991. Restoration, again, purity
I didn’t expect him to come out that excited.
“Well, he’s acting like a kid who’s been waiting all year for a gift.”
That was how Balmung saw the Count. “Isn’t he acting like a child who has finally reached the day he’s been waiting for?”
It wasn’t even this bad when he was bestowed a sword and shield by the Emperor.
After all, everyone has different values and perspectives.
Besides, it’s not like I don’t understand it at all.
Seeing that bastard does make my blood boil. Though, getting my blood boiling and pouncing the moment I see him seems like the realm of a pervert.
That fellow Encred had a knack for making my hands itch just by looking at him, making me want to have a fight.
I assumed the Margrave was even more desperate because he lived in a completely different world. If I were a wild dog, he was a guard dog. Though
no one would compare me to the Count as a dog.
“I suppose that is why he was called Count Coty?”
Krang asked on the way in. Behind him, he caught a glimpse of the Count’s back as he fought with Rem.
Blocking and striking with his shield in place. He had no eye to discern the subtleties of swordsmanship interwoven into those simple movements, so he had simply watched. Seriana also spoke, looking in the same direction as Krang.
“In the Empire, there is a saying that you are only real if you are recognized by a Margrave.”
It was a nasty hobby, but because he was so sincere about it, everyone acknowledged it. Even the Emperor nodded in agreement.
“Just let him do what he’s been doing. He says he’s having fun. Besides, he’s good at it.”
It is not easy to gain the Emperor’s recognition in the Empire. This meant that Count Coty devoted just as much effort to his hobby. Moreover, he even had his own criteria for classifying knights.
“That sounds like an interesting story.”
Krang showed interest. Seriana found the King before her fascinating once again. Leaving aside political views or relationships, he was simply showing pure interest. It
sounded so amusing that she was asking again. This man had just crossed the borders of the Empire. From his perspective, he had reached enemy territory, and it was as if a guard general had just charged at him.
He never gets flustered.
He was surprised by the very fact of facing the Giant Count, yet he was not flustered. His failure to warn him beforehand was partly intended to see the King’s surprised reaction, but it seemed it had not worked at all.
Could the King not know his intentions? That could not be.
Even though I knew.
I just let it slide. I don’t bother to dwell on trivial matters. I suppose this is what people mean by having a different character.
“Yes. Count Coty calls knights who have just been initiated ‘immature’ and ‘soft’.”
“Does that sound like an intuitive naming?”
“The knights might find it unpleasant to hear, but it inspires a desire for improvement in that he suppresses that sentiment with force, and those who are suppressed strive to be recognized.”
Seriana smiled sweetly. She is a beauty, too. Krang turned his gaze toward Balmung, not her face.
“You likely associated with that Count Coty, too?”
“I played along a few times. The next stage after soft was mature, and after mature came seasoned experience; he told me he was seasoned.”
Soft, mature, and seasoned.
That is how the ranks of knights were divided into three levels. For some reason, Krang didn’t sound much different from the beginner, intermediate, and advanced knights he had heard about from Encred.
The Count remarked in private that even experience has its own standards, but added that by that point, they are essentially people who have achieved success on their respective paths.
Seriana added.
You seem to know a lot.
Does the Executor actually take an interest in matters like this? Her physical strength wasn’t exactly poor, but it didn’t look like she had put much effort into training.
That was the reason she could stay close to Krang.
Conversely, Saxen was always positioned between Krang and the female assassin with braided hair, who clearly looked well-trained.
For the sake of fairness, the Count compiled his criteria for evaluating knights into a book and distributed it.
I realized he was truly doing this with all his heart.
That General Suho looked impressive to me all over again. Whatever it may be, those who immerse themselves in one thing like that to achieve their dreams are bound to be respected.
Enki would likely particularly like it.
That is how he acts, what he has accomplished so far, and his daily life.
“Soft Knight, Mature Knight, and Experienced Knight. Three in total. Is there no next?”
“I have not given names beyond that because I dare not gauge them myself.”
Because Krang cannot gauge a knight’s skill just by looking.
Enki, how good are you now?
Curiosity suddenly reared its head.
* * *
Should I call it a series of violent battles?
Although a giant, the Count earned the alias Coti because he had overcome his instincts. He is an eccentric who hones his skills to be named Knight of the Year.
When he focused on blocking, dodging, and holding his ground, he was like the castle gate he guarded. That is why his other alias was the Knight of the Steel Gate.
Rem’s axe pounded and struck the shield with excitement. However, he could not simply continue attacking blindly.
At the slightest opening, the Count pushed with his shield and thrust his sword. Every movement was perfectly timed to exploit the gap. Rem enjoyed it half-heartedly.
This is.
In some ways, it is like sparring with a general. However, that does not mean you should get heated up as if you were actually fighting a general.
“At this rate, I’m going to kill you.”
Rem cooled down the rising heat. No matter how well the opponent accepted it, he could not cross the line.
Rem swung the axe in his right hand horizontally to strike the shield, then bounced back.
Excellent.
Temares, watching from behind, let out a burst of admiration. Regardless of skill, his self-control was superb. Being a Dragonkin, he possessed the ability to read minds and see into people’s hearts. In terms of insight alone, it is difficult for any species to surpass a Dragonkin.
Should one call him a born master of swordsmanship?
Count Coti froze, revealing only his yellow eyes from behind his shield. Even while standing still, a strange power emanated from his entire body. Hot steam rose from his shield as he exhaled. As for the reason he stopped, well, it was because he had read his opponent’s intentions. Here, his opponent had deliberately cut off the flow.
There’s no need to stop on purpose, is there?
Wasn’t it getting really fun? It felt like something more could have come out if we had continued.
I said that out of a sense of regret.
