Chapter 5 | Counter Sword Method — Part 1

“This place...”

“Guikyume,” a familiar voice echoed from the depths of the void.

“What’s happening?!” I shouted into the air.

“What do you mean?”

“I...” I fell to my knees in the void. I just wanted to feel safe. “I just want to try to live.”

“I... I never wanted things to end this way with my mother,” I murmured, my voice trembling.

“Why do you care so much about me, huh?!” I stood up and took several firm steps toward the source of the voice. “Why do I have to deliver that letter, then? Is that it?”

“I don’t believe that. If it were truly my duty, I would have decided that for myself, not you.”

“You’re doing it right now: you’re thinking.”

“When you feel pressured, remember that only you can decide what feelings to hold onto. Speak when you feel it is necessary.”

“I understand... Honestly, I don’t know what to do now. The forest... was it a trap?”

“I don’t think so. You found the answer yourself long ago: you realized that the true test of aptitude is the forest itself. Just think. Trust yourself.”

“I understand...”

“I brought you here to warn you. Now you know. Keep it in mind. I hope you can reconsider. Wake up.”

...

I opened my eyes abruptly in the darkness. The first thing that came to mind was a single name: Majestic.

I quickly sat up, rubbing my head, and began searching through the dense vegetation around me.

“There you are!”

Majestic was several meters away, calmly drinking crystal-clear water from a small stream.

“Hey...” I approached him and stroked his back, hoping for some kind of response, but all I received was a soft snort. “Where are Itsuki and the others?”

He nodded and began walking steadily south.

Suddenly, I spotted the silhouettes of two riders approaching in the distance. It was them! I approached at a slow pace. The escort frowned as soon as he recognized me, while Leifnnår immediately dismounted.

“Hey, get on your mount already,” the guard ordered sternly.

“Hmm, no.” Leif completely ignored him before turning toward me. “What was your name again? Guikyume, right?”

“I don’t remember telling you.”

“No, but I read it in the academy reports. Well... we’re supposed to find the others, but I think we have a much better option.”

To be honest, the expression on his face was somewhat unsettling.

“Don’t be stubborn! We should go straight for the grimoire, don’t you think?”

“I know.”

“What do you know?”

“That we should go after the grimoire, but we have absolutely no idea where it is.”

“You really don’t know who you’re talking to,” he said with a smug smile.

“Whatever you say... Why do you want that grimoire so badly?”

“Of course I’ll tell you...”

“Don’t tell me what to do! If you keep bothering me, I’ll report you to my family, understood?”

The guard simply nodded in silence, and Leif smiled again. To be honest, witnessing such an abuse of power made me rather uncomfortable.

“Fine. Although I haven’t completely mastered the ancient language yet, I read a volume about this place. The forest’s true name practically explains everything. From what I managed to understand, this area suffers from a spatial disconnection that alters and breaks the rules of reality.”

“If you help me find it, you can keep the entire reward. The general rule is that whoever finds it first gets to keep it, and there are dozens of adventurers searching for it solely for the money. I want it for my own research. But I need your agility and your help. We’ll have to be faster than everyone else.”

“And what do I get besides the reward?”

“Hmm... You know, nobles who make it to the end will gain access to the forbidden library. Wouldn’t you like to choose a book?”

This was turning into a rather interesting negotiation. But could I really trust him? If we split the money with the guild, there shouldn’t be a problem... So the best decision was to act quickly, get what I needed, and then search for the others.

“What kind of books?”

“Do you like studying legends and history?”

“To be honest, yes.”

“Something about the history of magic, perhaps?”

Corrupt magic... I thought immediately. It would be the perfect choice. That day, I had wished with all my strength to eliminate the Walkers, whose power came directly from forbidden arts. Could understanding this knowledge help me decipher the letter and the warning hidden within it?

“Two books,” I declared, crossing my arms.

“A volume about corrupt magic... and another about the history of magic itself. I’d like to understand more.”

