Post by Hinota Yuiee✾ on Nov 5, 2024 19:16:19 GMT -5
Junjie listened as Shi gave Jevi some advice, it was something that everyone needed to understand in his mind as the more power you gained politically or even physically there would always be someone waiting in the shadows for that second of weakness so that they could deal a crippling if not deadly strike. "Jevi..." he said finally closing his eyes "I will give you an example of just how deadly the imperial court can be..." he said calmly his eyes opening the other dead in the eyes "If my mistress was in the imperial harem and it became known she was pregnant some of the other concubine and consorts would be trying to make sure that child didn't come to term but they would have to do it in such ways that it couldn't come back to them." he admitted "Because the emperor would give her a lot of care and privileges..." he continued.
"More so if it was known she was carrying a son." he said calmly "Who you align yourself with in the imperial court also can strengthen your standing." his tone thoughtful "If they have enough standing it means you can be protected against things that you may end up being punished for, if you anger someone powerful they will make your life hell. Shi's mother's title was Lady Hebe which meant she was one of the five most favoured of the emperor" he wasn't joking on any of this as much as he wished he was. "Shi, do you remember when we were younger the concubine that was sent to the cold palace?" he would ask, this was when they were still quite young so he was unsure if she remembered "Turns out that the young woman tripped over the noble consorts cat that came out of nowhere and so she paid the concubines maid to poison one of the favoured concubines that were about to come consort." he informed her.
"This took out a possible threat and a budding threat in one blow, the maid that had betrayed her mistress was sent to a hard labour camp after the noble consorts favoured charm was found in her possession." he informed her "As far as I know the concubine is still confined but my mistress is attempting to speak to her grandfather on the young woman's behalf." he said shaking his head looking to Jevi "The young concubine was one of the few friends my mistress had when she was younger, she only found out a little before her current assignment about what happened and had me investigate. Luckily, the emperor has a soft spot for my mistress so he may listen to her plea and release the woman." he said, not wanting to get too ahead of himself on this matter as the emperor's temper was fickle.
"Please take care of her Shi as much as she may wish to experience Clover if it was safe then your sword wouldn't be needed." he said his tone calm but sighed "I'm going to attempt to get my mistress to give up her mantle when she returns, she is capable but she will not always have a sword with her and it worries me." he knew due to his familial obligations and even due to hers to the kingdom he nor his sister would ever be around her at all times. He knew she was still having nightmares due to what she witnessed while having amnesia and where it wouldn't affect her work as they had made sure to teach her how to compartmentalize it was proof she shouldn't be near a battlefield in his mind.
He went silent as Shi was blunt with Jevi, it was clear that the young man heard their words and believed he had the full picture. It was an arrogance he had noticed in many nobles within Clover, he didn't believe this was entirely the case in Jevi's case as he had been poking and prodding every single weak point and button to get under the man's skin. The young man wasn't quite an open book, he was more like a leaflet that told you absolutely everything you needed to know, even if he was a book it was clear that whoever made him forgot to add the cover. It was something he was hoping to rectify while Jevi was under his tutelage, but it also meant he needed to get some help from others as there were things that he just couldn't help with. Luckily he was in good standing with several families so could call in favours or help as needed.
"The world is filled with shades of grey, even morality isn't as simple as black and white." he said covering his mouth as he yawned a little, he hadn't been resting well of late and he had no idea why. "For example, you have a strong moral compass so let me ask you this. You come across two daemons, you know these creatures are evil... but they are clearly in love with one another... so do you kill them or do you leave them alone and honour that love?" he would ask, it wasn't as simple as many may think. He had seen that he was quite the philosopher so expected an interesting reply from him. To the swordsman, he would honour the love and only take them out if they became a threat but he knew so many that would only see the race and that would be enough.
There was no real correct answer to this question because at the end of the day, both answers were right and both were wrong for their own reasons but it did show a lot about the person in his mind. "I, personally, would allow them to live until they posed a threat, I do not believe that all daemons are evil, some merely wish to exist and who am I to deny someone that?" he said with a calm tone that held resolve "Besides, if I killed without reason my mistress would be less than happy with me and I do not wish to cause her sadness." he said knowing it to be the truth, it was honestly why he was thankful he was rarely called on by his mother to kill anyone, it's not that he wouldn't follow the order it's just that he was doubly careful that his target never spoke or was never found depending on the task.
