Philip walked through the hallway on the first floor of the left wing whipe having several swirling thoughts inside his head
First was Justine and the change in her behavior after they were alone together and talking about their past
Philip was extremely confused because no matter how he see it, it seems like Justine took a liking to him. He could tell that much without reading her body language. This was the same case for Yuze and Lyre that liked him after just meeting him
He was not dense, he was not soft either that he would immediately assume anyone's feelings about him. It's just that he didn't expect for them to turn out this way
Little did Philip know, this is one of his secret abilities that is resurfacing and being strengthened without him knowing
Another thought that was lingering in his mind is the appearance of Ysabelle in his mind for no apparent reason. She has been his friend and his first love that he given up on because he knew that his best friend, Eduardo, also likes her. He didn't want any competition and just let Eduardo have her without any fight
He didn't know why Ysabelle came into his mind. The only questions popped up as he thought about her are;
How is she? Is she doing well? Is she happy?
He could only hope thay Eduardo is making her happy. If Ysabelle's happy, then he's happy, event though it's unlikely for the emotion of happiness to form in himself
He shook his head to erase the troublesome thoughts in his mind, only for Yuze and Lyre to pop up instead
He immediately shook his head one more time because he felt guilty. He was aware the he hurt them by not saying goodbye and "dying"
But he told to himself that if someday he ever met them, he would apologize for leaving them alone
This behavior was against Philip's virtue and he hated it. He wanted to correct it once the right time comes
Suddenly, all of his thoughts was mixed together and his mind became in turmoil
His negative emotions, his past, Alucard's wish, Vanessa's past, Camille's curse, Kyouko's character trait, Natsuki's mysterious background, Natsume's hidden pain, Mei'er's dark past, Bea's demeanor, Jude's condition, Mathilda's behavior, the truth about the Old Man, the military's invitation, his abilities, the change of the world, his fate, and his future
But there was one thought that is more apparent than the others, his own behavior
During his conversation and trivial talks with Justine, he managed to tell almost everything while holding back a few storied about himself. Usually, he doesn't talk too much and chose to become quiet and mysterious, yet, he became talkative and became close to Justine, somehow
He even cadually revealed his true abilities, especially Fate Control and Future Vision, when he should've kept it secret. He didn't know why he casually blurted it out as he didn't feel anything out of the ordinary like the effect of the Embodiment of Good Luck. Seems like he really trusted her
Unknown to Philip, this will be one of his greatest mistake that he will learn in the future. Probably
Perhaps it was the little wine that they drank? Or it was influence of the mood and atmosphere that clouded his emotions? Maybe he was waiting for someone to talk to sincerely and Justine happens to be the one that he talked to
Was it a coincidence? Or Fate?
Philip shook his head once more and shrugged his shoulder. If it happens to be the work of Fate, the he'll let it freely flow for now
He immediately erased the thoughts in his mind and it took him a few minutes. Since he was already in front of Jude's door to his room
He erased everything and left the lingering thoughts about Jude and his condition, as well as the sword
He lifted his right hand as his knuckle faced the door and knocked three times
"Jude? Are you there?"
~~~
Several minutes before Philip knocked on Jude's door, he was treating his large curved longsword with a special cotton while holding a metal tweezer and brushing a special type of oil across the surfsce of the blade
He was in deep in thought and his eyes were fuzzy
He tried using the Ton Rod that Justine gave him as a present and used it as sword. Turns out, it fixes his Reverse Sword condition momentarily. If he would ever use the rod as sword seriously, the condition would return and mess up his weapon
The Ton Rod, that was made by a powerful blacksmith using one of the hardest metal in the world in current times, was cracked and bits were chipped off of the surface
The Ton Rod became quickly unusable
The Ton Rod was the least of his problems as his eyes became deeper. He placed the cotton that had an oil print on the trash bin and gently placed down the metal tweezers
He thought back to this morning, about Philip and his Sword Potential
He learned that Philip had no experience in the sword or whatsoever. He also learned that he had no Sword Potential, is what he thought, but apparently, Philip had a Sword Potential and it was greater than his that he failed to see it
He also learned that somehow, Philip was far more powerful and higher ranking in the Sword Mastery stage than him, who is a Sword King
Even though Jude's eyes were fuzzy and deep, he was enlightened because there was someone in the world that is more powerful than him. He wanted to learn more about Philip's sword power
At this moment, he hear a knock and a voice
"Jude? Are you there?"
