Chapter 16: The Inquisitor (2)
Isaac, feeling a twinge of guilt for his sacrilegious thoughts, glanced at Gebel. But Gebel just shook his head, not looking like he was gonna go all crazy on Isaac and start checking for tentacles.
“Well, maybe the Codex of Light figured you couldn’t handle both mad sword skills and miracles,” Gebel said, half jokingly.
Isaac was seriously skilled with a sword, even giving Gebel a run for his money without breaking a sweat.
Gebel took a moment, staring out at the snowy yard before saying, “You’ve learned all I can teach you.”
Isaac nodded, feeling a mix of emotions. He knew he’d reached the end of what Gebel could show him. Unless it was some fancy advanced move, Isaac had pretty much mastered everything else.
“That makes sense. You mentioned the Avalanche stuff couldn’t just be spilled to anyone,” Isaac recalled.
Gebel locked eyes with Isaac, dropping a bombshell. “What I showed you is the base of the Avalanche Paladin sword skills.”
“Seriously?”
“Yeah, it’s all about fighting as a team. So, we start with the basics and build from there.”
Gebel took a pause, then dropped another bomb. “But now, those killer advanced moves are irrelevant.”
“Why’s that?” Isaac asked, curious.
“The real power of our advanced moves was in group battles. But with the Paladin Order long gone, there’s no squad to sync up with.”
Isaac was floored. Even if he learned those moves, he’d have no one to unleash the full power with. The techniques were all about group fights, not solo runs like his.
He thought, ‘This wasn’t a problem in the game.’
“So, I suggest you cook up your own secret moves, using the basics you’ve learned. Let your experiences shape your style each time you unsheathe your sword,” Gebel advised.
It was a big ask – creating a whole new sword style from scratch. Isaac felt the weight of the challenge ahead.
“Can I really do that?”
“You’ve got it in you,” Gebel reassured him.
“I’ve seen glimpses of your potential. But it seems like you’ve been holding back, maybe subconsciously stopping yourself from trying the unknown moves.”
Isaac’s Nephilim side made him hit a wall when pushing too hard, but Gebel saw it differently.
To Gebel, who totally trusted Isaac’s skills, Isaac looked like a fresh canvas ready for some serious action. If Gebel had decided to teach him the awesome Avalanche swordsmanship magic, Isaac would have just soaked it right up.
But nah, Gebel decided to hold off on that.
“I don’t want to mess up such a great blank canvas,” Gebel said with a shrug.
Isaac, like a light bulb went off in his head, gazed at the sword marks he had made in the yard. And Gebel, observing him, thought about his own hidden desires.
If he let Isaac go now, the kid would definitely surpass him in sword skills.
But that would mean failing the whole reason Isaac was brought here in the first place.
“After all the hard work, I can’t just set you free,” Gebel said, grabbing a little twig.
“I’m gonna show you a cool move from the Avalanche playbook,” Gebel murmured.
“But didn’t you say it’s top-secret?” Isaac inquired.
“Just a sneak peek. And since you seem pretty disciplined…” Gebel hinted that it was up to Isaac to pay attention and learn on his own.
Isaac stayed quiet, laser-focused on Gebel, not wanting to miss a single detail of the show.
Swish.
Gebel swung the twig slowly, then whooshed it horizontally. The twig barely touched the snow, but suddenly a whole blizzard blew up like a storm crashing in.
Gebel moved through the flurry of snowflakes.
“Sword fighting is basically a mix of the three moves you’ve been practicing,” Gebel explained.
The twig started picking up speed, still doing basic cuts, thrusts, and strikes. Gebel seemed like he was giving a masterclass, repeating the moves over and over.
Isaac realized that Gebel’s moves weren’t just about fighting one opponent, but taking on a whole bunch of enemies in a wild battlefield.
Not just one, but tons of foes closing in on him. They either dodged his blade, got wounded, or tried to ambush him with loud yells.
Just when it seemed like Gebel was outnumbered by an insane load of bad guys, there was a huge boom of air ripping apart and a snowstorm blasting out in every direction.
Isaac, who had been frozen in place,
was suddenly covered in snow.
The snow cleared out neatly in a circle around Gebel, like an explosion.
Isaac realized it was a shockwave from breaking the sound barrier. But could a human body really move that fast? And handle it?
‘…That’s the power of top-tier swordsmanship and skills,’ Isaac thought.
He saw three explosive lines spreading out from where Gebel was standing. Anyone caught in there would’ve been wiped out.
“This here’s one of Avalanche Paladin Order’s fancy moves, ‘Omen.’ If you pay close attention, you’ll see it’s all tied to what you’ve been learning,” Gebel said, wiping his brow.
“As I’ve mentioned, at a certain level, sword fighting can turn into something almost magical. Avalanche’s moves channel the strength of an avalanche. Make sense?” Gebel asked.
“Got it,” Isaac replied, thinking back on the moves Gebel had just shown him.
