Kays Translations
Just another Isekai Lover~
Chapter 14: Dual Swords
“I lost, huh... The world is vast...”
Eugen was sitting on the ground in front of me, shoulders slumped in disappointment.
Should I have lost on purpose to let the teacher have the upper hand?
But, I feel like Eugen’s strike was definitely aimed at taking my life...
“Eugen...?”
“But, how to train you has been decided!”
Eugen suddenly stood up.
“You lack basic skills entirely! Certainly, your physical ability is a threat. However, relying solely on that and having no understanding of swordsmanship will never make you the strongest in the world!”
“Actually, I don’t particularly want to be the strongest...”
“If you’re learning the sword, there is no goal other than becoming the strongest!”
This old man has strong beliefs...
“And, you should learn dual swords. It will make it easier to utilize your physical abilities.”
“Dual swords?”
“With your current abilities, holding a sword in one hand wouldn’t make the blade waver, right?”
I tried holding a sword with my left hand, but it felt like holding a light branch. At worst, it felt like I wasn’t holding anything at all.
“Well, it doesn’t seem to waver...”
“It’s normally difficult. You are suited for dual swords. With your strength, you could inflict fatal injuries with one hand. Therefore, having twice the number of strikes with dual swords is advantageous.”
“I see...”
He’s really pushing for dual swords. But it felt like his reasoning was correct.
Dual swords had an offensive-focused skill set in games. Ideally, I’d like skills that protect Celia as well, but... well, dual swords are advantageous for defeating enemies quickly. They say the best defense is a good offense, after all.
“And, I was originally a dual-wielder myself. I can teach you many things with dual swords.”
“Then I’ll go with dual swords.”
“Good!”
Eugen nodded with satisfaction and carefully picked up the broken, or rather, burnt dual swords. I hadn’t really looked closely, but these seem to be quite rare swords.
“I’m sorry about the sword...”
“No, these also fell in a long battle. They must have been satisfied. Now, no more gloomy talk. I’ll teach you one training method.”
“A training method?”
Eugen nodded and took a stance with his hands positioned as if about to clap, leaving a gap of about three centimeters between them.
“Alright, first, release the body-enhancing magic and take both hands into the shape of knife hands.”
“Ah...”
What is this for?
“Let’s start with the right hand. Swing your right knife hand upward and pass it through the gap between my hands.”
“Is that really enough?”
“Yes.”
I swung my right hand up and brought it down straight, aiming to pass it through the gap between Eugen’s hands. My knife hand smoothly passed through the gap.
This is easy. What’s the point of this practice?
“Just now, you slowed down your speed right before passing through the gap and adjusted your aim, didn’t you?”
“Hm? Ah, yeah. What’s the point?”
“No adjusting this time. Keep your speed constant and just bring it straight down.”
“Alright.”
I reared back my hand again and brought it down straight, aiming for the gap between Eugen’s hands.
This time, however, my hand hit Eugen’s hands. It was a failure.
“Hey, what’s the purpose of this?”
“Next, try swinging down with full force. You’ll understand then.”
“Alright...”
I suppressed my doubts and swung down with all my might. Instead of passing through Eugen’s fingers, my knife hand hit Eugen’s arm.
“Now, do you understand?”
Eugen asked with a smug expression, but I was still confused.
“So, what does this mean?”
“Ugh, you’re such a dullard. Anyone can pass through the gap slowly. But when you go all out, you see how much it deviates? If your hand alone causes that much deviation, how much more will the blade deviate when you swing it?”
“I see, so that’s the point...”
Indeed, when swinging a sword, you’ll be using full force. If my hand alone deviates this much, imagine how much the blade would deviate.
“Humans think they control their bodies perfectly, but they don’t. You mentioned practicing swings before the match, but do you understand the purpose? It’s not just practice for swinging a sword. It’s practice for bringing the sword down exactly where you aim. You’re not ready for that yet. First, practice perfecting your hand swings.”
I hadn’t even known the purpose of practicing swings. I never imagined there was a problem even before that...
“It seems like there’s a long road ahead...”
“What are you saying?”
Eugen laughed at my tired-sounding voice.
“Swordsmanship is a lifelong practice. There’s no end to it.”
That’s profound...
I had some sense from games where even dual-wielding mastery had a cap, so I thought there might be a limit somewhere.
But lifelong practice...
Indeed, I need to keep learning my whole life.
Moreover, the footwork Eugen showed at the start must also be the result of practice. It seems better to focus on the basics than to rush into mastering powerful skills.