The Laughing Swordsman

The Vanquisher led Apollo and Layla across the plain.

He sighed.

"Anyways, since the two of you don't know magic, I will show you the physical empowerment sections."

Then, he smirked.

"However, don't be discouraged. In reality, physical empowerment is my second greatest specialization."

The Vanquisher pointed towards a spot on the ground, rippling the space.

A hallway materialized in front of them. The flooring was wooden and the platform was wide.

On the left and right were bookshelves that were ten meters high each.

The hallway did have an endpoint, however, it was incredibly far away. If an ordinary person spent their entire lives reading, they may not be able to finish all the books.

This spoke volumes about the person who wrote it himself, The Vanquisher.

Speaking of, two books appeared in the hands of The Vanquisher.

"You are free to read any book here as you please. However, given the traits I have observed in our spar, these are my recommendations."

He handed one of the books to Layla.

"Since you have extraordinary strength, this should be fitting."

He handed Layla a leather-bound book.

The book was relatively small compared to other books, perhaps ten centimeters thick. It had a glossy white cover that was in pristine condition. There was a thin black string that wrapped itself around the book, keeping it closed.

The lettering was big and bold. The color of the letters was a deep red. It read, 'How To Overwhelm Mountains'.

Layla took the book, staring at it with curious eyes. It had a satisfying smooth feeling, prompting Layla to rub her cheek on it.

"Hehe, it feels nice!"

The Vanquisher smiled.

"Naturally. I keep my books in good condition."

Layla did not understand she had to unfasten the string to open the book. In fact, she did not even know that it was a book, or that books could open.

As such, she simply stared at it with confusion.

The Vanquisher handed the other book to Apollo.

Like Layla's, it was also leather-bound. However, that was where the similarities ended.

This book was much larger than the rest, spanning a whole forty centimeters. It would be very inconvenient for Apollo to hold it with one hand.

It had a light brown cover and had a weathered look. However, contrary to its appearance, it was just as clean and smooth as Layla's.

There was a leather latch along with a small white button that held it closed.

The lettering of this book was cursive, with a dark grey color. It read, 'Proper Application of Wind Attacks for Sword Wielders'.

Apollo took it with one hand, using the full length of his fingers to grasp it.

Layla looked over at Apollo's book.

She pointed towards it.

"Wah, no fair! You got the bigger one!"

Apollo pouted.

"But mine isn't as colorful as yours!"

Layla put a finger on her chin. Her furry ears twitched with enlightenment.

"What if we trade?"

Apollo gasped.

"Ah, you're right!"

The Vanquisher felt a headache coming on. He put one hand on his forehead.

"No, no. Those books are specialized for each of you. Trading them would ruin their effectiveness!"

Layla and Apollo hummed with dissatisfaction.

The Vanquisher sighed.

"Just read them, ok?"

Layla's head tilted to the side.

"What?"

Apollo loudly whispered to Layla, covering the side of his mouth with one hand.

"He wants us to open the book and look at the inside!"

Layla nodded with understanding.

"I see, I see."

After failing a few times, Layla clumsily opened her book and opened it from the middle.

She saw a picture of someone doing a punch with a few annotations added on top.

As for Apollo, he laid the book on the ground after opening it up. He turned to the first page.

On one side, there was a huge wall of text. On the other side was a picture of a hand holding a sword.

However, the picture was littered with so many annotations, that it might as well have been another wall of text.

Apollo blinked a few times.

"Um... I don't want to read this."

Layla was lying down on her belly. Her feet were kicking in the air and her tail was swaying from side to side.

Once she heard what Apollo said, she loudly whispered to him.

"It's a gift! You have to be proper and accept it. I don't want to read this either, but I am doing it!"

Apollo pouted.

"Ah... ok."

The Vanquisher was baffled.

How many people were vying for a chance to read his books?

How many people begged him just to see a single page?

...Yet when he gave them away, they were reading with the intent of not betraying his good intentions.

The Vanquisher laughed to himself.

"Maybe I have become a little overconfident in myself."

Apollo's eyebrows furrowed. He was trying his hardest, but couldn't understand what the book was trying to tell him.

He mumbled the words to himself.

"Focus not on the strength, but the angle of your blade?"

Apollo scratched the side of his head.

"...What?"

As for Layla, she was having just as much trouble. Her book contained significantly easier concepts as well as clear illustrations.

Yet, they all seemed to fly over her head.

Layla smiled.

"Hehe, I can't figure it out."

The Vanquisher furrowed his brows.

"Let me take a look."

He walked over. After a brief glance, he recalled the technique that page was displaying.

The Vanquisher sighed.

"Imitate my stance."

He held one fist in front of him while the other pulled back. One of his legs bent while the other was stretched taut. It was as though he was sprinting and he was in a freeze frame.

Layla got up and copied his posture.

Apollo tried to as well but realized it was too awkward with his bokken in hand.

The Vanquisher took a deep breath.

"The muscles you exert start from the back of your shoulder and end at the tip of your fingers."

Then, he swung.