NOVEL NEXT Chapter 108: The Art of Spirit Swordsmanship
Episode 108: The Art of Spirit Swordsmanship
“Takashi-san, this is your token. Here you go.” Yuuki took a wooden tag from
his item storage and handed it to the elf. Takashi, holding a similar tag,
connected it with the one he received from Yuuki. It appeared that the tags
had a design that completed a picture when put together.
“Yes, you are indeed the representatives of ‘Hyakki Yagyo,’ here to set up a
‘stall’ at the ‘Shrine of Wind.'” The elf samurai Takashi nodded grandly after
confirming the picture of a large tree on the tag. “My lifelong friend, the
cornerstone of the battlefield—become my blade and carve the path
forward.” With these words, the elf spread his legs, lowered his hips deeply,
placed his left hand on the scabbard, and his right hand on the hilt, assuming
an iai stance. In response to his call, a white orb, referred to as a spirit,
floated and fused with the sword at his waist.
“Barrier magic… ‘Blades of Severance: Flowing Water.'” The blade, glowing
white, was unsheathed in an instant and swung with a speed that defied the
eye. Several sword trails, shining blue, lingered in the air, leaving a clear
square outline. “Do not resist the flow of water… flow, unto this shrine.” As
Takashi sheathed his sword with a ching, the space he had cut peeled away
like turning a page in a book.
Beyond the peeled space was a festival ground lined with stalls. “Come in,
members of ‘Hyakki Yagyo.’ Tonight, we shall entertain you.” Stepping aside
to clear the path, Takashi smiled coolly and beckoned us forward.
“… An elf samurai, how cool.” I muttered without thinking. It seemed
everyone shared my sentiment.
“This is barrier magic… amazing.”
“If I could do that, it would be incredible.”
“Astonishing.”
“Is it a skill that can be implemented?”
“I wonder how one can obtain it.”
“Instant troop movement and deployment… this could bring a significant
tactical revolution!”
Everyone, while impressed with the elf samurai Takashi, began moving
toward the space connected to the festival ground.
“Wait a moment.” As I was about to take a step towards the festival ground
with everyone else, the elf called out to me.
“You, the silver foreigner girl.”
“Me?”
“Yes, you. I sense a connection with a fairy from you.”
A fairy… could he be talking about Fuu, the wind maiden Sylph?
“Ah, yes. Fuu is my friend.”
“Fairies are the childhood forms of spirits.”
“Huh?”
“Fairies are the source of spirits. Over many years, they grow, merge with
nature, and their power naturally increases. Eventually, they evolve into
spirits.”
“Fairies are the children of spirits…” This unexpected piece of precious
information left me bewildered. Still, I focused intently on the elf’s words to
not miss anything.
“However, as fairies merge with nature, their sense of self diminishes. Their
personality and individuality fade.” Hmm… is it because they share their
spirit with many things as they merge with nature?
“Rarely, there are fairies who retain their sense of self and possess great
power. Such beings are called fairy kings Oberon or fairy queens Quint.”
“I see…”
“Treasure your bond with the fairy. One day, it might become a spirit.” The
elf smiled, and I nodded firmly, promising to do so.
“Hey, Taro. What are you muttering about?”
“Hurry up!”
Koya and Yuuki, who had already moved into the other space, urged me.
“… The Blade of the Whispering Wind: End.” Once again, the sound of the
blade being sheathed echoed. When did the elf draw his sword? Seeing
everyone’s reaction, I realized they might not have heard the elf’s voice.
“In that case, you might be able to learn ‘Spirit Swordsmanship,’ a combined
swordsmanship technique using ‘barrier magic’ and ‘swordsmanship,’
activated through a bond with a ‘spirit,’ just like me.”
“I’ll strive to master it.”
“And keep honing your intellect to the heights worthy of understanding the
sword.”
“!”
Could the intelligence stat significantly influence the acquisition of sword
skills? If so, this is great news… The intelligence stat affects not only the
success rate of alchemy skills!
Finally, I can see a bright future of acquiring close-combat skills!
“Farewell, and take care.”
“Ah, yes.” With a gentle push on my back, I leaped into the revealed space.
Looking back, the scenery of ‘Komugi Village’ was no longer there.
“Wow, what is this place!?” The spatial door closed, and beyond it stood the
‘Shrine of Wind,’ floating in what seemed like an empty space.
