Sword Whisperer: Chapter 12
Chapter 12. The Genius Who Wandered In (2)
Of course, it wasn’t an ordinary week.
Van was never free from body aches even for one day. Besides the body ache, it wasn’t an easy task to have tried to absorb what amounted to several months, or even several years worth of memory in one week’s time.
However, Van did not whine about it, at all. Be in pain from training swordsmanship. That was a shame which he could not have ever fathomed.
It was one hundred folds better than the head ache which resulted from trying to memorize the name of the herbs. Also, as the swordsmanship was none other than one of Cho Family’s, there was no comparison.
Van also slept with his sword in his arms. As a result, the chances of learning Number Five’s sword, which came into his possession after hard work, were still OK. The piercing skill of Number Five was certainly attractive, but, the swordsmanship of the Cho Family was much more attractive than that.
-Every descendant of the Cho Family was born with powers which could not be imagined by ordinary folks.
It was said by Kintnell. A baby newly born into Cho Family was able to kill a serpent by squeezing its throat, and was able to crush a wolf with bare hands before his voice changed.
Hence, their swordsmanship was evolved in a way to manage that innate power.
Like Jansen’s down swing, their technique minimized the air friction against the edges of their swords. There were some varying reasons. The purpose of Jansen’s down swing was to perfectly deliver all the powers originating from the weight, ricochet, and gravity.
And the reason behind the fact that the Cho Family’s sword path drew perfectly straight line was to ensure that their powers do not destroy the swords.
In some sense, it could be viewed as identical to Jansen’s down swing, but from many directions, in varying stances. It wasn’t just unfamiliar swordsmanship, either. As far as the down swing was concerned, it could at least be seen that he was already following the ways of Cho Family’s swordsmanship.
Of course, not knowing Van’s ability to hear the voices of the swords, Kintnell could only see Van as a genius.
“Van.”
“….Ah, lord Kintnell.”
“No need to say lord. That’s only a Midwestern culture. There is no need to follow that culture in our eastern region. Just Mr. Kintnell will suffice.”
“Yes, Mr. Kintnell.”
“It looks like you have gone past the basic stage. Do you agree?”
“….Yes. I feel like I know what the Cho Family’s swordsmanship feels like, at least.”
Kintnell clicked his tongue when he heard what Van said. He has never seen anyone who was able to master sword skills like Van has. No matter whether a person had the basic skills or not, it would never be so easy to learn a sword skill.
“By the way, Mr. Kintnell. I have a question.”
“What is it?”
“The power of the Cho family…. Where does it come from, anyway?”
“Blood.”
Kintnell said with certainty. Van put on a little frustrating look.
“Then what is the point of me learning Cho Family’s swordsmanship? If I don’t have that power, won’t everything be for nothing?”
“….True. I supposed you can think that.”
Kintnell looked around him. Many people were sweating as they were practicing. Turning to Van subtly, he asked.
“Do you want to take a short walk?”
They went up the small mountain behind the Cho Family’s manor. Kintnell spoke softly as they walked on a half paved road.
“I thought likewise at the beginning, too. Would it matter for me to learn their swordsmanship, given that the circumstances were different, that was.”
“….Is there a way?”
“You’ve heard about the internal energy (chi). Do you know about it?”
“Yes. ….But, I don’t know exactly what that is.”
“Understood. It is something that evades you, the more you try to know it.”
Kintnell drew his sword. Even at a glance, a spirit seemed to rise out of it. Kintnell turned to Van, as he pointed his sword at the setting sun.
“Van. Do you believe that it is possible to slice the setting sun with your sword?”
“….I’d like to think that it is possible.”
“I believe it is possible.”
Kintnell swung his sword. It was a beautiful downswing. It could be even compared to Jansen’s downswing. He swung it up, swung it diagonally, and pierced. The fact that he has put in much effort in mastering his swordsmanship was visible in the perfect lines which were drawn by the paths of his sword.
“I sliced the air for countless hours. Just like the many swordsmen would do. Sometimes, I sliced hay stack, sometimes, I cut off animals. Many times, I cut off men’s heads, even. As you swing your swords like that….at some point, you will see the border line. The one you can slice and the ones that you can’t slice.”
“….Does the internal energy give the power to see that?”
“It is the power that makes impossible, possible.”
Kintnell stopped swinging his sword. The setting sun was, of course, intact perfectly.
“I had decided when I was young. That someday, I’ll try to slice that setting sun. However…..It’s still far off from my reach.”
And it was right at that moment. Turning his body, Kintnell immediately moved to slice the boulder which was next to Van.
There wasn’t any sound. It was as if tofu has been sliced, Kintnell’s sword gracefully passed through the boulder. Only the dark marks on the boulder showed that he has, indeed, sliced it.
