Chapter 24 – Words Running Through My Head
"Young Master can use healing magic after seeing it once...?" (Misha)
"Yeah, it seems so." (Gail)
"Goddess apostle...." (Misha)
"No, I think it's all because I have my mother's blood. I mean, look, people seem to call her a saint." (Gail)
"B-But I think it's still impressive!" (Misha)
"That being said, I think my healing magic can only heal minor wounds." (Gail)
"Young Master really can do anything just by learning it once, can’t you?" (Misha)
Being started at by Misha, whose eyes were filled with awe and admiration, Gail started to feel embarrassed and didn’t know how to react.
*knock* *knock*
"Young Master, it's time for training." (Dan)
Dan came at the perfect time and saved Gail from the awkward situation.
"Oh, is it already that time? Then I will leave Young Master in your care, Dan." (Misha)
"Yeah, leave it to me. Let’s go Young Master." (Dan)
Dan picked up Gail and left the room. Misha didn't come with them because she still had other work to be done.
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Instead of going to the training ground from this morning, Dan with Gail in his arms continued walking down the main street to the west.
"Dan, where are we going?" (Gail)
"I'd be in trouble if people saw me teaching a toddler how to swing a sword, wouldn't I?" (Dan)
"That's true, but I thought I wouldn't do any physical training yet and would only watch you like what I did this morning." (Gail)
“Young Master saw how Master Arnold fight with sword this morning and thought it was amazing, didn't you? If you try swinging the sword yourself, you'll understand even more how great Master Arnold's swordsmanship is. That is the goal of our training today." (Dan)
"I see." (Gail)
"That's why we are going to a place with no other people around outside the town." (Dan)
The two finally stepped out of the town.
Oh, it's a grassland. I also can see a vast forest beyond it.
“There are a lot of dangerous monsters in the forest over there, so we are going to train in the forest near here. There are only weak monsters because it's close to the town, and since the medicinal herbs in this area has been over-harvested, only a handful of people would purposely come here. This is a perfect place for training.” (Dan)
After entering the nearby woods and walking for a while, a small open space came into view.
"Alright, we are here. Let's start the training right away, but before that, I want Young Master to promise me one thing." (Dan)
"Promise?" (Gail)
"Yes, I want Young Master to promise me that you won't do any sword training when I or Master Arnold are not watching." (Dan)
"Because it’s dangerous?" (Gail)
"That’s a part of it. But training unsupervised when you haven’t solidified the basics is not a really good idea. In fact, it could hinder your growth. (Dan)
"What do you mean?" (Gail)
"Young Master should try it yourself. Here, please use this wooden sword." (Dan)
Dan handed Gail a wooden sword that he had made yesterday and hid it in the bush. It was a very wide sword with a blade length of about 30cm.
"This sword has a very unusual shape...." (Gail)
"Well, because it's specially designed to learn how to use a sword correctly." (Dan)
"To use a sword correctly...?" (Gail)
"That's right. The thing about using a sword is if you don't swing it straight, it won't cut well, and if you don't swing it right, it will easily be damaged." (Dan)
"I see...." (Gail)
"Even if Young Master understand it in theory, it's actually not that easy to swing a sword straight. The reason why that sword has a strangely wide surface is to make it easy to tell when you don't swing it straight." (Dan)
"What do you mean" (Gail)
"For example, Young Master might feel that you had swung the sword straight, but in fact you had not." (Dan)
"I don’t get it." (Gail)
"I guess you won't understand from just my explanation. Okay, I will show you an example first. Please try doing the same thing after that." (Dan)
Dan stood in front of two logs that were placed side by side. Between the logs, there was a gap large enough for a sword to fit through. He then raised his sword and swung it down.
*swosh*
"Look if you swing it straight, it won't hit the log. But if your sword hits the logs, that means your swing isn't straight. Easy to understand, right?" (Dan)
Did he purposely prepare all of this just for me?
"Now please give it a try. Just swing the sword straight down. You don't have to go fast right from the start." (Dan)
"Well, it’s easy peasy~" (Gail)
Gail stood in front of the log and then took a stance.
The gap is very narrow. It's really just barely wide enough for a sword to pass through. Okay, I can do it.
"Ei!" (Gail)
*thud*
"Eh!?" (Gail)
"Look, the sword did not even enter the gap." (Dan)
Damn it!
“Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei! Ei!” (Gail)
But no matter how many times Gail tried it, his sword kept hitting the log.
“Haa.... Haa.... Haa....” (Gail)
“Kakakaka, it looks easy, but it’s actually pretty difficult, isn’t it? Now try to swing it a little slower.” (Dan)
If I still fail, I might not have a talent for swords.
Gail raised his sword, made sure that it was in line with the gap, and swung it down, but with a slower speed than before.
"Ei!" (Gaik)
*thud*
Ah, the sword got caught in the middle....
"You see how the sword's edge hits the log? That's proof that Young Master still can't swing it straight, even at that speed." (Dan)
What the hell!? I didn't know just swinging a sword would be this difficult.
“Listen, there are a lot of adventurers out there who think they'll get stronger faster by swinging their swords as hard as they can. I acknowledge their efforts, but that kind of training will never make them top class swordsmen. Their swords would frequently break in battle as only their bodies became stronger.” (Dan)
“I see.” (Gail)
“That's why I forbid you from training without supervision. If you get into a bad habit, it’s going to be really hard to break it.” (Dan)
“I understand. I won’t do it.” (Gail)
"Good. I have prepared some training tools for basic movements. Young Master will be allowed to practice on your own only after you master them." (Dan)
Gail looked around and saw a line of logs with gaps opened diagonally to the right and diagonally to the left, in addition to vertical gap.
"Alright, I will master them in no time at all." (Gail)
"Kakakaka, that's the spirit. Please show me the talent that Pops was expecting from Young Master." (Dan)
Yeah, let's do it!
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"Young Master, it’s about time we go home." (Dan)
"Y-Yes.... hah.... hah...." (Gail)
After that, no matter how much Gail swung his wooden sword, it never once passed through the gap. Misha's words --- "Young Master really can do anything just by learning it once, can’t you?", was running through his head in vain.