Inheriting the Novel

Chapter 78 : The Requirements of a Swordmaster (2)

The Requirements of a Swordmaster (2)

"So that's why Fabian was able to master the Moon Severing Divine Sword without much trouble."

I became newly aware of just how outrageous Fabian's talent really was.

Well, I supposed that's also why he could become the savior of the world.

"Then, does that mean I won't be able to master the technique within the given time?"

Honestly, just having been able to learn the Moon Severing Divine Sword directly from Damian was already an incredible stroke of luck.

Of course, it would be great if I could perfectly master the Moon Severing Divine Sword through profile additions, but even as things were, it meant there was at least the possibility I could learn it someday.

'If only it weren't for all the things about to happen, I would've been satisfied with that.'

But thinking of what was to come, I realized that just learning it wouldn't be enough—I needed to master it completely.

"That's nothing to be disappointed about, though."

Grancesia said that in a casual tone to me.

"Increasing your magic power is something you can work on. Understanding the techniques and their flow is simple. All you have to do is watch closely."

"If you put it that way, anyone could do it."

If it could be solved just by trying, it wouldn't be a problem.

Gathering magic power depended on one's sensitivity to magic, and technique and flow relied on one's ability to perceive and judge the situation.

None of these were things that an ordinary person like me could resolve right away.

Someone like Grancesia, who was born brimming with talent, would never understand.

As I followed my thoughts to that point, something suddenly flew toward me.

"...!"

I instinctively jerked my head back to avoid it.

Startled by the sudden situation, I glanced to the side and only realized afterward that it was Grancesia's punch.

"What the hell are you doing?"

"See? You dodged it."

"What?"

Grancesia slowly withdrew her fist and smiled slyly.

"If you were the same as before, you would've taken that blow and collapsed on the spot. But now, even without any signs, you dodged my attack easily."

"... Wasn't it just a coincidence?"

"No way. Before, even if I'd warned you, you would've still gotten hit."

She said that as she slowly stood up.

I also stood facing her.

Height-wise, Grancesia was a head shorter than me, but the pressure emanating from her overwhelmed even Damian's.

"It's not just your swordsmanship that's improved. You're already able to read the situation more accurately and make quick decisions."

"Don't tell me..."

At her words, I began to suspect something.

"Is it because of Only Mind?"

"That's right. Your mastery of 'Only Mind' has advanced."

After saying that, Grancesia caught her breath and continued calmly.

"Do you know the biggest difference between a Swordmaster and a Sword Expert?"

"... I've never really thought about it."

I'd just assumed they were stronger and on a far higher level.

"To become a Swordmaster, you must read the principle."

"Read the principle?"

"Read the information around you, perceive the situation, and sense the flow that exists around yourself so you can make judgments. If you can do all that subconsciously, you'll have grasped the most important thing about being a Swordmaster."

I remembered hearing that explanation before.

Except, that talk hadn't been about Sword Masters, but when she'd explained the plausibility of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art.

"The closest thing to that is the 'Only Mind' of Heaven's Holy Ultimate Art I just mentioned. Before transcending humanity, it's about perfecting the basics. Seeing, hearing, feeling—controlling those abilities."

In other words, reaching the level of Swordmaster meant completing the fundamentals of being human to perfection.

"To put it simply... it's not impossible to imitate a Swordmaster. If all you want is to master the technique, learning just the basics of Only Mind will suffice."

At last, I understood what Grancesia was trying to say.

"Then, I can solve two of the issues you mentioned."

"Correct. And the first one can be solved very easily."

Grancesia pointed her finger at my waist.

There was nothing there at the moment, but in reality, it was where my sword sheath would be fastened.

Specifically, the sheath Beatrice had made for me—Agatram.

"You haven't used that properly all this time, have you? With that, your rate of magic power absorption will increase dramatically. At least, it'll be enough for you to perform the Moon Severing Divine Sword's technique in time."

I nodded. Now I fully understood what she was trying to say.

"So if I completely master Only Mind and increase my magic power..."

"Then you'll naturally reach Swordmaster. Of course, Only Mind is a bit different from being a Swordmaster."

Only Mind was about perfectly perceiving and judging information, then making appropriate decisions.

A Swordmaster reached that state by also achieving complete control over a perfected physical body.

In other words, I could first attain the eyes and judgment of a Swordmaster, satisfying the minimum condition to learn the Moon Severing Divine Sword quickly.

And if I completed my physical form and even gained some enlightenment, I could become a true Swordmaster.

'I thought Fabian was a cheat...'

Listening silently to Grancesia, I suddenly had this thought.

'But now that I think about it, isn't she just about the same?'

Fabian was the protagonist, after all, but for a supposed extra like Grancesia to have this kind of ability was sometimes laughable.

'Well, it's good for me either way.'

At least according to Grancesia, the problem of learning the Moon Severing Divine Sword was resolved.

From now on, what mattered was whether or not I could master the basics of Only Mind in time.

* * *

Two weeks passed in the blink of an eye.

The sudden domain war forced us to summon soldiers and knights and prepare in an incredibly short span of time.

But for Count Bellen, pressed for time with each day, it felt more like several years.

"It seems the soldiers from Vanhart haven't arrived yet."

At the border between Vanhart territory and Count Bellen's domain.

On the plains stretching between the two domains, nearly a thousand of House Bellen's soldiers were gathered.

There were at least fifty knights among them, a considerable number.

