Contemplation!

"Now, stop thinking about sword techniques. Instead, breathe deeply. Draw in as much air as you can, expanding your lungs to their fullest, and then begin to exhale slowly.

Keep your breathing steady.

By taking in more oxygen than usual, you'll put your brains in a dizzy, almost blank state.

Then, maintain that state and imagine yourselves as rocks. With persistence, adapt to it and temper your wills until it becomes a habit. Keep at it until the image of that rock remains in your hearts. You must remember: the mind has no limits.

The broader your hearts, the broader the future of your swords."

Fiore taught the two of them the principles of Rockheart Kendo through this method, passing on what he had spent half his life coming to understand.

Practicing this way, alongside their sword training, would gradually transform their presence. Once they had mastered it, drawing their swords would make their opponents feel as if a mountain were crashing down on them.

As Fiore guided them, time passed slowly. Merlin's lungs hurt from breathing, and though he felt dizzy, it was more like oxygen poisoning.

"Clap! Clap!"

Fiore suddenly clapped his hands, drawing their attention. Looking at their symptoms, a smile appeared in his dark golden eyes.

"All right, stop this practice for now! If you're showing signs of oxygen poisoning, it means you've grasped the essence of this breathing method.

"Although this breathing technique is a prerequisite for the training, it isn't without its dangers. If the symptoms become severe, you could even die.

"Everyone's constitution is different, so you'll have to learn to get used to it and find your own limits."

"Watch..."

As he spoke, Fiore's breathing fell into a steady rhythm.

Then his presence rose, and at the same time, a fierce fighting spirit seemed to emerge from him.

At that moment,

under the influence of this powerful will,

Merlin's consciousness began to grow hazy. Then he saw a steep mountain rising behind Fiore, growing taller and taller, as though it could come crashing down on him at any moment.

His pupils contracted sharply, and he forced his mind to focus. But Fiore was still Fiore, sitting cross-legged three meters in front of them, his back straight and his body as imposing as a small mountain.

His bright, alert eyes watched Merlin and Yol expectantly. When Merlin came back to himself, a note of approval flashed in Fiore's eyes. Then Yol also regained her composure, and the smile on his face grew broader.

"Not bad. Your wills are both strong.

"If an ordinary person were subjected to my presence, they'd be so frightened they'd collapse onto the ground."

Yol looked at Fiore in astonishment. "Teacher, is this your Rockheart Fantasy?"

Fiore nodded with some pride. "This is the result of practicing Rockheart Fantasy for most of my life. There's a mountain in my heart, and I use it to hone the sword that is myself.

"That's why, when my fighting spirit affects those around me, the thing I imagine in my heart naturally manifests in my presence.

"You could say it's a sword technique that puts pressure on an opponent's mind."

Once he got started, Fiore became quite the chatterbox. He was immensely proud of what he had achieved through his fantasies.

After a long while, Fiore's mouth grew dry, and he finally stopped talking. With a bright smile, he looked at the two of them and asked, "Is there anything you still don't understand?"

Yol looked somewhat bewildered, as if she understood but wasn't quite sure. She couldn't help thinking of the prayers she had recited day after day at the church since childhood.

Back then, she had emptied her mind and prayed to an intangible god. Now, she was supposed to imagine rocks and mountains in her heart instead.

She felt as if she had grasped something, yet at the same time, as if she hadn't grasped anything at all.

Merlin's expression was a little curious. This method of training the mind seemed to have traces of the visualization techniques used by Daoists and Buddhists in his previous life.

Back in his chuunibyou days, he had even searched online for health and meditation practices like this.

So—

"Teacher, rather than calling this method of training the mind Rockheart Fantasy, wouldn't Rockheart Contemplation be more accurate?"

"After all, you're constructing the outline of a mountain in your mind, then deepening that impression through daily practice.

"That's how you train your will, right?

"You should be able to bring the majesty of the mountain to bear through your sword, shouldn't you?"

Fiore looked at Merlin in surprise. He hadn't expected such a unique insight from him, and he couldn't help feeling delighted.

"Whether you call it contemplation or fantasy doesn't matter. What matters is that this method lets us cultivate our state of mind from the inside out.

"In the end, the whole point is simply to make our mental defenses stronger."

