I Can See the Sword’s Memories

Chapter 8: Entrance test (1)

A few short exchanges of blows passed. My sharp strikes began to draw seriousness into Theo’s eyes.

I kept my gaze fixed on him, urgently assessing his movements, while sharpening my sense of hearing to catch every nuance of his breathing.

Theo’s breathing changed. The air he had been holding in preparation for an attack escaped as his breath suddenly stopped. I reacted instantly.

Swoosh—!

A strike aimed at the upper-right side. The strength in Theo’s blade diminished just before impact, as if he was holding back out of consideration.

I found this irritating but refrained from showing it—I knew my skills fell far short of Theo’s.

Clang—!

Sparks flew as our swords clashed again. Theo’s claim of being skilled wasn’t an empty boast; he was better than me. 

He was also far stronger than any of the civilized men who had pestered me before.

I’ll need to mix things up to turn the tide.

The moment I made this decision, my swordsmanship changed. 

The flashy, unnecessary movements vanished, replaced by direct strikes, and my speed increased.

Superfluous actions disappeared. My strikes became fierce, like a predator’s fangs targeting a critical moment, as my blade chased Theo’s sword.

Bang! Tap-tap!

Despite the change, my attacks failed to land. Theo, having regained his composure, stepped back and deflected each strike with precision.

Ssshh—

I retreated significantly—not to prepare for another attack but to exhale the breath I had been holding and assess my opponent calmly.

Lowering my blade, I declared, “I’ve lost.”

“Huh?”

“I can’t win. Your swordsmanship is far superior to mine.”

While I might stand a chance in the snowy fields, I knew I couldn’t win against Theo in pure swordsmanship.

“You have every right to be confident. You’re strong.”

Theo’s face flushed at the compliment. After a moment of hesitation, he sheathed his sword and spoke.

“Well, focusing on one technique might’ve worked better for you.”

He offered advice as if victory entitled him to do so. I tilted my head slightly with a crooked expression. I already knew that, but what could I do? My abilities were what they were.

I had the power to read others’ memories and replicate their skills. 

Focusing on just one discipline would mean losing out on too much potential. I let Theo’s advice go in one ear and out the other.

“Am I strong?” I asked.

“Uh… um…” Theo hesitated, unsure how to respond. Something about my movements must have felt off to him. 

While my strikes were strong, they must have seemed awkward and stiff, like those of someone who hadn’t been practicing swordsmanship for very long.

Seeing Theo struggle to answer, I frowned impatiently and said, “Is it difficult for you to answer?”

“No, no! You’re strong! But…”

“You’re saying it’s a bit unclear.”

“Yeah.”

“It seems I lack strength. To properly utilize swordsmanship, I’ll need to build more physical power.”

As I spoke, I rubbed my wrist. My pale skin, exposed beneath my tattered clothes, was as white as snow.

***

That evening, Theo and I found a suitable spot to set up camp. We gathered firewood, dug a place to sleep, and prepared dinner: two rabbits I had hunted.

Of course, I didn’t share my catch with Theo. Without any food of his own, Theo could only stare longingly at the roasting rabbit meat, his mouth watering.

Crackle, crackle.

“C-can’t you spare just one?” Theo asked.

“It’s not enough even for me. If you want food, go hunt something yourself.”

Theo gave me a pitiful look, but it was no use. I had no intention of sharing my food.

This body was still in its growth phase. Proper sleep and abundant nourishment were essential during such an important time.

“I-I’ll pay you for it!” Theo said, pulling out his money pouch. The weighty jingle suggested it held a considerable sum.

But I refused.

“I have plenty of money. I don’t need it.”

I glanced at my bag and nodded to myself. Ignoring Theo’s growing despair, I pulled a skewer of roasted rabbit meat from the fire and began eating it with relish.

The golden-brown rabbit meat, crispy on the outside, disappeared into my mouth. 

I even sprinkled some spices over it—another prize acquired after cutting down those who had tried to ambush me.

When I was halfway through one of the rabbits, I spoke, as if doing Theo a favor.

“If you lend me your sword for a while, I’ll give you some rabbit meat. How about it?”

“My sword…?”

“Fine.”

“No way!”

Theo’s refusal was adamant. I widened my eyes at his reaction. 

It was just a matter of borrowing the sword—I hadn’t even asked to take it permanently, only to use it briefly and then return it.

But was it really something to refuse so strongly?

“Handing my sword over to someone else? That’s absolutely unthinkable.”

“Hm…”

I nodded with a look full of regret. If Theo didn’t want to, there was nothing else to be done. That just meant I would eat the remaining rabbit as well.

I picked up the other skewer of roasted rabbit and began eating.

Chomp.

