Ludwig had no words for his master but a nod of agreement as he continued to swing his sword, the heavy blade cutting through the air with a satisfying whoosh. The rhythmic motion was almost meditative, allowing him to focus his thoughts while his body moved on autopilot.
“By the way,” he said, breaking the silence as he struck again at the empty air, “I’ve found a couple of interesting manuals for training swordsmanship. I wanted to ask you about them.”
Joana paused mid-swing, her brow furrowing slightly. “I doubt anything would be more suitable for you right now than the Imperial Swordsmanship. Why? Is it not to your liking?”
“Not that it’s not to my liking,” Ludwig replied, his tone thoughtful. “It just feels… straightforward.”
Joana chuckled, resting her sword on her shoulder. “In a sense, it is. But it’s mandatory to learn. This is an army-style swordsmanship designed to help armies win wars. So, what do you think you can use that’s better than the Imperial Swordsmanship?”
Ludwig shrugged, reaching into his holding ring and pulling out two freshly inscribed books. “I don’t know about better,” he said, handing them to Joana. “But these look pretty interesting, nevertheless.”
Joana took the books, her eyes narrowing as she inspected the fresh ink. “The ink is pretty fresh, you inscribed these yourself?” she asked her tone a mix of surprise and curiosity.
“Yes,” Ludwig replied. “From some of the books we found in Tibari’s library.”
Joana’s frown deepened as she flipped through the pages of the first book. She moved away from Ludwig and sat down, her eyes scanning the text with increasing intensity. After a few moments, she looked up at him, her expression unreadable.
“This is… a Gentle Style type of swordsmanship,” she said, her voice tinged with skepticism. “It’s completely unsuitable for you. It looks pretty good on paper, probably more suitable to a refined and prudent type of fighter, unlike you.”
Ludwig raised an eyebrow. “Why is that?”
Joana sighed, closing the book and placing it gently on her side. “It’s fast-paced and relies heavily on counterattacking and deflection. It requires acute strength and speed management—something you’re not exactly known for. Are you sure you want to learn this?”
Ludwig shook his head. “I already realized that was the case for that one. But the one I’m interested in is the other book.”
Joana picked up the second book, her curiosity piqued. She barely made it through half a page before her eyes widened in shock. “My god!” she exclaimed, looking up at Ludwig. “Is this real?”
“I copied it word by word,” Ludwig said, his tone matter-of-fact.
Joana’s expression shifted from shock to something akin to awe. She began reading more intently, her eyes darting across the pages as if devouring every word. After a moment, she slammed her fist onto the ground, her frustration palpable. “Damn it! Damn it!” she cursed under her breath.
Ludwig blinked, taken aback by her reaction. “Ah, Ludwig, where the hell have you been all my life?” she said, sighing heavily. She placed the book on top of the other one and sighed some more. Remorse or regret was clear in her eyes as she looked up at the sky.
“What is it, professor?” Ludwig asked, his curiosity now fully ignited.
Joana smiled, though there was a hint of sadness in her eyes. “You need to keep this safe—incredibly so. This is basically the holy grail of swordsmanship.”
Ludwig tilted his head, confused. “You sounded more annoyed than happy stating that fact.”
“Because I sadly can’t use it,” Joana admitted, her tone tinged with regret. “You on the other hand, you can,” she said.
Ludwig frowned.
Joana then said, “Do you know how swordsmanship is categorized?”
“I can’t say I know, I’m pretty amateurish in that regard,” he shrugged.
Joana’s expression turned serious. “basically, There are several styles of swordsmanship, each with its own training methods. The main styles are simple: The Gentle Blade, which this book is part of,” she said, pointing to the first book, “The Heavy Style, which is the Imperial Sword style you’ve been training in, the Shadow Style, reserved for assassins and rogues, and finally, the least known and most mysterious of them all—the Tyrant Style.”
“Sounds pretty cool,” Ludwig said, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
“It is,” Joana agreed. “The Tyrant Style is a style for berserkers and barbarians. It’s a style that uses one’s strength to its full potential.”
“Isn’t that the same as the Heavy Style?” Ludwig asked.
“No,” Joana replied, shaking her head. “The Heavy Style still takes regard for one’s safety and position. The Tyrant Style is the complete opposite. It’s a ‘give flesh, break bone’ type of battling method. And that’s the same style as the one I’m using.”
“So you already know this book?” Ludwig asked, his confusion growing.
“No, you’re missing the point,” Joana said, her tone patient. “The style itself is the Tyrant Style, and it has subdivisions. My own style is called the Blood Beast Style. It’s very barbaric and violent, but it gets the job done. This one,” she said, holding up the second book, “is called the Tyrant Blade.”
“Same name as the style itself?” Ludwig asked.
“More like the origin of the style itself,” Joana explained. “This is the foundation—the purest form of the Tyrant Style.”
Ludwig’s eyes lit up with interest. “Then can I learn it?”
“You can,” Joana said, though her voice carried a note of sadness. “I actually advise you to learn it.”
Ludwig frowned, sensing there was more to her words. “I feel like I’m missing something. Your wording sounds like you can’t.”
Joana sighed, her expression softening. “Yes, I personally can’t. I’ve invested too much time and effort into the Blood Beast Style, and it’s a two-handed style. While this one,” she said, tapping the book, “is a one-handed style. It allows you to freely use your other hand to either wield a shield or another weapon. You said you fought the Knight King, who wielded a shield and a sword, right?”
“Yeah,” Ludwig said, nodding. “He wasn’t that impressive, though. He didn’t use much ‘barbarism.'”
Joana chuckled. “I can understand why he couldn’t. He didn’t have his ‘heart’ with him. But you,” she said, pointing at Ludwig’s chest, “your heart has yet to blossom. If you learn this and practice it diligently, you might create your own unique aura and develop your own unique style of combat. And what’s pretty impressive about this style,” she added, her tone growing more animated, “is that it heavily consumes one’s stamina—so much so that it’s almost impossible for any mortal to wield it.”
Ludwig’s eyes gleamed with understanding. “As an undead, I don’t tire easily.”
“Exactly,” Joana said, a proud smile spreading across her face. She tapped Ludwig on the shoulder. “Keep training your Imperial Sword Style on the side, but I’d recommend you train the Tyrant Blade mainly whenever you have the time.”
Ludwig nodded, a sense of determination settling over him. He picked up the book, his fingers tracing the title on the cover. As he did, a notification flashed before his eyes:
[Due to your increased understanding of the Tyrant Style, you may learn Tyrant Blade swordsmanship.]
[Would you like to learn The Tyrant Blade?]