Chapter 13: Chapter 12 – Strike Power as Criterion

The old residence of the Town Guardian is surrounded by a well-trodden earth, darkened by the countless footsteps of knights and apprentices who have honed their skills within its walls. The soil is packed solid from years of rigorous training, a testament to the tireless dedication of those who have come before.

The sounds of clashing swords and stamping feet still seem to echo through the air, painting a vivid picture of the countless battles that have been fought on this hallowed ground. The towering walls of the residence stand tall and proud, a symbol of the legacy of those who have dedicated their lives to the protection of their town and its people.

Aoh, a demihuman girl, was surrounded by a group of knights and apprentices. Despite her fragile appearance, she stood confidently in the midst of the armored men, who were captivated by her unique physical features. Her pointy ears, delicate facial features, and porcelain skin set her apart from the rest. It was evident that she was a member of the highly respected and feared silver wolf clan, likely born into a wealthy and influential family. Even the experienced Osmund Alkayde, who was known for his strong work ethic and determination, was taken aback by Aoh's unexpected aura surrounding her and wasn't sure what to expect.

As for the white fox girl, Aoh firmly held the wooden sword in her hands, her long, brown blade's tip pointing at the tree in front of her, and took a deep breath. She was reflecting on the meaningful words that Osmund Alkayde had earlier: "The way of the sword is the way of life." She was still unsure of what kind of life her sword would point her towards.

Aoh stepped out of her habitat with ignorance and guided by the kind Amara. She was never an ambitious, aggressive person and the thought of slaughtering others made her sick to her stomach. But what had happened between the time when she perished and before she was resurrected?

The memories were slowly fading away from her mind, yet she felt she was here for a reason, an important one. As she adjusted to the outside world of humans, she had no other option but to take up arms and use her delicate hands to wield a sword.

Recalling the events leading up to this moment, Aoh realized that she had to take responsibility for her life, no matter what form it took. She had been forced into this unknown world beyond what she had known, and while she was not naturally aggressive or ambitious, she had to adapt to life as a human and fight with a sword if necessary.

With a determination in her heart, Aoh realized back then that age, gender, race, and appearance were no longer an excuse; in this world, she had to either kill or be killed. As Pyke, who was sneering at her, said, "This great me has yet to see a demihuman girl waving a sword in my entire life, this is a first. Furry lass, be careful eh, don’t fall down—”

“Pfft-,” some of the brats suppressed their laughter.

“—What you think is what you will become.
If you see yourself as a victim
You will become a victim—”

Aoh felt a strong sense of purpose after she was reminded of the image of Amara’s tender smile and her motivational advice. No matter what others think of Aoh, it will not benefit her in any way at all and only serves as hindrance.

A smelly fat kid who drools with oversized lips and rounded cheeks said, “Hehe, wouldn’t it be good if she falls then, our Pyke bro can rub her funny ears!”

Aoh didn’t pay any mind to those jeering. It is her way of life, her own way of life. Back when she was an ignorant uncivilized person, she did get fooled by those kidnappers, but now that she had come to these settlements as a demihuman traveler, she needed to rely on her own strength. No matter how many gossips or evil intentions were pointed at her, they weren’t able to affect her psyche!

Aoh shut her eyes and listened to the sound of the wind blowing from the mountains behind her. Suddenly, her bright eyes shone in golden light. “Swoosh—” There was no irregularity in her sword swing. It was not light, but it wasn’t heavy either. The sword swing was fast, it was fast yet unusually stable. It was so quick that no sound was made! Only a very small amount of wind was gathered around the sword before it dissipated. It was simple yet beautiful!

Aoh was not just an ordinary traveler. Her sword moves were fluid and graceful, like a perfect line. Her one swing was clean and accurate, showing her training and experiences. It was clear that she had done this many times before and could handle any situation.

The onlookers were in awe of her impressive display of skill. Despite the jeers and insults directed at her, they could not help but admire her ability. The sweaty kids, who had been taunting her, were now speechless, staring in disbelief at the grace and precision of her swing.