“Wow, I see you’re fascinated by dark legends. There’s an explanation of corrupt magic in the legend of the Demon King, although it isn’t really related to the subject of magic itself... Well, it is, in a way. I could tell you something about it right now, but it would be better to finish this first. If those are your terms, then I agree. Do we have a deal?” He extended his hand elegantly.

Erika

...

A direct hit! My feet dragged across the damp earth as the edge of the enemy’s sword once again swept across my face. I ducked just in time to avoid it.

“What the hell do you want?!” I demanded, breathing heavily.

The attacker sheathed his main blade. Instead, he drew a pair of daggers and began playing with them between his fingers, advancing toward me with measured steps. He was an elf.

I lowered my stance, preparing for a fluid counterattack. I lunged at him and swung my sword horizontally, but the elf stopped it dead with a single, precise movement of the buckler strapped to his forearm.

“Come on! If you’re going to attack, then do it for real!” I challenged him through gritted teeth.

The elf began unleashing a barrage of quick, sharp slashes that struck against the plates of my light armor.

A heavy impact! A brutal kick to the stomach sent me stumbling backward, the pain knocking the wind out of me. I fell to my knees in the grass, struggling to catch my breath as he approached slowly and arrogantly.

Taking advantage of his overconfidence, I pivoted sharply and swept his ankles, sending him crashing onto his back. However, he got back up with astonishing agility. Exhausted, I struggled to stand and returned to my fighting stance.

The elf gathered momentum, leaped toward the trunk of a nearby tree, and drove his daggers into the bark. With a couple of short bursts, he performed a pirouette in midair, rotating headfirst before diving straight toward me. I reacted purely on instinct and stopped the impact of his weapons by crossing the blade of my sword.

The elf pressed down against my blade. My feet dragged across the ground once again as I struggled not to give up any more ground; I tried to gather every ounce of strength in my arms.

“Enough!” I demanded through gritted teeth.

“No,” he replied coldly. “I simply have to finish off my opponents.”

“No, no! This isn’t a duel! Get that through your head!”

“You want the grimoire, don’t you?”

“We all want it, I think. But we’re not supposed to be fighting each other like this!”

At my words, the force with which he was pushing against my sword weakened slightly. Now, I thought.

I drove my sword upward, forcing him to take a couple of steps backward. Without wasting a second, I pointed the blade directly at his throat.

“Do it,” he murmured without flinching.

“No.” I stared at him coldly. “There’s no point. Whoever gets there first will obtain the grimoire; what you’re doing isn’t right.”

“I understand.”

In a flash, he spun around and delivered a precise kick to the blade of my sword, sending it flying through the air.

However, even though I immediately took a stance, ready to continue the fight barehanded, he stopped dead. He simply kept his eyes fixed on me. He calmly adjusted his long, white hair and sheathed both daggers. Then he slowly approached and extended his hand.

“I’m sorry.”

“You’re sorry?” I asked, bewildered, without completely lowering my guard.

“Yes. I was a little nervous because I lost my companions after crossing the perimeter, and I have no idea how to find them. But it doesn’t matter. I’ll go after the grimoire anyway.”

“Huh? Whatever you say,” I replied, cautiously accepting his handshake. “What’s your name? I’m Erika.”

“I don’t see any reason for you to know my name. Either way, it was a pleasure, Erika.”

“Whatever you say...”

“I’ll be going. I hope I don’t see you again.”

“Likewise.”

He turned around and disappeared into the dense forest without another word. I went to retrieve my sword from the grass; the first thing that crossed my mind was that I would have to keep my eyes wide open if I crossed paths with him again.

Suddenly, a terrifying howl echoed in the distance, cutting through the silence of the forest.

“Wolves... They don’t seem to be nearby, but I need to pick up the pace.”

I broke into a run toward the south. Come on, I have to find them as soon as possible!

Itsuki

...

“Where are the others?”

“You just keep asking and asking!” Sarah exclaimed, visibly annoyed.

I looked at her in confusion. I just wanted to find the rest of the group... Why was she acting so aggressively?

“Hey, you don’t have to react like that. There’s no need... Don’t you care about the others?”

