Mushoku Tensei Redundancy (LN) - Volume 2 - Chapter 5.2

Chapter 2:

In the Ephemeral Hall

THAT DAY, I visited the Sword Sanctum’s training hall, though I’d heard it was called “the Ephemeral Hall” of all names. 

Alec was on my right. He was smiling and didn’t give off the slightest hint of hostility. At his waist, he had the two-handed sword the Ore God himself had forged from the black stone I’d created. It didn’t have any special powers but—as you’d expect from the “god” in its maker’s name—it was a fine blade. Alec had taken a liking to the nearly two-meter blade and now carried it regularly. Orsted was on my left. He kept his black helmet on and didn’t say a word. He stood so perfectly still that you might mistake him for a photo cutout. I half-expected a fly to land on him, but he was so intimidating that even a mosquito wouldn’t have tried. The other people here besides us weren’t looking at me or Alec or Orsted. Their gazes were all fixed on the person in front of me: Eris. She was standing with a wooden practice sword in her hand. Her expression was serious, and she didn’t seem angry, but anyone could see how tightly she gripped her sword.

Eris in the center of the Ephemeral Hall. At her feet lay a Sword Saint with a broken wrist.

“I yield,” they muttered at last. Looking bitter, they got to their feet and bowed. Without waiting for Eris to respond, they went back to the side of the hall.

At the side of the training hall stood a whole row of Sword God warriors, about twenty by the looks of it. It sure was a small world when I considered that all of them were Sword Saints. Like a whole world crammed into a small space.

Across from Eris sat a young man and woman. The man was probably about the same age as me, though I didn’t know for certain. Put like that, I wasn’t quite sure whether I could call him “young” or not. Then again, lots of the Sword Saints were in their thirties and forties, so I guess he did count as young. He had his arm around the woman sitting beside him, and compared to the Sword Saints, he seemed relaxed—even with Orsted in front of him. Orsted was still Orsted, even with the helmet reducing the effect of the curse, and this guy was relaxed. 

Nothing less from Sword God Gino Britz. As he radiated authority with a girl hanging on his arm, it was hard to believe we were the same age. At the very least, I could never have faced Orsted while putting my arm around my wife and running my hand down her back. I’d get punched for that—by Eris, mostly—anyway. Not that I minded the sight of Eris smacking me when I reached for her breasts now and then.

The woman’s name was Nina, and she was a friend of Eris’s who held the rank of Sword Emperor. However, she wasn’t really giving off “Sword Emperor” energy. Instead, she was leaning happily against her husband, Gino, and only smacking his hand away whenever it ventured too close to her chest. It was like they didn’t even see us. They were disgustingly in love.

Right, I should explain how we’d ended up in such a tense situation.

Previously on Mushoku Tensei!

Gather round, girls and boys! My name’s Rudeus Greyrat! Let’s have some fun!

Today, we were visiting the hottest and coolest sightseeing spot in the Northern Continent: the Sword Sanctum! Thinking about the future, I needed to have a talk with the Sword God, plus there was Eris’s history with the former Sword God to contend with! Thus, I decided to go pay my respects and set the record straight, so to speak. I didn’t get to talk to the current Sword God last time, so this was my official visit.

Along with me for the trip was—you guessed it—Eris! From what I knew about Sword God Style, its practitioners tended to be the type to slice you in two first and ask questions later. I thought it’d be best to bring as few magicians along as possible, same as last time. I was sure they were all people of good moral character, of course, but Eris had since killed Gall Falion in the Biheiril Kingdom, and he’d been the current Sword God’s father-in-law!

What do you think? After that, could I waltz in and ask him for a favor?

Admittedly, depending on the atmosphere there, I was prepared to go home without raising the subject. Anything could happen! That’s why I planned for just the two of us to go.

At least, that was my plan, but there was a shocking twist in store. When I said I was heading to the Sword Sanctum, Orsted said he’d come along with a real air of significance. That significance was probably that he was worried I’d run my mouth off and make the Sword God angry. In other words, he was coming in case I botched it. Either way, I had no reason to say no, so I agreed. Orsted was a reassuring guy to have around. 

Since Orsted was going, Alec insisted on going too. You know, the guy just a bit too obsessed with becoming a hero, who’d proved he was just as bad at reading a room as Cliff had been back in the day? Yeah, that Alec! 

Personally, I’d have liked to say, “Sorry, can’t have anyone who’s going to cause trouble.” I was grateful to Alec for looking after Sieg so often, but that was a whole other matter.

Sir Orsted said, “As you please.” Thus, it was decided. Eris, Orsted, Alec, and I would all go to the Sword Sanctum together. 

