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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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Chapter 137
'It's about time I practiced swordsmanship.'
The magic swordsman build requires a balance of both magic and swordsmanship.
Only then can the efficiency of the magic swordsman build be realized.
No matter how top-tier the spirit imprint is, if I rely solely on [The Former Master of Swordsmanship] without building up my own swordsmanship skills, it's no better than a standard mage build for me.
As such.
'The foundation for magic and physique has been laid to some extent.'
The most urgent thing for me now was to develop my swordsmanship.
However...
"Hah, hah...!"
This was not the kind of method I was hoping for.
This is torture, not training.
My breath is caught in my throat, and my legs are shaking.
My whole body is already drenched in sweat.
"J-just a moment..."
But Elbert didn't show any leniency, as he had said beforehand.
Swaaaeek!
Despite my poor condition, a sharply honed aura once again rushed towards me.
Taaat!
I immediately surrounded my body with light magic to respond, but it was still a hair's breadth.
Was Elbert's special move to unleash sword energy while thrusting his sword like that?
Indeed, it was threatening enough to be called a special move.
'What kind of sparring is this? He's just trying to kill me...'
If I had been even a little late, there would have been a hole in my body.
If I had used electric transformation magic like before, I would have been hit 100 percent.
With that thought, I complained.
"No, can't you give me even a moment to catch my breath..."
"Enemies don't wait for you in the middle of a fight."
"Am I your enemy?"
Elbert didn't give me a proper answer to my question and changed the subject.
"By the way, I'm sure I told you not to use magic?"
He didn't seem to care about my feelings at all, and instead had a dissatisfied look on his face.
"This is strictly swordsmanship training. Refrain from using magic."
Frankly, I know what he's thinking.
If I only dodge with magic, my swordsmanship will naturally not improve, and that's what he doesn't like.
But.
"Then should I just get hit? Do you have to see me bleed here to be satisfied?"
I couldn't help it either.
He was shooting such threatening sword energy.
It would be different if he lowered the power even a little.
But what followed was Elbert's shameless reaction.
"What are you talking about? When did I say you should get hit? I said block it with your sword."
"That's easier said than done..."
I couldn't hear the answer this time either.
Swaaaeek!
Once again, the aura rushed towards me intensely.
Paaat!
I reflexively used [Teleport] to avoid it, but...
"This is really driving me crazy."
I wasn't in a good mood at all.
No, I was in a foul mood.
After all, I'm the one who wants to improve my swordsmanship more than anyone else.
I know very well that this kind of method is nothing more than a pointless war of attrition.
"......I just want to ask you one thing."
"Speak."
"Is it really possible for me to block that with a sword?"
It was a point that needed to be clarified.
I absolutely refused to die a dog's death while dueling in a place like this.
Fortunately.
"If it were impossible, I wouldn't have asked you to do it in the first place. I've grasped your skills. You're capable enough."
Elbert gave a positive answer.
Only then did courage begin to gradually grow in my heart.
'......So, it's possible, huh?'
Elbert wouldn't have bothered to tell a pointless lie about something like this.
That means, it really is possible for me to block that sword energy.
"Hoo."
I took a short deep breath and assumed a stance.
My hands were tightly gripping the ornamental sword.
This time, no matter what happens, I was determined to collide with it with this sword.
Whether that attempt ends in success or failure.
"Good eyes."
Elbert, who gave a slight smile, immediately stretched out his sword.
Then, the sword energy flew along its trajectory.
Swaaaeek!
'It's coming!'
Thump! Thump! Thump......!
I felt my heart beating several times faster than usual and focused all my nerves on the sword energy.
Is it because I'm in an awakened state?
Or is it because I'm pouring out an enormous amount of concentration?
When I actually tried to face it, it felt like it was approaching slower than when I tried to avoid it.
And at that moment.
'Now!'
I, who was judging the timing, swung my sword downwards without hesitation.
Then, the sword I swung and the sword energy collided with each other.
Crack, crackle!
The sword, which had directly received the aura, ended up breaking.
And that too, into pieces.
"......Huh?"
I was very embarrassed.
This was a development I had never imagined at all.
"Why is this......"
Crumble.
When I picked up the small fragments of the sword that had fallen on the ground, they scattered like coarse sand.
It was a complete and utter destruction.
Swordsmanship or whatever, my whole head was filled with thoughts about this sword.
'......Isn't this expensive?'
The one and only fortress of Asternon.
It was a sword placed as a decoration in the VIP room where high-ranking officials stayed.
No matter how I thought about it, the price couldn't be cheap.
On the other hand, Elbert remained nonchalant.
"How was it? How did it feel to directly block the aura?"
"......Is that what's important now? The sword is broken?"
It ended up like this with even just one swing.
Precisely, in one blow.
If I had swung it even a few more times, I wouldn't have felt so wronged.
Perhaps my bewildered appearance was amusing, as Elbert let out a snicker and said.
"Don't worry. Since it's something I asked you to do, I'll pay for it."
What?
"......Is that really true?"
"I'm not the type to say one thing and do another."
Whew, what a relief.
