Ch.116116. Things I Cannot Yield

The weapon arts of the Four Seasons each had distinct characteristics.

This was because they all specialized in different primary weapons.

Spring Shield wielded shields.

Summer Spear wielded spears.

Autumn Bow wielded bows.

Winter Sword wielded swords.

Since each held weapons with different uses, their development paths also diverged.

Some prioritized defense, others offense, and some balanced both.

Regardless of their approach, the weapon arts developed with one common goal.

To effectively eliminate enemies.

The ultimate purpose of the Four Seasons’ weapon arts was to maximize the potential of weapons born for war.

– Clang!

Gilbert deflected the steel arrow of Autumn Bow, which had attempted a perfectly concealed long-range snipe. The mana-infused steel arrow possessed such tremendous destructive power that even deflecting it made his sword ring with vibration.

The Autumn Bow successor, despite her fragile personality, was a master of sniping with a bow. Once her growth was complete, she would become a sniper capable of making ultra-long-range shots without emotional disturbance.

The arrow she had just fired was a perfect snipe targeting a momentary opening Gilbert had shown. Had her opponent been anyone else, they would have suffered greatly, but she had chosen the wrong target.

The Spring Shield successor, Maium, who had somehow reached the rocky mountain where the Autumn Bow successor was hiding, now targeted her. With his shield raised in front, he charged forward steadily like a tank.

However, the Autumn Bow successor showed no sign of panic as she struck the shield with her steel bow and quickly created distance between them.

While bows were somewhat vulnerable in close combat due to their nature, that was only relative compared to other Four Seasons weapon art successors.

Twenty minutes into the sparring match, the situation had devolved into a chaotic melee.

Gilbert exchanged blows with Edel before dodging another incoming snipe with a back flip.

Edel seized the opportunity to thrust her iron spear, but Gilbert deflected it at an angle with his shoulder armor.

– Screech!

The chilling sound of scraping metal rang in their ears.

Gilbert calmly avoided the attack and briefly assessed the situation. Having done countless crazy things for achievement quests, he was long accustomed to multi-opponent battles like this.

Of course, the title of Four Seasons successor wasn’t earned through neighborhood games, so he couldn’t be completely at ease. However, with his control stat maxed at 100, he had some leeway against the successors.

The successors themselves recognized this fact.

They couldn’t deny that Gilbert possessed superior control skills compared to them.

Even when they executed exquisite coordinated attacks, Gilbert would either flow around them like water or deflect them. This difference both demoralized and exhausted them.

“Gilberrrrt!”

The Summer Spear youngster, Edel, charged at Gilbert while shouting his name.

It was Summer Spear’s ultimate technique, Sa-il (Shooting the Sun).

The fierce thrust aimed at Gilbert’s cockpit with enough force to shoot down the sun.

Not bad at all.

Gilbert genuinely admired the completeness of Sa-il.

It was a pleasant surprise that Edel had grown this much, beyond his expectations.

He swung his sword upward just before the spear tip reached his cockpit.

Golden mana formed a brilliant light as it shot skyward.

– Boom!

When the mana-infused iron spear and sword collided, it sounded like an exploding shell. Edel must have filled her attack with maximum mana, as Gilbert’s giant war machine was pushed back slightly.

But what mattered was that he had blocked the attack without taking damage.

Edel’s face turned pale when she saw her all-out attack blocked so easily.

She couldn’t have imagined that Summer Spear’s ultimate technique, Sa-il, would be countered so effortlessly.

And the result was devastating.

Gilbert was not one to miss an opportunity.

Winter Sword – Icicle

Having received a thrust, Gilbert responded with a thrust of his own.

His sword technique, imbued with spiral principles, tore through the mana barrier and immobilized Edel’s war machine.

After easily defeating Edel, Gilbert dodged Maium’s shield charge with high-speed movement.

Steel arrows followed, predicting his movement path, but these too missed their mark.

“What kind of monster is this guy?!”

Maium cursed as he chased after Gilbert, but he had already moved beyond attack range.

– Boom! Boom!

“Damn it! This is maddening!”

As the Autumn Bow successor changed targets and began bombarding him with arrows, Maium raised his shield and switched to defensive stance.

