Chapter 05
“The sword technique I use is called the Crossblade Style.”
On a morning where drifting volcanic ash distorted the sunlight into crimson hues, Camilla’s training began.
This was always how it was in the battlefield—in the South.
The land that had fallen to the Abyss experienced bizarre geological transformations. Mountains had turned into volcanoes, endlessly spewing smoke and ash into the skies. Unless it rained, one could never see a sky like in the old days.
“It’s a swordsmanship style where both the sword and the scabbard are used in a seamless, unified manner.”
In her right hand, the sword.
In her left, the scabbard.
Camilla’s stance, with sword and scabbard crossed, exuded an inexplicable dignity.
“Crossblade Style? That name’s awful.”
Did it originate from the cross shape formed when the sword and scabbard intersected?
“Hey, you little bastard. Every successor of Aradamentel has used this sword technique. At least show some respect.”
“Hmph.”
“Hmph? Hmm? Hmmmm? Is that how your father taught you to show respect—arms crossed and going ‘hmph’?”
Now that he thought about it, Camilla never mentioned her mother when spewing profanities.
“Stop hitting my head! Why bring up my dad?”
“Someone raised with garbage-tier manners like you needs regular beatings to implant some morals. I’m curious—what does your dad look like?”
“He’s handsome! Super handsome!”
“Judging by your busted face, I highly doubt that.”
The mercenaries found themselves amazed every time they watched Camilla instruct Kaicen.
‘I’ve never seen Lady Camilla talk this much.’
‘And to think she’s teaching someone.’
‘She knocked out every other kid with a punch and sent them packing.’
For Johan Wolf Frost, the feelings ran even deeper, though he didn’t yet understand why.
He felt both proud and saddened by what he saw.
Because he didn’t realize yet—that this was the weight of sorrow brought by the son of the former commander.
“Listen carefully. To use this power, you’ll need to learn two forms of mana control.”
“Mana control?”
“First, for your right hand—that is, when using the sword—you’ll use Chains (鎖; Mana Chain). It’s about using the chain of mana that extends roots throughout your body.”
Suddenly, the tip of Camilla’s sword shot toward Kaicen’s eyes, and sweat beaded on his forehead.
‘That’s way too far for the sword to actually reach me…’
But the sinister aura enveloping the blade made the impossible real.
‘So… this was what Mother was using back then…’
When grief seeps into the heart, it turns into rage and fury. The boy barely managed to suppress it.
“Most swordsmen use the Mana Chain. The core techniques of Crossblade Style come from that too—but you think that’s enough to deal with the Uruk?”
“Then what?”
“You also need to master Heart (心; Mana Heart). Hey, Wolf!”
A calculation completed in Wolf’s mind, bending the laws of nature in some hidden corner of the world.
In an instant, cold gathered on his palm and formed into icicles.
The icicles shot toward them like arrows, but they were repelled by a blood-colored barrier that erupted from Camilla’s scabbard.
“The sword for offense, and the scabbard for defense?”
“You need to be able to use both. What, you think life’s that easy…? Actually, I’d love to say that, but since you’re a guy, you won’t be able to use true Crossblade Style.”
“Why not?”
“Men can’t use Mana Chains with the same precision as women. Not even close. It’s embarrassing how bad you guys are.”
“So what do I do?”
“Well, men can use it with raw power. So male swordmasters who’ve reached the top use heavy weapons to support their immense mana.”
“You’re saying I should switch weapons?”
“We’ll see. But even within Crossblade Style, there’s a way to make use of your natural mana capacity.”
“What is it?”
“Iaido.”
“Iaido?”
“Yes, Iaido. Because you were born with a you-know-what, instead of learning traditional Crossblade Style, you’ll focus on a variant that uses Iaido. That’s how I see it. Historically, no man has ever become a Fey Warrior or mastered Crossblade Style.”
“But Iaido is just for show. It’s used for assassination or counter-assassination. I don’t like that stuff.”
