Chapter 8. The Forgotten Swordsmanship

Thwack!

“Kuh!”

Rodrigo's face, which had blocked the sword, was filled with bewilderment.

“Show me the true sword of Poinus!”

I shouted at Rodrigo, who had been pushed back. This duel was not simply to win. It was to see the sword of Poinus and clearly recall the swordsmanship of Philip III.

“Tah!”

Rodrigo pushed back the sword and came in strong. It was a linear movement. The flow of his sword was honest. The thickness of the line was also considerable. But there was hesitation at the tip of his sword. The perception that he was stronger than me was clouding Rodrigo's sword.

Thud!

I dug into Rodrigo's embrace and struck his solar plexus with my torso. Then, with the hand holding the sword, I struck Rodrigo's chin. Rodrigo, whose airway was blocked, fell backward, gasping.

“Gi-ive up the swo-ord. The swo-ord.”

I sneered at Rodrigo. The sentry who saw this also let out a ‘Pfft!’ Rodrigo looked at the sentry with an annoyed face.

“Don’t regret going easy on me. Do it properly. Otherwise, you’ll really look like a fool.”

“That won’t happen.”

Rodrigo’s gaze changed. His stance changed too. I could feel his determination that there would be no more carelessness like before.

His feet spread apart, the sword held vertically, covering half of his face, the upper body twisted at an angle, and one gleaming eye.

‘He’s similar to Philip III.’

I feel like I can see the face of Philip III, who had been standing in the fog.

“Come.”

I said softly and sharpened my senses. I rapidly circulated the mana in my Mana Heart and tensed my entire body.

Clang!

As the blades clashed, a tremendous wind hit my face. The impact transmitted to my hand was considerable. It felt like something was pressing down on my body. I clenched my teeth.

I squeezed out all my strength to endure being pushed back. But it was not enough. My balance was about to collapse. If I left it like this, I would be offering my neck.

I twisted my body and lowered my sword. Rodrigo, who saw that my balance point had collapsed, thrust his sword, aiming for my shoulder. I narrowly dodged it. But Rodrigo’s attack did not stop. He pulled his upper body back and changed the direction of his sword. A right-angled movement, it was the horizontal cut that Philip III had shown.

Thud!

I barely managed to block the sword. But I couldn’t deflect the impact. My arm went numb. It felt like every knuckle in my fingers was breaking. My stomach churned. The smell of blood rose from within me. But I held it in and didn't spit it out.

“Give up at this point. Your Highness is no match for me.”

“I don’t want to.”

“If you continue to be stubborn, you will get hurt more severely.”

He’s quick to notice that I’m injured internally.

“If you can do it, then try.”

After wiping my mouth once, I kicked off the ground. I observed Rodrigo’s footwork. His left foot came forward. He was a knight who was faithful to the basics. In that case, the sword would come from the left.

Clang!

I struck up at the sword that fell smoothly, aiming for my shoulder. Even though it was wood, a metallic sound erupted.

“Hup!”

Rodrigo swallowed his breath and continued with his next attack. His right foot came forward. From right to left. His sword fell at an angle.

Kang!

A clear sound of collision spread widely. This time too, my sword was pushed back. Rodrigo did not slow down and came forward, attempting a thrust. The sound of it cutting through the air was as sharp as a snake's hiss.

‘Deflect it.’

It was a speed and weight I couldn't receive. I twisted my body. I stuck the sword to my body so that Rodrigo's sword would graze past. Rodrigo’s sword touched. My body twisted with the smell of the wooden sword burning. The clothes at the tip of Rodrigo’s sword were torn.

Pain was transmitted to my right shoulder.

‘He’s really reckless. If mana had been imbued, it wouldn’t have been my clothes but my arm that was torn.’

Stabbing, cutting, thrusting. It was just a repetition of three paths, but it was incredibly straightforward. The pain in my shoulder was also getting worse.

‘Still, I think I get it.’

