By the next day, Paul's anger had already subsided. After earnestly lecturing the two children the previous night and "resting up" over the past two days, he was full of energy. Just after breakfast, he brought them into the courtyard and motioned for them to take their stances.
Once the three stood in a triangular standoff in the courtyard, he put on the air of an adult and said to them,
"You've played around enough these past few days. It's time to get your swordsmanship studies back on track! So today, we'll have extra training, and I'll supervise it personally. Especially you, Allen—what kind of teacher spends all his time fighting alongside his student? Have you even been properly teaching Rudy swordsmanship these past few days?"
Looking at Paul's posture, Rudy subconsciously squeezed the hilt of his sword. Ever since Allen had arrived, he really had not studied swordsmanship properly, but the obvious reason was that Paul had become obsessed with sparring with Allen, drastically shortening his Swordsmanship Class.
But now was not the time to say that. He had finally managed to cut an hour off Swordsmanship Class; if arguing with Paul made it return to how it was before, it would be far too great a loss.
Allen's mouth twitched as he looked at Paul's solemn expression.
I've only been here for a week. More than half of that was spent fencing with you. Teach him what, exactly?
Still, he answered respectfully.
"Reporting to you, sir, although I have not been here long, I believe Rudy has considerable talent in the North God Style."
Using the Magic Armor definitely counts as the North God Style.
Paul's face fell, and he revealed a disdainful expression. He had previously taught Rudy the Sword God Style and Water God Style, because—
"The North God Style? That sort of thing only counts as fighting with a sword. It cannot be called swordsmanship at all."
Despite his profound mastery of the North God Style, Paul looked down on it immensely. Thanks to North God Second, who had established North God Style dojos in the Dragon King Empire, the Qiba Faction was the primary school popular on the Central Continent. Perhaps Paul found it far too unserious.
Though Paul himself was hardly a serious person.
Allen gave a light cough, his expression utterly respectful.
"Then we shall trouble you today, sir, to help the two of us sort through the swordsmanship knowledge of the Sword God Style and Water God Style."
Paul nodded in satisfaction. With a loud shout of "Then let's begin!", he drew his sword and excitedly pointed it at Allen's forehead.
"Then this time, you attack!"
Silence filled the courtyard.
A gust of wind blew through, and a wilted fallen leaf landed on Rudy's face as he stood there like an outsider. Looking at the tense, sword-drawn atmosphere between the two men, he wore a dumbfounded expression.
Th-then should I leave?
Allen looked at the tip of the wooden sword before him. Under Paul's astonished gaze, he reached out with two fingers, pinched the blade, and moved it aside from in front of his face.
"Sir, I believe reviewing things after actual combat is more important. Perhaps today, we could begin by organizing our experience. To be honest, I have many questions I would like to ask you as well."
Paul blinked, suddenly realizing that Allen had a deep mastery of the Water God Style. It seemed he was saying this in order to seek instruction in the Sword God Style, which he was clearly less skilled in.
"I see. Fine, but let me say this in advance: I'm more of a feel-based person. I might not be very good at teaching theoretical knowledge."
"That would still be much better than me fumbling around on my own."
The three of them each fetched a small stool and sat in a circle. The country breeze continuously brushed over them, warm and gentle, just like Zenith's smiling face as she leaned by the second-floor window with her chin in her hand, looking down at them.
Allen looked serious as he faced Paul, who sat with his arms crossed, staring at him in silence with a pained expression.
His Sword God Style was currently still at the intermediate level. As someone who had read the novel, he should not have remained stuck at this stage, but the problem was that the novel's descriptions of swordsmanship training were too impressionistic. If he had not received systematic training in the Water God Style since childhood, he likely would have found it difficult to comprehend the advanced level through the book's descriptions alone.
With that in mind, he first turned to Rudy and said,
"I do not know whether sir has ever thoroughly analyzed the three swordsmanship schools for you. I am more skilled in the Water God Style and North God Style, so I will first explain the detailed characteristics of these schools."
Rudy blinked.
"I actually know."
Allen smiled carelessly and asked,
"Then what do you think is the core principle of the Water God Style?"
Rudy scratched his cheek.
"Defense?"
Allen shook his head.
"That is merely its outward form. The core principle of the Water God Style is—perception."
Paul raised an eyebrow at that.
...This kid... is interesting.
Rudy, however, wore a puzzled expression.
"Perception?"
"That's right. Perception."
As Allen spoke, he slowly exhaled. His breathing gradually steadied, and his mind became as calm and rippleless as water on a windless day.
Through his five senses, the rustling of leaves, the scent of soil, the smile at the corner of Paul's mouth, Rudeus's raised brow, and even the movement of his own body hair stirred by the wind all appeared with perfect clarity.
He opened his eyes and looked at Rudy again. He extended his arm, held out two fingers before Rudy's face, and said amid Rudy's baffled expression,
"Perceive all the information in your surroundings: the direction of the wind, the source of sounds, the tremors in the air, the shape of objects. Go deeper, and you can even sense the eruption of Killing Intent and the flow of mana."
As he spoke, a fallen leaf landed precisely between Allen's two fingers. His fingers trembled slightly.
At the same time, his unfinished words fell.
"Then, based on your judgment of the information you have obtained, make the most appropriate response for the moment, find the opponent's weakness, and complete a fatal counterattack."
Under Rudy's astonished gaze and Paul's appreciative one, the leaf instantly split into two between Allen's fingers, sliding down from either side of his fingertips.
The entire process was so smooth that Rudy even felt the leaf had deliberately flown into Allen's fingers to meet its own "end."
He shook off his distraction and suddenly realized there was something unreasonable in Allen's words, so he asked,
"I understand everything before that. It means the mind needs to stay calm, analyze an enormous amount of information about the opponent in a short time, then choose the most suitable counterattack. I understand Killing Intent as something like a murderous aura, but what about the flow of mana? Can that also be sensed by someone who is not the mage casting the spell?"
Allen smiled.
"It can."
Rudy's eyes widened as he looked at Allen. Allen awkwardly withdrew his fingers and rubbed his nose.
"But... under normal circumstances, I cannot do it yet."
Rudy's face fell.
"Then weren't you just fooling me—"
"He wasn't fooling you."
Rudy turned to look at Paul, who had suddenly interjected. Paul nodded solemnly to Allen.
"If a Water God Style Swordsman reaches a sufficiently high level, rumor says they really can achieve that. But honestly, I have never seen it myself."
Rudy frowned.
"Then it's still just a rumor. How could something like that possibly—"
"I have seen it with my own eyes."
Rudy and Paul both looked at Allen, who had spoken. Yet Allen did not meet either of their gazes. He merely lowered his eyes to the sword at his waist. After a slight pause, he said,
"At the Water God Style Main Dojo in the Asura Royal Capital—Her Excellency the Water God, Rieda Lia—she can do it perfectly."
Before you continue