I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 12

Fel Flora, Theo, and Saeorin arrived at the Azure Wings Knights’ headquarters alongside Kanok. 

The headquarters was vast, housing the training grounds and administrative offices where the knights handled their main tasks.

Leading the group further into the building, Kanok spoke as they walked.

“We’ll provide you with the basic supplies you’ll need, so take good care of them. If you lose anything, you’ll have to manage without it until the next resupply, so label your things if necessary.”

True to his word, Kanok handed each of them a bag. The bags were quite heavy.

Kanok chuckled lightly at their reactions.

“I stuffed everything in one bag since handing items out one by one is tedious. Impressive, isn’t it?”

Curious, Saeorin opened his bag. It was indeed packed with a wide variety of items, carelessly crammed together.

“Your uniforms for training and daily wear will be handed out after we measure your sizes. As for the official knight uniform, those won’t be ready until next week.”

Theo raised a question. “I heard that knights wear full plate armor. Will we get to wear that too?”

Kanok nodded as if it were obvious. “Of course. But they’ll only be made for you after you successfully complete your first mission.”

“Oh… Why’s that?” Theo asked.

“Because if you die, there’s no point.”

Kanok’s blunt response made it clear: they had to prove their worth by surviving their first mission. Saeorin silently nodded in understanding.

The next stop was a room where Kanok measured their sizes. Afterward, he handed out the training and activity uniforms.

“You’re the smallest, Saeorin.”

“I’ll grow soon.”

Once their measurements were complete, Kanok led the group to their next destination.

***

It was late at night, and the headquarters was eerily quiet. The sound of their footsteps echoed in the empty halls as they made their way to the dormitory.

At the dormitory entrance, Kanok stopped and gave instructions.

“The rooms on the right are for females; the ones on the left are for males. Look for the room number on the tag attached to your bag.”

Following Kanok’s words, Saeorin checked the tag on the back of his bag. As Kanok described, it bore a small number and the symbol of azure wings.

Saeorin’s number was 204, and Fel Flora’s was 205.

Saeorin moved first. Having lived through constant change, adapting to new circumstances came naturally to him. Those who couldn’t adapt in the White Frost Tribe didn’t survive.

“Wait, I’m coming too!” Flora said as she followed Saeorin. Behind her, Theo walked toward the left-wing male dormitories.

The dormitory interior was dim, with only the faint moonlight from the windows serving as illumination. It wasn’t a problem for Saeorin, who was accustomed to seeing in the dark.

Without hesitation, Saeorin navigated the hallway and found Room 204. Room 205, Flora’s room, was next door.

Click.

Opening the door, Saeorin entered his room and began organizing his belongings. 

While there were numerous drawers and storage units, they felt unfamiliar to him, so he didn’t use them.

Instead, he laid all his clothes out on the table and shoved his bag under the bed.

This, he decided, was the optimal setup.

At that moment, his eyes caught sight of a small book placed on the table.

Saeorin was illiterate. Naturally, he couldn’t read the words written in the book. He promptly tossed it under the bed along with his bag.

***

The Next Morning

When Saeorin woke up, he realized he’d overslept. The dormitory bed was far too comfortable compared to what he was used to.

He rose from the bed and instinctively began the breathing technique of the White Frost Tribe: the Breath of the White Ermine. Even in daily life, the technique proved effective.

As his stiff muscles loosened naturally, energy coursed through his body. Fatigue melted away, and his eyes grew sharp with alertness.

Knock, knock.

At that moment, a light knock sounded from the other side of the closed door. It was a sound Saeorin had heard once before, reminding him of a scene at an inn.

The innkeeper had been persistently knocking on a closed door, prompting the guest inside to open it.

‘It must mean they want me to open the door.’

Saeorin rose from his seat and opened the door. Standing in front of him was Kanok.

“Oh, you’re already up?”

“What’s going on?”

“What’s going on? Didn’t you read the book in your room?”

“Ah…”

Saeorin recalled the book he had tossed under his bed. Of course, he hadn’t read it—he couldn’t read.

“I’ll wait, so change into your activity uniform and grab your sword. I’ll explain what you need to do next. Oh, and only bring one sword.”

Leaving those instructions, Kanok moved to the next room to relay the same message to Flora.

***

About five minutes later, Saeorin was the first to emerge, followed by Flora. Kanok led the two out of the dormitory, where Theo was already waiting. Like Flora and Saeorin, Theo was dressed in the activity uniform.

Kanok spoke.

“For the next week, I’ll be your instructor. You all remember my name from yesterday, right?”

“Yes, sir!” Theo answered enthusiastically, unlike Saeorin and Flora, who only nodded. Kanok smiled approvingly.

“No need to be so formal. Unlike other knightly orders, we don’t place much emphasis on formality. Just stick to basic manners.”

