The Holy Paladin Order’s Training Ground was as bustling as ever, with the clashing of armor and the sound of slogans rising and falling.
After a few days of special training, Helos had actually mastered the most basic swordsmanship stances and movements under Cedric’s guidance.
Though clumsy, she never backed down; she stubbornly picked herself up every time she fell and gritted her teeth to try again after every mistake.
Watching her, Cedric’s brow furrowed slightly before relaxing, a hint of surprise welling up in his heart.
He had originally only mentioned it in passing. After all, given her abilities, if she could learn swordsmanship, she would at least be able to protect herself.
But he had assumed this daughter of a Duke might only have a fleeting interest; he hadn’t expected her will to be even more resilient than that of an average person.
However, he also understood that with Helos’s physical constitution, she definitely wouldn’t be able to handle a real iron sword right now.
Thus, after weighing his options for a moment, he thought of another weapon suitable for her.
“Little one, come here.”
Cedric called out to the girl in a deep voice.
Helos ran up to him, panting. Her silvery-white long hair was plastered to her cheeks with sweat, appearing a bit messy, yet it couldn’t hide those sparkling eyes.
“What is it, teacher?”
She looked up at him, her breath still ragged, but her expression was incredibly serious.
After spending the last few days together, she and Julius had practically become fellow disciples training side-by-side.
Since they both studied under Cedric, the girl was no longer formal and simply followed Julius’s example by calling him teacher.
Cedric showed neither surprise nor dissatisfaction at this, merely nodding with a normal expression.
In the church of Olivius City, Helos’s name was always accompanied by whispers of the “Cursed Daughter,” and many clergy members did not look kindly upon her.
Many gossiped behind her back, avoiding her as if she were the plague.
But Cedric never paid those words any mind.
In his eyes, the girl before him was not as ominous as people claimed.
Her persistence and stubbornness were purer than that of many so-called Saint Knights.
“With your current physical condition, if you switched to an iron sword, I’m afraid you wouldn’t even be able to pick it up.”
Cedric shook his head, though his eyes showed a hint of approval. “However, there isn’t just one path for practicing swordsmanship.”
He raised his hand, signaling a nearby Saint Knight to bring over a longsword wrapped in gray cloth.
Cedric took the longsword, slowly removed the gray cloth wrapped around it, and drew the blade from its scabbard.
It was a sword that looked very similar to a rapier.
The blade was long and slender, no more than two fingers wide, and emitted a faint silver glow.
While its appearance wasn’t as heavy and majestic as a greatsword, the edge was keen, the blade was straight, and the tip was incredibly sharp.
The handguard on the hilt was quite small, lacking intricate decorations but appearing clean and efficient.
The grip was wrapped in dark leather; polished by time, it felt flexible and snug, as if it were one with the palm when held.
“This is a weapon left behind by a female knight from years ago.”
Cedric spoke slowly, his voice deep and steady.
“The blade itself is made of a mithril alloy, but it was forged using a special process, making it extremely lightweight.”
“It’s even lighter than the wooden sword you’re holding.”
Helos’s eyes widened slightly, reflecting a hint of surprise.
She carefully reached out and took the sword.
It was unexpectedly light.
It felt almost like holding a small twig, yet the moment her fingertip brushed against the blade, she could clearly feel its sharpness.
“It’s so light…!”
The girl exclaimed softly, her pale purple eyes shimmering with excitement, as if what she held wasn’t a weapon, but a gift from fate.
Helos had originally thought that even if she practiced swordsmanship, at most she would be playing around with a dagger or a shortsword.
She really hadn’t imagined that a longsword could be so light—light enough for even her to use.
Hehe, what would happen if I coated the blade with Thorn’s Kiss?
“Though it’s light, don’t underestimate it.”
Seeing the girl’s silly grin, Cedric spoke up to remind her, “This rapier isn’t suited for head-on confrontations; it relies more on technique and speed. However, if it’s just for self-defense, it will be more reliable than you think.”
Helos pursed her lips and nodded solemnly.
“Thank you, teacher!”
She swung the rapier. Her movements were still immature, but no longer as clumsy and stiff as before.
The blade traced a clean arc through the air, a flash of light passing by as if even the air itself was being sliced open.
Though the rapier still had some weight to her, it was at least light enough for her to swing it properly.
“Very good.”
Cedric nodded with satisfaction. “Take it and practice more; it will become your most suitable partner.”
An indescribable joy welled up in Helos’s heart.
She knew she was different from those knights; she didn’t have a strong physique or usable mana.
Yet this rapier seemed custom-made for her, giving her the first thought that she, too, could protect herself.
She was somewhat impatient to share this joy with someone.
The girl turned and looked into the distance.
She ran quickly toward the other side of the Training Ground.
There, Julius was focusing all his attention on practicing the basic holy magic his teacher had taught him -“Holy Light Bullet”.
This move was a fundamental spell in holy magic. When a Saint Knight used it, they could combine it with their longsword, integrating long-range and close-quarters combat.
Of course, there were exceptions, such as a certain red-haired former Saint Knight who couldn’t use holy magic.
Light condensed in the boy’s palm, like a tiny Saint Fire, flickering slowly along with his chanting.
“Julius!”
Just then, Helos’s voice suddenly rang out.
The boy’s movements paused, and the light in his palm instantly dispersed. He looked up helplessly to see that silvery-white figure running over, holding a glittering sword in her hand.
“Look! I have a new weapon!”
Helos triumphantly waved the rapier in front of him, her eyes looking as if she were waiting for praise.
Julius blinked, staring at the sword before looking at her excited expression. Finally, he couldn’t help but sigh and gave her a helpless roll of his eyes.
“Did you come here just to show off to me?”
“Hmph, it’s not showing off. I’m telling you — watch your butt!”
Helos held the rapier high, a mischievous smirk appearing on her lips. “Spanking your butt with a sword is no longer an unreachable dream!”
The boy shook his head, his expression looking somewhat skeptical.
“Don’t end up not even being able to hold the sword steady.”
“You’re the one who can’t hold it steady!”
Helos puffed out her cheeks and made a few gestures with the sword, nearly poking the tip into the ground.
Julius covered his face, speechless.
This girl would likely cause some trouble after getting a sword.
“Be careful. Blades have no eyes.”
“Like I wouldn’t know~”
Helos planted the sword in the ground and looked at the boy before her. “How is your holy magic practice going? Want to spar with me?”
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Well isnt she cute.