'Okay, let's set aside the matter of tea for now.'
Ignoring the excessively sweet black tea, Riezel was genuinely grateful for Yuri's kindness. Not only did she save his life, but she also welcomed him to stay, providing temporary protection.
He was determined to remember this favor.
Therefore, he didn't rush to leave and sat in the pavilion, engaging in conversation with her. He observed that she genuinely enjoyed talking with him.
Perhaps she simply liked having someone with whom she could chat freely, and he happened to be that person.
When he was still recovering from his injuries, she often came to visit him. Sometimes they discussed important matters, while other times they engaged in casual conversation. Regardless, she always appeared happy.
Considering Yuri's status as a marquis and a renowned Strategic-Class Magician on the Akasha continent, why would she personally visit him and engage in conversation with someone like him?
Even if she rescued someone and brought them back for recovery out of kindness, it wasn't necessary for her to personally check on them. Instructing others to take care of him would have been sufficient.
Hence, as Riezel could sense Yuri's goodwill, he was willing to play along.
They chatted, relieving boredom and providing a distraction.
Initially, she might have only shown interest in him due to his potential to become a Tactical-Class or Strategic-Class Magician. However, as their interactions increased, her visits became more frequent. Now, simply sitting with him, chatting and having tea, made her content and happy, leaving him unsure how to react.
However, since she enjoyed talking to him, Riezel naturally did so. It was also an opportunity for him to learn about this world and understand Jinas through her perspective.
The original Riezel, a naive countryside peasant with limited knowledge, only possessed basic common sense. In contrast, Yuri, a high-ranking noble of the kingdom and chief court magician, had an understanding of the country and continent that others couldn't match.
During the month of recovery, Riezel learned a lot about this world through conversations with Yuri. Engaging in conversation with her now also proved beneficial for him, allowing him to quickly grasp the intricacies of this world and learn some hidden truths.
Until—
"My Lady."
An old butler entered the pavilion, bowing to Yuri as he spoke.
"The son of the Basolo family has come to visit."
With these words, the joyful expression instantly vanished from Yuri's face.
"I know..." Yuri responded expressionlessly. "Escort him to the guest room; I will be there shortly."
"Yes." The butler responded curtly, retreating.
Yuri's face regained expression, though it seemed less than pleased.
"What's wrong?" Riezel inquired, observing the situation.
"...Nothing." Yuri intended to say something, but after a moment's thought, she seemed to dismiss the idea and sighed. "I'm sorry, I need to attend to a guest..."
It was evident that this so-called guest was not someone she welcomed.
"It's okay." Riezel, though somewhat concerned, didn't want to press further. "You go ahead, I'll be fine on my own."
"Um." Yuri smiled. "You can return to your room or wander around, just don't leave this mansion. You're free to go anywhere within this building."
As she spoke, she took out a crystal from her pocket.
"This is for you." Yuri handed the crystal to him.
Examining it, Riezel soon expressed his surprise.
"Is this a magic crystal for communication?"
"Fufu, yes." Yuri chuckled. "Consider it a gift. If you ever need to, you can use it to contact me."
"But isn't this too much?" Riezel hesitated. "I remember this thing is quite expensive."
Magic crystals were items similar to the magic stones in the world of Danmachi. They were raw materials for making magic items, allowing various magical effects to be inscribed, creating a variety of special items for convenience in daily life, and many more.
The magic crystal she gave to him was for communication, allowing conversation regardless of distance, as long as the crystal had touched before, it would record the toucher's magical energy wavelength.
In comparison to the limited signal range of phones and cell phones from his previous life, this magical item was far superior.
Though there was the inconvenience of having to touch crystals to record magical energy wavelengths, the ability to have a conversation anywhere outweighed the drawbacks. {T/N: Like saving phone numbers.}
The original Riezel, despite being friendly with many noble children, did not possess a communication magic crystal himself. Therefore, he knew how expensive this item was.
However, for Yuri, it seemed like a trivial issue.
"Ah, this little thing is nothing; I have plenty. Marilyn has one too, so don't hesitate to use it." Yuri smiled warmly. "It's for the sake of easy communication."
Now that he wouldn't simply lie in bed, there was a need for a way to contact others.
