89: Spartacus in a daze

"Before I guide you in swordsmanship, I need you to know what a sword is."

"It can be a weapon for killing, a tool for performance, or spiritual sustenance..."

"As long as your heart believes its role is something, it is that."

"But regardless, from the moment you step onto the path of learning the sword, you must have a pure Heart of a Swordsman."

"As for what the essence of the Heart of a Swordsman you pursue is, you will need to explore, perceive, and determine that for yourself."

"As for me, I cultivate the mind, and the essence of the Heart of a Swordsman I pursue is strength and freedom!"

At this, Liberi's body jolted, and a heavy, terrifying, and purely sharp aura instantly erupted from within him, spreading rapidly to the surroundings.

Like countless phantoms of sword glows condensed into substance, in an instant, the entire training ground was transformed into a Domain of Swords.

Suddenly, Lister and Spartacus's breathing hitched; they felt their bodies become incredibly heavy, their feet as if mired in a swamp, unable to move even half an inch.

Meanwhile, within the 'Sea of Swords' surrounding them, countless sword glows rampaged toward them, appearing to tear at their flesh while also seeming to pierce their very hearts.

Though their bodies felt extreme discomfort, they could not touch any of the sword glow phantoms, as if they were flowers in a mirror or a mirage.

As time passed minute by minute, Lister suddenly realized something and closed his eyes to begin sensing it carefully.

In his originally pitch-black Sea of Consciousness, it was now filled with the aura of countless swords, each one extremely sharp and intimidating.

Yet they also exuded peace and gentleness, and deep within the core, there was an indescribable sense of being free-spirited, unbridled, and vast—it was the aura of freedom.

As his perception deepened, the original discomfort of his mind and body slowly dissipated with the wind, leaving only the purest world of swords.

Not far away, Liberi was surprised and taken aback that Lister could enter a state of perception so quickly, while his eyes revealed endless admiration.

He had thought that being able to drink the god-given ironthorn whiskey today was already the greatest surprise, but it turned out that Lister's talent in swordsmanship was the true greatest surprise.

An unknown amount of time passed. While the thirsty Lister was frantically perceiving, the Domain of Swords quietly vanished like bubbles, the pause button of time was released, and the stagnant air in the space began to flow again.

"Huff... huff..."

In an instant, Spartacus, who was closer to Liberi, felt as if he had come back to life, gasping for air in large gulps, the sense of dread in his heart not receding for a long time.

Lister, in the center of the training ground, however, looked calm and composed.

The next second, he slowly opened his eyes, and an ethereal yet real perception of the sword arose within his heart and body.

He felt that his connection with the longsword in his hand was now even deeper, as if the sword were a part of his body.

Although he had not yet broken through to the realm of Swordsmanship Mastery, he had already touched that membrane, only needing a final burst of effort to completely pierce through it.

Then, Liberi slowly spoke: "Lord Howard, what you felt just now was my Domain of Swords, and also my guidance in swordsmanship for you. I presume you have gained some insights and rewards."

"Thank you, Lord McBain. I will keep your kindness in guiding me in my heart," Lister said with a sincere expression, performing a knight's salute.

Beside them, Spartacus, who had finally recovered, opened his mouth wide in shock upon hearing this.

'What! The guidance is already over?'

"What did Lord Lister perceive? Why didn't I feel a thing?"

"Could it be that the terrifying pressure just now was the 'perception'?"

Large question marks rose in his mind; Spartacus had no idea what had happened.

At this moment, he only felt it had ended too quickly; if only he could do it again. Unfortunately, such a good thing was unlikely to happen a second time... The main hall on the first floor of the castle.

Thomas, Flora, and the other maids were very happy about Lister's safe return.

Meanwhile, at Lister's request, the simple lunch was turned into a welcoming banquet for Liberi.

Half of the Black Armored Ape killed by Red last time had been given to Kelvin, while the other half was kept.

This time, half of that was taken out as the main course for the banquet, and a third of the remaining Black Flame Demon Bear meat was also brought out.

Looking at the sizzling roasted meat of the Black Armored Ape and Black Flame Demon Bear before him, even the well-traveled Liberi couldn't help but show a look of surprise.

Especially the Black Flame Demon Bear meat; even though it was already cooked, the powerful energy contained within it did not dissipate.

Additionally, since a swordsman's perception is naturally strong, he could clearly sense that the Black Flame Demon Bear meat on the plate before him definitely belonged to a magical beast with the strength of a Golden Knight when it was alive.

Although the aura emanating from it was much weaker, the fundamental intensity of the energy would not change.

The shock this brought him was even greater than that of the remarkable talent Lister had displayed.

He could hardly imagine how a small Baron Territory could possess such powerful Magical Beast Meat, let alone serve it as food on the dining table.

Am I currently trapped in the illusion of a powerful magical beast?

Seeing his surprised look, Lister explained with a smile, "Lord McBain, you don't need to be surprised. Although the Black Armored Ape was slain by my Knight Captain, the Black Flame Demon Bear was not."

"With my strength as a Baron, it would be impossible to slay a high-tier Black Flame Demon Bear even if the world were turned upside down."

"It was slain by Lord Clifford and then given to me as a thank-you gift."

"Lord Clifford?" Liberi was stunned, then seemed to think of something, asking tentatively, "Lord Howard, could you be referring to the leader of the Radiant Knight Order, Lord Ellis Clifford?"

Lister nodded and chuckled, "That's right. Because I was of some help to him and Earl Elsie de Frander, I received this gift."

"Hiss...!"

Liberi took a sharp breath; it would have been better if he hadn't explained, as the explanation made him even more shocked.

During their previous chat, he had learned that Lister had no background; to put it bluntly, he was a fallen noble.

Now you're telling me that a minor fallen noble like you has helped the famous Earl Elsie de Frander and Ellis Clifford.

If these words hadn't come from Lister's own mouth, he would have thought he was being played for a fool.

He couldn't help but recall his time with Lister today; though brief, Lister had shown extraordinary personal charisma.

At this moment, he felt very fortunate to have met a young lord like Lister, whose talent and ability were so outstanding.

Although he was socially anxious and detested those who fawned over the powerful, it didn't mean he wouldn't make friends.

After all, what he pursued was freedom, not loneliness, and his path was extremely difficult; having some powerful and influential friends would be very beneficial for him.

Of course, the prerequisite for all this was that the person's character had to suit his taste; otherwise, not even a Church Primate could force him to spare a second glance.

Just then, Lister's words interrupted his thoughts.

"Lord McBain, don't be formal; please, help yourself."