Chapter 6 - Swordsmanship

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

Winter had passed. Buds formed on the trees, and flowers bloomed across the fields as spring began in earnest.

As for me?

"You did well keeping up with your body exercises, Leon. Now it's time you finally put it to use!"

I was starting my swordsmanship class with my father, Paul.

Well… 'class' would probably be a bit too much praise, but I'll hold off any judgment until after.

"You know… originally, I thought we would only be doing exercises for another year or so. But you sure proved me wrong, eh?" Paul says with a troubled smile.

Well of course. No normal three-year-old would be able to hold a sword at this point, even with the exercises.

But you see… I had healing magic.

At first, I was hesitant about using magic to enhance my physical training. After all, if healing magic simply sped up cell recovery, then not only would I be messing up my natural development, but I would also be at risk of growing older too fast.

But healing magic, as it turned out, was pretty… magical.

It simply did whatever it needed to heal the target, even if it meant bypassing natural biological processes.

For example, someone being healed doesn't feel tired after it, when in theory, the healing magic should only be speeding up the natural process, which expends a large amount of energy.

This would also explain why there was no record of people who used healing magic constantly dying earlier due to cancer or anything similar.

So basically, I was safe to use it on myself, allowing me to expedite the process of growing my muscles to the point where I could now hold a wooden sword with no problem.

The toughest part of healing though was having to heal every spot through my hands. I wonder if I could apply healing magic over my entire body… I would have to experiment with that later.

"Ahem! Anyway. I'll teach you all that I know in the three sword styles, though I wouldn't exactly call the North God a 'style'," Paul grumbles before tossing me a wooden sword.

It was a bit big, but I would grow into it as I got older.

"Hmm… where to start… so for the Sword God, it's all about getting there faster. Like 'swoosh' and 'kapow'!"

…Was he serious?

"And Water God, it's all about countering. So when the opponent goes 'fwoosh' you 'thwoom' and 'shink'," he continues, swinging his sword with practiced ease.

Oh my god, he was serious!

This guy was supposed to be my teacher?

I had a feeling it would be a while before I got the hang of swordsmanship.

I knew he was an idiot, but I thought that when it came to swordsmanship it would be a little different.

I mean, he was still a genius at it, but an idiotic genius who knew how to swing a sword out of instinct rather than intelligence.

"Ahh, it's hard to explain it!"

No… I think that's just you.

"Here! Just watch."

He then struts over to the boulder in the yard before raising his sword overhead. 

Taking a step forward, he then brings down his blade, causing a faint whistle to echo across the yard as a flash of silver streaks down the boulder.

His sword pointed downward, I watch as the boulder separates in two halves, a clean cut running through the centre.

…Truly ridiculous.

Physically, Paul was quite a fit and strong man, but he wasn't that strong.

Unless… do sword techniques hold a special property to them?

Something like magic or mana… would make sense.

Chantless magic exists, after all, and even if not everyone could use magic, it was known that every person had mana in their bodies. 

Could they be using mana unconsciously to enhance their prowess? Some sort of enhancement magic that is separate from the known schools?

Ah, well… this idiot surely wouldn't know, so I guess those thoughts could come later.

For now…

"But you can't do that yet! Heh… who knows. Maybe you'll never be able to do that? But for now, let's get you swinging a sword properly, eh?" he says.

…While his words were annoying, they were right.

Just like with my magic practice, theories and specialized skills could come later.

For now, I just needed to master the basics, and then build up from there.

—-- Information on the Six-Faced World —--

Sword Styles

There are three main schools of swordsmanship that are common in the world. Only those who have studied one of these three styles are called Swordsmen; for other schools, even if they use a sword, they are called Warriors instead. The Three Major Schools are:

Sword God Style : The basic philosophy of the Sword God Style is to attack first and fast, killing your opponent before they can harm you. This leads to the style having a focus on attacking techniques while having a limited number of countering and defensive ones.

Practitioners are often short-tempered and belligerent as a result of their philosophy, and practitioners are encouraged to wear light clothing to react swiftly and properly use their techniques.

Water God Style : This style specializes in defensive techniques, emphasizing parrying and counter-attacking oncoming attacks. A skilled practitioner is also able to read the flow of mana and use their senses to block or counter any attack.

