The Longsword and the First Step of Stopping

The formation of the supply convoy did not take long. The supplies themselves had already been stored in the Coalition warehouse. Preserved rations, tools, tents, tarps, barrier stones, herb seeds, textbooks, measuring instruments… and a longsword?

It was not common to include a proper longsword unless an elf knight was stationed in the village. And it was equally uncommon for an elf knight to be stationed in a newly established village. The list seemed a little strange, but the warehouse keeper’s job was simply to manage the movement of goods. Questioning the request list was the role of those above him. All he had to do was take out what was there, match the quantities, and load them onto the carriage.

The real problem was not the supplies, but recruiting personnel from the Magic Tower. At first, there were not many volunteers. The role assigned to the Magic Tower staff was to support the stabilization of the new elf village and to inspect the condition of the sacred tree. On paper, it sounded like a bothersome field dispatch. They would have to travel deep into the forest, the accommodations in a newborn village were likely to be uncomfortable, and they would have to write reports upon their return. It was not a mission that elves belonging to the Magic Tower would particularly welcome.

However, the moment Alex’s report was released internally, the atmosphere changed completely.

The last sentence had been added by someone unknown. If Alex had known, he would have felt wronged, but it proved quite helpful in increasing the number of volunteers.

Even so, only a few completely believed the report. No matter how special the sacred tree that had given birth to a Dryad was, from the outside it was still just a tree. The idea that a structure surpassing the mana constructs—considered the pinnacle of human imperial technology—existed within a tree was difficult to accept without seeing it firsthand.

But for mages, even if only part of it was true, that was enough. An otherworldly mana structure, precise circuits engraved inside a living sacred tree, and a mana system integrated with ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠a Dryad. Any one of those facts was more than enough to ignite a mage’s curiosity.

“Unanalyzable, huh,” someone said.

“Don’t you think Inspector Alex exaggerated it?”

“Even if it’s an exaggeration, is there any mage who can stay still after reading the phrase ‘analysis impossible’?”

“That’s true.”

The note Alex had added out of concern had instead caused the mages’ competitive spirits to boil over. In the end, the problem was no longer gathering volunteers, but filtering them. After reviewing documents, specialties, and field adaptability, there were still far too many candidates left. They even ended up using a lottery—relying on luck—rather than quantitative metrics. Of course, the fact that a lottery had been held was kept secret from the applicants.

Anyway, the process took a little more time. Someone protested why they had been excluded, and someone else was caught trying to secretly slip their name onto the convoy list. After all those twists and turns, the final convoy was organized with nine members.

One elf to lead the convoy. Three from the Magic Tower. Three spirit mages to handle the spirit carriages. And two elf knights for escort.

The spirit carriages were not ordinary carriages. Although they had wheels, those wheels were not meant to roll on the ground. Powered by wind and earth spirits, they hovered slightly above the surface and glided smoothly over rugged forest paths, roots, and piles of stones. It was a method the elves had used for a long time to transport supplies deep into the forest without damaging it.

Thanks to that, the convoy reached Luiana’s village without taking too long.

The village they arrived at still had no clear boundaries. There was not even a proper entrance. A few young trees had strings tied around them, and spirits drifted slowly around the area. Three spirit carriages descended quietly onto that spot.

The first to react were the children.

“Carriages!”

At someone’s shout, children came pouring out from the nursery. Hyacinth hurried after them in a fluster. Soon, the elves who had been building houses, tending herb fields, and trimming bark all gathered one by one in the clearing. Expectation was clear on every face.

The convoy leader, receiving those gazes, cleared his throat briefly.

“In accordance with the decision of the Elf Coalition Headquarters, we are delivering supplies to support the stabilization of the new sacred tree village. First, please confirm the quantities…”

His words did not continue for long. The moment the first box was lowered, the surrounding elves let out involuntary gasps of admiration.

A box filled with preserved rations. Sharp woodworking tools. Sturdy tent fabric. Waterproof tarps. Herb seeds and saplings. Literacy textbooks for children. Basic mana textbooks. Barrier stones to be placed around the village outskirts. Medicines and potions for treating wounds.

Every time a box was set down in the clearing, the elves’ faces brightened. Someone opened a tool box and stroked the handles, someone else unfolded a tarp and laughed, saying the children’s space would no longer get wet even if it rained.

The children, who had crept closer at some point, peeked around the textbook boxes only to be caught by Hyacinth and dragged away.

“Hiiing…”

At the child’s disappointed whine, soft laughter spread among the elves.

The spirit mages, unloading goods from the carriages, watched the scene with fond smiles.

The convoy leader checked the list carefully.

“Preserved rations. Confirmed. Tools. Confirmed. Barrier stones. Confirmed. Textbooks. Confirmed. Measuring instruments. Confirmed. One longsword…”

His hand stopped.

