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At that time, the Chancellor’s Office, Foreign Affairs Office, Finance Office, Military Affairs Office, and Police Bureau of the Kingdom of Dane were finally starting to work together, moving busily.

The main players of the operation, Sophia and her group, were also preparing themselves before jumping into the purification of the port.

First, pure martial artists like Karl and Maria were refining their swordsmanship or martial arts, adjusting their physical and mental states, senses, and reactions.

If one were to name the most important thing for those who face external enemies with their own martial power, it could ultimately be summarized in one sentence.

My attack harms the enemy, and the enemy’s attack does not harm me. Depending on the situation, even if I can’t harm the enemy immediately, I can avoid being harmed, or conversely, I can accept being harmed to harm the enemy.

The technique created to realize this simple and clear proposition in reality was none other than martial arts… In short, the technique of fighting ultimately meant striking when you could harm the enemy and blocking or dodging when the enemy’s attack seemed likely to harm you.

Even Karl, who had just begun to learn the basics of Heart Sword with Sophia’s help in Aarhus, or Maria, who had experienced a moment of selflessness and refined her martial arts to an extremely unconventional and groundbreaking level, were no exceptions.

“Always be cautious when attacking. If your attack doesn’t clearly harm the enemy, it will surely give the enemy an opening to exploit. If a hasty strike leads to you being struck instead, how will you make up for that regret and frustration?”

“Blocking or dodging isn’t the end, as you well know. The enemy isn’t so kind as to always end things with a fair fight, right? If you just weakly accept the enemy’s attacks, there will surely be follow-up strikes. Even the same action, if repeated, will inevitably lead to mistakes. Especially in a fight where blades and blood cross.”

Sophia’s teachings, vividly replaying in Maria’s mind, were filled with the concerns of martial artists.

When attacking, you must firmly prepare and not move hastily. Once you move, you must go forward with the determination to survive, without a moment’s hesitation. Of course, you must also fully prepare for the possibility of your attack being blocked.

When defending, you must always keep the enemy’s follow-up in mind and actively block it. The best method is to counterattack and decisively incapacitate the enemy. Of course, since the enemy can also counter your counterattack, even if you can’t subdue them, performing minimal checks is the next best option.

All these complex judgments and reactions must be made in less than a breath. This is the battlefield of warriors. In a fleeting moment, if you read all the variables well, you live; if you don’t, you die. Even if you read them well, if your reaction is delayed due to variables, you die. It’s a precarious battlefield.

Of course, no matter how good you are at this, as a human, there will always be parts that don’t align with reality. Even masters can’t guarantee they’ll survive when they enter a fight.

This is why warriors can’t neglect the training called ‘feeling’ or ‘fühlen,’ to minimize the parts left to luck.

This was also evident in the teachings of a famous swordsman on the continent.

“Even if you reach the pinnacle of Reverse Muscle Technique and can exert superhuman strength, you must still be cautious of the sharpness of a blade that finds an opening. Whether you’re a master or a novice, being stabbed by a sword will cut your flesh and make you bleed.”

Of course, reaching the pinnacle of Reverse Muscle Technique allows ethereal muscles to somewhat replace the functions of tendons and internal organs, and using muscle pressure to temporarily close wounds can exhibit superhuman vitality. But that doesn’t mean you’re unaffected by a stab to a vital point.

No, rather, the more a swordsman reaches such a level, the more they spend time refining their swordsmanship or martial arts, called ‘feeling’ or ‘fühlen.’ The high-level swordsmanship they’ve achieved, due to its abstract ambiguity, requires habitual bodily mastery; otherwise, the sensation will eventually slip away.

Thus, at this point, just before actual combat, Karl and Maria’s sparring was being conducted with utmost seriousness.

The method of sparring was to overlap their martial arts and swordsmanship, skillfully utilizing the complex flow of reading and countering that arose between them.

If someone with an eye for understanding martial artists’ techniques were present, they would have witnessed the spectacle unfolding between the two and couldn’t help but swallow their admiration.

Swish! Swoosh—, Clang!

As the saying goes, “The clothes of the heavens have no seams”? At this moment, Karl’s swordsmanship truly resembled the clothes of the heavens in that metaphor.

