Episode 546
Episode 546
"What? You guys are exaggerating even though you've done this before?"
Lee Han, the only one here not from a knightly family, looked at his friends and asked.
"No... Wardanaz, you crazy bastard. We do camping-style training, but not like this."
"Right. Einrogard is basically making us do it barehanded with nothing at all."
Though knightly families of the empire were often stereotyped as brutish and simple-minded, that was just prejudice.
Knightly families were actually highly intelligent and systematic in their areas of expertise.
This kind of wilderness training was no exception.
When conducting training deep in the mountain ranges, they always moved in groups of at least several dozen, with ample supplies and equipment prepared beforehand.
Unless they were from an exceptionally unusual knightly family, no one prepared for being stranded alone in the mountains with nothing.
That was something wandering mercenaries did. Knights were leaders who commanded squires and guards—not lone wolves who rolled around barehanded.
'Huh?'
Lee Han suddenly recalled how Alarong had just taken him straight into the mountains back then.
Wait a minute...
"You don't... do this?"
"We don't."
"Wardanaz, you bastard. I know you're good at swordsmanship, but we're the ones from knightly families here. Why are you doubting us?"
"Ah, right. Sorry."
Lee Han stopped talking, sensing that his friends would just look at him weirdly if he pressed further.
When he turned back, Durgyu and Giselle were already making quick plans.
"Let's hide supplies in advance?"
"Yeah. Given the professor's personality, he'll probably limit how much we can bring. We should stash some in the mountains beforehand."
"But wouldn't that be against the rules?"
"Choi. What kind of nonsense are you spouting? This whole school is against the rules."
"Moradi's right."
Lee Han agreed as he joined the conversation.
"We need to prepare supplies in advance all over the mountain range. Besides, it's two weeks from now. The weather could get even worse. Remember when the Frost Giant King showed up last time? What if the King of Frost Giant Kings appears?"
"Does that even exist?"
Durgyu asked in surprise. Lee Han brushed it off casually.
"Dunno. Maybe it does. The point is, we need to be prepared. Let's build a few cabins in the mountains."
"Not a bad idea."
Giselle agreed.
Though Wardanaz wasn't someone she particularly liked, his thinking aligned with hers when it came to preparation.
"Moradi. Do you think the professor will release extra monsters?"
"Hmm... Maybe..."
"What's this interesting discussion you're having?"
Professor Ingoldel approached with curiosity.
Lee Han answered quickly.
"We were just talking about how excited we are for the final exam and how we wish it would come sooner."
"Is that so?"
Professor Ingoldel looked slightly awkward at Lee Han's words.
"I wasn't sure if everyone would enjoy it, but hearing that makes me happy. Haha. I was worried it might be too difficult, but if you're looking forward to it, I'll definitely have to go through with it."
"......"
The other White Tiger Tower students glared at Lee Han, but he didn't even blink.
'Even if I said it was hard, the professor would've done it anyway.'
He knew professors well enough to understand that, no matter what you said, they'd do whatever they wanted—so he felt not the slightest bit guilty.
"By the way, Wardanaz. Your sword movements seem slightly different—have you had some kind of realization?"
"Ah, I've gotten more comfortable using the Absorption Technique you mentioned last time."
The elf swordsman looked as happy as if it were his own achievement.
"Is that so? That's wonderful! It couldn't have been easy."
Lee Han almost mentioned that he'd figured it out while wrestling a giant to survive, but that would've sounded too bizarre, so he held back.
"How many stances of the Azure Rock Sword are you using now, Wardanaz? Five?"
"That's correct."
Though Professor Ingoldel knew more about Lee Han's swordsmanship training than expected, Lee Han wasn't surprised.
After all, the professor himself was acquainted with Alarong and knew virtually every swordsmanship style within the empire.
"Wardanaz, didn't you find the Azure Rock Sword strange when you first learned it?"
"Huh?"
Lee Han was puzzled by the question.
He had simply thought, 'Alarong swings his sword well, cuts trees and rocks effortlessly, and is incredibly strong, so I shouldn't act recklessly in front of him.' Was there more to it?
"At first glance, the Azure Rock Sword seems rather simple, doesn't it?"
"Ah."
The Azure Rock Sword belonged to the heavy and powerful greatsword lineage among the empire's swordsmanship styles.
A technique where each strike crashed down like a massive boulder.
As such, the Azure Rock Sword's forms were neither complex nor flashy. In fact, they were quite simple.
To those aspiring in swordsmanship, such simplicity could be mistaken for a low-tier style.
Of course, Lee Han was different.
'Well, I originally learned it for self-defense...'
He had taken it up to train his body and protect himself in his spare time. There was no way he'd complain about the lack of flair or profundity—that would just be insane.
"I just... went with it, I guess...?"
"Magnificent."
"?"
When Professor Ingoldel looked moved beyond necessity, Lee Han grew slightly flustered.
Had anything he just said been remotely touching?
"There's a saying that a swordsman chooses their swordsmanship, but I believe swordsmanship chooses the swordsman. Wardanaz. Just as Einrogard chose you."
'What a horrifying analogy to deliver with such an emotional expression.'
Lee Han was appalled, but Professor Ingoldel remained oblivious.
"The Azure Rock Sword may appear simple, but the more you master it, the more profound it becomes. Yet that realm is invisible to those who only pursue flashy or beautiful techniques. Only those who can silently shed sweat will ever see it."
