Chương 218: Chapter 5: “Inea of the Qi Sword Art”

I decided to start gathering information for my new life in earnest. Speaking of gathering information, the library is the classic choice. So, the day after measuring my magic power. I went out again, intending to head to the Sacris City Library. It seems mass printing technology doesn't exist in this world yet. Alice told me that books are valuable items, so they don't lend them out. However, that doesn't matter to me with my perfect memory.

If I just glance through them, I can refer to them slowly from my'World of Heart' later. That aside. —Someone has been watching me for a while now. I had been feeling a strong sense of caution from someone behind me the whole time. I don't know who it is, but they are terrifyingly good at hiding their presence. If I didn't have the power to sense others' minds, I probably wouldn't have noticed at all. That's how perfect their way of erasing their presence is. There is no doubt they are quite skilled. Could it be?

Did my magic power get exposed so quickly? Was someone sent because of that? No. It's only been a day. I also silenced the receptionist. Would someone of this caliber move on unconfirmed information? It's probably a different matter. While being cautious of the opponent, I guided them into a deserted alley. The other side must have noticed my intention, but they dared to play along. They followed me without hesitation. The movement of someone confident in their skills.

Speeding up my pace, I looked down at the gun at my waist. I hope I don't have to use this again. In the first place, I wonder if something like this will work on this opponent. Come on. What will come out? When no one was around, I turned back.

"What is your purpose? Come out already." After a slight pause, a beautiful woman with her blonde hair tied back appeared from the shadows. Her clothes revealing her cleavage and her somewhat sensual facial features exuded a mature atmosphere. But in reality, she looked quite young. This woman. She's good. Witnessing some bottomless strength emanating from her entire body and her stance without any openings. I felt a nasty cold sweat running down my back. She's skilled beyond my expectations.

Probably stronger than me. For some reason, she was directing a sharp glare at me, as if facing an enemy. I shouldn't have done anything to warrant caution from someone I'm meeting for the first time. Then, she opened her mouth solemnly.

"Who are you?"

"Just a traveler. I decided to stay in this town for a while. I'm not planning to do anything in particular." I opened both hands and shrugged, appealing that I had no hostility.

"I wonder about that... well, fine." Hearing my words, she seemed to relax her caution somewhat. The pressure on me eased just a little. I was slightly relieved too. At least she doesn't seem like someone unreasonable.

"When I finished my business and returned to town, I sensed a terrifying latent Qi that is impossible for a human body. When I tracked it, I didn't expect it to be such a child." First magic, now Qi? Mysterious powers keep popping up one after another.

"And your magic power is also extraordinarily high..." Wrinkles formed between her eyebrows.

"You possess two immense conflicting powers in a single body. How is that possible? Normally, it should be absolutely impossible." I don't really understand, but are Magic and Qi conflicting things? Judging from her serious tone, it seems having both high is extremely strange. Even if told so, I have no clue what she's talking about though. When I remained silent, unable to find words to reply, she declared flatly.

"You are not just a human, are you?" Her eyes are serious. It's not a situation where I can gloss over it with suitable lies. Besides, she's not a naive opponent who I can get past by staying silent.

"I wonder. Honestly, I don't really know myself." This is my true feeling. Since being informed that I have such power, I don't understand myself at all. To her staring at me as if evaluating me, I retorted in a tone as if telling a joke.

"For example, if I said I came from a different world, would you believe me?"

"What!?" Then, she showed a surprisingly large agitation, far from what I expected. What on earth did I poke? Before I could be suspicious, she uttered words I hadn't expected even more.

"Then are you... could you be a FabL?" Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more.

"You know about them?" I'm the one surprised. I didn't expect to hear that word in a place like this.

"I see. That explains it..." She nodded as if convinced on her own, then her expression became strangely solemn.

"I want to ask one thing. Do you know a man named Jilph Arise?"

"No. Sorry, but I don't know him." When I answered honestly, she dropped her shoulders in disappointment, saying "Is that so...". I guess he's an important acquaintance. She told me immediately.

