Chapter 31 : Days in the Free City of Loren (7)

Chapter 31: Days in the Free City of Loren (7)

“A-Ahahaha. What do you mean by that?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Shatien was flustered.

He had expected that someone might eventually notice something strange, but he had not thought he would be called out here and now.

“It seems there is some misunderstanding. Eld… no, um, Master?”

“Haha… a misunderstanding you say.”

The old man nodded.

The gesture was positive enough that Shatien felt relieved.

If the old man glossed over it, that would be best.

However,

-Clang!

“Urk.”

“Misunderstanding my ass.”

Retrieving the sword he had just swung, the old man spoke.

“What you have shown is not something just anyone can do. Every time your life was in danger, you slipped away at a perfect angle. It was as if you had the instincts of a beast. Hmm?”

“Just as you said, perhaps I do have beastlike instincts. Haha.”

“Oh? Do you now? Then shall we run another test?”

A chill ran down his spine.

The old man smiled cheerfully as he spoke, and Shatien felt an icy shudder along his back.

That cantankerous elder looked ready to draw his blade again at any moment.

‘Uh oh, what do I do?’

Should he tell the truth?

On what grounds could he reveal his secret though? Who knew what was in this old man’s heart?

Then Shatien realized that there was no need to worry.

He understood the situation.

“In truth, I can feel it. It is like the world slows down for an instant and information pours into my head. Then it is expressed as lines across the world, as if guiding me.”

Squeezing his eyes shut, Shatien spoke honestly about his power.

He did not fully understand it anyway.

If he could draw anything from the old man’s mouth, that would be good.

It seemed he had chosen the right answer.

“Hmph, so you are not a complete fool.”

The old man liked this new young mercenary.

If he had wanted to find out by force, he would have.

There would have been no need for this tedious and tiring conversation.

The reason he had questioned Shatien was to learn more precisely the state of his disciple.

One must know in order to teach.

In that sense, Shatien had passed a kind of test.

“Many people are foolish and don't know what is important and what is not. They keep trying to hide what is obvious. If there is no trust, how can there be a relationship between master and disciple. Heh.”

Tapping his shoulder with the flat of the sword, the old man spoke.

“I-Is that so?”

“Yes. So wipe that blank look off your face and tell me more.”

“About what…?”

“From what you said, it sounds like you can briefly see the world that those who cross a wall can perceive… Such a power cannot possibly be used without any price.”

“Ah…! Yes, that is correct.”

Power has a cost.

Many fools chase magic and mysteries without knowing this, and their end is always ruin.

“In truth, my stamina drops sharply. While it is active it drains very quickly. When it ends, it is hard for me to even stand.”

“Anything else?”

“Hmm, if I use it for a long time my head feels gritty, like sand has gotten in. It also feels as if my whole body is being pulled down to the ground.”

Hearing Shatien’s description, the old man furrowed his brow.

“As I thought… It seems you are drawing on your life force.”

“Life force?”

Shatien cried out in surprise.

The old man replied dryly.

“Why are you so surprised? For power of that level, it is to be expected. Get up now. We should confirm it.”

“Ah, yes.”

Feeling sheepish, Shatien scratched his head and stood.

In that time the old man had already drawn his sword and settled into a stance.

“You said the world feels slow and you can analyze it?”

Shatien nodded instead of answering.

As if telling him to watch closely, the old man slowly set his posture and then.

-Flash!

He cleaved through the air at once.

There was not a shred of waste in the movement. It was a flash of the sword like lightning in the dark.

“That was an incredible strike! Master.”

“Spare me the flattery and try it yourself. Did you see it just now with that ability?”

“Yes.”

“Then try to copy it. I need to check something.”

At those words, Shatien slowly drew up the mysterious power and took precisely the same stance as the old man.

For a moment the sword seemed to move and then.

-Swish!

Light flashed as it sliced the air.

It was a lightning-like blow, much like the old man’s strike, though not at the same level.

“…”

The old man was surprised.

It was almost a straight copy.

Judging only by the path of the cut, there was no fault to be found. The only lack was whether he had truly realized it and put will into it.

“How was that?”

“Copy this one too.”

“Huh? I thought you were checking something…”

“Copy it.”

Cutting Shatien off, the old man thrust.

Starting from the middle guard, the blade shot forward like a comb’s teeth and pierced the air.

If there had been an opponent, they would not have been able to react to the thrust entering from below the line of sight, and their throat would have been pierced.

It was that precise and refined a thrust.

Yet Shatien executed it with ease.

-Fwoosh!

“…”

The old man was dumbfounded.

How could someone copy something exactly after seeing it once? He had sensed it during their spar as well, but it was truly an unbelievable ability.

He had never heard of, seen, or experienced such a strange power. If someone had told him such a thing existed, he would never have believed it.

