Awakening (2)
A mana cultivation method was a breathing technique designed to accumulate mana within the body while simultaneously channeling the mana stored in the heart—in the form of embers—to unleash it externally. It was akin to a graphics card responsible for processing data.
The storage and circulation of mana. Its safe and efficient refinement. And finally, the output that amplified the mana released from the body. Just as modern graphics cards came in countless varieties, the mana cultivation methods in this romance-fantasy world were divided into numerous schools. In particular, the secret cultivation methods passed down through the pure bloodlines of the Holy Empire held an unrivaled position.
"Have you been using such an inferior, mass-produced cultivation method all this time? Good grief...! The mana pathways branching out from your heart are in absolute shambles! If heaven's luck hadn't been on your side, and the flow of mana had backflowed, you would have been crippled before you even had a chance to react!"
It was unbelievable. How—how on earth was he still alive?
The embers of mana accumulated in his heart were completely crushed. The four embers that proved his status as an Expert High-tier had lost their original shape, looking like clay flattened under a massive weight. This was the consequence of recklessly abusing Jormungandr's mana and the authority of the magic weapons using nothing but the basic cultivation method taught to the Holy Empire's officers.
Both efficiency and output were abysmal. Furthermore, the backlash generated from channeling his mana was substantial. Placing her hand over Kailen's left breast, the silver-haired beauty detected the unmistakable signs of extreme overexertion.
But then, she discovered a bizarre anomaly that defied all belief.
'How... how is his heart the only thing unscathed? The surrounding pathways are completely torn to shreds, yet the heart holding the mana embers is perfectly intact. No, is it actually stronger? It's as if it has adapted to the mana of Jormungandr and the magic weapons, gaining a complete immunity...!'
Adaptation to all forms of mana. As if to prove this, Kailen's heart had not only fully accepted the mana of Jormungandr and the magic weapons, but it was also pumping the highly concentrated mana stored within it through his tattered pathways.
Was it an innate ability? Or a trait acquired later in life?
She couldn't tell. It was an anomaly that transcended common sense.
Leonora let out a low groan, staring intently at Kailen. "Are you... truly a pure human?"
"I've occasionally been called a monster, if that's what you mean."
"My question was not meant in such a vulgar sense. Your heart is extraordinary. To think it can perfectly absorb mana with such violent backlash, as if you were a thousand-year-old dragon..."
"I did think it was strange. No matter how hard I pushed myself, it never burst."
Why didn't I die? Let's push a bit harder then. Huh. It still won't burst? Talk about stubborn.
The nickname "The Mad Dog of the Holy Empire" had been born precisely because of this crazed tenacity—his ability to endlessly unleash Sword Qi even in the midst of the most brutal, desperate struggles. Slaughtering countless enemies on the battlefield while wielding his razor-sharp Sword Qi, Kailen had truly been a mad dog.
"Mister Mad Dog!"
"Mister, are you okay?"
"Waaah! Mister Mad Dog is hurt!!"
In the sterile room filled with the faint scent of antiseptic, a crowd of young children suddenly rushed in. They were the young refugees who had fled to the Iron Bastion and had been protected by Kailen and the Valtenstein detachment. Looking at the children whose eyes were brimming with tears, Kailen raised his bandaged hands.
"You guys better study hard, okay? Otherwise, you'll end up doing backbreaking manual labor like me."
"Then I'm not gonna study! I want to be just like you, Mister!"
"Hey now. If you turn out like me, your parents will cry tears of blood. My father and brothers are currently locked away in a sunless dungeon, licking pig slop off the floor."
"Huh?"
Kailen von Valtenstein. The ultimate byproduct of a spectacularly failed upbringing. Could there be a bigger disappointment of a son?
You want to be like me? He gently dissuaded the children, speaking in a soft, warning tone. It was a gesture meant to ease the parents' worries and guide the children toward a better future.
"Fufu."
Leonora let out a soft chuckle at the sight of the innocent children looking up to Kailen, then quietly slipped out of the room. She didn't want to disturb the warm atmosphere.
As soon as she stepped into the hallway, she encountered the people waiting outside. They were the parents, anxiously hovering in case their children behaved rudely.
"Lady Leonora...!"
"How is Lord Valtenstein?"
"The knights of the detachment... they protected us humble folk for three days and three nights without a single moment of rest!"
Without the devotion and sacrifice of the Valtenstein detachment, the hundreds of refugees who had fled to the Iron Bastion would have surely met a grim end. Having survived against all odds, the refugees expressed their deep gratitude to Leonora while anxiously asking after Kailen's well-being.