Philip III's sword was becoming clearer. His sword, which had rushed forward with death on its back.

* * *

“This can't be.”

The sentry who had watched the duel between Rodrigo and Maxim couldn't help but be surprised.

The statement ‘Give up the sword’ was also surprising. The fact that he accepted it was even more surprising. But it was nothing compared to what unfolded after the duel began.

Everyone who needed to know about Maxim knew. That he had no talent for the sword. He was too ordinary for a member of the royal family. No, he was no different from a dunce, so the word had been going around that it would be difficult for him to become a knight. The sentry who had been watching Maxim had the same thought. So, even though what Rodrigo had said crossed the line, he had thought it wasn't wrong. But…

‘Could the rumors have been wrong?’

The first exchange was plausible. It was like a surprise attack, but it had shown enough power to startle Rodrigo. Of course, Maxim, who had achieved nothing, couldn’t overpower Rodrigo. Even if he had a gentle personality, he was a 2-circle knight. Achieving 2-circles meant he had focused on the sword for a long time. It wasn’t a level that a boy who was just starting could handle.

‘But how is he holding on?’

The sentry’s surprise continued. Rodrigo began to unfold his sword in earnest and overwhelmed Maxim. The sentry had thought it wouldn't last more than three exchanges.

But his prediction was spectacularly wrong. Even though his shoulder was pierced and he took the impact with his whole body, Maxim did not fall. In fact, his eyes came alive. Even his stance for unfolding the sword was getting better.

‘They said he had no talent?’

They said there were geniuses who could make an opponent’s sword their own just by seeing it. Maxim’s movements were like that. 4 exchanges passed, 5 exchanges passed, and 6, 7 exchanges continued.

‘No, what happened? They said he was seriously ill?’

It wasn't the movements of a person who had been ill. He wasn't a dunce either. The tip of his sword kept getting sharper. So did his movements.

‘Did he break through to 1-circle? Or maybe even 2-circle?’

Rodrigo hadn’t drawn out his mana. Even so, the sword of a 2-circle knight had an unusual strength. It wasn't something a person with nothing could endure. And yet, Maxim was enduring it. Although he was a mess with sweat and dirt, although his face was contorted in pain, his gaze was clearer than ever.

‘Could it be?’

The sentry clenched his fists. He thought that maybe Maxim could beat Rodrigo, that there was no chance, but still, maybe…

He began to cheer for Maxim inwardly.

* * *

It feels like Philip III is in front of me. It feels like he’s telling me to unfold his forgotten sword, since it’s here.

-Are you not afraid of death?

I had asked him when I faced him.

-I am afraid.

-You are afraid, yet why do you come in like that?

-Because I am afraid. That is why I fight back, and why I do not kneel. If you start to flee, succumbing to fear, the only thing that will be given is death. You know that too, don't you?

A sword that moves because of fear, a fierce sword that endures small pains to avoid death, the sword of Philip III that struggled for survival and built up countless stories, that is it.

‘It’s a sword that can't even be imitated with a Mana Circle.’

It’s not a sword that calls upon magic and plays cheap tricks. Philip III’s sword is a sword that cloaks itself in mana and rushes at the enemy.

“Here I come!”

I shouted Philip III’s will. I pushed aside Rodrigo’s sword that was coming for my chest. At that moment, Rodrigo’s arm was raised. I saw an opportunity. I raised my sword and jumped into his embrace. Rodrigo, who couldn't correct his stance, quickly twisted his body. A skilled movement.

‘The sword hilt!’

It was an attack that utilized the narrow gap. With one hand, I pulled the blade with my hand. The hilt of the sword struck Rodrigo’s ribs.

“Keoheok!”

Rodrigo’s back bent from the strong blow. He exhaled and was pushed back. His stance collapsed.

‘An opening!’

I stomped my foot. I unfolded the heavy cut that Philip III had shown, just as it was.

Swish!

