As Najin fell down the cliff, he thought.

Fight that without sword aura? With nothing but the longsword in his hand? He glanced at the Outer Lands golem roaring below.

It looked damned tough.

Naturally, a longsword was not a weapon designed to split hard objects. Watching Sword Experts and countless other swordsmen slice through rock and steel with sword aura might give people the wrong impression, but longswords were originally designed to thrust through gaps in armor or cut flesh.

At the very least, they were not weapons for splitting rocks.

Of course, with Najin’s superhuman strength and a rare-metal sword, he might easily split an ordinary rock without sword aura. But the rocks making up this Outer Lands golem were far from ordinary.

They were rocks made damned hard by the starlight within them. To Najin, being told to cut down that golem without sword aura was an unreasonable demand. He looked toward the Helmeted Knight.

'Though I suppose he could do it.'

He recalled the strike the Helmeted Knight had demonstrated. A strike that had split the ground and cleanly cleaved a boulder without sword aura. Judging by that, the knight could probably cut down this golem without it too.

The same went for Karon, Yuel, and Gerd.

Without using sword aura themselves, they had easily parried Najin’s aura-coated sword. Something Sword Masters could do, but he could not. Najin exhaled briefly and adjusted his grip. Whatever the case, he had to try.

ROOOOAR!

Najin raised his sword toward the bellowing golem. Producing sword aura came as naturally to him as breathing, so he swung while making a conscious effort not to summon it.

SWISH.

He heard the tip slice through the air. The strike was not as sharp as usual, but it was sharp enough to take a human head off. Unfortunately, what stood before him was not a human, but a golem made of fallen stars.

CLANG!

Najin’s sword collided with the stone hand the golem thrust forward. Had his blade been coated in sword aura, it would have sliced smoothly through the rock—or at least pushed the hand back with the aura’s repulsive force...

TING.

But this time, neither happened.

His sword simply bounced off. As the golem’s fist swept his blade aside and came hurtling toward him, Najin felt like clutching the back of his neck in frustration.

Could he really cut this thing?

Twisting aside to dodge the fist, Najin ran up the golem’s arm and adjusted his grip. Wasn’t there a saying that no tree could withstand ten chops? If one strike would not do it, he would try ten.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, he brought the sword down on the rock like a pickaxe. He swung while recalling the lessons of the miners he had often talked with in the underground city. For a while, he performed pickaxe swings so perfect that even miners with decades of experience would have applauded.

Ten minutes passed.

In those ten minutes, Najin came to a realization: the saying that no tree could withstand ten chops only worked because the target was a tree. Rocks that would not break after ten blows were more common than he had thought. So common, in fact, that there was one right in front of him.

Fucking hell...

Swallowing the groan rising in his throat, Najin rubbed his stinging hands. The golem roared and struggled to shake him off its body, but each time he moved to another spot and continued pounding it with his sword.

Another ten minutes passed.

By the time Najin’s pickaxe swings had reached roughly three figures...

“Oh, fuck this.”

He threw his sword.

2.

Fortunately, Najin’s sword was made of rare metal, and pounding a few rocks would not chip its edge. The Order of the Sword did not classify it as a top-quality blade for nothing. It was a fine sword worthy of being bestowed personally by the Sword Saint, the order’s leader...

Of course, Najin found it rather disappointing that even such a fine sword could not cut through starlight-infused rock, but the Order of the Sword would have had every right to feel unfairly blamed. Who tried to break rocks with a sword without even summoning sword aura?

“Tsk.”

Najin clicked his tongue.

Still moving around on the golem’s body, he tried swinging his sword in various ways. He brought it down like a pickaxe and hammered away with it like a mallet.

Had he gained some revelation from it? No... but it was not entirely meaningless either. After pounding rocks for about an hour, he was starting to get a feel for it.

CRACK!

The rock split as he brought his sword down. It was only a tiny nick compared with the golem’s bulk, but the fact that the blade’s tip had bitten into the stone made the strike significant. Mulling over that last blow, Najin diligently kept swinging.

'This might actually be more helpful than I thought.'

“Really? It doesn’t look all that helpful to me...”

Najin cast a sidelong glance at Merlin as she yawned indifferently. What would a mage know? Naturally, Merlin heard that thought and let out an indignant shriek. Using her cries as a work song, Najin swung his sword.

Swinging without sword aura made Najin realize just how much he normally relied on it.

Sword aura was far too convenient. Even the aura produced by a Sword Expert generally possessed cutting power surpassing the fine blades most blacksmiths called their life’s masterpieces. As for a Sword Seeker’s aura, explaining it would only be a waste of breath.

Cutting power that sliced effortlessly through steel with little force. Heat that melted even rock. Repulsive force that could send enormous magical beasts flying or break their bones with the impact.

And once a mental image was imbued into it... sword aura literally became capable of almost anything. Handling it as easily as breathing, Najin had come to rely on it for a great deal.

'Every movement is calibrated for when I’m using sword aura.'

The way he applied force, the angle of his swing, the path traced by the blade’s tip—all of it was optimized for using sword aura. He began correcting those movements one by one.

Ten minutes, then another ten.

Those ten-minute stretches repeated until more than an hour had passed. Small nicks covered the golem’s body, and its movements had grown noticeably slower as it exhausted itself struggling.

Not so Najin.

Despite swinging without rest, he showed no sign of fatigue. If anything, he was moving faster. Perched on the golem’s shoulder, he raised his sword high overhead. He steadied his breathing and brought the blade down the moment it settled into rhythm.

Just as he had when first learning the sword, he concentrated on everything from the tiniest parts of his body to each individual movement. He heard his sword cutting through the wind.

It was a fundamental movement of imperial swordsmanship.