“You hopeless idiot. Crossblade Iaido is in a class of its own.”
In an instant—
Camilla grabbed the scabbard with her left hand and the hilt with her right, and the atmosphere around them shifted.
The air turned suffocating, heavy, and sharp.
“Didn’t I tell you? The left hand uses the Mana Heart.”
A surge of mana exploded from her palm and flowed into the scabbard.
“What happens if you keep filling a leather bag with water?”
“It bursts.”
“Exactly. That’s the principle behind Crossblade Iaido.”
Inside the scabbard, mana built up—piled and compressed—until the sheer heat of the force trembled in Camilla’s grip.
“You pack the scabbard full of Mana Heart energy until it reaches its absolute limit. Then you compress it with the Mana Chain and detonate it in an instant.”
And Camilla drew her sword.
No one saw the arc of the slash—only the result of the sword being drawn and swung.
Was this what it felt like to stand inside the eye of a sword dance? A kind of art achievable only with a blade.
As sunlight glinted off the steel, three massive trees in the forest behind them split in half and toppled to the ground.
Maybe it was the youthful awe—but Kaicen felt his entire body shudder in a tremble of pure thrill.
“Teach me how to do it.”
“Like this.”
…Huh?
Suddenly, a searing pain like an exploding heart turned Kaicen’s vision blood-red.
Only then did he realize—Camilla had pierced his chest with the scabbard.
Power surged and tore through his veins, flooding his body.
Blood spilled from his mouth, eyes, and nose.
“Breathe, damn it! If you pass out, you’ll die!”
The world darkened and twisted as his body collapsed, horizon flipping upside-down.
“Normally, you’d need years of training to use this power. But do I look crazy to you? Like I’d waste years hanging around with you?”
“…?”
“I forcibly broke open your mana channels for both Mana Chain and Mana Heart. If your body can’t handle it, the backlash will kill you. If you can… well, let’s see.”
Kaicen writhed on the blood-soaked ground, clearly in agony.
The mercenaries shrugged—it was exactly what they expected. But Johan and Eltoram’s expressions were far more serious.
As Camilla brushed past Johan, the mage with snowflake eyes quietly said:
“I never thought you’d favor Kaicen this much.”
“What?”
“You didn’t just open his channels—you gave him your own inner power, didn’t you? Are you sure about that? You gave him so much…”
“Tch. I’m just returning what I received.”
“Returning? What are you talking about?”
“It’s something I don’t need anymore. So I’m giving it away. I’m tired now—don’t talk to me.”
Yeah.
It was something she received from her master.
He told her—once she became a great warrior worthy of the title, she should pass it down to her disciple.
“Don’t blame me later. He’s the one who chose to walk the path of the sword.”
Childhood,
The Beginning of Summer (4)
While Kaisen was recovering from internal injuries, he was temporarily assigned to Squad 3.
“Until you recover, just clean up after these guys. At least learn the basics of combat so you don’t become a nuisance.”
The squad members didn’t dislike Kaisen—no, in fact, they had been quite pleased at first to have a cute youngest among them.
“So what should I do?”
“Do? Don’t try to do anything.”
“Just sit still?”
But when it came to combat, they were strictly reluctant to accept him.
“If you really want to help, go warm up my bed. With that pretty face, I could almost mistake you for a girl if I closed my eyes.”
“Wahaha!”
The one constantly spouting vulgar jokes whenever bored was Sergeant Jin, nicknamed “Long Gun.”
The long gun, among the various types of steam rifles, was the most powerful—but also the hardest to shoot, reload, and afford. To wield one meant you were a veteran among veterans—surviving long enough to earn the money for it. Jin claimed he’d been using one for nearly fifteen years.
Kaisen had even seen Jin take down the Uruk battle commander from a staggering 200 meters with a perfect headshot.
“Shut up and just watch and learn, Mr. Uruk Slayer. We’re not Uruks. Just because one guy is good doesn’t mean everyone is. Bet you don’t even know what a squad really is.”