Each arrow struck his shield with the weight of magical armor.

Maium channeled all his mana into his shield and advanced with mountain-like momentum. A moment’s carelessness could result in immobilization from an arrow.

In the chaos of the arrow barrage, he lost track of Gilbert’s movements for an instant.

While Gilbert was the most dangerous opponent, the unpredictable arrows falling like autumn leaves had diverted Maium’s attention, which proved fatal.

Winter Sword – North Wind

“Damn it all!”

A high-speed shift leaving afterimages.

The attack, executed with ultra-fast movement, immobilized him.

Having lost the match due to a momentary mistake, Maium struck his control stick in frustration.

Gilbert Lion Heart. Just you wait!

Maium had to swallow the bitter taste of defeat.

Now alone, the Autumn Bow successor Atlanta caught her breath behind the rocky mountain where she was hiding.

Though this wasn’t her first multi-opponent battle, she was unusually tense.

She had heard that Gilbert, infamous as a ruffian, had changed, but this was extreme.

She hadn’t believed the rumors that he had been thoroughly concealing his skills until now, but experiencing it firsthand made her a believer.

No matter what direction or moment she fired her arrows, he somehow sensed them and avoided them all with minimal, optimal movements.

They were surely using the same generic artificial spirits, yet his spatial awareness was inexplicable.

Having fired arrows only at perfect moments until now, she contemplated her next move.

But with all other successors immobilized, her options were limited.

What could an archer do against a madman who dodged every arrow, even those fired at the perfect timing during close combat?

Still, being cold-headed in battle, she frantically searched for the best strategy to achieve victory despite the adverse conditions.

First, she couldn’t stay in one place.

If close combat began, she might not be able to do anything.

Then she noticed Gilbert’s war machine in the distance, assuming a strange posture.

His right arm was pulled back as if about to shoot a bow.

What is he trying to do?

Atlanta, unable to contain her curiosity, stopped moving on the rocky mountain.

At that moment.

– Swish! Boom!

She thought she saw a golden arrow, and then her war machine was immobilized.

It ended before she could even understand what had hit her.

Atlanta couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity of it all.

Ah, this is truly unbearable.

She shook her head and opened her cockpit to exit.

Near her war machine was Gilbert’s iron sword, stuck in the ground after being blocked by her machine’s mana barrier.

Only then did Atlanta understand what had happened to her.

***

[You have cleared the hidden route “Peak of the Four Seasons.”]

[The Successor’s Saga is complete.]

[The power of the Saga imbues your body.]

[Achievement “One Who Sings the Saga” is updated.]

After immobilizing Atlanta with his Ice Awl, Gilbert smiled contentedly at the translucent window before him.

With this, he had obtained all the essential rewards from this exchange meeting part.

Though it hadn’t gone exactly according to plan, the result was a splendid success.

As they say, all roads lead to Rome, right?

In that sense, Gilbert was very satisfied with this main scenario.

After returning his war machine to the hangar, Gilbert faced the Four Seasons weapon art successors again.

They each looked at him differently.

Spring Shield successor Maium with resentful eyes.

Summer Spear successor Edel with eyes full of fighting spirit.

Autumn Bow successor Atlanta with eyes that seemed fed up.

Gilbert, who didn’t much care about others’ evaluations, brushed off these gazes.

After all, their recognition wouldn’t improve his rewards.

“Gilbert Lion Heart. Next time won’t be so easy. So take good care of that Sigurd until then. I will definitely come for her.”

Maium, still fixated on Brynhildr, left with just those words.

To be honest, his current skill level didn’t even match Brynhildr’s.

Although Brynhildr kept losing to Gilbert, she was a great warrior of the Sigurd clan. With ordinary skill, one would only embarrass themselves before her.

“That was amazing. I’m truly surprised. Besides my master, you’re the first person to dodge my sniping so easily.”

That was fun.

With those words and a gentle smile, Atlanta returned to where her master was.

The only one remaining was Summer Spear successor Edel.

“I’ll admit it. Gilbert, you’re my rival.”

Rival? That gives me PTSD.

Gilbert had to manage his expression to avoid grimacing.