He nodded hearing about Hania "The Ravencrest estate is in lockdown because Hania is in a coma and has been since he returned from dealing with the archdaemon Asmodeus. My uncle doesn't have much information but he does say that his nanny is quite concerned." he sounded truly worried. Hania had never hidden the fact that he still had a nanny, by his age he should have been long passed needing one but it was times like these that showed why Winter was still around. "If Winter is concerned then something terrible has happened." he informed the other there was more he could have said but it wasn't his place to put another's business out there so remained quiet. "My mistress abides by tradition while at home, in truth, she tends to abide by it even away from the estate." he said as he thought about how often she actually broke rules.
It was then Junjie explained his views on swordsmen in general, it wasn't just directed to those in Clover but something he believed in general, he also informed Jevi that he still believed that there were masters in their line of work and did give credit were due but he also stated more often than not he had to hold back and it only seemed directed at western swordsmen because these were the ones he fought and trained with, there was little more to it than that. He also recognised that he had a lot of expectations but told him to stop acting as if he was the only one with such pressures. He smiled hearing his apology "As earlier stated not everything is as black and white as it first appeared. You assumed we were talking negatively out of superiority about your homeland which we can completely understand." he began.
"But in truth, it is just our experience that is seeking due to the pressures of expectations that pushed us far beyond what is reasonable at times." he said with a sigh wishing it wasn't true "We would be saying the same for our own homeland.... I think we do speak of swordsmen of our homeland in the same way." he said showing there was no true malice behind their words "I will have high expectations for you, far higher than your fathers but I will guide you properly through those expectations and explain my lessons properly and if you act out of turn I will correct you promptly" he informed him, his voice showing he wasn't lying about what he expected and what he would be giving due to those high expectations.
Eventually, even with them coming to an understanding, the final weak point had been poked and everything came spilling out, both Jevi and she listened without interruption or judgment until he finished. Junjie enquired if he felt better about letting go of the mask he had been wearing all this time. When Jevi stated he had he nodded "I'm glad." he said knowing that with the weight off and the false pretences broken, he could start learning properly without the burden of his father or the warped expectations placed upon him. He then told him that not everyone was lucky enough to run away like he had, that some had to remain and just deal with everything that had been thrown at them without complaint and soon Junjie would reveal why he uttered those words. After a moment of contemplation, he made the pair promise not to repeat a word he was about to say or it would be their last and it was clear he was deadly serious on the matter.
With both agreeing, he explained what had happened when Hinota was finally able to leave her family estate and its aftermath. He still felt a great deal of guilt over it as did Luli but there was nothing that they could do now about it, they could only make sure that history didn't repeat itself. He could see Jevi's reaction as clear as day "His Highness demands utmost obedience from his children." he said his voice low "The issue is, he gives his sons a lot of freedom but expects nothing but obedience and perfection from his daughter." his tone showing this was hard to speak about "As an example his sons have been able to leave the estate with guards when they were as young as four, she wasn't allowed to take her first steps off the estate until she was fifteen." he continued
"He, his wife and his sons can wear Western clothing while off the estate and while Prince Jirou sees it as an insult so does not, she is expected to forever look like a doll in the clothing of our homeland." showing just how much favouritism there truly was "And Jevi, his highness is in your squad as is the heir of the estate." showing that the one who almost snuffed out Hinota's light was not only serving within the magic knights but in one of the more respected squads as was the favoured son. "Oh, and both of her brothers know. They are far from happy about it happening and both blame me for it but there's nothing they can do about it if they tried and failed it meant they would be either killed or be renounced from the family." he didn't want to go into the last person who wronged the head of the Yuiee to such an extent.
To show further what he meant by not everyone could run from the darkness within their lives he apologised to Shi before removing his own top showing the scars and wounds that he had received since he was very young explaining that any mistake, any unneeded move was punished severely by several people, that nothing less than perfection was accepted by his tutors, his father and his lord. He hoped the visual aid would show the reason why he spoke the way he did about other sword-wielders. Once the point had been made he dressed once more. "I have only ever been allowed one scar ever to be removed and it was because it was upsetting to my mistress." he said calmly "Her mana beast fell into the pool of harmony when she was very young and she jumped in after it almost drowning." he said sighing.