“A longsword?”

He looked at the list again. He had not seen wrong. A long, flat wooden case was being carefully lowered from among the supply boxes. It was wrapped more meticulously than the other items, covered in waterproof cloth and reinforced with a wooden frame to prevent impact.

The convoy leader looked back and forth between the case and the list.

“Why would this be in the new village stabilization supplies…”

Was there an elf knight stationed in this new village after all? While he was bewildered by the oddly out-of-place item, someone approached him with quick steps.

It was Luiana. Her usual leisurely gait was slightly faster than normal.

The convoy leader instinctively held out the wooden case. Luiana opened it. Inside lay a well-maintained longsword. It had no flashy decorations, but the blade was straight, the balance was decent, and the hilt was made of wood with good mana conductivity.

Luiana lifted the sword. She tested its weight once, then gave her wrist a small twist. The blade caught the sunlight and gleamed quietly. Her eyes brightened—just a little. But for the village elves, it was enough.

“Mother is pleased,” someone whispered.

“That’s a relief.”

“The Coalition sent her something good.”

Several elves looked moved. The fact that Mother was happy was important to them, no matter the reason. The sight of Luiana lifting the longsword and nodding in satisfaction looked to them like some kind of blessing.

Once the supplies had been sorted to some extent, the Magic Tower personnel from the branch approached Luiana. All three wore the official robes of the Coalition Magic Tower. Each carried a full set of investigation tools: crystal orbs, silver needles, recording tablets, and small bottles for storing mana residue. Their eyes were polite, yet unmistakably excited.

The three bowed at the same time.

“Lady Luiana. We have been dispatched from the Elf Coalition branch Magic Tower. We are in charge of confirming the sacred tree’s condition and recording its mana flow.”

The mage standing in the center spoke.

“If possible, may we begin by investigating the external flow of the sacred tree?”

Luiana was holding the longsword against her waist like a cane. She nodded indifferently once again.

“Go ahead.”

The moment those words left her mouth, the mages’ eyes sparkled. They immediately gathered their tools as if they had been waiting for this. Before the convoy leader could even take out the confirmation documents, the three were already ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠heading toward the sacred tree. Alex walked ahead to guide them.

“This way.”

Alex’s voice was calm. But that calmness carried a subtle note of resignation. The Magic Tower personnel did not notice it. Or even if they had, they probably would not have cared. Right now, their attention was solely on the sacred tree.

“Inspector Alex. We read your report carefully,” one of the mages said. “The phrase ‘unanalyzable’ was quite bold.”

“It was not a bold expression. It was an accurate one,” Alex replied.

Another mage chuckled softly.

“Is it that bad?”

“Just look at the surface.”

“Pardon?”

“Don’t try to look too deeply. Just look at the surface first. And it would be better not to try applying common sense.”

The three mages exchanged glances. It was only natural; what Alex was saying was hardly appropriate for an investigator. As a Magic Tower graduate himself, Alex obviously knew that.

One of them spoke cautiously.

“Not applying common sense… that’s a bit much for investigative methodology…”

“You will understand once you stand before the sacred tree.”

“Inspector Alex. You didn’t happen to get drunk on the sacred tree’s mana a few days ago, did you?”

“I wish that were the case.”

At those words, the three fell silent for a moment. They were unsure whether to take it as a joke or as sincerity. Not long after, they arrived in front of the sacred tree.

And then…

Everyone fell silent as if by agreement.

The sacred tree, which had looked impressive even from afar, possessed an even more overwhelming presence up close. It was massive, serene, and beautiful. But what caught the mages’ eyes first was not its size. It was the flow of mana running along the tree’s surface. A soft greenish glow seeped between the leaves and continued along the trunk and branches.

Even without close inspection, it was clear. The flow was not natural. Or rather, it possessed both naturalness and artificiality at the same time. It was as soft as the pulse of a living tree, yet as precise as a magitech circuit.

One of the mages swallowed hard.

“This is…”

The rest of the sentence did not follow. Only Alex, who had grown somewhat accustomed after several investigations, silently took out the investigation tools. He placed the crystal orb, arranged the silver needles, and opened the bottle for storing mana residue. He looked back at the three.

“I will say it again.”

Alex’s voice was low.

“Do not try to apply common sense. First, simply record what you see. Interpretation comes later.”

“Y-yes. Understood.”

The answers were half-hearted. The mages’ gazes had already been stolen by the sacred tree. They each poured mana into the placed crystal orb. Soft greenish lines rose inside the clear crystal. At first one. Then two. Then four. After that, it became impossible to count.

An eerily precise and densely packed mana flow filled the inside of the crystal orb. The lines did not overlap. They did not interfere with each other. Instead, they erased each other’s errors and created an even more delicate structure.

