Alnea always listened to his master. And that was why he was following her words. Not because he was excited to learn new Martial Styles. Or choose his sword… Maybe he was little excited… Why was he hiding his excitement anyway? It was not as if the girls were there to make fun of him. Both of them should be struggling in the canyons somewhere. It should be fine to get a little excited, he thought. And so, he followed his master back to the bed of abominable grasses, where he usually did the rest of his training. However, instead of asking him to sit, his master directed him to keep standing.
“Before we do anything, we need to figure out the sword that suits you the best,” his master said. “You can, of course, learn to use other type of swords in time, but for a while, let us focus on only one type of swords. This will also make it easier for you to master your Martial Styles, and better control your Aspect.”
“…You are omniscient, master,” Alnea said, blinking innocently at his master. “I will follow whatever you say.”
“Cheeky disciple,” his master said, pinching his nose for a moment. “Focus your mind, and stop thinking of useless things.”
“Yes, master,” Alnea said, rubbing his nose, while smiling to himself. To his shameless behaviour, his master could only shake her head. Though, very imperceptibly, she curled the corner of her lips a little upwards.
“Let us start from the types of swords,” his master said. “Generally, swords are categorized based on the purpose they are used for, but we can also categorise them based on their structure. Take the edges of the sword as an example. Just based on their edges, swords can be divided into three types, blunt edged, single edged, and double edged. Then there can be light sword, and heavy swords, and even some flexible swords, which can have rather good effects when paired with Aspects related to the elements of light, and darkness.
“Although your Aspect does not have any of those elements, it is related to the lineages of Day, and Night. If you can get some Aspects of those elements, and make it cooperate with your sword Aspect, then it can have rather astonishing effects. Your sword will become fast, unpredictable, and in certain cases, may even become invisible. This is one of the better combinations for the Warriors who follow the path of assassins.”
“…I don’t like assassins, master.”
“Why? Because they often kill humans?”
“…I don’t know. But I don’t like assassins… and neither does my Aspect. It does not want to do anything… in darkness. It wants me to protect everything that I want to protect in a fair, and above board manner.”
“Both you, and your Aspect are stupid,” his master said, still smiling in an imperceptible manner. “But I already knew that you would say something that like that, so do not worry. I have not even prepared any such flexible swords, or their corresponding Martial Styles for you.”
Alnea felt his face heat up, as his blood rushed to his cheeks. Unfortunately, he was standing, not sitting. And there were no scrolls in his hands either. Thus, looking down to hide his flushed face only made him feel more embarrassed. Thankfully, his master did not embarrass him any further. Instead, she reached out ruffled his hair to cheer him up.
“What I was trying to say is that there are many types of swords, and if we sit down to try them out one by one, then it will take ages for you to come up with a sword that would suit you,” his master said, before shifting her hand from his head to his chest. “So, instead of doing something so tedious, and unnecessary, we will start with your Heart. Tell me Alnea, why do you wish to wield a sword? What does your Heart want?”
Even before Alnea could respond to his master, his Aspect did, surging from his chest, and wrapping itself around her arms, transmitting its, and his feelings directly to her.
“…It looks like asking you to learn Martial Styles is really the right decision,” his master said. “Or with how silly you are, you will definitely lose yourself to your Aspect.”
“I am not silly, master,” Alnea said, reaching out with his hand to hold the hand of his master, wrapped in the golden light of his Aspect. “I just want to protect.”
“Protect… Are you willing to take the responsibility that comes with protecting?”
“I am.”
“How much are you willing to do in order to protect?”
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“Anything.”
“Even if it means to kill?”
“…Even if it means to kill.”
“I am not talking about Oren Beasts, or Thralls here.”
“…I know, master,” Alnea said. “I know what… or whom you are talking about. But my answer still remains the same. I want to—no. I will protect. Even if it means to kill.”
“…Will you be able to handle it?”
“I don’t know… but I must.”
“Alright,” his master said, nodding at him with a solemn gaze, and releasing some of her Spirit’s pressure, forcing his Aspect back into his body, into its home, before withdrawing her hand from his chest. “I already knew most of the things you said, but this is an important decision, so I still needed to make sure of your choice.”
