Chapter 4:
Liam at Thirty
IN MY PAST LIFE, being thirty years old would have meant a third of
your life was behind you. By contrast, thirty-year-olds in this world looked
like elementary schoolers and were treated like kids. That part was fine, but
there was one problem.
"No good, huh?" I held my sheathed sword in my left hand and looked
at the logs around me. Of the three logs I'd placed, I'd at least managed to cut
two, but the execution had been rough.
It was a far cry from the special technique Master had shown me. I'd
cut far fewer logs, and they were closer to me than they had been to him. I'd
spent more than twenty years on this, and still I was only able to achieve a
weak imitation. Did I just lack talent?
Master watched me, arms folded and an impassive expression on his
face. Was he disappointed? Becoming nervous, I bowed my head to him and
apologized.
"I'm sorry, Master. My skills still pale in comparison to yours."
Master was kind, though, and slowly shook his head. "The path of the
sword is a long and arduous one, and there is no prize at the end of it. You've
improved much in the last twenty years."
I'd been pondering for all those years how I could achieve what Master
had shown me. I couldn't imagine it was something you attained just by
practicing the basics. It was then that I recalled another component of the
technique Master had mentioned long ago. Magic.
"Of course! He used magic. By applying a thin layer of it over the
blade, you can extend the sword's reach. Isn't that it?"
Through trial and error, I was eventually able to cut a log that my
sword couldn't naturally reach. I hadn't been able to achieve this simply by
training my body, and improving my fighting skills hadn't been enough
either. My only option had been to use this world's magic.
I thought I had reached the correct answer with this, but my attempts
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were still very different from Master's technique. Since I wasn't able to pull
off the same thing, I was a little uneasy. But while I fretted that I had failed,
Master clapped his hands, impressed.
"You've come so far... You're incredibly close. Still, you only get
partial credit."
"Partial credit?"
"That's right. If you're going to use magic, then you must study
magic."
"But I am studying it."
I was a noble, and a count at that, so it was only natural that I'd been
studying magic. But in this world, or perhaps just this era, an individual's
magical capability wasn't regarded as all that important. Magic wasn't going
to protect you against a beam fired from a spaceship. The same principle
applied to martial arts. Many nobles still studied them to some degree, but
neither martial arts nor magic were a requirement for a noble's station. Rather
than learning attack magic and shooting flames from my hand, it would be
more efficient to carry a gun.
Not all magic was pointless. Healing magic was useful, for instance,
and magic was very important in controlling the humanoid weapons of the
current era. I would definitely have to learn how to connect with and pilot
one of those weapons through the use of magic.
"Yes, well, just learning magic isn't sufficient."
"It isn't?"
I see—just the basics won't be enough. I'll have to get more serious
with my studies.
"I'll increase the degree of my magical studies at once."
Master nodded vigorously. Was it just my imagination that he looked a
tad nervous? "Very good. You'll have to stop practicing the special technique
for a while to make time. Concentrate on magic. Let's see... Ten years
should be enough for a start. During that time, I want you to practice only the
basics."
And I was making such good progress too! I thought, frustrated, but I
couldn't go against my master. If I ever tried to fight him, he would probably
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chop me to pieces in seconds. I couldn't even picture myself winning, so
great was the difference in ability between the two of us.
"I-I understand."
"Very good. In any case, how are things with your domain? You won't
be a very good lord if you spend all your time learning martial arts."
How kind my master was to worry about my domain.
"It's fine. My reforms are moving along, and we're finally starting to
see real results."
The restructuring of both the military and the government had been
going well. I'd decided on expanding some development plans and had
started a couple of new projects as well.
Manned construction machines and humanoid robots accomplished
their work incredibly quickly. Skyscrapers could be erected in a matter of
days. Once, I had seen a structure being built by something like a huge 3D
printer. It had rendered me speechless. This disc appeared in the sky, and
before I could exclaim "A UFO?!" the disc emitted a light that started to
generate a building. People mostly just supplied support, checking the details
as the disc did its work. I watched the whole structure being created as
though it were a fast-forwarded video—a pretty shocking sight.