So we went! When we arrived, the peaceful sight of a country village blanketed in snow welcomed us. I had some jitters, but I’d been here before, and this time, I had three reliable companions with me.

“What a great view. They sure have a great selection of swords for a country village. Oh, I spotted our first villager!” 

Shivering beside my stoic companions, I carried on a conversation with myself right up until we arrived at the Sword God’s main training hall. 

A group of smiling Sword Saints showed us to the Ephemeral Hall. Everyone was pleasant, and the atmosphere seemed friendly. Yet, for some reason, I had this prickling sensation down my spine.

It’s all in your head! I told myself. Focus on the Sword God!

Just then, one of the Sword Saints spoke. “If it’s all right, I would first like to see the sword of Berserker Sword King Eris who slayed the former Sword God.”

How’s this for “hello”?! 

Before I could even turn around, the Sword God shrugged. “Whatever you like,” he said.

All hell broke loose after that.

Still smiling but radiating hostility from behind their eyes, the Sword Saints moved to challenge Eris. Oh, they looked friendly, and they were using practice swords, but I could see their ill intent. They’d use those wooden swords to beat Eris to death under the pretense of practice. It was obvious at a glance that they wouldn’t hold back.

But then, Eris was still technically a Sword God. It’d take more than a few Sword Saints to get the better of her. She easily turned the tables on her would-be attackers. As she beat down one, then another, the Sword Saints’ smiles turned into hateful snarls. They weren’t hiding their malice anymore. In the middle of all this, only one person looked totally serene—Gino. Even Nina looked a bit troubled by the murder in the Sword Saints’ eyes, but it was clear from Gino’s face that he couldn’t have cared less.

Anyway, I did my best to put on a cheerful face and explain what was going on. For all the good it did!

Haah. My stomach hurts. How did it come to this?

I had the feeling I’d screwed up right off the bat. With the vibe in here, it was a lost cause. I just wanted a chance to explain, but any chance at a conversation was totally shot now.

I didn’t have time to stop her! She’s just, you know, really fast!

Seriously, before Gino finished saying, “Whatever you like,” Eris had stepped forward without hesitation, her wooden sword in hand. More Sword Saints were waiting in the center of the training hall. In the instant it took for me to lower my weight to where I now stood, Eris had already beaten one of them. Then, another round of Sword Saints stepped forward.

“My turn!”

“It is I you shall face next!”

What was this, whack-a-mole?

I felt like it was past time to end this little farce. There were a little over twenty Sword Saints, and Eris had already taken down almost all of them. No, she was actually fighting the last one, which meant it’d be the Sword God Gino’s turn next. For now, he was sitting above it all, but if his people were taken out, he’d have no choice but to come forward himself. The Sword Saints were probably anticipating that moment when the Sword God struck the red-haired swordswoman dead. They wanted revenge against the one who’d killed the former Sword God. They’d basically declared they were itching for it. This was the prelude to an execution.

I was regretting my choices. Maybe coming here was a bad idea. Even Eris wouldn’t leave a bout with the Sword God unscathed, and there was no way I could fight him myself at this range. At least things weren’t all bad. My reflexes might be too slow, but Orsted and Alec would stop the Sword God’s blade for me. Eris might get scratched up a bit…but so long as she was alive, I wouldn’t complain. Eris was ready for whatever happened. Either way, I was grateful they had come with us. 

The only thing was, if I interfered in a duel between Eris and the Sword God, negotiation would be out of the question. I wasn’t sure exactly what would happen…but whatever it was, I could already feel the stomachache coming on. I had to stop this, then figure out some way to get us into a position to talk. That was my job here.

Listen up, Rudeus. They’re a hot-headed lot, but you can make them listen if you just really try to talk to them. Give it your all, you hear? Up and at ’em!

“Urgh…I yield.”

Just then, the last Sword Saint fell. Just like the last one, he clutched his wrist. Come to think of it, they’d basically all been holding their wrists. For some, it was the left, and for some the right, but Eris hadn’t even bothered to switch up techniques. No wonder they were extra furious. 

Was Nina up next, then? But Nina didn’t look like she’d be moving anytime soon. I couldn’t have said why, but I had the feeling it’d probably be the Sword God. When the Sword God acted, that’s when I’d make my move. 

Watch closely. This is the art of Go-no-Sen. As soon as the Sword God gets up, that’s when I swoop in, ready to abase myself! “Gee, those sure were some spectacular battles. I got thirsty just watching. What do you say we stop for a break, have a cup of tea?”

That’s how I’d make my entry. Was it smooth enough? It wouldn’t sound like I was trying to provoke him, would it? It’d be better to say something in praise of the defeated Sword Saints.

My word, you folks at the Sword Sanctum really get fired up about your training!

