"It is an honor to receive instruction from a Sword Saint. I may be lacking, but I will do my utmost, so I humbly ask for your generous guidance."
Lucian bowed his head deeply to Aizen, pouring every ounce of respect into the gesture.At that attitude, the old knight waved his hands awkwardly.
"Please don't make it so formal. Even if you call me a Sword Saint, I'm nothing more than an old man who's already been handed the date of his death. What's more, Young Master is now a candidate to be the next head of the family—how can you bow so readily?"
Despite the old knight's humility, Lucian couldn't relax in the slightest.A Sword Saint was a title granted only to a transcendent who had reached the limits of circulation, completed their awakening, and then honed their swordsmanship to the absolute extreme.Even when one surveyed the long history of the Empire, there had been only a single period when more than one Sword Saint existed at the same time.And even then, it was said to be just a few years before the previous Sword Saint died of old age—proof of how rare it was for even one to appear in an era.For Lucian, who in his previous life had pursued the sword with near madness, the weight of that title was impossible to ignore.
"I cannot demean the ValdecK family, but how could I treat lightly a knight who has reached the pinnacle of Sword Saint simply because he is a retainer? Setting status aside, Sir Aizen is more than worthy of the respect of all knights."
"Heh heh."
When Lucian spoke again with sincerity, a glimmer of surprise passed through Aizen's eyes.The other young masters had also shown him great respect.But that was, in the end, respect offered as candidates for succession to a grand ducal house.The name of a Sword Saint carried enough weight to overturn the entire succession balance in an instant.By contrast, the respect Lucian showed was closer to the pure admiration of one knight for another.
"How curious. Ordinarily, the children of noble families perceive martial strength as nothing more than a means they wield."
In a way, it was only natural.They were youths who had grown up in a peaceful world, surrounded by middling knights and countless soldiers.To them, a hero who could face a hundred alone would seem no more than an exaggerated legend—or at best, a mere man who could be crushed by numbers.Yet the Third Young Master's attitude was as if he had personally walked the path of the sword.
—I thought he was a hopeless one, but looking again, he turned out to be truly extraordinary. Was his talent remarkable? Not that so much as his mindset. You'll understand what I mean when you see him for yourself.
Aizen recalled the words the Grand Duke had spoken before he came here.Only now did he feel he vaguely understood what they meant.Still, it wouldn't do to treat Lucian as special based on nothing more than a single unusual reaction.For now, he intended to gauge his capacity through the same training as the other young masters.
"I understand. If that is your wish, then continuing to refuse your goodwill would be discourteous. Please act as you find comfortable, Third Young Master.""Thank you for your understanding.""Then we shall begin training at once. Run to the training grounds."
"Yes."
Lucian answered immediately and began running toward the training grounds.He didn't ask for a reason, nor did he hesitate even slightly.It was Aizen—the one who had ordered him to run—who felt taken aback by that calm demeanor.
"Um, Third Young Master. Please wait a moment.""Yes? What is it?""Is there nothing you're curious about? Such as why I told you to run, how long you should run, or what meaning this training holds?""I am curious, but you ordered it because it is necessary for me, did you not? If you chose not to explain every detail, then there must be a reason for that as well. As one who receives instruction, I simply follow my teacher's words."
No sooner had Lucian finished speaking than he set his feet moving again, which had just come to a halt.Watching him blankly, a hollow chuckle escaped Aizen's lips.Words were easy to say, but was it really something one could carry out at will?As long as one was human, pointless effort was something to be avoided.And if one was a noble, all the more so—they weighed profit and loss as naturally as breathing.Yet here he was, running without hesitation, without even a hint of doubt.
"The Third Young Master truly does seem to be something different, Your Highness."
A glimmer of anticipation surfaced in the eyes of Sword Saint Aizen.Unlike before, when he had merely instructed young noblemen, he felt he might be able to teach a true knight this time.
Lucian ran silently across the wide open grounds of the training field.In truth, his answer to Aizen's question had contained a measure of falsehood.The reason he hadn't hesitated even for a moment wasn't simply trust in Aizen—it was because he already knew the purpose of this test.
"To an outsider, it might look like nothing more than basic stamina training, but in reality, it's meant to gauge the disciple in various ways."
How readily one obeyed even when ordered to run instead of practice swordsmanship.How well one's current physical condition held up before formal training began.How long one could continue running without rest if never told to stop.From temperament and physical condition to perseverance—this single run allowed the instructor to grasp it all.In effect, aside from the most important factor of talent itself, it encompassed everything needed to judge a disciple.
"Well, if there's no talent, most candidates are filtered out by temperament or grit anyway… and if he's the Grand Duke's child, he'll be taught regardless, so…"
***
A bitter smile formed at the corner of Lucian's lips.Power really was a convenient thing.As a teacher, one would have to instruct even disciples one didn't wish to teach.But looked at another way, it was also an opportunity to score points in front of a Sword Saint.
No matter how good their temperament or perseverance might be, they were still noble scions who enjoyed every privilege.The level they showed before a Sword Saint was bound to be predictable.In that regard, Lucian could demonstrate something far beyond anyone else.
"Temperament is proven. Then what remains is perseverance, I suppose. Can't be helped—I'll just have to be ready to be bedridden for a few days."
