Chapter 205. Foray (5)
“Perception……”
At his words, Enoch tilted his head slightly.
Of course, he hadn't expected the Sword Saint's advice to be limited to just obvious technical aspects.
After all, they weren't at the stage of discussing the basics of posture, the flow of movement with the sword, or the way to project mana into the blade during the combo.
But even so, it was an abstract piece of advice that was surprisingly far from the knowledge of the sword.
“As expected, it wasn't a problem with the physical way of handling the sword or posture.”
The Sword Saint shook his head as if it was obvious.
“For a swordsman with your level of skill and talent with the sword, it's meaningless to discuss posture or the basics of the sword now.”
“I suppose.”
Enoch said with a bitter smile.
“Somehow, I couldn't find any other problems in the way I handled the sword or my posture. It seems I was right.”
Perhaps it was natural.
A swordsman who had transcended the art of wielding the sword itself and finally reached the supreme level.
Since it was a story presented by a Sword Saint who had achieved such a distant level, he had guessed that it wouldn't be an obvious story that could be easily predicted.
On top of that, the Sword Saint's advice was a new approach that Enoch had never thought of.
“To be honest, it’s surprising. That kind of approach.”
Enoch, lost in thought, muttered quietly, stroking his chin as if to cover his mouth.
What was even more surprising was the fact that Enoch himself seemed to be able to understand the Sword Saint's words, at least a little.
It was possible because he had already fully understood the concept of a Sword Saint, who turns his will into the form of a sword.
“……Somehow, I think I can vaguely understand.”
At Enoch’s words, the Sword Saint said with an interested look, his sword resting on the ground.
“It means that you, too, have entered a stage where you can understand such words.”
He already knew it instinctively.
The Sword Saint's advice was not a Zen riddle, but the most fundamental condition for reaching the stage of completing the sword combo.
Enoch stared at the Sword Saint with his deep blue eyes.
“That’s a relief. If I had heard it before, I would have just thought it was a bunch of nonsense, but now I think I understand a little.”
“Is that so.”
“I can understand because I have already inherited your will.”
For a moment, an image of a past succession flashed in his mind, and Enoch added quietly.
“In the first place, even the sword form you used couldn't be completed just by correcting the posture.”
The past of the Empire's last Sword Saint.
In the shadow of death that hung over the beast-kin who were abandoned like trash in the past society,
Enoch remembered his figure, who had driven away the great darkness that had hung over them and raised his sword of fire alone to protect them, and added.
“In the end, if I have to reach a transcendent level of the sword, does it mean I need a will for life that goes beyond just performing simple movements?”
Enoch smiled slightly.
“That must be one of the reasons why you’ve intervened in this succession and are actively helping me. The situation you’re watching now must be quite exciting.”
Enoch knew.
The flames that had once sprung from a thirst for revenge from his past misdeeds as a black mage, had eventually changed in meaning to a flame of protection for the marginalized of the Empire.
A Sword Saint who had tried to protect the beast-kin, who were abandoned by everyone, with the sword that held his will.
It was as clear as day how he, who had lived such a life, would see Enoch, who was now active in the outsourcing district, a place for the equally marginalized, and had even inherited his sword.
“Hmm, to be honest, Enoch.”
Sure enough, the Empire's last Sword Saint said with a grin, as if he had been caught.
“I am so looking forward to your achievements that I can’t even sleep at night here. It was incredibly immersive to watch.”
“Sleep at night? Do you sleep here too?”
When Enoch asked, a little surprised, the Empire's last Sword Saint crossed his arms and nodded his head.
Then, as if he had been caught at a good time, he began to pour out his words like a machine gun.
“Ah. Good. My mouth has been itching lately since you weren't here. To explain whether I sleep here or not, it would be a very long story, but since a good question has come up, let’s start with a story about my daily life here……”
“Sorry, but let’s chat next time.”
Enoch sighed deeply and shook his head.
“I have no intention of prying into an old man’s private life.”
He had forgotten because the conversation had gotten serious. The fact that he was originally a very talkative old man.
The Sword Saint smiled silently and nodded his head.
“Hmph, that’s quite heartless of you.”
Seeing that smile, Enoch was a little surprised for a moment.