Lee Han, who had learned it without much thought and was still swinging it mindlessly, grew increasingly awkward.
'I never intended to go that far...'
Professor Ingoldel pointed into the distance with his finger.
There stood a steep cliff, easily dozens of meters high.
"Sir Alarong only taught you the first five forms because you weren't yet prepared, Wardanaz. The next steps require mastery of Aura. But given your growth, I'm confident it won't be long."
"You flatter me."
"On the last airship, you should've forced yourself to grasp enlightenment by any means necessary. Even if it meant stubbornly trying again—"
"......"
A chill ran down Lee Han's spine, prompting him to change the subject.
"Seeing that cliff really drives home how far I still have to go. I'll keep working hard."
"Ah, that's a commendable attitude, but that wasn't why I pointed it out. Wardanaz. I wanted to tell you how Sir Alarong once beheaded a monster as tall as that cliff with a single stroke of the Azure Rock Sword."
"O-Oh, I see..."
At first, it was terrifying, but as he listened, it started to sound like a typical compliment, so Lee Han relaxed slightly.
"Now. I'll explain concretely how you can reach that level."
"??"
"It was incredibly fortunate that you gained deeper insight into the Absorption Technique this time."
Professor Ingoldel sat Lee Han down and spoke with utmost specificity and seriousness.
It didn't feel like a joke—his sincerity suggested he genuinely intended to help Lee Han break through the barrier of Aura within a few years.
"Like on the last airship, I believe your path lies in that direction."
How does a swordsman reach enlightenment?
Unlike mages, who benefit from the systematic knowledge built by their predecessors, a swordsman's path is deeply personal and solitary.
Thus, the enlightenment required to ascend also shared similarities.
A swordsman who spent their entire life swinging their blade exactly as taught, without a single deviation, could never reach enlightenment.
To truly reach a higher realm, one had to evolve the swordsmanship they'd learned by pouring in all their experiences and realizations.
Only by successfully achieving that evolution could one break through to that realm.
And in Professor Ingoldel's eyes, the most promising path for Wardanaz was the Absorption Technique.
Having deeply explored the mana property conversion he'd realized on his own, his skills had now grown to the point where he could maintain balance even in desperate situations.
Moreover, seeing how he had mindlessly used the Absorption Technique during the last airship incident and nearly reached the threshold of a breakthrough only made it seem even more likely.
"The key is to focus on the Absorption Technique and fuse everything Wardanaz has newly learned and realized into the Azure Rock Sword."
"I-I see..."
Lee Han inwardly thought, 'If I could actually pull that off, shouldn't I be joining the Imperial Knight Order instead of Einrogard?' but he pretended to agree for now.
As for what Lee Han had learned...
"Aside from the Absorption Technique, what else comes to mind? Don't overthink it—just say it."
"The method of imbuing Intent you taught me last time?"
"Good. Next?"
"The feint techniques I learned from the knights?"
"Hmm. I am curious how you could fuse those in, but still..."
Professor Ingoldel gave him no breathing room, relentlessly pushing Lee Han to spill every thought he had.
"There. That's what you need to fuse in."
"Uh... is there a way?"
"There are no shortcuts, but there are people who can help Wardanaz."
Professor Ingoldel called over Giselle and Durgyu.
"Wardanaz, don't attack—just defend."
Forced into a disadvantageous situation, people often develop abilities they never knew they had.
As an exceptional swordsman, Professor Ingoldel knew exactly how to push someone to grow.
"Wait. Professor. At least with just one—"
"With just one, the pressure won't be enough. The Azure Rock Sword is especially suited for defense."
Giselle raised her hand politely and asked,
"Professor, what if we blindfold Wardanaz?"
"Good idea. Moradi. If Wardanaz defends well, we'll try blindfolding him next."
Pleased by Giselle's considerate suggestion, Ingoldel nodded approvingly.
The initial wariness between students from different towers had vanished, replaced by a heartwarming camaraderie.
"Hello, Professor Fleurwerk."
"Hello, everyone. Lovely to see you."
"Hello, Magistrate Oriflamme."
"How delightful, young mages. Be careful not to make hasty contracts. Unless you want to suffer like me."
The demon trailing behind Professor Rosinet winked mischievously as it offered its advice.
For a class like Basic Imperial Language and Logic, where dangerous magical contracts were studied, such a fitting teaching aid was rare indeed.
Gainando, who had been vigorously waving his wand in an attempt to dye his pants, glanced over and asked,
"Wardanaz, why do the White Tiger Tower kids look so happy? Did they find some secret snacks or something?"
"No. Different reason."
Lee Han rubbed his sore arms as he answered.
It was probably the first time he'd seen the White Tiger Tower brats looking this cheerful all year.
'If they're this happy after one hit, they'd probably throw a festival after two.'
"Alright, everyone got theirs?"
Professor Rosinet swung her wand, handing each student a thick stack of documents.
"What's this?"
"Commonly seen request forms from the Empire. I gathered real ones for you."
"!"
Lee Han skimmed one with interest.
URGENT!
Monster Hunt, Southwest Outskirts of Granden City, Compensation Negotiable Later...
"Trash."
He glared at the document with disdain.
The fox beastkin professor, hearing his remark, clapped her hands in admiration.
"Excellent observation! As you can see, this request doesn't specify the monster's details or the region's characteristics. Very dangerous. Come on, everyone—applause!"
As his classmates clapped, Lee Han thought to himself, 'I was just cursing it for not stating the compensation clearly...'