episode_0006

‘An unusual voice.’

Jeanne’s voice when she usually calls me is the epitome of apathy.

However, Jeanne’s voice that I heard in my ear tonight is quite low and full of sincerity.

This is the feeling Jeanne usually shows when she’s determined to do something.

“I turned off the lights and laid down, but I’m not sleepy, so I’m just lying here. What’s up? Is there something you need me to do?”

Creak!

In other words, it’s a flag that isn’t routine, but I’ve experienced a few times.

So, I wasn’t flustered and answered calmly as I raised my upper body.

“Then I’ll come in.”

Squeak…!

Unlike during the day when she opened the door to my shower room without any hesitation while I was naked,

she opened my room door with enough presence, with a completely different feeling at that time.

‘An odd outfit; is she planning to go horseback riding?’

I looked at Jeanne, who came into the room and approached my bedroom door.

Still maintaining my outward composure,

I rolled my eyes so Jeanne wouldn’t notice.

It was because Jeanne’s outfit wasn’t pajamas suitable for this time of night.

It also wasn’t the active dress she enjoyed wearing at the main house,

but a medieval white blouse and black pants.

“You and Eugene. I have something to do with you.”

Jeanne, who was exuding such a mysterious atmosphere,

led me out as if there was no need for a long explanation.

‘Wow…’

Jeanne took the lead, and I followed her.

Leaving the 3rd floor, passing the 2nd floor hallway, and going down to the 1st floor,

in the process, I couldn’t help but express a considerable feeling of admiration.

‘Jeanne, that girl, really did live as a mercenary for about a year and a half. It’s true that she was born with a great lower body like a member of the Orléans family, but beyond that, her butt looks like it’s about to burst in its current state.’

During the day, I wasn’t allowed

to properly see Jeanne’s backside.

After washing up and coming down for lunch, Jeanne was already seated at the table.

Also, after the conversation about my awakening ability took place throughout lunchtime, she

seemed to be deep in thought and sat like a statue until I went back to my room.

Then finally now,

I was able to witness her backside from about four steps behind.

So, if I were to express what I see as it is, every time Jeanne took a step,

that stretchy active pants seemed like it wouldn’t be able to withstand Jeanne’s lower body physique and would tear apart.

Not just her butt, but her thighs in general were in that state.

Furthermore, based on the movement patterns of that lower body flesh, I can confidently say that

her thick buttock masses were by no means mediocre fat.

A combat-oriented lower body with a high percentage of muscle; Jeanne’s butt had completely taken on that form.

‘Even though she was clumsy, she was diligent in whatever she did. Jeanne, that girl, really must have been doing strength training whenever she had the chance.’

As far as I know,

swordsmanship requires arm strength, wrist strength, and grip strength, but

more than anything, core strength and lower body strength are the hidden scales that determine a master.

That element is clearly very basic and essential, but

mercenaries and adventurers often focus only on practical skills in actual combat, so they tend to neglect it.

However, it was evident that Jeanne had not neglected that important training at all, despite holding the important position of mercenary leader.

“This is the Orléans family armory. Why did you come here at this hour??”

As I was admiring Jeanne’s backside with constant admiration,

I felt that our footsteps had stopped as if we had arrived at our destination.

The place where Jeanne and I arrived in the middle of the night,

was none other than the armory in the basement of the Orléans Grand Duke’s mansion.

Calling it an armory is really a class that should be called a weapon museum.

Grand Duke Antoine had been holding a sword since before he was a teenager.

Because he was a swordsman who was serious about swords,

he had personally used and researched various swords for decades.

He then left behind that trace.

The purpose was to give psychological stimulation to the Grand Duke’s daughters or disciples.

Therefore, he collected and gathered weapons he encountered during the research process like a museum.

“I heard from Charlotte that you wanted to walk the path of a swordsman. So you need to own a suitable sword. Many swordsmen also make their own swords that are suitable for them, but that’s only when that person’s swordsmanship has been sufficiently established.”

“Hmm… yeah, I know that too.”

When I showed a questioning reaction,

Jeanne explained the purpose of bringing me to the armory somewhat abruptly in the middle of the night, with a fairly logical basis.

Jeanne definitely has a smart head.

However, regardless of that, her usual speaking style is

frankly, more often unreasonable and argumentative than logical.

But at this moment, she was showing a completely opposite side, so

I still maintained a little wariness, but immediately agreed.

‘There’s no reason to refuse to choose.’

Having chosen the path of a swordsman,

I was also planning to find a sword from tomorrow.

However, it takes some time if you want to get a truly usable sword.

It was also difficult to ask Charlotte to give me a sword.

In the midst of that, if Jeanne offered it to me first like this,

I thought it was a realistic attitude to gratefully accept it.

Step…! Step…! Step…!

After that, I slowly walked past the numerous swords displayed on the wall, examining each one.

‘A normal sword probably won’t suit me. My physique has become not so normal.’

Thanks to the knowledge I gained from meeting a considerable number of mercenaries and adventurers on the Pilgrim’s Path,

based on that knowledge, I was being very careful to select a sword that would suit me well.

The average height of a man in the Fedon Empire is about 173cm.

Of course, if you include mana awakeners and nobles in good condition, it’s a little taller at 176cm.

I am currently 14cm taller than that average height of the nobles.

If you include arm length, hand size, etc.,

based on the felt sense, it can be seen as a physique that exceeds the general standard even more.

Therefore, I want to pass on commonly used sword types.

‘They say that psychological compatibility is very important, no less than the material or anything.’

The weapon size was roughly narrowed down.

So, from then on, I started paying attention to more detailed aspects.

In the 200 years, with the full support of the Empire,

institutions for cultivating specialized personnel related to this ability, called the Academy and the Magic Tower, have been activated.