Yeah, I’d go with that. That way, they could tell themselves, “Oh, well, it’s training. Sometimes you lose.”

Okay, okay. Let’s go. Let’s do this thing.

There was a pause. The Sword God didn’t move, and Nina didn’t come forward either.

“Done?” said Sword God Gino Britz, his tone breezy amid the crackling tension. “Now, what was it you came to see me about?”

Huh? It sounded like he was going to hear me out before the fight. That wasn’t very Sword God Style, but it suited me. I stepped up.

“First, I’d like to apologize,” I said.

“For what?” Gino asked.

“The previous Sword God.” As I said this, there was a shift in the air around the Sword Saints, as though we’d finally gotten to what they’d been waiting for.

He’s handed us a chance! Now’s our moment! It’s revenge time! If they’d been dogs, they’d have been barking and ready to pounce. For a moment, I wondered if I should have been less direct, but it would have ended the same way. There was no avoiding the truth.

The Sword God had a dubious look on his face. Seeing it made me hesitate too. Had I said something strange? I almost started glancing around nervously. Then, Gino nodded with an air of understanding.

“Now that you mention it, Nina said something ages ago about helping you, I think. I suppose if you kill the father of an ally, you have to apologize, huh?”

He sounded like it had nothing to do with him at all. The Sword Saints looked more shocked than I did.

“But my master…that is, the previous Sword God Gall Falion, went to fight you of his own free will, right? If anything, shouldn’t we be the ones apologizing? If this concerns all of Sword God Style and he attacked you, then we’re the ones who broke the agreement. What’s going on with that, anyway? I don’t know anything about it.”

I would have liked to ask him what was going on. Was I really talking to the top guy in Sword God Style right now? I was expecting someone more, you know, unwilling to listen to reason, along the lines of Atofe. This guy was maybe too chill. It was a strange feeling, more like I was talking to someone from North God Style, if anything. Atofe excluded, of course.

“Um…” Calm down. Just answer his question first.

“That was just a conversation between Nina and Eris—it was before any formal agreement was reached. I actually came here once before but was told you were otherwise engaged, so I left again… I thought Nina would have mentioned it to you?”

“I did,” said Nina, nodding vaguely, “but it hasn’t come up since.”

“Mm,” agreed Gino. “I’ve never heard anything about us standing against Dragon God Orsted. That being said, if he fought you…” Gino’s eyes narrowed. “It sounds like my predecessor opposed you?”

The fervor of the Sword Saints mounted. I could practically hear them thinking, All right, you heard him! Time to draw our swords and fight! Come on, hurry up!

“Wait,” I said hurriedly. “If you’d just calm down…”

Gino raised his eyebrows. “Do I look upset to you?”

“Not at all! You’re the very picture of calm! Look, the thing is, we came here to apologize and to ensure that you and I don’t stay enemies. A hostile relationship with the powerful warriors of the Sword God Style isn’t what we want at all. We like to be on friendly terms with powerful people. We’re here ready to offer friendship to you. We can offer help with distribution channels for swords and food supplies, infrastructure maintenance, and even construction. Conversely, if you stand against us, we can cut those things off. It’ll be bad all round. Right?”

After I finished blurting all this out, Gino sighed.

I might have gone on a touch too long. Given I’d been imagining Atofe, I ought to have trimmed it down. But this guy didn’t seem so simple that he’d turn around and say, “Sure, I’ll be your ally!” just because I got him a really rare bottle of wine.

Gino regarded me, then spoke. “Do I have to spell it out for you to understand? My predecessor didn’t say anything to me about a grudge. That means his decision to fight you wasn’t on behalf of all of Sword God Style—it was personal. It has nothing to do with us, and so I have no interest in fighting. This is more important to me than that.” 

As he said this, he pulled Nina close and buried his face in her hair. Nina’s cheeks went pink, but she didn’t stop him.

I get you’re hot for her, but maybe you should consider not doing that in public? Look, Eris is bright red! Her eyes are popping out of her head. She also had her arms folded and her feet planted apart like she was ready to fight. 

Seriously, was this the Sword God I was talking to? His intelligent answers were freaking me out. It was creepy. High-ranked Sword God Style practitioners were more the sort to shout something like “What the hell are you talking about? Enough yapping! You’ll die for what you did to my dad!” Then they’d attack you. Right? Wait, scratch that. That was Atofe—so, North God Style. But they were pretty much the same, weren’t they? 

There was a thought. Maybe this guy in front of me was a body double, like someone from the office in charge of diplomatic relations.

Regardless, I was grateful he felt that way. Even if it was odd that he was so unconcerned by one of his relatives getting killed… I guess he’d considered the situation and decided to prioritize the future over his own feelings. That made sense to me. I bet he’d thought things over and made up his mind long ago.

