Divine Beast Ascension

Chapter 187: Pauller’s Unbridled Enthusiasm

“Oh? You won’t even allow us in to chat about the terms?” the merchant asked loudly with a false smile.

“There’s no need,” replied Hurman, waving goodbye without turning back to the unwelcome guests.

“Perhaps we can converse about the tournament? I’m curious which of your grandchildren will be attempting this year.”

“Goodbye, Chorgan. And farewell, Mertin. Send my regards to Melida and my grandchildren,” added Hurman, vanishing around a corner.

But the ornate merchant wasn’t offended. He chuckled lightly, well accustomed to such treatment from his many clients. The merchant glanced at one of the masked men, chuckling louder. “You know, Mertin, your father seems more unwelcoming than ever. Care to explain why that may be?”

“We should be going, Master Chorgan,” commented that masked man, releasing a sigh that was either filled with regret or expressing relief. “You have matters to handle at the guild, so it’s fortunate that you won’t be wasting much time here.”

“True... Then I’ll be requesting your aid from now on, Mertin.”

.....

“Of course, Master Chorgan...”

The second guard returned to his station as the guests made an about-face and left without another word. But both guards were quite confused, by Mertin in particular. They knew Mertin had been released as the family’s business manager but that didn’t prepare them to find Mertin working as one of the Libarn Guild’s masked men. And their boss didn’t seem at all fazed by his son working with the merchants, which only added to their shock.

While minor rumors and suspicions would soon spread among the house servants, Oli was exiting the dining hall. After a long discussion that all morning, he was glad to bathe, relax, and seek out a filling meal. Now that he’d mentally and physically reset, Oli was anxious to resume his training.

Oli traversed the open paths of the property with ease, already familiar to find the places he would frequent. And somewhat to his surprise, Oli found a familiar face approaching his courtyard from a distance. That person beat Oli there and immediately began calling and shouting for Oli, ignoring the knocker inside the courtyard walls.

“Pauller, what brings you here?”

The youth turned around and shot toward Oli without hesitation. “Oliver! Thank you! Thank you for the battle art!”

Sighing, Oli put up his hands and chuckled, “There’s no need to thank me. Thank your uncle and grandpa, not me. They traded fair and square for that battle art. I’m sure they’ve already begun adjusting it to create swords, though I’m surprised they’ve already given it to you.”

“They only gave me the first part, the part that teaches how to condense the essence,” stated Pauller, unable to hide the overwhelming excitement in his eyes. “But I’m struggling and wanted to ask for help.”

“Pauller, I’ll be a little busy with my own training for a little while...” Oli remarked, getting the youth to frown slightly. “Tell you what. I’ll answer some of your questions right now, but you can’t bother me for the next sun. Got it?”

“Got it!”

“Then, what did you want to ask me?”

“How do you get your hammers so dense?”

Oli laughed and lightly shook his head. “Simple. I just kept condensing it more and more until I reached my limit. Then, I would gradually increase that limit so my hammers get stronger and stronger.”

“But how do you get it so dense?” Pauller repeated. “Leon tried the art too, but he said the hammer he made couldn’t compare to yours at all.”

“Leon can already make a hammer?” Oli asked with a surprised grin.

“Yeah, but he said he can barely do it. Johan can almost make one but fails to make a handle that he can swing properly,” added Pauller. “But I can’t make anything, and I want to make a weapon as strong as yours.”

“Well... That’s really how I did it.” Not bothering to go into too many details or mention how he had passed his mother’s original version of the skill instead of his updated version, Oli explained, “Condensing energy is usually easier with earth essence, so this shouldn’t take any of you very long to learn. Practice it enough and you’ll find your essence getting thicker and thicker over time.”

“Can you show me, Oliver? Please!”

“That’s fine. I can show you but keep control of yourself,” joked Oli, forming a hammer of earth essence firmly in his grip.

“Wow... That’s much thicker...” Pauller leaned in close, peering into the condensed essence. “It’s hard to see through too...”

“This is nothing compared to how my mom used it in the past,” Oli added, swinging the hammer a little before dispersing the energy. “Her hammers weren’t transparent at all. They looked like solid brass, but hit harder than some of the best hammers I’ve ever seen in the shops.”

“Really?! That’s possible?”

“With enough practice, why wouldn’t it be?” Oli chuckled. “That’s the thing about cultivation. With patience and determination, can’t we make anything possible? Just keep at it every day and you’ll be fine. Once your family tweaks the technique to make swords, you’ll be set and ready to go.”

“Well... What if I want a different kind of sword?”

“What do you mean?”

Pauller tilted his head. “My family doesn’t use greatswords, but that’s what I want to use... And if I make a really big greatsword, then I can swing it around like your heavy hammers and hit really hard.”

Imagining little Pauller trying to swing around such heavy weapons made Oli laugh without thinking. “Pauller... I think you’ll need to bulk up a lot more before that could ever happen. I may look strong, but I can guarantee that I’m a lot stronger than I look. That’s why I can use hammers with ease. For me, it’s a weapon perfectly suited for my physique. But you’re not too tall for your age and your training isn’t hardcore enough to merit using extra-large greatswords.”

“So if I get stronger, then I’ll be able to use heavy swords like you use hammers?”