Episode 12. Sacred Body (4)
Gebel lifted the axe and took a heavy step. Isaac unconsciously pictured the opponent Gebel was trying to cut down. It was not a human, but a giant—no, a massive boulder.
The moment Gebel stomped his raised foot down, the axe cleaved through the air with a heavy whistling sound.
Whoosh!
The axe blade flashed, and a fierce wind rushed in all directions.
A straightforward downward strike.
It was a simple, fundamental motion that anyone could perform with an axe.
Isaac realized that it was a technique similar to what Gebel had used when cutting down the wild boar.
With a dull thud, the log split in two. The cross-section was clean. Though it had split along the grain, one could easily predict that even if it had been perpendicular to the grain, the result would have been the same.
Gebel, finishing the move cleanly, was satisfied to see Isaac's surprised expression.
But Isaac was not surprised because of Gebel's technique.
[Basic Holy Knight Swordsmanship has been unlocked.]
[Proficiency increases significantly due to the Predation effect of 'Kalsen Milteo'.]
[Low-rank Holy Knight Swordsmanship Proficiency (Lv 1) (11/10000)]
'I only watched, though?'
Isaac was still unable to fully enjoy the Predation effect of Kalsen Milteo due to the level difference. However, seeing the message that had just appeared, it seemed that what could be obtained through the Predation effect was not just stats.
'Swordsmanship talent... the talent as a holy knight that Kalsen Milteo possessed.'
He was a top-class holy knight known as the Saint of Swords. Isaac had been harboring that very talent within his body without even knowing it. If so, then the ultimate skill he had obtained after Predating Kalsen Milteo, the 'Watcher's Lighthouse,' could clearly also be unlocked by growing in a similar manner.
"Let's start with this."
"You want me to do it like you, Mr. Gebel?"
At those words, Gebel looked at him as if the suggestion were absurd.
"You think you can imitate that? If you actually copied it exactly, your muscles might tear. I meant for you to simply try a normal downward strike."
A simple downward strike was a move anyone could do. Yet no matter how astonishing Isaac's strength was, without technique, he was no more than a strong lumberjack.
That is, for now, Gebel was merely teaching him the basics.
"But do you understand what kind of move this is?"
Suddenly, Gebel recalled that Isaac had spoken with the nuance of 'There's no way I can follow that.' The technique Gebel had displayed was, in truth, a move only possible for someone who had repeated the same downward strike tens of thousands of times and was in a state of extreme focus.
Because Gebel had trained to the point where he could execute it with minimal effort, it likely had not looked remarkable to ordinary eyes. Recognizing the realm behind it was also something only those with a certain level of skill could do.
Let alone Isaac, who had lived without ever holding a single sword until now—there was no way he could recognize it.
Isaac was about to say 'Isn't that obvious?' but closed his mouth. He had thought of something similar to what Gebel was thinking.
If Kalsen Milteo's talent had seeped into his body, then perhaps his keen insight remained as well. But he could not tell Gebel that.
"Even if you brought Mureujikeu here, I think he could tell you that what you just did is a difficult move to follow."
Isaac brushed it off nonchalantly, and at the answer that could hardly be more obvious, Gebel smiled.
Isaac received the hand axe from Gebel and staggered momentarily from its heavy weight. But he barely managed to plant his feet and hold steady.
'If I hadn't been using Predation all this time, I wouldn't even be able to hold it.'
In fact, the wild boar that had been inside Isaac's body had already been fully digested, leaving no temporary bonuses remaining.
Although digesting such a massive wild boar completely was an absurd feat, thanks to it, Isaac's muscles and height were growing remarkably. It was only thanks to that he could barely lift the axe.
Gebel tilted his head as he watched Isaac barely holding the axe. Yesterday, he had effortlessly lifted the axe embedded in the firewood, yet today he could barely manage to lift it and keep hold—it was strange.
Under Gebel's peculiar gaze, Isaac barely raised the axe as Gebel had done and swung it down with difficulty. Stopping before hitting the ground was harder than lifting it.
Whoosh!
[Low-rank Holy Knight Swordsmanship Proficiency (Lv 1) (22/10000)]
"Hoo."
"What, is it heavy?"
"Ah, no. It's not that."
Isaac fell into conflict over whether he should secretly use his tentacles. He was worried that if he struggled too much today after having lifted it easily before, Gebel might become suspicious.
But Gebel was actually relieved inside.
'It would be a relief if what happened back then was merely a temporary phenomenon.'
If it was a temporary phenomenon, then it was merely a miracle that had happened by chance, not a Sacred Body. Such things were not common, but minor miracles did occur within the order from time to time. If that were the case, Isaac would not become entangled in unnecessary attention or trouble.
