"So you’re truly leaving?"
"I am."
Though Ketis was still busy trying to organize everything the Swordmaidens needed for their upcoming visit to the Heavensword Association, she still made ti to et with Joshua.
"I wish I could co with you. Anything can happen over there and I’m not sure whether you’ll be doing okay by yourselves."
"There’s no need for you to fret, Joshua. We’ll be accompanied by a sizable escort of Infinity Guards. We are also being cared for by a local ch designer who can help us keep out of trouble." She tried to reassure him as she was inspecting, cleaning and polishing the parts of her combat armor.
The Unending Dragon Mark I was largely made out of the sa wonder material that comprised the weapons of the Swordmaidens.
Before the Battle of Reckoning, she wasn’t really sure why Ves was so crazy about Unending alloy. Sure, the material was as hard as first-class armor, but it was way too unattainable through normal ans.
It wasn’t until the battle when Ketis understood the true value of Unending alloy.
When she witnessed Venerable Dise and her fellow Swordmaidens in action, she beca captivated by their most glorious monts. She repeatedly rewinded the footage where the Bright Sword Pri and the other swordsman chs managed to slice the limbs off the Jeanne D’Arc in an instant!
She never thought that non-expert chs were capable of unleashing such a powerful cutting energy attack!
She held her upgraded CFA greatsword many tis. With the help of Sharpie, she eventually learned that her living sword was able to pass sothing to the blade.
Ever since then, she tried to use the thods that Ves had taught her and what she figured out on her own to taphysically ’hone’ her weapon.
In fact, she didn’t just limit her attempts to her sword. She picked up one of her gauntlets and concentrated on the fingertips.
She felt Sharpie responding to the sharpness that had been imbued in these parts. While it was only a minute for now, Ketis had a feeling that it could tear through solid tal if she kept honing over a longer period of ti.
The sa might also hold true for the rest of her Unending Dragon if she diligently kept up her efforts.
Unfortunately, Ketis didn’t think she’d be able to see the fruits of her efforts. Sharpie was too big and her resilient combat armor was too big and massive.
Maybe she’d be able to accelerate her efforts once she beca a Journeyman, but that would take so ti to accomplish.
"Isn’t this visit rely about recruiting a bunch of new ch pilots who are suitable to beco a part of the Swordmaidens?" Joshua questioned as he watched her take care of her equipnt. "I don’t think your fellow sisters need a ch designer considering that the contests are all held using chs supplied by the organizers."
"You don’t get it. This trip is important to . No offense to Ves, but he’s not that enthusiastic about swords and swordsman chs. He can’t teach anything about swords to because I know much more than him in this specific area. The Heavensword Association is known as the paradise for swordsman chs so I’ll be able to learn a lot more about my chosen specialty over there. In fact, a part of wants to stay there and never return."
"Will you?"
"No." Ketis shook her head. "As much I’d like to indulge myself by spending my life with like-minded sword enthusiasts, that’s not where the future of the Swordmaidens lie. We want to go out of our corner of the galaxy. We want to see the cosmos and use our power for sothing more than trying to fight for ourselves. While our grand expedition is filled with peril, there is a sense of purpose that we have long been lacking. It’s so nice to be able to step outside of the box we are confined in. It feels as if we have finally managed to jump out of our cages that kept us boxed in place."
"I can understand the feeling. I feel the sa way. If not for the opportunities provided by Ves, I’d still be languishing in the Komodo Star Sector. In fact, without his virtual chs, I would have never been able to progress all the way to expert pilot."
Both of them were grateful to Ves. Their lives had already changed beyond their wildest dreams and this was just the start!
When Ketis completed her inspection, she reassembled her Undying Dragon and packed it up so that she could stow it with the rest of her luggage.
"Do you think you’ll be able to achieve good results over there?" Joshua curiously asked.
"Oh, I think the Heavensworders will be awfully surprised when my sisters and I enter the arena." Ketis grinned. "We’ve gained so aweso gifts from Ves that should help us reach the later stages of the contests. I can’t say anything further than that. So of the seeded contestants are truly ridiculous. I don’t think I’ll be able to defeat any of them in the one-on-one personal combat competition."
"What about the group competition?"
"We Swordmaidens excel at fighting alongside each other! What we lack in sophistication, we make up with trust and familiarity with each other. In the coming months, we’ll be drilling with each other very frequently in order to make sure we know what everyone else is capable of. That will help us cover each other’s backs when we finally compete."
She was truly hopeful about her odds. The candies she and her fellow Swordmaidens already ingested had boosted their strength and combat prowess at a much faster pace than she imagined.