"Yes! Sir Philip? You may come in"
Philip twisted the knob and opened the door. He excused himself and entered Jude's room with minimal movements since he wasn't comfortable in entering anyone's room that casually
"You may take a sit, Sir Philip"
Jude prepared a wooden chair and let Philip sit. He then sat back down to his previous seat, which is at the opposite of Philip, across the rectangular table
"What brings you here, Sir Philip?"
"I am curious about the sword and I want to learn it from you"
Jude was confused by Philip's request but he understood immediately because Philip never held a sword before and it was right that he decided to ask Jude about the sword
"Very well... Is it okay to learn at this time of the night?"
"It's fine! I can stay up all night since my room is occupied"
"What do you mean by that?"
"Apparently, Justine's room is supposed to be in my room. Did you know about that?"
Jude's eyes widened from shock and disbelief. He subconsciously facepalmed himself from his blunder
"Oh no! I sincerely apologize, Sir Philip! It passed my mind since Justine-sama always leave in the night whenever she returned. Tomorrow, I'll arrange a new room for Justine-sama so that you'll be able to sleep properly"
Philip became confused by Jude's words, particularly the fact that Justine leaves in the night whenever she returnednin the mansion. What changed now?
Philip subconsciously opened his mouth in realization and gasped without the noise. It was probably because of him... Or maybe Justine's just really tired
"Oh, no need... Don't bother, it was Justine's room in the first place! I'll come up with something"
"Are you sure, Sir Philip?"
"Yes. Ah! I know... Can you get me a futon?"
"Will do immediately, Sir Philip!"
"Wait, no! You don't have to do it now!"
Before Philip could stop Jude, Jude already has his fingers on the small ear piece on his right ear
"Attention! Buy the most expensive and comfortable futon you could ever by for the Homeowner, ASAP!"
Jude commanded with a stern voice. A few seconds later, the security personnel, the maids and butlers became restless. A few vehicles were heard driving away from the mansion just to buy a futon for Philip
"You don't have to go that far"
"It's a must, Sir Philip"
Philip then remembered the perks of being the Homeowner. He realized the power of the title and he swore to himself that he'll never abuse it. He didn't like that anyway. He'll only use it when it's really needed
"Is there anything you need, Sir Philip?"
"Hmmm... There is"
A few important things came to his mind
"A regular PC, a smartphone, a television, of course internet connection if there aren't any in the mansion, electronic parts such as circuit boards, transistors, capacitors copper wires, solders and a soldering iron, and such. As well as tools that deals with electronics"
As Philip was speaking, Jude was writing down the things that Philip needed. Jude was confused at first as to why Philip needed these items but he ignored it since he is the Homeowner anyway. He then quickly communicated it to his ear piece for the others to buy it
"Anything else?"
"That's it for now... I have something to experiment on in the near future"
"Do you need me to buy laboratory equipments as well?"
"Hm... Tempting..."
"Say no more!"
"What?!"
Before Philip could stop Jude, he already asked to by the laboratory equipments. It was too late to cancel anyway
"Everything should arrive by tomorrow. The futon should arrive tonight so you can rest anytime you want during out lesson of the sword"
"Alright then"
Philip was impressed by Jude's efficiency and organizing skills. He thought that Jude might have been working as the head butler for years for him to be this good
"What do you want to learn first, Sir Philip?"
"How much does it take to become a Swordsman?"
