Chapter 51
“Victory, huh? Are you certain about it?”
“Yes. Do you remember the fire magic I used previously?”
“Yes, for a 1st Circle spell, it had quite remarkable firepower.”
At the time, I simply replied vaguely, saying that it seemed like the power came from overcoming Hermemu.
But this time, the story I had to share was much different.
It was time to reveal the hybrid casting method to the marquess.
“I have formalized it into a system, creating a new casting method.”
“Formalized, you say…”
“Yes, it’s a method that not only I but also other mages can easily learn and use.”
At my words, the marquess’s eyes sparkled.
It was no different from improving existing magic and creating a version with superior performance. He must have realized why I wanted to participate in this magic competition.
“That fire magic of yours—how does it compare to conventional methods? Are there any drawbacks?”
“It consumes slightly more mana, but considering the increased firepower, it’s manageable.”
“No safety concerns?”
“None. As long as you avoid areas prone to mana explosions when transferring mana.”
“Hmm…”
Remton contemplated for a moment before nodding.
“I understand what you’re saying. It’s clear that you’re not simply entering the competition for the sake of participation. However…”
The marquess looked at me and continued.
“Your magic is impressive, but it’s only a modification of a 1st Circle spell. Do you really think such a thing can secure victory at the empire’s largest magic competition?”
“Judging by this alone, I understand why you might think that.”
In competitions like these, it wasn’t uncommon for new spells of the 3rd or 4th Circle to appear. His concerns weren’t unreasonable; judged solely on this spell, it might seem lacking in impact.
But the solution was simple.
It wasn’t just one.
“What if I had multiple spells enhanced in this way?”
Showing multiple examples would suffice.
“Are you saying you have more of such spells?”
I do.
Even with a rough count, I had more than thirty.
Of course, I wasn’t planning to reveal all of them.
“I have about five.”
“Five 1st Circle spells…”
“They cast much faster than usual, with power comparable to 2nd Circle spells. Additionally, their mana consumption isn’t significantly higher.”
Meeting Remton’s gaze, I spoke with conviction.
“With five such spells, wouldn’t victory be assured regardless of what others present?”
“As long as their safety is guaranteed, yes.”
“These are spells I’ve used extensively. I can assure their safety and even demonstrate them.”
“Would you show me?”
“Of course.”
And so, I demonstrated five of my spells to the marquess.
Fire. Lightning. Ice. Wind. Haste.
“Four of them are basic elemental spells?”
“Yes. These are foundational spells that can assist with future use of other elemental magic, so I prioritized developing their casting methods. Haste was added separately to compensate for a mage’s lack of mobility.”
“Indeed… If these are the most fundamental spells among the four elements, you might even earn extra points. A solid strategy. Was that your aim?”
“If I’m going to create something, it’s better to start with those that can score higher points.”
This alone should suffice to secure victory.
If my memory serves, the spells presented in this competition were unremarkable compared to my hybrid casting methods.
“When are you planning to leave?”
“A day before the competition.”
“You haven’t registered yet, have you?”
“No, I was planning to do so then.”
“I’ll inform the duke’s household in advance.”
“Thank you.”
This was effective permission.
After witnessing my magic, he must have concluded that my chances of winning were high, leaving no reason to deny me.
“Even if you don’t win, I won’t hold it against you. Go with peace of mind.”
The marquess smiled warmly, seemingly trying to ease my burden.
Well…
Punishing a talented mage like me would do no good for the family, even from a practical standpoint.
“Thank you. Still, I’ll do my utmost to win.”
“That’s enough. You may leave.”
“Yes.”
As the door closed behind me, the marquess, now alone in his office, wore a somber expression.
Kyle Seltarion.
The talent of his youngest son far exceeded his expectations.
It was fine for now.
However…
As that talent shone ever brighter, it would inevitably attract beasts drawn to the light.
“…The magic competition, huh…”
Lost in thought, he closed his eyes.
***
Having achieved the two purposes for coming here, my steps were naturally light as I left the office.
Returning to the annex with the two others, I looked at Leonhardt.
“Regarding the basic swordsmanship and mental techniques—now you can teach me properly. I got direct permission from Father.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, he said that if I wished, I could learn both even to the advanced levels. But for now, let’s start with the basics. Use what’s taught to the training knights.”
“Understood.”
With the marquess’s permission, there was no reason for him to refuse. At my words, Leonhardt nodded readily.
From the look in his eyes, he seemed eager to teach me as well.
“Oh, by the way, I’m curious about one thing.”
“Yes?”
“How do you usually train? Is it just mental exercises? You’re always following me around.”
“That’s mostly what I do.”
“You don’t do much physical training?”
“At my level, maintaining the basics of physical training is enough. From this point on, insights matter more.”
So that’s why he always sat cross-legged with his eyes closed during travel?
As for swordsmanship, he probably trained in his spare time after completing his escort duties.
Anyway…
With permission from the marquess, it was time to entrust Seron’s training.
“Leonhardt.”
“Yes.”
“Could you start teaching Seron now?”
“Right now?”
“Yes. The faster he’s trained, the quicker his skills will improve. Start with the basics of swordsmanship.”
“Understood. But what about your escort?”
“We’re within the family grounds. It’s fine.”
“…Understood.”