“…Which type of sword suits me the best, master? A double edged sword?”
“Only someone who is aggressive, focussing on just themselves, can wield a double edged sword to perfection. You, on the other hand, wish to protect. You are ready to kill, but that is not what you desire. That is not your Heart. A double edged sword… it will only be a burden for you, and your Heart.”
“Then…”
“Right now, with the state that your Heart is in, you can only choose between blunt, and single edges swords.”
“Blunt sword… can it even be called as a sword, master?”
“Do not think that just because they do not have an edge, they cannot kill. Blunt sword, if used correctly, can be very lethal. But… they are also not perfectly compatible with you. Only a Heart which wishes just to protect can help you wield a blunt sword to perfection. In your case, though you have a Heart that wants to protect, it is also filled with the desire to kill. Even if it is for the sake of protecting…”
“I…”
“There is no need to make such a face,” his master said, looking at him with a smile, as she caressed his cheeks. “I am not saying that having the desire to kill is a bad thing. Especially if its source is noble, and just. It is just that it does not suit a blunt sword. For example, one day, if you have grown stronger than the Lotus clan, and they still come chasing after you, what would you do? Or what if they hurt Yuri, and Cecilia, what would you do?”
“I… don’t know…” Alnea said, fumbling with his words, as he imagined the things that his master had said. If such a day were to ever come…
“Would you just save the girls? Or would you not only save them, but also take your revenge?”
“I…”
“You understand what I am trying to say, right?”
“…Yes.”
“Even though you still hesitate at times to raise your sword against your enemies, you will not hesitate to kill when needed. The incident that happened in Anneve is the best example. Even when surrounded by nearly a hundred Heterodox Wanderers, you chose to dive in first, pointing your blade at them, to save Cecilia. If it was just about protecting her though, then you could have just asked me to keep her safe. But it was not, was it? Those Heterodox Wanderers dared to hurt Cecilia, so you wanted to try fighting them, did you not?”
“…I did.”
“And that is why though you can wield a blunt sword, it is not perfectly suitable for you. Only a single edged sword is. A sword to protect, and a sword to kill.”
Even though Alnea understood what his master was trying to convey, he still could not help biting his lips in frustration. In the end, was he…
“Do not think too much about it,” his master said, rapping her knuckles on his head to knock him back to his senses. “Like I said, having a sharp sword… a sharp Heart, is not a bad thing. Rather, in this cruel world, having a sharp Heart can be good thing. But you must remember to never lose your original intention. Wield your sword only to protect. Do you understand?”
“…Yes, master.”
“Good, then let us get down selecting the type of sword that would suit you,” his master said. “A single edged sword… There are many types of such swords. However, you need a sword that could both protect, and kill at the same time. Such swords are not very common. Just take a sabre for example. A sabre is a sword with a sharp edge, mainly focussed on slashes, that is supported by a thick back, which helps in generating more power for the edge. Such swords, however, are focussed more on killing, rather than protecting.”
“…Then not a sabre?”
“No… not a sabre,” his master said, before falling into her own thoughts, tapping her fingers away on her arms. After a while, she shook her head, and said, “Forget it. We will just see how things go.”
Before Alnea could ask her what she was talking about, his master reached to the air beside her, and opened her ‘Dimensional Pocket’, retrieving a few swords, all of different forms, and shapes, before using her Spirit Power to make them float by her side. A trick she could do because of her Grand Spirit. If Wanderers below the Grand Rank wished to make things float in the air, they probably would have to resort to using either Arcanas, or their Aspects. Even Glyphs would work, of course. But that would need a lot of preparation. His master, however, could make the swords float on just her whims.
“Try holding these swords, and let your Aspect interact with them. Each sword will give you a different feeling depending on their compatibility with your Heart. As for which one would suit you best… you will understand if you get it. If not, then we will have to look through some other types of swords.”
“…Why do you have so many swords, master? Are you also a weaponsmith?”
“…Why are you talking so much nonsense? Stop wasting your time. You still have to go to the Origin Sea after selecting your sword.”
“Yes, master,” Alnea said, laughing awkwardly to hide his anxiety, as he stepped forward to pick a sword.