Chapter 60

Reincarnated as a Sword Emperor in the Sword Saint Family (60)

It was exactly ten minutes later.

"…Forget it. I was just being too emotional."

"I understand."

Esther, who had clung to a 15-year-old and cried her heart out, turned her gaze away with an awkward expression. However, the distance that had existed before was no longer visible in her demeanor.

Thanks to Leonard, she had achieved the 5th Tier and even forced him to teach her mental strength, a near-coercive method.

It was too late to regain her dignity as an adult.

"[Fireball]."

So Esther, without saying anything more, escaped by continuing Leonard's magic lessons.

"This is a fire magic spell that can be used from the 3rd Tier. It's also one of the most well-known offensive spells."

Leonard was also familiar with [Fireball].

After defeating the Shadow Knight on the Galápagos Islands, a few of the magic scrolls he obtained from the knight's possession included [Fireball].

The fireball travels at a considerable speed and, upon impact or blocking, immediately explodes, spreading shockwaves and flames. It seemed to be a useful spell for both human and monster combat.

"Different from [Magic Missile], it's quite useful even in this form."

Esther's eyes intensely focused on the [Fireball].

The complexity of the magic formula and her low proficiency in the Clear Mind Technique meant she lacked the mental strength to control it consciously.

However, as her mental concentration improved in minutes, the fireball slowly began to change its shape.

"If I make it flat like a disc… it will be much faster, right?"

Esther was deeply engrossed in the process of refining the completed spell.

"Go!"

At her command, the disc-shaped [Fireball] shot out at an angle.

Its speed was indeed several times faster than the spherical form.

The fiery disc, which burned through the air with a whoosh, floated above the target and exploded in mid-air. The difference in the trajectory calculation between the spherical and disc forms was the reason.

Unlike [Magic Missile], which could only be shot in a straight line.

"The speed has improved, but the trajectory calculation seems a bit off? More research is needed."

Esther laughed, undeterred by the failure.

Compared to years of stagnation, a single trial and error, especially one that was guaranteed to improve, was a happy thing.

Like a child playing with a new toy, she repeatedly demonstrated magic, ostensibly to show Leonard, without a moment's rest until her mana was depleted. From auxiliary spells to offensive and defensive spells, she didn't stop.

"[Shield]! This is a basic defensive spell. The more circles you have, the more advanced the spell formula becomes, allowing you to create a stronger barrier. At the 5th Tier, it should withstand a few Sword Auras. However, because of its wide surface area, it becomes vulnerable to concentrated attacks."

"[Lightning Bolt]! This is a 3rd Tier lightning spell. Although its power is lower than [Fireball], it's well-used due to its speed and accuracy. It's not powerful enough to penetrate the Aura Armor of knights who have broken through the External Force Realm, though."

"[Haste]! [Strength]! These auxiliary spells…, do you know them? If so, how about [Sharpness] or [Striking]?"

Esther's excited teaching, fueled by the joy of breaking through the Tier, satisfied Leonard, who was thirsty for knowledge.

Over several hours, he learned the strengths and weaknesses of dozens, if not over a hundred, spells.

Leonard could now discern the precursors of frequently used spells below the 4th Tier and gain knowledge about spells of the 5th Tier and above.

'Short-range teleportation, [Blink], starts at the 5th Tier. At this level, even a warrior in the External Force Realm would find it difficult to compete with a mage.'

Knights who couldn't surpass the 7th level of the External Force Realm in mana cultivation had a limited attack range, which was the reach of their sword qi.

Unlike Leonard's Five Elements Sword Qi, which could be manifested outside the body and used for long-range attacks, most knights used a primitive method of releasing sword qi by swinging their swords.

'In this world, controlling qi outside the body is difficult, so it's understandable.'

In the martial arts world, even peak experts had various long-range attack methods like palm winds, fist winds, and palm waves.

Masters of sound techniques had long-range attacks as their basic attacks, and swordsmen could transform their sword qi into thin threads or project their own constructed forms.

This was a harmony created by the efficient use of qi in martial arts and the relatively weaker physical abilities compared to this world.

'Humans have overcome what they couldn't achieve with their bodies through wisdom rather than physical strength.'

The abundant qi and powerful physical abilities in this world had stifled the development of such techniques.

Imagine trying to pour water from a bucket into a cup without spilling or leaving it empty. With skill, it could be done in one try, but with clumsiness, it might take several attempts.

But if you had to pour water from a bathtub into a cup?

Wouldn't you give up after failing dozens or hundreds of times, wondering why you had to do this at all?

'Techniques that rely more on the ability to control qi than the amount of inner strength are almost impossible for anyone other than me to use.'

The Backhand Strike, which targets the opponent's back of the head while drawing a circle.

The Silent Soul Palm, which emits without sound or trace from the palm.

The Decapitating Ghost Sword, which controls a thread of sword qi to sever the neck.

Leonard, with his vast experience from his previous life, had experienced and mastered these techniques. He could have been a death god to the mages here.

'Dark Force is a technique that you just have to endure if you don't know about it.'

