Chapter 235: Turns Out, A Lady’s Heart Is Like A Reed (5)

The woman who wouldn’t be strange if she was someone from the Sect located in Mount Putuo if she was born in the Martial Arts world… No, the Sword Duchess of the Offen family explained in more detail.

“Have you ever seen a woman who has never held a sword in her life suddenly able to use superhuman strength to save her child in danger, or a hunter suddenly running at incredible speed to avoid a wolf, tiger, or bear that they suddenly encounter on a mountain path?”

She tapped her head with her index finger as she said so.

“The reason they are able to do that is because when a human is on the brink of death, they can draw out their potential abilities that they were unaware of. And, the thing that allows them to use these potential abilities is none other than…”

Tap-!

“…Will. A power called [Willpower].”

The Sword Duchess continued her explanation while still holding onto the tree branch. It seemed that she liked the tree branch more than he had thought.

Swish-!

“Hmm? Do you have any questions, my dear?”

“T-that…”

Levy, who happened to be sitting next to the others in the garden listening to Felicia’s explanation, raised her hand first and asked a question like a model student.

“Your Grace, is willpower something that anyone can use? Listening to what you said, it sounds like even a commoner who hasn’t mastered the sword can use it. I thought that willpower is something that could only be obtained through endless training?”

“What a wonderful question!”

Felicia looked at Levy with affectionate eyes like a college professor who was happy to be asked a question, and patted her head. On the other hand, Levy just smiled awkwardly as she was embarrassed but unable to avoid the Sword Duchess’ hand.

“Yes, just like what the cute kid said, willpower seems like a power that anyone can use. However, if you think about it the other way around, willpower is like a blade without a handle. Anyone can use it by chance or necessity, but if you misuse that power, you will pay a huge price.”

“What is that price, Your Grace?”

“If I had to use the people I mentioned before as an example, then the mother who saved her child would have her tendons snapped the next day while the person who ran away with all their might to avoid the beast they encountered would have their muscles ruptured. In the end, they had to rest for over a year to recover.”

“…”

“By the way, this is something I saw firsthand.”

“Hmm…!”

Since it’s a real event, it’s even more believable.

“Even though willpower seems like a power that anyone can use, if just anyone uses it, it’s a power that can cause great trouble for them. That’s why training is important, after all, it’s very important to be able to use this willpower as one wants.”

“Can Kunta ask a question?”

“Ask as many questions as you want.”

“When Kunta heard the explanation, Kunta thought that using willpower is like using the power of the body at full power. But, can someone really use telekinesis like Magic Freak by simply using their body full power? Kunta doesn’t quite understand.”

“Wow, I never thought such a big kid like you could ask something like that!”

“…Is that a compliment?”

“Of course.”

Felicia nodded as she thought that Kunta’s point was valid.

“…To answer your question, the ‘basic’ of willpower is to be able to move your body as you wish and place it under the control of will.”

“?”

“Hehe, to explain it more simply, how proficient someone in using their willpower is determined by how much they can move that potential ability as they wish. At some point, that power will even affect the outside world. In Baltar’s words, it’s the ‘The moment where my mind becomes a sword’”

“???”

“Seems like you still don’t understand.”

“…Kunta seems still have difficulty with the common language.”

“Don’t worry, Kunta. I don’t understand either.”

“I also don’t understand, Kunta.”

The fellow cadets of the swordsmanship department in the academy unexpectedly felt a sense of sympathy and patted each other on the shoulder.

However, unlike his smart cadets and everyone else in the room who failed to understand Felicia’s explanation, Lee Han, who was lying on the lawn exhausted, was able to properly understand what Felicia meant by willpower.

But, it’s not because he’s smart.

So, it’s the power of Mind Sword, huh?

Rather, it was because he had already read similar content in books, so he understood faster than the others.

Mind Sword.

It was a high-level state of where someone could hurt someone else with just the power of thought.

However, in Felicia’s version, someone who could do that seemed to be someone who could freely use the Combat Power from the Combat Technique which was called Vitality rather than the power of thought.

Combat Technique is ultimately a technique that converts the vitality in the body into energy to forcibly increase someone’s physical abilities. However, if someone reach the realm of being able to use their willpower, it means that they would be able to use that power naturally, not forcibly.

Using Combat Technique was about forcibly squeezing water (vitality) from the soil (body), but when someone started using willpower, it meant that it changed to taking water from a river.

In other words, it becomes more natural and easier to use vitality.

It may not seem like much, but it’s huge.

In a way, the disadvantages that all other knights faced except for Lee Han, such as the risk of sustaining internal injuries and the inability to last very long in a battle would be resolved if they could use willpower. Moreover, since there would be no need to use Combat Technique anymore since moving the vitality would be much easier, less power would be wasted.