The three mages froze at the same time.

“…Is this the external flow?”

“Yes,” Alex answered. “The surface.”

That was the finishing blow. One stared at the crystal orb with his mouth open. Another set down the recording tablet he had been holding. The last one shook the crystal orb as if doubting his own eyes. Of course, nothing changed. A moment later, all three collapsed to the ground as if their strength had left them. It was a natural sight, as if someone had simultaneously pulled the strength from all their legs at once.

Alex nodded quietly as he watched them.

“I was the same.”

Luiana, watching the scene from a distance, tilted her head. The moment the Magic Tower personnel arrived in front of the sacred tree, they had collapsed one after another. Alex had done the same when he first came. Luiana looked at the clearing in front of the sacred tree. There were not many noticeable stones. But perhaps there were small bumps between the roots.

I should flatten it out sometime.

Luiana thought so. She still could not quite understand why the mages kept collapsing.

When the time she had promised Seris arrived, Luiana headed to the clearing near the village. A newly received longsword hung at her waist.

In her previous life, Luiana had handled countless famous swords. Swords that could cut through anything, swords that would never break, swords whose destructive power grew the more blood they drank. There had been as many extraordinary and incredible blades as there were types. Compared to those, the longsword now at her waist could hardly be called remarkable.

But a sword was still a sword. At the very least, it fulfilled the basic functions of one. Its center of gravity was not badly off, its mana conductivity was decent, and the way the edge had been sharpened was sincere. Simply having a sword that met the minimum standards in her hand after so long put Luiana in a good mood.

When she arrived at the clearing, Seris was already waiting. As soon as Luiana approached, she bowed her head.

“You’re here.”

“Yes.”

For the past few days, Luiana had only made Seris demonstrate the swordsmanship she had learned without offering any particular instruction. From Luiana’s perspective, it had been time to observe the swordsmanship of this new world and devise the teachings Seris needed. However, from Seris’s perspective, not knowing what Luiana was thinking while only making her demonstrate had made every day a continuous stretch of tension.

As if to relieve that worry, this time Luiana drew her sword first. It was the longsword she had just received as supplies. She lightly swung the new blade once toward the empty air. The sword quietly sliced through the air. Then twice. Three times. They were light movements shown to test Seris.

But even those did not look ordinary to Seris. She unconsciously drew her own sword. And she tried to follow the sword path Luiana had just shown. Or rather, she tried to. But her sword immediately lost its way and scattered aimlessly. Seris’s brow furrowed. She swung again. It scattered once more. The third and fourth times were the same.

Luiana watched for a moment, then spoke.

“The sword has stopped, but you are still moving.”

Seris paused.

“What do you mean?”

“Your hand stopped.”

Luiana lightly tapped Seris’s shoulder.

“But your shoulder is still leaning forward.”

She looked at the toes next.

“Your feet are late too.”

Finally, she pointed at the tip of the sword.

“All of that happened because your mana and will rushed ahead and dragged your body along.”

Stopping. It was a concept she had never heard before. Seris looked down at her sword. To her, the basics of swordsmanship were clear. Assume a stance, learn how to step, measure distance. Swing, thrust, block. Put power into it, increase speed, correct the sword path. That was what swordsmanship meant to her.

To Seris, the word “stopping” that Luiana spoke of felt unfamiliar. Of course, she knew how to stop a sword. After an attack, one recovered the stance and balanced for the next move. Anyone could learn that much. But the stopping Luiana spoke of did not seem to mean that.

“Stopping is not resting,” Luiana said. “It’s keeping the power you sent out ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠completely yours until the end.”

Seris did not answer. She was simply trying to understand the words. As if aware of her effort, Luiana slowly raised her sword this time.

“When you swing a sword, power leaves. Your body leaves, your breath leaves, your gaze leaves, your mana leaves. Your will leaves with them.”

The tip of Luiana’s sword moved ever so slightly. A thin line appeared in the air and vanished.

“You have to decide where to end it. Where the sword stops, your body must stop, your mana must stop, and your will must stop.”

“Even my will?”

“Yeah.”

Luiana nodded.

“If only your body stops, you might hold the stance. But if your will is still cutting, the sword will try to move again. If your mana is still reaching out, it will flow from the tip of the sword and eventually scatter.”

Seris’s eyes changed slightly. She recalled the scene from a few days ago in the nursery courtyard, when a child had launched a mana blade. It had been a wooden sword. It had not even been a technique. But the will and mana had burst out first, and the result had become a small blade. She was beginning to understand a little why Luiana had taught the children how to stop.

“There are three kinds of stopping,” Luiana said. “First is the body. Stopping the flow at the exact point you want—sword tip, wrist, shoulder, waist, toes.”