“In that case, allow us to—”

“Hold on!” shouted one of the Sword Saints, jumping to his feet. He was red in the face and pointing at us—no, at Orsted.

“All of us revered the old Sword God! Through watching him wield his sword, we learned, studied, and grew stronger! And they killed him! Those people right there! Are we supposed to stand by?! They killed the man we owe everything to! Do you want to make Sword God Style a laughingstock?!”

“All right, go ahead then,” Gino said without missing a beat. “Go fetch a real sword. I’ll watch you.”

The Sword Saint froze. “What…?”

“I’m sure they came here ready for a fight. Look, that’s Berserker Sword King Eris, Dragon God Orsted, and North God Kalman III, with Rudeus Greyrat behind them to support them with magic. Even if all of you attacked at once, they’d wipe you out before you landed a single blow.”

“But…”

“Come on, get to it. I’ll make sure your body is well taken care of, and I’ll even give you a funeral. I can’t say if your deaths will do anything to preserve the honor of Sword God Style, but I’m sure your corpses will be satisfied.”

The Sword God stood there in silence for a moment after this, then sat back down, fists shaking with repressed frustration. Then, he said in a trembling voice, “Do we…have no choice but to follow them? Without fighting, without avenging the old Sword God…”

“That’s what I’m telling you—if you don’t like it, go get your sword. I’m not going to force anything on any of you. Do what you like. Just like my father and the others.” Gino sounded tired of this.

I liked the idea of quickly bringing them around rather than letting any grudges fester—though it seemed harsh for that to be a matter of life and death.

Just then, Eris spoke up. “All the Sword Emperors are gone, huh?”

Gino shifted to face her. “My father left the Sword Sanctum along with the others. It seems they were displeased by my becoming Sword God.”

Apparently, “Sword Emperors” didn’t include Nina. Gino’s phrasing suggested he was talking about the two Sword Emperors who’d been the direct disciples of the previous Sword God. Now that Eris said it, I realized I couldn’t see anyone who fit the bill.

“I expect that by now, they’ll have started their own training halls in Asura or Millis, or perhaps the King Dragon Kingdom. I mean, I suppose I could have left too.” Gino shrugged. “Anyway, did you come just to apologize? It was nice of you to do that, but I’m honestly not sure why you bothered.”

Oh, man. Not to speak ill of anyone, but Gino was a little too—how to put it? Cold, philosophical, or just bizarre.

“No, there’s more,” I said. “It’s a long story, but we’re actually fighting a being called the Man-God…” 

I laid out the details of the battle between us and the Man-God. All else aside, Gino seemed like a guy I could reason with. If we could come to an agreement without any bloodshed, so much the better! It felt anticlimactic, but that was fine. Once I stopped looking at him through Sword-God-colored glasses, Gino was a nice young man with a good head on his shoulders. After securing his cooperation, we could go sit down for a cup of tea and get to know each other better. I was sure he’d stop seeming so creepy then.

“In conclusion,” I said, “I’d like to formally request the cooperation of the Sword God School in our future endeavors.”

“I decline.”

You…huh? For real?

“I will not work with you.”

There was an “Ooh!” from the Sword Saints, but they looked as confused as me.

“So, you’re going to side with the Man-God, then?” I asked tentatively.

“No. I won’t work against you either.”

Okay…? “You mean you’re staying neutral? May I ask why?”

“I mean to stay true to my master’s teachings.”

“What teachings?”

“The master always said to be strong for your own sake. Honestly, I didn’t understand what he meant for a long time. I doubt anyone here did. Even the Sword Emperors like my father didn’t get it. When I realized I wanted Nina, it became clear to me. A sword is something you wield for yourself—purely for the sake of fulfilling your own purpose. Nothing else.”

Gino spoke rapidly and fluently, and there was conviction in his voice that told me he believed in the unshakable truth of its wisdom.

“Because of this,” he went on, “I will not work with you. I wield my sword for myself alone. Everything I do, I do for myself.”

“Even if your family were in danger, you wouldn’t pick up your sword?” I asked.

“I would. If I loved them, I would,” Gino said. Then, for the first time, he looked straight at me. His gaze was strong and commanding, nothing at all like the picture Eris’s description had painted of him. “Or are you saying you’ll kill my family if I refuse to work with you?”

A chill fell over the training hall. Gino’s voice was as cold as ice and borderline murderous. I felt a cold sweat break out all over my body. If I’d been alone, I probably would have wet myself. This was the Sword God, the one who’d taken that title after defeating Sword God Gall Falion in an instant. A weird guy, yeah, but one of the world’s best swordsmen—a power to be reckoned with. I felt it.

