The Sword Saint's Forgotten Heart-Image
I... um... I don't know!
The heat cycle fiasco wrapped up in just one day. Whether I should be grateful or saddened by this body that couldn't sustain that state for longer than that depends on your perspective, I suppose.
At least it was a relief for me. I didn't want the image I'd carefully built up over time to come crumbling down.
I had no desire to be rumored as the kind of girl who latches onto anyone easily.
...Though it seemed the rumors had already spread a bit.
Still, I had faith time would sort it out. With everything I'd shown so far, one little slip-up wasn't going to brand me as some easy girl.
They'd probably just chalk it up to an April Fools' prank or something.
...Not sure if this world even has April Fools', but there must be something similar, right?
"Ilisha, you sure you're okay? I'm not saying don't swing the sword, but... getting hurt again won't be good for your body."
Ern asked, clearly not thrilled about me heading off to practice.
"Maybe not. But... I didn't come to the Academy to recuperate. I want to do what I want."
He had nothing more to say to that, just throwing me a look of pity.
Oh, right. There was one thing I needed to clear up for sure.
"Ern. Um... about yesterday... could you forget it?"
About how I'd clung to him like a koala.
As I brought it up, his face flushed, but he wore this ambiguous expression like he was horrified yet intrigued. His eyes darted everywhere, as if wondering why I was dredging it up now.
"It was just... a situation where I was drunk on something weird, right? I mean, yeah, they say alcohol brings out the truth, but... usually when you're drunk, you just spout nonsense, right? So, yeah. Just think of it as nonsense."
I pleaded with him as we walked to the Swordsmanship Hall together.
From piecing together what people around had said, I'd apparently acted like I had feelings for him or something.
Of course, I did have feelings. The kind of affection you have for a favorite character.
If I had to compare, it was like the love for an adorably biteable puppy—wanting to chomp it to death.
In other words, not rational attraction.
Even though I'd lived quite a while as a woman in this body, it still wasn't as long as my time as a man.
I still thought of myself as a guy.
This body was at a point where gender was secondary to just surviving day to day, but even on the brink of death, humans plant apple seeds, right?
"...Of course."
Ern said it straightforwardly, though it sounded a bit regretful too.
Normal reaction. He wasn't impotent; the equipment was fully functional.
Any guy would be disappointed if the world's top-tier beauty seemed interested for a moment, only to take it back.
"Ilisha. Then... no. It's nothing. Forget I said that."
"Ern. Random question, but do you know the two ways to really piss someone off?"
"Huh? What are they?"
"One is trailing off mid-sentence."
"And the second?"
Taste it yourself, you tease.
I gave him a light smack for building up expectations needlessly, and we arrived at the Swordsmanship Hall.
The moment we got there, Yeon—who'd been meditating with her sword in hand—stood and approached me.
I hadn't even announced myself. How the hell did she know?
Did she have some kind of supernatural senses, transcending even beastkin?
A shiver ran through me at the thought of her senses, but she bowed at a perfect ninety degrees in greeting.
"Have you fully recovered, Master?"
This went beyond polite—straight to reverent.
I didn't hate it. Far from it. How could I, getting this level of deference from the Sword Ghost herself?
Though it was a tiny bit overwhelming.
...Or maybe just the right amount.
No.
Who am I?
The empire's youngest Sword Master.
Confidence was allowed, right?
"It's late, but congratulations."
"Pardon? Congrats on what? Getting better?"
Why was she suddenly like this?
I tilted my head at the out-of-nowhere praise, and Yeon finally straightened up, continuing in utter seriousness.
"You've finally stepped into the realm of the Sword Saint."
Oh.That.
Of course the rumors had spread across the empire—and reached Yeon's ears too. About me being Sword Master level.
But Sword Saint... that sounded cooler, somehow. More poetic, maybe?
I suppressed a grin and nodded sagely, playing it cool.
"Ah, yes. That's right."
Yeon gazed at me like I was some idol she worshipped, continuing.
"The achievement where body and mind align without the slightest deviation, establishing one's law at the sword's tip. The stage where the heart-image one harbors becomes the sword itself, slicing the world. The realm where one finally etches their will upon existence."
Ooh... Sounded impressive, even if I didn't catch all of it.
Basically, I was awesome, right?