At this time, a squad was a community of fate built on the tactical doctrine known as the Ironbird Formation.
Two spearmen.
Four riflemen.
One sergeant.
Seven members total made up a squad.It was called the Ironbird Formation because they took on a V-shape formation, much like migrating birds in flight.
Ten squads made a platoon, five platoons made a company, and three companies made a battalion. Naturally, the more squads there were, the larger the V-formation grew.
“The spearmen go up front, and the riflemen spread out on each side like wings.”
“Okay.”
“The spearmen hold back the Uruks with their two-meter-long spears. The riflemen shoot like hell, then hide behind the spearmen to reload.”
“So what about me?”
“You? Just sit in the back and suck your thumb, man. Or daydream about your ideal type—like Lady Camilla, maybe.”
“You’ll get killed saying stuff like that.”
“Sorry, m’lady. But I can’t lie, even if it costs me my life.”
Jin also tried to teach Kaisen marksmanship.
It didn’t make sense for such a little brat to go up against an Uruk warrior with a sword, after all.But no matter how hard he tried to learn, all Kaisen could see were the limitations of firearms.
“It’s too heavy.”
First, you had to equip what they called a SteamCore—or more properly, a Frisvia Core.
Frisvia was the name of the inventor of the steam engine. With the tech at the time, you had to carry a steam engine on your back like a backpack just to operate a steam rifle.
Ten tubes connected the Frisvia Core to the rifle, providing the power for firing.
That meant even the uniforms had to be inefficiently designed with a giant hole in the back.“How are you supposed to fight wearing this?”
When he grumbled in irritation, Jin and the other mercenaries chuckled—then burst out laughing.
“Pfft—Kekekek!”
“Hahaha! Oh man!”
Was it a cultural difference?
What was so funny about that?
“We’re just laughing ’cause it’s been so long since we heard anyone say that, kid.”
“?”
“Only skilled guys make it into the Fayquaria Corps. They pay us a lot, too. Haven’t seen any rookies whining about heavy gear in forever. Didn’t realize how cute it could be till now.”
They were the White Skull Corps.
White helmets engraved with skulls.
White uniforms.
White cloaks.Their all-white appearance symbolized a confidence that not even a drop of the enemy’s blood would touch them—a badge of pride from the strongest corps.
“Don’t pinch my cheek.”
“Hahaha! Imagine going down in history as the guy who pinched the cheek of the Uruk Slayer and lived to tell the tale.”
“Oh, then me too!”
“Me too!”
“I said quit it!”
If he hadn’t been injured, he’d have beaten them all to a pulp.
He wasn’t interested in firearms, but learning how the squad fought seemed useful, so he started joining training drills.
Not because he decided to—but because Johan subtly nudged him.
Think about why Camilla assigned you to that squad in particular, with Jin there, he had said.
“With the current tech, each magazine holds five rounds. Know what that means?”
After firing five rounds, you had to reload—and that took serious skill.
Civilians took about 30 seconds.
Seasoned corps members could do it in under 10.Jin? He did it in six.
“Shooting, reloading—every battle has a rhythm. Realizing that rhythm is the first step to understanding the rhythm of war.”
It was a heat of battle you’d never understand from book-learning alone.
“Squad! Battle formation! Four-point Ironbird!”
At Jin’s command, the playful expressions vanished from the squad’s faces.
In an instant, they formed a perfect V-formation.The ability to form ranks in any situation, without hesitation—that’s what determined life or death.
So this is the Ironbird Formation…
He didn’t master firearms, but he came to fully understand their formation.
Breaks weren’t just for training—they were also time to meet fated encounters.
The core of the corps was made up of four—what people called the Hero Party:
Fayquaria Camilla
Johan the Snowflower Archmage
White Bear Eltoram
Long Gun Jin
There had originally been five, including a witch healer—but she had died in the last battle.
The corps treated each other like blood brothers.
While Eltoram and Jin led the soldiers as captains, the atmosphere was more like close friends than a strict hierarchy.The only exceptions were Camilla and Johan.
