Ch.11036. Every Moment I Breathe (2)

Kariel’s training appeared extremely monotonous on the surface.

It wasn’t about running to build stamina or doing specific repetitive exercises to build muscle.

It was completely different from such things.

What he did was simple to the point of purity.

He would grip his sword and repeat seven movements.

Four were stances, while the remaining three were more akin to actual swinging and thrusting—even these were simple motions.

He diligently repeated only these movements.

And at a consistent pace.

From sunrise to sunset, there was no inflection point in his flow.

However, as days passed, the speed of connecting his movements slowed down.

By the time a month had passed.

He was completely exhausted after repeating the seven movements just 100 times.

The sun that had risen had long tilted to the other side, and now the moon was shining brightly alongside clusters of stars.

After another month passed.

He reached the point where repeating the seven movements just 10 times consumed half a day.

At a glance, it looked as if he was standing still—a strange sight.

But he was definitely moving.

Minutely. Very minutely.

“That’s incredibly intensive training.”

Ases would occasionally let out small exclamations of admiration watching this.

Did she understand what meaning his actions held?

Mines had no way of knowing.

She was somewhat skeptical about wielding weapons and even their necessity.

It wasn’t just because she had inherited the legacy of the Demon King.

By nature, she disliked fighting and intimidating others.

…And she fully understood that such a personality was rather unsuitable for living in this era.

But what she disliked, she disliked.

She recognized the necessity.

Violence and force were necessary evils.

If it was to protect oneself and those around you from someone else’s violence.

That would certainly be a necessary evil.

“……”

If that was the case.

For what purpose was Kariel honing his sword?

Ambition? Honor?

Aspiring to strength?

Pursuing the fruits that could be obtained through becoming stronger?

Venus, whom she had observed for a long time in Somern, had always desired and aspired to strength more than anyone.

Wielding power was merely a byproduct of possessing it.

What about Ases?

She pursued strength because she believed she needed it to reap rewards.

For her, both power and skill were nothing more than tools according to necessity.

Therefore, she had no attachment.

She acquired them because they were necessary, used them because they were necessary, and sought to possess them because they were necessary.

What about Kariel?

As time passed, winter encroached and spring returned.

His training became even more peculiar and persistent than before.

Now it took him a full two days without sleep to complete just one repetition of the seven movements.

Like a human statue or bronze figure, he seemed to inhabit a completely static world.

Yet after a long time had passed, his posture and movements would have subtly changed.

After sleeping and waking, these changes became even more dramatic.

He was moving.

Even within that seemingly motionless state, he was definitely moving.

“When learning the Dragon God Sword style, you initially master about 500 movements.”

As Mines watched from a distance with deep curiosity, Ases standing beside her began to explain.

Mines asked, puzzled:

“500 movements?”

“Yes. You had to memorize them all.”

If your mind is sharp but your body can’t keep up, you might spend your entire life just memorizing them.

The funny thing is, even memorizing all that doesn’t mean you’ve mastered swordsmanship.

That wasn’t even the beginning.

“Once you’ve mastered those 500 movements to the point where you can handle them skillfully, unconsciously, you then have to cut them in half. Then you learn over 200 movements from scratch again, then cut those in half again to master over 100 movements…”

“…Is there a reason for doing it that way?”

Even with just a few dozen movements, countless people remain novices despite honing their skills for years, decades, or even lifetimes.

What Ases was describing seemed far beyond the realm of common sense.

“Training, mastery, understanding principles and applications, body modification—it all comes together. Anyway, after reducing and reducing until you’re down to about twenty movements, that’s when you reach the intermediate level.”

“……”

“From there, you start expanding again, returning to 500 movements. You go through the same reverse process to create them.”

Davas’s Fighting God Style was a swordsmanship system developed through exactly this process.

In other words, the Fighting God Style was established to comprehensively teach practice, acquisition, training, and understanding before going through the reverse process.

“Those who came before carved out a shortcut. So those who learn the Fighting God Style have the privilege of learning the Dragon God Sword, but…”

Mastering it is nearly impossible for most people.

Even if one does master it, they would already be approaching old age by human standards.

Therefore, unless one is naturally gifted, a heaven-sent talent… greatness is out of reach.

By nature.

This is why it’s an area where effort alone can never achieve greatness.

…Unless that effort reaches the heavens.

“Then out of those 500 movements, you select a few that you can utilize, apply, and continuously refine. That’s the advanced level of the Dragon God Sword. That’s the level I’ve reached.”

“But you didn’t use that against me before, did you?”

Even when confronting her, Ases didn’t seem to properly use this Dragon God Sword or whatever it was.

“No, I was using it. What I’ve systematized from the Dragon God Sword is limited to body movement and footwork. As for sword movements, strictly speaking, I only have one. I used that to parry and block your attacks just fine, didn’t I?”

“……”

“Besides, the advanced level has its limitations. If I had reached beyond the highest level, to the realm of mastery… I wouldn’t have been so helpless back then. Even though my physical condition wasn’t great… I wouldn’t have needed to get so injured when facing that insane brigade commander.”

It was difficult to understand, but the intent behind her words was somewhat clear.

“Are you saying that he is going through something similar to what you described?”

“I don’t know. The Grandeus sword I knew wasn’t like that.”

But, that’s probably right.

Which means that right now, only he is truly inheriting the Grandeus swordsmanship, the sword, in the true sense.

The Salvation Knight Order’s obsession with Elvart is abnormally intense.

