Event - 4
The next day, I set out on a mountain trek that — despite only a few days' rest in between — felt like it had been ages.
As always, Sowol climbed the mountain behind me without so much as a quickened breath, and by the time she finished her basic training, I had picked up my sword. Watching me, she tilted her head.
"What's this about wielding a sword all of a sudden, Master?"
Since I usually held nothing but a plain stick when teaching her, her puzzlement made perfect sense.
Wiping the habitual smile from my face, I leveled the blade at Sowol.
"Today is skill-test day."
"Pardon? So suddenly?"
"Tests are meant to measure your fundamentals. Let's see how comfortable you've become with the First Form of the Moonlight Sword Style."
The First Form of the Moonlight Sword Style — Moonlight Wave.
It had been quite a while since I passed it on to her, so I figured she'd grown used to it by now.
At my instruction, Sowol drew a deep breath and slowly wrapped her hands around her wooden sword.
"Haaaah...!"
As she exhaled, low and steady, a tremendous aura began to frost over her body. It was astonishing to think this was the presence of a girl who had been learning the sword for less than a year. If she kept growing at this pace, it wouldn't be long before Sowol mastered the entire Moonlight Sword Style.
Sage
Take on two disciples and raise them to a certain standard of growth.
Progress: (0 / 2)
That number hadn't budged an inch since I'd first received the Sage class quest. Even in the game, moving that counter had demanded real effort. So then — all I could do was keep at it.
"Here I come! You had best watch out, Master!"
Good grief. 'Watch out,' my foot.
No matter how remarkable Sowol's talent was, at her current level she couldn't have drawn so much as a scratch from me. Still, the way she fretted for her master's safety was both admirable and adorable.
"Hyaap!!"
Packing her battle cry to bursting, Sowol came charging at me. The light of sword energy gathered at her blade's tip was growing stronger by the moment. Eyes flashing as she drew that light along with her, she swung her sword in a rapid arc before me — and in the same instant, a fierce radiance spread outward, sword energy riding in its wake.
A proper Moonlight Wave had been unleashed.
"Hup!!"
I erased her Moonlight Wave with a Moonlight Wave of my own, and once the light had settled, I watched Sowol slowly draw her sword back in. I'd assumed she'd gone all out — had she actually been holding back? She seemed to have plenty left in the tank.
"Well? How was it?"
Faced with that expectant gaze, the only answer I could offer was a nod. At this level, she could honestly be said to have made the Moonlight Wave her own.
"Well done."
"Yay! Praise Sticker!"
"Think I'm handing those out?"
"Aw."
How precious could a Praise Sticker possibly be?
"What are the criteria for earning a Praise Sticker?"
"My mood."
Praise, after all, only counts when it wells up from the heart. I patted the head of a now-pouting Sowol, then took up my sword once more.
"Now then — let me teach you the Second Form."
"Hm? Was I not to learn the Second Form until I had finished every drop of the Lunar Crimson Elixir?"
"Just watch and commit it to memory for now. The real training starts once you've drained the elixir. You finished drinking it, right?"
"Yes."
"Good. Here goes."
I took a single step back and gripped my sword with both hands. And then—
"Hup!!"
With a low battle cry, I swung the blade in a blindingly fast arc. To a casual eye, it would have looked like nothing more than a simple overhead cut.
— KRA-KOOOM!!
The crescent-shaped sword energy shot from my blade cleaved through several towering trees in the blink of an eye. No stance, no windup, and blazingly quick to trigger — this technique was the Second Form of the Moonlight Sword Style: Moonlight Flash.
"...Isn't that just an ordinary sword-energy release?"
"Hardly ordinary. It hits far harder than a standard sword-energy release while burning much less mana — and for all that, it fires fast enough to make a superb surprise attack."
I gave the sword a light flick, and the crescent it sent flying carved a line across the sky. I didn't stop there. I kept swinging, and with every swing another crescent screamed away, while the forest around us was steadily demolished.
"Once you've trained it enough, you'll be able to do this."
"...That's incredible."
Sowol marveled as she took in the surrounding woods, mowed down to nothing.
Heh heh. What do you think? Of your master's skill?
Basking in that gaze brimming with admiration, I slid my sword back into its sheath.
"First, I'll teach you how to draw out the mana for Moonlight Flash. Er... to begin, you..."
I took hold of Sowol's arm and guided her mana through the flow. Just as when she'd learned the Moonlight Wave, she fumbled a little at first, but soon enough she was absorbing the mana current of Moonlight Flash at a remarkable speed. Her talent really does make moments like these easy. Compared to the game, where teaching the Moonlight Sword Style to a character without talent meant dozens of lessons that still failed to land, Sowol's aptitude was genuinely extraordinary.
"Mm... is this how it's done?"
After tilting her head a few times, Sowol swung her wooden sword. A crescent of sword energy formed in midair alongside it — but instead of spreading outward like my Moonlight Flash, it simply fizzled out on the spot.