Camilla was not a friend—she was the hero they revered.
Even veterans like Jin joked around with her occasionally, but always with respectful boundaries.
Camilla was the strict father of the corps.
Johan was the gentle mother.Though the gender roles were reversed in this metaphor, the meaning stood.
Despite her stern nature, Camilla had never abandoned a single soldier—not one, as long as they were alive.
The soldiers said they followed her because of that unwavering faith.
Jin emphasized that point again and again—not a single soldier, in all their countless battles.“They’re both incredible people. Our corps is the strongest Fayquaria unit out there. You wouldn’t believe how many people line up to join.”
Jin proudly pointed to his white uniform and the skull-marked helmet.
“This white uniform means we fight without shedding a drop of blood. And we’re the rightful successors of the Crimson Lotus Corps, you know.”
“Crimson Lotus Corps?”
“You don’t know? That was the legendary corps led by Laminéa Alter Aradamentel.”
Since Camilla and Johan had served under Laminéa’s Crimson Lotus Corps last summer, it was natural for people to see the White Skull Corps as their successor.
So… people who knew Mother.
Camilla had been said to be a direct disciple of his mother.
He wondered—what kind of teacher had she been?
“Ugh, you idiot. Can’t do anything right. Tsk tsk. I’ve said it before, but I really wanna know what your dad looked like.”
…Probably not like that.
He was curious, but he didn’t ask.
He didn’t reveal his own identity either.
There was something else he had to ask first.That name: swordsmanship.
A method of killing, and the tool for laying sacrificial offerings at his mother’s altar.
He had to learn it—now.[Among the six Great Demon Tribes, there was one barbaric race known as the “Gigabone”—the Uruks.]
Since he couldn’t train in swordsmanship until his body fully healed, he fueled his thirst for revenge by secretly reading Johan’s historical records.
[The Uruks were the first to invade in 1692. Towering over seven feet tall, these giants decimated the Old Republic.]
In just 50 days, the Uruks had shattered key southern fortresses, splitting into left, right, and central armies and ravaging the land with unbelievable momentum.
[At that time, the Papal Office dispatched the Fayquaria. Their mission was to hold the line until the refugees escaped beyond the Inferno Line…]
Wait for me.
Just a little longer.I’ll come find you.
“You idiot! Can’t even do this? You’re supposed to swing the sword with a whoosh so it makes a sound.”
“?”
“Ugh, what am I gonna do with you? Whoosh, swish, whoosh swish. Is that hard?”
“?”
“You really can’t do it? Are you messing with me to make me snap?”
“!”
“Try it! Just do it! See? You can!”
But getting to that point… was a brutal journey.
Even Ulf thought so, as he sighed and added to the diary in which he carefully recorded Kaisen’s childhood:
[The fact that he completed even this kind of training perfectly—surely that makes him the best student of all.]
As he wrote that, Ulf watched Kaisen and Camilla and quietly chuckled.
Camilla, who was normally cold and aloof, looked unusually soft and expressive when teaching Kaisen. And Kaisen, in turn, seemed to mirror that warmth.
“Looks like Camilla doesn’t hate teaching as much as she claims, huh?”
Next to him, Jin grinned playfully, chewing a cigarette and carefully polishing his long gun.
“It’s like watching a chick following its mother around.”
“A chick?”
“No matter what the hen did, that little thing tried so hard to copy everything. My sister nearly went crazy from how cute it was. Though it did end up on my birthday dinner plate when I turned ten.”
“Did you really have to add that last part, Jin?”
“I don’t like lying. Anyway, if it was that adorable even to us, imagine how it looked to its mother.”
Mother and child…
Ulf couldn’t help but smile wistfully at Jin’s words.
“At Camilla’s age, it wouldn’t be strange if she had a child of her own by now.”
But Camilla was Fayquaria.
And Fayquaria underwent bodily modifications that left them sterile.Yeah… but if Camilla hadn’t been Fayquaria…