"She was only four at the time, I was meant to be watching over her but I had gotten distracted due to another noise. I did manage to save her and her mana beast. I managed to get her to cough up the water but it was witnessed by a maid and was reported." it was clear he was ashamed he failed in his duty but he would have only been nine at the time. "She became very sick due to the time of year and I was severely punished." he looked up at the sky "It had almost cost me my sight, luckily the punishment stopped before it had, but it still left an obvious mark on my face... when my mistress saw it she was inconsolable even when I told her it was because I had failed her. She wouldn't accept it, she dragged me to her father and in tears kowtowed begging for me to be forgiven as she was the one who was in the wrong." he hated speaking about these things but it was important.
"He wasn't happy about it but he knew that she was young and had a gentle soul so he permitted the healing of the wound, when her nanny took her away to rest he made it clear I would be punished once more for what had just happened and made an edict that punishments were never to be visible to his daughter. I accepted it, it would only have become worse to argue." he said shaking his head "Forgive me, I just needed you to understand just how harsh it is at times." his tone was calm, clearly it was just something he just accepted as part of his life at this point. "I could have run away just as you did but I had to consider what would have happened to the ones I cared for dearly that I left behind." he said softly.
He had no idea if that kind of thought had passed Jevi's mind as he fled his family estate and he wouldn't blame him if it didn't as self-preservation was a strong instinct and was hard to overwrite. Junjie had self-preservation himself but he had people he put before his own life. He nodded to what Jevi had said "Understanding is what a student requires, but it is something a teacher also needs to understand." he said his tone content but he clearly had something on his mind. He bowed his head as he was thanked showing he accepted it. A servant was servant was called and both he and Jevi requested items, it surprised him just how little Jevi had asked for but he guessed it made sense as he never really used a physical blade. He listened to Jevi and chuckled lightly.
"The Honoka have hired Shi and her skills do not come cheaply, do you really think the would be concerned over a few swatches of cotton and silk?" he would ask him in a serious tone "There is leftover fabric when clothing is made and it is this that would be used to allow the swords to be maintained properly." he explained, he was given fabric from the brocades Hinota's clothes were made from to help tend his weapons. The servant came back soon after, he listened to Jevi asking to use some of what he had requested, he nodded and took a seat taking the sword from his side and knelt unsheathing it. He looked over his blade carefully for any problem areas, nicks or blemishes but it would be clear it was well-maintained but Junjie was looking at it as if he had been careless with it.
He took the average swatch and folded it twice before placing rubbing alcohol on it and slowly running it down each side of the of blade carefully, turning it he would do the same down the other side checking it to make sure that all the oil was removed. Once happy with it, he took the small cup inside the purified water and allowed it to trickle down the blade, this was something he did three times on each side before taking the high-grade cotton, once again folding it over twice and on the edge making a 'v' moved it down the blade before doing the same to the other side. when finished he unfolded the fabric and put some of it in the talc before moving down the blade in small backwards and forwards motion as if he was getting rid of anything he missed all the while polishing it and helping to repair any small scratches.
He then turned the blade around and did the exact same thing, once completely done he folded the cloth once more making a 'v' and used it to remove the talc as it had done the required job, even using it to clean inside the guard. Then went over the blade one more time before putting the cloth to the side and looking over the blade making sure everything was as it should be. It looked as if it had been polished thanks to the shine it was giving off. He next took the silk folding it four times and barely placed a small corner of it into the oil. It was clear it hadn't saturated the entire way through, he moved in one movement down one side of the blade before doing the same down the other side and then finishing with the spine of the blade before turning it over and doing the same thing.
