episode_0193

***

– Dang dang

The distant sound of a bell spread across the night sky.

That heavy, possibly gloomy sound could not fly far and gradually fell to the ground.

And it even reached the ears of Maria and I, who were swinging our swords above the ground.

This is already the second time the bell has rang. That means two hours have passed.

I picked up my sword with the intention of relaxing for a moment…

I don’t know if it was because I lived in the martial arts world or if I was just being foolish, but I swung my sword without realizing the passage of time.

“Sigh… School… Wow…”

And the result is the image of Mary before my eyes.

She couldn’t even hold her posture properly and was out of breath. It looks like it will fall over if you hit it.

It was a series of one-sided battles.

When she swung her great sword, I swung it at her with my wooden sword, found an opening between her attacks, and stabbed her with the tip of my sword, subduing her.

If we were to measure Maria’s skills by the standards of the martial arts world, she would be somewhere between second-class and first-class.

It was a little surprising that Maria had mid-to-high skill level among the Inquisitors.

Considering that the Paladins’ skills are top-notch and at the peak, it will be difficult for them to break through the preliminaries, let alone win a prize in the competition.

After rolling her for two hours, I expected her posture to improve a little, but it didn’t improve at all.

I thought I was losing my sense in this area, so I decided to stop teaching.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

As I lowered the wooden sword and spoke, Maria sat down on the ground.

The dust from the training ground stuck to her nun’s clothes.

Maria could hardly calm her breathing.

Could it be because, unlike the Paladins, they did not receive intensive training? I feel like my basic physical strength is weak.

“Huh….”

I inhale and exhale the refreshing night air.

I was a bit sore from leading a sedentary life, but swinging the sword like this seems to be getting better.

…I’m sorry for bothering Maria so much.

“Wake up.”

I feel bad about continuing to sit on the cold floor, so I reach out to Maria.

“…….”

But she doesn’t respond.

At the bottom of the bowed head, something falls clatteringly.

“Sister Maria?”

I’m worried and I’m leaning down.

Did he know I was getting closer? Maria’s head went lower.

“Sister Maria… are you crying?”

I ask carefully because it seems like tears are falling on the floor.

Maria shook her head without answering.

It was denial.

However, it was actually a positive thing.

The number of teardrops falling on the floor increased.

You can also hear the sound of wiping your nose intermittently.

“…I’m sorry. Did I make it too difficult?”

I looked back at myself swinging my sword with excitement and scratched my head sheepishly.

Well, I said I would teach him and worked hard to educate him, but it must be sad.

“……”

Despite my words, Maria still showed no signs of raising her head.

In a situation where I can’t do this or that, I end up circling around her helplessly.

“…Saint.”

So a few minutes. Maria cried and called me.

“Saint….”

“Yes, please say so.”

“I… I can’t do this anymore.”

“Yes?”

“I… I can’t do this anymore. Interpreting the Bible every day, improving your skills to the point where you can beat the Holy Knights, and enduring jealous looks from those around you because you are part of the Holy Spirit’s entourage…”

It seemed as if something that had been building up in Maria’s chest was gradually coming out.

Maria began to talk about the things that were weighing her down one by one.

Bible.

training.

Perspectives around you.

Demeanor as an Inquisitor.

and…

“I am afraid of the expectations that the saint placed on me.”

Maria raised her head and focused her gaze on me.

I don’t know, the expectations I placed on her.

“I swung my sword hard for two hours… but I couldn’t reach the saint. I keep allowing loopholes…nothing gets better…how can I go to competitions like this and prove my qualifications…?”

Maria muttered, her shoulders moving up and down slightly.

What qualifications do you want to prove?

I wanted to ask, but I didn’t bother to ask.

One thing is certain: she did not participate in the competition voluntarily.

And I have a feeling that my presence will be somewhat involved in that decision.

After spitting out everything, Maria buried her face in her knees and cried quietly.

I felt something uneasy.

There were times when I was blocked by walls while practicing.

It was like that before I made my first speech, and even after that, I had to face small limitations.

Because I enjoyed learning martial arts, I was able to happily accept its limitations.

Because martial arts was my goal.

However, Maria is different.

To her, swordsmanship was a means. A means to meet the expectations that weigh on her.

That’s why she’s being chased.

But I know.

If you work with the mindset of being chased, your skills will not grow.

I slowly grabbed Maria’s shoulders and lifted her up.

It was impossible to get her up with my own strength, but Maria, who realized my intention, stood up on her own about halfway through.

It became like she and I were facing each other.

