LIGHTNOVELSTORY Chapter 11 - Teachings
✦ Chapter 11 — Teachings ✦
「Translator – Creator」
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Isaac found himself deep in thought. ‘Was I expecting too much?’ He was aware that comparing the present Silverna to the one several years in the future was unfair. Yet, despite this, Isaac was certain.
‘It’s not even close.’
He’d expected at least a glimpse of her future brilliance, a hint of the potential and skill she would one day possess.
‘If it wasn’t for her face, I wouldn’t believe they were the same person.’
Just from watching her spearmanship alone, he’d never think they were the same; the difference was that stark.
It was time to rethink his assumptions.
‘Why?’
Why was there such a significant discrepancy?
His contemplation was interrupted by Silverna’s sudden appearance before him.
“What did you say?”
Her eyes blazed with hostility and a strange sense of betrayal. She had thought Isaac, of all people, had recognized the Caldias spearmanship. For him to witness her own spearmanship and utter such words… it felt like a slap in the face.
“………………”
“Ah, well- You see, it’s not like that…”
Jonathan desperately tried to salvage the situation, but even he seemed to find it a Herculean task.
“Lord Isaac, he’s got this… affliction. Sometimes he says things that don’t make sense-”
“………………”
Jonathan babbled on, trying to cobble together an excuse, but Silverna ignored him entirely, her gaze fixed on Isaac.
Isaac weighed his options.
What should he say?
In the past, faced with such situations, he’d usually apologize and back down. In any disagreement with his fellow disciples or colleagues under Master, he was always the one to yield.
Because in the end, he wasn’t a true swordsman; they might praise him as the Silent Sword, but it couldn’t erase the fact that he lacked real combat experience.
“Well? Cat got your tongue?”
Silverna glared at him. Even the surrounding instructors seemed to shrink back, their silence filled only by the whistling of the wind.
Isaac made up his mind.
“Your spearmanship… It’s much worse than I expected.”
“……………!”
“L-Lord Isaac!”
His words, spoken directly to Silverna without a shred of hesitation, hung heavy in the air. He silenced Jonathan with a wave of his hand and turned back to Silverna, whose eyes had widened in disbelief.
“It was off from the start. The way you grip the spear shaft is all wrong. Holding it like that, you can’t channel your strength properly.”
“What?”
Silverna seemed bewildered by Isaac’s abrupt criticism. Was he serious?
But Isaac had already moved beyond hesitation. He reached out confidently to grasp the hand she had on her spear.
“W-what are you doing!?”
Silverna flinched in surprise, her shoulders tensing, but Isaac continued without hesitation.
“Look closely. See how the shaft is worn down here? It shows that you grip it here as your basic stance when sparring.”
“What’s wrong with it?! I’ve been using this grip since I was a child. It’s the same grip Father taught me!”
Silverna retorted, as if Isaac were nitpicking at nothing of importance.
“But you’ve grown older, haven’t you? Your body has developed. Naturally, your grip on the spear should widen, and you should widen your stance too.”
“What…?”
“It’s good that you respect your father’s teachings. You’ve clearly worked hard to master them. But your body has outgrown them, and you’re clinging to something that no longer serves you. You need to change.”
Isaac adjusted her grip on the spear, then stepped closer and guided her into a lower stance, widening the distance between her feet. Silverna, as if in a trance, followed his instructions without resistance.
Isaac’s focus intensified, his demeanor shifting into that of a craftsman engrossed in his work.
“Hey, you come here too.”
“……Me?”
He was talking to Meldick Drakewall, her opponent from moments ago.
The weight of surrounding gazes propelled Meldick forward.
“Try it again.”
“Excuse me?”
“What?”
Isaac suppressed a sigh — these two were going to be the death of him.
“Do it again! The spar, just like before.”
“Uh, right.”
Flustered by her intensity, Meldick hesitantly took his stance. Silverna frowned.
“I believe we were in the middle of addressing a certain insult about my spearmanship? Why have we shifted to dissecting his spar?”
“Just do as you’re told. If, after this exercise, you still disagree with my assessment, I’ll gladly retract my statements and apologize.”
“……………”
“Begin. Again.”
And so began the unexpected deconstruction of a spar between three people.
🎕
Lunchtime.
As the exhausted nobles made their way to the mess hall after training, a roar echoed across the training grounds.
“Meldick! How many times do I have to tell you?! There are times when you need to loosen your grip on the sword!”
“Y-yes, sir!”
Isaac, wielding a sturdy branch he had procured from somewhere, was instructing Meldick. Silverna, standing opposite them, couldn’t believe her eyes.
