The Ebenholz armory was like a small museum. Ornate armor and swords used by past heads of the family were displayed chronologically along the walls, alongside numerous other so-called treasures, such as magical artifacts.
Among these countless armaments, none belonged to me. I lacked the skill and the qualification.
“Hmm…”
I strolled slowly, looking around. Enzi was not with me. Only those of direct Ebenholz bloodline were permitted entry here.
“…Hey. Do you happen to know anything?”
I spoke to the virus.
Flicker.
I received an actual response. A subtle but distinct pulse.
“You understand me well.”
Should I give it a name?
Feeling drawn, I walked deeper into the armory.
Thump!
My heart lurched violently for a moment. The virus reacted with great intensity.
“Alright. What is it?”
In a dusty corner of the weapon rack, lying on the floor as if discarded, was an old longsword. It looked like an antique.
“This?”
The blade was tightly wrapped in worn bandages, but at 1.6 meters, it was clearly an Ebenholz sword. However, it was slightly narrower than a typical sword, and closer to the shape of a saber with a single cutting edge.
I picked up the sword. The feel of it in my hand was strangely familiar.
“I don’t know what it is, but…”
I sheathed the sword at my waist. It clung to my lower back like a magnet. Normally, carrying such a long sword would be a chore, but at least I wouldn’t have that problem.
“…”
As I was about to leave, I suddenly noticed elixirs aging behind a glass case in a corner. Elixirs, so potent that calling them rare felt like an understatement, were maturing. These were the kind I used to drink as easily as water in my childhood.
Such elixirs had a particularly significant effect during the growth period. Regardless of whether the user possessed great talent, high-purity magical energy would accumulate indefinitely in the immature body of an infant.
However, for adults, the effect was negligible. An already mature body had poor compatibility with magical energy; the higher the purity of the magical energy, the less it could be contained, and thus it would leak out.
The Ebenholz mana-breathing technique was intended to digest the ‘purity’ already deposited within the body, and these elixirs were likely arrangements for my son or daughter, for future descendants.
Son. Daughter.
Would I ever be able to have such a future? It was impossible to even imagine now.
Thump!
The virus suddenly stirred. Its reaction sparked a thought.
“…No way.”
Generally, elixirs showed explosive efficacy only during the growth period, before the age of 11. But what if that was not limited to ‘humans,’ and could apply to the virus within me?
“Are you still in your growth period?”
The virus didn’t answer, but I opened the glass case. Gripping the neck of an elixir, I uncorked it.
Thump.
Feeling the virus’s pulse, I poured it into my mouth.
Thump.
Swallowing it all with a gulp, I looked at my collarbone. The virus had absorbed the elixir. The spot where it resided was glowing blue. I let out a hollow laugh.
“…Right. Let’s try living together for a while.”
Remember this. If I die, you die too.
The new house was perfectly organized. The exterior, which Rodriguez had smashed, had been completely repaired, and the interior was minimalist, decorated to my taste.
The furniture was kept to a minimum, and the walls and floors were all a single color with a marble texture. The exterior had a state-of-the-art security system. The outdoor training grounds in the backyard, in particular, were fortified with all sorts of magic circles.
I stood in the center of the training ground, preparing to perform ten thousand swings.
“Do I just go to work here now?”
Freya suddenly appeared. I flinched in surprise. How did she get in?
“Weren’t you going to say you wouldn’t come until you’ve completed ten thousand swings?”
“Still, as an instructor, I have to stop a student from doing something foolish.”
Was she here to extort me again? I gripped the bandaged sword with one hand.
“Oh. A new weapon. Lucky you. Go ahead.”
“Yes.”
Whoosh!
I swung my arm. A simple horizontal slash.
Extending the sword, one.
Drawing a diagonal line again, two.
Three, four, five…
I swung it dozens of times like that. Sweat poured down my body like rain. My chest felt like it would explode, but I didn’t stop. I repeated the slashes amidst the aching of my joints. I only counted up to 573.
“Stop now.”
“…”
I lowered the sword without a word. But I didn’t let go. I knew myself well. The moment I let go, I would never want to pick it up again. I was that lazy.
“Now, connect your slashes.”
“…”Connecting them?”
What was she talking about now? I pushed back my sweat-soaked hair and frowned.
“Yes. Like flowing water. The end of the first slash becomes the beginning of the second, and the second becomes the beginning of the third. Like a single, long breath.”
Freya picked up a twig and demonstrated.
Fwooosh— Fwip— Fwooosh!
Three brushstrokes drawn in the air, executed in one swift motion.
“This is called the Ebenholz ‘Yeon’ (聯).”
Yeon (聯). I repeated her words and assumed a stance again.
Fwoooosh!
