"Alright! Master Yunli, don't worry. This time I'll definitely grasp conceptual power completely!"
March 7th patted her chest, confidently making another bold claim.
Hearing that, Yunli beamed, cheering her on. "Mm, Little March, I believe you can."
She gave a gentle pull, dragging the massive sword blank—taller than herself—over to March 7th, sparks scattering across the floor.
"Here!"
Hm! Looking closely, Master Yunli's sword really was spectacular.
She never noticed it before, but being this close, she realized just how powerful this weapon felt.
If she could wield it as smoothly as those beginner swords earlier, she would look unbelievably cool.
"Okay, Master."
Seeing Yunli's smooth movements, March 7th reached out with one hand to take the hilt. Just as she was getting excited, wanting to imitate Yunli's combat flourish and whip a large, sweeping arc through the air, she realized the weight in her hand was… a bit different from what she imagined.
Old Mettle did rise smoothly for that first moment, but after that, she couldn't control it at all.
"Waaahhh!"
Old Mettle nearly flew out of her hand, dragging March 7th forward more than three steps.
Yunli reacted instantly—one stride forward, both hands clamping down—and she caught the wildly flailing heavy sword with perfect stability.
As for March 7th, her lower body scraped across the ground, both hands clinging desperately to the hilt, half-kneeling, half-prostrated, gazing up at her master.
"Hoo~"
Yunli sighed. The confidence she had earlier began to falter.
Hopefully, March 7th's comprehension ability was at least stronger than her physical strength.
Yanqing blinked and said nothing for a long moment.
Stelle sighed, lifting a hand to her forehead, covering half her eyes with a look of I can't watch this.
March 7th looked up at Yunli, who had saved her from disaster, a hint of blush rising on her face.
She'd just sworn she could handle everything, and in the next moment, this happened. Didn't she look… a bit unreliable?
She laughed awkwardly. "Ehehehe. Just a mistake, a tiny mistake."
March 7th stood, adjusted her clothes, and took the sword hilt firmly with both hands.
This time, she didn't underestimate anything. With extreme caution, she tried to save face. "Master Yunli, please rest assured. That was only because I'm new to swordsmanship, so I misjudged. But comprehension is different—my archery and photography skills already prove that!"
Yunli adored her disciple, nodding confidently. "Mm! Little March, I believe in you."
She turned to the others. "Hey, don't you all agree?"
"…"
No one answered. Silence fell.
"Ahem, Miss March's aptitude is… astonishing!" Sylvester, smelling the thick embarrassment in the air, decided to use his professional charisma to warm things back up. "Her mind is clear, her talent unprecedented—she is a rare prodigy seen only once in ages. However…"
"Conceptual power is no trivial matter. If one can grasp it, that's wonderful—but if one cannot, it is even more reasonable."
Stelle and Yanqing looked back at him, both quietly impressed.
They could manage the latter half of that speech, but the first half? Delivering it so naturally—like saying 'the sun rises in the east'—that took real skill.
Not only did he keep a straight face, he had immense courage—and, most importantly, the ability to lock his shame in a safe for a while.
"Ah, I'm not that amazing… hahaha."
Sure enough, the effect was phenomenal. March 7th stroked her cheeks shyly, smiling; the earlier embarrassment vanished completely.
"Mm, Shopkeeper Sylvester is right. March, don't feel pressured. Just do what you can," Yanqing said, relieved now that the mood had softened.
Stelle immediately threw out the Blame-Shifting Technique: "Exactly, March! Even if something goes wrong, it's the Curio's fault. It has absolutely nothing to do with you!"
"Everyone… mm, all of you can relax!"
Seeing everyone offer her such sincere encouragement, March 7th didn't shy away—she instead felt a swell of responsibility flooding her chest.
Gripping the heavy sword tightly, she made up her mind. She would uncover the secrets behind conceptual power!
"Come on, Old Mettle!"
March 7th's expression grew solemn. She shouted, and the crystal hand-bone touched the blade.
As if responding to her resolve, the hand-bone released an even brighter blue-green radiance than before.
This time, both she and the sword were enveloped together!
"!"
There we go?
The spectacle far surpassed the Massacre Ruler's analysis.
The group—who had already given up hope halfway—felt their hearts surge again. Even their pulse quickened.
Could March 7th truly be a genius?
Stelle, Yunli, and Yanqing exchanged glances, then fixed their eyes on March 7th, not daring to look away.
March, whether you can do it or not—we'll see!
The light pulsed and flickered rhythmically. Second by second, time passed—longer than the Massacre Ruler by more than double.
The more they watched, the more certain they felt that March 7th had found the key.
Yunli and Yanqing had wielded these weapons many times. Their power levels were nearly identical. For the analysis to differ by this much—this already said everything!
Their eyes filled with deeper and deeper expectation.
After a moment, the film surrounding March 7th and Old Mettle receded back into the hand-bone.
March 7th slowly opened her eyes and exhaled a long, turbid breath. She murmured reverently, "As expected of conceptual power."
Her expression was calm… with a faint sense of devotion.
She got it!
The three onlookers burst with excitement. With such an enlightened expression, even if she couldn't explain it perfectly, she definitely wouldn't be empty-handed like last time.
"Little March, how was it?" Yunli asked, thrilled, unable to hold back.
"Master Yunli…" March 7th took a deep breath, about to reveal everything.
The three held their breath, eyes wide, terrified of missing even a single word of a power normally only the Aeons understood.
Under their eager gazes—March 7th's expression suddenly changed. She scratched her head sheepishly.
"Hehe… I still can't explain it."
"Cough."
Faint.
The three felt an overwhelming, cosmic-level speechlessness.
So she didn't understand after all? With that enlightened look, we thought you were about to ascend on the spot!
"Don't be impatient," March 7th said quickly, noticing their disappointment. "I really did understand. It's just that…"
March 7th strained to form words, her mouth shaping different sounds, yet nothing intelligible came out.
Finally, she gave up and thrust the crystal hand-bone toward them, resignation on her face. "Ugh, I can't say it. Try it yourselves—you'll understand."