“What?!” She stood in front of me with her fists clenched. “You think I don’t care about them?! Erika is probably desperately searching for us, and I’m here wasting time with you. You take everything as a joke!”

I felt a sharp pain in my chest at her words.

“No... Don’t. You don’t know me at all.”

“Sure, whatever you say. Just shut up! Okay?”

“Okay... Wait.”

“What now?!”

“Quiet,” I whispered, lowering my voice to a whisper.

“You’re telling me to be quiet?! You’re a complete...!”

I firmly grabbed her by the shoulders and forced her to crouch beside me behind a dense bush. Before she could protest, I covered her mouth with my hand.

“There are people nearby,” I whispered into her ear.

She glanced through the branches. A group of adventurers rode past at full speed just a few meters from our position. We waited in complete silence for several seconds until the sound of their hooves faded into the distance. Silently, we stood up again.

“We need to get out of here as soon as possible,” I continued, adjusting my bow over my shoulder.

“I’m sorry...” she murmured, looking down. “It’s okay. I understand.”

Sarah was clearly embarrassed by her outburst; I wasn’t really sure what else to say to calm her down. Without dwelling on it any further, we resumed walking at a brisk pace.

...

After several minutes of walking, a massive stone structure began to rise in the distance, almost swallowed by the forest vegetation.

“Could those be the abandoned ruins?” she asked, stopping to stare at the facade.

“I’m not completely sure, to be honest. Should we investigate?”

“Yes.”

We quickened our pace until we stood before the imposing main entrance. However, several inscriptions had been carved into the stone frame in an ancient language. It appeared to be some kind of cipher or magical seal that I knew absolutely nothing about. I looked at Sarah for an answer, but her face reflected the same confusion as mine.

“Great! We found them,” I declared, crossing my arms. “Now let’s just wait for the others.”

“No! What are you suggesting? We should look for another entrance, shouldn’t we?”

“I highly doubt it. Ancient ruins usually have seals and ciphers for a reason. What I mean is that this is probably the only way in.”

She frowned in silence.

“I understand...”

“Let’s go to the river and wait for the others. How does that sound? I feel like all of this is affecting you a little.”

“No. Not at all... It’s just... you know?” Sarah’s words began to falter. “This group helped me when I needed it the most. My parents... they cast me aside as if I were nothing. Just because I refused to marry the leader of my village. It’s embarrassing. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have told you that.”

I took a deep breath and wrapped my arms around her in a sincere embrace. She couldn’t hold it in any longer and began crying against my shoulder.

“No one has the right to decide what you want to do with your life,” I told her quietly, patting her back. “I’m here whenever you want to talk. You can count on me.”

“I miss them...” she murmured, wiping away her tears.

“It’s inevitable to feel that tightness in your chest when we’re separated from the people we care about. Come on, let’s go.”

“Okay, all right.”

...

We lay down on a large, flat rock overlooking the river. Since I had woken up extremely early that morning, I figured I deserved a well-earned rest.

“All right, time for a little sleep.”

“Are you serious?” She looked at me incredulously.

“Absolutely. You should try it too.”

“No, I’ll stay here and keep watch in case they come.”

“Very well!”

...

A few minutes into my nap, a sudden, seismic movement jolted me awake. What the hell was happening?!

“Sarah!”

“Itsuki!”

Suddenly, I found myself floating about ten meters above the ground, lifted by a rising mass of earth. I looked down with my eyes wide open...

“A rock giant? I thought those things only existed in children’s stories.”

The creature began chasing Sarah with thunderous footsteps. She tried to defend herself by firing arrows at it, but the projectiles simply bounced off its rocky body without causing the slightest damage. I nearly lost my balance on the structure.

“I hate heights!”

The giant approached the trunk of a tree. A protruding section of bark looked like my best option for getting down. I hesitated for a second before jumping toward the tree and sliding down the trunk. The friction hurt my hands a little, but I quickly got back on my feet as soon as I reached the ground. Although the creature was intimidating, I had to take the initiative.

“Hey!” I shouted at the giant, grabbing its attention. “You interrupted my nap!”