The techniques Gebel pulled off…
“I can do this,” Isaac said with a surge of confidence, feeling like he could totally nail the moves Gebel had just demonstrated. The flow and rhythm of the sword, as if imprinted in his mind, clicked for him.
The ‘Omen’ move Gebel had showcased was basically a twist on the moves Isaac had been honing during his time at the monastery.
Those fierce slashing and cutting moves were Isaac’s specialty. When they flowed together seamlessly, they created a full sword technique.
“Avalanche Paladin Order’s moves are all about mimicking an avalanche,” Isaac remembered Gebel telling him.
Wandering about the form he should adopt for his sword skills, Isaac asked, “So, what style should I focus on for my swordsmanship?”
Gebel casually placed a twig on the ground and began, “You can’t just copy advanced techniques at this stage of your training. Your body is still growing, and attempting them could be risky. However, you’ve absorbed everything you can from me. While I may not have taught you those complex moves, the spirit of the Avalanche Paladin Order shines through in your every action, your every breath…”
Gebel paused, contemplating whether to dive further into the topic but ultimately decided against it.
From here on, it was all about ambition. The yearning to impact a future master knight.
And the wish to pass on his responsibilities.
“Moving forward, carve out your own journey,” Gebel advised.
This indicated that Isaac had to forge his own advanced sword techniques. Despite feeling his mentor had shirked responsibility, Isaac grasped the underlying message.
The weight of Avalanche techniques was too much for him right now.
There had to be a sword style that suited Isaac. Just before Gebel’s arrival, Isaac had caught a glimpse of it.
His fingers already tingled with anticipation.
“Isaac.”
Facing the falling snowflakes, Gebel addressed Isaac.
“Next year, your plan is to head to Lancel Monastery, correct?”
“Yes.”
When orphans at the monastery mature, they usually depart. Some become monks, some move on to higher education within the order, while most become apprentices to hone a craft.
However, Isaac’s path differed. He was destined for a city monastery for extensive Paladin training.
Lancel Monastery, situated in a nearby prominent city, specialized in nurturing priests and Paladins and housed over 1,600 residents. Isaac was poised for further education there.
If he had truly absorbed all Gebel could teach about swordplay, there was nothing more for him in this place.
To progress, he had to leave.
As long as the order didn’t suspect him of harboring hidden secrets, Isaac’s climb to the top was secure.
“If you become a Paladin, there are certain things you need to understand,” Gebel mentioned.
“Such as?” Isaac inquired.
“The reasons behind my departure from the Avalanche Paladin Order and some other minor details,” Gebel hinted, hesitant to delve deeper. Yet, Isaac sensed Gebel himself was contemplating leaving the monastery.
Isaac’s presence and progress had left a profound impact on Gebel.
“I merely covered the basics with you, but some will recognize your swordsmanship as Avalanche techniques. They might use the same moves as me.”
Any wielder of Avalanche Paladin Order moves likely belonged to the same order. Was Gebel hinting at concealing his techniques? Technically, Gebel had breached the order’s trust by sharing these techniques.
“Take them out should you cross paths,” Gebel advised.
Isaac was startled. “But, is it right to kill just because they find me secretly studying their techniques?”
“What are you thinking? The Avalanche Paladin Order has long disbanded. There’s no one left to accuse you,” Gebel clarified.
Returning to their prior conversation, Isaac pondered, ‘Why the insistence on killing?’
It wasn’t a quandary about the morality of taking a life. Paladins are essentially warriors, and eliminating threats is part of a soldier’s duty.
More importantly, Isaac had already done some killing, even had a bite here and there, though not with his own hands.
“They’re definitely gonna try to take you out. So, for your own sake, you might wanna take them out first.”
“Isn’t there anything else that sets them apart besides using Avalanche swordsmanship?”
“The way they look has probably changed, so any description would be pointless. And don’t stress about getting mixed up. The only ones who can rock the Avalanche techniques now are you, me, and them.”
Isaac was itching to dig deeper into the backstory, the why behind all this proxy killing. It had to be connected to why Gebel ditched his Paladin duties and hid out in the monastery.
It was definitely all about keeping Isaac incognito.
‘I gotta get the lowdown on this.’
Just then, a crow squawked loudly.
Isaac glanced up and locked eyes with a crow chilling on the monastery head’s windowsill. After one more squawk, the crow took off, a red string dangling from its leg. It was one of those messenger crows.
Gebel wasn’t too pleased at the sight.
“A carrion crow.”
“Is that a sign of trouble?”
“It’s not the crow itself, but the people using them that are the real issue.”
Gebel dropped that line with a meaningful tone as the monastery door swung open with a thud.
Monastery head Evhar came out, looking pale and rushed.
Isaac sensed something sketchy. Gebel’s expression turned stone-cold too.
“What’s up, Head of the Monastery?”
“Gebel.”
Evhar mumbled, looking pale and jittery.
“The Inquisition is planning to crash our party.”