Just the martial arts techniques that came to mind numbered dozens, and he was confident he could reproduce or imitate them. Unlike mana cultivation, which could block dark techniques with defensive mana, mages found it difficult to maintain defensive spells constantly.

"Ha! Hah! Ha! Ha!"

Leonard looked down at Esther, who was sprawled on the ground, catching her breath.

The joy of becoming a 5th Tier mage had caused her to miscalculate her mana. Without the useful method of qi cultivation and to avoid burdening the newly formed circles with spirit stones, she was relying on natural recovery.

Despite exhaling like a messenger who had run for dozens of miles, her expression was bright and clear.

"Phew, I'm finally feeling better."

Esther, who had risen after a few minutes, turned to look at him.

"Leonard."

It was the first time.

Esther called his name and met his eyes. Her green eyes shone like emeralds.

"Thank you for teaching me. I was supposed to teach you, but I ended up learning from you."

What Esther taught Leonard was just a tedious explanation that anyone could give, but what Leonard taught her was something no one could call trivial.

The exchange was not equal.

Once his mana depletion calmed his mind, Esther realized her own shamelessness and made a decision.

"I'll repay this favor with interest. I, Esther, swear this by my mana as a mage."

"It's just a story of mutual learning. There's no need to—"

"Stop it!"

Feeling annoyed at Leonard's usual calm face, Esther stepped closer and thrust her nose at him.

"If you brush this off, I'll call you a punk! I've already suffered for years with guilt, and if I add this debt, I can't even imagine how many decades I'll wander!"

Thinking of the mental barrier, the Heart Demon, that could block the next realm, he finally understood. If she was determined to repay the favor thoroughly, it would be rude to refuse.

Leonard nodded once, and Esther, looking confident, approached the crystal ball in her workshop.

"Just wait a bit! I don't know if he's free, but he usually answers when I contact him!"

Before he could respond, Esther placed her hand on the crystal ball and channeled her mana.

The opaque and dim crystal ball emitted a bright light.

Then,

{What is it?}

A gruff voice leaked from the crystal ball.

"Master, can you spare some time?"

{I told you not to contact me for trivial matters. I'm busy. I don't have time to listen to your chatter.}

"I just reached the 5th Tier. Just now."

{———.}

The voice from the crystal ball paused for a moment, then resumed after a few seconds.

{Come up. I'll leave the entrance open.}

"Yes! I'm bringing a guest!"

{What? Who said—}

Before the other party could finish, the communication was cut off, and the crystal ball turned opaque.

Esther turned to him with a bright smile.

"Hurry! We need to go before Master says anything else!"

"But who is Esther's master…?"

"Oh, I never told you?"

Realizing this from Leonard's reaction, Esther concluded that it would be more interesting to go without knowing.

"You'll find out when we get there. Let's go!"

Esther, who had put on her robe again, led the way, and Leonard, who didn't understand the situation, followed.

They opened the door with a magic circle and boarded the moving disc. Without entering a destination, the disc shot up to the top of the tower.

This was the area where only the tower's master and elders resided, the living quarters of mages who had reached at least the 6th Tier.

Squeak.

The disc, which had been ascending at high speed, came to an abrupt stop, causing Esther to stagger forward and scream.

Leonard, who remained unmoved, caught her.

"Damn human! He's just showing off because he cut the communication!"

"That's your fault, Esther."

"Leonard, even you?!"

Ignoring her pouting, Leonard faced a door that looked similar to Esther's. Even before it opened, the presence inside made him tense.

It was the same feeling he had when he saw the fifth shadow or Fabian.

There was a Transcendent-level powerhouse inside.

{Come in.}

The door opened with a low voice.

The mana that overflowed from inside was so dense that it felt like the scent of overripe, almost rotten fruit to Leonard.

He walked into the room, a step behind Esther.

'This is even wider than the Zephyrus Hall.'

Esther's room was already quite spacious, but compared to this one, it was small and cozy.

What kind of high-ranking mage resided here?

Leonard soon found out.

After passing through a corridor that seemed to be over a hundred meters long, lined with dozens of tightly closed doors.

'…Is it that man?'

Dozens of books were spread out on the desk, and hundreds of papers floated in the air.

All of them were filled with high-level magic formulas.

If someone who could understand them saw this, they might have plucked out their eyes or stared without blinking. To Leonard, it was all incomprehensible.

Most of all, the middle-aged man with long hair, whose eyes shone beyond the books and papers, drew his attention.

"Interesting. Not only did my troublesome disciple reach the 5th Tier, but she also brought a guest without permission."

The man, wearing glasses with thin frames and transparent lenses, stood up from his seat.

Brown hair and a brown suit.

The mage, who looked like an elegantly aged noble, looked at the two of them and then turned his gaze to Leonard, not Esther.

"I am Jack Russell, the Chief Elder of the Atlantis Magic Tower. I'm curious about your relationship with that fool."

"My name is Leonard."

Meeting his "So what?" gaze, Leonard replied.

"I'm a new member of the 'Aquamarine' adventuring party and the benefactor who helped Esther reach the 5th Tier."

Jack Russell's expressionless eyes became interested.