The enormous mass of stone let out a terrifying roar that made the ground tremble.

“Itsuki, the river is very shallow here!” Sarah shouted from a distance. “That means there’s almost certainly a waterfall ahead!”

“Are you absolutely sure?!”

A tree was split in half by the impact of its fist! The giant began swinging its arms violently, destroying the vegetation in its path.

Would it be a good idea to lure it over there?

“Let’s go!” I ordered.

“Along the river! Then we’ll see whether there’s a cliff or not.”

“Okay!”

“Come here, you annoying creature!” I provoked it again.

We ran along the riverbank while the giant pursued us furiously. If I remembered the geography of the area correctly, there should be a downward slope further along the river; that meant we were practically at the southernmost edge of the forest, and the exit should be somewhere to the west. Had we entered from the northern area? I really couldn’t say for certain...

“Itsuki, there’s the waterfall!” Sarah warned, coming to a halt.

“To be honest, I’m impressed by the sheer size of this forest... It really has a little bit of everything, huh!”

We stopped dead at the edge of the pond. I ran straight toward the giant and positioned myself behind it.

“Itsuki, what are you doing?!” she exclaimed in fright.

“I’m going to disorient it! Stay back!”

She nodded and jumped backward. Using a rock as a platform, I pushed off and leaped onto the creature’s back. I drew my dagger, drove it firmly into the cracks of earth connecting its stone plates, and began climbing. It lost its balance for a few seconds, as the giant clearly didn’t like having me on top of it.

As soon as I reached its lower back, the creature began blindly swinging its arms behind itself, trying to grab me. I dodged its clumsy stone fingers, causing it to lose even more of its balance.

“The edge is close!” Sarah shouted.

“Yeah!”

I quickly climbed up to its head and jumped onto its right shoulder. The giant’s sudden movement as it tried to swat me out of the air became its own mistake. I jumped back onto solid ground at the last second. The creature staggered uncontrollably, unable to stop its own weight on the river’s wet mud, and fell into the waterfall.

“That’s what you get for bothering me!” I shouted, peering over the edge.

“Are you okay?” Sarah asked, rushing over to me.

“Hmm, well... that was quite a jump. I can’t feel my body right now, but look.” I struggled to stand. “I’m fine, haha... I think. Well, now I’m definitely taking my nap.”

I let myself fall onto my back in the grass. Sarah smiled in relief and lay down on the ground right beside me.

“I hope the others get here soon.”

“Erika is a great leader, and I have no doubt about Guikyume either. The others are probably already on their way.”

“All right,” she replied, giving me a peaceful smile.

Guikyume

...

Majestic suddenly became restless. Without warning, he changed direction and began heading to our right.

“Hey! What are you doing?!” I complained, adjusting the reins.

The escort and Leif stared at me in obvious confusion. I looked through the vegetation between the trees. I have to admit, I felt a small surge of excitement when I saw who was approaching.

“Guikyume!” Erika’s voice came from the distance. Majestic let out a soft neigh, looking quite pleased. I understood immediately: I had asked him to search for our companions... and he had succeeded. Interesting. Erika, on the other hand, looked like she had just come out of an intense battle.

“Erika, what happened to you?” I asked when I saw her.

“So it’s that obvious, huh? Another adventurer... We had a brief confrontation, but everything’s fine. What about you? Are the others with you?”

“No...” I replied, lowering my head.

“I see. We need to find them as soon as possible, all right?”

Leifnnår approached on horseback alongside the escort.

“Miss Erika, let me explain our strategy.”

“All right, but please make it quick.”

...

After Leifnnår explained their plan to head south and locate the entrance to the structure, she agreed without hesitation.

“Either way, Sarah, Itsuki, and Cliff are probably fine. However...”

BOOM!

A sphere of vibrant colors and violet flashes exploded in the middle of the clear sky. Erika immediately smiled.

“Frodenher...” Leif murmured, gazing at the light.

“Are you sure that’s him?” Erika asked, keeping her eyes fixed on the sky.