Then Gebel soon became flustered by the realization that he was happy about this. For his goal, Isaac needed to be a Sacred Body, and he needed to achieve greatness with outstanding talent. Yet at the same time, he also wished for Isaac to grow up ordinarily and enjoy a peaceful life.
But regardless, his decision to teach Isaac swordsmanship did not change. Gebel resolved to keep a closer eye on him while teaching.
"Try again."
Isaac repeated the motion several more times. But before he could even swing five times, Gebel smiled as he saw the axe hit the ground with a thud. It was not a scornful laugh, but a smile of relief.
Isaac noticed his expression and refocused, putting strength into the hand that gripped the axe. He began to recall Gebel's movements one by one in his head like photographs.
'That movement, one more time.'
Boom! A sound cutting through the wind, different from before, rang out clearly. The smile on Gebel's face vanished slightly. It was evident that Isaac was still barely holding the axe, but the trajectory and momentum of his swing were beginning to change.
"No way..."
Gebel muttered softly. But Isaac did not hear him.
He was only recalling the trajectory of Gebel swinging his sword in the autumn rain and the sight of Gebel swinging the axe just now.
Suddenly, that trajectory became so vivid, it seemed visible to the naked eye.
'Are you only going to chase the sword's trajectory? When swinging a sword, you must use your entire body. From the tips of your toes to the direction of your crown, your gaze, your stance, your breathing—pay attention to everything!'
Suddenly, it felt as if such a shout was ringing in Isaac's ears. It was not Isaac's memory, but someone else's memory, someone else's voice. In that instant, the image of Gebel's movements, which had existed only in his head, flashed and took control of Isaac's body.
Boom!
In an instant, an intense gust of wind filled the backyard. The axe stopped precisely just before touching the ground.
"Hah... huff..."
[Critical!]
[Proficiency increases greatly due to a high-concentration achievement.]
[Low-rank Holy Knight Swordsmanship Proficiency (Lv 1) (232/10000)]
Isaac couldn't close his mouth at the tremendous improvement. Nearly 180 proficiency had risen at once. It seemed the more he concentrated, the greater his proficiency gains became.
Isaac gasped for breath, his entire body soaked in sweat. His whole body burned as if on fire. His muscles were on the verge of convulsing. Realizing that he had become too immersed without knowing it, Isaac startled and dropped the axe.
'What? Was that Calsen's memory just now?'
He couldn't help but think so. It seemed like a memory from when Calsen was teaching someone, or when he was receiving instruction himself. At the moment he performed the final movement, Isaac had been closer to someone other than himself.
'Did I copy Gebel's movements... no, Calsen's movements exactly?'
Perhaps the Nameless Chaos's Predation was not simply about devouring an enemy's flesh and bones. It was as if another person's experiences were engraved entirely into his muscles.
Only then did Isaac recall that Gebel had said something to him. When he belatedly turned around, Gebel was pale as a ghost.
"What did you say?"
"..."
Gebel had a confused expression, fidgeting with his face. He tried to say something several times but repeatedly closed his mouth. Only after a long while did he rub his face and speak.
"Let's move on to the next."
"The next?"
"Yes, the next—no, the basics. This is too high-level for you right now. It's best to build up from the basics. Let's start with physical training first."
Isaac looked at him as if the suggestion were slightly absurd. Wasn't what he had just done a basic movement? He had simply struck down from above.
Gebel also seemed to realize he had said something absurd and shook his head.
But on the other hand, Isaac thought it was fortunate. Honestly, his arms and legs were trembling right now. There was no point in training swordsmanship when his muscles were on the verge of convulsing.
It seemed he would have to diligently procure meat and train his body for a while.
Gebel repeatedly rubbed his face as he looked at Isaac, who seemed to take what had just happened lightly. What had just happened made it certain that Isaac was a Sacred Body.
This was not something achievable with merely outstanding talent.
'The proficiency that Calsen would have shown at age twenty...'
Gebel thought this, then shook his head.
In any case, with this, the direction he had to take was set.
He decided to interfere in Isaac's life just a little more.
'I am not using him. As the price for helping this child, I am merely placing one small pebble upon the path that the Light guides...'
Gebel muttered so inwardly.
***
"He is definitely a Sacred Body."
Gebel went to see the Abbot once again and spoke. The Abbot looked at Gebel's expression curiously.
"Then has anything changed from what we discussed before? Yet why is your expression like that?"
"My expression?"
"It is extremely... complicated."
Joy, confusion, and fear were mixed on Gebel's face. Only after barely returning to his usual expressionless face did the Abbot continue.