"Jilph Arise was a FabL who was once my master." She looked into the distance as if recalling something, casting her gaze down somewhat sorrowfully. But she quickly raised her face and looked back at me." Lasil Great Plains. Do you know that a magical superpower called Edel once existed there?"

"I heard about it from an acquaintance." Well, it was Alice though.

"It was about three hundred years ago. That country met its doom overnight due to the failure of a terrifyingly large-scale magic experiment."

"What kind of experiment would cause such a thing?"

"Who knows. Rumor has it that it was an experiment to connect worlds."

"Heh. And then?" When I urged her, she nodded and continued.

"The impact of the experiment was too tremendous. Almost everyone in Edel died out. Not only that, but the entire world was nearly swallowed into nothingness."

"It turned into such an outrageous situation?"

"Yes. At that time, it was none other than my master who saved the world at the risk of his life. Master wielded his full power as a FabL. As a result, Edel calmed down and sank deep underground, but... Master's whereabouts became unknown."

"I see. That's unfortunate."

"... They say even if a FabL dies, they revive in the next world. I don't know if that's true or not... I just hope he is living safely somewhere."... I don't know either. I don't feel like dying just to find out. Anyway. I roughly understood her circumstances. Reading her mind, she doesn't seem to be lying.

"I hope he's alive."

"Indeed... Sorry. For suddenly talking about such things."

"It's fine. It's natural to cling to clues if there are any."

"Sorry about that." Before we knew it, both of us had completely let down our guard. Once we opened up a bit, she seemed to be a person who was surprisingly approachable and without hidden motives. However, her sharp gaze remained. This seems to be her natural look. Well, I can't say much about others either. At this rate, the reason she followed me seems to be just as she said. Simply cautious of my power. Which means she has a way to detect Magic and Qi without relying on measuring devices. I'm curious.

Also about that. Come to think of it, talking about things three hundred years ago as if they were actual experiences is strange, isn't it? Judging from her appearance, she doesn't look that old. I became interested in her. I finally met someone who knows about FabLs. I want to hear her story thoroughly. It seems it will be a much more beneficial time than going to the library, which I can go to anytime.

"Come to think of it, I haven't introduced myself yet. I'm Yu. As you guessed, I'm a FabL. Though I just became one. I just came to this world too. I'm not very familiar with the situation."

"Is that so. I am Inea. An instructor at the Qi Sword Art Department of the Sacris Sword Academy. Well, although I say instructor, I haven't had a disciple for decades." So she was from the Sword Academy. If I recall, it was annexed to the Magic Academy. Qi Sword Art. Doing sword art with Qi. I wonder what that's like. And as expected, she speaks as if she has lived for a long time. I should ask.

"For saying decades, you look quite young." Then, she chuckled softly for the first time.

"Young, huh. Indeed, I am on the younger side for my species. But I was born shortly before Edel was destroyed, and I have been living ever since. Because I am a Nesla."

"What is a Nesla?" When I tilted my head at the unheard word, her brows knit slightly.

"You don't know? Well, it's rare for someone like me to live in human settlements."

"Is that so."

"Yes. Nesla is a race that humans classify as a long-lived species. The average lifespan is about 1, 200 years, and usually, they live deep in the forest."

"Heh. There is such a race." Like elves? Though— I stared at her, but stopped immediately when she made a dubious face. There's no particular difference in appearance. Her ears aren't long or anything. Now then.

"It's fate that we met. If possible, I'd like to ask you various things, would that be okay?"

"Master said. If someone with the same fate as him appears, help them at that time." Saying so, she stared straight into my eyes again. With sharp, serious eyes as if seeing through everything about the person named Yu. She closed her eyes again for a moment as if pondering something. When she opened them again, she spoke quietly.

"Dangerous."

"What is?"

"Your eyes. If it's for a necessary purpose, you will show no mercy. You have such eyes."

