WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Dionysus
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
Chapter 254: Our Son (3)
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"I ask everyone gathered here.
"Why did you first begin learning the sword?
"Why are you training in swordsmanship, and what are you continuing along this arduous path for?"
No one answered Airen Farreira's question.
Of course, it was not an atmosphere where it was easy to speak up. Questions thrown before an unspecified crowd were often like that.
Besides, what kind of question was it?
An extremely abstract question, one with no right answer.
A few swordsmen tilted their heads.
They had just listened to a practical, stirring lecture, so they could not understand why the Master seemed intent on ending it with a philosophical discussion.
But.
'...It was something I had always wanted to say in front of someone, at least once.'
Airen recalled words Hall Master Ian had spoken to him over seven years ago.
'Without a will of your own, merely following behind someone else's path... I will not ask how you managed to reach this point through that alone.'
'But if you intend to keep wielding a sword from now on, you must begin thinking about it seriously.'
The reason to wield a sword.
The reason to live as a swordsman.
A sword of his own, his will, conviction, and determination.
Because he had gone on a journey to find those things, Airen had been able to grow stronger and become more steadfast.
At last, standing before the path that was truly his, he had found new motivation.
Whoosh!
Lost in thought, he raised his weapon.
As solid as the will of his Past Life.
As hot as the conviction of his present life.
A Greatsword forged by gathering his heart into one.
...Then Airen showed them his own sword.
Whooom.
Whoooom!
Heavy and powerful swordsmanship.
It was fierce enough to chill the hearts of those watching, yet soft at the same time.
Its precise, smoothly connected movements possessed the beauty of an artistic performance.
However, that was not what astonished the crowd.
Nor was it the only reason no one could speak.
Golden Aura slowly flowed out, filling the training grounds.
Like the light of dawn driving away darkness, a warm, gentle, hopeful energy spread far and deep.
Goodwill toward the world.
A radiant will to protect against the darkness seized the hearts of everyone present in an instant.
Hmmmm.
Hmmmmmm...
Airen Farreira's swordsmanship could not awaken the many realizations that Ian's Sword Dance had once brought to the trainees.
That was only natural.
Compared to the Hall Master, who had been shaped by countless experiences and years, Airen's life of merely twenty-three years was exceedingly simple.
But it was not shallow.
It was not light, nor did it show any sign of scattering.
Heavy.
And deep.
His swordsmanship, blazing with a will of Steel, flowed majestically like a river.
It carried the heart of a swordsman named Airen.
...About thirty minutes passed that way.
"Whew."
Thunk.
Having finally finished the Sword Dance, Airen Farreira drove the Greatsword into the ground.
He could have dismissed it, but he did not. Somehow, it did not feel right to do so.
Feeling refreshed, he raised his head and looked over the crowd again.
The swordsmen wore dazed expressions.
With a gentle smile, Master Farreira, the star of the day, spoke.
"Some of you may have begun wielding a sword because someone forced you to. Some of you may have picked up your own sword long ago, only to set it down after becoming exhausted. Perhaps some of you are moving forward far more diligently and fiercely than I am."
"..."
"I did not perform that Sword Dance with the intention of presumptuously teaching any of you something. I merely recalled an old lesson, and because I believe the realization it gave me is the root of who I am as a swordsman... I wanted to show it to you."
Within his broad awareness and sharpened senses, Airen felt many different gazes.
Some were filled with admiration.
Some with realization.
Some reflected on the moment and made new resolutions.
There were also those who did not seem affected, but even they appeared to be trying not to forget this moment, so they could recall it someday.
'This much... should be a satisfactory result for a special lecture, right?'
He was not qualified to become anyone's formal master, but for a one-time lesson, he thought he had done fairly well.
After generously evaluating himself, Airen bowed his head.
"That concludes the special lecture. Thank you."
...Clap, clap clap.
Clap clap clap clap clap clap clap clap.
After a brief silence, applause began, louder and longer than before.
Though the degree varied, no one was dissatisfied.
One didn’t need to be a Sorcerer to tell.
Baron Harun Farreira belatedly began shedding tears.
"Dear, wipe your tears."
"Ahem, crying? When did I ever cry?"
"Then you do not need a handkerchief?"
"...I am sorry."
Looking embarrassed, the Baron accepted a handkerchief from Lady Amelia.
After confirming that the Baron had wiped away the tears, Kiril Farreira approached with Lulu, while Marcus quietly followed behind them.
"Haah, the tension is finally leaving me. W-Was it all right? Ah, I am so nervous that I am stuttering."
"..."
"Um... Did I do something wrong?"
Airen Farreira looked bewildered as his family remained silent.
Watching Airen, who had grown so much yet still showed traces of his old self, Harun Farreira laughed heartily.
"No. You did well. Very, very well!"
"Good work, our son."
"Big brother is the best! I had no idea you would do this well!"
"That's right! Airen is the best! Hehehe!"
"Young Master, you were wonderful!"
Airen stood blankly for a moment under the shower of praise that followed.
But only for a moment.
Wearing the brightest smile of anyone, he said,
"It is all thanks to Mother and Father... Of course, Kiril, Lulu, and Marcus too!"
Airen soothed the younger sibling who gave him a sharp look.
An even brighter expression spread across his face.
* * *
"I was moved. Truly, truly... moved. I have learned swordsmanship from many knights, but this is the first time I have gained so much. I-I had to tell you!"
"Me too! You may think it is absurd nonsense, but... I will work hard to become an outstanding knight like Lord Airen Farreira someday! I will do my best!"
"Hoho, the young lords have completely lost their heads. They look even more excited than when they first came here."