"I've already recorded my wavelength in this magic crystal, and Marilyn's as well. If it's inconvenient to contact me, you can also reach out to her."
Yuri's words made Riezel glance at Marilyn.
However, Marilyn, who stood by Yuri's side, seemed indifferent, as if completely unaware of his gaze.
"Alright."
After some consideration, Riezel ultimately accepted Yuri's good intentions and took the magic crystal.
"Oh, by the way..." Yuri suddenly remembered something. "If you find yourself bored, you can go check out the library."
However, upon hearing that, Marilyn's expression unexpectedly changed.
"My Lady—"
Marilyn furrowed her brows and wanted to say something, but Yuri silenced her with a glance.
"What's wrong with this library?" Riezel asked with a slight bewilderment as he observed Marilyn's reaction.
"Nothing, don't worry." Yuri chuckled, shaking her head. "It won't harm you in any way. Whether you want to go or not is up to you."
Leaving those words behind, she stood up, turned, and walked away.
Surprisingly, Marilyn glared silently at Riezel and then left somewhat indignantly.
Alone in the pavilion, he watched the departing master and servant, lost in thought.
'It seems like this so-called library is not a place one can enter casually...'
After deliberation, Riezel decided to check it out.
Just as Yuri had said, he didn't believe she would harm him; otherwise, he would have died long ago.
As a result, he left the pavilion, ready to enter the mansion for the library. However, before entering the mansion, he encountered many people.
Outside the gate, at a distance from the courtyard, there was not only a luxurious carriage but also many people dressed as knights, standing in a tidy formation.
After glancing and finding nothing interesting, Riezel entered the mansion.
===
The Frenzel family's library seemed to be on the top floor of this luxurious mansion. It was located next to Yuri's exclusive study, not too secluded in position.
However, when Riezel asked the servants about the library's location, they looked at him with surprise. Shortly afterward, they notified the bodyguard, who came over to inquire.
Upon learning that he was seeking the library with Yuri's permission, the bodyguards exchanged bewildered glances and then directed him in the right direction.
As Riezel left, he distinctly observed envy and even jealousy in their eyes. Though, he didn't know why, he didn't care and continued his journey.
Later, on his way to the top floor, he encountered about three waves of people who tried to stop him. Each time, they only allowed him to pass after confirming he had Yuri's permission.
This further convinced him that this library was undoubtedly an important place.
Strangely, for such an important place, there were surprisingly few people guarding its entrance.
Riezel, puzzled, examined the library's door before pushing it open and stepping inside.
At this moment, he failed to notice that as he opened the door, a tiny magic circle appeared for a split second on the door handle.
The magic circle flashed briefly—appearing and disappearing so quickly that he didn't catch the abnormality.
After Riezel entered the library, the library door closed automatically behind him.
Inside, he surveyed the entire library.
It was a very ordinary-looking library.
Not too large but not small either, filled with numerous books neatly arranged on exquisite bookshelves.
However, strangely, there was no scent of paper in the air.
Approaching one of the bookshelves, Riezel picked up a book. As he held it, he finally understood why people in this mansion were so nervous about the library.
It was because the books here were all unique.
For instance, the book he held in his hands now was titled—Introduction to Elementary Magic.
Yes.
This was a magic book that taught people how to use magic and provided guidance on how to become a magician.
'Are all the books here some kind of magic book for teaching magic?'
Riezel's gaze at the library changed instantly.
Was this really a library?
It seemed more like a place of magic knowledge inheritance!
No, it wasn't just about magic knowledge.
Riezel discovered that on one shelf, there were books related not to magic but to swordsmanship.
"Swordsmanship?"
Riezel suddenly became interested.
If the original Riezel's memory was correct, then swordsmanship in this world was something special.
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Life began with magical energy.
This was the common sense of this world.
However, the amount of magical energy one possessed varied—some had more and some had less. The amount remained constant throughout one's lifetime and wouldn't increase, no matter what one did.
Therefore, even though everyone in this world had magical energy, very few could become magicians.
In this world, approximately 90% of people had so little magical energy that they couldn't even release the simplest form of magic.
