"Yes, I will do so. And thank you for understanding my rude behavior." Gravel said.
"Haha, I'm grateful you answered so readily without much hesitation."
Count Tould replied with a chuckle.
"Ever since I was young, I've always had to speak my mind to feel at ease. Besides, I didn't sense any killing intent from you when you cast your magic. If there had been even a hint of hostility, I would've drawn my sword and charged the moment I saw that magic circle."
Count Tould spoke to Gravel with a laugh. Around them, fragments of Malek's Stone Staff, conjured by Gravel, were still floating down from the sky, slowly descending to the ground. Some were as small as a fist, others as large as an ox, and there were rocks shaped like elongated towers or flattened into broad, flat forms. Each rock, with its unique shape, drifted down lightly like autumn leaves or snowflakes falling on a harsh winter day, gently settling onto the earth.
"By the way… has the path of mana reached such profound depths without my knowledge?" Count Tould murmured to himself with a bittersweet smile, gazing at the falling rocks around them.
"Well, it seems the misunderstanding has been cleared, so shall we return to the camp?"
"Let's do that. But before we go, I have one more question."
Count Tould said, stopping Gravel as he began walking toward the camp.
"Since my youth, I've trained my body and sword, reaching the level I'm at now. There was a time when I was called the greatest knight on the continent. I've fought countless battles through wars and never neglected my training, even now…"
Count Tould let out a long sigh, reflecting on his past before continuing.
"Because of that, I've developed a certain ability to gauge my opponents. That skill has allowed me to survive on the Path of Steel for so long. So, here's my question—a foolish old knight's question, perhaps, but one I've always believed: whether it's the Path of Steel or the Way of Mana, I've always thought their endpoints must be the same."
Count Tould paused, pressing his lips together as he carefully chose his next words. After a brief silence, he spoke again.
"What lies at the place you've reached? And can you tell me how close I am to it? If you wish, I can demonstrate my skills right here and now."
It was a question heavy with meaning. Gravel knew that Count Tould, despite witnessing high-level 9th-level magic, couldn't fully grasp the extent of his power, given his limited knowledge of magic. Yet, the count's piercing gaze burned with a sincere desire for truth.
"Then, with my limited abilities, I'll take a look at your mana."
Gravel said, his gentle expression turning cold and impassive as he fixed his gaze on Count Tould.
"It's mana refined steadily, silently, and tirelessly over a long time…"
Gravel remarked softly, observing the mana emanating from Count Tould.
"Hahaha, I'm grateful for your words. It makes me happy."
Count Tould said, his hearty laughter echoing through the forest.
"As for the place I've reached, I can't quite put it into words myself. I'm sorry I can't give you a clear answer. Like you, I've accumulated my strength over a long time, but the source of my current power stems from a combination of chance and luck."
Gravel tried to answer as honestly as possible without revealing that he had come from Grand World Online to this other world, but his words came out vague. Count Tould, however, nodded silently, seemingly unbothered, and continued the conversation.
"Now that I think about it, you mentioned you've recently started learning the sword, didn't you?"
"Yes, I'm learning from my companion, Iris." Gravel replied.
"To have reached such heights in magic and still train in swordsmanship—your passion is enviable! No, perhaps it's that very passion that led you to your current strength! Hahaha!"
Count Tould laughed heartily, amused by the thought of a mage capable of destroying an entire city with magic now training in swordsmanship. Yet, deep down, he reflected on himself—how he had grown complacent, satisfied with his position, and had stopped pushing forward.
When had it started? Was it when he was named the kingdom's greatest knight? Or perhaps earlier, during the war beyond the eastern wall, when he felled countless enemies? As he sifted through fading memories, Count Tould resolved to take up serious sword training again once he returned to Valla Glas.
"Thanks to you, my eyes have been opened to many things today. It's not much of a reward, but… would you like to learn a bit of this old knight's swordsmanship?"
Gravel shrugged, his heart stirring at the chance to learn swordsmanship from a master in this other world—and from the most skilled knight he had ever met, no less.
"If you're willing to teach me, I'd be honored to learn." Gravel replied.
"It's not as grand as you might expect. It's the most basic technique for infusing mana into an attack, but with your skill in handling mana, you should be able to learn it easily." Count Tould said, dropping his scabbard to the ground and readying his sword.
"It's a simple upward slash!"