He knew how to smile like this?
Just as he was feeling a sense of unfamiliarity with another side of him that he hadn't known from his appearance in his lifetime in the inner world.
The Sword Saint slowly raised his hand and added.
“Of course, unfortunately, I’m already fading away.”
Not only the tip of the Sword Saint’s hand, but his entire silhouette was turning translucent.
He lowered his arm and added.
“The conversation went a little off track just now, but always remember, Enoch.”
“…….”
“In the end, what you must reach is your own world, achieved with the sword.”
The Sword Saint laid his sword flat and lowered it to the side.
With an illusion of a faint metallic sound, Enoch’s pupils were reflected on the blade.
“Enoch. I ask you.”
On the blade of the sword that was raised between the past and present swordsmen, Enoch’s deep blue eyes were reflected.
To Enoch, who was facing himself in the sword as if in a mirror, a single question was thrown.
“With your talent for the sword, what is it that you truly wish to achieve?”
For a moment, Enoch lowered his head at the sudden sense of déjà vu.
He felt like he had heard similar words somewhere before.
“……What I wish to achieve.”
Was it a memory he had seen in the sword he had held when he was first inheriting Enoch’s past?
He had a memory of a woman’s voice, whom he didn’t know, saying something similar to the young Enoch.
Perhaps that question, which had been thrown from the very beginning.
Was the most fundamental question related to will, the one that Enoch had to solve?
“……So knowing that is the key.”
“As I said. The combo of sword forms that you are trying to achieve is, in the end, to connect the completed sword forms that have a transcendent meaning.”
“…….”
“In the end, to try to link two different sword forms into one is, Enoch, another level of the sword that you wish to unfold according to your own will.”
The Empire's last Sword Saint lowered his sword and added.
“Find a clue in that very fact.”
At his last words, Enoch’s eyes widened with a feeling as if his entire body had frozen.
“……Wait a minute……”
For a moment, a realization like a bolt of lightning flashed through his mind.
The reason why he had not been able to complete his combo, despite practicing repeatedly until now.
“Don’t tell me.”
His heart was pounding at the fact that he had been given a clue to find the answer to the problem that he couldn't find anywhere.
“Then the way I’m trying to complete the combo of sword forms, the method and the process itself is all—”
Just as Enoch had said that far and was about to lift his head to hear the confirmation of his question.
Hwaaaaaaaaak.
In an instant, the last flames scattered before his eyes.
He realized that the traces of the Sword Saint's flames, which had been dancing in the air until now, were remaining as if to say goodbye to him before fading away.
The moment Enoch glanced at the flames that had passed by him.
A deep voice, fading away, brushed past Enoch’s ear once.
“Always, I will be here, expecting you to find your own answer.”
Beside the fluttering flames, a glimpse of the surrounding inner world was visible.
The endless horizon of the inner world had turned into a lake of Rhodes, and the waves were shimmering.
In the middle of the raging flames, the figure of Enoch, half-submerged in the surface of the lake, stood tall alone.
And on the surface of the deep blue lake, the moment a transparent and clear flame, like a firefly, raged like a storm.
Wuuuuuuung!!
The light of the horizon on the inner world, which was losing its form and disappearing, covered Enoch’s consciousness.
***
Something like a blurry haze shimmered before his eyes.
All the shapes around him were blurry, and nothing was clearly visible.
Even when he opened his eyes, his focus didn’t return, and only an incomprehensible feeling of a soft foreign object grew.
“…….”
However, instead of panicking or forcing his body up, Enoch quietly recalled his memories.
It seemed to take time for all his senses, including his vision, to fully return to reality.
Still, perhaps thanks to the Emperor's Supreme Sword's intervention, the situation seemed to be better than the last time the succession was forcibly interrupted.
Fortunately, Enoch could remember what he had been doing without much difficulty.
The succession of the Sword Saint of the Waves, the intrusion of the Empire's last Sword Saint, and the danger that his consciousness might be encroached upon if he continued the succession.
And even a clue to the secret to completing the ‘combo of sword forms’ that Enoch had been worrying about until now.
All the things that had happened in the inner world were too many and too complicated to be summed up in one.