“However, slicing a boulder has become this easy.”
“….This…, is internal energy.”
Shuddering, Van gulped. If he had been an ordinary person, he would have just endlessly felt amazed.
However, Van was different. He clearly saw how clean the lines were drawn by Kintnell’s sword, and whether the speed decreased as his sword went through the boulder.
Kintnell spoke.
“Slice and slice again. Swing and swing again. Then at some point, you will come to know what internal energy is, even without anyone telling you about it.”
Only then Van understood what Kintnell was saying. That internal energy is not something which could be learned, but mastered.
In that evening, Van could not fall asleep easily.
When he finally fell asleep and dreamed, he saw Number Five.
§
‘…..Was this the feeling.’
As soon as he woke up from his dream, he drew Number Five’s long sword and pierced many times. He truly thought that he knew what that internal energy was about in his dream, but in real life, he could not feel it.
“What’s that. That does not look like Cho swordsmanship?”
“….Cho swordsmanship?”
“Cho Family’s swordsmanship. The name is too long, right.”
“Ah, yes. That’s true.”
Van nodded upon hearing Goad’s words. Goad clicked his tongue in sympathy as he looked at Van.
“You’re very strange. You enjoy living with the sword so much and work so hard. In the end, you’ll just end up being one eyed, like me.”
“The eye patch looks great on you?”
“Why. You want to lose an eye, too?”
“Well, not really…..”
Goad laughed. He smiled as he grabbed Van’s shoulder.
“Still, do work hard since you have decided to do get there. The world’s greatest swordsman.”
“…..You’re not teasing me, are you?”
“We’re about to say good bye. I wouldn’t make fun of you to the end?”
Van lowered his sword when he heard that. Goad shrugged.
“That’s right. We’re all supposed to leave today.”
“…..Ah. I see.”
“We’re not the kind of people who look far out in the future. Fish has fish’s world of happiness, and birds have birds’ world of happiness. You fly far and far. To the place that we won’t be able to see.”
Van nodded his head and turned to look at Dolby and Aidan. Dolby nodded without saying anything, and Aidan spoke quietly.
“Do stop by the village when you do get some time. Jansen, too, will want to see you, too.”
“Are you planning to be the captain of the guards of the village…..?”
“It’s a small village. I should protect it.”
“…..By the way, what wish did you wish for at that time?”
Aidan smiled instead of responding to that. He stroked Van’s head, and whispered quietly.
“I trust you. Trust you.”
And after that, there wasn’t much of a conversation. Saying farewell couldn’t always be grandiose, and however small their wishes were, they went on their ways.
It was in that evening when Yooryung came to visit.
“Van. How have you been?”
“Ah, Yooryung.”
“Did you know that you’re very famous among our family? You’ve completed the basic sword skills within one week?”
“Ah, yes, was lucky.”
“There was a reason why you’re talking about being the world’s most powerful one. Hm….So. I have something to discuss with you.”
Yooryung spoke.
“I’m leaving for the academy in 15 days.”
“….in 15 days?”
“I was planning to go to the academy with you at that time….but, since you’ve asked to learn Cho Family’s teaching, it’s not possible to leave right away. So, I wanted to ask you what you wanted to do. Do you want to go with me? Or… come join me, one year later?”
Van groaned for a bit. If he was to go with Yooryung, he could reap a lot of benefits, just by being next to him. And he also wanted to see what that academy, with its never ending rumors, was like.
However, he could not leave like this.
“I’ll remain here.”
“…Sure. Somehow, I thought that you’d do that. Then am I OK to think that you’ll join me a year later as my under classmate?”
“I promise. To see you again, one year later, at the academy.”
“By that, I assume that the admission test would not be a challenge, at all?”
Van smiled without saying anything. His smiling was sufficient as a reply. Satisfied, Yooryung departed.
‘…..One more reason to become stronger.’
Since that day, Van invested half of his day on training. Even his sleeping time has become part of the training routine. Sometimes, he slept with Number Five’s sword in his arms, and sometimes he held on to Lucas’ sword. And sometimes, he even slept with Cho Family’s sword.
No day was an easy day. The muscle aches put him to sick bed, and calluses formed on every part of his palm, with which he held his sword.
Despite that, he has never distanced himself from his sword. Not even for one day.
The boy, who dreamed of becoming a swordsman, was getting closer to becoming one, by each day. He sliced the flying bees and butterflies, the falling leaves, the hay stacks and the trees.
And it was when 1 year has passed in that way.
“….Did I do it.”
Van dried off his sweat as he placed his sword back into its housing.
He was now able to slice a boulder.