The tip of his sword grazed the ground, tracing a wide arc as Count Tould executed a sharp upward slash, the blade cutting through the air with a piercing sound. The mana enveloping the sword flowed smoothly, following the blade's movement, taking visible form.
The energy from the sword surged upward like a whale's spout, rising toward the sky above Count Tould. As it ascended, the mana split to the sides, forming a blue shape resembling a fish's tail fin before fading away.
"What do you think of the House Tould's upward slash? It's also called the Tail of Na-Woul." Count Tould said, approaching Gravel with a smile, eager to hear his thoughts.
"I don't know much about swordsmanship, but the mana flowing from your sword was more refined than any I've ever seen." Gravel replied.
"Is that so? This sword technique was inspired by the tail of Na-Woul, the mana whale, the god of the Dawi and Muwa tribes. It was created to commemorate my encounter with them. The mana splits to the sides at the end of the upward slash, resembling a whale's tail, which is why it's also called Whale Tail."
"Yes, I saw a shape resembling a whale's tail."
"Good to hear. It's not a technique meant for use against people but for beasts like bears or ogres." Count Tould said, picking up his scabbard from the ground and reattaching it to his waist. He then turned to Gravel and asked.
"You said you haven't been training with a sword for long, right? Which mana veins have you been cultivating?"
"Mana veins?" Gravel asked, unfamiliar with the term. It sounded like a concept similar to the qi meridians or acupuncture points from martial arts games he had briefly played. Grasping the context, he asked for clarification.
"Hmm? You don't know the term 'mana veins'? Perhaps they're called something else where you're from. Mana veins are the points along the pathways in the body where mana flows, allowing you to draw in, store, or amplify its power. There are said to be 88 of them…" Count Tould explained.
"Yes, I was momentarily confused because the term is different. Where I trained, we also cultivated the 88 mana veins, but I didn't focus on any specific ones." Gravel said, carefully avoiding mention of coming from another world.
"Is that so? They say it takes ten years to fully cultivate a single mana vein. To have trained all 88… In that case, I'll have to teach you the Tail of Na-Woul by directly pointing out the order and positions of the veins right here," Count Tould said, stepping closer to Gravel and pointing to a spot near his solar plexus.
"You draw mana from Leom, pass it through Aran behind the shoulder holding the sword, and then channel it into Lynx to release it through the sword as you perform the upward slash. It's an application of basic technique." Count Tould explained, indicating a point below his wrist with his other hand.
"Try it. It's easier to learn by doing than by listening."
"Alright, I'll give it a try."
Holding his sword, Gravel closed his eyes and focused on finding the mana veins Count Tould had described. For the first time, he became aware of the mana flowing within his body—a strange sensation of dozens or hundreds of thin, interconnected pathways running through him. Between these pathways, he sensed small spaces, like rooms, lakes, or wells, where mana gathered. Some flowed swiftly through these spaces, others swirled as if caught in a vortex, and some seemed to collect endlessly, like water filling a vast bucket.
Focusing mana on the vein Count Tould called Leom, Gravel felt the mana surge, overflowing and pulsing as if it might burst. Suppressing and guiding it, he directed the mana to Aran. As it stabilized and reached Lynx in his sword-arm, he channeled the swiftly flowing mana into his blade, releasing it explosively in sync with an upward slash.
"As expected, your mastery of mana makes you a quick learner." Count Tould said, observing the Whale Tail technique Gravel produced.
"Thank you for teaching me such a fine technique." Gravel replied, delighted by the sharp sound of the mana-infused slash cutting through the air and the shape it formed, bowing in gratitude to Count Tould.
"It's not that impressive a technique." Count Tould said modestly.
"If you continue walking the Steel Path, you'll have more chances to learn or teach others your swordsmanship. At least in Esteta and its surroundings, mana veins are called by similar or the same names. When we reach Valla Glas, I'll give you a book listing the positions and names of the mana veins."
Gravel smiled, bowing deeply without realizing it.
"Thank you. That book will be very helpful."
Thanks to Count Tould, Gravel had gained valuable knowledge about mana veins—a concept entirely absent in Grand World Online. Though he hadn't consciously noticed it before, he could now faintly sense the pathways and chambers of mana within his body when casting magic.
'If I train these mana veins, I might be able to enhance their function further… I'll need to see that book the count mentioned to know for sure.' Gravel thought, eager to quench his thirst for knowledge with the book Count Tould promised.
"The day is breaking…" Count Tould said, looking at the brightening surroundings.