Practitioners often wear heavy armour as they do not need to move great distances for their techniques. This style of swordsmanship is the most common among knights and nobles, as their job is to protect someone or themselves rather than focus on attacking. 

North God Style : The main focus of this style is not techniques or specialties, but rather an approach to battle, one specializing in practicality and surviving the battle. This style involves tricks and tactics rather than using refined techniques.

The most varied of the three styles, practitioners can come in many shapes and sizes, with some dual-wielding, and others using non-sword weapons such as battleaxes.

Many adventurers and mercenaries learn this style for its versatility and effectiveness in unpredictable situations.

—-- Leon Greyrat —--

It had been a few months since stepping into the world of swordsmanship, and luckily, I was able to quickly learn the basics, such as setting my stance and swinging the most basic of sword strikes with the proper form.

While Paul was a horrible teacher, he at least knew when I was doing something wrong.

The only problem with that was…

'No! Not like 'fwish'! Like 'swoosh'!'

…Yeah. He explained it horribly.

But by using him as a reference, I was soon able to work out any kinks in my form, and could then begin training in earnest, embedding the techniques into my muscle memory so I could use them without a thought.

My sword didn't whistle as I swung, nor did the air tremble, and I definitely couldn't cut any boulders, but that was okay. That would all come with time. So for now, I would continue mastering the basics with this idiotic father of mine.

Paul also slowly revealed more to me about the 'Three Major Schools; of swordsmanship, and I learned that the three styles boiled down to a couple of traits between them: the Sword God Style that specialized in attacking and speed; the Water God Style that specialized in defence and countering; and the North God Style that specialized in unpredictability and adaptability.

Learning this, I also came to a new appreciation for my swordsmanship instructor, as by utilizing the three styles as seamlessly as he did, he was able to cover the weaknesses of each style and form something stronger between the three.

A shame… if he was just a little more motivated or a bit smarter, he could've probably become a renowned genius.

But Paul was Paul, after all.

Still, seeing his unique swordsmanship, a new desire began to sprout within me.

The three styles… along with my chantless magic… couldn't I make a new style of my own?

A Magic Sword Style, or something.

Well, only time could tell, but for now, I felt content slowly honing my blade the traditional way, before I started on my own path.

But my swordsmanship wasn't the only thing that had improved over these months.

Opening my eyes, I watch as the various droplets of water that orbit around me begin to coalesce into a singular ball before dropping into the cup I laid out in front of me.

"Hoo… slow and steady," I say, wiping the beads of sweat off my forehead.

Being able to control magic so fluidly like I had just done did not happen overnight. Rather, it was through a series of breakthroughs in the realm of magic.

First, I pondered about what exactly incantations did.

I still didn't know for sure, but I hypothesize that they momentarily inscribe a magic circle on the body or something of the sort. But that only led to more questions about what magic circles were, and that would be getting too deep into semantics.

The main thing I learned, was that mana coming from one's own body was theirs to control.

I was still confused about how exactly elements came into being, but I knew that it rested on the imagination of the user, or in the case of incantations… something else.

…Okay, maybe I didn't make too many breakthroughs, but the point was that using magic freely was possible. I just had to slowly break down the aspects of the standard process and make it my own.

First, I found out about the four parts in the process of spell actualization. Them being: spell creation, shape alteration, size adjustment, and then velocity. 

You could also add other extra properties before releasing the spell, such as homing in on a target or having it explode on impact, but that was beside the point.

Next, I worked on my control over each of these parts. Interestingly, I also discovered that the more you altered a spell from its original state, the more mana you used up.

For instance, with size adjustment, making a Waterball two times larger expended two times the mana, which made sense. But what didn't, was the fact that making it two times smaller also expended two times the mana.

Yes… very weird.

But that was just another reason to escape the confines of rigid spell creation, I suppose.

Anyway, after getting the fundamentals of the four main parts down, I then practiced altering the spell after it was created. Such as changing a Waterball into a Water Arrow after already casting it.

This led me to now, where I could take complete control of each of the four elements, though I still followed the regular process for summoning it. 

Due to me changing the nature of the magic so much, while being a great control exercise, it also allowed me to drain my mana reserves at a very efficient rate.

The power was lacking, and I needed to be in a state of meditation to do anything meaningful, so it wasn't useful at all in combat. But progress was progress.