'If this were the old days, I would've stormed straight into the lord's manor in the castle by now.'

In the past, domain wars had been fought without even a shred of rules, carried out without restraint.

But ever since King Leogart ascended the throne, domain wars had become orderly and were now considered honorable battles.

This was done to minimize the sacrifices of the kingdom's soldiers and knights.

"Nior, are you feeling better?"

"Yes, father."

Count Bellen, mounted on a black horse, looked at his son who approached him.

Nior Bellen might have caused some foolish trouble recently, but he was still a knight who had reached intermediate-rank Sword Expert.

"You know how important this domain war is, don't you? Of course, winning is a given, but you must also achieve merit. I'll assign some knights to you—make sure you defeat Clay Vanhart, especially."

Right now, Clay Vanhart was the most famous figure in the Kingdom of Talua.

He defeated demonkin during the war with the Kingdom of Kainzel, and stopped the calamity that struck the Empire of Asktalin.

Just that alone made him a huge topic of conversation, and news that he was especially close to the Empire's princess had spread his name so widely there was no one who hadn't heard of him.

"Come to think of it... didn't they say he acquired some special sword from the Empire?"

The Seven Swords Under Heaven, was it?

Apparently, he'd received a treatment befitting a legendary hero after acquiring it in the Empire of Asktalin.

However, Count Bellen did not believe any of those stories.

'It's probably nothing more than an imperial award from a duke. He didn't seem to be on ordinary terms with the princess, after all...'

Perhaps he'd simply indulged the whims of a spoiled princess.

After all, if one wanted to associate with an imperial princess, he couldn't look the part unless he was at least something like a hero.

"Father."

As he was lost in thought, Nior spoke anxiously.

"I—I have no confidence."

"What did you say?"

"He's not an ordinary man. He's nothing like what you imagine, father. He's not someone to take lightly."

Nior's voice trembled, and Count Bellen's face twisted with rage.

"Fool! Here I am, trying to restore your disgraced honor!"

Smack!

Count Bellen slapped Nior hard across the face.

"That's enough, then! I'll deal with him myself. You just keep yourself out of trouble!"

"F-Father!"

Nior tried to stop him in a panic, but Count Bellen had already stopped listening.

'If I kill him under the guise of an accident and seize Vanhart territory...'

Pwooooo!

Just then.

A loud horn sounded, and on the other side of the plain, soldiers of Vanhart territory appeared.

At a glance, their numbers were clearly fewer than House Bellen's soldiers.

"Khahaha! See? Even if he gathered mercenaries, that's all he could muster!"

The knights of House Vanhart numbered at most ten. There were only about 200 soldiers.

On top of that, he'd recruited around 300 mercenaries, but that still paled compared to House Bellen's soldiers.

"Hahaha! Ha ha...?"

Count Bellen's hearty laughter began to dwindle. That was because new forces appeared atop the hill.

"How many mercenaries did they hire?"

Even among the initial forces, there had been quite a few mercenaries.

Once mercenaries are hired, they usually keep their word.

But since they are quite clear on separating the side likely to win or lose, they are hesitant to join the side headed for defeat.

Yet, the fact Clay managed to hire 300 mercenaries was remarkable.

And now, it looked like he'd hired several hundred more?

"How many are there?"

"At least several hundred, I'd say..."

Like Count Bellen, the soldiers and knights couldn't help expressing their astonishment.

The newly arrived soldiers atop the hill were clearly mercenaries, given their unusual uniforms and colorful banners.

"T-That banner...!"

Nior immediately recognized the emblem on the newly arrived mercenaries' flag.

A black skull with a sword pierced through its head.

Out of the entire continent, there was only one group that could display that symbol.

"F-Father, it's the Black Skull Company!"

"What?"

"It's the Black Skull Company—one of Mercenary King Sehenz's five subordinate groups!"

Under Mercenary King Sehenz existed five subordinate companies.

Among them, the Black Skull Company was said to be the largest and most skilled.

In other words, they were widely considered the continent's top mercenary company.

Knowing the weight of that name, Nior nearly fainted.

"No, this can't be..."

Even though Count Bellen didn't know much about mercenaries, it was obvious at a glance that these mercenaries were extraordinary.

Even if all he faced were regular mercenaries, with numbers like those, it'd be hard to tell who would win—but with those people mixed in, there was no chance left.

"Count, it's time... I think you should go out there."

A knight by Count Bellen's side spoke quietly.

There, in the middle of the plain, stood Clay Vanhart, already waiting.

Now, the moment Clay and Count Bellen exchanged their territory banners, the domain war would begin.

Victory would go to whichever side first recovered its own banner after exchange.

"Kh!"

Count Bellen spurred his horse toward the middle of the plain, where armies faced each other across the field.

Clay, who had arrived first, wore a perfectly composed face as he handed over the Vanhart flag, emblazoned with the family crest, to Count Bellen.

"You have some truly valiant soldiers, Count. Looks like this will be a good match."

"Y-You scoundrel! How dare you bring mercenaries into an honorable domain war!"

"You investigated everything already, didn't you? Getting angry now is just ridiculous."

"...!"

Clay was calmly letting Count Bellen investigate him as much as he wanted.

Count Bellen, at a loss for words, found Clay smiling gently at him.

"Count Bellen, this time, it won't end with just a single mine."

At those words, Count Bellen realized.

He was not the one who had set the trap and was lying in wait.