"Well... Is that not only natural? I want to swing my sword all day the moment I return home. To think I would feel this kind of passion again after turning fifty..."
"It is remarkable. Teaching swordsmen whose levels vary so widely, yet giving everyone a lesson they can be satisfied with, is absolutely not easy."
"Quite so."
After the afternoon's special lecture ended, House Farreira entertained nobles from all over with a banquet far grander than planned.
Amid music played by skilled musicians, young lords and aged master knights alike praised Airen Farreira.
From beginners who had only just taken up a sword to seasoned swordsmen close to Expert rank, he had delivered a tailored lecture that made every one of them nod in agreement.
His commanding first impression, followed by the final Sword Dance that made their hearts tremble... There was truly nothing to criticize.
'Simply watching his swordsmanship makes one think of the path a swordsman has walked and the road they will walk in the future.'
'The power to make something so abstract feel this intuitive... Are all Sword Masters such monsters?'
'They were even more incredible than I thought.'
Perhaps it was thanks to the exceptional special lecture Airen had delivered.
The Hale swordsmen's already considerable respect for Masters soared through the roof.
But there was one who did not feel the same way.
'...No. What Airen Farreira showed today was... far beyond the Sword Masters I know. There was something even more special about it, something I cannot explain with words!'
Hale Kingdom was a minor power when viewed across the entire continent.
Therefore, compared to swordsmen from powerful nations, especially the western kingdoms renowned for their swordsmanship... the people gathered here could not help lacking an eye for swordsmanship.
However, one middle-aged man watching Airen with shining eyes was different.
Hale's finest swordsman.
A man considered one step above Hill Burnett, the vice commander of the Twilight Order and the foremost knight of the kingdom's next generation.
To Oswaldo Odone, Commander of the Twilight Order, Airen's true worth appeared far more clearly and intensely than it did to anyone else.
'No, that is not right either.'
Commander Oswaldo Odone shook his head.
Even he could not fully understand Airen's depth.
It was regrettable, but unavoidable.
His level was simply too low to assess a Master, especially one expected to be more skilled than an ordinary Master.
Even though he was Hale Kingdom’s finest knight, there were countless swordsmen across the continent stronger than him, as numerous as stars in the sky.
Still, he had gained something. He had roughly grasped what kind of person Airen Farreira was.
'I do not sense the arrogance peculiar to young geniuses. That is truly a relief.'
When he first arrived in Farreira territory, his worries had been immense.
A Sword Master.
Moreover, a Sword Master known to have deep ties to House Lindsay of Adan Kingdom and House Lloyd of Gerbera Kingdom. The influence of such a Sword Master was far greater than that of a king from a minor kingdom.
It was a sad reality, but one he had no choice but to accept.
'If such an extraordinary person had been arrogant as well, there would have been a high chance that he would not have answered, even if it was the king's summons.'
Fortunately, he did not get that impression.
Airen Farreira had been calm and courteous throughout.
Oswaldo had assumed the special swordsmanship lecture was an event meant to show off, but Airen showed no such intention and instead taught with sincerity.
'A young man like that is from our Hale Kingdom...'
Recalling the final Sword Dance, Oswaldo Odone's eyes reddened slightly.
Of course, he could not let his guard down.
No matter how upright the young man seemed, he could not treat him carelessly. It was clear who held the upper hand and who did not.
He needed to observe a little longer and learn what Airen liked and disliked, what traits he had, and many other things.
Only then would the chances of Airen answering the king's summons increase.
As he was thinking this, Master Farreira, who had been smiling in the distance, suddenly approached his side.
"Excuse me, but what brings you here?"
"...You know me?"
The Commander of the Twilight Order was startled to see Airen appear before him after he had looked away for only a moment.
He nearly let out a scream.
However, Airen remained composed.
He spoke.
"No. It is just that..."
"You seem too skilled to be here. And you looked as though you had something to say, so I was curious and asked."
Oswaldo Odone swallowed as he listened to Airen's quiet words.
'Even for a Master, such perceptiveness...'
Of course, this was not an ability ordinary Sword Masters possessed.
Airen had not noticed something was amiss because he possessed insight like Hall Master Ian, Julius Hyul, or Quincy Myers. Had it not been for his Eyes That See Aura, the Commander could have observed the young genius at ease for longer.
Of course, it no longer mattered.
After a short sigh, he spoke honestly, though carefully so others would not hear.
"It does not seem as though I could deceive you, and there is no reason to do so now that it has come to this... I am Oswaldo Odone, Commander of the Twilight Order."
"..."
"Please do not misunderstand. I did not disguise my face to cause trouble for you, Lord Farreira. To be honest... I was curious about what kind of person you were, so I wanted to watch from a distance."
"I understand. Then why did you hide and watch me? As the commander of the kingdom's finest knight order, you could have come openly..."
"I apologize, but may we discuss that later? There are too many eyes on us right now..."
At the Commander of the Twilight Order's words, Airen looked around.
A few people who sensed something unusual had focused their attention on them.
Airen nodded and replied.
"All right. Let us meet separately after the banquet. More importantly..."
"More importantly?"
"You seem to have something important to say. I believe it is proper to hear such a matter where my parents are present. I will see you later."
Airen Farreira withdrew after offering a light yet respectful bow.
Watching that steadfast retreating figure, Oswaldo Odone thought,
'...He is a young man with rare filial devotion.'
* * *
At that time.
A powerful figure who had received the title of Grand Mage, a rank held by only eight people across the continent, and the second-in-command of Slick, one of the three great houses of Runtel, the kingdom of magic.
Someone came to Ephrein Slick's quarters.
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