Hopefully, after increasing my control a bit more, I could also work on casting magic from parts of my body other than my hand.

With earth magic, for instance, where many spells required casting through contact with the ground, being able to cast through my feet would be extremely helpful.

Hmm…now that I think about it, I should start working on that right now. But I couldn't exactly do that inside-

"Leon! I'm back!" Paul shouts from downstairs. "Go grab your sword and get out here!"

-Nevermind.

I guess it was time for sword training once again.

—-- Rudeus Greyrat —--

It had been a little over a year since I came to terms with my reincarnation, and in this time, I have discovered another astonishing fact about my situation.

Not only was I reborn… but I was reborn in another world. A fantasy world of swords and magic.

I remember clearly, how one morning, I watched as my father, who I had learned was named Paul, took my brother, Leon, outside after winter had ended before promptly making him swing his sword repeatedly until he collapsed from exhaustion.

I was distraught. 

While I was initially quite put off by my brother due to… bad memories, he was a good kid. A mama's boy through and through, who always made sure to help around the house and tried to keep me happy.

So I had no ill will toward this new brother of mine. Rather, I felt quite close to the kid.

So seeing my father tire him so much with sword training… it truly made me sick to my stomach. 

Wasn't that child abuse? 

And more importantly, would I be forced to do such a dweeb-like thing as swinging a sword around once I got older?

In my fright, I fell from the bench I had been sitting on, right onto my head.

My mother, Zenith, was rightfully panicked and quickly picked me up before chanting some soothing lullaby.

But as I quickly found out, it wasn't a lullaby at all.

Rather it was a spell. A healing magic spell.

Magic… A world of magic…

After that discovery, I began listening in on their conversations a bit more, and I quickly picked up the names of places that I had never heard of before. And then, a week later, my brother summoned a ball of water with his hand before twirling it around in an attempt to entertain me, banishing all doubts.

This wasn't a normal reincarnation, but rather an isekai reincarnation!

With the knowledge and experience of my past life… I could get another chance to live life without the same mistakes my previous self made.

Finally… I could live life right .

And hopefully, pick up some cute girls along the way. Hehehe.

—-- Lilia —--

Looking at the Young Master swing his sword so diligently, I feel my mouth blossom into a smile at the sight.

Truly… just a few years ago, I would have never thought I would be where I am now, and feel as happy as I am now.

I used to be a royal handmaiden for the Asura Palace harem, which alongside the usual handmaiden duties, included acting as a guardswoman. Particularly for the newborn princess, in my case.

When it came to domestic duties, I carried out my job with absolute perfection, to the point where I was nearly nominated to serve the King himself, if it wasn't for my commoner background. As for my combat capabilities, however… they were only adequate.

Just what you would expect from an Intermediate-rank Water God swordswoman.

So it was only natural that when I was forced to defend the princess against an assassin, I found myself completely outmatched.

Despite this, I had carried out my duty to protect the princess, and one of the palace guards quickly put an end to the would-be killer… but the attacker had struck me with a blade. One coated in poison potent enough to kill royalty.

Luckily, the palace mages were able to save my life, and my leg, but due to the troublesome nature of the poison, I was unable to continue my life as a fighter.

As expected, I was promptly discarded from my position right after.

I held no ill will towards their decision. Rather, I was grateful they did not simply erase me in secret, considering my position in the court and my nonexistent political support as a commoner.

Besides… the disgusting leers that the nobles had sent my way had been getting on my nerves. So in a way, it felt good to finally escape that palace of lust and perverseness.

As the assassin's mastermind was yet to be found, and considering how people might be privy to wanting a former Asura Palace handmaiden to their benefit, I quickly made haste out of the capital city of Ars, towards the rural Fittoa Region.

At first, I was hoping to gain a position with the local lord in the Citadel of Roa, or perhaps teach swordsmanship to the city civilians… but anyone out here in the agricultural lands that were willing to pay for her services would likely have connections back to the capital, and I wanted no part in that life anymore, so those options were out.

So, after a month of wandering the region with no prospects, I finally found a job posting that caught my eye.

A housekeeper with the immediate duty of a midwife for some low-ranking knight in Buena Village.

The salary was… fine. If a little low of someone of my abilities. But what particularly caught my eye, was the name of said knight. 

One Paul Greyrat.

To think he of all people would settle down with a family.