With that, Seron and Leonhardt headed to the training ground. Naturally, I followed.
It was a historic first lesson, so I wanted to observe how he would teach.
Once we arrived, Leonhardt spoke.
“Draw your sword.”
At his command, Seron unsheathed his sword.
Satisfied with the change in Seron’s demeanor, Leonhardt nodded slightly and began his demonstration.
“What I’ll be teaching you now is the first form of Storm Swordsmanship, one of the foundational swordsmanship techniques passed down in the marquessate. Since you haven’t learned mental techniques yet, I’ll only teach you the basic posture for now. Storm Swordsmanship consists of four forms, and its defining characteristics are…”
‘Oh, Storm Swordsmanship.’
As one would expect from a family renowned for its swordsmanship, they had many foundational techniques to teach their training knights.
There were about seven in total.
Among them, Storm Swordsmanship stood out.
‘Although it’s slightly less stable compared to other techniques, it excels in offensive capability. Plus, it’s the only technique with four forms.’
It was one of the most powerful offensive techniques and was considered the best within the Seltarion Family.
The reason was simple.
The first form was a basic technique.
The second form was intermediate.
The third form was advanced.
Other techniques only had three forms, stopping at the advanced level.
In other words, there was no progression beyond the advanced techniques.
While advanced swordsmanship was undoubtedly impressive, the lack of a higher-tier technique was a notable drawback.
However, Storm Swordsmanship?
It had four forms.
In other words, it included a top-tier technique.
Of course, this top-tier form was only taught to the head of the family and direct descendants.
Occasionally, it was taught to exceptionally talented and loyal retainers, making Storm Swordsmanship the most coveted technique among training knights.
After all, there was always a chance they could learn the fourth form if they proved their talent and unwavering loyalty to the marquessate.
One might wonder why they didn’t just teach this technique to everyone.
‘It’s not that simple.’
It wasn’t an option.
The seven foundational techniques were not arbitrarily divided.
They were created to consider various factors, such as individual aptitude and training style, ensuring that each knight learned the most suitable technique.
No matter how good Storm Swordsmanship was, it would be useless for someone who couldn’t leverage its offensive potential.
Thus, the techniques were divided accordingly.
Leonhardt teaching Seron Storm Swordsmanship now meant one thing.
‘It seems Leonhardt is impressed with Seron.’
Of course, he must have judged that Seron’s talent aligned well with Storm Swordsmanship.
Even so, Storm Swordsmanship was considered an elite technique, reserved for the best among training knights. It wasn’t something taught solely based on aptitude.
Other factors, such as character and loyalty, were also assessed before granting permission to learn it.
So, there was a bit of personal bias involved.
Leonhardt continued explaining Storm Swordsmanship to Seron.
The first form consisted of five sword paths.
With each transition to the next path, both the speed and the power imbued in the sword increased.
‘It’s quite an impressive technique.’
The first form could be learned by passing the training knight’s examination.
To learn more, however, one had to serve the marquessate faithfully throughout the game, steadily building renown, and pass several additional tests.
The fourth form required fulfilling special conditions, and once mastered, Storm Swordsmanship became one of the most powerful techniques in the game.
Currently, no one except the marquess knew the fourth form.
Abel and Adolf were likely still training in the third form. The duke was probably just starting the second.
After finishing the explanation of Storm Swordsmanship, Leonhardt spoke again.
“From now on, I will teach you the sword paths of the first form.”
With those words, Leonhardt began demonstrating Storm Swordsmanship.
The five sword paths.
Each movement was precise and deliberate, executed with a sharpness that reflected his mastery.
However…
Watching his movements, I tilted my head.
‘This is different.’
Come to think of it.
This was my first time seeing Leonhardt wield his sword this slowly.
He usually focused on mental training, so I hadn’t seen him practice swordsmanship. In battles, his movements were so fast that I couldn’t track them.
Even with Heart Eye, I could barely catch a blurry trace.
So, I hadn’t paid much attention to his sword paths.
It’s hard to analyze something you can’t see.
Now, though, it was different.
To teach Seron, Leonhardt was deliberately moving his sword slowly.
Curiosity sparked in my mind.
The magical casting method I used in the game.
When applied, it displayed overwhelming power.
If so…
‘Could this be applied not only to magic but also to swordsmanship?’
In the game, I had experimented with countless classes, so I was well-versed in swordsmanship activation methods.
Activating swordsmanship was simple.
It required the correct posture and aura circulation.
Meeting these two conditions allowed for special effects during attacks.
The process of acquiring swordsmanship was demanding, but using it wasn’t difficult.
Players couldn’t afford to train for years like the locals in this world.
Higher-level techniques had stricter requirements for posture and aura flow, but even lower-level techniques were relatively easy to use.
Having explored the game thoroughly, I naturally knew many sword techniques.
Among them, the techniques of the Seltarion Family.
‘I know them well.’
The Seltarion Family’s sword techniques were exceptionally effective, so I used them often.
How could I not recognize them?
The sword paths Leonhardt demonstrated for Storm Swordsmanship differed significantly from the first form I knew.
Quite significantly, in fact.
If I wanted to test whether the game’s magical casting method could be applied to swordsmanship…
It seemed like I needed to conduct an experiment.
—
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