Mushoku Tensei: the Apostle of God

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Rudy blinked upon hearing the name.

'A Water God-level swordsman, the head of a major dojo... the pinnacle of the Water God style... Her name is Reida Lia, huh? Sounds like a tall, imposing lady... Definitely not an old granny... Allen's so lucky to have met someone like that.'

"Allen... you've actually met someone like that? And you've seen her swordsmanship?"

Allen glanced at him.

"Yeah... I guess I was just lucky."

Paul, meanwhile, gave Allen a meaningful look.

Allen tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword and continued.

"That's my understanding of the Water God style. As for the Sword God style, I don't know much about it yet."

With that, he looked up at Paul, who twitched at the corner of his mouth.

"Uh... I'm more of a feel-based guy. If I had to sum it up, it's all about 'intuition.'"

Rudy's eyes lit up.

"Intuition? That sounds amazing..."

Allen, however, felt a slight twitch in his temple.

'Paul, your intuition and feelings are pretty much the same thing, right? Are you sure it's not just your own intuition?'

Paul looked up and saw Zenith smiling at him from upstairs. He exchanged a smile with his wife and then spoke again.

"To be precise, it's combat intuition. What it boils down to is..."

His expression suddenly turned serious, as if he had switched faces.

"The sword must move faster than thought."

Rudy immediately started clapping, quick to show his admiration.

Allen, on the other hand, sighed in resignation.

He had heard this line over twenty times, but it was too abstract for him to grasp.

He understood combat intuition, but the idea of the sword moving faster than thought... Was it about focus? He always felt like he was fully concentrated during battles.

He shook his head, about to ask something, but Rudy beat him to it with a serious question.

"What about the North God style?"

Allen looked at him in surprise. Rudy blinked at him and then glanced at Paul, who was frowning deeply, seemingly on the verge of pulling his hair out.

Allen cleared his throat.

"As for the North God style..."

Before he could finish, Paul's expression relaxed, and he looked at Allen with relief.

Allen paused, realizing that he wasn't going to get anything useful out of Paul. He continued with a slightly resigned tone.

"The North God style is different from the other two sword styles. It doesn't have a strict 'first principle,' and it's divided into many branches, each with its own focus."

"Take the North God's Unorthodox Branch, for example. It's the most popular among adventurers. Unlike the Water God style, which focuses on analyzing the opponent's information, or the Sword God style, which is all about thrusting the sword into the enemy's gut without thinking, the Unorthodox Branch relies on adapting to the situation and using the most effective means to defeat the enemy."

Rudy furrowed his brows.

"That sounds a bit like the Water God style, choosing the best response for the moment..."

"No, the methods are completely different."

At this point, Allen suddenly remembered that Rudy would have many encounters with the North God style in the future. He blinked and said,

"Let me give you an example."

As soon as he finished speaking, Allen swiftly drew his sword and swung it at Rudy. The latter was startled and instinctively shifted his weight to dodge, only to be tripped by Allen's outstretched foot.

Rudy stumbled and looked at Allen's sword, which had stopped mid-air without any intention of actually cutting him. Then he glanced at Allen's foot, which had been subtly placed to trip him, and shouted angrily,

"You're so sneaky!"

Allen nodded.

"Exactly! That's the point. As long as you win, any method is fair game. Honestly, I was thinking of kicking you in the groin..."

"No!"

Rudy immediately covered his crotch with both hands, his pupils shrinking in fear.

Allen's hand, formed into a knife-hand strike, was already hovering in front of Rudy's eyes.

Allen flicked Rudy's forehead with his finger and then casually withdrew his hand, signaling for Rudy to sit down. But Rudy quickly grabbed his stool and shouted at Allen,

"Are you going to pull the stool out from under me too?"

Allen's mouth twitched.

'He predicted that.'

"No, it's really over now. Anyway, this example should help you understand. The North God's Unorthodox Branch is all about winning by any means necessary. They'll use anything they can—provocation, hidden weapons, feints—you name it. You'll need to be careful when you encounter them in the future."

Rudy nodded and sat down.

The moment he did, Allen flicked a fallen leaf, sending it spinning through the air before it smacked Rudy on the forehead.

Rudy glared at Allen.

Allen smiled back.

"If this were the North God's Unorthodox Branch, that leaf would've been a hidden weapon."

Just then, the two of them felt an intense gaze.

Allen turned in surprise to see Paul staring at him with a serious expression.

"Allen... even if it's just an example, you shouldn't draw your sword against family."

Allen was taken aback, but he could tell Paul was being completely serious, so he nodded.

"...Right. My apologies."

Paul nodded, signaling for Allen to continue. But Allen changed the subject.

"That's pretty much it. I think you can tell I don't know much about the Sword God style, so I have some questions for you. Just answer them directly; no need to summarize."

Paul's eyebrow twitched, realizing he wasn't going to get out of this. He straightened up and put on a serious face.

"Ask."

His response was curt.

"First, about the Sword God style. I've heard that practitioners train by swinging their swords with full force every day, maintaining absolute focus. Some even say you can master the Sword God style's ultimate technique, the Light of the Sword, this way. Is that true?"

Paul's face twisted into a conflicted expression, and he muttered under his breath,

"That sounds like Ghyslaine's training method... Hmm... How do I put this..."

Allen chuckled inwardly.

'Yep, that's exactly how Ghyslaine and Eris train in the Sword God style, Paul.'

After a moment, Paul frowned and said,

"Everyone's training methods are different, but 'swinging the sword' itself is undoubtedly effective. I've seen swordsmen who trained this way."

Allen narrowed his eyes.

"Swinging the sword itself?"

"Yes, swinging the sword itself... How do I explain this... Ah, I've got it. Let's use the Water God style as a contrast. In the Water God style, the sequence of combat is: sense and analyze the environment and opponent—think about how to respond—then move to dodge or defend—and finally, counterattack with a swing. The focus is on perception and observation, with the swing being just a means to an end."

Allen raised an eyebrow.

"And the Sword God style..."

Paul looked directly at Allen.

"The Sword God style skips all that analysis. It's all about the swing itself—simple and direct. To put it in words: I see,"

Before Paul could finish his sentence, the wind shifted.

In the next instant, the tip of his wooden sword was already hovering in front of Rudy's face. A leaf, sliced in two, drifted down and landed on Rudy's stunned expression.

Paul's voice completed the sentence.

"I cut."

Allen stared at the leaf as it slowly fell to the ground, then looked up at Paul in shock.

Silence filled the air.

Paul, satisfied with their reactions, nodded to himself.

"That's the Sword God style—the Silent Sword. I held back most of its power. In a real fight, it would be much faster."

Rudy, with a tearful expression, immediately chimed in.

"Father, you just said that even in an example, we shouldn't draw our swords against family..."

Paul's face stiffened, but he quickly defended himself.

"A wooden sword doesn't count."

Rudy: ...

Allen: ...

Paul looked at Allen's stunned expression and said earnestly,

"Since you're skilled in the Water God style, this reaction is normal. After all, the Water God style and the Sword God style are complete opposites."

'My reaction is because your double standards are blinding me!'

Allen shook his head, pushing away the chaotic thoughts in his mind. He ran his hand along the hilt of his sword, feeling the cold touch.

'Even though it's still a feel-based explanation... this time, it feels different...'

'I see, I cut...'

Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 70 on my patreon, go take a look.