◇
Inside the event venue, it was still bright despite it being seven o’clock at
night in reality. Judging by the position of the sun, it was just before dusk.
The festival ground, illuminated by the remaining daylight, was now bustling
with excited mercenary players.
“Are we floating?”
“The ground is transparent? No, but this floating feeling… it’s not the
ground?”
“Is the Shrine of Wind… making us float in the air?”
About 30 meters high, lush green trees and fields could be seen below us.
We were indeed floating above them. Moreover, it wasn’t just the mercenary
players taking a walk in the air.
“The shrine doesn’t look like a temple, does it?”
“It feels unsettling.” The ancient wooden structure called the ‘Shrine of
Wind’ was also floating. It resembled a Japanese house, more like a dojo
than a temple. I definitely want to take a peek inside. A stone-paved path
extended from the building, gradually descending step by step from around
the torii gate, leading to the actual ground… Even the stone slabs were
floating. The stalls lined up along this stone path were also floating.
Although they maintained a balance, there were slight differences, making it
evident that everything, including us and the buildings, was floating.
“What are those three small mountains?”
“They must be the ‘Shrine of Fire,’ ‘Shrine of Water,’ and ‘Shrine of Earth.'”
“Takashi-san mentioned that the ‘stall’ locations were around the four
shrines. So, the four shrines must be divided into fire, water, wind, and earth.
We were assigned to the ‘Shrine of Wind’ by lottery.” In response to
Unknown’s question, Koya and Yuuki answered smoothly. We could see three
small mountains from where we were floating. Those places seemed
fascinating as well.
“The Shrine of Fire is like a mountain of fire!”
“The trees are burning! Or are they flames themselves? The buildings seem
to be on fire, but are they okay?”
“The Shrine of Water is like a slime-like water mountain!”
“Is it like a water bed? The trees are also water-colored and jelly-like… Oh,
is that a river? The water is flowing into the lake in the middle.”
“The Shrine of Earth looks like a normal mountain top with regular stalls!”
“Maybe it’s an area for those who want to enjoy a traditional Japanese
festival.” Yurachi and Shizuku shared their thoughts on each shrine’s
characteristics. The shrines of wind, earth, water, and fire were positioned
at the east, west, south, and north, respectively, with a large lake in the
center. The mountains seemed to surround the lake, with the river from the
Shrine of Water flowing into it.
“In short, the mountains with the characteristics of each shrine. That’s the
summer festival venue.”
“The Shrine of Wind is an invisible mountain supported by wind power.”
“This could be advantageous, Yu.”
“Yes, Koya.”
“Business thrives on visibility.”
“The location of the ‘stall’ is top-notch. It’s perfect for my enterprise.” Hmm.
I want to explore more.
“But… it seems like business isn’t the focus for now?”
“Everyone’s busy exploring the event area.”
“So, Taro, you want to explore, don’t you?”
“Ugh.” Koya’s remark hit the mark.
“Well, not exactly…”
“But it’s okay! Taro-chan, go ahead and look around.”
“Leave the stall preparations to us.”
“Taro-san, holding back is not suitable for a child.”
“Taro’s insights and observations might bring interesting discoveries and
stories.”
“Your Excellency, please relax! We will complete the display mission!”
“I tried it earlier, and attack abilities don’t seem to work. So, there’s no need
to worry.”
“In other words, there’s no PvP in this area.”
“So, Taro-sama! Fuu-chan, the wind fairy, might enjoy the spots around here.
Shall we explore the festival?”
“Alright, let’s accompany the angel-chan.”
Everyone agreed with Yuuki’s suggestion, leaving me no chance to refuse.
Are they spoiling me too much?
“Then, I’ll take you up on your offer.”
◇
“This floating feeling… it’s strange!” The shrine grounds were filled with
floating stalls, and people excitedly coming and going. Mercenary players
crowded the floating stone steps leading down from the torii gate.
“There’s something like trees… since it’s called a mountain!” Apart from the
areas with stalls and stairs, we were surrounded by something like trees.
“Can we leave the stone floor?”
“Don’t wander too far. It’s crowded, so getting separated would be
troublesome.”
“Yes, George. Look at this! A strange tree!” A spiral of wind, like a small
tornado, wrapped around something shaped like a tree. Should I call this a
‘wind tree’?
Out of curiosity, I touched it—
“Whoa!?”
“Taro-sama!?”
“Angel-chan!?”
My hand was sucked in by the wind, lifting me.