“No,” I told him. “I love my family too.”

“Oh? I’m relieved to hear it.” The murderous note faded from his voice. “It seems you’re everything I heard you were, Rudeus.”

“What’ve people told you?”

“That you became the Dragon God’s follower for the sake of your family, and that you laid a whole country to waste.”

“Uh, that’s true, broadly speaking. I didn’t lay any countries to waste, though.”

“You have more nerve than I expected.” Gino’s gaze flicked to either side of me, to Eris, Alec, and the Sword Saints. All of them had their hands on their swords. Some had even already drawn. I turned to look behind me but saw that Orsted hadn’t so much as twitched. As I might have expected. I hadn’t moved either, but that was only because I was still shaken by Gino.

“In other words, you are a man I can trust,” Gino went on.

What’s “in other words” supposed to mean?

“It is because you are such a man that I feel safe in saying that I will not work with you. My sword fights for me and those I love, and no one else.”

“Oh… All right.”

I understood Gino Britz better now. He just wanted to protect the people he loved with his own hands—not unlike myself. I’d failed to do so and thrown myself on Orsted’s mercy instead, but I was sure Gino thought he could pull it off. What’s more, he wasn’t wrong. He just didn’t seem motivated to do anything else. Of course, he was still the Sword God; even if he declared his neutrality, that wouldn’t stop enemies from coming to him, but it seemed he didn’t have it in him to go make more.

I wasn’t sure why he didn’t include the previous Sword God among the people he loved, but I supposed that was different. That man had lived and died on his own terms. Gino didn’t seem to object to that.

“Hmm…” 

I couldn’t see how else I was going to sell this to him. Gino was complete with himself. Unless we gave up on fighting the Man-God, or he—like me—felt like he couldn’t protect his family through his strength alone, he wouldn’t change his mind. No matter how I tried to persuade him, I’d only be grasping at air. He’d made his decision and could not be moved. It was just as you’d expect from the top dog of the Sword God school.

“Okay,” I said. “In that case, at least be careful if the Man-God appears in your dreams. He’ll lie, saying it’s all for your family, but if you listen, you’ll lose everything.”

“I understand,” said Gino.

I didn’t want to, but…it was time to back down. Gino wasn’t going to work against us, so that was something. He wouldn’t be our ally, but I also hadn’t made an enemy. After learning the kind of man he was, I took him at his word that he was trusting me enough to be honest. That was good enough for me.

“If I die and someone else takes my place,” Gino added, “be sure and come back. This is no more than my personal decision, you see.”

“Thanks, I’ll do that.” I turned back to look at Orsted. Who knew what was going on under that helmet? “Does that work for you, Sir Orsted?”

He nodded slowly. “It does.”

Once that was over and I healed up the Sword Saints’ wounds, things moved on to a training session with Alec. That meant I was seated at the front of the training hall in the place of honor, watching as Alec sparred freestyle with the Sword Saints. The Sword Saints only had practice swords, but they were clearly fighting to kill. I bet they thought they could get away with it if they killed Alec in the heat of training.

Alec brushed them off without any trouble. Having said that, maybe because these were Sword Saints, or maybe because he was distracted, some of them did occasionally get a hit on him—with the Sword of Light. In the end, though, their swords were still only wood. The moment they hit, the wood splintered, and Alec took zero damage. That battle aura was too OP. 

Though, they used unusual practice swords at the Sword Sanctum. It seemed they had a core of something like iron to give them something closer to the correct weight. Without battle aura, a hit in the wrong place would probably be enough to kill. Hey! That explained why there were only Sword Saints here. Only the advanced tier and above could call up a battle aura. 

“By the way, Sir Orsted, why did you come with me?” I whispered to Orsted, who was beside me.

“I wished to get a look at Gino Britz.”

“You mean what’s different about him than usual?”

“Indeed.”

Gino silently watched them spar, with Nina at his side like always. Beside her sat Eris, and the two of them were talking about something. Every now and then I heard the name “Gall Falion.” I assumed they were talking about the death of the previous Sword God. 

“What do you think?” I asked.

“He is unchanged. He is single-mindedly obstinate in his determination to live only for himself.”

“Huh.”

“As a child, Gino was unstable, liable to be swayed by the Man-God’s words. Now, from what I’ve seen here, we need not be concerned.”

“All right.” Depending on how you thought about it, a neutral party who wasn’t an enemy was sort of like an ally. It made it unlikely that he’d become a disciple, for one thing. He wouldn’t help us prepare for the future, but it wasn’t like all the other nations were putting all their energy into that either. The important thing was that he wouldn’t become a pawn of the Man-God. Of course, he might still turn against us whether he wanted to or not…but once you started thinking like that, there was no end to it.