Philip asked with seriousness in his voice. Jude took a deep sigh and spoke with deep clear eyes
"Well, it takes as much as you hold the sword. In my own understanding, there are five ways to become a true Swordsman"
~~~
In every field of expertise, there is Discipline. Disciple is needed in holding the sword. When holding the sword, one needed to monitor their behavior and understand the meaning of the sword and the purpose for holding it
Every Swordsman are asked the questions, "What drives your sword? Why do you swing your sword? What is your goal? What is the purpose of your sword?"
One must ask these question to oneself before they wield their sword. This will remind them the discipline that they learned as they wield the sword
The second way in being a true Swordsman is the Control over wielding the sword
When wielding the sword, the Swordsman needs control to take care of the sword. The sword can also be vicious and can hurt the wielder of the sword
With this, control is important, especially when using one of the Four Talents since they can go out of control and go against the Swordsman's discipline
One if the most important aspect is Connection. A relationship between a sword and the Swordsman is sacred
Having a strong connection with the sword means a more powerful resonance and stronger potential unleashed
Swords can have feelings and a Swordsman needs to treat the sword properly like the sword is themselves
The best way to make a strong connection to the sword is to consider them as an extension of an arm or simply a part of the body
With a strong connection, there will be a powerful Resonance. Resonating with the sword is the hardest method to become a true Swordsman. Once it is done, a Swordsman can unleash the full power of the sword and reveal their full potential
Finally, the Potential of a Swordsman is measured according to their connection and resonance with the sword
The higher the potential is, the more powerful the Swordsman will be
~~~
"That's what it takes to be a true Swordsman. In my own understanding anyways"
"I see..."
Jude finished explaining his understanding of being a true Swordsman
"By the way, potential is measured and it has stages. It is called the Universal Mastery Stages that also measures the potential of a user in handling any aspects, expertise, items, skills, and weapons in the world"
Philip's eyes widened from Jude's words. Philip was unaware of this Universal Mastery Stages and it was the first time that he heard if it
Maybe it was because it is a concept that was made since the beginning of time. He doesn't know when or who invented it but he surely didn't took this in consideration when he controlled the fate of the Earth four years ago
It existed before him knowing about it and he was excited about it. Just then, a thought flashed in his mind and ge couldn't help but ask a question to Jude
"Jude, how old are you?"
Jude turned his head and gazed at Philip with deep eyes
"I was born over a million years ago. My friend, the Old Man, found me when I suffered from my Reverse Sword condition and became stuck in the Sword King stage. We travelled the Earth together until we decided to stay in this land over 3000 years ago"
Philip's eyes widened but not to the point that he was surprised. He already knew that the Old Man lived for over a billion years and the fact that Jude talked to the Old Man like a friend rather than a master-servant relationship when he first arrived in the mansion tells him that Jude might also be the same age as the Old Man
Although, he didn't expect Jude to be only a million years old, a thousand times less than the Old Man
"I see... I want to ask you later about the mastery stages and about your condition later. Let me try your method in being a true Swordsman first"
Philip stood up while holding the wooden sword in his right hand
"I-in here, Sir Philip?"
"Don't worry, I won't do anything bad"
Jude was afraid, despite him being confident and wise just a few minutes ago. He remembered about earlier when Philip destroyed him with one swing of the sword with no mercy
He became even more worried after Philip told him not to worry. He believed the belief that something will go wrong if someone said to not worry
Nonethless, he trusted Philip as he could only clench his knees and braced for the worse
Jude was afraid the most on Philip's Sword Potential rather than him getting hurt or losing his room
At this point, Philip closed his eyes and took a stance. He held the sword with two hands and pointed in front of him. His right foot is stepped forward as he assumed perfect muscle control distribution
Jude looked at him and his eyes widened as cold sweat formed on his back. His pupils shook and his mouth agape
Step one, Discipline. Philip breathed in and out until his breathing was fluid with perfect intervals. His muscle also contracted and expanded, the same way he was breathing. An invisible swirl of energy circulated around Philip, albeit the amout is small and calming, like a gentle wind
He started to ask questions to himself as Jude questioned himself and he tried to answer it the best that he can
What drives your sword?
I'm uncertain
Why do you swing your sword?
To destroy
What is your goal?