I almost spent the profits I earned from the war here before I even got a good feel of it.
"So, focus on swordsmanship again. How was it when you directly blocked the aura?"
Elbert urged me to focus on training.
Thanks to him, I was relieved, and I followed his words.
"It was more manageable than I thought. It can be blocked."
"Right? Blocking aura isn't that difficult. Especially for a mage."
Sssssss!
Elbert created an aura around his body and continued his explanation.
"I don't know if you know, but the essence of magic power and aura isn't that different. As such, unless there's an overwhelming difference, a mage can easily block aura."
One question that arose here was why he kept adding that it was manageable because I was a 'mage'.
And to that question.
"......Didn't you know? You used magic while blocking my sword energy just now."
He mentioned my own actions that I wasn't even aware of and cleared up my doubts.
Momentarily flustered, I immediately retraced the situation from before.
'I drew up magic power?'
Since I was focusing all my nerves only on the sword energy, I didn't remember doing such a thing.
If Elbert's words were true, it seemed that I had really reflexively used magic while deflecting the sword energy.
When my thoughts reached that point, an ominous possibility came to mind.
'Then perhaps......'
It was about the reason why the ornamental sword broke.
"Did the sword break because of that?"
Elbert nodded at my question.
"Of course. Wouldn't such an ornamental sword be unable to withstand your magic power?"
......That was it.
Now I understand.
Why the sword broke with just one swing.
Just when I felt a sense of guilt,
"Then let's resume training."
Elbert suddenly told me to continue.
Of course, from my point of view, I was simply taken aback.
"How can I... when the sword is broken?"
"You're saying ridiculous things."
Elbert let out a dumbfounded laugh and said.
"Since when have you relied on such a material sword? From now on, we'll go with the method you're most familiar with."
Before he could even finish his words.
Clatter!
Elbert, wearing thick armor, adjusted his stance with a clatter.
He's about to unleash his aura at any moment.
Whoooong!
I instinctively generated [Sword of Light], and at that moment, I realized that this was what Elbert wanted.
'......So, he's really going to go all the way?'
It seems that he has no intention of doing it moderately and stopping.
Then, the only thing I can do is to continue this sparring until he is satisfied.
***
By the time the training in the VIP room had continued for more than 3 hours.
Whoom! Whoom!
Swaaaeek!
Elbert, who had been swinging his sword relentlessly and firing off aura, burst into laughter.
And for good reason.
Swish! Swish!
Yuhan was deflecting all of his merciless aura with [Sword of Light].
How could he not laugh when his disciple, who was being trained by him, was showing such results in just a few hours?
At this level.
'He's really amazing......!'
Among all the disciples he had taught so far, he was the most quick-witted.
No one had been able to reach this level in such a short period.
He was feeling a great sense of reward for teaching after a long time.
"Good! That's it! That's what I'm talking about!"
Swaaaeek!
Elbert gradually increased his speed and fired off sword energy.
One, two, three, four...
Brrrr!
Thanks to his skills improving by leaps and bounds, his own body was now sending signals.
That he was overexerting himself.
At that moment.
Stop.
Elbert's movements suddenly stopped.
This was because a sharp killing intent was being felt right below his neck.
Elbert carefully raised his head, and the mage, who had his sword aimed at his neck, said in a calm voice.
"You're too excited. Knight Commander."
"......I was."
As he said, he was too excited.
Thanks to that, he had given away an opening.
What was surprising here was that this mage had caught that split second.
Is this really something a mage can react to?
Really, there was no aspect that didn't make me admire him.
"It's your victory. Yuhan."
Elbert cleanly acknowledged it without making any excuses.
This time, it was definitely Yuhan's victory.
"What victory or anything. Forget it, let's stop here today? My body won't be able to take it."
"So be it."
Elbert also agreed with Yuhan's opinion.
He was also starting to see abnormal signs in his own body.
The injuries he sustained in the war hadn't fully recovered yet anyway.
It was right to stop and rest.
Elbert had one last thing to confirm and opened his mouth.
"How was the swordsmanship training today?"
It was a review of today's training.
It was one of the processes that Elbert always went through at the end when teaching many disciples.
Yuhan answered the question without hesitation.
Not with his mouth, but with his body.
Swoosh!
Yuhan suddenly started swinging [Sword of Light] in the air.
Every time his movements continued, Elbert said as if murmuring.
"Form 1."
Swoosh!
"Form 2."
Swoosh!
"......Form 3."
What he was doing now was the 7 basic forms of swordsmanship.
Among them, it was up to the third form.
He had perfectly mastered up to the third form in just a few hours.
What's more.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
A flexible aura of magic power flowed over the [Sword of Light].
It was similar to the phenomenon that appeared when Elbert himself put aura on the sword.
He had created a mage swordsman's unique aura using magic power.
Swish!
Yuhan, who had done that much, put away the [Sword of Light] and said.
"You might become a great swordsmanship master faster than becoming a great commander."
"Puhuhuhu......"
He said it directly, but I could tell.
That he was very satisfied with this training.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Prøks]
[Proofreader - Prøks]
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