“Oh, okay…”

Kanok turned and started walking. The three, watching him for cues, naturally followed behind.

Kanok began explaining the basics as he guided them around.

“This is the dining hall. Breakfast isn’t served, so you’ll have to manage that on your own. Be sure to come at the set times for lunch and dinner.”

“This is the library. It’s open for use during non-duty hours. If there’s a book you want that’s not here, you can request it from the librarian.”

“This is the training hall. After duty hours, anyone can use it freely. You can train on your own or spar with others.”

Saeorin kept glancing around as Kanok spoke, searching for a place where swords previously used by others might be stored.

It was likely there would be such a place, but he couldn’t spot one right now.

The morning passed like this.

In the afternoon, they began formal swordsmanship training. The style they were to learn was called The Empire’s Dawnlight.

“You’ll be learning The Empire’s Dawnlight. It’s the foundational swordsmanship that every recruit in the knight order is taught.”

“Do we really have to learn it?”

“I feel the same way.”

The questions came from Theo and Flora, not Saeorin. Many new recruits reacted this way, and Kanok nodded as if he were used to it.

“You’ll understand why soon enough. For now, just learn it.”

The Empire’s Dawnlight consisted of five movements. It wasn’t overly complex, and with some practice, anyone could master it.

“The movements are simple and concise, making them easy to learn. The transitions between movements are also smooth.”

Saeorin, Theo, and Flora followed the five movements without much difficulty.

“Saeorin’s form is the best. Theo and Flora, relax a bit more—you’re unconsciously letting elements of other sword styles show.”

Kanok tilted his head slightly, studying Saeorin’s movements. Unlike the others, his stance didn’t betray remnants of any other style. Though slightly unpolished, it was clean and precise.

This contrasted with the other two, whose forms showed faint traces of prior training.

Two hours passed. Kanok stepped forward with a satisfied expression.

“All right, everyone, pay attention. Now I’ll explain why you need to learn The Empire’s Dawnlight.”

With that, Kanok drew his sword.

Shing—

The blade gleamed under the sunlight, scattering brilliant reflections. He leveled the sword at Saeorin, Theo, and Flora.

“All three of you, come at me. Use your original sword styles if you like, or the Empire’s Dawnlight you just learned. But no mana usage.”

Saeorin was the first to step forward and raise his sword. Without hesitation, he exuded a sharp, focused aura.

“Oh…” Kanok murmured in admiration, prompting Flora and Theo to ready their swords as well.

“Let’s begin!” Kanok declared.

At his signal, Saeorin, Theo, and Flora charged simultaneously. But the moment they moved, the three of them realized something crucial.

They were getting in each other’s way.

“Argh…!”

“Ugh, this can’t be…!”

Kanok easily handled the three of them, even keeping one hand behind his back while smiling. It was a clear indication of how poorly coordinated their combined attack had been.

Saeorin exhaled softly and stepped back. This situation wasn’t unfamiliar to him. He had spent his life running across the snowy plains, hunting alongside his siblings.

‘It feels like hunting with young, inexperienced hunters…’

No openings presented themselves. Every time Saeorin tried to exploit one, Theo and Flora would rush forward and inadvertently block his path. Frustration bubbled inside him, and he let out a quiet sigh.

“Gah! Move aside for a moment!” Theo yelled.

Clang!

Theo’s late swing accidentally struck Flora’s sword, sending both of them staggering and collapsing to the ground.

With that, the sparring session naturally came to a halt. Kanok waited patiently for Theo and Flora to get back on their feet before speaking.

“You’ve all realized what the problem is, haven’t you?”

Theo, Flora, and Saeorin nodded in unison.

“This time, use The Empire’s Dawnlight,” Kanok instructed.

When the sparring resumed, it was markedly different from before. The chaotic fumbling from their earlier attempts was gone. Their movements now meshed together smoothly.

Saeorin’s sword aimed for Kanok’s upper section, while Theo’s targeted his middle. Simultaneously, Flora prepared a sharp thrust, poised to exploit any opening Kanok left.

Just as the three seemed to be coordinating well, Kanok smiled and stomped his foot.

Boom!

The force originating from his legs rippled outward, creating a powerful shockwave that Saeorin and the others couldn’t withstand. All three were forced to retreat.

Kanok spoke as he watched them recover.

“Using the same swordsmanship allows you to read each other’s movements. It’s the best way to synchronize your breathing and rhythm with your comrades. Remember this: in Azure Wings, no one fights alone.”

He twirled his sword lightly in his hand, its motion fluid and effortless, as if it was an extension of his body.

With a faint smile, Kanok continued, “Until you become adept at coordinated attacks, the use of your original swordsmanship is prohibited. Understood?”