Maria, who was covered in tears, kept trying to turn her head in that direction, perhaps because she was feeling embarrassed later.

“Sister Maria. I’m really sorry, but would you like to try holding the weapon just one last time?”

I strengthened the hand holding my shoulder.

Yes, I said I would watch your posture, so I guess I should take responsibility for that.

However, I think the teaching method needs to be changed a bit.

***

At the saint’s words, Mary obediently raised the sword.

Not because I believed what he said, but because it was the saint’s instructions.

‘I’m going to collapse again anyway.’

Even while holding the sword, she felt this way.

The palm of her hand holding the great sword was already full of blisters.

She endured the bitter feeling and tightly gripped the handle of the great sword.

Holding the sword tightly.

That was the only enlightenment I gained through the saint.

Maria thought of the saint taking out a sword in front of her, but then she tilted her head.

This was because I suddenly felt the presence of the saint behind me who I had been facing just moments before.

“Saint?”

Maria’s voice was full of questions.

“Sister Maria. Just hold your posture.”

The voice of a saint heard from behind oneself.

Maria tilted her head but took the posture she had learned in the textbook.

A posture with legs wide apart and the sword raised upward.

While taking that neat posture, the saint suddenly hugged me from behind.

“Kya!”

Maria’s scream echoed through the training ground.

“Don’t be surprised. Because I’m not trying to do anything weird.”

Despite her reaction, the saint’s voice was calm.

Despite that calmness, Maria felt embarrassed as if she had made a fuss for no reason.

The saint folded his arms behind his back.

She swallowed her saliva without realizing it when she felt the hard feeling coming from behind her.

“Sword, axe, and spear. These are just blades.”

A soft voice flowed down my back and into my ears.

“If the person wielding it does not have the will, they are not that dangerous.”

The saint moved her arm and swung the great sword aimlessly, and her arm moved as well.

– Booung

The great sword cut through the air without a single blade.

“What is the most important thing in handling weapons?”

Mary answered the saint’s questions as she had learned.

“Correct posture and practical use.”

“Ding. Unfortunately, this is not the correct answer.”

Inho laughed. Maria felt her ears turning red.

“The correct answer is that you must handle weapons with will. Now, let’s look at the first posture?”

Inho moved Maria’s legs with his feet and then swung her arms with his arms.

– Booung

The great sword came down from above.

It was the most basic swordsmanship move that Maria showed in front of Inho throughout the sparring.

“And was the second posture like this?”

Inho moved his feet and arms again, creating her second posture.

– Booung

The large sword raised diagonally was drawn downward from left to right.

“In the textbook, this was a continuous movement, right?”

Maria nodded to Inho’s question.

“The textbook calls it a combo, but when Sister Maria unfolded it, it seemed like a separate thing.”

“That’s because I’m not good at it…”

“Now, relax your body.”

Inho cut off Maria’s words.

As Maria relaxed her body, Inho moved her arms and legs.

Maria’s legs glided across the training ground, and the arm holding the sword swung in all directions.

However, it was not a random knife attack.

Every single movement was precise, and its sharpness was indescribable.

“Now, what do you think? Is it a little different?”

“Saint? This is just now…”

In-ho spoke as we separated our bodies from close contact. Maria quickly turned and looked at him.

Inho smiled and received the great sword from Maria.

“The swordsmanship here emphasizes efficiency. Precise and clean movement. At first glance, this may seem reasonable… but I think differently.”

Inho, who had distanced himself from Maria, swung his greatsword a few times as if to warm up, then took a stance.

“What must take precedence over efficiency is the will of the person holding the sword.”

In-ho starts swinging his sword.

“The mindset of having to eliminate the person in front of me… creates a path like this.”

A ferocious and powerful blow appears like the paw of an animal.

“Perhaps you might feel like subduing your opponent through gentleness, right?”

Suddenly, the great sword dances like flowing water.

“…….”

Maria felt as if all the light in the world was shining on her.

No, it wasn’t an illusion. The saint was shining.

‘Ah… I’m spending time with this person right now.’

Maria felt like she was about to cry from the emotion welling up deep in her heart.

While Maria was looking at Inho in fascination, Inho, who had finished the sword dance, handed her the sword.

“Sister Maria. It is not moved by the hand of the person holding the blade. It is moved by the heart of the person holding it.”

A saint who speaks ambiguously.

Maria nodded mechanically.

I wasn’t sure, but I felt like I had a clue.

And actually, she was nice.

– My heart is pounding

And as if my arms were still folded, my heart pounded at the warmth that remained on my hands.