Finally, he made a 'v' once more on the oiled part on the edge as he made sure that the edge had gotten the same attention before doing the same thing on the other edge. He then looked over the blade and unfolded the silk a little, using a clean section he moved down the length of the blade taking the excess linseed oil off the blade carefully, he did this around ten times for each side of the blade, making sure to alternate. The blade was still clearly oiled but the layer was very thin, although it was still shiny it wasn't as much as when he had used the talc on it. When finished he inspected it he placed the cloth to the side inspecting it once more before sheathing it. He then took the silk and using the oil that was on it cleaned the scabbard, it also meant that the scabbard was also lightly oiled making it look more vibrant.
"Ah, the water..." he said knowing that would come up, it wasn't something any swordsman had done to his knowledge, but it was a step he and his sister had taken to doing themselves. "You are correct, ordinarily swordsmen and women do not use water while tending to their swords." he confirmed "I, however, have two reasons I do this step..." he said looking at him "Firstly, I do it to purify the blade of the sins that I have it commit." he said his eyes locking on to Jevi's "The second reason is out of respect for my mistress who is a pacifist, I don't want a sword that has needed to kill be around her without it being clean." he said honestly "I'm not so concerned about the blade corroding or rusting, I've been wielding it for around thirteen years at this point if it was going to corrode it would have by now." he said honestly.
"It seems like you studied the Eastern style of sword maintenance as I've never known a Western swordsman to use talc in their routine. Then again it's unusual for them to use such an oil come to think of it." he said his tone almost sounding impressed "For someone that has only read on the subject you have done well enough, I will take you through each step when we have our next lesson explaining why each step is done. It will truly be up to you if you wish to purify your blade or not as this is just a personal preference I have." he said as he placed everything neatly before standing and putting it to the side out of the way for a servant to take later. "You are to tend to your sword each day, I will ask that you do not rush through it as you did this time." he said noting the speed at which he went through it.
"It helps teach patience but as strange as it may sound, it also allows for a bond of understanding to be forged. I also find it quite a calming ritual." he said calmly. "I have a question for you Jevi, what were your former tutors like?" this was something he was quite interested in, he wanted to know if any stood in his corner or attempted to help him understand.
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"More so if it was known she was carrying a son." he said calmly "Who you align yourself with in the imperial court also can strengthen your standing." his tone thoughtful "If they have enough standing it means you can be protected against things that you may end up being punished for, if you anger someone powerful they will make your life hell. Shi's mother's title was Lady Hebe which meant she was one of the five most favoured of the emperor" he wasn't joking on any of this as much as he wished he was. "Shi, do you remember when we were younger the concubine that was sent to the cold palace?" he would ask, this was when they were still quite young so he was unsure if she remembered "Turns out that the young woman tripped over the noble consorts cat that came out of nowhere and so she paid the concubines maid to poison one of the favoured concubines that were about to come consort." he informed her.
"This took out a possible threat and a budding threat in one blow, the maid that had betrayed her mistress was sent to a hard labour camp after the noble consorts favoured charm was found in her possession." he informed her "As far as I know the concubine is still confined but my mistress is attempting to speak to her grandfather on the young woman's behalf." he said shaking his head looking to Jevi "The young concubine was one of the few friends my mistress had when she was younger, she only found out a little before her current assignment about what happened and had me investigate. Luckily, the emperor has a soft spot for my mistress so he may listen to her plea and release the woman." he said, not wanting to get too ahead of himself on this matter as the emperor's temper was fickle.
"Please take care of her Shi as much as she may wish to experience Clover if it was safe then your sword wouldn't be needed." he said his tone calm but sighed "I'm going to attempt to get my mistress to give up her mantle when she returns, she is capable but she will not always have a sword with her and it worries me." he knew due to his familial obligations and even due to hers to the kingdom he nor his sister would ever be around her at all times. He knew she was still having nightmares due to what she witnessed while having amnesia and where it wouldn't affect her work as they had made sure to teach her how to compartmentalize it was proof she shouldn't be near a battlefield in his mind.
He went silent as Shi was blunt with Jevi, it was clear that the young man heard their words and believed he had the full picture. It was an arrogance he had noticed in many nobles within Clover, he didn't believe this was entirely the case in Jevi's case as he had been poking and prodding every single weak point and button to get under the man's skin. The young man wasn't quite an open book, he was more like a leaflet that told you absolutely everything you needed to know, even if he was a book it was clear that whoever made him forgot to add the cover. It was something he was hoping to rectify while Jevi was under his tutelage, but it also meant he needed to get some help from others as there were things that he just couldn't help with. Luckily he was in good standing with several families so could call in favours or help as needed.
