Chapter 59

Swinging my sword around like yesterday’s failure was my mirror, I stood again in the training ground today, fully prepared for the session ahead.

I believed that if I handled Paleord with a fresh body, unlike the exhausted state from the intense sparring with Asulin yesterday, it would be an advantage. But no matter how confident I was, such confidence faded as I swung Paleord in the training ground.

This thing, or rather this sword, was more stubborn than I had imagined.

“Uuung!!”

Paleord showed no intention of listening to me, just like yesterday, through its name echoing the lack of compliance as I tried to follow a certain sword path. When I tried to slash from top to bottom, it defied my will and slashed diagonally, almost severing an imaginary enemy’s body horrifically. When I attempted to slash from bottom to top, it disrupted a clean cut by interrupting the sword path midway.

It felt like Paleord was playing with me, making me feel trivial.

Even if a proud martial artist felt enraged upon realizing their sword was being toyed with, I wasn’t there yet. All I felt was a slight displeasure towards its tantrum.

There was no point in getting angry here; this prideful battle could only be won by breaking Paleord’s design or mine.

With a resolute heart, I swung Paleord without any hostility, but after an hour of this standoff, I realized it was futile.

“…Ha!”

My second confrontation ended in defeat as I surrendered Paleord, accompanied by a hollow laugh at my own inability.

Though I knew from the start that taming Paleord wouldn’t be easy, I hadn’t expected it to be this challenging.

“Uuung!!”

Even after surrendering, Paleord’s name echoed in victory, showing me how relentless it truly was.

I needed another approach.

Of course, using hostility or killing intent to suppress Paleord’s spirit was not included in these alternatives.

I didn’t want to use hostility to completely subjugate the sword, especially since I had seen my biological father handle Paleord in ways that made him treat me like a tool. That method was out of the question.

Despite knowing from my father that controlling a sword involves more than just swinging it, and that using breath control to convert vast mana into hostility and then wielding the sword was effective, I couldn’t help but feel that there had to be a better way.

Every time I swung, Paleord seemed to advise me against it, indicating that suppressing its will was not the best strategy.

Still, I hesitated to abandon the easy path just based on a hunch.

Ignoring the instinct that had saved me in the harsh world of Blood Haven felt odd.

“Huu…”

Perhaps it was all the thoughts weighing on me; even though I exhaled deeply to clear the heat from my chest, my heart remained tangled.

No matter how much I thought about it, solving this seemingly simple yet complex problem with my limited mind seemed impossible.

What should I do?

How could I subdue a sword imbued with spirit using my ability without hostility?

Spirit-infused sword… spirit-infused…

“A.”

I lightly tapped my left palm with my right fist.

There was someone close to me who had been handling a spirit-infused sword longer than I had, someone whose experience I could draw from.

“I need to go see her before bed.”

Since I had spent quite some time in a tedious standoff with Paleord, I hurried off.

If I was late, the person who could give me valuable advice might already be asleep.

“…Andi?”

Fortunately, she was still awake, though a hint of drowsiness lingered on her face.

She looked like she could fall asleep at any moment.

…

Just as she seemed ready to fall asleep,

“Poor you,” Asulin murmured lazily when I asked her about a good method to handle Paleord.

Her sleepy comment revealed her concern despite its brevity.

Even a single word could convey such deep worry.

Her concern filled me with gratitude, so much that I could barely hold back from expressing it.

“Poor you, really,” Asulin said more firmly, shaking her head.

She clarified that my struggle with Paleord wasn’t due to a lack of ability but because mastering such a sword was destined to be difficult.

“See this?”

She showed me a pattern engraved on her hand, which glowed faintly as she poured hostility into it.

The pattern shone brightly, as if calling forth the power of the Dragon Slayer Sword.

Asulin smiled faintly, watching the pattern flicker.

“Even if it doesn’t resonate with you, Kaladbolg is a spirited sword. Just calling it once without proper inheritance makes it act up so much.”

“Then you feed it hostility as payment?”

“Yes. And it’s amusing that we have to pour more hostility into it just to make it show its power.”

“Like the blue lightning streaking across the sky of the Central Region a few days ago?”

“Yes. But we had to use a strong move because that bald-headed fellow was too persistent.”

“You suffered more than I did. It’s like the sword is treating us like masters.”

“Indeed, it can feel that way. But Father said he experienced something different when he faced it alone.”

“Hmm?”

“Father said Kaladbolg didn’t show itself even when he poured all his hostility into the pattern until it was depleted.”

“That sounds strange.”

“When the formal inheritance was completed, he found out the sword was weak at the time.”

“What did you mean when you said Kaladbolg speaks directly to you?”

I asked Asulin to confirm whether I had misunderstood.

“Yes. From the moment I held the sword, it kept ringing in my head so loudly that I thought I was going mad from pouring so much hostility.”

Unfortunately, Asulin confirmed my understanding with certainty.

“Paleord doesn’t speak to you? I heard Arscalon has a strong self-awareness and often disrupts Majesty’s thoughts.”

“…Andi?”

“…Yes.”

“…I think the first step was wrong, and now I know what it is.”

Asulin smiled, satisfied with having figured out one of the reasons for my struggle with Paleord.

Even though I had already realized it during our conversation, thanking Asulin was only polite.

“…It’s not a matter of etiquette between spouses. If you were struggling, I’d help without hesitation.”

Asulin interrupted, stating her opinion calmly.

The sight of her cheeks puffing up in frustration was unexpectedly endearing.

“…Right?”

Her modesty, even after doing a great favor, felt loving beyond measure.

“Of course.”

It took a while to give a firm response, confirming the obvious.

Although it was disappointing to realize such a simple solution after wasting two days, I appreciated the experience gained through hardship.

“Even if it feels strange, if you feel the sword is stubborn, sometimes letting it go once can be a solution.”

Hearing advice from someone who had gone through it differently made me appreciate the insight.

“Thank you.”

Asulin’s expression brightened instantly.

Since I had already cleaned up and changed clothes, lying down in bed meant I could end the day.

“…Asulin?”

“…So, it seems like all the pieces are in place, and we just have to finish the job.”

“…Won’t you?”

Asulin opened her arms wide with her eyes closed, requesting silently.

It was clear what she wanted, and resisting it felt risky.

“…But…”

Even though I knew falling asleep with Asulin close would be dangerous, I couldn’t resist.

“Even if it sounds strange… lately, I’ve been having trouble sleeping without you near.”

Seeing Asulin’s restless state, I resolved to endure it.

“…Is this okay?”

Cautiously, I lay down next to her, wrapping my arms around her waist.

Looking into her eyes, I felt a warmth I hadn’t expected.

“…Yes.”

Her contentment reassured me.

I felt satisfaction welling up inside.

“Even if I couldn’t sleep for three nights on a battlefield, I can surely manage one night on a bed.”

I decided to consider today a lost cause.

Surprisingly, the sound of Asulin’s breathing in my arms soon lulled me to sleep.