“Of course, Miss. I’ve had enough training to sense the flow of mana. Yes, that is definitely him.”

“Do you think it’s a signal for us to look for him?” I asked, breaking the silence.

“If it’s him...”

“It is him,” Leif interrupted, reaffirming his words.

“All right, I’ll trust your judgment,” Erika said. “Frodenher is a very kind person, and he likes helping others. It’s probably a signal for the other mages to do the same, so their respective teams can locate them.”

One explosion after another began lighting up the sky. To be honest, it was quite a spectacle.

“We know he’s safe. Should we continue on our way?” I suggested.

The others silently nodded.

Suddenly, a young woman with brown hair and elegant clothes approached us through the bushes. She was accompanied by a mage on horseback, who raised his staff toward the sky and launched a magical sphere to replicate the signal.

We immediately took up combat positions, prepared in case any hostility arose. Leif, meanwhile, dismounted and cautiously approached the young woman. The escort didn’t say a single word or make any attempt to intervene, which I found rather strange. She also closed the distance, and the two exchanged a slight, stiff bow.

“What are you doing here?” he asked in an extremely serious tone.

“Have you completely forgotten your manners from associating with these filthy, savage adventurers?” she replied, tilting her head disdainfully.

“What?!” Erika exclaimed angrily, taking a step toward the noble girl.

“It’s not necessary,” I said, firmly stopping her with my arm before she could do anything reckless.

Erika gritted her teeth in anger but returned to her original position.

“What exactly are you trying to do, Dith?” Leif asked.

“I’m just trying to get out of this horrible place. I’ve seen enough... Those adventurers are fighting left and right like animals. You know very well that if you fail this test, your father will punish you, right?”

“I know that perfectly well, but that’s none of your business.”

“Hmm... Whatever you say. Stop wasting your time looking for some ridiculous grimoire and use a little more common sense.”

“All right.”

“Hey, young lady,” Erika said, getting her attention.

“Don’t interrupt a conversation between members of the nobility! It’s completely inappropriate,” she replied without even looking directly at her.

“I just want to know if you’ve seen a swordsman around here... He’s pretty short and quite muscular.”

“What an absurd description of your companion... But yes, I’ve seen him.”

Erika sighed, looking more than satisfied with the answer.

“Thank you very much. I appreciate it. Sorry for the trouble.”

“Whatever you say... Leifnnår, I’m leaving. Remember what I told you.”

“See you later.”

Leif walked toward his mount with his head lowered and climbed back onto the horse with somewhat clumsy, distracted movements.

“Hey... Leif, what’s wrong?” I asked, moving beside him.

“Hmm... She’s practically my enemy.”

That was all. To be honest, I hate her with all my heart. However, that doesn’t matter right now... Come on, we need to head toward the ruins. Let’s look for trees with black leaves; according to the old tale I read, the ruins should be right there. Erika, ride with me.

“All right, let’s go.”

...

After passing several other adventurers who had already formed their groups, about three in total, it took a few minutes before we finally found the trees with black leaves.

Leifnnår raised his fist in triumph when he spotted the structure in the distance. We approached carefully and dismounted right in front of the imposing entrance. Leif approached the stone and tried to decipher the inscriptions carved into the frame, though he looked quite confused.

“No... Wait, Leif,” I said, stepping closer to examine the writing more carefully.

“What do you think it is? I thought it was written in the ancient language, but it isn’t.”

“They’re words written backward, combined with synonyms that imitate the structure of the ancient language.”

“It’s a cipher!” Leif exclaimed. Suddenly, the horse raised its head at the sound of his voice.

“Not you, Majestic,” I clarified when I noticed his reaction.

Erika let out a brief laugh while Leif stared at me with clear astonishment. I tilted my head slightly to change my perspective, mentally removing the false synonyms one by one.

“It says... Well, it’s structured with misleading terms, but underneath it says: Tree of the horizon, protruding root. Resting place where the sun points.”

“It’s definitely a riddle,” Leif said, looking around.