The word “rival” overlapped with Ian’s words and didn’t sound pleasant to him.

Still, having Edel consider him a rival wasn’t a bad situation.

To her, a rival meant a friend engaged in friendly competition.

If he needed her help in the future, having cultivated this level of friendship meant she would readily assist, which pleased Gilbert.

“I have a lot to say, but my master says she wants to talk with you. As a lady, I can’t rudely take up your time.”

See you later.

With those words, Edel also departed.

Now only Briana, Edel’s master Diara, and the students who had watched the match remained.

Diara asked Briana’s permission first.

“I’d like to borrow your disciple for a moment.”

“Very well. Gil, when you’re done talking, come to my office.”

Briana said only what was necessary before heading to her office.

The surrounding students had all dispersed after the match ended.

Camilla tried to mouth something to Gilbert from a distance, but she was swept away by the crowd before he could understand.

Now only Gilbert and Diara remained in the hangar.

“First, I thank you. Edel learned a great deal.”

“You flatter me.”

What is she trying to say with all this build-up?

This indirect approach was unlike the usually straightforward Diara.

She seemed to be circling around what she wanted to say, warming up before getting to the point.

Gilbert found this curious.

“Didn’t you have something you wanted to say?”

Unable to contain his curiosity, Gilbert took the initiative.

He conveyed his desire for her to speak directly rather than beating around the bush.

“Yes, that’s unlike me. Let me ask you directly. Gilbert, what are you looking at?”

What am I looking at?

Gilbert again failed to understand Diara’s meaning. She had cut too much context from her question.

Diara, sensing this, cleared her throat a few times.

“I spoke too abruptly. It seems age hasn’t cured my impatience.”

“It’s fine.”

“Thank you. What I want to ask you isn’t anything special. I’m simply curious about what you’re aiming for.”

His aim.

In other words, his goal.

Gilbert’s goal, no matter what anyone said, was to return to his original world.

People naturally long for their homeland.

Isn’t homesickness born from such psychology?

Even if that place wasn’t particularly good, not all memories there were bad.

His life, everything he had wanted to do, was in his original world.

And his comrades, who were like family, were buried there.

That alone was reason enough for Gilbert to want to return to his original world.

Though he couldn’t reveal this fact to anyone, his resolve was firm.

“I’m not sure what you’re asking.”

Since he couldn’t say his goal was to return to his original world, he gave a noncommittal answer.

Whether Diara understood his meaning or not, she continued in an even tone.

“Your realm. And your superior skill in controlling war machines. Looking at these two things, it’s clear the next era will belong to you, Gilbert. So I’m curious. What exactly are you seeing and aiming for?”

Diara seemed determined to hear his answer.

Gilbert carefully considered his response, eventually settling on what he thought was the most neutral option.

“I want to see the end of the sword. Fortunately, I have talent on one side and a master to guide me on the other, so I intend to walk that path.”

“…The end of the sword… Do you intend to be Briana’s companion?”

Companion?

Gilbert once again felt things taking a strange turn.

Upon reflection, it seemed what Diara wanted to know wasn’t Gilbert’s personal goal.

At first, he thought she was curious about what vision the next generation’s leader had, but Diara’s gaze was unusual.

It carried the gravity of someone facing a once-in-a-lifetime rival.

Wait, rival? Diara sees me as a rival?

An ominous thought crossed Gilbert’s mind.

“Briana has chosen you as a companion to walk the ancient path of the sword with her. But in the way of martial arts, there can be no companions. You must vaguely see it too. The realm of transcendence has no visible end. So Briana probably doesn’t think of you as just a companion.”

Diara now looked ready to shoot lasers from her eyes.

Gilbert was certain things had gone terribly wrong.

“But I cannot accept it. You might think I’m being foolish at my age. But so what? The Summer Spear successor always burns hot. So, Gilbert, you are my worthy opponent.”

Remember that.

Diara gave Gilbert one last intense look before leaving.

Gilbert stood dumbfounded until Diara disappeared, then couldn’t help but laugh at the absurdity.

The disciple declares me a rival, and the master declares me a love rival?

He couldn’t help but think that the disciple took after her master.

It was an added frustration that things had become so unnecessarily complicated.