at it, this wasn't the kind of hobby a high noble mage should have.
While the knights silently exchanged glances, Lee Han maintained a composed expression and waited.
Things were awkward, but eventually, when they ran out of things to say, they'd let him go out of sheer embarrassment.
Then Lee Han could just say, 'Today was fun,' and leave...
"Very well. I suppose I have no choice but to teach you one of my secret techniques."
"A secret technique?!"
The Empire had countless sword styles, and among the famous ones, many techniques were widely known.
Even the Azure Rock Sword Lee Han had learned included techniques like <Stone Cleave>, which were famous enough that anyone with proper swordsmanship training would recognize them.
The more renowned a sword style became, the more famous its practitioners grew, and naturally, rumors about their techniques spread.
But swordsmen didn't go around revealing all their techniques.
Doing so would be like inviting others to exploit the weaknesses of their style.
Seasoned swordsmen made sure to keep certain techniques hidden unless absolutely necessary.
Those were the secret techniques.
'Can I even learn it right away if they teach me now?'
It was surprising enough that they were offering to teach a secret technique, but whether Lee Han could actually learn it was another question.
Even Alarong, who had taught Lee Han swordsmanship, hadn't bothered with secret or advanced techniques until Lee Han had fully mastered the Azure Rock Sword.
Alarong firmly believed that a swordsman who focused on mastering the basics was far stronger than one who recklessly used difficult, complex techniques they couldn't properly control.
"I doubt I'm skilled enough to learn it. Are you really sure about this?"
"It's enough. With your genius talent, surely..."
"...I-I don't think I'm quite at that level yet."
Lee Han could tell the knight was grateful, but the excessive praise with every word was becoming unbearable.
The knight led Lee Han to the inner courtyard.
It was a technique he hadn't shown to the other knights either. He couldn't very well teach it where everyone could see.
The knight's cautious attitude made Lee Han's interest gradually bubble up.
Even if the Beech Knights weren't particularly renowned for their martial prowess, they were still knights after all.
For a knight to treasure a technique this much...
'What could it be?'
Lee Han felt a surge of anticipation.
Maybe it was a technique to help with mana circulation, or perhaps something to assist in channeling mana into a sword, or even a method to condense mana...
"Watch closely."
Swish!
The knight drew his sword and thrust swiftly. It was an utterly ordinary, unremarkable thrust.
But in that moment, the blade's tip extended.
Lee Han gasped in surprise.
"Did you create a blade with Aura?!"
When one reaches the stage of not just channeling mana into a sword and maintaining stable circulation, but condensing it, the mana imbued in the blade transforms from mere assistance into a lethal weapon in its own right.
Just as mana woven by a mage's will becomes the miracle called magic, mana woven by a swordsman's Intent becomes the invincible spear known as Aura.
But to go beyond even that stage of Aura and disguise its appearance as an actual blade...
From an opposing swordsman's perspective, it was downright terrifying.
An Aura that could pierce through most armor like butter, now capable of altering its appearance like this?
Though it might seem insignificant at first glance, this was an extraordinary technique.
Unlike when there was only Aura, if the appearance became indistinguishable from an actual sword, the opponent couldn't afford to let their guard down.
Facing a blade that subtly extended and retracted would force you to question not just your sense of distance, but whether your opponent was even using Aura at all. In battles between equally skilled masters, this could be decisive.
'What? Was he actually an incredible swordsman?'
"N-no, it's not Aura."
"...It's not?"
"Indeed not."
Perhaps slightly embarrassed by Lee Han's overreaction, the knight cleared his throat awkwardly before thrusting the sword's tip against the wall.
Surprisingly, nothing happened. Had it been Aura, it would have easily pierced through the wall.
"...An illusion?"
Being a mage, Lee Han quickly realized the true nature of the blade formed at the sword's tip.
It wasn't Aura—just an illusion.
A very limited illusion achieved through swordsmanship rather than magic.
From a magical perspective, it might seem trivial, but as a swordsmanship technique, it was a different story.
After all, even Lee Han had nearly been fooled.
"That's correct. Of course, compared to something like Aura, it might seem a bit lackluster. But this is actually quite useful..."
The knight, seemingly self-conscious, began making excuses.
Not that he wouldn't want to use Aura if he could.
But in this world, there are things one simply cannot do, no matter how much one desires them.
Rather than giving up entirely, even a technique bordering on deception like this...
"This is a truly excellent technique!"
"...Y-you think so?"
At Lee Han's reaction, the knight's face brightened slightly.
The response was far more enthusiastic than he'd expected.
"Thank you truly. I can't believe you're teaching me this."
"I didn't think it was such an impressive technique, so hearing you say that is almost embarrassing..."
"No. It's genuinely a great technique. Thank you."
Lee Han spoke with complete sincerity.
It wasn't difficult to learn, and it was perfect for confusing opponents with creative applications.
A technique perfectly suited to Lee Han's tastes.
Feeling quite satisfied himself, Lee Han offered the knight some well-deserved praise.
"I knew the knights of the Beech Knights were exceptional, but I had no idea they were this outstanding. Truly remarkable."
"......"
The other knights watching nearby shot their comrade slightly jealous glances.
He was receiving far more praise than anyone had anticipated.
Just imagining returning to the order and basking in the glory of this anecdote made it impossible to stay still.
"W-wait a moment..."
"?"
"There's another secret technique that might interest you."
"...Wait, aren't secret techniques supposed to be, you know, secret??"