I stood up and began searching the area alongside him. The sun was shining brightly, but the thick canopy prevented its light from reaching the ground directly. If it referred to a resting place, it had to be pointing toward a very specific location...

“There’s the tree!” Erika pointed toward an unusual spot in the terrain.

“Yes, come on, Guikyume!” Leif said as we moved forward. “The sun rests on the king’s crown. That’s exactly a cipher that appears in the tale I studied. Yes! The sun points directly to the top of the tree. These trees are centuries old, so this has to be it.”

“There’s a lock carved into the stone!” the escort said as he approached the trunk.

The resting place referred to the protruding root. There, carved into the bark and stone, were words written in the ancient language.

“Leif, look at this.”

“All right... King of the crown at the resting place of the horizon, sacred forest.”

“Incredible.”

“I suppose the exact pronunciation shouldn’t matter too much. Let’s try it.”

Leifnnår recited the words aloud with precision. I examined the locking mechanism more closely; it had the same structure as the main door and displayed a clear inscription: Speak the words. Seconds later, the ground began to tremble softly. One after another, four massive reinforced stone doors slowly descended into the ground.

“Come on, inside!” Erika ordered, drawing her sword.

As we entered, Leif cast a spell and kept a small sphere of fire floating ahead of us, lighting the way. We descended a set of worn stairs until we reached what appeared to be a sanctuary, surrounded by reliefs covered in ancient writing.

Leif searched the walls until he found several torches and lit them; for some strange arcane reason, the flames burned an intense blue.

“There are writings in the elven language too,” Leif said, examining the walls.

In the center of the room stood a protruding stone, and resting on top of it was an ornate box... The grimoire had to be inside.

Leif took the lead, hurrying forward to grab the chest. His eyes lit up with fascination. However, after thinking for a moment, he handed me the grimoire, which was inside a protective cover. I took it firmly and placed it in my bag.

“I have absolutely no idea what it says right now, but it’s beautiful!” Leif admitted excitedly. “Take good care of it, because I really want to study it. You’ll give it back to me later, all right?”

“All right.”

“Good. Let’s get out of here before the others arrive,” Erika ordered, listening carefully to the echoes coming from the tunnel.

Leif ran toward the exit with the excitement of a child.

Suddenly, a shadow emerged from the darkness and violently shoved him to the side. Through the faint light coming from the entrance, a figure appeared: an elf holding Leif by the neck, pressing the edge of a dagger against his skin.

“Leif!” Erika shouted, taking a fighting stance.

“Bastard, let him go right now!” the escort shouted, drawing his sword in anger.

“Hand over the grimoire,” the elf demanded in a cold voice. “Otherwise, your companion dies right here. You, the one holding the book... give it to me. Don’t be stubborn.”

“I won’t,” I replied without moving an inch.

“Come on! Give him the grimoire already!” the escort demanded, completely losing his composure.

“No.” I looked at him with absolute coldness.

“You’re smart,” the elf murmured, tightening his grip on the noble.

“Don’t do it, Guikyume!” Leif managed to shout before the elf tightened his grip further.

“Guikyume, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but give him the grimoire,” Erika said, trying to convince me. I took a deep breath.

“Why do you want the grimoire?” I asked without changing my tone.

“Enough questions! Hand over the grimoire already!” he demanded.

“Tell me...”

“I... I lost my companions,” the elf admitted, his voice trembling with anger. “I found them... Some trees came to life and killed them.”

“And what does that have to do with this?”

“What does it have to do with this?! The arrogant noble I was serving escaped with the escort, and I lost sight of them! Then I saw you and decided to take the initiative... Once I have the grimoire, I’ll search for all of them and I’ll be able to claim the reward.”

I looked at him indifferently.

“Do you really think this is the right way to do it?”

“Guikyume, give him the grimoire!” Erika demanded again.

“I knew you Northerners were all bastards!” the knight added contemptuously. I glanced at him coldly.

“Come on, hurry up!” The elf was becoming increasingly desperate.

“All right... I’ll do it.”

I took a deep breath. I quickly thought through the situation... I hope this works.