She swung her sword very briefly. The moment the tip stopped, her wrist, shoulder, and toes stopped at the same time. The movement was small, but Seris’s breath caught. It looked not like it had stopped, but like it had been fixed in place.

“Second is mana. Recovering or holding the mana that flowed along the sword path before it spreads outward.”

This time, a soft greenish light gathered at the tip of the sword. The light tried to stretch forward. But the next moment, it rewound along the blade as if melting and returned. It neither scattered nor leaked.

“Third is will.”

Luiana’s voice lowered slightly.

“The urge to swing harder, to cut deeper, to knock the opponent down. It is holding those impulses so they do not rush ahead of the sword.”

Seris swallowed unconsciously. She instinctively sensed that this would be the hardest. The body could be trained, and mana could be learned through sensation. But the will always whispered that it was right. Because one was conscious of it, it was paradoxically difficult to twist. Changing a momentary thought could not be easy.

“Today we start with the first,” Luiana said. “Stopping of the body. And a little of the stopping of mana as well.”

Seris nodded.

“I will try.”

She raised her sword again. She breathed in slowly. She swung. Once again the sword path wavered. The moment she stopped, her body leaned forward and the tip of the sword went half a span farther than intended. Luiana corrected her posture. She turned the toes slightly, pressed down on the shoulder, and made her relax the strength in her wrist.

“Again.”

Seris swung again. This time she stopped, but mana leaked slightly from the tip.

“Mana too.”

“Yes.”

Again. This time her feet were late. Again. This time her breathing cut off first. Again. She staggered. After failing several times, Seris’s sword drew a single line—clumsy, but a line nonetheless. The tip stopped, and her wrist and shoulder stopped with it. Her toes were a little late, but she did not collapse badly. The mana was not completely recovered, but it did not scatter like before.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Seris’s eyes widened. She was surprised at what she had accomplished in such a short time. Luiana watched her and nodded.

“Good.”

“Is this… stopping?”

“The first step.”

Luiana lightly rested the sword on her shoulder.

“You’ve still gone quite far to call it stopped. Still, you saw how far you went, right?”

Seris nodded slowly. Only now did she understand. The stopping Luiana spoke of was not simple cessation. It was watching over everything she had sent out until the very end. It was too profound to be called the basics of swordsmanship, yet too basic to be called a high realm. It was subtle, but she could tell it was the most important first step forward as a swordsman.

At that same time, the Magic Tower personnel and Alex had left the area in front of the sacred tree and were walking along the village outskirts. The investigation had been temporarily suspended. To be precise, it was a walk to cool their heads. If they kept staring at the mana flow floating inside the crystal orb, all four of them seemed likely to remain collapsed in the same spot.

“Inspector Alex,” one of the mages said. “I apologize for thinking your report was exaggerated.”

“It’s fine,” Alex answered calmly. “When I reread the report I wrote, even I thought it sounded exaggerated.”

“But in reality, it was even worse.”

“Yes.”

The four walked silently for a while. The forest was peaceful. The laughter of children could be heard from afar, and the voices of the spirit mages organizing the carriages drifted over. That peaceful scenery only heightened their confusion. How could the village be so carefree when that sacred tree held such a structure within it?

Then the mage walking at the front suddenly stopped.

“Wait a moment.”

His gaze was fixed on a clearing between the trees. Alex and the other mages naturally looked in that direction as well. Seris was in the clearing. She was swinging her sword with a concentrated expression even as she staggered. It was not strange. It was only natural for an elf knight to train with her sword in her free time.

The problem was the one standing in front of her.

Luiana. The Dryad of this village. She was holding a sword and correcting Seris’s posture. No, it was more than correcting. She was clearly teaching.

One of the mages slowly opened his mouth.

“Am I seeing the scene before me correctly?”

Alex answered.

“Lady Seris is training in swordsmanship.”

“I can see that.”

The mage who had spoken earlier continued.

“The problem is the one teaching.”

Alex closed his eyes for a moment. Another item that had not been written in the report had just been added.

“It is Lady Luiana.”

“The Dryad is teaching swordsmanship to an elf knight?”

“It appears so.”

“The Dryad?”

“Yes.”

“Swordsmanship?”

“Yes.”

The mage closed his mouth. Then opened it again.

“Inspector Alex.”

“Yes.”

“This content was not in the report.”

Alex looked at the clearing. Luiana lightly touched the tip of Seris’s sword with her finger. Seris’s posture collapsed for a moment, then was immediately corrected again. In that brief instant, the mana gathered at the tip could be seen rewinding back like it was being pulled in. The mages saw it too. All their faces stiffened at once.

Alex let out a very small sigh.

“It hadn’t happened yet at the time.”

No one could answer right away. The heads they had cooled in front of the sacred tree were beginning to heat up again.