I let it slide because I thought I’d lose an arm if I kept going.
Rem spoke with a sly grin. The Count also burst into laughter. The giant’s laughter was like a scream erupting from deep within a cave. The air trembled at the mere sound of his boisterous laughter.
The Count knew that Rem’s words were not empty words. Of course, in a fight between seasoned knights of this caliber, one would have to wait and see the outcome.
“Rem, that’s excellent.”
Encred gave a thumbs up to the patience of the savage from the West. He hadn’t finished it all, had he?
He left a large piece of meat on the rib bone, tore off a little to taste, and stopped.
“They’re making it so obvious from the back that they’re waiting their turn, so what can I do?”
Didn’t he start showing off from behind earlier, implying that it was his turn next?
Anyway, he is the greatest fighter on the continent. You should probably call it sword dueling rather than fighting, but to Rem, it’s all the same.
“My fiancé, you haven’t changed at all.”
Sinar laughs. A faint smile lingered on the fairy’s face. Although she hadn’t completed the epic she had hoped for, she was quite happy right now.
It was simply fun traveling alongside Encred. She was also highly satisfied with having dealt with a wicked fox that had been lurking cunningly nearby as soon as she arrived.
Esther had no particular thoughts. Having found peace, she thought only of spells as usual.
In a way, the witch Esther was a loner. She didn’t worry about Astrail’s next move or the devil’s schemes.
If I live like this and then die, is that all there is to it?
No, she wants to live. Now, she, too, has a dream. She simply knows that doing what she can do right now is the best thing to do rather than worrying.
It is a fact taught to her by a man named Encrid. He held onto the attitude that sustained his life today, no, even now.
Are you going to rest?
The Count shook his head at the question asked in an expectant tone.
It’s just right.
Some people need to move their bodies moderately to improve their stamina or their ability to handle Will. Count Coty described it as being like heated iron, while others simply said he had strong staying power. He was that type.
Encred raised his sword. The two walked over from both sides as if by prearrangement and faced each other. As soon as they met, Oneul struck the shield.
Bang!
The sparring between the two was long. They fought until sunset. At first, a few of the Count’s lieutenants guarded the area, but when Rem said, “They’re going to keep doing this until tonight,” and went inside, the lieutenants also left their posts.
Only one person remained—the knight who had been defeated by Encred earlier—to watch the sparring to the very end.
You’re really funny.
It was only on the night when two moons rose that the Count ended the fight in admiration.
“It’s not Usuke, what is it?”
Encreed asked. He showed no signs of exhaustion. Though that didn’t mean he wasn’t tired at all.
“You split Will up and use it sparingly, remaking it as needed at the moment. When you are truly short, you endure with your body. Usuke isn’t the only answer. On the continent, people only talk about Usuke and Indules, don’t they? Achieving Usuke is too abstruse and difficult. On top of that, it is dangerous. That is why the Empire opened another path.”
It is a series of words.
Restauratio, meaning restoration. It means that if one cannot use the inexhaustible well with Usuke, one gathers up as much of the scattered water as possible to use it.
To be precise, it was a method of fighting by restoring Will even while fighting.
“Once you get used to Restauratio, you evolve into Iterum, and Iterum is using the Will exactly as it was at the beginning, completely once again. When You complete Iterum, it is Enobatio.”
“Enobatio?”
“It’s experiencing your Will completely transform. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?”
So, is this the way to Indules in the end?
“Even in the Empire right now, there is only one person who has properly achieved this stage. The rest are a bit clumsy. You’d like to meet that knight, too, wouldn’t you?”
The Count asks with a slight smirk. Encred nodded at the obvious question.
“So you’re saying it’s different from indules?”
“Indules has a lot to accomplish, such as changes in form and properties. That also needs to be subdivided.”
He nodded at the remark that it was different from a change in nature and added: “I am a giant and a swordsmanship researcher. In a way, you could say I am similar to Luagarne.”
“Anyway, I can’t pay attention to that.”
It is more fun to gauge people, rank them, and compete than to delve into swordsmanship itself. I suppressed the instincts of a giant, but if you only confine it all, it will only explode from within.
To control the situation, we focus on this side, the competition and ranking games among the knights.
“That is how giants live.” Count Coty, still smiling, continued.
“They said that if I become an Enobatio, the purity of my Will changes. I don’t know because I haven’t experienced that myself.”
As Encred heard the words about the change in purity, he was reminded of the blonde swordsman he had met in front of the Mirror World.
Every movement was fast, and everything they possessed was different.
The most striking difference is reaction speed. Even though the Knight is a superhuman known as a disaster, his movements and reactions were faster than that disaster itself, leaving one unable to help but be astonished.
If I had died there.
Was he still struggling desperately to get past that day?
Then should I view his current progress, somehow moving forward, as another opportunity?
I don’t know. If I dwell on the past and scrutinize every single detail, there is no end to it. I will let what has passed pass. I will
simply focus on the present and the tasks at hand. Encreed closed and opened his eyes, reflecting on what the Count had told him just moments ago.
There are various ways to handle Will. This Count had, in a sense, taught him something new, and Encreed found that very amusing.
“That’s exciting.”
“Me too.”
Two crazy swordsmen looked at each other and laughed.
“Take a rest today. You must be exhausted from the journey. It’s likely your first time in the Empire.”
Travel fatigue had not accumulated, and it was too early to tell him to rest after
such a boisterous party. Whatever happened, the first day in the Empire drew to a close.
It was a time spent so deeply immersed in the company that they didn’t even notice the sunset passing by. The Count who spoke realized that the other person had been very considerate of his situation.
“I think I’ll have to go with you. Tomorrow I’ll try competing against the fairy or that dragon, but hmm, it has to be you.”
The Count finally turned away, leaving behind what he had to say.
