177 – The Will You Hold in Your Sword. -2-
On the way home after finishing training.
Walking through the ambitious night of the capital, I was lost in thought for a moment.
‘I wonder if they’re doing well.’
Rowan and Mikhail hadn’t come to the training ground since that day. I don’t know if they were trying to keep their training a secret or to avoid people’s eyes, but Rowan and Mikhail hadn’t come to the training ground since that day.
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It must be fortunate.
If Rowan and Mikhail had used the training ground as their base and trained, we would have had to give up our place.
There was no place as comfortable as the academy training ground.
It was a place relatively free from people’s eyes when it got late, and it was also possible to match Hanna’s time while taking classes, and it would have been limited if it hadn’t been for the academy training ground, which was full of weapons for training.
It would have taken time to find a new space to train in, so I was grateful to Rowan and Mikhail for giving up their place.
It wasn’t good for each other to see uncomfortable faces. If we had been in the same place, we would have definitely fought.
Hanna and I didn’t get along with them in many ways, so I thought it was fortunate that we didn’t see them very often.
What bothered me more than that was what strategy they would come up with.
I couldn’t tell if they would polish their aura like Hanna and I, or if they would polish their basic swordsmanship.
Personally, if I had been Mikhail’s teacher, I would have changed that damn sword from the beginning, but I don’t know what method Rowan will come up with.
If it was Rowan, he would have noticed Mikhail’s problems. A large sword that doesn’t fit his physique. An attack style that doesn’t make use of his agility. Lastly, the overly defensive swordsmanship is poison to Mikhail, so the Imperial Sword couldn’t have missed it.
“Hmm…”
But I also knew very well that Mikhail wasn’t the type of person to nod and accept what others told him to do.
In the novel, Mikhail only started to change after the sword with the long memories broke.
I was worried about how Rowan would teach Mikhail, given the opponent as Hanna, and at the same time I didn’t know what direction Mikhail would take in Rowan’s teachings.
It was an episode that wasn’t in the novel, and it was a fight between two women, so information was limited.
As a teacher, it is natural to grasp the enemy’s movements, but it was something that couldn’t be predicted without hesitation, knowing that the opponent wasn’t an easy person.
In terms of swordsmanship alone, it is an undeniable fact that Rowan is a better teacher than me. He had the history of the sword he had and the history of the sharpened sword. It was inevitable that he would be compared to an ordinary swordsman.
The weight of Histania’s history spanning hundreds of years is laughable for me, who has wielded a sword for a mere 20 years, to keep up with.
There were too many variables.
Like Master Lowen.
And Mikhail’s talent.
There were more than a few things I had to keep a close eye on.
The reason Lowen chose Mikhail was solely because of his talent. He must have taken him as his disciple after seeing only that. Hmm…
In the novel, they started their master-disciple relationship with a bit more depth and warmth, but what connects Mikhail and Lowen now is less of a sense of camaraderie and more of a practical sentiment, namely, the manifestation of greater talent. That’s why I felt all the more nervous and concerned. I don’t know how much of it Lowen will reveal to Mikhail.
I wonder if he’ll recklessly reveal the secret technique passed down through his family. And if by any chance Lowen teaches Mikhail the swordsmanship passed down within the Histania family, and only to direct descendants, that would be an accident in its own right.
The novel doesn’t describe it in detail, but it was a lie to say I wasn’t worried since the author himself admitted that Histania’s swordsmanship was the strongest.
In the novel, Mikhail learns Histania’s swordsmanship from Lowen. Malick wandered around in shock after losing his younger brother and didn’t catch Lowen’s eye. He recovered later, but it was after he had left Lowen’s sight.
In the novel, Mikhail combined the swordsmanship he had with the sword of Histania to create a new sword and had it proven to Lowen.
What I’m worried about is the situation where Mikhail reaches that level. If Mikhail grows to the point where he has no equal under Lowen’s endless teachings… Honestly, the outcome of the match would be unpredictable from then on.