“I-I yield…!” There was a thud as one of the Sword Saints went down.

“My turn next!” said another, getting up straight away and heading for the center of the training hall…

Next thing I knew, all the Sword Saints were either sitting or sprawled on the ground. Every Sword Saint was down. For the second time today. North God Kalman III sure was something, eh? 

There was a lull in noise that filled the hall.

“Then, right at the end, he said, ‘the strong live free.’” Eris’s voice rang out clearly through the silence. She looked up, taken aback by the sound of her own voice. Her mouth immediately formed a tight line, and she glared threateningly at the Sword Saints who’d drawn closer to her. 

They looked down, muttering and shooting glances at Gino. I heard comments like “Making his apprentices fight his battles…” and “Does he even care about the honor of Sword God Style?”

Gino’s expression was as unconcerned as ever. For all I knew, he heard stuff like this every day.

“Won’t you join in our training, Sword God?” one of the Sword Saints asked, taking advantage of Gino’s silence. The man, who had a massive bruise spreading across his face, was the one who’d first challenged Alec. He was also the one who’d asked Gino to hold on earlier.

“No. I’m fine here,” Gino replied.

“Why?!”

“Why would I? I asked him to train with you because you requested it of me. If you’ve all had enough, then that’s that.”

The Sword Saint’s face twisted, and he shook with rage. Unable to bear it any longer, he shouted, “Things were better with the old Sword God! He upheld the honor of Sword God Style! He wouldn’t have let them swagger in here no matter who they are! No wonder the Sword Emperors left! You’re Sword God, yet you won’t even teach us your skills! You sneak off alone to do all your training, then sit in the training hall flirting with your woman day after day after day! It’s the same thing here, with these people. You ought to seek revenge yourself, but instead you entertain them while they ask you to be their servant! If you’d swallowed your pride and submitted to a stronger enemy, that would have still been better than this! Instead, you make some half-baked declaration of neutrality?! Do you want to make enemies of us, your followers? What is wrong with you?! What good is a Sword God like you?!”

A hush fell over the training hall. Gino’s expression hadn’t changed. He looked just as unconcerned as before—vacant, even. Like he was wondering what this guy was going on about. 

The man, on the other hand, had gone pale, like he knew he’d said too much.

“Each person’s sword is their own. A victory for me isn’t a victory for you, nor would it uphold your honor,” Gino said softly. “I defeated the last Sword God because I wanted what Nina and I have now. That’s why I act this way. I didn’t do it to uphold anyone’s honor, and I didn’t do it because I wanted to be your nursemaid. If you don’t like it, you’re free to leave. I wouldn’t mind stepping down as Sword God, but if I turned over the title to you, you’d drive me out, wouldn’t you? I have no strong objection to leaving, but it’s a bad time for me right now, while our children are still so young.”

There was a sigh from the Sword Saints as they looked at the floor again. I half expected someone to call out, “That’s not the problem! Why can’t you understand?!” The energy in the hall was atrocious. Apparently, things weren’t going too well between the Sword God and his students. Was it because Gino was still young himself? If he didn’t work things out with these guys, he could easily find himself surrounded by enemies.

“There’s no need to be like that. You could at least give them a show.” It was Nina who broke the silence. She raised her head from Gino’s shoulder, sat up straight, and tucked her legs underneath her. “I’d like to see you fight too,” she said.

“All right! Just for you, Nina.” Just like that, Gino got to his feet, as though all his reluctance so far had been no more than an act. Did Nina have him that whipped? More to the point, if he could change like that, was he even stable? To me, at least, he looked anything but. Was this guy okay?

“How about you, Eris?” Nina said. “Gino’s stronger than he was.”

In response, Eris rose to her feet too. “Okay,” she said. She looked at me, then tossed something. I caught it without thinking, then saw it was her sword—the magic sword Windpipe. It was the sword the previous Sword God had used.

Gino and Eris moved into the center of the training hall, where Alec stood. 

He shrugged. “All right, who do I fight first?”

“The weaker one, obviously,” Eris said, pushing Alec back. He nodded in acceptance, then came back over to us. There wasn’t a drop of sweat on him. I’d never seen him sweat, not even… Wait, that wasn’t true. In the Biheiril Kingdom, I’d seen him drenched.

“What a bunch of good-for-nothings,” he whispered as he sat down beside me. “Here they have the chance to learn from those better than themselves, but they’re not interested in learning.”

“Yeah, even I could see that.”

“Right? They’re even worse than that gang that hangs around my grandmother.”

To be fair, it was a little different for Atofe’s personal guard. For them it was learn or die, so they had no choice but to get stronger.