‘How… How is he doing that?’
She wasn’t going to sugarcoat it: Isaac looked weak.
To put it bluntly, he looked utterly pathetic. She could probably defeat him with a single blow.
Yet, listening to him speak, one would think he was an expert in combat and martial arts. His insights were sharp and insightful, delivered with absolute certainty.
‘He can’t be… a fraud, can he?’
He was simply too competent.
“Drakewall swordsmanship emphasizes agility and footwork. But you’re gripping the sword so tightly that your movements are stiff and predictable! That’s why you couldn’t dodge my third attack earlier, why you were forced to block instead.”
“Yes, sir!”
Completely dominated, Meldick nodded eagerly and resumed his practice, his movements noticeably lighter.
‘He doesn’t just know about Caldias spearmanship. He’s well-versed in Drakewall swordsmanship too. How is that even possible?’
And it wasn’t just surface-level knowledge either.
It was as if…
…he had spent years upon years studying and agonizing over these fighting styles. His words spoke of a deep, thorough understanding of their intricacies.
‘Incredible.’
The spear in her hand felt unusually awkward today.
They had only trained together for a few hours.
The feeling of new horizons opening up before her, the conflicting emotions of anxiety and excitement… it was an entirely new experience for Silverna.
“That’s much better. Keep practicing like that. Loosen up, broaden your perspective. You’ll gain a much deeper understanding of Drakewall swordsmanship.”
“Th-th-thank you, sir!”
Meldick, gasping for air, offered a hasty bow before scurrying towards the mess hall.
Isaac, a satisfied smile gracing his lips, turned around—and froze when he saw Silverna standing right behind him.
“Ah, my apologies. I tend to lose track of my surroundings when I’m focused.”
Isaac rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.Witnessing him slip so seamlessly from critiquing her spearmanship to tutoring Meldick almost made her laugh.
“Hmm. So, about before…”
She was ready for an answer.
“Did my statements truly come off as mere insults?”
“Ha!”
It seemed ludicrous, and she laughed incredulously. She wanted to maintain her pride, yet found herself surprised at how honestly she acknowledged herself.
“Fine, you win. You made your point. Your assessment of my spearmanship… I understand where you’re coming from.”
“……Understand?”
“Isaac, you were right. I learned a lot in just that short time. Listening to you, I realized there was a depth to spear techniques that I hadn’t grasped.”
Silverna chuckled wryly.
“Isn’t it ridiculous? Me, the one who’s dedicated her entire life to the Caldias spearmanship… being outclassed in understanding by the son-in-law from Helmund?”
“…………….”
“But accepting it is another matter.”
She took a deep breath and continued, pouring out her true feelings.
“If I follow your advice, I’ll surely grow. But then, would it still be Caldias’ spearmanship?”
“…………”
“You said it yourself, didn’t you? You called our spearmanship style ‘great.’ And I… I want to continue that legacy.”
She took pride in its greatness, clung to it as part of her identity.
“This spearmanship… it’s been with me my entire life. Seeing it through your eyes… It’s given me a fresh perspective. But if I accept your teachings… I fear it’ll change my spear, change me, too drastically.”
“…………”
“I have a duty… a duty to carry the torch passed down by my ancestors.”
As Isaac listened to Silverna’s confession, it was as if the final piece of a puzzle clicked into place.
‘I see.’
The difference between the Silverna he remembered and the Silverna standing before him now…
…their fundamental approach to seeking strength was completely different.
‘The Silverna I knew… She had already lost everything.’
The Malideen Walls had fallen, the Caldias family wiped out, leaving her utterly alone.
Family, comrades, homeland.
Everything, gone, except for the spear in her hand. But that wasn’t the case for her now.
She had yet to experience true loss, her desire for strength yet to be tempered by despair.
“How foolish, Silverna Caldias.”
Isaac’s words were a sharp rebuke.
“…What?”
“If it were anyone else… If any other soldier on this Wall said those words to me, I would accept them.”
However…
“Not you. Not you.”
“What would you know?! The Caldias spearmanship is my pride, my very heart! How dare you tell me to change it?!”
*Thwack!*
The wooden branch in Isaac’s hand slammed against the ground.
“Your name—”
His demeanor was that of a teacher scolding a wayward student, his dark eyes blazing with what could only be described as fury.
“What’s your name?”
“What are you talking abo-!”
“I said, what’s your name?!”
Taken aback by his outburst, Silverna hesitated before answering,
“Silverna… Caldias.”
“Yes, Caldias! You talk about upholding your ancestors’ legacy? Clinging to that pride? Do you even realize what you’re saying?!”