"Why have you suddenly gained such certainty? I did watch him swing the axe, but after swinging it a few times, he looked noticeably exhausted."
"Yes. I thought so at first as well. But..."
Gebel muttered, touching his face as if he still could not believe what he had witnessed.
"He imitated the Steel Cleaving Form of Saint Arte before even swinging the axe ten times."
"I apologize. I am a layman when it comes to swordsmanship, so I do not fully understand. I do know that Saint Arte is a hero of the First Dawn Army..."
"Saint Arte is the one who laid the foundation for all Holy Knight Order swordsmanship. The Holy Knight Order he founded split into over one hundred and twenty branches and became the origin of the Holy Knight Orders located throughout the world."
Gebel continued speaking, rubbing his chin.
"It was Saint Arte's swordsmanship that made those no different from ordinary knights into holy knights. People commonly say that he elevated swordsmanship to the realm of the divine. Because it is the foundation of foundations, it is now considered an aged swordsmanship, but it is still common sense to learn his swordsmanship first at the basic stage."
"Isaac accomplished that basic stage in a single day?"
"It was not perfect, but it appears to be simply an issue of strength and equipment."
Gebel explained, muttering incessantly.
"I was wrong. The miracle bestowed upon Isaac was not mere brute strength, but that talent. Such perfect talent belongs only to Calse—"
"Gebel."
The Abbot pointed out Gebel's slip of the tongue. Gebel realized his mistake and closed his mouth. No matter how excited he was, to mention that name—Gebel felt his face turning red.
"It is known that the current whereabouts of that apostate are unknown, but comparing him to a child who lost all his acquaintances because of that man does not seem appropriate."
"He is probably somewhere, having become a pile of bones reeking of rot. I spoke out of turn."
Gebel drew a holy sign in a circle on his chest and repented. Calsen's apostasy had caused no small amount of turmoil within the order. This monastery was only quiet because it kept its distance from the politics of the order; the situation in the capital was beyond words.
It was all the more so because rumors were rampant that his name had been slated to enter the Codex.
Regardless of one's faith, if one accomplished achievements worthy of God's recognition, one would ascend and become an angel. And among them, if one accomplished achievements memorable enough for God, God would personally grant that person a name. Those who achieved such a rank were called 'Named Angels,' for they possessed a name.
In the thousand-year history of the Church of Light, only six had reached the rank of Named Angel.
There had been rumors that Calsen would become the seventh Named Angel, yet he committed the unbelievable sin of apostasy.
But the problem began here. If that were so, Calsen should have become an angel or a Named Angel of the Immortal Cult, yet there had been no word at all of a new Named Angel appearing in the Immortal Cult.
Therefore, the Church of Light was struggling to verify whether Calsen's apostasy was truly the case and to track down his whereabouts.
But all of this was a story far removed from the monastery. The Abbot continued speaking about Isaac, the problem right before his eyes.
"So what have you decided to do with Isaac?"
"I have decided to halt swordsmanship lessons for now and teach him properly from the real basics, such as breathing, stance, and strength training. I had intended to give him a taste of hardship and make him drop out, but I never dreamed he possessed such talent..."
"You did well. It would be better to postpone swordsmanship training for a while."
Gebel turned his head.
He had been the one to decide it, but he could not understand why the Abbot had specifically said that.
"Why?"
"Mr. Gebel, we know that Isaac possesses great talent and may be a Sacred Body. But Isaac is fourteen years old. It is a time when character education is needed more than learning how to become strong."
Gebel closed his mouth. He realized what he had been overlooking.
"Yes. When I speak with Isaac, I sometimes get the illusion that I am talking to an adult. Of course, I know he is good enough to willingly jump in when children are in danger, but being precocious beyond one's age is not necessarily only an advantage, is it?"
"That is true. But..."
"There is no need to rush, Gebel. If he learns that quickly, shouldn't we focus on his direction?"
"That is... yes. You are right."
In fact, the Abbot had heard several stories about Isaac from the children. It was because of these stories that the Abbot was unusually worried.
He knew that the actions Isaac had shown were good and just. Therefore, it was necessary to hold firmly onto that heart.
By nature, the most painful apostasy is committed by the most devout believer.
Because they had just spoken of Calsen, Gebel couldn't help but sympathize all the more with the Abbot's words.
The Church of Light would not want to learn such a painful lesson again.
"Let me be the one to teach Isaac for the time being. What do you think?"
"You personally, Abbot?"
Gebel asked in surprise. The Abbot smiled softly.
"If Isaac wishes to become a holy knight, he will want to learn miracles as well. I do not have much experience teaching children, but I believe I have shown a faith I am not ashamed of. He will enjoy it no less than swordsmanship."