“Eld… no, Master?”

“Ah, yes. Ahem. That was very good. It is an incredible ability.”

Then the old man reached deep into his memories and recalled the source of the power his new disciple possessed.

“Long ago, when myth had not yet left the world, there were beings who freely wielded will and worked miracles.”

“Was… that not just exaggeration in heroic tales to make them entertaining?”

“If it is an exaggeration, it means at least someone did something that great.”

Heroic tales that are passed down through generations are not made lightly.

Only deeds of that magnitude remain as stories and are repeated from mouth to mouth.

For a tale to say a fortress was toppled, realistically the hero must have destroyed a village alone.

Besides, there was a living witness right here.

“Look at me. Even I, though faintly, can infuse will into the sword. At times my blade can cut steel.”

“?!”

He can cut steel?

Shatien had not known it was to that degree and was astonished.

His eyes filled with respect.

“That is incredible.”

“Don't flatter me. I still have a long way to go. Compared to their deeds, I am dust. Of course I too may one day reach the end of the sword’s path...”

The old man’s eyes grew distant for a moment.

Then he returned to a serious expression and looked at Shatien.

“In any case, the mysterious power you have is very similar to what was said to be granted to heroes of old. Among your ancestors there must have been someone who received a blessing of mystery.”

‘Gasp!’

That was in fact true.

His father had always told him that they were descendants of a great hero blessed by fairies and gods.

He had even guessed this.

It was an impressive piece of deduction.

Shatien clicked his tongue inwardly.

“Well, I don't need to know the details. I am satisfied simply that my new disciple is quite useful.”

“Th-Thank you.”

“No need for that.”

The old man gave a faint smile and answered.

“It means your training will be very special.”

“Pardon?”

What he had done so far already felt special enough to kill him, and now it would be more special? Shatien felt a growing dread about what that might be.

* * *

At first, the old man had intended to keep him close and teach swordsmanship by setting each posture one by one.

It was a knight’s swordsmanship.

In particular, the swordsmanship the old man had studied and then refined through insight was not easy to learn.

On top of that, mercenary life would have given him bad habits, so it made sense to teach him in an apprenticeship style.

“But for you, learning swordsmanship that way seems to have little meaning.”

The functional part of the sword style could be learned quickly at any time through his ability.

In the old man’s eyes, what the young disciple needed now was not simply lessons in sword form.

“First, sensitivity. You must govern the senses you cannot properly control.”

“I do try to use it only when needed and avoid it when it is not…”

“Tsk. You said your stamina and mental energy empty quickly every time you use it. That is not knowing how to use it. That is being dragged along by it.”

He needed to be able to control the intensity with which that mysterious power manifested.

If it activated with the same strength every time, the power would be meaningless as an ability.

If a fight went on a little long, he would collapse from exhaustion.

“What you need is delicate control. Activating your power at that strength every time is no different from suicide.”

“Hmm…”

The reasoning was sound, and Shatien could only nod without rebuttal. Yet he could not help but wonder.

How exactly…

‘How are you going to make me do that?’

He had worked himself to the bone to modulate the use of the ability as it was, and now he was to regulate its intensity. Shatien could not picture it.

The old man clicked his tongue, as if sensing the doubt.

“You have quite an impudent look. Why? You think you cannot control it?”

“N-No. That’s not it.”

“Stop pretending to be dumb. The power you have is very similar to the projection of will used by swordsmen who have reached a certain realm.”

Shatien tilted his head again.

He had never heard the term projection of will.

“Think of it as very similar to what you use. A swordsman who has crossed a threshold and can infuse will can interpret and analyze information within his domain. He knows where to go and what is most optimal.”

“Oh? That sounds almost the same, no?”

“It is not the same. In manifestation and intensity it is far inferior to yours. It also has many constraints.”

Saying this, the old man stood and walked out the door. Shatien hurried to follow.

“Here, take this.”

They reached the large practice yard in the back. The old man handed Shatien a strip of black cloth.

“What… is this, Master?”

“Just take it.”

One direct experience is better than a hundred explanations.

Thinking so, the old man pointed at a stake driven into the ground.

“Now put on the blindfold and climb up on that.”

“…Huh?”

“I said climb up.”

He asked again, thinking he had misheard, but the answer was the same.

A sense of foreboding crept over Shatien, but he slowly climbed onto the post.

“Hmm. Good. Very good. Now put on the blindfold.”

The old man spoke while holding a pouch he had fetched from somewhere.

The pouch was filled with stones. Shatien felt his foreboding become reality.

“Uh… Master? Is this what I think it is?”

Shatien asked carefully.

The reply that came was.

-Swish!

A stone that whistled through the air at great speed.

“Blegh-!”

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