If so, of course I loved it. She—one of the top five in the empire for sword passion—was acknowledging me as a swordswoman.
I kept a straight face outwardly while inwardly preening for a good long while.
Who am I? The empire's youngest Sword Master.
I knew it was big, but this big?
"Those who reach the Sword Saint realm are said to cleave boulders with mind alone—not literally, but as a metaphor for how firm their heart-image is. Some even slice rocks barehanded with aura alone. But Sword Saint isn't just about emitting sword beams. That's merely the result. The true essence is the will taking form, dwelling within the sword..."
Yeon's scholarly lecture went on for a while.
Halfway through, I honestly lost the thread.
But it was fine.
Just the fact that someone was praising me with such long, grandiose words.
So I nodded along, pretending to listen.
Yeon got more and more heated, eventually looking as thrilled as if it were her own achievement.
After rambling solo for ages, her eyes sparkled as she asked,
"Master. If I may be so bold—what is it? The will, the heart-image contained in that sword?"
Hm.
I blinked for a second.
Uh.
Yeah...
What was it?
Aura Blade holds heart-image and will.
For example, Father's held pure power. So mine must have something too.
I tried recalling that moment, but the memory wouldn't come.
My head had been freezing solid, after all.
All that surfaced was the real-time sensation of my body shredding itself, the ecstasy of everyone watching me, the omnipotence of feeling like I could do anything... and the raw impulse to just slash.
That was about it, vaguely.
Desire, maybe—but will, law, heart-image? Eh.
I wondered if I should say it straight, but honesty seemed better than agonizing, so I blurted it out.
"Ehehe. No idea."
At that, I swear I heard a crack.
Not literally.
Just Yeon's face freezing solid for an instant.
She went silent a moment, then gave a rare awkward laugh.
"Haha. You're jesting too far, surely?"
"No, for real."
"......"
"I was kinda out of it then. Honestly, I don't even know how I was moving."
Yeon's face went truly speechless this time.
Whoa.
First time seeing that expression.
Nice.
Who knew she could make it.
She stared into space a bit, then slowly nodded, as if convincing herself.
"Ah."
"Yes?"
"I see."
See what?
I eyed her, a bit uneasy.
She spoke with grave seriousness.
"That realm is something that cannot be grasped in words from the start."
"......Pardon?"
"It wasn't the will defined first. It was forged into a sword in the instant heart-image and flesh perfectly overlapped. In other words, embodied in the blade before words could capture it."
Ooh.
...What? Sounded cool, but my brain couldn't parse it.
"The state of no-self, unity of self and object."
Ah, that I get, roughly.
"Yeah, something like that, maybe."
"As expected."
Her eyes sparkled again.
"Truly worthy of you, Master. Not defining your own realm. Unbound by crude words, proven solely at the blade's edge."
Actually, I just don't know and can't define it.
Whatever—if she took it positively, great.
I cleared my throat needlessly and straightened up.
"Yeah, something like that!"
"Then, I shall learn it."
"Pardon?"
"The sword untouched by words."
Yeon nodded to herself, deeply convinced, while I thought inwardly,
I just glossed over it, and she reached some massive conclusion on her own.
Oh well? Fine by me.
She's the Sword Ghost, after all.
More importantly, she'd hyped me up without me saying a word.
"Before that, Master."
"Yes."
"So... you truly recall nothing?"
She asked once more, not giving up.
I pondered, then decided to share the one sensation that surfaced.
"Well, if I had to say."
"Yes."
"It was just... shining brilliantly. That kind of feeling."
Yeon fell silent for a long time.
Then, very slowly, as if it pained her, she spoke.
"...As expected, my realm is still too low."
"Pardon?"
"I cannot yet fully grasp that heart-image's essence."
Aha, went that route, huh.
I grinned, thoroughly satisfied.
"Well, you'll get it someday."
"Yes. I shall strive harder."
She bowed deeply, utterly sincere.
At this point, it was almost funny, but not bad either.
This was plenty.
Such trivial yet pretentious Q&A went on for a while.
Yeon added her interpretations; I nodded plausibly; occasionally I'd genuinely ask since I didn't get it, and she'd take it as profound.
We passed the time in what was more banter than dialogue.
Then I noticed Ern quietly slipping out of the Swordsmanship Hall.
Hm.
Should I follow?