Chapter 233
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 233
Chapter Title: A Swordsman's Foundation
‘Not using magic power’ was far more difficult than he’d thought.
Because the constantly rotating Circles were like a forced circulation of mana, it was continuously supplied throughout his entire body.
In other words, Loan was always using a certain amount of magic power, even just to lift a spoon to eat.
Intentionally restricting it was no different from holding his breath by force.
His movements were a half-beat slow, and his arms lacked strength.
This was why he couldn't properly react, even though Vangelis's swings with the wooden club were incredibly crude.
A flicker of curiosity crossed Vangelis's face as he observed Loan.
“Don't tell me you find it difficult to move your body without magic power?”
“Yes...”
Even as he asked, Vangelis doubted if it was the right question.
But when the affirmative answer actually came, he was so dumbfounded for a moment that he let his hand drop.
“So there was another interesting part to you. No, should I call this fascinating?”
He tossed the wooden club aside and crossed his arms, staring intently at Loan.
His eyes, which had seemed languid even during combat, now felt incredibly sharp.
Could there be something seriously wrong with my body? Loan felt a subtle sense of anxiety.
“Why? Is something wrong?”
“Wrong… well. That's something neither you nor I can know. For now, just keep practicing the downward strike. Think of it as training. While making sure not to use any magic power.”
Loan didn't understand why Vangelis was making him do such a thing, but since it was true that he had discovered something he couldn't do thanks to him, he swung his arms without complaint.
Watching him carefully, Vangelis spoke.
“Not using magic power, relying purely on physical stamina and strength, is not difficult for swordsmen. No, it should be even easier for a mage. Generally speaking.”
He was striking down with the wooden club, making whooshing sounds in a state of deep concentration, but those were words he couldn't easily ignore.
“Why is that?”
“First, because using magic power is much harder than not using it. Most people have struggled tirelessly to break through that initial wall, haven't they? With a desperate heart.”
Loan's case was a little different.
He had realized how to use mana while on Blake's back and had tried it that very day.
His starting point had been different from the very beginning.
“What's the second reason?”
“Because magic power is not infinite.”
Because magic power is finite, not using it is easy?
To understand those words, one first had to accept the premise that 'mana is finite.'
Of course, there was a time he had thought so.
When his magic power first stopped growing, there had been a limit.
He tried to recall the desperation of that time. Would the him of back then be able to understand Vangelis's words now?
As if his struggle was written all over his face, Vangelis added an explanation.
“There's a reservoir. Let's say a limited amount of water is stored here. The water from the reservoir is supplied to several houses through a waterway. If a certain amount is used each day, there's enough to last a month. But what would happen if one house secretly used several days' worth in a single day?”
“The other houses would have less water to use.”
“That's why control is necessary. You'd have to close the waterway to ensure only a certain amount of water is used.”
The limited magic power stored in the body by circulating mana. To use this to create an aura, leap great distances, and wield strength and magic beyond human limits, managing it efficiently is more important than just using it.
Just the right amount, in the right place, at the right moment.
Of course, he knew that well.
He had suffered because of his unique constitution and had tried various ways to overcome it.
“Let's consider another case. What if a small channel secretly formed in that reservoir? Maybe a mole dug a path.”
“The water would leak. It would need to be managed well, too.”
“Right. The management of magic power must prioritize preventing its waste in unnecessary areas, so it can be used where it's needed. But this is something learned as naturally as breathing. Because no one can use magic power from the start. They realize it, learn it, lament their lack of magic power, and yearn for more.”
That which was natural had become unnatural for Loan.
Still practicing the downward strike, Loan asked.
“Why is it difficult for me?”
“Well. Judging by your reaction when I stated the first reason, you might not have had that experience. You might have been able to use magic power with ease.”
At Vangelis's words, Loan couldn't help but freeze in an awkward stance.
Just having the special ability to see mana would have made it easier for him than for ordinary people.
It was considerable insight. But that was only the beginning.
“Seeing what you've done, it seems highly likely. That's why the second reason I mentioned might not apply to you either. Perhaps your premise is different from ours. For example, you might not even have the concept that magic power is finite.”
He had hit the mark exactly again.
Seeing Loan's wide eyes, Vangelis shrugged with a tone of uncertainty and continued.
“So you might have just left the tributaries of magic power to flow freely. Because it didn't matter. Then, over time, that became natural. Just like how you can't stop the blood flowing through your veins by will alone. Well, considering the magic you've shown, it seems plausible. No matter how much you wasted, you'd never run short.”
There was a misunderstanding mixed in, but he didn't correct it.
It was difficult to completely deny his reasoning or the assumptions he'd drawn from it.
Loan's curiosity moved to the next stage.
“Could that be related to why I can't manage magic power centered on my spine?”
Vangelis stroked his chin, organizing his thoughts for a moment.
After a brief pause, he gave a small nod.
“It's related. But before I explain that, do you know why I suggested we clash swords without using magic power?”
“I'm not sure. Was it to check my pure physical strength?”
“Yes. I didn't get what I wanted, but thanks to that, I learned something new.”
