“There is actually more than just mana in this world. For example, steam produced when water and fire mix can drive incredibly powerful giants, you know.”
Outside the small wooden cabin in the wilderness, Rekulai built a campfire and set a small pot over it. Freya watched the boiling water in the pot give off steam.
At first she did not believe it, until Rekulai hand-made a paper pinwheel and placed it above the small pot, and the pinwheel began to move on its own.
“It is moving because of the wind.”
“Wrong.”
Freya shook her head. “There is no wind now. It is the steam coming from the pot that made it move.”
Rekulai nodded. “Right. This is steam power. What if we mixed water magic and fire magic and used a much larger amount to perform this motion?”
Freya’s small mouth fell open. “Then wouldn’t that blow a house away?”
Rekulai shook his head. “Not only that, but you are not wrong either.”
“If we build a vehicle that can hold hundreds of people, but this vehicle has no horses, we can use this power to push the vehicle, and it will move on its own.”
It was truly an unheard-of idea. Freya marveled at Rekulai’s astonishing wisdom. Every day she chatted with him, she always benefited greatly. His manner of speech and his knowledge were so profound, so far beyond the knowledge and theories possessed by the current society.
Any single piece of knowledge he casually mentioned each day could make her ponder for a long time, enough to pick up a notebook and take notes with a quill. There were even occasional times when Freya regarded Rekulai as something akin to a god.
But Freya knew that Rekulai was actually a peer of the same age as her.
And so, almost every day, Freya would immerse herself in the little memories Rekulai left her, bit by bit.
‘Actually, “Lin Ye” is a very gentle person.’
“Mana shaping is very similar to the mimicry effect of slimes. We should be able to make use of it.”
‘Just think about it. That is so cool.’
“Well, it is getting late. I should head back. Knowing my sister’s personality, since I have been disappearing so often lately, she is definitely going to give me a good knuckle to the head.”
Rekulai scratched his head and said casually. Freya nodded inwardly. As expected of Lin Ye, he maintains his disguise at every moment. All of this is necessary to deal with the Immaculate Society. I must learn as well. As Claire’s younger brother, Lord Lin Ye’s disguise is truly divine.
“Please wait.”
The campfire crackled. The warm orange light was like a soft bolt of silk, gently draping over the girl’s face.
She had extremely long golden hair, wet and hanging behind her shoulders and at her sides, the tips still holding night dew and fragments of light. When the flames licked, those golden strands came alive, from deep gold to pale gold, from amber to honey, flowing down layer by layer like a molten crown, and like a wheat field set alight by dusk. A few loose strands clung to her cheeks, making her skin appear even whiter and brighter, like a white porcelain bowl soaked in moonlight, faintly tinged with pink, cold, yet making one unable to resist wanting to touch it.
Those pale blue eyes stared fixedly at Rekulai.
“I want to become stronger. As I am now, I am still not worthy of becoming your sword.”
“Next time you come, could you teach me how to fight?”
Rekulai was stunned. Come to think of it, although he taught her some theoretical knowledge, it was not for any other purpose. It was simply an unconscious desire to have someone to confide in.
But carrying so much knowledge, if she truly went out into the world, she would indeed be targeted by people with ill intentions.
It was necessary to teach Freya some self-defense techniques.
He did not reply directly to Freya’s words. He only grinned, turned, and left.
He waved backward.
“Then see you next time.”
As if in response to the girl’s expectations, Freya clenched her hands, and a faint pink color rose on her cheeks.
……
As for Freya’s appearance, I was actually happy. For the time being, I took her in and made that small wooden cabin in the wilderness her settlement. She learned quickly and was also eager to learn, always curious about the knowledge of my past life that I spoke of. Seeing her gradually beg me to teach her, I could not help but teach her more.
In the nights after that, I took the time to combine the various martial arts from my past life, refine their essence, and create self-defense techniques carrying my own understanding.
I looked forward to Freya growing stronger, for then I would gain another new opponent I could train against.
Freya did not betray my expectations either. In every duel and training session, I could see new changes in her.
As expected of the elf race, who are born with the talent of magic warriors, huh?
Spring, summer, autumn, and winter always pass quickly when remembered. The small wooden cabin, through my and Freya’s efforts, was also renovated into a concrete house, painted white, and connected to running water. This should be the first modern detached house in this other world.
….
Star Moon Calendar year 1452, Rekulai Katrana, age 12.
“Your force is still not enough, Freya. But compared to 3 years ago, you have become so much stronger!”
A thin layer of fallen leaves covered the stone slabs of the training ground. When the night wind swept by, they rustled and scattered.
Rekulai stood ten steps away, his longsword hanging casually at his side as if he were holding an insignificant wooden branch. He had not even taken a stance. He only tilted his head slightly, his gaze passing over the sword’s ridge to rest on the girl opposite him.
The golden-haired elf girl was now already taller than him, and her body had begun to bloom and grow. Beyond that, her mind had also gradually matured.
