Chapter 72. Clue (1)

Johann composed his voice.

"So, why did you ask about the technique?"

"Ah...!"

Johann's question snapped Yuri out of her thoughts, and she replied.

"That technique, the flow manipulation, seemed to ascend against the mana current."

"Hmm, did it?"

"Didn't you know?"

"Of course I do."

At his answer, Yuri's eyes sparkled slightly.

"What is it?"

"What do you think it is?"

"......?"

"Hehe, I'll give you two assignments."

"What kind of assignments all of a sudden?"

"Just listen."

"...Alright."

"First, complete a mana sword within the next year."

"Mana sword? What's that?"

"Strong sword, refined sword, fire sword, and mana sword. They are commonly referred to as strong, refined, fire, and mana, and are the techniques that divide the recognized ranks from 1st to 4th."

Although Johann described it as a minor technique, it wasn't something to be called minor.

Unless it was a renowned family's flow manipulation technique, there weren't many ways to emit mana externally through ordinary flow manipulation techniques.

This method was one of the few widely known.

Moreover, it was also an indicator to distinguish the ranks of recognized practitioners.

In other words, Johann was telling Yuri, who hadn't even reached the 1st recognized rank, to reach the 4th recognized rank within a year.

If someone else had heard this, they would have thought it was absurd.

But after hearing all the explanations, Yuri nodded indifferently.

"Got it, I'll do it."

Johann smiled inwardly.

'This should be a good intermediate goal.'

Until now, Yuri had been blindly pursuing the grand goal of completing the mana current.

It was a goal that might never be achieved.

However, if she only focused on the distant goal, she was bound to miss something along the way.

So Johann planned to give her small goals like this from time to time.

Not too short, not too long.

Specific goals that she could achieve.

This would undoubtedly help Yuri's growth.

And the goals Johann would give her didn't end there.

In fact, what he was about to give her was the real assignment.

"Second assignment, try to complete the mana current-grasping technique."

"Mana current-grasping?"

Yuri tilted her head in confusion.

Until now, Yuri had done two things with the mana current she had learned.

First, read the flow.

Second, release the flow she had read.

But the sudden mention of grasping was naturally confusing.

Johann added an explanation.

"Hmm... let's see, if reading the flow is the first form and releasing it is the second form, then grasping would be the third form."

"So, how do you grasp the flow?"

Until now, Yuri had controlled the flow using the mana road Johann had created.

But in fact, it was quite ambiguous to call it control.

What Yuri did was to extract a few small strands from a massive flow and direct them.

If we were to use a metaphor, it would be like digging a few small channels in a huge river with a pickaxe.

That was the essence of the technique called 'releasing.'

Although it might seem insignificant, the small streams she created were enough to deflect a sword's attack.

Furthermore, a sword master's momentum could also be deflected through this.

However, Yuri couldn't claim to have mastered it perfectly.

She had just started to get a feel for releasing, and now she was suddenly asked to grasp?

It was natural for her to be confused.

And in response to Yuri's question about how to grasp the flow, Johann smiled and answered.

"Who knows? I don't really know myself."

"...What kind of bullshit is this?"

Yuri's face crumpled.

The more she reacted, the deeper Johann's smile became.

"I don't know how to explain grasping. I discovered it quite intuitively."

"But isn't the mana current itself a technique that relies heavily on intuition? Releasing was like that too."

"At least those two had a systematic theory behind them, but the mana current-grasping doesn't even have that."

"Then...?"

"The mana current-grasping is a technique that has only a theoretical framework and hasn't been fully realized yet."

Yuri's mouth opened slightly.

With wide eyes, she grumbled.

"Are you telling me to learn this now?"

"Of course not."

"But you still have some conscience... right?"

"Not just learning, but also completing it."

"...Where did your conscience go, really?"

"Hehe, wasn't that our contract? I save you, and you help me complete my techniques."

"I said I'd help, not do everything myself."

"Hey! I've already completed half of the mana current-grasping, so you're not doing everything!"

"Y-Yes, I understand."

Yuri, who seemed to find this absurd, asked.

"Then, what's next after the mana current-grasping? Is there nothing after that?"

"Next...?"

A hint of bitterness appeared at the corners of Johann's mouth.

"It's still in the conceptual stage."

"...The road ahead is long."

The mana current Johann had created over many years was still a technique lacking in detail.

The reason was the lack of time.

It took a few years to discover a way to defeat a sword master.

It took a few more years to gather materials and build a theory for it.

And it took a few more years to improve it into a new form of mana road that didn't deviate from the Redner family's mana manipulation method.

He poured 15 years into it.

The fact that one individual completed in 15 years what a family would take decades or even centuries to achieve was enough to prove Johann's genius.

But even geniuses have their limits.

That's why Johann needed Yuri.

A user to test and apply the theories he had created in real combat.

A genius to point out the flaws.

Johann poked Yuri's puffed cheeks with his index finger, as if demonstrating a spear technique.

"Among the Winchester family's spear techniques, the technique you experienced, 'releasing,' is a technique that applies the 'releasing' method."

The general 'releasing' technique that deflects the force, and the mana current 'releasing' that manipulates the flow of mana itself.

In a way, the mana current 'releasing' included the general 'releasing' technique.

Yuri looked puzzled.