"Probably. That's how I've lived." Is that wrong or something? If I didn't do that, I would have died long ago. Perceiving my resignation, she said, choosing her words carefully.

"I won't say it's wrong. Just... I don't know if lending power to someone like you is truly the right thing to do."

"I see. Sorry for trying to rely on you." If told that, it can't be helped. It means we were incompatible. Just as I was about to turn my heel, she stopped me strongly. With a somewhat worried face.

"Wait. Don't sulk. We can talk. Follow me to the dojo." Emotionally, I wanted to go somewhere else, but I wasn't childish enough to turn my back just because of that. Anyway, she seems willing to talk. I sighed lightly and decided to follow her.

"Sacris Sword Academy - Qi Sword Art Department" After passing the main street where the Sword Academy should be, and entering a side alley for a while. Those words were written on an old wooden sign. It seems to be a completely different building from what I heard from Alice. The simple building was magnificent only in size, but it looked considerably old. The paint was peeling in places. Rather than a school building, it feels more appropriate to call it a dojo.

Above the entrance, a picture of a shining white sword was drawn largely. Is it the motif of the Qi Sword Art she teaches? Guided by Inea, I entered. Then, a bleak large hall covered entirely with tatami mats opened up in my view. There was only one modest door in the back. Is the living space beyond that? Prompted, I sat in seiza at a suitable place. She also sat in seiza following me, took a breath, and began to speak. First, she taught me the basics about Magic and Qi.

As Alice also told me, according to the common sense of this world, Magic is defined as the ability to accept Mana into one's body and utilize it. However, according to the standards of FabLs who wander worlds, this definition seems narrow. Worlds without Mana like Earth exist, and a definition applicable even in that case is adopted. Namely, Magic refers to the power to take external elements into oneself and utilize them.

Conversely, Qi refers to the power to take internal elements out to the external world and utilize them. Although they are called Magic and Qi, these are just conventional names, and in reality, they refer to more abstract and extensive powers. The vectors of the two powers, Magic and Qi, are opposite, so they repel each other. Therefore, those with strong Magic have their Qi suppressed, and those with strong Qi have their Magic suppressed.

So, it is inherently impossible for a human to possess both at a high level. I was taught that this is the logic of the world and the limit of humans. Then, it means I am a complete exception. It seems FabLs are existences that transcend the logic of the world. The explanation continued. While Magic can act regardless of distance, Qi disperses into the atmosphere once it leaves the user's hands. Therefore, it seems there is a weakness that it weakens acceleratively as the distance to the target increases.

Thus, normally, the use of Qi is limited to very close range from the body. Basically, it can only be used for close combat. So, Jilph Arise devised the Qi Sword Art, which involves creating a special sword called a Qi Sword using Qi and fighting with it. Since the Qi Sword is directly connected from the hand, it is a means to operate Qi in its most powerful form. It seems Inea inherited that art from her master and arranged some techniques so that non-FabLs could also handle them satisfactorily.

Hearing this, Magic, which is not limited by distance, seems superior to Qi. However, Qi has two advantages over Magic. One is that direct enhancement of physical abilities is easy. The other is that it is easy to use for recovery. Things that realize these effects do not exist directly within Magic. Physical enhancement magic and recovery magic seem like they would exist, but apparently, they don't. I was able to hear various other things.

Although I will need to cross-check with other information for confirmation, she probably isn't lying. As I thought, I was able to spend a very fruitful time. The fact that I possess immense Magic and Qi simultaneously. If I can grasp this power firmly and master it—how much can I do? No matter what kind of different world awaits, no matter what stands in my way. There is nothing to fear. If I obtain that much strength. Will I be able to change it a little? My destiny.

"I see. I learned a lot."

"Was I of some help?"

"Yeah. You helped me. By the way, I have a request."

"What is it?"

"Just a little is fine. Can you spar with me here? You're strong, right?"

"Reasonably."

"I want to experience firsthand what combat in this world is like, just once. Please." I take a step forward from here. First, from this woman in front of me—I will learn and take.