His body had recovered, but the lack of exercise was still there.It was obvious he would tire quickly before long, so if he wanted to leave a deep impression, he had no choice but to run as if his life depended on it.Fortunately, this wasn't just any noble house, but the ValdecK Grand Ducal House.Even if he collapsed while running and his breathing became erratic, they should at least have medicine to help him recover.Having steeled his resolve, Lucian kicked off the ground and increased his speed.
And then an hour passed.
Tadadak.
The sound of Lucian's running still echoed through the training grounds.His breathing hadn't grown ragged, nor had his pace slowed.Sword Saint Aizen stared, eyes wide, at a result he had never imagined.But the one even more surprised than Aizen was the man doing the running.
"What the—? Why am I not getting tired?"
By all expectations, he should have collapsed long ago.
No—even if he didn't collapse, his pace should have slowed or his breathing grown labored.Unless one was a transcendent, that was the natural reaction of a human body.Yet strangely, Lucian's body showed no sign of fatigue at all.
"Young Master, are you all right?""Well… for some reason, I seem to be fine."
To Aizen's bewildered question, Lucian replied with an equally dazed expression.He ran for another thirty minutes after that, yet his body was still brimming with energy.Aizen soon seemed to grasp Lucian's condition and gave a bitter smile.
"It seems there's no further point in continuing. Please stop and come over here for a moment.""Yes."
As instructed, Lucian approached, and Aizen grasped his wrist.He then placed his hand against the faintly bluish veins.
"I will check the Third Young Master's physical condition for a moment. Even if you feel something strange, do not move."
No sooner had Lucian nodded than a cool, refreshing energy seeped into his body through his wrist.Startled by the unfamiliar sensation, Lucian flinched.
"Is he using his own mana as a sense of touch to probe the inside of another's body?"
Admiration rose unbidden.Manifesting mana externally was difficult enough in itself, yet he was handling it with such delicacy.Even as it permeated his body, Lucian felt no major discomfort—only a slight foreign sensation.Aizen must have harmonized the nature of his mana with Lucian's as much as possible to minimize side effects.Once again, Lucian realized just how lofty the realm of a Sword Saint truly was.
"Th-this is…!"
As Aizen continued probing his body for a long while, his eyes began to tremble.After a moment, Aizen withdrew his mana and looked straight at Lucian as he asked,
"Young Master, I have a few questions. Have you recently practiced circulation on your own?""Yes, I have."
Lucian answered immediately, without hesitation.The previous owner of this body had already learned circulation long ago, so doing it himself wasn't strange.Unlike sword forms, it required no physical conditioning, and with outside guidance it was easy enough to learn.Aizen was aware of this as well, so he let the answer to the first question pass lightly.The real questions began after that.
"Then during circulation, have you ever felt anything like blockage, pressure, or pain?""No.""Not even the slightest sense of something catching?""Not at all. It rotated smoothly, like a waterwheel.""Hah… hahah. Hahahaha!"
Countless emotions flickered across Aizen's face and vanished in turn.Disbelief, elation, regret, relief, concern—and beyond those, a tangle of subtle emotions too complex to clearly identify.Lucian couldn't fully grasp Aizen's state of mind, but he had a rough idea of why he was reacting this way.
"He's realized that my mana pathways are already completely open."
Come to think of it, perhaps the reason he hadn't grown tired no matter how much he ran earlier was also related to this body.As someone who had failed to reach greatness as a swordsman, that was about as far as Lucian could reasonably guess.
By contrast, Aizen was a Sword Saint—a realm counted among the very highest in the continent's history.He may well have realized far more about Lucian's body.
"I'd like to ask him outright, but…"
It would be strange for the Third Young Master—who couldn't even properly master a single sword form—to pinpoint and ask about only the most difficult aspects.Rather than arouse unnecessary suspicion, it was better to remain silent until Aizen chose to speak himself.After pondering something for a while, Aizen finally let out a sigh.
"I see. I understand now.""Is there… something unusual about me?""No. Quite the opposite. The Third Young Master's body is more suited than anyone else's to learning the Lionheart Sword.""Pardon? What do you mean by—"
"Third Young Master."
The smile vanished from Aizen's face as he spoke in a grave tone.
"Have you ever considered aiming not for succession within the ValdecK family, but for the position of the next Sword Saint instead?"
…!
Lucian was so shocked that he couldn't collect his thoughts for quite some time.Abandon the position of heir and become the next Sword Saint?Seeing Lucian's confusion, Aizen continued in a calm voice.
"You brushed off the fact that you experience no obstruction during circulation, but in truth, that is an extraordinary blessing."
Circulation was the process of gradually purifying a human body, laden with impurities.Even if one practiced circulation without a single day of rest, the task of breaking through blocked paths and widening them was unimaginably long.So much so that even if one began in youth, it was said one wouldn't see the end of it until well past middle age.
And that was only possible when accompanied by the process of cultivating mana through sword forms.Neglect training even slightly or lose focus, and those paths would remain blocked for an entire lifetime.
"And yet the Third Young Master's paths were all open from the very beginning. Do you understand what that means?""Doesn't it mean I'm innately decades ahead of other swordsmen?"
"That's not all."
"Then… what more is there?"
Lucian asked in earnest.No matter how he thought about it, he couldn't imagine an effect greater than that.At most, he figured it might mean any elixir he consumed would have several times the usual effect.As Lucian tilted his head in confusion, Aizen spoke in a trembling voice.
"When all paths are open from the start, the body is already completely purified. There is nothing beyond that. And yet, in the Third Young Master's case, the effects of circulation are continuing, however faintly. That means there is still room to ascend even higher."
"…!"