NOVEL NEXT Chapter 103 - Weighted Sphere Exercise
“Though humble, please rest comfortably.”
“We appreciate your consideration, Bishop.”
“Hahaha, no need for thanks. Providing a place of rest for brethren is simply the duty of the clergy.”
Fortunately, François de Lefebvre, the Bishop overseeing Bordeaux, was an exceptionally devout and friendly man. He thoughtfully provided accommodations and meals for the group without prying unnecessarily into their affairs.
This was the typical relationship between ordinary clergy and knights belonging to the Paladin Order. Priests devoted themselves to ministering to the populace while monk knights and nun knights eliminated external threats to humanity. Not interfering excessively in each other’s duties was an unspoken rule to maintain professionalism.
‘However, regarding matters involving his city, he too should be informed.’
This was not a simple, easily resolved issue, but rather an ongoing situation Bordeaux would have to confront. Ultimately, Bordeaux’s problems would have to be handled by its own people. As such, the parties involved had the right to know the circumstances.
Having made this judgment internally, Sophia subtly mentioned the existence of the ‘Replica of the King’s Chalice of the Sea’ and the Sapphygons’ schemes regarding it to Bishop Lefebvre.
“This is the information we gleaned from interrogating the captured Sapphygon mage.”
“I see…”
As expected of an experienced bishop, Lefebvre immediately grasped the political and diplomatic implications involved, his expression growing grave as he fell into contemplation.
“To think the Sapphygons discovered the treasure ceded by the Alb Kingdom to Bordeaux. This has become quite complicated.”
“Indeed, it seems the Church of Bordeaux is also involved in this matter.”
“Well, I do have a foot in the City Council.”
Bishop Lefebvre gave a wry smile in response.
Suddenly, Sophia posed a question to confirm something, “Hmm, so are all the City Council members aware of the King’s Chalice replica?”
“They should all be aware of its existence. Of course, its management and supervision cannot be entrusted to just anyone, so three members were pre-selected to take turns overseeing its safekeeping on a rotating basis.”
“If those three were unaware of the true nature of the item they were tasked with guarding, and each kept their safekeeping methods secret from the others, the item would remain secure except during the handover process, wouldn’t it?”
“The handover itself also takes place under the surveillance of non-custodial Council members, so even the custodians cannot easily conspire with each other.”
While nodding along to Bishop Lefebvre’s explanation, Sophia stroked her chin in contemplation. Sensing her demeanor, the bishop cautiously inquired, “Um, Lady Chagelle? Why do you ask?”
“Hm? Oh, no particular reason. I just had a passing thought. If the City Council members are aware of the King’s Chalice’s existence, and they also oversee the handover process between its custodians, then perhaps the most valuable source of information for locating the item would be the Council members themselves, wouldn’t it?”
The implications of Sophia’s words were not something the bishop could easily dismiss. He, too, had inwardly wondered – if the King’s Chalice’s whereabouts had leaked to the Sapphygons, it was most likely from a Council member.
As if reading the bishop’s suspicions, Sophia let out a casual laugh and said, “Ah, I don’t mean to imply the Council members have betrayed the city. Frankly, that would be rather unrealistic. While ordinary City Council members could potentially do so, for those elevated to the City Council, at least half of their foundations would be tied to Bordeaux, with a lineage and reputation spanning generations that cannot be easily discarded. It is unthinkable that City Council members of such standing would commit the foolish act of betraying their city on a whim.”
“Indeed, you are correct.”
The bishop nodded in agreement with Sophia’s point. Unlike City Council members that anyone could run for with sufficient public support, City Council membership entailed considerable authority over specific civic domains, thus necessitating stricter eligibility criteria.
“However, those around them may be a different story.”
“!”
The bishop swallowed hard at Sophia’s meaningful remark.
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The next day, Bishop François de Lefebvre and Marquis Pierre de Coubertin left the church to bring the matter of the Sapphygons targeting the Replica of the King’s Chalice before the Council. Hildegard accompanied them as a witness – a figure of some standing and influence within the Church to lend credibility to their testimony.
Originally, Bishop Lefebvre had wished to request testimony from Sophia, the Frankish nun knight, but for some reason, Sophia was reluctant to appear before the City Council. Instead, she provided Hildegard with a talisman sealing the Sapphygon’s soul as evidence to support her testimony.
“If anyone tries to dispute you, just stick this to their forehead. Then they’ll gain a clear understanding of what this one experienced and contemplated.”
“Uh, this doesn’t have any side effects, does it? Like possession, or something?”
“Do you think I wouldn’t have taken such precautions? It’s perfectly safe, so don’t worry.”
Though Hildegard did briefly test the talisman on her own forehead out of caution, as Sophia had assured, it did indeed contain proper spiritual safeguards.
“Well, the part about this one being tortured by Sophia is a bit concerning. But I suppose it’ll be fine to that extent.”
The issue, perhaps, was that the benchmark for ‘safe’ and ‘fine’ was that of a Paladin knight.
“A light zapping or two shouldn’t be particularly dangerous.”
“Especially since the sealing limits the experiential intensity to about 30 percent.”
The truly dangerous part was the Controlled Charming Eye performed after the torture, but Sophia had taken appropriate precautions there as well, allowing her to confidently assure the talisman’s safety.
After sending Hildegard off, Sophia focused her efforts on guiding her disciples’ training.
“Conra, continue with your meditation practice. Your spiritual capacity has steadily increased, but complacency is forbidden.”
As she imparted a new meditation method to Conra, Sophia cautioned him.
Just as continuously using the same medicine breeds resistance and diminishes its effects, the same applied to meditation techniques. While a certain level of mastery was necessary for a meditation technique to be practically effective, repeatedly practicing the same mastered technique over an extended period would naturally lead to stagnation and waning concentration.