She wore her hair in a single ponytail, neat and efficient. Just a moment ago, Rekulai had easily dodged one attack.
The golden-haired girl did not mind. She was only testing how much effort Rekulai was using this time, while examining her own sword and how she should win.
Rekulai was observing the girl, but was Freya not also observing the youth before her?
“Let us continue,” she said.
Before her voice faded, she moved.
The elf’s steps were light as a deer’s, her toes touching the stone slabs with almost no sound. Her sword took an indirect path. The first form was a diagonal upward slash, aimed straight at Rekulai’s right ribs. Clean and sharp, it was the most standard opening of the Night Sword Technique.
The Night Sword Technique was one of the self-defense arts Rekulai had specially customized for Freya over these years. Even without a contract sword, it was a sword technique that could still unleash powerful sword skills.
Rekulai did not retreat, nor did he block.
He merely shifted his shoulder.
The blade edge grazed past the corner of his clothes by a hair’s breadth. Freya turned her wrist, changing the upward slash into a cut, sweeping horizontally at his waist. Only then did Rekulai raise his sword, holding the blade vertically at his side. With a light clang, like raindrops striking tin, he used little strength and merely borrowed her force, tilting his blade slightly, and Freya’s sword slid into empty air.
“Your wrist is too tense,” he said, his voice very flat.
Freya bit her lip, withdrew her sword, and attacked again. This time she quickened her rhythm: thrust, upward flick, chop, and sweep, four forms linked into one breath. The sword light was like a net woven from golden threads, so dense that no wind could pass. Yet Rekulai was like a leaf swept up by the wind, shifting left and flashing right within the sword net, each step landing exactly in the gaps of her sword momentum.
His sword never truly counterattacked. He only occasionally raised it and lightly deflected with the ridge, guiding her killing moves elsewhere.
“Too rushed,” he said again. “Your current rhythm is like a stream blocked by stones, intermittent.”
Freya frowned but did not talk back. She stepped back half a pace, readjusted her breathing, and then pressed forward again.
This time she was much steadier. Her sword path no longer sought speed but accuracy. The tip was like a snake’s tongue, flickering in and out, roaming 3 inches before Rekulai, ready to strike at any moment. Rekulai finally uttered a “Mm,” which counted as approval.
“That sword strike was not bad.”
He raised his sword to catch her thrust. The blades pressed together, and he guided it along the momentum. Freya felt a soft force come from the sword. Her blade involuntarily veered to the left, and her whole body was pulled into a stumble forward.
“Guiding a sword requires redirecting force, not blocking hard.” Rekulai turned sideways to let her pass, his voice like that of someone teaching an apprentice. “Your sword can be lighter still, light enough that your opponent cannot feel your strength.”
As he spoke, he merely gave a light flick with the sword in his hand.
The training sword Freya had formed from condensed mana was easily sent flying just like that.
Rekulai could see her self-blame and unwillingness. He did not do much, only patted Freya on the shoulder.
Only then did Freya recover.
At the moment the battle ended, she still stood in place, her chest heaving violently.
Sweat seeped from her forehead and slid slowly down her pale cheek, like morning dew rolling off the edge of a petal. Several strands of golden hair were soaked with sweat. They were no longer the neat ponytail from before, but clung messily to her cheeks and the hollow of her neck. Deep golden wet trails wound through the moonlight, making her skin appear even more luminous and white.
“Beyond that, your sword is already enough to walk in this world.”
Rekulai nodded to express his approval. Freya was not humble and accepted Rekulai’s words. At the same time, she walked toward Rekulai and gave a slight bow.
“Thank you for taking me in.”
Rekulai was stunned. What was going on with this girl? What was wrong with her today? Looking at Freya bowing, he fell silent. “Go on.”
“You noticed as well.”
“Then I will no longer hide it.”
“If we are going to oppose a cult like that, with just the two of us, this power is far from enough. A young bird raised under the protection of adults will not learn to fly healthily. I should also learn to grow on my own.”
“What you mean is.”
“Sorry, Lin Ye. I am leaving. We must establish an organization systematically, and we need enough funds to sustain the movement. We also need sufficient plans for the future.”
“The road ahead must be walked by me alone.”
Rekulai was stunned. As expected, girls were always like this, impossible to keep. But Freya was truly gentle. She should have realized long ago that the curse and such were all things he had made up offhand, yet she still chose to play along with him for a period of time.
She must have grown tired of continuing that role-play, so she found a suitable reason to leave me….
Going outside to grow alone and expand an organization, this reason was indeed one of the indispensable elements of the cool Passing Knight setup.
“Go, then. We still walk in the same night.”
Although it felt a little empty, as a Passing Knight, I had already abandoned too much, including some unnecessary interpersonal relationships. Perhaps after an open and honorable farewell like this, each going our own way was also fine.
There was no need to feel sorrow over it. That was simply what a Passing Knight was like.
Freya’s eyes reddened, faintly glistening. He took one last deep look, and then black mana wrapped around her figure, dispersing little by little with the wind.
She left.