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Edward, knowing he was in the wrong, could only stand silently with his great sword, enduring Nia's scolding.
Xiu walked over to Mengdie and examined the sword cuts and marks on her gloves. He sighed, "I made these gloves for you. If you wanted to practice, you should have waited until they were fitted with magic stones."
Mengdie shook her head, fetched a bucket of water, and washed her face by the side of the ship. "Physical strength is necessary, but training the body is even more important. Otherwise, you become too dependent on external forces."
Xiu chuckled, no longer pressing the issue.
After washing up, Mengdie saw Nia was still berating Edward. Edward, now realizing the potential consequences had Mengdie not dodged, turned pale.
"Okay, have you had breakfast? Talking so much early in the morning can make you hungry," Mengdie said with a smile, patting Nia's shoulder. "Go prepare breakfast; I have something to discuss with Edward."
Reluctantly, and only after much persuasion from Mengdie, Nia huffed and, along with Xiu, went to prepare breakfast.
Once they were alone, Mengdie looked at Edward, who was still gloomy, holding his sword. "It seems the crystal grass has healed you well. You're much more agile. Now, give me your sword."
Edward looked at Mengdie with a troubled gaze and, after a moment's hesitation, handed over his sword.
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Mengdie examined the sword carefully, placing it on the deck, then standing it up, swinging it around, and testing its balance in her palm. After about ten minutes, she nodded satisfactorily and handed the sword back to Edward.
"I finally understand," she declared.
"Understand what?" Edward asked.
"The reason your combat effectiveness has weakened recently. It all comes down to this sword."
Edward immediately examined the sword, its melted blade perplexing him.
"The problem isn't just superficial. This great sword is specially made, and its specifications are designed to hinder its wielder, not to facilitate its use."
"Feel the weight. The sword is heavy at both ends but very light in the middle. This creates a sensation that it might break when you swing it."
"You're right!" Edward exclaimed. "I always felt like it was about to break!"
"That's why you unconsciously slow down and hold back your strength when swinging it. That's part of why your combat effectiveness has dropped."
"Another reason is the heaviest part of the sword is at the tip. This makes you feel like the sword might fly out of your hand, causing you to hold back and limit your attack range. This unbalanced design also strains your hands, forcing you to expend extra effort to adjust the sword’s angle and preventing you from fully focusing on your opponent."
"Thirdly, and most importantly, consider the weight distribution. A heavy top and light bottom - what does that resemble? A hammer. In other words, you've been using a bladed hammer, not a great sword. It's no wonder you couldn't perform at your best."
Hearing Mengdie's explanation, Edward looked at the sword dejectedly. "So that's it... I always felt it wasn't as easy to use as my old sword..."
"The King's Sword," Mengdie muttered.
But now wasn't the time for Edward to return to the castle for his sword. According to reliable sources, the Salsar fleet had arrived in the Luivell Empire yesterday, and if there were no accidents, the martial law would be lifted by afternoon. They needed to set sail immediately before the noon bells.
After breakfast, Nia called everyone to eat. Xiu watched Mengdie with a playful look in his eyes.
"Mengdie, what are we going to do this morning?"
"Shopping," Mengdie replied, stuffing a piece of bread into her mouth. "We're going to buy the best equipment for all of us."
※※※
Despite still being troubled by yesterday's inexplicable fight, Mengdie couldn't ignore the fact that the crystal grass had added over five hundred Sulas to her pocket. She returned to the same magic equipment store and picked out a water trace, a flame, a lightning, and an earth magic fragment, spending three hundred Sulas. She also bought a new black silk robe for Xiu to replace his apprentice robe, costing fifty Sulas.
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