In the morning, when the first rays of sunlight rose from between the mountains and spilled over the land, Asa slowly woke up.
The sunlight touched his face, and even the smallest hairs on his skin seemed to stretch out slowly, just like the grass around him. All the small lives around him, including the cells in his own body, were blossoming with vitality, ready to greet the new day.
Asa didn't open his eyes or move. He liked this feeling, feeling as if he were a tiny part of the surrounding natural world, his senses blending seamlessly into nature, with no distinction between him and the world around him. Even without opening his eyes, he could hear many sounds.
The faint sound of the mist lingering in the forest slowly dissipating, the sound of sunlight rebounding off the grass, the sound of the grass growing, the sound of ants carrying insects into their nests to rest, the sound of a small lizard swallowing a moth not far away, the sound of two small animals fighting in a tree, the sound of a woodpecker flapping its wings overhead, the chirping of several wild sparrows, the approaching footsteps of a person, and the sound of breathing, as well as the slow cutting of the air.
The footsteps of this person were light, almost like the footsteps of two squirrels on a tree, each step carefully placed on spots with little grass or debris, so as not to make any noise. The breathing was also light—not a forced lightness, but one that flowed naturally, as if every part of their body was controlled in perfect harmony. Just from the sound of the breath, Asa could tell this person was a martial artist of extraordinary skill, a true master among even the best.
Around the area where the person's breathing was, the air was slowly being split open by a sharp blade, creating a faint, almost imperceptible hiss—this was certainly a good sword. Anyone who held it would easily be able to sever a person's head in a single strike.
The footsteps, breathing, and the sound of the blade cutting through the air drew closer from behind, with no trace of killing intent. Even the most sensitive of deer would not have noticed. But Asa had woken up precisely because of this sound.
He sensed it, but he kept his eyes closed and remained still. He was curious about what this person would do next. Although the sword practically revealed their intentions, he still wanted to see how they would proceed.
The footsteps stopped about three meters behind him, and their breath became slightly heavier. Asa knew the person was about to strike.
"Die!" came a loud shout, and the person suddenly lunged forward. The body and the accompanying sound of wind transformed from a subtle breeze into a violent storm, aiming directly at Asa, as if ready to shred him into pieces.
With a sharp thud, Asa opened his eyes, grabbed with both hands, and kicked. The storm of wind immediately reversed direction and flew back.
The person rolled on the ground but quickly jumped up, looking at Asa with a mix of surprise, unwillingness, and anger. She shouted, "I don't accept this! You're despicable! You pretended to be asleep!"
"I was really asleep, but you woke me up," Asa shook his head and sighed, tossing the sword back to her. "If you can't sleep, that's your problem. Why come to disturb me?"
"Disturb you? I came to see if I could capture you," the female knight responded. The sunlight shone from behind her, casting a soft halo around her golden hair and enveloping her body. She wasn't wearing heavy armor but instead a light leather outfit. Her tall figure lacked some of the typical feminine charm, but it instead conveyed a sense of heroism and straightforwardness. But now, her face showed pain as she clutched her head, filled with regret and confusion. "How did this happen? A few months ago, you weren't even my opponent, but now I can't even surprise attack you, how did it end up like this? Has my skill really regressed to this point?"
"Surprise attack?" Asa froze. "If you were really trying to surprise me, why did you shout 'die'? I thought you were joking with me..."
"Who's joking with you, you bastard? A knight follows the code of honor. Surprise attacks are only a last resort, so I shouted to remind you before I attacked."
"Then, since you already shouted 'die,' why did you strike me with the sword hilt instead of thrusting or slashing it?" Asa asked again. When he kicked the sword away from her and grabbed it, he noticed she had not been trying to stab or strike him with the blade, but rather holding the sword in reverse to hit his head.
The female knight responded, "I didn't want to actually kill you. I just wanted to beat you up, capture you, and ask if you would surrender."
"Surrender, surrender, I already surrender..." Asa nodded repeatedly, mumbling. "I just wonder why you didn't show any killing intent. I even suspected you might have hidden your killing intent entirely, just like your teacher, Lancelote..."
"Has it really regressed? How could that be? I couldn't beat Jarvis, and now I can't even beat you..." The female knight shook her head, clutching her head, squatting down slowly, filled with disappointment and sorrow. "My teacher sent me out to train, but why do I feel like I'm getting worse and worse? No, I can't let this go on..."
Asa ignored the troubled female knight, stretched lazily, and heard his joints crack as he stretched his muscles. He felt incredibly refreshed. He bent down and pulled out two roasted sweet potatoes from the remnants of the campfire and tossed one to her.
It had been some time since they left the capital, and throughout the journey, this female temple knight seemed somewhat off. She kept finding ways to challenge him. The first few times, she requested a fair duel or various sparring matches, but now she had resorted to a surprise attack. He wondered if the next time she would try poisoning him.