I had a… history with the man.

Back when I was being trained by my father in swordsmanship, he joined the dojo and quickly cemented himself as a genius, reaching the Advanced rank in the Water God Style in a little over a year.

But just as quickly as he came, he left like a hurricane… right after forcing himself onto me and taking my virginity.

At first, I was bitter. Angry. Hateful toward the scoundrel that stole my innocence.

But after joining the Asura Palace, I quickly realized that losing my first time to someone young and handsome like him was a gift in this cruel world.

And so, I accepted the job, and quickly made my way to join this young family.

Upon my arrival, I was surprised to see that there was already a child there. A kid that the two adventurers had picked up on their travels.

But seeing how the lady, Zenith, and the boy, Leon, interacted, it was hard to believe they were not bound by blood.

At first, I was a little put off by the boy who could speak in complete sentences despite only being one year old, but after being told he was likely a Miko, I was able to look past it and see Leon for all that he was.

A boy. A very cute boy, at that.

He was charming, for sure. With a nice face, beautiful eyes, attractive hair, and an adorable smile, I was sure that he would grow up into someone who would win over any woman he wished, much like his adoptive father.

But luckily, I don't think I had to worry about such womanizing traits… I hope.

After all, despite his young age, he was a gentleman who always tried to help me out with chores. Truly, a blessed child. And a genius as well. 

And then… the second child was born.

The birth itself was problem-free, but once the child was born… it did not cry.

At first, I was worried it had been stillborn, with its expressionless face completely devoid of life. But soon enough, such worries were cast away by the oddly reassuring sound of burbling.

Rudeus was the child's name. And much like his older brother, he did not make a fuss, nor did he cry, save for the gurgles he made whenever he required feeding or needed a diaper changed.

I was confused… perhaps he was a Miko like Leon? Or perhaps did he take after his example in some way?

I would have thought that he was physically frail, being such a quiet child, but once again my worries were unfounded, as one he learned to crawl, he made his way around the house with relative ease.

Though with all of his adventures, oddly enough, he never wandered outside. Perhaps some sort of instinctual fear had been implanted into the child?

Anyways, Rudeus… he was always smiling.

Not the cute or charming smile of a child that would normally give one the instinct to protect, like Leon's, but rather a repulsive grin that reminded me of the smiles various nobles and ministers sent my way in Asura.

And how he would always search for my or Zenith's undergarments before wearing them on his head, and how he always buried his face in my bosom with a gleeful smile… that was also worrisome. And quite disgusting.

The unsettling and perverse feeling he gave off in place of what should be innocent affection… It scared me to no end.

Even Paul, a womanizing tyrant of a man, didn't give off such an aura.

But recently, Rudeus' behaviour has changed.

Now, instead of his previous unpredictableness, I always found him holed up in his older brother's room, flipping through the books while muttering random sounds to himself.

While I still found him strange, I no longer felt the usual revulsion I did toward the boy. 

Although he did occasionally release a creepy laugh, it no longer sent a chill down my spine when he did so.

Perhaps that previous period of unsettlingness was simply a phase, and in place of it, a new sense of earnestness had sprouted.

So while it was odd to leave a toddler to their lonesome, I thought it best not to interfere, lest he revert to how he was before.

Now, I could say this house was stable. And with Young Master Leon beginning to learn swordsmanship, despite Paul's inadequacies at teaching, it seemed like this new year would be a period of growth.

Hmm… perhaps, if Leon has any trouble picking up the Water God style, I will give him some instruction myself.

While I was out of practice, I was always skilled at knowing what to do. Rather, I lacked the ability to do any advanced techniques or movements. That was the limit of my mediocre talent.

But for teaching… I should be more than enough, at least until the Saint rank.

"I'm back, Lilia!" Leon says, entering the front door.

Yes… this boy would do great things. And with his good heart, I knew that I had nothing to worry about.

As long as Paul didn't implant any bad thoughts into him…

"Lilia?" he says, tilting his head.

"Yes, Leon. Would you like me to prepare you a bath?"

"Nah. I can get the water in there at a good temperature myself, remember? Rather, I should be asking you that. Do you want me to run a bath for you?"

Inviting a woman for a bath with such a charming, innocent smile… indeed, that was quite dangerous.

I sincerely hope Paul will not influence this boy.