If that were the case, then theoretically,

It will be possible to move the sword from far away.

Just like before when Felicia used it to move the rocks, it might be possible to use it on people too.

However…

What that nine-tailed fox lady did wasn’t just simply moving something with energy…

Should he said that it was a completely different realm from simply manipulating objects with telekinesis? After all, he could feel no trace of vitality when she did it. He felt like she was literally doing it at the level of ‘Mind Sword’ where someone could lift a sword with just their mind.

It’s just a guess, but maybe…

“Is there a level of willpower as well?”

“Huh? You’ve already figured that out? What a strange one. Judging from your appearance, you don’t seem to be someone who uses your brain…”

“Don’t discriminate against people based on their appearance, and just answer me.”

“Um, sorry, I didn’t mean to say that, but…um, to answer your question, I think it’s wrong to say that there’s a level. If I had to say it, willpower is just like swordsmanship. The more you train it, the more refined your skills become, but the more you dig, the more you can’t see the end.”

“So it’s like that…”

“That’s right.”

“Then, the level of willpower I have now…”

“…Um, at best, it’s like the strength of a baby who’s about 100 days old when they hold a toy sword?”

“…”

Lee Han always wondered why she kept calling her ‘dear’ while using the word ‘kid’ to other kids, but seemed like in her eyes, his level of willpower was really just like that of a baby celebrating their first birthday party.

Lee Han finally nodded as one of the questions he kept asking himself was finally being resolved, but…

Damn, it seems like it’s justifiable why that old man laughed at me.

Lee Han felt ashamed as he recalled Baltar laughing out loud during their duel. After all, that old man probably could see his level clearly from how he swung his sword.

I was acting cute to him?

Lee Han realized that he had unintentionally acting cute to Baltar at the age of thirty.

Now that I think about it… Don’t I already know what willpower is?

Even though he felt ashamed for realizing that he had unintentionally acted cute  in front of Baltar for a moment, as soon as Lee Han realized that the power called willpower was like the realm of Mind Sword in swordsmanship, he quickly realized that he was already using a part of that power.

Arhat Divine Fist or Boundless Swordsmanship.

Putting willpower into the fist or shaping a blade with willpower.

The basic way to use the willpower that Felicia explained was similar to how Lee Han used it.

Lee Han was quite surprised at himself for already using willpower, but he also thought that if it was going to be like this, there was no need for Baltar to send him to Offen, he could have  taught him himself.

It would save him both time and effort!

However,

“That’s not true. Baltar has never been a person who is good at teaching people, and he has not been involved in worldly affairs since the previous king passed away, so, in order to raise your willpower level, it would be wise to learn from someone like me who is good at handling willpower. I think the fact that he sent you to me was the greatest favor he has ever shown to someone… It seems that he really cares for you, hahaha.”

“That’s a bit….”

Lee Han didn’t believe for even a second that the old man had sent him to Felicia with such a meaningful intention. Even though he looked like a hermit on the outside, he was no different from a crazy person on the inside.

He could have sent me here to make me suffer.

After all, he probably knew that Felicia was this kind of person.

“…You’re so full of distrust toward Baltar.”

“I tremble every time I think about what that old man did to me.”

“Haha, can it be because he’s not used to showing favor?”

“If that’s the case, I would have gone to Avalon a long time ago.”

Lee Han trembled as he recalled what he had been through in the past three years, and Felicia laughed again.

But then,

“It’s true that I can help you. So let’s work hard to train our willpower together!”

“…”

She shouted ‘Let’s go’ vigorously and gave him a passionate look.

In the meantime, Lee Han, who received that look…

What is this? It’s definitely a great fortune for me, so why…

…Does it feel like my energy is running out?

Meanwhile, Iliad, who was watching this whole situation from close range, gave Lee Han a sympathetic look.

“Sir Lee Han must have it rough. Mother is good in everything else, but her passion is too much….”

“But it’s still a great fortune, isn’t it, Your Excellency? There are many people in the kingdom, no, on the continent, who want to receive Her Grace’s teachings.”

“That’s true.”

“…”

As soon as Elza realized what she had said she shut her mouth. After all, she had made a slip of the tongue. She didn’t know about others, but those words weren’t something which should be spoken to Illiad.

And as she expected,

“Elza, I’ll go back now.”

“Master…”

“I’m fine. Don’t worry about it.”

“…”

“Don’t worry. I’m fine.”

Iliad waved his hand at her, who was looking at him like he was a child standing on the water’s edge, and smiled brightly.

Then, he opened his mouth again.

“…Not everyone can do what their mother could.”

And then, silence lingered.

The silence was so deafening and depressing.