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Eris stared blankly for a long moment before suddenly snapping back to reality, her expression twisting into frustration as she glared up at Ghislaine.
She felt like she was being treated like a child.
But when she looked—
Ghislaine's face remained as stern as ever, her eyes slightly narrowed as she watched the four figures conversing in the distance.
Cold. Unreadable.
It reminded Eris of Ghislaine's usual strictness during sword training.
Then, Ghislaine spoke again, her voice as sharp as her blade.
The same words.
"Allen is strong."
She looked down at Eris, her gaze softening just slightly—enough to show that she understood exactly why Eris was reacting this way.
"Eris, do you feel that Allen has…"
She paused, searching for the right word.
"...disappointed you? That you can't accept what just happened?"
Eris' eyebrows shot up.
"Hah?! Disappointed? What does that mean?!"
"You believe Allen is incredibly strong, yet his performance just now didn't match your expectations. That's why you're angry, isn't it?"
For once, the young lady was at a loss for words. Her face flushed red, torn between defiance and the weight of Ghislaine's piercing stare.
Ghislaine, watching her struggle, answered the unspoken question.
"Allen is strong. You can keep believing that."
Eris exhaled in relief—until Ghislaine continued.
"His swordsmanship foundation is solid. He has a unique understanding of Sword God style, which allows him to wield a silent tachi unlike anyone else's. That's why I admire him. I understand how you feel."
"But when he first swung his silent tachi earlier, I was puzzled. Given his talent, even with Paul as his teacher, his silent tachi should have been near-perfect by now. Yet it wasn't."
"There's still room for refinement—especially in speed. It wasn't fast enough."
"That surprised me."
"But do you know who else was just as surprised?"
Eris frowned.
"Who?"
Ghislaine cut her off.
"Allen himself."
"Why was he surprised?"
"Because his silent tachi had slowed down—and he hadn't even realized it until now."
"As for the reason… I tested it during our spar. Sure enough—"
"He tried to block my strike the same way he always had, but failed. He had to hastily switch to Water God style to defend, which is why my blade's shockwave sent him flying."
"It's not that he hasn't mastered silent tachi—it's that his sword slowed. Recently. And until now, he might not have even noticed."
Eris' mind reeled, struggling to process this.
"Slowed… down?"
Ghislaine looked down at her.
"I had planned to explain this to you once you reached Advanced rank, but this is a good opportunity. It might even help you progress further in Sword God style."
Then, abruptly, she asked a seemingly unrelated question.
"Do you think mastered sword techniques can stagnate… or even regress?"
Eris scowled like an irritated lion cub.
"Of course! You're always making me practice swings! Like you say—'A swordsman must never neglect their blade!' If I ever stopped training, I'd definitely get worse!"
Ghislaine nodded.
"Then what about the ultimate techniques of Sword God style—silent tachi? Or Light Reversal?"
"Can they regress?"
Eris opened her mouth to say no—after all, once you learned a secret technique, wasn't it yours forever?
But then Ghislaine's earlier words echoed in her mind.
"It's not that he hasn't mastered silent tachi—it's that his sword slowed."
Her eyes widened.
"You mean Allen's silent tachi got worse?!"
Ghislaine nodded, choosing her next words carefully.
"Correct. And the reason his silent tachi regressed ties directly to the core of Sword God style's progression—desire. Or, perhaps, obsession."
"Desire? Obsession?"
Ghislaine ran a hand along the scabbard of Fierce Moon.
"For a Sword God-style swordsman, if their desire stops burning, their strength will stagnate at best—or decline at worst."
"Just like Allen right now."
"I don't get it! But—then what should he do?!"
"You don't need to fully understand yet, Eris. This is still far beyond your current level. So for now… just watch."
"Just… watch?"
Ghislaine's gaze drifted to Allen, who now stood calmly chatting with Sylphie, Rudeus, and Hilda—his usual composure restored.
A faint smile tugged at her lips.
"Yes. Watch. I don't know exactly when Allen will reignite that desire…"
"But without a doubt—"
"He will rise again."
"And when he does, he'll swing a blade sharper than ever."
"At that moment, what you'll see won't be silent tachi."
"But—"
"Light Reversal!"
Eris' eyes shot wide open as she whipped her head toward Ghislaine.
The Sword King's smile deepened.
Right now—
While Rudeus, Sylphie, Eris, and Hilda were each lost in their own tangled emotions…
While they fretted over their own worries…
The person with the most confidence in Allen wasn't his mother (too blinded by concern), his friends (too caught up in shock), his would-be lover (too hesitant to speak her feelings), or his newfound admirer (too shaken by what she'd just seen).
It was Ghislaine.
Because she was the only true observer here—detached, objective.
She had studied Allen's talent. She understood it.
And having stood at the threshold of Light Reversal herself for years—having experienced firsthand how silent tachi could wax and wane—she recognized exactly what was happening to him.
So she knew Allen.
And she believed in him.
Ghislaine flicked a finger against her scabbard.
The metallic ping snapped Eris out of her daze.
"Eris, do you know how many years it took me to master Light Reversal and officially become a Sword King?"
Eris shook her head.
"One year!"
Ghislaine chuckled dryly.
"Five. So tell me—how long do you think Allen will need to cross that threshold?"
Eris crossed her arms, thinking hard.
"If it's Allen… then maybe the same as you… Fi—"
She hesitated, the image of Allen being sent flying flashing in her mind again.
Her confidence wavered.
"…S-Seven years! What do you think, Ghislaine?"
Ghislaine patted Eris' head, amused.
"I don't know. But—"
"Why don't you watch and see? See how long he truly needs to unleash Light Reversal?"
Eris pressed her lips together, then turned back to Allen—her eyes alight with renewed determination.
"…Yeah!"
A brief silence fell between them.
Then—
"Hey! What is this 'desire' thing?! I still don't get it!"
Ghislaine looked down at Eris, who was now staring intensely at Allen like a hawk tracking prey.
She couldn't help but laugh.
Her gaze lifted—glancing once more at Allen in the distance.
Then lowered—meeting Eris' fiery eyes.
Her final words hung in the air.
"Light Reversal will flash—"
"…when his desire burns brightest."
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 220 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 80 power stones I will publish the next chapter.