The Sword Immortal Shows His Edge
After Rienta and the others left the fortress city of Friisch, they did not head straight for Äußerst.
Instead, they took a detour to the Kura Region.
Frieren said she wanted to visit an old friend whom everyone called Grandpa Fel.
He was a dwarven warrior who had protected a village for nearly 400 years.
Frieren seemed unusually happy throughout the journey.
She even said she wanted to stay there for ten years, but Fern rejected the idea without mercy.
The journey this time was not a long one.
They met the dwarf at the entrance to a small village.
"Grandpa Fel, long time no see."
Frieren immediately went up to greet him and introduce him to the others.
"What do you think? You can tell at a glance he's a veteran warrior who's fought countless battles. Cool, isn't he?"
Rienta studied him for a while. The dwarf's graying beard and deeply wrinkled face certainly proved he was old.
As for being a warrior, Rienta couldn't see it.
Surely having a sword beside him didn't make him a warrior?
Stark, who had the same thought, couldn't help remarking, "He's way too old..."
Hearing that, the dwarven warrior opened his eyes and gave Stark a brief, indifferent glance before sweeping his gaze over the group.
In a somewhat aged voice, he asked, "Who were you again?"
For a moment, the dwarf's gaze had made Stark feel threatened.
Even so, after hearing those words, he murmured under his breath, "Isn't he already senile...?"
"I'm Frieren."
Although Frieren kept feeling that Grandpa Fel was up to something, she still answered his question.
"Right, you're Frieren."
Then he closed his eyes again, as though those few words had drained all his strength.
"Are you going to keep playing dumb?" Frieren felt somewhat helpless. She didn't believe Grandpa Fel could really be that senile.
Grandpa Fel slowly opened his eyes, and before anyone could react,
he picked up the scabbard beside him and struck Stark's leg.
"Huh?"
Stark didn't react at all and fell headfirst to the ground.
Seeing the dwarf knock Stark down with a single blow, Rienta looked at Frieren with a questioning gaze.
After all, Voll was Frieren's friend, so Rienta couldn't very well heal Stark without asking.
But Frieren showed no reaction at all, as though she were already used to it.
Grandpa Fel looked at Stark on the ground and said calmly, "Most deaths in battle are caused by carelessness."
"You can't get up, can you?"
"If I'd drawn my sword just now, you'd have lost that leg."
Frieren chuckled and said to Voll, "You're still using that underhanded way of fighting."
Grandpa Fel stopped playing dumb and said softly, "Frieren, welcome. Make yourself at home."
Frieren smiled knowingly and led Rienta and Fern toward the village.
Stark, lying on the ground, hurriedly said, "Wait, Frieren."
"I can't get up."
"Stark," Frieren said, looking down at him, "since we're already here, why don't you take the opportunity to learn from Grandpa Fel?"
With that, she turned and entered the village.
A young man in the village arranged a place for them to stay.
Frieren was reluctant to give up on her earlier idea and said to the person guiding them, "I want to live here for ten years. Could you find me some work?"
"Lady Frieren, we're staying for a week at most."
"I know."
After tidying up the house, Rienta found Frieren.
"Lady Frieren, I'd also like to train with Grandpa Fel for a while."
"Of course. Go ahead."
Rienta found Stark at the village entrance, just as he was getting back up.
While healing him, Rienta found that Grandpa Fel hadn't struck hard; he had only left Stark unable to move.
No wonder Frieren hadn't been concerned at all.
That degree of control over his strength was entirely in keeping with Frieren's assessment of him.
After a quick healing, Rienta said earnestly, "Grandpa Fel, please include me in the training too."
"Aren't you a mage?" Grandpa Fel looked curiously at the young man before him.
Whether it was the mana Rienta gave off or the healing magic he had just used,
everything pointed to what he was.
Rienta looked a little embarrassed as he gazed at the sword in Grandpa Fel's hand and said,
"I'm interested in swordsmanship, but I've always been figuring it out on my own, so I came to ask you for guidance, senior."
"Oh? A magic swordsman?"
Grandpa Fel thought for a moment and didn't refuse Rienta.
After all, herding one sheep was no different from herding two.
"Then let me see what you two can do first."
After the three of them came to an open space,
Rienta and Grandpa Fel stood facing each other, while Stark watched from the side.
Rienta took a deep breath, held out his right hand as though gripping something, and cast Projection Magic.
Grandpa Fel was still wondering why Rienta wasn't drawing a weapon
when he suddenly noticed a sword forming in Rienta's hand.
Yes, forming. It was completely different from a mage summoning a staff.
From hilt to blade, it appeared in Rienta's hand in just a few seconds.
As the complete longsword appeared, ten phantom longswords also appeared behind Rienta.
Like a peacock spreading its tail.
Grandpa Fel: "???"
Stark watched the scene, somewhat speechless.
Rienta could clearly project a longsword in an instant, but every time they sparred, he always went through this whole routine.
And there was that other blade, too.
Lightning actually circled its blade.
Although it couldn't hurt Stark, and he won every time,
he still felt as though the two of them belonged in different worlds.
Once Rienta had completed his projection, he looked seriously at Grandpa Fel, who stood casually before him.
It felt as though he was full of openings, but judging by how quickly he had knocked Stark down,
if Rienta charged straight in, he might also be taken out in one move.
But wasn't his goal to improve?
With that thought, Rienta hesitated no longer.
From several meters away, he swung his sword at Grandpa Voll.
Three of the phantom longswords behind him shot out, aiming separately for Grandpa Voll's eyes, neck, and heart.
Using Telekinesis to propel himself, he charged forward with his longsword.
Seeing this, Grandpa Fel didn't know what effect the phantom longswords had,
but he still dodged the three phantom swords with a flash of movement.
He also anticipated Rienta's move.
His scabbard thrust straight toward Rienta's chest.
Rienta's pupils contracted. He hurriedly raised his sword across his body, and the phantom longswords behind him gathered at a single point along with it, attempting to block the thrust.
After his research over this period,
Rienta had come up with an idea for combining Special Effects Magic and Rho Aias.
But for now, he had only made a preliminary fusion, and its defense was nowhere near that of proper Defensive Magic.
That was why he had sent three to attack and kept seven for defense.
I blocked it!
Seeing that Grandpa Fel hadn't changed his move, Rienta felt a surge of joy.
But the instant they made contact, a tremendous force came through the scabbard.
Rienta was sent flying.
Watching from the side, Stark nodded in satisfaction.