"It's difficult."
"It isn't one of the Three Great Sword Styles for nothing. Still, manifesting sword energy on your very first attempt deserves some praise."
"Then perhaps... a Praise Sticker?!"
"Think I'm handing those out?"
I can't let my guard down around this one.
And so eleven days slipped by since her Second Form training began. Around the time Sowol — now completely at home with Moonlight Flash — drained the last of the Lunar Crimson Elixir, the guild halls turned busy.
"Is something going on?"
"Huh? Ah — yes, Master. The Harvest Festival is being held in Levent Territory as we speak. Our guild is taking part in it, so..."
Ah, so it was already time for the Harvest Festival. The one in Levent Territory ran for two full days, and with this year's harvest reportedly excellent, the festival was said to be bigger than ever. Plenty to enjoy, then.
"Master Lee Hyun!"
Behind the maid who had answered me, a pretty girl with a black bob came skipping up, beaming. Lyla. Just as promised, she had apparently come to join me as my patrol partner for the festival.
"The patrol teams are moving out now. We're on patrol both today and tomorrow, so..."
"It's a festival — shouldn't you get to enjoy it too?"
"Haha, I'm totally fine!"
Well, someone's cheerful.
Lyla always wore a smile, but today she looked brighter than ever. I followed behind her as she turned with easy grace and strolled ahead, and soon the warriors assigned to today's patrol came into view.
"You all know this already, but the Harvest Festival runs from today through tomorrow in Levent Territory. Our Eastern Merchant Guild is taking part in the festival besides, and at the lord's request, we will also be handling its patrols."
"Will we get some rest once it's over, sir?"
"Word is that a banquet for the patrol teams will be laid on at the Toren Tavern when the festival ends. Attend it then."
Sounds of delight rose from the warriors at Baek Musa's grave words. They were clearly looking forward to the eating and drinking at the banquet. When the murmuring died down, he gave a low cough and looked my way. Did he have something to say?
"I doubt it will come to that, but should something beyond our handling occur during the festival—"
"Ah — then contact me right away."
"Thank you, Master Lee Hyun."
Nothing seemed likely to happen at a small-town festival in a minor territory like this, but after the incident a short while back, Baek Musa looked a touch on edge. Once I gave my assent, he finally seemed to breathe easier, exhaling as he relayed the patrol zones to everyone. My assigned area was...
"The market district, huh. Right where the festival's happening."
Well, that worked out nicely. I could drift back and forth through the stalls and snack my way around.
There was nothing to wait for, so everyone split off to their own patrol zones. By the time Lyla and I reached the market district, ours, the townsfolk still preparing for the festival were greeting us with bright smiles.
"Aigoo! If it isn't Master Lee Hyun! And Lyla too!?"
"Hahaha. Been keeping well?"
"Ah, fine as ever. You've no idea how much my little ones missed you, Lyla."
"Rui and Roland? Hehe. Tell them I missed them too."
"Right! Master Lee Hyun, you simply must stop by our stall once the festival starts. We'll load you up with freebies!"
"Will do. Keep up the good work."
Starting from the very first stall we came across, every turn through the market brought a round of familiar faces and familiar greetings. Unlike me, waving them off with a lazy nod, Lyla — blessed with that irrepressibly cheerful nature — ended up deep in conversation again and again.
"Sorry for the long wait!"
"No, no. Say, you're awfully close with the villagers, huh?"
Especially the ones with children. Earlier, a mischievous boy and a boisterous little girl had even come charging up to Lyla, demanding she have a sword fight with them sometime. I'd figured guild work would keep her away from the village, but apparently not.
"Ahaha... well. I look like this, and I'm kind of boyish, so people just find it easy to warm up to me, I suppose."
Grinning from ear to ear, Lyla scratched the back of her head. Her words made me look at her properly. Short-cropped hair, like a boy's. That ever-present smile. Shorts ending above the knee, with the Eastern Merchant Guild's jacket up top. You could call her charm generously androgynous — but that didn't make her look like a boy.
"I'm not pretty like the young lady, after all."
"You're pretty too."
"...Huh?"
"I said you're plenty pretty."
"Ahaha... y-you and your jokes."
"Not joking. Everyone has their own brand of charm, and yours is plenty beautiful. The way I see it, you're every bit as lovely a girl as Sowol."
"...I-is that so? Ehehehe..."
Face going red, Lyla scratched at the back of her head and lowered it slightly.
"That's... the first time anyone's ever told me that..."
"Really? Then come find me whenever the mood strikes — even once in a while is fine. I'll say it as many times as you like."
It wasn't as if complimenting her cost me a thing. I gave the girl, who was still gawping at me blankly, one more smile and turned away. And right then—
"Hah! Hah! Hah! Oh my!! What a coincidence!!"
Sowol — the girl who never once ran short of breath climbing mountains — stood there heaving for air, dabbing at her sweat before beaming brightly at us.
When did this one even get here?