The makeshift staff pointed accusingly at her.
“You’re setting limits on yourself! You’re declaring that this is as far as the Caldias spear can go! That it will end with you!”
In his previous life, Isaac, as the Silent Sword, had mentored countless individuals.
Among them, the ones he despised the most were those who set limits on themselves; even he, unable to wield a sword properly because of his leg, constantly sought ways to push forward.
And yet, there were those who, shackled by their perceived limitations, simply resigned themselves to mediocrity.
“Look at your spearmanship! A magnificent legacy, painstakingly built by generations before you! And you dare to let it stagnate? To treat it as a fragile relic to be locked away?!”
Gritting his teeth, Isaac pleaded with her, his voice echoing with a desperation only she could hear.
Silverna, don’t you dare become one of them.
It was only after experiencing a cruel and devastating tragedy in his previous life that the ice encasing her heart had finally thawed, allowing her to reach enlightenment.
This time…
‘I’ll make you see.’
Before tragedy struck.
“There is no room for complacency, for resignation, in the heart of a warrior. Not until their dying breath.”
As if entranced, Silverna’s gaze locked onto Isaac’s; the heat of his words seemed to melt away the ice that had settled around her heart, clearing the fog that had clouded her mind.
‘Ah…’
Suddenly, she saw it — a path unfolding before her. A path that bore the name “Caldias.”
A path she had been walking all her life.
Rough and unpaved it may be, but a path nonetheless.
A path paved by those who came before her.
“I won’t ask again. Who are you?”
It was then Silverna finally turned her gaze forward.
There, beneath the North’s pristine, snow-covered expanse…
Where no path existed, where progress was deemed impossible…
“I am, Silverna…. Caldias.”
…a path for future descendants, for those who would walk in her footsteps, was about to be forged.
“To progress is not to abandon, but to carry forward,” Isaac said, a gentle smile gracing his lips as he recognized her epiphany.
“Because where you stand now… is someone else’s finish line.”
From this endpoint, she could finally begin.
A bright, genuine smile adorned Silverna’s face.
She wouldn’t simply live in gratitude for the greatness of her ancestors. She would walk the same path as them, a worthy successor to their legacy.
“Ha… hahahahaha!”
A joyous laugh escaped her lips – the laugh of a warrior embracing her true calling, the sound of boundless hope and excitement for the journey ahead.
Silverna slowly bowed her head, her hands clasped together in a gesture of genuine respect.
“My thanks.”
To the man who had led her to this enlightenment.
“My deepest gratitude.”
When she raised her head, the warm smile on Isaac’s face eased her heart.
Seeing him so happy with her realization fueled her own resolve.
“Would you teach me more? Not just instruction, but help me discover ways to further elevate Caldias spearmanship?” she asked eagerly.
“I’d be glad to,” Isaac chuckled. “But first, how about we grab some lunch?”
“Right, of course! Let’s talk over a meal. And… perhaps you could offer some general guidance on areas I should focus on?” Silverna asked, her enthusiasm bubbling over.
“Blindly following my instructions won’t do you any good.”
“Advice! I’m asking for your advice!”
Advice, huh? Isaac hesitated momentarily.
There was something he wanted to say, a crucial piece of advice that stemmed from his firsthand knowledge of Silverna’s struggles in his previous life.
“……..You’re sure I can say anything?”
“Of course! What could be so bad?”
“Promise you won’t be angry.”
“What? I endured your criticism of my spearmanship. What more could there possibly be? Just tell me already!” Silverna urged, her eyes sparkling with anticipation.
Isaac cleared his throat, feeling a blush creep up his neck.
“You should probably stop wearing a chest binder.”
“……What?”
The unexpected advice brought Silverna to a standstill.
“A b-binder?”
Her hand instinctively flew towards her chest, then froze mid-air.
“Is it that noticeable?”
Silverna was trying to hide her fuller figure compared to other women around her. As her eyes lost focus and quivered, she tried to explain.
“I-it’s difficult to wield a spear without it. They… jiggle too much.”
“I’m saying you should get used to it.”
“…Why?”
Silverna was starting to think he was messing with her.
Isaac rubbed his forehead, a deep sigh escaping his lips.
“Because there might come a time where you might not be able to use one in the future.”
“Why would I not—”
Silverna’s words died in her throat, her entire face turning beet red.
Did he mean…? Here, further…?
“H-how do you know such things!”
She exclaimed anxiously, but Isaac sighed, seeming troubled, and muttered under his breath.
“I know. Somehow… I just know.”
END of CHAPTER
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