Chapter 64
I woke up, woke Win, ate breakfast with Kaeha and the others, did a few light stretches, and then joined the other disciples in swinging wooden swords.
At noon, I ate lunch, took Win back from Shizuki and Mizuha, and spent about an hour relaxing with him before retreating to the smithy to swing my hammer.
I had dinner, took a bath with Win, and then spent the rest of the evening lounging around the room with him.
I seriously thought that the best thing about this house was that it had a bathtub.
Of course, I helped whenever Kaeha's mother asked me to, and Shizuki and Mizuha seemed interested in me for some reason, so they often came over to talk and I humored them.
Well, after spending my days like that for a while, the other disciples asked me for a favor one day.
"That's enough. We've heard about you for some time, and we understand that you've been considerate toward us. So could you finally humor our master?"
...Or so they said.
Apparently, they'd finally grown afraid of Kaeha, who was looking at me with a hint of anger.
Yes, even after I reforged her sword and handed it back, Kaeha's good mood had lasted only three days.
The last time I replaced her sword, she had been so delighted that she couldn't hide how happy she was for nearly a month. I suppose she'd grown up a little since then.
Still, she had swung her sword with a giddy air during those three days, to the other disciples' astonishment.
But in this matter, I really was largely at fault.
I mean, Kaeha herself had gotten angry because I hadn't come to ask her to teach me swordsmanship, and she kept glaring at me.
I found it so amusing that I kept putting it off.
If the other disciples hadn't said anything, I might have dragged it out for about a year.
As a High Elf, I simply couldn't help feeling that eight, nine, or even ten years made little difference.
But the knowledge from my previous life told me that this way of thinking was extremely dangerous: if I gave in to it, the years of my human acquaintances would pass in an instant.
However, now that the other disciples had accepted me, I no longer had to act meekly as a newcomer and refrain from asking Kaeha for instruction.
Kaeha was staring fixedly at me, waiting for me to speak.
So I took several deep breaths,
"Master Kaeha, would you take a look at my sword again, after all this time?"
At last, I managed to say the words.
Kaeha glared at me, still looking a little angry, but she had probably already realized that it was pointless.
She let out a deep sigh.
"At last. ...Eisa, then don't use a wooden sword. Show me how you wield the sword you normally use."
She said it with a softened gaze.
The sword I usually used was the magic sword whose patterns Kaushuman had designed and I had forged.
It was much lighter and thinner than an ordinary sword, so wielding it required a certain knack; it was riddled with quirks.
To be honest, I still didn't feel that I had mastered it completely, so I hesitated to demonstrate it.
But if Kaeha told me to swing it—and said she would teach me—I couldn't refuse.
Even so, I was a little nervous.
I rarely felt any mental tension, so this was a novel sensation in its own way, and a pleasant one.
I drew the magic sword, channeled magic through it, and assumed my stance.
This thin sword would warp if I swung it poorly, even if I was only practicing and not cutting anything.
Just in case, I activated the magic sword's effects, which increased its sharpness and durability.
The patterns etched into the sword—the spell formula—began to glow faintly.
At the same time, my spirit was brimming.
This wasn't some sort of energy like magic; it was my feelings, fighting spirit, and state of mind.
Of course, I couldn't have too little of it, but neither could I let too much build up and make me tense.
Treating the motion I had repeated countless times as second nature, I stepped forward and swung the sword straight to the side.
Changing my stance, I stepped forward again and this time brought the sword down.
That made a cross.
But I didn't stop there. I took another step and slashed diagonally upward.
Finally, my feet came to a stop, but not my sword; I brought it down diagonally from the opposite side.
As I returned to my original stance, I backed up the few steps I'd taken forward and sheathed my sword.
Yeah, I felt like I'd swung it fairly well.
I slowly exhaled, releasing the tension inside me.
Before I knew it, the other disciples watching nearby were sighing in admiration, while Kaeha, the one who mattered most, was looking at me with a somewhat troubled expression.
Could I have done something wrong?
When I tilted my head, a little worried, Kaeha noticed and nodded once.
"There's a lot I'd like to ask about that strange sword, but let me give you my assessment first. First, Eisa, you continued your training properly even during your travels. Your skill with a sword is far greater than it was before. Yes, I am proud of you."
Kaeha said this with something left unsaid.
What was that supposed to mean?
Even though she'd praised me, I felt a little afraid before I could feel happy.
Ah, but hearing her say she was proud of me did make me happy after all.
"However... Eisa, you didn't cut a single thing during your travels, did you? Why not, despite training so diligently? Your sword is a sword for swinging beautifully, not for fighting. Just like my sword used to be. Or, stranger still, perhaps it isn't even a sword for making you stronger."
I couldn't come up with a reply to Kaeha's observation.
I had broken a cutlass, technically, but that wasn't what she meant.
Kaeha wasn't reprimanding me, exactly.
She was simply pointing out my shortcoming, puzzled by it.
Why was I, who had helped her overcome her own shortcoming, still stuck in that same place?
I was happy that Kaeha could understand me so well after watching me swing only a few times, but being seen through so completely was embarrassing and frightening.
"I know that's one of your strengths, but... I don't think you can move forward as a swordsman if you remain this way. So I'll say it plainly. Eisa, you may become more skilled like this, but you won't become stronger. Your shortcoming is a lack of fighting spirit."
That was precisely why Kaeha's observation pierced my heart.