A thin sound of cutting through the air was heard.

“Look closely! This is the sword you have forgotten!”

A ferocious aura, intending to cut the enemy’s throat in one go, erupted from the tip of the sword.

“This is!”

Rodrigo looked at the sword with surprised eyes. It seemed he wouldn't be able to shake off the aura of the sword even if he retreated. He seemed to think the same.

Kwa-hwaak!

With a strange sound, a hot energy rose up. It was fire. A curtain of fire unfolded before my eyes. Soon, everything I could see was erased. The sound also disappeared. All my senses became hot for a moment, and then cold for a moment.

“No!”

“Kyaa!”

I heard voices from afar. One belonged to the sentry standing in front of the training ground, and the other was probably Elliot.

“Cough!”

Blood poured out with a cough. My senses returned as if the blocked blood and energy had been cleared. Rodrigo was holding me.

“Ah, no. I didn't mean to… no, no. Y-Your Highness.”

He seemed to be acting that way because he had used mana without realizing it. Even from my perspective, the last cut was quite brutal. Thanks to that, my body was also a wreck.

“It's fine. Just call Chris.”

“E-Elliot! Count Dorléans. Qu-quickly!”

Elliot and the sentry ran out of the training ground.

“You said so confidently you wouldn't use mana. Keuk.”

“Your Highness… I have committed a mortal sin.”

“What mortal sin. Gi-ive up the swo-ord. Give it up. Kikik.”

“Your Highness, I'm sorry. I'm sorry.”

“Stop being sorry and go find an elixir.”

“Your Highness… what?”

“I won, didn't I? So you have to go find an elixir. If you can't find one, get something similar.

You promised.”

Rodrigo nodded and shed tears. This man has a very soft heart. Still, I can't give up on something similar to an elixir. I have internal injuries, so I need to eat something, I can't do without it.

I closed my eyes and slowly exhaled. I want to stand up right now, but my body won't listen. I need to review this duel, but it seems difficult right now. I should sleep a little. If I fall asleep like this, Rodrigo will carry me to my room.

* * *

“Mana?”

Chris doubted his ears when he heard the reason why Maxim had collapsed.

“I am ashamed. Unconsciously… Still, I shouldn't have done that…”

Rodrigo said with a tearful face and bowed his head.

“But isn't it alright?”

“What? How can it be alright when His Highness is injured like this?”

“There’s no danger to his life, and his body isn't severely damaged, so I think a moderate scolding is fine. Isn't he a bit too high-strung right now?”

“……”

“Don’t worry about it. By the way, how did you end up using mana?”

“His Highness' sword was sharper than I imagined. The moment I thought that I'd be in big trouble if I didn't block it… haah.”

“To that extent? What kind of sword was it? Tell me in detail.”

At Chris' request, Rodrigo explained the duel process step by step.

‘His swordsmanship changed during the duel?’

It was surprising that he had fought on equal terms with a 2-circle knight, but the fact that his swordsmanship had changed was even more surprising. Moreover, it was highly likely that Maxim’s swordsmanship was the long-lost swordsmanship of Philip III.

‘Where on earth did he see it and unfold it?’

He hadn't read the book. He himself hadn't taught him.

‘Is it possible by instinct?’

In Chris' common sense, it was utterly incomprehensible. He could see that being the case up to the Mana Heart. But swordsmanship…

‘It's impossible.’

Maxim had no talent for the sword. So, of course, he had no ability to develop anything. A good and sincere student, a student who learns diligently. That was about it. But just looking at Rodrigo’s explanation, Maxim was a genius among geniuses.

‘Is it because of the Mana Heart?’

If a talent that didn't exist had appeared, the only possibility was the Mana Heart.

‘I'll have to change the plan a little.’

Chris thought that he would have to prepare for the duel based on the Maxim that Rodrigo spoke of, not the Maxim he knew. He thought that he had to create an environment where he would absolutely not lose.