Teaching Swordsmanship

Roxy could feel the terrifying Magic Power packed into that tiny Fireball. If it had exploded inside the inn, it probably would have flattened the whole place.

"Sorry. But what did you think of that spell, Teacher Roxy? I feel like I'm pretty good at Fire Magic."

"Yes, it was impressive. But you put too much Magic Power into it. That's wasteful, and with an explosive Fire Magic spell, you could easily get caught in the blast yourself. I wouldn't recommend using a spell that's practically suicidal, Cain."

Mages might wield dazzling spells, but their first priority was staying safe. Keeping their distance before attacking was the most basic—and safest—approach for someone so vulnerable up close.

Once an enemy got close, it didn't matter what kind of mage they were, unless they could use Chantless Casting like Cain.

A mage who couldn't use Battle Aura could be killed in close combat by a swordsman who could, even if that mage was a Divine Mage.

Melee fighters who could wrap themselves in Battle Aura to strengthen their bodies generally had a huge advantage over mages. Most mages couldn't use Battle Aura and needed lengthy incantations, so once an enemy closed in, they had little chance to fight back.

Of course, there were mages like Roxy who made up for those weaknesses with an array of close-range and long-range spells.

For swordsmen, how well they used Battle Aura, its quality, and how much of it they had were all crucial to their strength. The vast reserves Cain had honed since childhood, sharp as blades, were almost unmatched across the continent.

Of course, talent played a part in Battle Aura.

The night grew late. Roxy patted her full belly and smiled contentedly. Cain handed her a handkerchief with a faint smile and pointed to the corner of her mouth.

Roxy touched it. Cream. She licked it without thinking—it was sweet—then blushed slightly and wiped her lips with the handkerchief Cain had given her.

Roxy stepped out of the room with a satisfied smile. She waved to Cain, and they said good night.

"Good night, Teacher Roxy."

"Good night, Cain."

Roxy returned to her room across the hall to rest. The rooms at the inn were spacious and elegantly furnished in an old-fashioned style. Best of all, each had a magical bathtub for soaking.

Roxy stretched and opened her door. Before closing it, she couldn't help peeking back out, only to meet Cain's smiling gaze.

Blushing, she pulled her head back in a flash. She patted her rather flat chest and took several deep breaths to steady herself.

I couldn't really be... Roxy covered her flushed cheeks and pressed her lips together. Normally, she would never enter a man's room. But...

Well, it was my student's room. I had to go in to teach him, didn't I? Roxy felt that should be fine. And everything had been fine. Cain had been a gentleman. He hadn't acted cold toward her or tried to touch her just because they had pretended to be a couple at the shop...

What am I thinking? Why did I want to pretend to be a couple with Cain back then...?

Roxy's thoughts were a mess. It was a feeling she couldn't quite describe, though she had felt it before. Each time had ended in disappointment, or in her quietly stepping aside...

Roxy shook her head. What was she expecting from a student who was only twelve?

She set down her staff and tried to shake the image of Cain's dependable back as he stood in front of her, along with his bright, boyish smile, out of her mind. After a slow, deep breath, she turned on the bathtub's tap, filled it with hot water, undressed, and climbed in for a soak.

The warm water washed away her weariness, and a comfortable smile gradually spread across her face.

"I'll protect you, Teacher!"

The words suddenly echoed in her mind. Roxy pressed her lips together as she soaked in the tub, her heart racing for reasons she couldn't explain.

She sank lower until only half her head remained above the water, blowing bubbles. In the end, all she could do was mutter helplessly.

"St-stupid student..."

Knock, knock, knock! Cain had been trying to cast Rock Cannonball, an Intermediate-class earth spell from his spellbook. At the sound of the knock, he smiled faintly.

"Did you forget something, Teacher?"

Cain opened the door as he spoke, but the light in his eyes faded when he saw who it was.

"Oh. It's you, Zoldat. What do you want?"

"Hey, don't look so disappointed to see me..."

Zoldat scratched his head.

"Come on. Roxy was here earlier, wasn't she?"

"Yeah. Teacher went back to her room to rest. Why?"

"Ahem. I see, I see." Zoldat gave him a knowing smile.

But when Cain expressionlessly rested a hand on the hilt at his waist, Zoldat hurriedly cleared his throat twice.

"Cain, you said you'd teach me Swordsmanship if I helped you, right?"

So he wanted a sword lesson.

Cain had thought the man had come over just to gossip.

"Sure, I can teach you. But it's late. Are you sure you want to start now?"

"There's no real rush." Zoldat scratched his head and smiled before continuing.

"But Swordsmanship from the Sword God of the Sword God Style? Honestly, it feels like a dream. As a swordsman, I'd love to see your skills for myself. Just not while I'm fighting you."

He's that eager?

Cain nodded slightly and looked at the moon hanging high outside the window.

"All right. But it's late, so I can only give you a short lesson."

Outside the inn, Zoldat looked at the beginner's Wooden Sword in Cain's hand, puzzled.

"Cain, can that thing really cut through rock?!"

Cain merely smiled. Holding the wooden practice sword, he gently ran his right hand along its blade. His thoughts drifted back to when he had first earned the title of Sword Saint at the Sword Sanctum.

Back then, he had asked his master, Sword God Gall, the very same question: could a Wooden Sword cut through rock? His master's answer had been no.

Gall had told him, "Within the limits of a human, you can't cut through rock with a Wooden Sword. But if you surpass those limits and reach the threshold of Divine Rank, you can."

"But what is Divine Rank? Master, I still don't quite understand."

Cain murmured to himself, then smiled at Zoldat. The man had reminded him of Master Gall, and that made him happy.

"What is it? Uh, did I say something wrong?" Zoldat scratched his cheek at Cain's smile.

"Zoldat, why did you learn the sword?"

"Huh? To protect myself, of course. And to kill monsters and earn money from commissions. What does that have to do with learning Swordsmanship?"

"It doesn't just matter. It's essential!"

Cain's expression grew serious as he continued.

"Someone without desire can't master Swordsmanship. At least, that's true of the Sword God Style. Sword Saint is as far as someone like that can go. With talent, they might barely reach Sword King, but they'll still be second-rate swordsmen."

Cain looked Zoldat in the eye and asked calmly,

"So, Zoldat, what do you desire? A dream, a goal—anything you want to achieve through your own effort. That determines how far you can go with the sword. Of course, it's fine if you lie. I'll still teach you everything I can."

Zoldat swallowed.

"D-desire... Does wanting to marry a few wives count?"

Cain folded his arms and nodded with a faint smile.

"It does! That's a desire too. But barring a rare few, people driven by that kind of desire don't get very far with the sword."

Zoldat pursed his lips and scratched his head, thinking for a long while. Finally, he sighed.

"I don't have any special desires. I just want to use my sword to protect my companions in my adventuring party—and my own life."

The seriousness in Cain's expression eased. He gave Zoldat a light pat on the shoulder and smiled faintly.

"You pass."