Kaiser, still reeling from the unexpected turn of events, turned to Vanfred. "What happened? Why do they want us to come to them?" he asked, his voice a mix of confusion and curiosity.
Vanfred, a knowing smirk on his face, replied, "Isn't it obvious? It's because of your sorcery. Let's go now."
As Vanfred and Kaiser followed the First Elder, they soon reached a modest-looking house. It was unassuming, blending in with the surrounding buildings without any discernible grandeur. They stepped inside, and Kaiser's eyes immediately scanned the interior. "This house doesn't seem to have any furniture," he thought, a flicker of surprise crossing his mind. "I wonder why."
As if reading his very thoughts, the First Elder's voice, calm and steady, broke the silence. "It's because a warrior never needs luxuries."
Kaiser's eyes widened imperceptibly. "First Elder can read minds?" he mused inwardly, a jolt of alarm running through him.
The First Elder chuckled softly. "No, I can't read minds. If you lived for as long as me, you could guess the thoughts of others."
"Then, First Elder," Kaiser ventured, his curiosity overriding his apprehension, "how many years have you lived?"
"I stopped counting after I turned 200 years old," the First Elder replied, his voice devoid of any boastfulness. Kaiser was stunned. The First Elder's body, though possessing the wisdom of age, appeared to be that of someone in their early 70s, yet he was over two centuries old.
"You two should first sit," the First Elder instructed, settling himself comfortably on the floor. Kaiser and Vanfred followed suit, taking their places opposite him.
"Vanfred," the First Elder began, his gaze turning to the master, "the importance of having five verses of technique is to create a draft and a solid foundation so that the swordsman would survive in the tower."
Vanfred, recognizing the subtle reprimand, bowed his head. "Yes, I am sorry, First Elder," he acknowledged, understanding his oversight in not emphasizing the foundational aspects more rigorously with Kaiser.
"Don't worry," the First Elder waved off his apology. "After all, now that I know he has something special, it changes everything."
The First Elder's attention then shifted to Kaiser. "I have seen many disciples come and go," he stated, his eyes holding a depth of knowledge, "however, you are special because you use something that we don't."
"Sorcery?" Kaiser offered a hint of inquiry in his voice.
The First Elder nodded. "I am very interested in your sorcery, especially about who made it."
Kaiser hesitated, a faint smile playing on his lips. "You won't believe me even if I said it."
"I have seen things that you don't, so do try me," the First Elder challenged, his gaze unwavering.
Taking a deep breath, Kaiser revealed, "It was made by a four-year-old kid named Rei. He must be about ten years old now."
The First Elder's eyes widened, a rare display of astonishment on his ancient face. "Wait, what did you say? A four-year-old kid? Are you serious? That's impossible!"
"I said you wouldn't believe me," Kaiser replied, a touch of vindication in his tone.
"However, I need proof that he made it," the First Elder insisted, his composure quickly returning.
"Go to the Orville Village and look at the library," Kaiser suggested, his voice confident. "He made all those books; look at the author, and even ask the villagers."
"Fine, I will tell someone to go investigate it," the First Elder conceded, already formulating his next steps. "Next, I want to discuss the implications of this sorcery. I want you to find a way to integrate this sorcery with sword techniques."
Vanfred interjected, "But Elder, wouldn't it undermine the power of swords?"
"No, it won't," the First Elder countered firmly, "at least not if we are integrating it with the sword, because the sword will remain."
"But we need to keep our swordsmanship as pure as possible," Vanfred argued, clinging to the established tenets of their discipline.
"Did you forget our sword quote?" the First Elder asked, his voice laced with a subtle challenge.
Vanfred, after a moment's thought, recited, "Push yourself and evolve to a greater being than before, but if you shall forget your past, you will fall."
"It's time to evolve for us," the First Elder declared, his gaze fixed on Kaiser, "and Kaiser will lead us towards it."
Kaiser, understanding the immense responsibility laid upon him, responded, "I shall accept this task, First Elder."
"You two shall leave," the First Elder concluded, signaling the end of their meeting.
As Vanfred and Kaiser left the house, a humanoid shadow materialized silently on the rooftop, its form barely discernible against the fading light. The shadow looked at the First Elder, who remained inside. "Go to Orville town and investigate about Rei," the First Elder instructed, his voice carrying clearly to the silent figure. The shadow nodded almost imperceptibly before vanishing as swiftly as it had appeared.
Kaiser walked through the gates, his mind still processing the extraordinary conversation. He met an elder who handed him a small, intricately carved token. "Your dorm is 32," the elder explained, his voice calm and precise. "You will start with Tower 1, and for now, you will attend Class 1." Kaiser mentally filed away the information and headed towards the dorms. Upon reaching dorm 32, he stepped inside and finally allowed himself to rest.
The next day, Kaiser made his way to Class 1. Inside, he recognized a few familiar faces, including Clara and Adriel. Neither of them seemed inclined to speak to him, their expressions still holding traces of disdain and simmering resentment from the previous day's events.
An elder entered the classroom, his demeanor serious. "Here, there are nine towers, each with nine floors," he explained. "You can choose two options: either challenge a tower floor master to replace him, or challenge the tower floor master to proceed to the next floor. The choice will be yours. Now, for this class, you will learn basic footwork, basic stances, and attacks—no techniques, no forms, no swordsmanship, just basics."
After the class concluded, many of the disciples eagerly headed towards the First Tower, keen to begin their ascent. However, Kaiser remained behind. Instead of rushing to the tower, he began to meticulously practice the basic footwork taught in the class. He then moved on to the basic breathing exercises, followed by the fundamental stances, and finally, the basic attacks. He practiced each movement with unwavering dedication, repeating them over and over until the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the training grounds.