Would he protect the secret technique of his family?
Or would he cut ties with his daughter?
It’s up to Lowen to choose, but no matter what choice he makes, the benefits he’ll get in return will be few.
I don’t understand Lowen for making such a big deal out of this.
I don’t understand the reason why someone who loves his daughter would interfere with what she wants to do.
Hannah has given plenty of evidence that it’s not paternal love, and even if it’s because he loves the sword, it’s still a behavior that’s hard to understand.
Well, it’s not my problem to worry about.
I figured that there was nothing that would change even if I worried about it, and there was nothing I could do, so I decided to focus solely on Hannah’s growth.
The wind blows.
I don’t know who this wind will reach, but it will definitely brush against me and Hannah.
I’m sure of it.
That Hannah can defeat Mikhail.
It was partly due to my faith as her master, but from what I can see and the realistic results, Hannah is ahead of Mikhail.
Her desire for the sword.
The fact that she chose the right sword for her.
The fact that she knows her strengths.
It’s clear that she’s ahead of Mikhail. I think even Lowen knows this.
I don’t know what Lowen has prepared, but I hope he has prepared something less than we expected.
Since we’re going to win anyway, it would be better for both of us to win by an overwhelming difference.
Mikhail might get stimulated.
And Lowen’s arrogant pride could be crushed, so I really hope that what he has prepared is weaker than ours.
As I walked slowly through the night streets of the capital, I continued to organize in my head the things I would tell Hannah.
I walked slowly under the streetlights of the capital, organizing in my head Hannah’s strengths and weaknesses.
And then I began to faintly see the figure of a familiar person on the other side.
I stopped walking abruptly at the sight of the boy walking towards me with tired steps from the opposite side, and I stared blankly at him as he approached.
‘Hannah will be really angry.’
I clenched my fists as I watched the boy walking with familiar steps while looking at the ground.
There seems to be a lot to prepare for.
It seems like Rowen really did swing his sword with determination. The direction Mikhail is walking toward is the direction of the practice hall that only the direct descendants of Histania can enter.
There wasn’t anything great there.
It was just overwhelmingly better than the other facilities.
It was a closed-off place where rapid recovery was possible with complex magic.
Just one thing.
I let out a wry smile because I knew that one would grow drastically after going in and out of there.
I muttered softly while looking at the boy in front of me.
‘Mikhail.’
Mikhail, with his silver hair, was approaching, carrying the light of the streetlights. Mikhail, who didn’t notice me standing across from him, kept walking towards the academy’s dormitory.
I took my hand out of my pocket and waited for him to come.
Because I had something to say.
It wasn’t anything grand, and I had a light question to ask, so I waited quietly, watching him approach.
As the sound of Mikhail’s footsteps gradually grew louder. Mikhail calmly raised his head after hearing the rustling sound and looked at me.
“You are…”
“Yes, I’ll take it.”
As soon as he saw me, Mikhail grabbed the handle of his sword.
Unfortunately.
*
Three days ago.
Mikhail followed Rowen Histania to the empty practice hall.
He had arrived at the practice hall, which had excellent facilities.
And just being inside made him feel stronger.
Rowen pulled out a wooden sword and spoke unilaterally to Mikhail, who had been forced to participate in an unexpected duel. Like someone sharing businesslike content, not the warm words of a teacher.
– As I said before, I have no intention of teaching you the swordsmanship of Histania.
“…”
– The reason I called you here is so that you can grow a little faster. Just in case you had any strange expectations…
– I had no such thoughts. I think it’s more than enough consideration that you’re teaching me, Master.
-…
Before entering into full-fledged training.
Rowen, holding the wooden sword, spoke to Mikhail. Rowen’s voice, which spread with a slightly softer tone, carried a fundamental question.
– What is your intention as you swing your sword? –
– I…
Mikhail couldn’t answer Rowen’s question.