"...That was 'releasing'?"

Johann smiled slightly, understanding why she looked that way.

"Why, does it seem strange that 'releasing' was part of the technique?"

"A little. The feeling was different from the 'releasing' I know."

"If you can figure out the difference, you'll understand how the technique ascended against the mana current."

"But, what does that have to do with the inspiration for the assignment? Why are you beating around the bush? It's confusing."

"Tsk tsk, you foolish boy. What do you think the mana current-grasping is supposed to grasp?"

"Obviously, the flow of mana."

"Then, among general techniques, which one interferes with the flow of force?"

"Obviously, 'releasing'... Ah!"

"Got it now?"

Yuri nodded.

"So, you're telling me to practice the mana current-grasping using the Winchester's 'releasing' technique?"

"Exactly! Completing the mana current-grasping might be difficult, but interfering with the flow of force, which is one step lower... it should be possible to some extent with effort."

"Indeed..."

It sounded quite plausible.

No, it was a very possible suggestion.

If she accumulated enough experience, she would eventually find a clue to the mana current-grasping.

Johann added.

"The Winchester family's 'releasing' is a quite unique technique. And it's very suitable for practicing the mana current-grasping."

"Unique... in what way?"

"You'll know when you experience it. But as a hint... it's quite bouncy."

Yuri nodded.

'I guess I need to increase the number of sparring sessions.'

To encounter the 'releasing' technique more often, there was no other way.

'But the problem is how to increase the number of sparring sessions without showing my eagerness.'

If she showed any eagerness, Theresa might cancel the 10,000 points she gave for each sparring session.

Theresa seemed to be quite perceptive.

If she caught on, Yuri would definitely suffer a loss.

So she needed a way to gently persuade her.

'Hmm... there's no better method than pure goodwill, right?'

While Yuri was pondering this,

"Ahem, I'm leaving now. Make sure to finish your assignments by the next time I see you."

Johann slowly got up from the bed.

Just as he was about to leave the cave,

"Ah, right! Grandpa!"

Yuri urgently called out to Johann.

Then she took out the pendant hanging around her neck and showed it to him.

"Grandpa, do you know what this is?"

Johann approached Yuri, took the pendant, and examined it.

A precious-looking crystal necklace containing a dark green liquid.

As soon as he saw it, he blurted out,

"Where did you steal it from?"

Yuri's forehead veins popped.

"Steal?!"

"Then where did you get this precious thing?"

"I bought it with points!"

"Ho? Really?"

Then Johann scrutinized Yuri's pendant from all angles.

'This doesn't seem like an ordinary item.'

The level of craftsmanship, the sturdiness and solidity of the crystal, were not something easily seen.

Whoever made it was at least a master in this field.

The dark green liquid inside such a pendant was certainly not ordinary.

'Green... green.'

Johann recalled the precious green potions.

Then Yuri's voice interrupted.

"This item is called the Goblin's Legacy."

"...?!"

Johann was shocked and stiffened.

He blinked at Yuri.

"...What kind of legacy?"

"The Goblin's Legacy. Goblins are known for many things, but roughly speaking, it's either poison or medicine..."

"Idiotic nonsense!"

Johann interrupted Yuri and shouted.

He spoke with fiery eyes.

"Do you know why the Goblin's Legacy poison is famous? Because it's colorless, odorless, and tasteless! The darker the color of a goblin's poison, the lower its quality!"

"Oh, so if it's called a legacy, it must be a medicine? Unless it was a lie from the nursery?"

"Yes, and it's not just any medicine! The only medicine that could be called a legacy by goblins... is..."

"Is...?"

"Elixir!"

"Oh! Elixir!"

"Yes, this is the famous elixir..."

"What is it?"

"..."

"What is an elixir?"

"This ignorant... Ah!"

Johann, who was about to scold Yuri, changed his expression and smiled.

But despite the change, his Adam's apple kept bobbing, unable to hide his excitement.

"It's nothing much. An elixir is just a somewhat unique medicine."

"..."

"So, do you want to sell it to me?"

Yuri's expression became very, very serious as she looked at Johann.

'I don't know what an elixir is, but one thing is clear.'

Seeing Johann unable to hide his greed, she knew it must be something incredibly valuable.

"Hey, take your dirty hands off my elixir!"

Yuri quickly snatched the elixir from Johann's hand and tucked it into her clothes.

"Tsk..."

Johann smacked his lips as the elixir slipped from his grasp.

Yuri, covering her chest with both hands, stepped back and asked.

"So, what is an elixir?"

"...You don't even know what you're holding, and you're asking me about this precious thing... Tsk tsk tsk."

"Ah! So what is it?"

Under Yuri's urging, Johann sighed and began to speak, as if granting a favor.

"Sigh, you ignorant one. Listen carefully, an elixir is..."

* * *

The explanation about the elixir continued for a long time.

And finally, Yuri understood what an elixir was.

Trembling, he carefully took out the pendant.

Was the dark green liquid inside the crystal just an illusion?

No, it wasn't an illusion.

At this moment, the pendant in his hand was the most beautiful and luminous thing in the world.

Yuri, staring blankly at the pendant, muttered.

"...Damn, so this is the one-shot deal in life."

Yuri's eyes welled up with overwhelming emotion at the great windfall.