With that thought, I looked up just in time to see Eris raise her wooden sword. As usual, she held it above her head in an offensive stance. Sword God Gino dropped down over his back foot, his hand on his sword. The stance reminded me of Ghislaine, but Gino’s was far more tranquil. When Ghislaine dropped into that stance, she wagged her tail with a fearsome glint in her eyes, like she was waiting for the right moment to sink her teeth into her prey. Gino, meanwhile, was empty. Like Orsted earlier, he was so still it seemed as though time had stopped. Nothing could get by him.

Eris slowly edged toward him. If it hadn’t been for our earlier conversation, I’d have my heart in my mouth. He might hit her, but she wouldn’t die.

This was going to be okay, right? 

Maybe I should open my Eye of Foresight, just in case. But even with the demon eye, I still wouldn’t be able to see his sword move. Could I count on Orsted to stop him if he were about to go for a killing blow?

“I assume you don’t need a start signal?” Gino asked Eris.

“No,” she said.

And then, it was over.

Eris takes a blow to her sword hand and drops to one knee. Her wooden sword spins away through the air to hit the wall of the training hall with a clatter.

That was all I managed to see with the demon eye before, scarcely a second later, it became reality. To me, it looked like Eris moved first. Before she finished saying “No,” the tip of her sword was already a blur, but she’d lost. Gino had been faster, and his strike had broken her sword arm. Except, it wasn’t just her sword arm. The big toe of Eris’s front foot was bent in the wrong direction. So he’d struck twice? A multi-hit attack?

Eris’s arm and toe were broken, but she didn’t back down. It’d take more than that to stop her. She charged forward with her one good leg, a savage grin on her face…and then, all of a sudden, she relaxed and yielded.

“That’s enough,” said Orsted, his voice ringing out through the hall. At this, people began to let out admiring “Oohs” and saying things like “Incredible!” But they were the minority, and even then, their voices carried a note of confusion.

The Sword Saints whispered among themselves.

“What happened? Did she dodge the first strike?”

“He struck at her ankle first. She didn’t fully dodge it, so her toe…”

“But what about the second strike?”

It was over so quickly that they couldn’t tell who the winner was, but it was obvious at a glance. Eris sank to the ground, sweat pouring off her, while the Sword God, still standing, languidly lowered his sword. Gino had agreed to the Sword Saints’ demand for a demonstration, yet they couldn’t even work out what he’d done. What was the point? Perhaps frustrated by this very thing, the Sword Saints’ faces were stony. Underneath that, I saw a hint of relief. The honor of the Sword God school was safe. If their egos were satisfied, then that was a win for me.

“Incredible, Sword God!” Alec said a bit too loudly. “Your first strike was aimed at her ankle, but then you swung up along the shortest possible path to hit her wrist. It didn’t matter if you hit her ankle or if she dodged. Either way, you delayed her first strike just long enough that you created an opening at her wrist where you could counter. Only a fighter with total confidence in the speed of his sword could perform such a feat!”

It sounded like he’d heard the Sword Saints’ confusion. They nodded, saying, “Ah, I get it now.”

Thanks for the commentary, Alec.

Alec remained sitting, but there was a hint of reproach in his eyes as he looked at Gino. It was a look that said, You’re their master. You should teach them.

“In the old days, you would still have attacked me, even in that state,” Gino said.

“If this were the time to stand my ground, I’d still be fighting,” Eris replied.

“You really are something, Eris.” With a hint of a smile, Gino nodded slowly. 

In response, Eris laughed, but there were beads of sweat on her brow. A broken wrist or ankle wasn’t enough to make Eris cry, but it still had to hurt. I stood and dashed over to her.

“You okay?” I asked. 

“Yeah,” she said slowly. “I’m fine. Hurry up and heal me. But don’t get any ideas about touching anything else! We’re in public.”

“Yes, ma’am.” 

I promptly cast a healing spell to mend Eris’s broken bones. Since I’d been duly warned, I didn’t try to cop a feel. Despite it being a mock battle, Gino had hit hard enough to break bone. I shuddered to think what would have happened if he’d hit her head or neck. At least Orsted was here, so as long as he didn’t actually take her head off her shoulders, there was no permanent harm done.

The Sword God sure was something. I hadn’t seen his sword move at all, just like his predecessor. I did not want this guy as my enemy.

“Well?” I asked Eris.

“He was devastating. I hate to say it, but I never had a chance.” I’d been asking about her injuries, but that was the answer I got. She sounded genuinely regretful and she was frowning. Being a mother hadn’t made Eris less serious about her sword work. In the context of that, she—oh, who was I kidding? She was just frustrated because she’d lost. Eris had always hated losing.