“Agh…”

***

On the third day of traveling together, Theo and I finally stood before a massive fortress wall.

“It’s enormous…”

“We’ve made it at last…!”

I stared up at the towering walls, repeatedly exclaiming in amazement. 

Compared to the modest walls my tribe had built for defense, these walls were on an entirely different scale, making the tribal structures seem insignificant.

What kind of technology built this? How do they manage the weight at such heights? I wish I could find the builders and ask.

“What are you doing? Aren’t you going to get in line?”

Snapping out of my thoughts, I nodded at Theo’s call. The two of us joined the line together.

The line to enter the imperial city stretched on endlessly.

It looks like we’ll have to wait for quite some time…

I nodded to myself. Waiting was no problem for me. I had once buried myself in snow for hours to hunt prey in the snowy fields. This kind of waiting was trivial in comparison.

As time passed and the sun began to set, it was finally our turn. 

Theo and I approached the guards stationed at the city gates.

“Lay down your weapons and prepare for a baggage inspection. If you have any objections, speak now.”

Neither of us had objections. Following the example of others, Theo and I handed over our belongings to the guards and stood near the wall for a personal body search.

“What’s with this one? Why does he have five swords?”

“Spare weapons?”

“Who carries spare swords in different styles…?”

“Just to be safe, let’s check those weapons thoroughly.”

After the body search, the guards returned with a stack of papers. 

These sheets contained a list of rules and prohibitions for inside the city.

Unlike Theo, who could read, I simply stared blankly at the paper. 

Though I could speak the language, I had never learned the writing system of the civilized people.

I was illiterate.

“If you’re done reading, flip to the next page.”

Following the guard’s instructions, Theo turned to the next page. Watching him, I mimicked the action.

The second page was also filled with dense text. 

However, even Theo, who had read the first page with ease, seemed unable to decipher this one.

“Uh, what kind of script is this?” Theo asked, his confusion evident.

“If you can’t read it, just skip it. Keep flipping.”

“Ah, yes…”

We obediently followed the guard’s instructions.

Flip—flip—flip.

Each time we turned a page, unfamiliar characters appeared. The five pages were flipped through in no time.

The guards watching the process commented among themselves.

“They didn’t read anything after the first page.”

“They didn’t seem to recognize it either.”

“Then pass them through.”

Theo and I exchanged glances. It seemed we had unknowingly met some kind of selection criteria.

After retrieving our belongings, we passed through the massive city gates.

“Wow…”

I let out a gasp of amazement as I looked at the sprawling cityscape. 

It was vast, Gigantic, Splendid, And loud. I had never seen such a crowd in my life.

Even if all the tribes in the frozen tundra were gathered together, their numbers would pale in comparison.

What surprised me next was the paved stone roads. Not just one or two bricks, but an entire city covered in finely carved stone blocks.

Impressive… To have the resources and labor to pave the ground like this means they must have immense wealth.

“We’ve finally arrived…! Now this city will be mine…!”

I ignored Theo, who was lost in his own daydreams. Now that we had reached our destination, there was no need to stay together any longer.

Briefly, I considered offering Theo thanks for keeping watch during the nights, but instead, I simply turned and walked away.

***

After securing a room at an inn, I began gathering information about the organization called Azure Wings.

I learned that the Empire’s Knight Order entrance exam was scheduled to take place in two days.

If I failed the entrance exam, that would be the end of it for the year. The exam was held only once annually.

I was lucky. If I hadn’t hurried along the way, I would have been stuck wasting an entire year in this city.

***

Two Days Later

With all preparations complete, I left the inn, the five swords strapped to my back rattling as I walked.

I arrived in front of a massive colosseum where the Empire’s Knight Order entrance exam was to be held.

The small figure of me strode confidently toward the registration desk.

“Please state your name, age, place of origin, and the type of swordsmanship you use.”

“Saeorin. I’m fourteen. My place of origin is the frozen tundra. I don’t have a name for the swordsmanship I use.”

“Uh…?”

The clerk at the registration desk looked up from his papers to scrutinize me. Adjusting his glasses, he seemed unable to process what he’d just heard.

“The frozen tundra? Beyond those mountain ranges? Then you’re a barbarian?”

“Yes.”

I made no effort to hide my origins. On the contrary, I puffed out my narrow chest with pride.

“Hmm… The only knight order that accepts barbarians is…”

“I know. I came here to join Azure Wings.”

The clerk nodded at my words. Occasionally, barbarians from beyond the mountains would appear, seeking to join the knight orders.

However, there was only one knight order open to barbarians.

Bang!

After completing the paperwork, the clerk stamped it. The bold letters Azure Wings were prominently marked on the pristine document.