To die and be free from the restraints of the universe
What is the purpose of your sword?
To cut
At this moment, unknown to everyone on Earth and in the universe, the concept of sword itself has manifested
Step two, Control. As Philip adjusted and controlled his muscle breathing, he exuded an aura of perfect synergy in his body. His movements should be fluid and in full control
During this, white lines appeared across his forearms, legs, and neck like feathers. The white lines then faintly glowed like an LED light. Jude saw this and became confused
Unknown to Philip and Jude, the Spirit Fibers across Philip's Skeletal System also glowed and Mana from his Mana Spots began to rapidly flow across his body to equally distribute energy
Step three, Connection. Philip began to connect with the wooden sword and feel it. He considered the sword as an extension of his body
Moreover, he tried to understand and feel the source and origin of the wooden sword. At this moment, two of his hidden abilities, one was forgotten and one was dismissed; Eye Vision and Clairvoyance
Eye Vision was one of the imaginary abilities that Philip had when he was a kid. The only special quirk of Eye Vision is to allow Philip see objects from far away distances and see incredibly small objects in incredible detail
On the other hand, Clairvoyance is a sub-ability of Future Vision and this is the ability that allows Philip to perceive objects and events beyond normal sensory and predictions in real time. This means that Philip is able to accurately predict or guess the events that is currently happening that is relative to him without using Future Vision
Clairvoyance is almost the same as Sixth Sense but Sixth Sense has a delay in detecting an event whereas Clairvoyance detects events in real time
Eye Vision and Clairvoyance was used at the same time and Philip was unaware of it. He didn't know that two abilities resurfaced in him
With Eye Vision and Clairvoyance combined, the effect of Clairvoyance has been amplified which allowed Philip to see deeper into the wooden sword. Philip saw the source and origin of the wooden sword
Apparently, the wooden sword was created when the universe was created by the Big Bang caused by the Genesis Singularity. The wooden sword was an agent to separate quantum particles and subatomic particles that created the elementary particles, who are responsible in creating matter and energy
The wooden sword was also caught by the onslaught on the Primordial Remnants and was stuck along the clusters of the remnants and has been inhabiting Earth for at least 4.5 billion years
That was the reason why even the Old Man didn't know the existence of the wooden sword when he found it next to Philip at the bottom of the chasm in Mystical Hotspot in China despite him living for more than a billion years
Now that an existence with a soul rediscovered the purpose of the wooden sword through a conceptual method called observation, the wooden sword shone and shook in Philip's hands. Philip abruptly opened his eyes and blue light were swirling around his pupils
Step four, Resonance. The wooden sword tried to resonate with Philip instead of the other way around. Philip immediately understood and resonated back by extending his Mana and energy towards the sword
Step five, Potential. As this was happening, Philip's Sword Potential was rising exponentially. First stage, second stage, third stage, fifth stage, eight stage, and beyond
Jude felt the increase in Philip's Sword Potential. He could still identify the stage Philip was currently at but he became lost after Philip reached past the eight stage
At this point, the wooden sword in Philip's hands began to crack. The aura and energy around Philip swirled violently like a tornado. There was no wind, only the energy that can overwhelm a person
Jude was already against a wall while blocking the turbulent energy with his left arm above his face. He still tried to watch and observe Philip
Philip closed his eyes once more and took a deep breath in. The wooden sword became a yellow light and shattered into pieces like glass
The shattered particles floated upwards and dissipated into the air as a wave of Sword Energy went through the entire mansion
The residents of the mansion, inluding a few butlers and maids, and security personnel felt the sharp energy in the air
Kyouko was squirming in her bed as she felt the sharp and stinging sensation of the wave of Sword Energy. Vanessa, Natsuki, and the others thought that it came from Jude but Alucard and Bea thought otherwise
Alucard felt Philip's Sword Potential in close up when saving Jude earlier and this time it was more powerful. Meanwhile, Bea has always been wary of Philip and she seems to know something
Meanwhile, Justine was alarmed as she was sitting in a lotus position while meditating in Philip's room before sleeping