If the planet could be so quickly developed, then really, anyone could
have done this before. It was a complete mystery to me why my parents and
grandparents hadn't. Tax revenue easily increased this way, so there was no
reason not to.
"That's good, Liam. Now, how about you show me how you're doing
with the basics today?"
"Yes, sir!"
"It wouldn't mean much at this stage to just do so normally, though.
From now on, let's blindfold you and add some weights."
"A blindfold and weights, you say?"
Master applied weights to my sword and blindfolded me.
"Swing the sword until it feels as light as a branch in your hands. The
blindfold is to teach you that you can't just rely on your eyes."
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"Yes, sir!"
I had absolute confidence in my master's training methods, but it was
almost like something out of a manga. I had enjoyed reading stuff like that as
a kid, but similar entertainment was hard to come by in my domain. That was
a rather underdeveloped area, probably because people just didn't have the
time or money for such things.
Maybe I should have Amagi make some investments into the
entertainment industry too.
***
Yasushi trembled as he watched a blindfolded Liam swing his
weighted sword. His face revealed his emotions, since he knew Liam
couldn't see him.
What is this kid? Seriously, what is he?
He had been in a cold sweat ever since Liam had shown him his
"special technique." In the past, he'd just casually thought, Wow, this kid's
getting pretty good. He'd never expected Liam to recreate his parlor tricks as
an actual sword technique. Even though he'd only taught the boy the basics,
Liam was becoming strong all on his own, and that terrified Yasushi.
After all, Liam had purged every single corrupt official from his
domain. He'd been so thorough, it was hard to believe he was still a child.
Yasushi had felt detached as he watched all that, thinking, Ooh, scary. But if
Liam's swordsmanship got any better, things could get very bad for him.
If he finds out I was lying, I'm done for. He'll chop me to pieces in an
instant!
Yasushi had merely put on an air of wisdom and fed the boy some
pretty words. Liam was already a far better swordsman than him, and if they
were to fight, Yasushi could say with absolute confidence that he would lose.
I've got to drag this out to save up some money, then get out of here as
soon as I can.
All this time, Yasushi had been lazing around and living a life of
relative luxury, burning through his pay as soon as he got it. He'd lied to
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Liam, telling him he was going off to train when he was actually going into
the city to have some fun. He didn't have the funds to make a run for it now.
He wiped the perspiration from his brow as he watched Liam adjust his
motions with the blindfold on.
How could he have come so far? Is this kid some kind of genius?
Yasushi was no instructor, and his sword skills were third-rate. He
couldn't truly gauge the degree of Liam's talent.
I can't tell. Anyway, I've got to buy some time now. I'll look for more
videos for training ideas. If I don't, and he finds out...he'll kill me!
Yasushi had no choice but to stick around despite his fear so he could
accrue the funds necessary for his escape. He desperately got to scheming,
praying that Liam wouldn't discover his lies.
***
Is there any reason for the blindfold? I'd wondered at first, but after a
while, I caught on to the meaning behind it.
"I understand what you meant now, Master. I'm starting to figure out
how to use my other senses. This is what you meant by not relying on my
eyes!" I "looked" at Master with the blindfold on. He moved around to get
out of my "view," so I followed him with my head.
"Mhm, you mastered that in such a short time," he said, sounding a
little surprised. "Really, how did you do this in just a few years?"
He was so baffled by my growth, I could tell he was cocking his head
even with the blindfold on. I spun my weighted sword playfully around my
fingers.
"Look, I can swing it so easily now."
"O-oh yeah? No, you can't get conceited!"
"Huh?"
Master was a little harsh when I showed him how confident I was. "It's
true that you've honed your other senses, Lord Liam, but that's all you've
done—you haven't made them extraordinary yet."
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I was surprised to hear this. "So there's even more I can do to avoid
relying on my vision?"
"O-of course there is! And that sword is too light for you now, isn't it?
I'll prepare a special sword for you."
I felt myself getting excited. "I'm looking forward to it!"
"I-I'm glad."
Huh? Master almost seems scared. Is it just my imagination? Yeah, has
to be.