“…….”
Had he perhaps lost consciousness for a moment? How much time had passed since he had come out of the inner world?
In any case, if he didn’t return to where the squad members were quickly, he might cause them to worry or become suspicious.
Enoch, who had been staring blankly, realized that his vision hadn’t fully recovered.
It wasn’t that the things around him were blurry.
It was just that his face was buried in something like a white garment, so his vision was covered.
In that moment, a familiar, emotionless voice echoed in Enoch’s ear.
“You seem to be awake.”
At the whisper from above his head, he slowly lifted his gaze.
A silver-haired girl with blue-silver eyes was sitting next to him, looking at Enoch.
Only then did Enoch realize that he had been about to fall over while sitting, and was leaning against Lien’s soft chest with his face buried in it.
The firm breasts that were clearly pushing up from under her maid uniform were completely blocking his vision.
Enoch, who had belatedly realized the identity of the soft sensation, had to think for a moment where to put his gaze.
However, Lien, who was completely unconcerned, looked at him with calm eyes and said.
“You regained consciousness faster than I thought. I didn't feel any threat to your life, but you don't look to be in good shape.”
“…….”
“You’re overdoing it, ‘again’. Do you know that?”
“……Perhaps.”
Enoch, who was checking his body’s senses with an expressionless face, added in a slightly dry voice.
“Because I have to.”
As his senses gradually returned, he could feel the smell of the earth from the hotel rooftop garden brushing against his nose.
The surroundings were still the small outdoor garden on the rooftop of the hotel where they had arrived to stay the night.
There, Lien had once again been sitting, supporting Enoch, who had been about to lose consciousness and fall over.
“If something happens to the Young Master’s body, as long as the contract is in place, there’s no way I wouldn't know. But recently, you don't even feel the threat to your life properly.”
The maid, who was lightly touching her neck and looking down at Enoch coldly, finally parted her lips.
“I was able to help you by chance this time, but there’s no guarantee that I’ll be able to do so in the future. Something big might happen then.”
By chance? While wondering how she had found him, Enoch nodded his head.
“I apologize, I didn’t think I would be in danger this time.”
“It’s not just limited to this time.”
Lien added, looking down at Enoch quietly.
“It seems you were injured in the last battle. Even if you try not to show it, I can tell everything about the Young Master’s body just by looking.”
“…….”
So Lien had already known about the injury that Lily had treated?
Enoch smiled a little bitterly and nodded his head.
“Thanks to you watching over me like that, I was helped this time too. Thank you.”
“…….”
Strictly speaking, he had lost consciousness for a slightly different reason than the injury Lien had seen.
Instead of explaining, Enoch expressed his gratitude.
There were still too many things he didn't know about his own inner world.
From the Empire's last Sword Saint to the existence of the Sword Saints, including the Sword Saint of the Waves, and the story of inheriting their swords.
He didn't know how much Lien had figured out about Enoch, but to explain all of this, it was an incredibly unrealistic and grand story.
“……It’s fine, quite a bit of time has passed now. If our return is delayed any further, we might unnecessarily arouse suspicion.”
Lien said that coldly, but she gently embraced Enoch’s waist and helped him up.
The cool and soft touch of Lien’s skin, who was helping him without any hesitation, felt soft.
Just as Enoch had stood up with her help.
Lien, as always, clasped her hands in front of her and, with a calm gaze, opened her mouth.
“And one more thing. There’s a presence nearby.”
“A presence?”
Lien silently glanced outside the rooftop.
Beyond the thin, antique-design iron railing, he could see someone approaching the hotel where they were located.
In the light of the streetlights around which they were walking, the uniform of the Dragoon Corps shone white.
A member of the Dragoon Corps, carrying a bombardment lance, was walking towards them in the darkness.
“Perhaps……”
Staring at them, Enoch quietly nodded his head.
“It seems to be a messenger from Shepherd.”
It wasn’t difficult to predict. At this moment, there was only one reason for people from the Dragoon Corps to come here.
In this vast battlefield, the commander who led the magical beasts created from experimental subjects, Indiviltal.
The curtain was slowly rising on the most important mission of all, to eliminate that powerful leader-class individual alone.