A pure and natural swordsmanship, without any pretense or embellishment, was now revealing its flawless form, wandering between reason and unreason, metaphysics and physics.

It was as if an immortal masterpiece, unfading and unyielding over time, was unfolding with a majestic momentum. No one watching could imagine this masterpiece being broken by external forces.

Yet, Maria’s martial arts, piercing through Karl’s swordsmanship, were relentless.

“Hmph!”

A light step on the ground, and in an instant, her form slipped past the torrent of sword strikes, sliding into the heart of Karl’s swordsmanship. The small shields on her wrists deflected the incoming blades.

Comparing the reach of a sword to bare-handed combat, the sword naturally has the advantage. Moreover, a sword’s entire trajectory can form an effective killing zone, and its reach can be freely altered depending on its use.

Those who wield shorter weapons against a sword inevitably face this disadvantage.

Especially when it’s bare-handed combat, with no weapon except protective gear for the hands and arms.

Although Maria had recently learned to handle short blades like the falchion, dagger, kukri, palm saber, gladius, karambit, and nata, as well as hand axes like the francisca, tonfa, nunchaku, three-section staff, meteor hammer, and other unique close-combat weapons from Sophia, her most familiar style was still close combat using bare-handed techniques.

Of course, that doesn’t mean she could recklessly charge at a sword-wielding opponent without preparation.

Thus, Maria’s solution was the small buckler-sized shields fixed to her wrists. The difference was that, unlike a buckler held in hand, these were strapped to the forearm like a targe.

In any case, small shields were undoubtedly effective weapons against swordsmen.

Clang, clang, clang!

Maria skillfully wielded the shields on her hands, displaying agile footwork. The characteristic of a martial artist’s technique is its adaptability to movement.

Facing Karl’s relentless sword strikes, Maria fully utilized her uniquely adaptable martial arts, showcasing her instinctive genius and opening her own path.

“Among countless right and wrong answers, the talent to find one’s own answer.”

Karl, sparring with Maria’s martial arts, inwardly clicked his tongue.

If Karl’s swordsmanship was a flawless and immortal sword refined to its peak, Maria’s martial arts were truly a movement that found its own ‘path.’

Throughout history, the way humans respond to the myriad events of the world has always been followed by evaluations of right or wrong. These evaluations vary depending on the person, the situation, and the desired goal.

The right answer needed in a fleeting moment, the right answer found by looking several steps ahead, and the right answer considered from a long-term perspective often don’t align. What’s right in one case can be wrong in another, and vice versa.

Think of it like in Go, where a move that sacrifices a small piece can ultimately save a large one, or a move that saves a small piece can end up losing a large one. Or, a move that’s clearly correct in the long term might be inappropriate in the immediate situation, making it impossible to utilize its effectiveness later.

Maria’s movements at this moment, as she sought to exploit Karl’s sword, were precisely this—finding her own rational path amidst countless right and wrong answers, between instinct and foresight.

What surprised Karl even more was that in her movements, he caught glimpses of what he cautiously predicted as the next stage of consciousness and mental techniques.

“Originally, martial arts are only realized when the mind, energy, and body are perfectly aligned. But from my experience, ascending martial arts invariably transcend the framework of body and technique, realizing a realm beyond limits. For example, the mental techniques I’ve reached now can be seen as an illustration.”

Even at this moment, Karl’s swordsmanship was unfolding like an anemone, countless sword intents ready to swallow Maria. Each unfolding sword intent was not an actual sword strike but a manifestation of sword intent born from Karl’s consciousness.

In the movement of energy, momentum and force come later; the intent in the heart comes first. Thus, it’s impossible to match sword intent with sword energy in purity.

Having naturally understood this principle after mastering the manipulation of consciousness, Karl found Maria’s momentum and skill confronting his sword intent to be nothing short of bizarre and strange.

“But there’s something that makes this possible. If one can manipulate consciousness by being freed from two of the three components of martial arts—mind, energy, and body—then other cases must also have validity. According to my intuition, there’s surely a realm reached by being freed from consciousness.”

If Sophia had heard this, she would have said it was the realm of ‘all dharmas are without self,’ impermanence, no-thought, and no-form.

To Karl, Maria’s potential stemmed precisely from this ‘realm of freedom from consciousness and mental images.’