***
You've gotta be kidding me! Yasushi was terrified when Liam followed
his movements with blindfolded eyes, while swinging his weighted sword
around like it was nothing. He couldn't just act like a normal person with that
blindfold on, now could he? No matter where Yasushi moved, Liam kept
turning his face toward him, knowing exactly where he was. He tried to move
soundlessly, but it was pointless. All throughout, Liam was smiling—it was
creepy.
What to do, what to do?! I didn't think he'd adapt this quickly! Yasushi
had tried to buy time with a ridiculous scheme, but it hadn't even taken a few
years for Liam to actually learn the skill he only pretended to be teaching
him.
Seriously, is he a genius?! If only I'd known he was like this sooner!
Yasushi had no way to predict the extent of Liam's potential.
I'll make a super heavy sword and have him use that. That should give
him some problems. Yasushi had been talking out of his ass about a sixth
sense and supernatural abilities, but he worried that if he kept it up, Liam
would truly develop those skills. The thought terrified him.
Hoping to buy some more time, Yasushi came up with a fresh plan. Oh,
I know! That'll be perfect!
***
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Yasushi made his way to a storehouse on the mansion grounds. This
building contained artwork and other items stored during the demolition of
the previous mansion. He'd already tried selling off some of the items inside,
but they were all fakes.
One of the pieces in the storehouse was an aged humanoid weapon—a
mobile knight. It was a large model of the twenty-four-meter class, unlike the
fourteen- or eighteen-meter types more popular nowadays, a black behemoth
with huge shields mounted on both shoulders. This model was several
generations old, probably built hundreds of years ago. It had been used by
Liam's great-grandfather, Alistair, and was inferior in every way to modern,
mass-produced models.
Yasushi brought Amagi to the storehouse and pointed to the mobile
knight. "Make this usable, would you? I'm going to train Liam in it."
Amagi gave him a dubious look. "This model is quite old. Would it not
be better to ready a current model for him?"
"We can't do that!"
What worried Yasushi was that the latest mobile knights were
extremely easy to pilot. Their specs had improved so much that if someone
like Liam—who had loads of time on his hands—got into one, he'd master its
controls in a matter of years. Yasushi couldn't buy time if that happened.
"This is for Lord Liam's sake. I'd like you to have it repaired and ready
for use."
"These models are no longer in production. Repairing it will take some
time. The fourteen- and eighteen-meter models are more commonplace now,
so I would recommend using one of those."
Amagi was only treating Yasushi with respect due to Liam's regard for
him. If not for that, she would have been far more insistent.
What do I care about your difficulties? I'll make you spend a fortune
on it. That much less cash to use later to chase me down.
Yasushi urged Amagi to make use of the old weapon. "Old models are
more solidly made. If you give it some upgrades, it'll end up sturdier than the
new models."
"It is not that simple. When you balance it out, it is more economical to
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make use of a current model."
"No, no, no, this one will be better. You should just turn this craft into
the ultimate model for Liam's personal use. Don't concern yourselves with
the budget."
"There is no logic in using this craft. It is simply a matter of
customizing a newer unit for Master's use. It will be cheaper as well."
Yasushi decided to force the issue, since Amagi wouldn't stop arguing
with him. "Regardless, I want you to make adjustments to this unit. It will be
better for Lord Liam that way. And he should learn to pilot it manually—
automatic controls are out of the question! People rely too much on machine
assistance these days. There's only meaning in it if you pilot it yourself! He
has to use a machine that requires actual skill! Yes, that's for the best!"
All Yasushi wanted was for Liam to use a machine that would be
difficult to pilot, but Amagi would never agree with such a thing.
"If the weapon functions well, should he not rely on it?"
"No, he shouldn't! This is something Lord Liam needs to learn!"
At Yasushi's insistence, Amagi had no choice but to oblige. She'd been
ordered by Liam to comply with Yasushi's requests as much as possible.
"If you insist, I will hurry and make the arrangements."
"Please. Use as much money as you need. This is for Lord Liam, after
all!"
Yasushi piled on all the additions to the mobile knight that he could
think of in order to strain their funds.
***
After Yasushi left the storehouse, Amagi looked up at the mobile
knight—personal designation "Avid." Its inner frame showed in places, and
parts of its armor had rusted. The interior was even worse, so it couldn't
currently be piloted. The machine had been left there to rot.