But Pyke, who had previously been confident in his own abilities, squinted his eyes and exclaimed, "Outrageous! Is this really her first time wielding a sword?"

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The knights of Osmund also shifted their gaze from Aoh's face to her sword. It was just a wooden, blunt sword, but it appeared razor sharp in that moment, eliciting gasps from the onlookers.

Osmund Alkayde was particularly taken aback. After a long moment of stunned silence, he finally spoke with a pleased tone, "Miss Aoh, with such a profound understanding of sword techniques, why would you make light of us?"

“Huh?” Aoh flung her beautiful white hair, which was accompanied by a sweet fragrance. She blinked her pure and innocent eyes as she said, “Master Osmund, Aoh don’t really understand what you mean, here, this is Aoh’s first time swinging a sword.”

She doesn't lie as she said that word and no one noticed which makes her sighed in relief. Aoh after all, dislikes dishonesty.

That fatty Pyke had an ugly look on his face, he thought to himself, “Preposterous! This demihuman really makes people irritated! She’s acting like a damsel in distress and putting up a delicate front, but who would have expected her sword swing to be that fast. This great me still thought I had seen wrongly. I didn’t expect old man Osmund would also think the same thing. This lowly demihuman is so annoying!”

Osmund Alkayde was skeptical. After thinking about what he heard from the Grandmaster regarding Aoh’s identity, he felt that it wouldn’t be good to ask too deeply and he guessed the Grandmaster’s daughter was the one behind, “Miss Aoh, have you ever been tested for strike power?”

"Strike power?" Aoh asked with confusion.

Osmund was taken aback for a moment, wondering if Aoh was teasing them. However, he dismissed the thought, considering his long experience in the field. He explained to Aoh, "The strike power refers to the cutting force behind your sword swing. Despite the lack of movement, the weight of the wooden sword is not light. The fact that you swung it so fast and with such stability, the power behind the swing must be considerable. I advise you to give it a try, Miss Aoh."

Magnus added excitedly, "At first, I was skeptical of your choice of such a long wooden sword, but I didn't expect you to swing it with such swiftness and precision. I want to know how many Bloodbound Coins your delicate hands can score, Miss!"

Aoh asked, "Bloodbound Coins?" She tried to recall the information she had learned from Amara. After a moment of contemplation, she remembered that it was a type of currency but on higher denomination. It was said that the estimated one Bloodbound Coin was close to three kilograms of weight for a finger-length red coin.

In the kingdom of Holo, a normal man's strike power through a sword of a footsoldier was thirty Bloodbound Coins, equivalent to almost 100 kilograms of cutting power. (1)

"One Bloodbound Coin is equal to the weight of one hundred thousand coins, that is a thousand gold coins! Females are so bad at math!" the overweight Pyke exclaimed. Despite his lack of understanding of math, he was quick-witted and had a loud voice.

Aoh was curious about their concern for the strike power and asked, "Master Osmund, please correct me if Aoh was wrong. As long as the sword is sharp, can't it kill with little strength? Why do we care about the power of the strike?"

Her words startled both Osmund and Pyke including the spectators. They were surprised that such a slender and young demi human could speak of killing so easily, probably her blood of silver wolf running through her veins. This led them to believe that despite her lack of battle experiences, Aoh must have gone through some unimaginable experiences within the infamous clan.

While Pyke cursed in his heart, "I hate demihumans, her words are getting more and more pretentious! I really can't see eye to eye with this annoying girl!"

Osmund calmly explained to Aoh, his demeanor showing that he was taking her seriously. "Miss Aoh, your thoughts are indeed reasonable. But, the way of the knight is an essential part of the realm. Becoming a knight not only brings prestige and recognition, but it also opens doors for opportunities from noble and imperial households and influential people. So, it's necessary to have a benchmark for it. After all, strength can't always be determined by life-or-death battles, can it?"

"If not," he continued, "more than half of the aspiring knights would perish even before they face the demons or participate in a war. That's why, in the vassal state Holo Kingdom and the entirety of the Celestial Empire, striking power is a crucial factor in determining whether someone has the qualifications to become a knight."

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