That led to the development of alchemy magic, which opened a new era in the field of technology, and

as a result, there was the development of water and sewage systems and irrigation facilities, as I mentioned earlier.

However, the development of civilization cannot be limited to the living area,

and over time, it has had a significant impact on the development of weapons.

For example, a system that allows mana to be projected more efficiently,

a technology that transforms ordinary iron into a special iron material, called

‘iron innovation’ can be taken as an example.

The Elysium Empire is making weapons out of that special iron lump, and

as a result, the combat efficiency of warriors has increased dramatically.

Of course, most of those who use the weapon are nobles,

or ordinary people with related occupations who have established themselves to some extent.

Therefore, people usually pay attention to the material aspects when choosing a weapon, but

I would like to pay attention to so-called psychological compatibility rather than that.

‘I’ve heard that it’s more likely to increase creativity and break through limitations.’

Weapon compatibility can be seen as an item that suits my tendencies well.

Handling mana and projecting it onto a sword is

a very detailed level of physical and psychological action.

Therefore, the unity between the person handling the weapon and the weapon is more important than you might think.

In other words, even if you are technically skilled in swordsmanship, if you feel less foreign in handling a spear in the realm of tendencies,

the consensus is that choosing the latter is much more advantageous in securing the ultimate ceiling of ability.

‘Based on that standard, I’ve been somewhat drawn to something while on the Pilgrim’s Path…’

A few months ago, in terms of psychological compatibility,

I encountered a combat class that stimulated my tendencies.

The Pilgrim’s Path is not only active for pilgrimages for healing purposes, but also for

knights and adventurers for the purpose of perfecting their martial arts.

The reason is that

the holy sites designated by the Imperium Empire do not only have religious messages or places related to saints.

There are also many historical sites that commemorate war heroes of mythological proportions, and even superhumans who have defeated monsters and divine beasts.

‘Dragon-slaying Demon Swordsman…’

I also went on pilgrimage to that place from the mid-to-late part of my journey.

It wasn’t originally planned, but it was a destination I added as I achieved awakening.

Among them, there was a holy site that particularly caught my eye more than any other holy site, and

that was none other than the Dragon-slaying Demon Swordsman holy site, the holy site of the only demon warrior.

Demons,

a race said to have inherited the blood of the Demon God,

live in the Iskandar perpetual snow mountain range beyond the Thousand Year Wall located in the north of the Empire.

The Northern Thousand Year Wall is a key defense line where 50 percent of the Elysium Empire’s forces are stationed.

What that means is that

demons are the main enemy of the Elysium Empire.

However, a holy site commemorating the hero of that main enemy exists in the outskirts of Elysium.

‘I could feel the Empire’s wariness of the demons.’

Of course, the expression ‘commemorating’ can be seen as incorrect.

It is not known whether the greatsword that the Dragon-slaying Demon Swordsman, who is said to have existed thousands of years ago, actually used, but

at the holy site, there was just a heavy and giant greatsword that seemed to crush the world, stuck in the altar.

Therefore, it was difficult to feel the sacredness of the holy site, and

the impression was strong that it was just a terrifying and eerie scene.

Therefore, some argue that the Empire deliberately preserves the Dragon-slaying Great Swordsman holy site to this day, despite opposition from a considerable number of forces within, in order to never forget the strength of the demons.

‘Is it because demon blood is mixed in my body?’

But I was rather drawn to that eerie greatsword.

As I interpret it,

I think it’s because half of my blood is demon blood.

My mother, who passed away while giving birth to me,

I heard from my father that my mother was a demon.

That’s why there were no portraits, which are commonly seen in noble families.

‘Looking at the greatsword in front of me, the feeling from back then comes to mind again.’

The familiarity and curiosity I felt at the Dragon-slaying Demon Swordsman holy site, as if it was a pull of blood,

that began to suddenly change into anticipation at this moment.

And what brought about that change was none other than the ordinary greatsword leaning against the corner of the Antoine Grand Duke’s huge armory.

A greatsword about the same size as my height, including the sword hilt,

it made me realize that the feelings I felt while looking at the Dragon-slaying Demon Swordsman Altar were by no means a mirage.

‘Okay. Let’s go as my intuition, or blood, leads me.’

Reach…!

Eugene Schneider, who savored the emotions boiling up in his heart for a moment,

soon reached out to the Dragon Slayer placed in the corner of the Orléans Grand Duke’s large armory.

‘A greatsword…?’

And Joan of Arc de Cell Orléans, who was standing near the entrance of the armory, watching Eugene Schneider’s actions with her arms crossed proudly,

tilted her head slightly with a rather unexpected expression.

‘Greatsword-user Eugene Schneider, that will be my class from today.’

Thud…!!!

Ignoring that gaze,

Eugene Schneider grabbed the sword hilt of the Dragon-slaying Greatsword, which was shining its unrefined roughness like a fascinating aura among the splendid swords that adorned the space.

**********

“What are you doing on this moonlit night, Jeanne?”

Being very conscious of Jeanne’s gaze at me,

I, Eugene Schneider, chose the Greatsword-user class, creating a certain atmosphere.

That was to express my own intention that today’s event was over.

But the end and the beginning were apparently not something I could decide.

“What am I doing? Just what you’re seeing with your own eyes.”

As soon as I decided on the weapon, Jeanne

immediately went into her room, changed into her leather combat uniform, and came out with her sword, then dragged me out to the Orléans mansion garden.

“Eugene Schneider, let’s test your awakening ability. With this mercenary leader’s sword of mine.”

Whoosh…!!!! Reach…!

Then, with eyes full of seriousness,

she drew her sword from her waist

and pointed the blue, sharp blade at me.