As she gazed upon the pitiful sight of the Avid, Amagi thought to
herself, Is that man truly a skilled fighter? It's true that Master has gotten
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stronger, but Yasushi just does not seem terribly impressive to me. Based on
his normal behavior, she couldn't imagine Yasushi was possessed of
incredible skill. Still, as long as the man was producing results, there was no
real reason to fire him.
No matter how deeply I investigate him, I never find anything
suspicious. In fact, his record is almost unnaturally clean. It was almost as if
someone had manipulated his record to appear that way.
"I am obligated to carry out his orders. However..." She wasn't sure
where to send the Avid for maintenance, but it would have to be a large
manufacturer with enough skill to craft the required parts. This was
something like taking a classic foreign sports car to a local repair shop; the
shop wouldn't have the parts to repair it, and they wouldn't know how to go
about performing maintenance either. It made sense to try the original
manufacturer.
"This one was manufactured by an Empire factory." The Empire-
controlled facility that had made the machine was still in business, so it was
likely the best place to send it.
Amagi mulled over Yasushi's requests. "He asked for a great deal. Will
we have the funds for all this? In any case, I must proceed." She would have
a mechanic examine the Avid and then contact the manufacturer.
She reached out and touched the Avid. She'd rejected Yasushi's
suggestions again and again, but there was something almost envious in her
expression. "I will do everything I can to restore you, so please protect my
master."
When she removed her hand, her face regained its usual neutrality. She
left the storehouse, mentally running through the steps necessary to restore
the Avid. Along the way, she found Liam walking her way with a blindfold
on.
He looked delighted when he noticed her. "Those footsteps must be
Amagi."
"You are correct, Master."
Though blindfolded, he had been walking as if he could see where he
was going.
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"Master, it is dangerous to walk around like that."
"It's fine—it's part of my training. Anyway, I heard you were getting a
mobile knight ready for me?"
Amagi told him about the requests Yasushi had made for the mobile
knight.
"He would like an old model to be repaired for use, even though a
newer one would be more within our budget."
Bringing a hand to his chin, Liam cocked his head. "My master must
have his reasons. Anyway, I'll leave it to you. I'm gonna take a walk around
the mansion."
Liam left with the blindfold still on, but Amagi was concerned that he
would fall, so she followed along behind him.
***
The bar in House Banfield's domain was thriving again today.
"Cheers!"
A group of men who had stopped in on their way home from work
were drinking and laughing. There were still occasional fights here, but it was
a far cry from thirty years ago. The seats were fuller than they were empty
now, and the bartender fondly watched the staff he'd had to hire as they
hurried about their tasks.
One of his regulars called out, "Looks like business is booming,
barkeep."
"Hm? Yeah, I was finally able to hire some help."
Unlike before, when he had only been able to sell cheap liquor, there
was some pretty expensive booze flying off his shelves these days. The
regular who'd spoken was also dressed better than he used to be, and the
drink he sipped was higher quality than his old swill. He previously seemed
to want to drown himself in booze, but now he could savor the finer stuff.
The bartender pivoted the conversation. "By the way, how's work?"
"It's great. Too great, really. I'm too busy." The regular, who had
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previously complained about not having any work, was now griping about
having too much. His expression was cheery, though, as if he felt truly
fulfilled. "Hard to believe things could change so much just because we got a
new lord," he mused, reflecting on the past.
The bartender readied another drink for him and responded, "If my
grandpa's to be believed, things were even better in his time."
"How many hundreds of years ago was this?"
"Four or five?"
"Strange how things were more developed back then."
House Banfield's domain was starting to win back some of that former
vitality.
"The lord's being pretty quiet lately, though. Haven't heard a thing
about him in the last twenty years."
No one had heard a peep from Liam since his big political purge two
decades ago. There were rumors, of course, but all of them lacked credibility.
The bartender was curious too. "I've heard he really likes dolls, but it's
hard to hold it against him when he's doing such a good job."
"I thought all nobles hated dolls. Guess this lord's different."
"Can't say I care either way. As long as business is this good, I
couldn't be happier."
The regular bought the bartender a drink, and the two of them made a
toast to their future prosperity.
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