Chapter 41

The campaign against the evil god Kazaha is seen by many scholars as a turning point in history.

The revival of the country of Shweet, which was destroyed by Kazaha, is a prime example, but perhaps even more significant was the emergence of the Rio school of swordsmanship, which changed the world.

A skilled practitioner of the Rio school can neutralize magic, close the distance at high speed, and fell even a heavily armored knight with a single strike.

Although only a few can master it, the appearance of lightly armed infantry capable of nullifying magic transformed the battlefield.

Rasmoa, the viscount of Rosiz, where the Rio school originated, took a leading role in diplomacy and trade with the Shweet provisional government as a participant in the great achievement.

Rasmoa, which quickly established a trading system with the Shweet provisional government immediately after its reconstruction, virtually monopolized trade and began to politically exclude the influential figures of Reinin Dia who were still simmering within the country.

At the same time, Rasmoa built the first Rio school dojo and worked hard to spread it, producing many excellent Rio school swordsmen and knights.

Rasmoa, who left a great legacy in politics, economics, and military affairs, is remembered as the greatest lord of the transitional period.

Another representative swordsman is Karil, the one-armed swordsman who led the Rio school dojo built by Rasmoa.

Karil's teaching methods, which took into account the broad knowledge of various schools and individual qualities, greatly contributed to the advancement of the Rio school, and he used his network to introduce swordsmen who were not suitable for the Rio school to dojos of other schools that matched their qualities.

It is said that the rapid growth of the Rio school without being shunned by various swordsmanship schools is due to Karil's networking efforts, which established his reputation as a founder of the Rio school.

The saint Galdrat, known as the strongest swordsman of the time, also contributed to the spread of the Rio school.

Saint Galdrat, who was based at the Rhehlan Adventurer's Guild training ground, taught the Shiroz school and the Rio school to new adventurers and sometimes introduced them to Karil's dojo.

There are many mysteries surrounding the large cat Churas, who was at the training ground.

It is said that Churas could understand human language, made Saint Galdrat kneel, and gave advice to troubled adventurers. The mysterious information about Churas, who eventually disappeared from the dojo, was rife.

"Churas seems to have grown nostalgic for travel."

Saint Galdrat said this while always preparing a meal for Churas in case he returned.

Around the same time, urban legends began to circulate that when people were attacked by bandits or evil beasts in various towns and forests, they heard the sound of a cat's meow and a bell, and the attackers lost their will to fight, allowing the victims to return alive.

It is said that every time he heard such rumors, Saint Galdrat would report to his lord's grave.

When it comes to the representative of Shweet who contributed to the campaign against the evil god Kazaha, it is the saint Iona of the divine bow.

The former territory of Shweet had become a den of evil spirits and evil beasts due to the long-term presence of the evil god Kazaha, hindering the country's reconstruction.

Iona, leading the martial faction of the Horn德拉Familia, stood at the forefront of the extermination efforts and contributed to the establishment of the Shweet provisional government.

Due to exposure to the evil aura dispersed by the extermination of evil spirits, the extermination team had a very high risk of becoming evil people.

However, Iona, who fought day and night, gathered the veneration of the people of Shweet and became a saint.

Compared to these famous figures, the first heroes of the campaign against the evil god Kazaha, Rio and Shiraha, are shrouded in mystery.

Born in a remote village in the remote Rosiz viscountcy, Rio established the Rio school of swordsmanship, cut the collar of the contemporary strongest swordsman Galdrat, and felled the evil god Kazaha.

Shiraha, a girl magician of unknown origin, received the favor of the divine spirit Sufan, possessed rare magical talent, and used Rio school swordsmanship.

After the campaign against the evil god Kazaha, their whereabouts are unknown, but no one thinks they are dead. They are the unsung heroes who changed the world.

The Rio school became a hope for those unsuited to existing swordsmanship, and it increased the survival rate of adventurers and knights, especially becoming a mark of excellence for scouts.

Many Rio school swordsmen wished to be directly taught by the founder Rio and his adoptive sister Shiraha, but few had the chance to meet them.

The founder Rio is said to have been able to cut even evil aura.

Coincidentally, the fact that no evil people emerged from the large number of adventurers who flooded into the former territory of Shweet to exterminate evil beasts and evil spirits—

※

Migratory birds fly by.

Ignoring the village disciples who are running long distances to build their stamina, a single boy is swinging a wooden sword.

There is no form, no technique. It is no different from a child swinging a stick wildly.

Still, the boy thinks.

How can he swing a sword that suits him?

How can he, who is so talentless that he was rejected by the dojo, swing a sword accurately?

"---I see."

Suddenly, a voice is heard.

Surprised by the lack of presence, the boy turns around.

"...Who are you?"

A young man he had never seen before was sitting on a wooden fence, staring intently at the boy. No, he was observing him.

It was clear that he was not from the village. However, the boy did not feel any suspicion towards the young man, who exuded a sharp, yet playful air.

For some reason, the boy felt a sense of kinship with the young man, as if they were of the same kind.

"You lack strength, and your physical enhancement has a low limit. Moreover, you have trouble releasing magic, right? That means you can't learn the Rio school, either."

The young man accurately points out the problems the boy is facing.

The boy pulls his chin and swallows his frustration.

He understands that this young man is not mocking him.

The young man grins.

"Just to be sure, do you have any intention of giving up the sword?"

"No."

The boy clearly and confidently answers without hesitation.

The young man laughs pleasantly and stands up from the wooden fence.

"Then let's think about it together. If you have trouble releasing magic, it means you can retain it inside. In other words, it's easier to cut off your presence. You didn't notice my presence until I spoke, right? Being able to do that naturally is an advantage."

The young man's words, spoken as if they were nothing, made the boy feel as if a path had suddenly opened before him when he heard that his weakness could be turned into an advantage.

"Since you can cut off your presence, you want a stance that doesn't reveal your intentions—oh, damn."

The young man, who had started to talk about stances in a playful manner, suddenly turned around.

The boy, following his gaze, saw a beautiful girl with gray hair walking from a distance, looking at the young man with a face that clearly said, "There you go again."

"Did you finish shopping already?"

The young man shrugged and patted the boy's shoulder.

"Since you've already given up on existing swordsmanship, why don't you try creating your own style?"

The sound of "your own style" made the boy nod involuntarily, and the young man smiled happily.

"It's settled then. Let's start—"

With this, the work concludes.

Thank you for reading to the end.

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