'That reckless bravado, charging into any danger just to save the people... and that eccentric side of him that constantly catches everyone off guard. He really is so much like him.'
They were incredibly alike. So much so that she sometimes saw her father's shadow overlapping with Kailen's.
He had fought a bloody battle for three straight days. His battered, bandaged hands bore testament to that desperate struggle. He must have pushed himself with superhuman willpower, determined not to let a single citizen perish.
"...Father."
The hero of the Edelgard family, who had sacrificed his own life to save thousands of citizens. Leonora let out a bitter smile as she thought of him.
A mana cultivation method was a secret art that guaranteed a family's survival and status. For this reason, the numerous martial families of the continent strictly controlled their techniques to prevent them from leaking. If a family's cultivation method were to be exposed, their legacy and reputation as a martial house would crumble in an instant.
Unless one was adopting an heir or taking in a son-in-law to inherit the family, passing down an ancestral cultivation method was unheard of. At most, they would teach a simplified, derivative version to the vassals and loyal retainers who guarded the house.
"I will teach you the Edelgard family's mana cultivation method."
"...Pardon?"
A derivative version would have been more than enough. Yet, Leonora was offering him the true, orthodox technique.
The Edelgard family was one of the ten great families of the Colonial Empire, ruling over the vast northern territories. A secret technique of such a prestigious house would easily rival the unique cultivation methods of the Holy Empire's twelve zodiac houses.
"You survived this time thanks to heaven's luck, but sooner or later, the flaws of your current cultivation method will either kill you or leave you crippled. You are aware that Jormungandr's mana remains in your heart like a time bomb, yes? If you do not learn a new cultivation method, you will have to live the rest of your life with that ticking time bomb inside you."
"..."
"As the proverb goes, 'swing the axe before the ice freezes.' We shall begin the transmission as soon as possible."
"I will follow your command, Lady Leonora."
It was not a proposal asking for his opinion. It was a firm, non-negotiable decree. Kailen had no choice but to accept Leonora's uncompromising decision.
"You are currently at the Expert High-tier, correct? Since you achieved such great success with nothing but a basic, mass-produced method, once you fully master the Edelgard family's technique, you should reach the level of a Sword Master within a few years. Fufu, I am already looking forward to your future."
"You flatter me too much."
"Once you step into the realm of a Sword Master, you will develop your own unique technique. It is a distinct, ultimate art that varies from person to person, even among blood relatives. Didn't I show it to you and the knights of the detachment before?"
"Ah..."
A vast world of absolute zero that froze all of creation in an instant. The sulfurous flames that had been spreading unchecked, the soot-choked smoke that had approached like a wave of death, and even the countless corpses scattered messily across the battlefield—all of it frozen solid.
Kailen recalled the divine sight of Leonora freely commanding the freezing cold. With that, Leonora ordered Kailen to sit in a lotus position and began the process of transmitting the Edelgard family's mana cultivation method.
After teaching him the basics of the cultivation method, Leonora provided Kailen with an Edelgard family villa located on the outskirts of Niflheim. She had prepared the perfect environment for him to focus entirely on his new technique without any friction or distraction.
Three days. Three days had passed since she transmitted the basics.
"I have no intention of undermining Lord Valtenstein's achievements and devotion, but... if the issue was simply his poor cultivation method, a derivative technique of the Edelgard family would have sufficed. Why did you transmit the orthodox technique to him?"
"He reached the Expert High-tier with nothing but the basic cultivation method taught to the Holy Empire's officers. His potential is truly remarkable. If we grant the orthodox technique to such a deputy, he will surely grow to become the greatest sword representing the Frozen Lands."
The silver-haired beauty hummed a cheerful tune, her heart full of anticipation. On the other hand, Eriksen, the chief vassal of the Edelgard family, expressed his concern.
"It is a matter of fairness. The numerous nobles loyal to the Edelgard family will surely object..."
"Then I shall teach the cultivation method to all the nobles as well."
"That is out of the question, my lady."
"What is wrong with showing the generosity to open a path for those with sufficient potential?"
As Leonora approached the villa accompanied by the elderly knight, a deafening explosion shattered the air. It was the sound of the villa provided to Kailen being completely obliterated.
CRRRRACK—!!!
Countless fragments exploded outward. The structure had likely burst, unable to withstand the immense pressure. At the same time, a freezing frost storm erupted, piercing through the pile of debris. There was no mistaking it. It was the unique, ultimate technique acquired by the Executor of the Frozen Lands upon reaching the realm of a Sword Master.
Leonora and Eriksen rushed forward, arriving at the site where the Edelgard family's villa had once stood. There, they were greeted by a mountain of debris, completely frozen solid by the icy frost storm.