@Boney thank you for the update. It was very fun to see Eike's skills developing in real time and her interactions with Mathilde. If her name really is spelled Ike, I think it'd be ironic considering she's using a greatsword.
and when you turn your full attention back to the matter you've only just developed enough skill to threaten an untrained child. Luckily for you, there is just such a child available to match this level of ability.
Or so you thought.
I find it interesting that Mathilde considers the 14 year old a child when the Empire supposedly considers 11 year olds adults. There's really no sidestepping that 14 year olds are not fully grown adults and they're closer to a child, physically, than an adult, so it makes sense. What you would consider to be an adult socially is not an adult physically.
Also, deserved for Mathilde to get slammed for her hubris. She shouldn't have underestimated EIke.
"Okay, Apprentice," you say as your training sword clatters across the room for the third time. "It's time to talk about which extracurriculars you took back at Altdorf."
She lowers her sword from the point-out guard that had looked awkward right up until you tried to hit her. "Well, it wasn't Greatswording exactly, Master," she says. "The Carroburg Greatswords weren't willing to spare someone just to train one person. But Oma was able to organize someone from Bergo Academy to train me in the basics of the spadone."
It's been so long since the last updates that I forgot if Mathilde and Eike were doing the "Apprentice/Master" thing and if I had called it out before. I probably have. It feels a bit jarring considering we knew her before she became our apprentice, but Mathilde's being professional here. I don't exactly remember if Regimand and Mathilde were doing the same thing or if they had already gone into first name basis when she'd become a Journeywoman.
Also, for those who don't know, Bergo Academy is an institution around Altdorf made by a Tilean swordsman dedicated to teaching primarily noble children the art of the blade. Really, it's more of a trending thing for noble children to learn the art of the blade, it's not like most of them end up using it since most end up as cavalry riders, but it's a social status thing. It must have been pretty expensive for Wilhelmina to hire a private tutor from such a prestigous institution, but she's got the money for it.
I can't help but find it very cute how earnest Eike is. She clearly idolises Mathilde to a certain extent, I don't think she would go to the Carroburg Greatswords to ask for training otherwise, but it definitely caught me offguard how much she idolises her. It's also a reminder of how atypical Mathilde's situation is that she managed to get adopted into the Stirland Greatswords. It's not exactly easy to get them to teach you greatsword techniques just because you approached them. It was an awkward and sometimes humiliating endeavour for Mathilde.
"Not exclusively, Master, the sweeping is for the killing strike with the stercke, after a parry or flick with the schweche. But yes, that's the style."
With a sliver of willpower you surround yourself in Aethyric Armour. "Demonstrate."
To her credit, she doesn't hesitate, and you have only a moment to wonder whether that's due to trust in you, or her intuitive Windsight telling her it's safe to do so. She batters her way past your offhanded guard, flicks the tip of your blade across your face - that would have taken at least an eye in actual combat - and then whirls into an underhand swing that connects with your gut hard enough to send you a step backwards, and you smile to yourself as the next stage of practice starts to look a lot more interesting.
I assume Eike's instincts are honed enough to tell that Mathilde is safe, and besides, I think Eike has heard enough stories to know that Mathilde is a lot tougher than she looks. No way Mathilde was willing to let Eike land a "killing strike" without assurance.
In regards to the actual practice, I'm happy that Mathilde isn't insecure about her own skills and status that she would get upset that she's being bonked by her apprentice. Someone insecure in their own abilities would give up their offhand practice and beat up their apprentice to make sure they "know their place", but Mathilde is more than happy to let Eike show her abilities and even finds enjoyment in having a skilled opponent.
[Eike studying the blade: Martial, 47+10+10(Library: Greatswords)=67.]
A week of training allows you to get the measure of Eike's ability with a blade, and if she's not quite at the level you were when you joined the Karak Eight Peaks Expedition, she probably soon will be, as you find her spending a fair amount of her free time in drills and delving into your books on the subject. Certainly good enough to leave a few bruises on you when you face her wielding a two-handed blade in just your offhand.
Eike is, as usual, very earnest and sincere. She seems to hyperfocus on something when given the opportunity until she gets it. She's kind of like Max in that regard, where if you give him a job he seems to diligently work on it until he's grasped it. She's a very good apprentice. I like her.
It occurs to you that what you're trying to achieve is very much like one of the advantages of a two-weapon style, but the only two-weapon styles you have access to are the sword-and-dagger style of Tilean duelists and the dual axe techniques of the Slayers, neither of which align with what you're hoping to achieve here. Dual sword styles would likely be much more useful, but the only ones you're even vaguely aware of are those of the Wardancers of Athel Loren and the Shadow-walkers of Nagarythe, neither of which are currently accessible to you. So you press on and do your best to develop from scratch what you're sure they've already mastered.
I'm sure we can get a demonstration or two in Nagarythe when we take our elfcation, but I believe we'll already have our style hammered out by then. It doesn't hurt to look at more fighting styles though. Could help us out in honing some of our less elegant strokes in our swording.
you bring in your Apprentice once more, and though she adapts impressively fast and manages to reliably parry at least the first two swings of any given flurry, that it's impossible to judge the arc of a swing before the sword appears means that it's not something that she can maintain.
Eike continues to surprise me with her skills. She's very impressive at her age. She must have spent a lot of time honing her skills.
Before long you've move on to more skilled opponents, and find that while some of most skilled of the Undumgi and Ulrikadrin are able to develop counters to the technique, they're only able to do so after they're exposed to and defeated by it several times - a learning opportunity that you don't intend to offer to any of those who might find themselves on the wrong side of Branulhune. You're very pleased with yourself as you take notes and sketches of the drills you've developed.
It's a good thing most people aren't going around studying snippets of information from afar about some weird sword style that only one moderately famous swordswoman practices to come up with a countermeasure. This isn't exactly a shonene anime. If it was, I'd be a little less assured on how well our style holds up in the long run.
Either way, I think our sword style is mostly complete. I don't have strong opinions on Guard Bypass or Double Tap, so I'll let the thread sort it out. I don't have much insightful commentary on that aspect.