Since she received more candies than everyone else, she might actually beco the strongest mber of their main combat team!
She grew a little disappointed when she thought about how she would have to stand by the sides when the swordsman ch competitions took place.
"It’s too bad I’m not a ch pilot. I truly want to exchange blows with other swordsman ch pilots."
Joshua moved close and embraced her strong and athletic body. "You are already a great ch designer. There’s no need for you to feel envious. Enabling your sisters to fight better is also satisfying, right?"
She tried to smile back. "I guess so. There are plenty of swordsman ch designers over there who I can exchange with. That will definitely broaden my horizons. I don’t think I’ll be able to approach any Journeyman, though. I’m still an Apprentice. I haven’t designed any chs that sold for millions like Ves."
"You’re his student, though."
Ketis shook her head. "That doesn’t an much in the ch industry. ch designers can teach many students, but that doesn’t an that those people will beco as great as their instructors. We still have to carve out our own place in the community."
She normally didn’t care about her own reputation or accomplishnts. She just wanted to beco better so that she could design the best swordsman chs for her sisters.
Yet now that she was about to head off to a state that could teach her a lot about her interests, she suddenly realized that she was not in a position to take maximum advantage of the opportunities.
While the Swordmaidens could still leech off the rising reputation of the Larkinson Clan to an extent, this did not apply to her. She could hardly take any credit for the stellar accomplishnts of the Larkinson Clan.
If she wanted to gain sothing from her fellow peers, she needed to find a way to stand out from the crowd, just like Ves.
He would probably choose to present a fantastic swordsman ch design and dazzle the crowd.
Yet that was not in the cards for Ketis. She still didn’t feel she was ready to design her Monster Slayer yet. Even if she started right now, she’d never be able to complete it by the ti the Greater Omanderie Festival had ended.
She turned around and grabbed her greatsword. The only way she could attract the attention of her peers in the ch industry was to fight her way to the top in one of the competitions!
As long as she made it near the end, she would be able to attract a lot of attention solely due to the fact that she was a ch designer by profession!
There had never been a ch designer who reached the later stages in the personal combat competitions in the history of the Greater Omanderie Festival!
As long as she broke this record, she believed she could definitely break into the local circle of swordsman ch designers!
"I would really like to see you fight in person." Joshua sighed as he embraced Ketis from the side. "I’d also be there if any accident takes place. I know you can hold your own in the arena, but you never know what might happen when the blades start swinging."
Ketis grinned and leaned her head over to plant a kiss on his cheek. "You’re so cute, Joshua, but you should be worrying about my opponents. The strength I’ve employed in my spars against you is nothing compared to when I’ll go serious!"
They were anything but a typical couple. Even though Joshua was an expert pilot, he felt rather inadequate whenever Ketis kicked his b.u.t.t during their practice bouts.
Even though his swordsmanship was improving by leaps and bounds, pure skill was only a part of the equation. Ketis still had him beat when it ca to physical conditioning and intuition. Even if Joshua caught up in those aspects, he would never be able to equal her when it ca to comprehending the essence of swords.
"I’ll miss you, Ketis." He said. "Who will I practice against now that I’ve lost my favorite sparring partner?"
"Why not ask the other expert pilots?"
"They’re no fun. Tusa is busy with his own thing while Jannzi is way too serious. Orfan is too old. Dise is going with you. As for the expert candidates, they’re not suitable for various reasons. The only one who is sowhat worthwhile to be around is Imon Ingvar, but he stopped being difficult for to beat since I’ve started to learn from your lessons."
Being an expert pilot was not all that pleasant sotis. Joshua could feel how his status affected other people’s attitude towards him. They began to think he was truly a superhuman or even a demigod. While he had definitely changed in many aspects, he still yearned to be treated as a regular clansman.
Sadly, that would never happen as his sheer presence was able to overpower other people and cause them to feel an irresistible sense of awe towards him. Only a handful of people were truly able to treat him like normal.
Ketis happened to be one of them. The adoration she showed towards him was much more personal. As he looked into her eyes, they seemingly shared the sa thought.
They both leaned in and shared a deep kiss with each other.
"Let’s forget about our coming separation for a mont." She whispered. "Before we go, let’s make a mory that we will never forget. Does that sound okay with you, Venerable Joshua?"
"Of course."
The two pressed their bodies against each other and felt each other’s body warmth. Their passion beca enflad as they kissed each other over and over again.
Ketis’ growing strength was put to the test for the rest of the evening!
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