“Of course, it’s not a complete realm. If she had truly reached that realm, she wouldn’t be barely neutralizing my sword intent with momentum but would be able to shatter all my intentions with a single move. As Sir Shazel said, ‘she’s touched the fringes.'”

While regulating the power of ‘Will of the Wisp’ with her breath, Maria’s martial arts, alternating between orthodox and unconventional, repeatedly clashed with Karl’s sword, forcing him to be content with defending key points.

Conversely, Maria also couldn’t break through Karl’s swordsmanship.

“Ugh, what kind of swordsmanship is this…!”

The countless sword intents emanating from Karl’s swordsmanship were exerting overwhelming pressure on Maria, who couldn’t yet manipulate consciousness. The pressure from these sword intents was like an obstacle, preventing Maria from freely maneuvering her martial arts.

It was like trying to move forward against the pressure in the deep sea—a stifling and daunting sensation. Relying on the continuous flow of her martial arts and the occasional bursts of ‘Will of the Wisp’ power, she could barely keep up, but that was the limit.

If she forced her way in, it wasn’t entirely impossible, but Karl’s reverse slash would surely target the back of her head.

Originally intending to use the two bucklers to grapple Karl’s swordsmanship, Maria found herself in a truly awkward situation.

But Karl, an experienced swordsman, knew well that allowing a martial artist like Maria to get too close wasn’t a good idea. Thus, while his sword intent couldn’t attack Maria’s martial arts, it certainly blocked her from penetrating his swordsmanship.

Clang, clang, clang!

Karl’s sword intent and Maria’s bucklers continued to clash and interlock.

The martial arts of the two, similar yet opposite, were sharply interlocked like a thousand-day battle.

Sophia quietly watched the two.

“They’re becoming alike.”

“Huh?”

At Sophia’s sudden words, Conra, who had been glancing sideways at his junior sister exchanging moves with another man, asked in surprise. But the master, whether aware of the boy’s complex feelings or not, continued calmly, gesturing towards Karl and Maria’s sparring.

“Look closely. Karl and Maria, their swordsmanship and martial arts. In the midst of their sparring, they’re realizing each other’s shortcomings and excesses, taking what they need from each other.”

At Sophia’s words, Conra stopped what he was doing and focused on the two.

Conra, recognized as a master by both himself and others, could see the interplay of Karl and Maria’s swordsmanship and martial arts at a glance.

One was a swordsman showcasing sword techniques transcending energy and body through the mind.

The other was a martial artist showcasing subtlety transcending mind and body through energy techniques.

Both needed the insights the other had gained to take the next step. Even if they weren’t aware of it, in the process of their swords and fists interlocking, they were greedily making the other’s power their own.

Seeing this, Conra couldn’t help but feel a slight pang of jealousy.

“Tch, I’m Maria’s senior brother.”

If he had his way, he’d want to be in Karl’s place. Of course, it was just a thought.

After all, Conra was also a busy person.

When imagining Conra, the first thing that came to mind was his image as a martial artist. And rightly so. Objectively, Conra was a spearman and swordsman who had reached a level unbelievable for his age.

His skill in wielding a divine spear and divine sword in each hand was nothing short of divine. The sword techniques Karl had reached, Conra had already surpassed. In fact, Maria’s achievement of the ‘no-mind’ technique was something Conra had grasped the basics of when he first understood consciousness.

From the first time he met Karl, Conra’s growth rate was unbelievable, even if he was slightly inferior to Karl at the time.

But Conra’s martial prowess was just one aspect of his potential.

Originally, Conra had learned spear techniques and druid secrets from his father, Setanta, and swordsmanship and alchemy from his mother, Kaliastra. And Conra’s parents were both master spellcasters, Setanta being the Archdruid of Fianna Éireann and Kaliastra being a Maestro Alchemist.

Their martial achievements were undoubtedly heroic, but their true essence lay in the path of spells.

Born as their son and taught by them, Conra couldn’t be anything but skilled in spells. Moreover, he was a warrior contracted with the Spirit Rugus-Artaeus and a promising spellcaster contracted with the Spirit Esras-Hermes.

Though he hadn’t yet reached the level of summoning wicker men like his father or golems like his mother, his skill was close enough that it couldn’t be left idle.

Coincidentally, the upcoming battle would be shaped by various complex conditions, taking into account the circumstances of the Kingdom of Dane.