And the movement the Helmeted Knight had demonstrated.

As the sword descended, a sharp crack rang out, much like the sound of the Helmeted Knight’s swing. The result was similar too. Rather than lodging in the stone, Najin’s sword cut all the way through it, and the golem’s severed arm fell to the ground.

THUD! BOOM!

The falling rocks made a tremendous noise. Watching the sight, the Helmeted Knight spoke.

“That’s it.”

At some point, he had come down the cliff. He looked at Najin and continued.

“Sword aura is wonderfully convenient, but once you get used to it, it hinders your growth. What is a Sword Master? Someone who has completely mastered the weapon called a sword. What good is it if all you’re good at is producing sword aura? That would make you an Aura Master, not a Sword Master.”

He shrugged.

“Don’t rely on sword aura. Swing your sword, not your aura. In other words, don’t forget how to use a sword.”

The Helmeted Knight swung his dull-edged sword.

Najin watched. Earlier, he had not understood how that movement produced such a result, but now he felt he could understand it a little.

“Don’t waver. Be certain. A Sword Master is someone who can cleave anything with a single sword. If you dream of becoming one, shouldn’t you at least be able to split a rock without sword aura?”

It was an utterly simple swing.

Yet precisely because of that, the single swing contained the essence of the sword as a weapon. The Helmeted Knight’s blade found a gap with perfect accuracy. It forced a gap into the golem’s body where none seemed to exist.

Like water flowing along a narrow channel, like light leaking through a tiny hole, the tip of his sword worked its way into the opening.

CRACK.

The Helmeted Knight’s blade severed the golem’s leg. The cut was clean—so clean it was hard to believe he had not used sword aura. Pointing at the staggering golem, he grinned.

“Try it.”

He was not one for lengthy explanations when teaching. He believed it was faster to demonstrate something once, or let someone experience it once.

“This time, with sword aura.”

Najin did as instructed.

He raised his sword.

Sweat ran down his forehead as he concentrated on every movement. So intent was he on precision that all his movements were excessively slow. It was a technique he could never use against a moving enemy in actual combat.

Sword aura shone at the tip of his blade.

Though he had coated it in aura, Najin swung as if he had not. The sword raised high overhead fell toward the golem’s head like a guillotine.

And then...

CRACK.

A line was drawn from the golem’s head all the way to its feet. The golem split along that line. Even Najin, who had delivered the strike, widened his eyes. He had never imagined he could cut through it so easily.

“That’s exactly it,” said the Helmeted Knight.

“Remember that feeling. Right now, you have to devote all your attention to every movement and consciously control them just to deliver that strike slowly...”

He pointed at himself.

“But a Sword Master can do it as naturally as breathing. You’ll have to manage at least that much if you want to become one, won’t you? Well? Feel like you’re learning swordsmanship now?”

“Yes. At first I wondered what on earth you were talking about... but this method really does help, doesn’t it?”

“Doesn’t it?” The Helmeted Knight grinned mischievously.

“Then today, let’s have you cut down just ten golems. No more than that. Without sword aura, of course.”

The Helmeted Knight produced a horn from somewhere and blew it enthusiastically. Then he promptly fled up the cliff. It did not take Najin long to discover why.

THUD! BOOM!

Golems were swarming toward them from afar, drawn by the horn’s call. Looking at what appeared to be well over ten of them, Najin laughed in disbelief.

“All right, then. Let’s give it a try.”

He adjusted his grip on his sword.

3.

After swinging his sword until his hands went beyond stinging and became numb, Najin all but collapsed onto his back. He had not kept precise track of the time, but it felt as though he had spent the entire day swinging without rest.

“I’ll stand watch.”

Seemingly showing Najin some consideration this time, the Helmeted Knight volunteered for the night watch.

“Get plenty of rest. Starting tomorrow, I’ll teach you my swordsmanship in earnest.”

“Weren’t you rather reluctant to teach me?”

“I was, wasn’t I?”

“You seem to be enjoying yourself now.”

“Do I?”

“Yes.”

The Helmeted Knight chuckled.

“Perhaps it’s because you’re fun to teach. Whatever I teach you, you learn right away, and the slightest hint is enough for you to find the answer.”

“I’ve always been a pretty quick learner.”

“Actually, I suppose it’s closer to stealing than learning. With those abnormal eyes of yours.”

He pointed at Najin’s eyes.

“When you first fought me, and when you fought Krünbel, your eyes never missed a movement. You didn’t simply watch... you understood it in an instant and made it your own, didn’t you? That must be why I see the swordsmanship of seasoned swordsmen with decades of experience in your blade.”

He was right. As Najin remained silent, the Helmeted Knight stroked the hilt bound at his waist and spoke.

“Go on, steal as much as you like. Take everything you can. I’ll show you everything I’m able to.”

“That sounds good.”

“Just get some sleep. Tomorrow will be harder.”

Najin leaned against a rock and closed his eyes.

Having slept perfectly well even in alleys strewn with garbage, he fell asleep quickly. Yet despite the Helmeted Knight’s kindly offer to stand watch, Najin woke before even a few hours had passed.

“...”

Sitting up, Najin reflexively touched his neck. His expression was rigid. His heart pounded loudly in his chest.

“What is it? Have a nightmare?”

“Something like that.”

“What did you dream about?”

“Having my head cut off.”

Najin spoke as he rubbed his neck.

Just as he had experienced the memories of Schlein, commander of the Order of the Starfire Guardians, this time he had become Krünbel, the Knight of Silence, and lived through his memories.

And what he had experienced was so intense that it was more than enough to set his heart racing.

In his dream, Najin had been beheaded 317 times.

By a certain woman known as the Emperor of Revelry.