I unleashed a horizontal slash. The moment the sword’s center of gravity reached its apex, instead of releasing, I used that centrifugal force to connect to the next slash.
Swaaaash!
The blade crossed, cleaving the air. At its end, I upwardly sliced. Three slashes were drawn in space, and then my wrist naturally twisted, carrying the fourth slash forward.
“…”?”
The sword strikes connected. The expended energy and stamina were less than 30% of before. I blinked dazedly.
“That’s it.”
My instructor smiled at me and chuckled.
“It’s not strength. It’s not speed. What’s important is the ‘flow.’ The flow of strength, mana, and the body. Connecting it all into one.”
I nodded. Each slash was not an independent action. It was part of a massive wave, a ceaseless river. Ebenholz swordsmanship was the sword of nobles who continued the flow.
“Do it again.”
“Yes.”
The moment I understood, the sword became surprisingly light. There was no longer a need to swing it with brute force. The rotation of my waist, the movement of my feet, even my breathing—all of it was a technique for Yeon. The sword moved like my limbs, an extension of my will.
Freya smiled with satisfaction.
“Do you know the real advantage of Ebenholz swordsmanship? You don’t need to move much. The sword is very long.”
That was true. A 1.6-meter-long sword held an overwhelming domain in itself.
“The moment an incompetent fool tries to get close to you, their head will already be gone. You just have to stand your ground and swing your sword elegantly. They won’t be able to reach you.”
Freya took a step closer and asked me.
“In that regard… Maximillian. What is a noble?”
I took a ragged breath and smiled wryly.
“We do not permit approach from those beneath us.”
“Indeed. Ebenholz was the first among the nobles to erect their fences. There are many secret techniques passed down only within the bloodline. As arrogant as they are, they are refined and clandestine.”
She picked up a twig and twirled it lightly, up and down.
“Ebenholz has a lineage of ‘Iron Men’ that has continued for quite some time. I thought your father, Sebastian, was the culmination of that.”
Freya looked at me with peculiar eyes.
“…Anyway. Now do you understand why I described Ebenholz as the sword of nobles?”
“Yes. I understand, but it seems I still have much to learn.”
She nodded.
“Indeed. Become ‘the real thing,’ Maximillian.”
At that moment, I launched a Yeon strike towards Freya. She weaved between my sword strokes and closed the distance in an instant.
“Tsk!”
Her hand chopped my solar plexus. I gasped for air.
“Get up.”
Her strength was on a different level, but I smiled and rose to my feet. In the past, such training was incredibly boring. The reason was simple: I sucked at it.
“Here I come again.”
The better I got, the more fun it was, and the worse I was, the less fun it was.
“Yes. Bring it on.”
Now, I was thoroughly enjoying myself.
***
…Last night, I fell asleep with my whole body aching from strained muscles. This morning, I woke up feeling refreshed, as if I had been cleansed. This was likely also thanks to the mana core.
As soon as I got up, I grabbed my car keys and left the house. As I drove to the Knights’ Order, a thought suddenly struck me.
“Should I hire a driver too?”
Just then, my personal terminal rang. It was Dieter. It had only been a few days since I bought him a computer and terminal, but he seemed to have quickly learned how to use them.
“This is Dieter Schmidt, Sir.”
“Yes.”
“I am reporting on the land acquisition in the southern region of Vermus.”
“Tell me—”
“We have divided it into five sectors and begun acquiring them under the names of different shell corporations. To avoid suspicion from the market, we have intentionally created deviations in the acquisition timing and prices. Currently, sectors 1 and 3 have been contracted, and we plan to secure all ownership for our ‘Veritas’ by sequentially proceeding with the remaining sectors. The estimated total acquisition cost is approximately 2.2 million dollars.”
I listened quietly while driving. A few of Dieter’s sentences skipped my mind. I didn’t quite understand them.
Thump!
The virus suddenly pulsed, replaying Dieter’s voice.
‘…begun acquiring them under the names of different shell corporations. To avoid suspicion from the market, we have intentionally created deviations in the acquisition timing and prices, and currently, sectors 1 and 3 have been contracted…’
I didn’t need to recall things like this. However, the virus definitely recalled my memories. I could now remember anything I saw or heard.
“Proceed.”
“Yes, understood.”
It was then that a loud alarm blared from the terminal. It was an emergency alarm from the Sentinel Knights.
[Eastern Genen Autonomous Region – Large-scale protest erupts]
[Control may be difficult for local security forces. Knights without other assignments should immediately proceed to the scene and report the situation.]
The first official deployment order had been issued. I racked my brain. The Genen Autonomous Region was the empire’s powder keg. Around this time, protests and riots always occurred.
“Knight Maximillian. I will deploy to Genen.”
I replied through the terminal and turned the steering wheel.