Limiting the battlefield to the port and isolating the citizens of København from the northeastern port where the battle would take place were also part of this context… Thus, it was necessary to prepare a list of spells useful for the port or helpful in some way.

Fortunately, the capacity of his spell sockets was quite ample.

Perhaps due to his training and enlightenment in Strabenher? The feedback on Conra’s ethereal brain at the time was significant, and his Reverse Brain Method had greatly improved, naturally increasing the number of spell sockets for storing spells.

If he wanted, he could control the battlefield all day by skillfully combining and reusing spells like the chefs of Franquia.

With his innate martial and strategic talents, Conra simulated various battlefield scenarios, contemplating spell combinations and reuse strategies for each situation.

“Haha, you’re too versatile to blame anyone for that.”

Brantley Somz laughed, watching Conra bite his nails in frustration. Even as they bantered, the two continuously regulated their main strength, stimulating their ethereal brains, designing and reviewing the overall flow of the upcoming battle at the port from a spellcaster’s perspective.

Countless scenarios unfolded, reassembled, and unfolded again between the two, along with countless spell constructs being created, combined, and disassembled repeatedly.

The spellcasters watching this spectacle couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration.

“Wow, that’s not something you can just whip up.”

“What are they? Monsters?”

Given the land, they were also inheritors of the Skald tradition. Originally, Skalds weren’t pure spellcasters but also poets, royal advisors, and warriors active on the battlefield. Thus, they all had some skill in battlefield control using spells.

But even to them, what Conra and Brantley were doing seemed like an insane, almost inhuman feat.

Generating localized forces or altering friction coefficients with main strength, causing ground depressions and elevations, manipulating flora and fauna, transforming air, fluids, or objects with reagents and main strength, and sometimes casting curses or blessings on enemies, allies, or unspecified targets.

Everything being created and disassembled in real-time between the two was a spell combat planning report that could be tested on a battlefield. It was almost too much to ask ordinary spellcasters to keep up.

“Anyway, we can only express our gratitude. If it weren’t for the treasures my junior brother generously provided, spell design would have been much more troublesome.”

“Objects are meant to be used where they should be. If they just sit idle, it’s not their true purpose, right?”

In response to Brantley’s sincere thanks, Conra lightly waved his hand, coolly downplaying his contribution.

Conra, Brantley Somz, and the Somz family spellcasters were transforming the port and its surrounding streets into a battlefield designed with countless spells, using the transparent cloak Kønes, the space-moving Boots Seven League, and the Harp Pale Note that Conra had generously provided as spell catalysts.

The work of placing rune stones embedded with Skald spells according to the formations Brantley Somz taught and Conra’s military intuition was actually receiving considerable praise from the spellcasters. Just assisting in the work and witnessing the creation and disassembly of the two’s simulations was inspiring them greatly.

Of course, one person was benefiting the most from this.

“This is amazing! Incredible! Revolutionary! With this, the Skald tradition of the Kingdom of Dane will advance further into the future!”

Ida Birgitt Somz, who was exploring the simulation details Conra and Brantley had created like a sage receiving divine truth, greedily absorbed new knowledge and inspiration like a sponge, and soon began generating new simulations herself, moving her main strength like the two.

From the perspective of Conra and Brantley, who were leading this work, it was like an uninvited guest had suddenly joined. If the two were ordinary spellcasters, Ida Birgitt Somz’s additional simulations might have disrupted the algorithm and hindered progress.

Fortunately, neither Conra, Brantley Somz, nor Ida Birgitt Somz were ordinary spellcasters. The three seamlessly meshed together, producing spell combat plans as if they had always worked together.

They even had the leisure to chat while performing all these tasks…

“By the way, Bran? Are you still uncomfortable with big brother?”

Suddenly hitting a sore spot, or…

“Uncomfortable? Me? Brantley Somz? With whom? Big brother? No way! That’s nonsense. I’m absolutely not uncomfortable with big brother.”

“You say that, but you’ve been avoiding him…”

Even as Brantley Somz, clearly flustered by his sister’s question, tried to defend himself, the spell combat planning simulations they were generating didn’t falter or collapse in the slightest.

Regardless, after a moment of flustered reaction to his sister’s question, Br

 

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