Ases had no way of knowing why they were so fixated, but she didn’t need to understand.

It’s just a tool, after all?

And in this respect, Kariel and Ases surprisingly shared the same position.

He treated even his own swordsmanship as a tool.

If the Salvation Knight Order knew this, they would be beyond outraged.

By their standards, it would be close to blasphemy.

…Even if the blasphemer was the one closest to divinity.

Ding! Diing!

After finishing his training long after sunset, Kariel had recently been focusing on meals once every three days.

The same went for rest.

As a result, Aristetis, who came to learn guitar, also visited every three days.

Naturally, during this time, the instrument wasn’t in its owner’s hands, so Aristetis usually carried it.

“You’ve improved a lot.”

“Hehe…”

The girl scratched the back of her head in embarrassment at Kariel’s evaluation.

“My playing has improved a lot. But… creating new songs or applying various playing techniques to compositions like you do… I’m still…”

“I’m not particularly talented in that area either. Don’t worry too much.”

“But you effortlessly create various songs in an instant!”

“……”

Rarely, even the usually composed Kariel would make an unfamiliar expression at such times.

Something between awkwardness and embarrassment.

“I’m not creating them, just reproducing what I’ve heard.”

“Isn’t that the same thing?”

Although Aristetis was usually quiet and shy, she became particularly talkative and bright-eyed when facing Kariel.

That was…

“A girl with obvious ulterior motives, isn’t she?”

Ases, sitting next to Mines on the cottage roof, looking up at the night sky.

“It’s just girlish. She said from the beginning that she wanted to find a good spouse, didn’t she?”

“She’s materialistic. Materialistic.”

Ases chuckled, but didn’t seem particularly concerned or critical about the developing relationship between Kariel and Aristetis.

“So does Ases only care about the master-servant relationship with him?”

“That’s a somewhat mischievous question. As I said before, I don’t care either way.”

Whether you use a kitchen knife to kill a wolf, a cow, or a chicken.

The essence of the knife remains unchanged.

Similarly.

Whether you use a sword to kill a cow, a monster, or a person.

A sword is just a sword.

“Even the master-servant relationship is just a form defined by society. Because we can’t trust each other, we create hierarchies and establish procedures and order to build forced trust. If trust is guaranteed, what does it matter if we’re master and servant, comrades, or spouses?”

“……”

She was indeed unusual.

Mines would probably never fully empathize with her way of thinking.

However, she wasn’t unable to understand it.

As they spent more time together, she came to know it reasonably well.

“What about you? If you have feelings for him, why not pursue it?”

“……”

Feelings.

For him, she felt more goodwill and respect, those kinds of emotions were stronger.

From the beginning, looking at his current state, he didn’t seem capable of loving, adoring, or dedicating himself to someone.

What if he could?

That made her somewhat curious.

Moreover, Mines still harbored doubts about whether she could walk side by side with someone.

It was a fate where she couldn’t live normally.

By the time she left Somern, she had long accepted this destiny.

She wasn’t wasting time here either.

The Demon King’s legacy.

She was focusing on examining and refining the use of that absurd power.

“Th-thank you!”

Below, the girl was still chasing something dark with eyes full of love.

Is that so lovable? Does it shine so brightly?

On that point, she might understand a little.

Kariel’s playing was exceptionally skilled.

Thanks to this, when he practiced or performed, people would eagerly gather to listen.

Even some animals would habitually, sometimes brazenly, settle in when the time came.

Like that bear lying down by the tree over there.

Or the fox yawning in the tree.

Or the wolf pack bringing even their cubs, yawning while watching the bonfire—a rare spectacle indeed.

As if during that time, even the laws of the wild and survival of the fittest were suspended.

When the short yet long performance time ended, they would naturally disperse and disappear.

…At that point, they were practically half-spiritual creatures.

“I enjoyed today too.”

Aristetis hugged the guitar preciously, bowed in farewell, and disappeared.

Her dwelling was quite far from this place.

“That child seems quite interested in you, you know?”

“……”

Despite Ases’s teasing words, Kariel showed no particular reaction.

“That’s for her to decide.”

“What would you do if she confessed to you?”

“…I would do nothing.”

Without saying whether he would accept or reject her, he ended his statement ambiguously.

So what are you saying you’d do?

“How boring.”

Ases, who had been following Kariel’s retreating figure as he returned to the cave, entered the cottage as if her interest had waned.

“……”

And watching this scene after coming down from the cottage roof, Mines sat quietly for a while, wandering in the silence and solitude that poured down, by the bonfire that had dimmed and now only emitted faint, minute traces of dark smoke.

How long would this silence, this quietude continue?

It could be called peace.

But are we really experiencing peace?

Or are we steeling our hearts to prepare for another war?

One thing was certain.

Unless the burdens each carried and the chains of intertwined tasks were broken.

For me, and for him.

There would be no peace, no stability.

…No rest.

Mines instinctively sensed this.

As spring passed again.

Summer arrived.

And when autumn came again.

“Ah…”

Kariel, who had been focusing on his training without change, suddenly sighed toward the empty air as if realizing something.

“I’m far too late to participate in the jousting tournament.”

As if recalling something he had forgotten, but which now meant nothing.

After a moment, he seemed to forget even this sigh and returned to his training.

And again the world turns white and dry.

From the towering mountain range standing tall in the distance above.

As white traces scatter in the strong wind like falling frost.

Here too, the first snow of the year began to pile up thickly.

Since coming to this place.

A full year and several months had already passed.