If he weren't certain that he could handle her, Asa wouldn't be so brave traveling with such a woman.
However, Asa had to admit that having someone like her along made the journey far from lonely. The journey, which should have been full of danger, isolation, and loneliness, was surprisingly lively and interesting with her as a companion. Plus, her combat ability was quite impressive. If she could mature and stabilize her mindset, becoming as seasoned and composed as the other temple knights, Asa wasn't sure he could keep her under control. Having such a capable ally on the road was far from a bad thing.
"Tell me, what's going on with you?" the Temple knight asked while eating the roasted sweet potato. "Why are you getting stronger, but I feel like I'm getting weaker? What kind of training have you done to get stronger?"
"How am I getting stronger?" Asa muttered to himself, giving a bitter laugh. He didn't want to answer and didn't know how to explain.
He wasn't sure whether he had actually grown stronger or not. He only felt that he was becoming more and more invested, facing things with a serious attitude, yet able to maintain a calm heart. Though there were still ups and downs, they were within his control. It was like riding a horse: the horse's strength was growing, but he was also holding the reins more firmly.
With this focused attitude and calm mindset, the forces within his body were more in harmony, and he was able to use them more effectively. He wasn't sure if it was because he had stopped avoiding these things and was more willing to face them, or if this mental state was influencing his physical power. Either way, he had become more adept at utilizing the strength within his body.
And this mindset had only come after enduring so many helplessness and sorrows.
Countless battles, choices, failures, the loss of those close to him, the joy and passion between lovers, and the eventual parting—all these emotions had gradually settled in his heart, and without realizing it, his understanding had deepened.
Where should one train to become the strongest? Asa suddenly remembered that he had asked a similar question to himself many years ago. It was when he was about six or seven years old, beginning to train for his dreams, and he had asked the retired adventurer, Grandma Ail, who lived behind the village.
Neither physical strength nor mental skills were the strongest.
Grandma Ail smiled and poked gently at Asa's chest, saying, "As you walk along the road, continuously moving forward, this will gradually become more fulfilling, and only then will you truly grow strong." At the time, Asa didn't understand, and he pulled on the old woman's hand to ask for a clearer explanation. However, she didn't explain further, simply saying, "You'll understand when the time comes."
"Hey, what are you spacing out for?" Talice threw a piece of sweet potato peel at Asa's face. "Do you really think I've gotten weaker?"
Asa caught the peel and tossed it aside, smiling faintly. "Strictly speaking, you haven't gotten weaker. Has your martial energy weakened? Are your limbs limp? Is your magical power drained? Have you been seriously injured? No, none of that."
"Then what do you think is wrong with me?" Talice asked impatiently.
"Do you know where the essence of strength lies?" Asa asked.
"Where?"
"Here." Asa pointed to his chest.
"Here?" Talice leaned forward, furrowing her brow, carefully examining his chest, trying to see what mystery lay there. "Is it the waist power that's the foundation of strength, or is it the chest muscles...?"
"It's here, it's the heart," Asa sighed and moved his finger to poke Talice's chest. However, after touching her, he froze and looked at his hand in surprise.
"You... bastard!" Talice jumped up as if stabbed by a knife, shouting, and punched Asa in the face.
But the punch was immediately seized by Asa. He twisted his grip forcefully, and Talice, whose body had already lost balance and coordination, fell straight to the ground. Asa quickly caught her by the waist, hurriedly saying, "See? Your heart isn't calm, your will is slack, and your emotions are out of control, so there are weaknesses all over your body..."
By nearly noon, the two of them resumed their journey. Both were exhausted, covered in dust and sweat.
"Actually, maybe what you said is right. My teacher said the same thing—that the power of the heart is the most important. That's why he sent me out of Celeste to train," Talice nodded while riding her horse, speaking slowly with some understanding. There were several bruises on her face now, and the corner of her mouth was cut. Although white magic could heal the injuries, the scars still had to heal slowly.
"Then why are you still messing with me?" Asa looked at Talice with some irritation. He didn't have many injuries on his face, but it had taken quite a bit of effort. Talice wasn't easy to deal with, especially since he couldn't really go all out or strike her seriously. He had to wear her down, making her lose energy and fire before he could stop.
"Who told you to poke around with your hands like that? I'm telling you, now I know I'm not your match, but next time I get the chance, I'll make you pay," Talice glared at Asa fiercely, her face full of resentment and contemplation. "The things my teacher said are too hard to understand. I really don't know what he meant. What method should I use to gain this kind of inner strength..."
"Let's go. Maybe we'll figure it out while walking on the road," Asa replied.
"Where are you headed south for?" Talice asked.
"Let's just walk, and we'll find out," Asa responded.