Among the remaining 10%, roughly 90% of them would exhaust all their magical energy even if they were to release a single magic.
As a result, there were very few magicians because people with enough magical energy were scarce. This was a matter of fate, and despite any unwillingness, reality remained unchangeable.
So, were those without the ability to use magic destined to live ordinary lives?
Certainly not.
In this world, there was a system designed for those who could not become magicians—swordsmanship.
The swordsmanship in this world was not just a technique or skill; it was a method of honing one body.
By practicing swordsmanship, people could stimulate the magical energy inside their bodies that could not be used for magic. They channeled all their magical energy into refining their bodies, honing their physical prowess, and thus gaining superhuman power.
Those born with abundant magical energy could become magicians.
Those born with insufficient magical energy could become swordsmen.
These were two different paths that led to extraordinary powers. The former required innate talent, while the latter emphasized effort and circumstances.
This world was a world of swords and magic, with no third power system.
Riezel found the swordsmanship in this world interesting.
After all, he himself was a swordsman.
'Let's take a look at this world's swordsmanship.' Riezel set down the magic book in his hands.
While these magic books might be worth thousands of gold, to be honest, they held little significance for him. His 'Gate' was damaged, rendering him unable to independently practice this world's magic. Moreover, he was not inclined to study it.
If he truly needed any magic, he could simply memorize it with 'Almighty', using the stored memory to unleash the magic through it.
As a result, there was no need for him to rigorously study magic. Knowing the specific effect of the magic was enough; afterward, he could have someone demonstrate the said magic in front of him.
When using magic memorized with 'Almighty', Riezel would spend his 'Mind', not the magical energy from the damaged 'Gate'. This meant that even if his 'Gate' was compromised, it wouldn't restrict him at all.
As a result, his interest in the magic books in this library was minimal. Instead, he found himself more intrigued by the swordsmanship.
Without delay, he approached another shelf that held books on swordsmanship and picked one up.
The collection wasn't extensive.
Compared to the magic books, the number of swordsmanship books in this library was overwhelmingly low, around ten to twenty.
Riezel picked up one of them and started reading.
Indeed, the book documented a particular swordsmanship, along with explanations.
—Swordsmanship encompasses all techniques that utilize the magical energy within one's body to temper and enhance physical strength.
—Practicing swordsmanship can rapidly enhance one's body, enabling even those with limited magical energy to elevate themselves and become extraordinary beings.
—Swordsmanship is mainly divided into three classes.
—1. Elementary Swordsmanship.
—2. Advanced Swordsmanship.
—3. Special Swordsmanship.
—Practicing different types of swordsmanship leads to different growth and outcomes.
Riezel quickly scanned through the summary and discovered that the swordsmanship system had its own difficulties.
As mentioned in the book, swordsmanship classes existed, with the growth being slower for elementary swordsmanship and faster for advanced swordsmanship.
This was primarily due to the varying levels of magical energy stimulation by the swordsmanship, which affected the efficiency of tempering the body using magical energy.
Elementary swordsmanship had a lower stimulation of magical energy, resulting in slower growth, while advanced swordsmanship had a higher stimulation, leading to faster growth.
Especially when practicing special swordsmanship, according to the book, the practitioner's growth speed would be unimaginably fast. Excessive stimulation of magical energy could even cause the practitioner to manifest supernatural phenomena when using sword techniques, giving it traits and effects similar to magic.
For example, someone who practiced special swordsmanship might infuse wind into their slashes, creating blasts of storm. Another might unleash flames into their slashes, resembling the effects of flame magic, resulting in explosive improvements in powers.
The book mentioned one such special swordsmanship.
—The swordsmanship passed down by the royal family of Jinas is a type that can cultivate spiritual power. Once mastered, even without using a sword to attack, one can evoke spiritual power to intimidate enemies, even stunning them."
—Ordinary people facing members of the royal family often feel the invisible pressure of spiritual power before even making physical contact. Even if they don't lose consciousness immediately, their strength is greatly diminished, and only one out of ten survives.
—Such special swordsmanship exists in various countries, with only minor differences in quantity.
—Regardless of the type, as long as one practices special swordsmanship, they have the potential to become the strongest swordsman and attain the title of 'Sword Saint' in due time.