As he said this, Fiore looked at Merlin with an approving smile.

"But I didn't expect you to have such a unique understanding of mental training.

"That's good. By the way, have you studied this kind of contemplative practice before?"

Fiore was curious. After all, the origins of his two students were mysterious, but he wasn't the kind of person who pried into everything.

As long as they meant him no harm, he had no need to dig deeper.

Merlin gave a half-true, half-false explanation, saying that he had once closely observed cats and imitated some of their movements.

After hearing this, Fiore burst into laughter and clapped his hands. "You've got some talent! That's just like the principles behind my Rockheart Kendo!

"Your senior, for instance, is just as clever as you. He didn't simply learn everything from me. Instead, he came up with his own way of training the mind, based on the sea.

"That kid even named his method Waveheart, after the waves!

"Hahaha! I'm getting old. I can't keep up with you young people!"

As Yol listened to their conversation, a thoughtful look appeared in her eyes. It seemed that there wasn't just one way to train the mind.

Merlin was curious now, too.

"By the way, Teacher, we've been at the dojo for a week, but how come we've never met the senior students you mentioned?"

Fiore smiled, looking rather proud. "Your senior is Fulvio. He just turned twenty this year, and your senior sister is Teresa. She's eighteen. They're both currently training with their swords while working as bounty hunters.

"They come back here every so often to rest and reflect on what they've learned out in the world.

"Hmm! They should be back in about a week. Then you can have a good discussion together."

Merlin smiled and nodded, agreeing for now. Whether he'd get to know them later would depend on fate.

At that moment, Merlin glanced at Yol, looking thoughtful, then turned to Fiore.

"By the way, Teacher, Monde told me you're not only a master swordsman but also an expert weaponsmith.

"Could you reforge a rapier for me? I'd like to turn a Good Fast Sword–grade rapier into a greatsword."

Fiore was surprised. Then he laughed and scolded, "Monde's such a blabbermouth. It's only been a few days, and he's already spilled all my secrets."

Still, he seemed interested. After making little progress in swordsmanship over the years, he had decided to try his hand at forging. He wanted to see whether the skills might complement each other. Though his swordsmanship had still failed to break through after ten years, he had made considerable progress as a weaponsmith. He was confident he could forge a Good Fast Sword–grade weapon.

But now he was curious, too. Looking at Merlin, he asked, "I've noticed you've used a rapier more than anything else this week. Why do you want a greatsword?"

Merlin smiled. "It's for Yol."

Fiore was surprised.

Yol gave a helpless smile. "Teacher, I've used all three types of swords over the past week, but in the end, I think I'll stick with a greatsword.

"Using one will let me make the most of my physical strength."

Fiore laughed when he heard this. "That makes sense. You were born with a powerful physique, and you're exceptionally flexible, too.

"Any type of sword would suit you, but I'm genuinely glad you've chosen a greatsword.

"Teresa uses one, too.

"When she gets back, the two of you can discuss swordsmanship together."

At this, he looked at Merlin.

"What about you, Merlin? Have you decided what kind of sword you want to specialize in? If you have, I can forge one for you while I'm at it!

"Oh, right. I do charge for my work. Hahaha.

"Including materials, a Fast Sword costs one million, and a Good Fast Sword costs five million. Forging a Good Fast Sword depends on luck, but I have managed to make one successfully before."

Merlin was surprised, but nodded. "Then I'll have to thank you, Teacher. I'd like a katana."

Fiore raised an eyebrow, then smiled. "So you plan to use a blade from now on?"

Merlin nodded. "Yes, I plan to use a blade. But when you forge it, I'd like the curve of the edge to be slight and the blade to be straighter."

Fiore thought about it briefly and understood. He nodded with a smile.

"I understand what you mean. All right, bring me the Fast Sword you want reforged.

"I'll forge your weapons as soon as I can."

Delight appeared in Merlin's eyes, and he thanked Fiore.

"Sorry for the trouble, Teacher.

"I'd like my own blade reforged, too. The material it's made from is quite good. It may not be a Famous Sword, but it's still an excellent weapon, rare enough to come across."

Listening to him, Fiore couldn't help feeling a little impressed. These two youngsters really were quite wealthy!

And mysterious, too.

But that didn't matter.