“It must be my turn, then.”

As I led Eris back, Alec got to his feet, his face aglow with excitement—but before he could rush in, he looked back at Orsted.

“Sir Orsted, may I?”

“As you like.” 

Was Orsted giving him permission to beat the crap out of Gino? That could change the order of the Seven Great Powers. Gino had declared his neutrality, and Eris’s defeat just now had satisfied the Sword Saints’ egos. As of now, the Sword Sanctum was neutral. If the Sword God lost, the equation changed. Not only Gino, but most of the Sword Sanctum might turn against us. This was tricky. Should I put a stop to it?

Nope! I couldn’t say anything, not after Orsted had given the go-ahead. All I could do was think about how to repair it if it went wrong.

“En garde!” Alec stepped forward. This was a mock battle with wooden swords, but the fighters were still a North God and the Sword God. It was no exaggeration to call it a battle between Great Powers. Seven was just an arbitrary number. Which would win? 

In terms of experience, Alec had the advantage. The Sword God had beaten his predecessor, but he was still young. He hadn’t done enough yet. And Alec had his pride as North God Kalman III. He’d also gotten a preview of his opponent and could follow his moves.

Alec stood with his sword held out in front of him. Gino dropped down over his back foot. Who would move first? Usually, you’d expect Gino, the Sword God Style fighter, to attack, and the North God Style fighter to counter. But I had the feeling the opposite could happen.

It was Alec who moved first.

This time, I saw it: a thrust from the center, moving so fast it was like no-motion rather than slow-motion. Gino’s sword was even faster. He timed his slash perfectly to meet the tip of Alec’s thrust, deflecting it a scant few degrees…and that was as much as I saw. The next thing I knew, Gino’s sword had vanished. A moment later, I saw Alec’s left hand hanging limp and broken. Simultaneously, Alec stepped back. A black line remained on the floor of the training hall where he’d stood. Gino must have used the same simultaneous attack he’d beaten Eris with, but this time hit the wrist first.

Alec readjusted his grip on his sword with his broken hand. Well, I’d thought it was broken, but it had healed almost instantly. That’d be his immortal demon blood at work. There was a fire in his eyes that seemed to say, “In North God Style, this is where the real fight begins.”

Stepping forward, Gino launched into a ferocious attack. With every swing of his sword, he broke one of Alec’s arms or legs. It didn’t take Alec more than an instant to recover, so the attacks didn’t disable him, but that was the only upside. Alec was probably trying plenty of moves, but none fazed his opponent. Gino didn’t allow a single opening for Alec to go on the offensive.

At last, Alec lowered his sword and said, “I yield.” 

He was unwounded, but his clothes were in tatters, and the tip of his wooden sword was in splinters. Gino, meanwhile, was unscathed. He was damp with sweat, but it was still an overwhelming victory. I hadn’t expected there to be such a wide gap, not against an opponent as strong as Alec. Gino could have rivaled the Great Powers—wait, scratch that. He was already one of the Great Powers.

“My word, you’re strong!” Alec exclaimed. “This has been a reminder that no matter how strong you are, there’s always someone stronger.”

“Ah, but you fought one-handed. Who knows what would happen in a real battle?”

“If this were a real battle, I expect I’d be in pieces,” Alec said, graciously accepting his defeat. 

This was what the Sword God could do with a practice sword without a scabbard. With a real sword, he’d be even faster. The gap between them might be even greater then.

“Right.” Still gripping his wooden sword, Alec came back to where we sat. Despite losing, his expression was bright. There was a touch of disappointment there, but nothing like how he’d yelled and cried back in the Biheiril Kingdom. I guess he’d grown too.

“Hm?” I glanced over and saw that all eyes in the training hall were on me. Even though the sparring was over, Gino was still in the center of the hall. He was watching me too.

I heard the Sword Saints talking in hushed voices.

“The Seventh Great Power…”

“We get to witness a battle between two Great Powers!”

“Not that the Sword God will lose, of course.”

“We might even get to see some of Dragon God Orsted’s powers.”

Wuh? Huh? Say what now?

“Sir Rudeus,” Alec whispered in my ear, “by all means, demonstrate for them the might of the Magic Armor with which you defeated me!”

At that, I responded automatically. I already had my speech prepared.

“My word, you at the Sword Sanctum really get fired up about your training! But would you look at that? The sun’s about to set, and I’m starving! What do you say we wrap things up here?!”

It didn’t go over so well.

I wrapped up my visit to the Sword Sanctum. The Sword Saints all thought I was a coward, but what did I care? The Sword Sanctum—or, rather, Gino Britz—would remain neutral for as long as he lived. That was good enough for me.