—Sword Saint is the highest honor for a swordsman, a title achievable only by those with the ability to vie for the strongest position.
—If a Strategic-Class Magician is considered the strongest force in wars, then a Sword Saint is the strongest force in one-on-one combat.
—In other words, those who gain the title of Sword Saint are nearly invincible in duels.
—Once, in pursuit of the title of Sword Saint, countless swordsmen confronted each other, engaging in intense fights, leading to many historically significant bloody events.
—Just as Strategic-Class Magicians are considered the strongest magicians in the world, Sword Saints are also perceived as the strongest swordsmen.
—With a multitude of swordsmen in this world vying for the title, the competition for the strongest is fierce and intense. A small mistake could even result in a disaster.
—Of course, only swordsmen who have practiced special swordsmanship have the qualifications to compete for the title of Sword Saint. Ordinary swordsmen are not eligible.
—Due to the unique nature of special swordsmanship, most of these great swordsmanship have been collected by the royal families of major countries or are held by powerful noble families. They rarely end up in the hands of outsiders.
'Is there special swordsmanship here?'
Riezel became more interested as he put down the swordsmanship book in his hands.
The swordsmanship described in this book was advanced swordsmanship, quite valuable for ordinary people, and much better than elementary swordsmanship at least. However, compared to special swordsmanship, it was not considered much.
Riezel had a faint suspicion.
'Yuri asked me to come to this library, maybe so I could look up swordsmanship here.'
His 'Gate' was already damaged and couldn't be used for magic anymore, confirming the fact that he couldn't be a magician again.
Although Yuri mentioned that there were treasures in this world that could repair a damaged 'Gate' and that there was hope of using magic again if found, she hadn't found these treasures yet. This implied that such items were extremely rare and not easily found or obtained.
Without finding such treasures, did that mean Riezel would be a useless person for the rest of his life?
Yuri wouldn't want to see that happen.
Hence, she suggested to him to come here and focus on practicing swordsmanship.
Practicing swordsmanship could independently trigger magical energy. Even if his 'Gate' was damaged, it wouldn't pose any hindrance.
Throughout history, many magicians whose 'Gate' was damaged eventually succeeded in transitioning to swordsmen. Extraordinary individuals who changed their path and became Sword Saints often had similar experiences.
Yuri, recognizing this potential, extended the opportunity to Riezel.
Unbeknownst to her, he also harbored the desire to practice swordsmanship from the beginning.
'Even though my Gate is damaged and I don't rely on it much for magic practice at the moment, this body naturally has plenty of magical energy. It'd be a shame not to make use of it.'
With Riezel's innate abundance of magical energy, his growth speed after practicing swordsmanship would also be remarkable.
Swordsmanship was initially designed for those with low magical energy, but people with abundant magical energy could still excel in it. While others struggled daily to practice swordsmanship, using their meager magical energy to refine their body, those who possessed abundant magical energy could achieve far more.
Yuri likely thought it would be a waste not to make use of Riezel's innately abundant magical energy and thus entertained the idea of assisting him in practicing swordsmanship.
If that was the case, perhaps there was a powerful swordsmanship she specifically left for him in this library.
Riezel quickly scanned the bookshelf for swordsmanship books and eventually found the one in a hidden corner.
—Holy Dragon Sword Style.
This was a long-standing special swordsmanship.
Riezel's eyes brightened as he opened the book.
Upon opening it, he saw an image of a swordsman confronting a great dragon, preparing for dragon slaying.
Below the image, there was a caption.
—Holy Dragon Sword Style, a special swordsmanship created by 'Dragon Sword Saint' Efastin Tussanlo, has been passed down for four hundred years.
—When 'Dragon Sword Saint' mastered the Holy Dragon Sword Style, his body was honed to rival that of a great dragon. He even possessed magic resistance equivalent to a dragon. Even direct hits from tactical-class magic left no scars on his body.
—This swordsmanship has an extremely high difficulty and requires huge innate magical energy. Without sufficient magical energy, one cannot successfully practice it throughout their life.
—For newcomers wishing to practice this swordsmanship, it is crucial not to blindly train.
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