“Then what part of my body did you find interesting?”
Vangelis gave a rare smile.
Then he picked up the wooden club again and took the ready stance of an ordinary swordsman.
Loan naturally followed his lead.
Vangelis looked Loan up and down and nodded.
“You have a fairly balanced body. Your skeletal structure itself is gifted. However, it's a far cry from the body of a swordsman—the muscles built through countless hours of training, perfectly developed to properly manage the necessary magic power, naturally optimizing itself for the swordsmanship one wields.”
That was to be expected.
Loan was a mage who coordinated mana itself for both offense and defense.
He had learned basic swordsmanship during his school days, but occasions to clash with a sword in hand were rare.
The only recent experience was using some swordsmanship combined with Sheville.
Vangelis said.
“In other words, to a swordsman, the physical body is the foundation that is naturally formed in the process of learning the sword, pursuing strength, and accumulating magic power. Do you understand?”
Loan mulled over his words for a moment.
Then he had a sudden realization.
The emphasis was on the words 'naturally formed'.
“Ah… so you're saying that by a swordsman's standards, my magic power management has reached a considerable level, but the completion of my physical body hasn't caught up.”
“Right. You're different from a swordsman. You're also different from a mage who focuses solely on absorbing and releasing magic power. That's what makes it interesting.”
“In that case, swordsmen must naturally establish the pillar of their body by training their bodies, cultivating mana, and mastering swordsmanship.”
Watching Loan grasp it so quickly.
Vangelis suddenly found teaching enjoyable.
“Exactly. Everyone thirsts for achievement. They learn swordsmanship and fill themselves with magic power, yet they still feel lacking. They repeat the same movements countless times. It's tedious, but they do it because they know they must. In that process…”
They come to realize that there's something commonly required for both swift thrusts and destructive sword strikes.
Then, they unconsciously project their own form through a third person's eyes.
They realize that to draw out the best result from any movement, they must execute the form precisely from a stable center, so that power can be fully transferred.
But they also realize one other thing at the same time: that there are no shortcuts to achieving this.
There is only silently repeating the same stance to learn it honestly.
“In that respect, from a swordsman's perspective, the order in which you cultivated your mana could be judged as wrong.”
This was the gist of what Vangelis was trying to say.
The spine is the pillar of the body.
Making magic power flow through it is done out of necessity.
A necessity the body desires.
It's not something achieved through effort like other forms of magic power management, but something that forms naturally as you strive to do other things well.
Unconsciously.
“That is common to all who use their bodies to manage magic power, whether they are swordsmen, archers, or pugilists. Perhaps it's so natural and obvious that it's a concept difficult to explain well to someone else.”
He had confirmed the point of circulation by clashing with Sienna, but this was the reason she hadn't been able to give him any specific advice in the process.
On the other hand, it also meant that Vangelis, too, had nothing to teach him but a very inefficient method that only time could solve.
Had he read Loan's mind?
Vangelis swung the wooden club, making whooshing sounds, and drew Loan's gaze.
“I've never seen a case like yours, so I'm wondering if there's a suitable training method. But when I look at juniors whose progress is slow, there are times when they can't properly channel their strength or maintain a precise point of impact when swinging a sword, throwing a punch, or tossing a hidden weapon.”
At the end of his words, Vangelis again took a high stance and demonstrated a downward strike.
There was no wasted movement.
It was incredibly refreshing to watch.
His upright posture felt considerably threatening and solid, even without being clad in magic power.
As if he had taken root in the ground.
“That's what happens when your center isn't stable. To unleash a sword strike filled with powerful magic, you need a center of the body that can support that much force. Naturally, the pillar of magic power you desire corresponds to this.”
At times like that, there's no other way.
You have to start over from learning the unwavering sensation by endlessly repeating a basic movement like this.
“It will help you too. Of course, it will be an incredibly tedious and grueling time. Depending on the person, it can take years, or even decades. However, I guarantee that if you pour in consistent effort, you will surely achieve it.”
Loan observed Vangelis as if he were his own reflection in a mirror.
He copied him exactly.
Or so he thought, but for some reason, his own body felt incredibly awkward, as if it belonged to someone else.
The more he consciously thought about maintaining his center or not wavering, the worse it got.
He was imitating the movements, but perhaps the point of his focus was different.
Vangelis was focusing his gaze precisely on the tip of the wooden club.
The direction of his gaze was the direction of his focus. His thoughts and will were converging on a single point.
‘I was overthinking it.’
This, too, was a habit, a part of his constitution.
It was because he could think multiple, diverse thoughts simultaneously.
Just as he was intentionally not using magic power, he unified his thoughts.
He swung not by scattering his thoughts, but with the sole feeling of striking a precise point.
A high-spec brain was fully allocated to a single, very simple thought process.
There were no words for a while.
They just continued to swing their arms at the same speed, at the same angle.
As the shadow of Versa Castle stretched long.
Gradually, the sound of their swings cutting through the air began to synchronize.
That sense of unity, in turn, roused Vangelis from his unconscious state.
‘What? There's no way he can do it this fast...’
Vangelis's head tilted to the side.