Thus, Sophia periodically taught Conra new meditation methods to overcome such stagnation.
Beyond simple seated meditation, Sophia trained Conra’s spirit through various methods like dynamic meditation, mandala drawing, mantras, lucid dreaming, and more.
“Observing your spellcasting yesterday, your overall capabilities seem to have grown considerably. However, you cannot attribute that solely to your talent and efforts, can you?”
“I can definitely feel the effects of the geis, Master.”
The geis Conra referred to was one of the esoteric arts Sophia had carried over from her previous life. Originating among the Irish, the geis allowed one to gain powerful abilities by swearing a certain oath, but violating that oath would incur a corresponding karmic price.
What Settanta had previously described as ‘resembling the druidic arts’ referred to this geis. Recently, Sophia had become convinced of the geis’s compatibility with the druidic spell system and thus imparted it to Conra.
The two geisa Conra had sworn under Sophia’s guidance were:
One. Conra shall revere Sophia as his master and mentor, diligently studying her teachings.
One. Conra can only create subsequent geisa under the guidance of his mentor Sophia. This shall continue until Sophia lifts the condition.
The first geis covered matters Conra should uphold regardless, while the second prevented him from rashly creating dangerous geisa. As a novice experience, it minimized risks while allowing him to reap the benefits.
Even so, the enhancing effects Conra experienced from the geis were significant. Not only his physical abilities and martial arts, but his alchemical, druidic, and runic spellcasting prowessed had seen unprecedented potential unlocked.
Of course, this was entirely due to Conra’s exceptional talent and vessel. For an average person swearing such geisa, unless they were exceptionally extreme and difficult oaths, the enhancing effects would likely not have been so potent.
“However, you don’t think such advancement comes for free, do you?”
Precisely because of that, Sophia emphasized Conra’s meditation practice even more.
The geis’s enhancing effects were a form of spiritual contract, if not to the extent of pacts with presiding and guiding spirits. The geis still inevitably occupied a portion of spiritual resources. For Conra to create new geisa in the future, he needed to steadily expand his spiritual vessel through meditation.
“I’ll keep that in mind.”
“Good. While I trust you to handle it yourself, allow this old woman to reiterate. Remember – empty, empty, and empty again, but simultaneously build, build, and build anew.”
To contemplate the emptiness of phenomena without losing oneself within it. To not neglect the present due to the past and future, yet not forget the past or discard the future while living in the present.
To focus on the essence without disregarding the peripheries, and not become so myopic as to be misled from the essence.
Losing the middle way was the antithesis of spiritual growth through meditation, Sophia emphatically advised. Conra listened to her counsel with a solemn expression.
Meanwhile, in another corner of the courtyard, Maria was undergoing her own training regimen.
“The essence of the Weighted Sphere Exercise lies in freely changing the structure, intensity, and direction of force within that freedom of movement. Diligent practice will naturally enhance your stamina, explosive power, and sense of balance while removing extraneous motions from your movements.”
The Weighted Sphere Exercise was a cultivation method inspired by the Taoist Xian Zhu (Rotating Spheres) and Bagua Zhang’s Zhouan Zhougui (Deflecting Spheres). As a practice benchmarked against the Zhouan Zhougui, the core of the Weighted Sphere Exercise involved rotating within a defined space.
Of course, if it merely involved rotating, it would simply be the Zhouan Zhougui, with no need for the distinct name ‘Weighted Sphere Exercise.’
Sophia had incorporated elements of the Taiji Sphere and Qian Kun Sphere exercises, holding spheres of varying sizes and materials while sometimes slowly rotating them up, down, left, and right, or tossing a sphere with one hand and catching it with the other while tracing circles – this combined practice was what she called the Weighted Sphere Exercise.
“Fortunately, you seem to have an innate talent for bodily kinetics. In such a short time, you’ve not only become proficient in the essence of the Weighted Sphere Exercise but can maintain your balance even on a rocking ship’s deck.”
“It is all thanks to your excellent guidance, Master.”
Maria smiled faintly at Sophia’s praise. In her relatively short life thus far, praise had been an exceedingly rare experience. The frequent praise she received after becoming Sophia’s disciple always lifted her spirits, no matter how often.
However, Sophia’s subsequent words could not help but make even Maria’s face pale.
“From now on, I think we can increase the difficulty somewhat. Starting tomorrow, practice the Weighted Sphere Exercise in the mornings while wearing ankle weights, and in the afternoons, set up poles with bricks balanced on top to practice the exercise on top of those.”
Maria immediately grasped Sophia’s meaning.
The former was not particularly challenging – merely adding physical load for strength training. The latter, however, was the issue.
The Nine Palace Pole Exercise. Maria recalled the name Sophia had given this training method, which she had previously demonstrated as something to eventually undertake – literally setting up nine poles in specific directional arrangements with bricks balanced atop, then walking along those brick-topped poles.
Needless to say, it was an extremely precarious and difficult training method. Of course it would be difficult – having to walk along slender poles topped with unstable bricks without dislodging them required a sense of balance far beyond ordinary.
‘And to practice that in conjunction with the Weighted Sphere Exercise…’
Maria felt her breath catch at the daunting prospect. But she was unaware that once she eventually became accustomed to the Nine Palace Weighted Sphere Exercise, next would come performing it atop the Eight Trigrams Plate, then on uneven, sloped mountainsides and smooth cliff faces. After that, tightropes strung between poles, then underwater amidst crashing waves, and finally, levitating on the water’s surface while executing the Treading Cloud Steps – a progression that showcased Maria’s innate physical talents in a manner Sophia found deeply intriguing.
Had Maria known, she might have screamed on the spot.
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The joyful reunion with an old connection occurred that evening in the church’s communal dining hall.