Chapter 17: Fifteen

The building was rectangular, built of white brick, and when she entered it, stands of swords on all sides caught her eyes. The place was paved with cement and built hallow—there were marks, deep and soft upon that floor and walls—currently, there was only one person there.

"Can I help you?"

He turned towards her, and she only knew he was male due to his voice. Everything else about him was feminine. Soft golden eyes matched his mildly extending eyelashes as long hair of pale blue flapped behind him. He wore a black jersey, with sweatpants of the same color, under a robe of dark blue that reached just above the ground. There was a sheathed weapon clasped to his hip and he looked young, too young for someone she thought was a sword instructor—but she decided to trust the information. If it was wrong, she could always barge back to get a refund.

"I would like to learn how to wield a sword," She said, "As fast as possible."

He looked her up and down then into her eyes as if he had been insulted.

"Turn back. I don't train people that aren't serious, bring a weapon with you next time you come."

'Really straightforward,' Rose thought and clasped her hands together.

A blaze of fire came and she pulled out a sheathed blade.

"That's. . .a Gear?" His pale, golden, eyes were instantly captivated by the weapon.

"Yes." She nodded. "Could you teach me how to properly use it?"

There was silence between them for a moment. The young face mulled over her words before breaking into a smile.

"Alright. The price is 500 Lixels per hour."

'And now I'm back where I started: 200 Lixels,' She grimaced but nodded, "I'll pay."

"Of course you'll pay." He didn't mince his words. "Now, what do you know about a Gear?"

She knew nothing and she didn't mind telling him essentially that. Aside from the fact that it was an equipment summoned out into the world from the soul of some people, she knew little else.

"You know nothing of worth at all," He laughed lightly, "But that's okay too."

He drew his weapon, unsheathing the double-edge blade. There was a blue orb embedded at its black hilt.

"My weapon is what we call an Armament," He said, lifting it up, "It's embedded with a rechargeable core and activating it will allow an effect based on the instructions it has been programmed to do."

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He pointed the tip of the blade to her.

"Specifically, this one can send mana waves across the area and then relay information right back into my brain. I can essentially see and sense everything, every little detail, within a 10 meter radius after it is activated. But, of course, it also drains more energy the longer I keep it up—and I'll have to recharge it with a Mana Orb once it runs out."

She could feel the mana pulsing around her after those words. The air vibrated with a low hum, something she could hear but doubted if he could. Mana rolled over her body, invisible to the naked eye, and as he looked at her, she felt as if he had just seen through her.

"So then, what's the difference between this and that Gear you're holding there?"

"I have no idea," She replied, truthfully. She only knew what it was, not what it could do.

His youthful face, barely older than her, she assumed, smiled as if he were looking at a cute child.

"A Gear, for number one, doesn't have any limitations on its use based on its charge. Number two, has at-least both a passive and an activation trait. Number three, can grow in power. Number four, has a will of its own. And number five, can be summoned and used at any time. In all respect, it is better than an Armament — but not everyone can summon a Gear, while anyone may buy armaments of suitable grades. A very good armament made by a very good mage may get close to the level of a Gear, but it will never touch it."

He told her, "I'm sure by simply holding it, you can already feel its passive effect, right?"

She nodded, recognizing what she had felt at the shack, and what she was feeling at this moment. Her senses latched on to the mana in the air and acted similarly to what he said his weapon could do. His voice touched her ears as if he was right next to it, she could hear his breathing, and she could see every detail of his body, from the way he shifted on his feet to how his eyes rarely left her weapon.

"Good, now try unsheathing it, let the scabbard disappear."

She drew the blade out and allowed the sheath to fall, which disappeared in light before touching the floor.

"Wish for it to activate."

A spark formed and the blade ignited in a blaze of flames. The heat was palpable, burning the air, and Rose felt her Core hum in tune with the weapon. It was like an extension of herself. The orange hue of the flames, the flickering of the fire, everything simply seemed right.

"And that's how you use that weapon of yours, everything else should come naturally. . .your name, then?"

"Rose," She said, "Just Rose."

"Samuel Gardner." He nodded and raised his sword. "Let's spar. I'll get a feel first for what you can do, optimize the spar, then give you some pointers and spar again. Hopefully you can keep up for an hour and we can continue from there if you want to. But, please, turn those flames out."

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