"The world is filled with shades of grey, even morality isn't as simple as black and white." he said covering his mouth as he yawned a little, he hadn't been resting well of late and he had no idea why. "For example, you have a strong moral compass so let me ask you this. You come across two daemons, you know these creatures are evil... but they are clearly in love with one another... so do you kill them or do you leave them alone and honour that love?" he would ask, it wasn't as simple as many may think. He had seen that he was quite the philosopher so expected an interesting reply from him. To the swordsman, he would honour the love and only take them out if they became a threat but he knew so many that would only see the race and that would be enough.
There was no real correct answer to this question because at the end of the day, both answers were right and both were wrong for their own reasons but it did show a lot about the person in his mind. "I, personally, would allow them to live until they posed a threat, I do not believe that all daemons are evil, some merely wish to exist and who am I to deny someone that?" he said with a calm tone that held resolve "Besides, if I killed without reason my mistress would be less than happy with me and I do not wish to cause her sadness." he said knowing it to be the truth, it was honestly why he was thankful he was rarely called on by his mother to kill anyone, it's not that he wouldn't follow the order it's just that he was doubly careful that his target never spoke or was never found depending on the task.
He nodded hearing about Hania "The Ravencrest estate is in lockdown because Hania is in a coma and has been since he returned from dealing with the archdaemon Asmodeus. My uncle doesn't have much information but he does say that his nanny is quite concerned." he sounded truly worried. Hania had never hidden the fact that he still had a nanny, by his age he should have been long passed needing one but it was times like these that showed why Winter was still around. "If Winter is concerned then something terrible has happened." he informed the other there was more he could have said but it wasn't his place to put another's business out there so remained quiet. "My mistress abides by tradition while at home, in truth, she tends to abide by it even away from the estate." he said as he thought about how often she actually broke rules.
It was then Junjie explained his views on swordsmen in general, it wasn't just directed to those in Clover but something he believed in general, he also informed Jevi that he still believed that there were masters in their line of work and did give credit were due but he also stated more often than not he had to hold back and it only seemed directed at western swordsmen because these were the ones he fought and trained with, there was little more to it than that. He also recognised that he had a lot of expectations but told him to stop acting as if he was the only one with such pressures. He smiled hearing his apology "As earlier stated not everything is as black and white as it first appeared. You assumed we were talking negatively out of superiority about your homeland which we can completely understand." he began.
"But in truth, it is just our experience that is seeking due to the pressures of expectations that pushed us far beyond what is reasonable at times." he said with a sigh wishing it wasn't true "We would be saying the same for our own homeland.... I think we do speak of swordsmen of our homeland in the same way." he said showing there was no true malice behind their words "I will have high expectations for you, far higher than your fathers but I will guide you properly through those expectations and explain my lessons properly and if you act out of turn I will correct you promptly" he informed him, his voice showing he wasn't lying about what he expected and what he would be giving due to those high expectations.
Eventually, even with them coming to an understanding, the final weak point had been poked and everything came spilling out, both Jevi and she listened without interruption or judgment until he finished. Junjie enquired if he felt better about letting go of the mask he had been wearing all this time. When Jevi stated he had he nodded "I'm glad." he said knowing that with the weight off and the false pretences broken, he could start learning properly without the burden of his father or the warped expectations placed upon him. He then told him that not everyone was lucky enough to run away like he had, that some had to remain and just deal with everything that had been thrown at them without complaint and soon Junjie would reveal why he uttered those words. After a moment of contemplation, he made the pair promise not to repeat a word he was about to say or it would be their last and it was clear he was deadly serious on the matter.
With both agreeing, he explained what had happened when Hinota was finally able to leave her family estate and its aftermath. He still felt a great deal of guilt over it as did Luli but there was nothing that they could do now about it, they could only make sure that history didn't repeat itself. He could see Jevi's reaction as clear as day "His Highness demands utmost obedience from his children." he said his voice low "The issue is, he gives his sons a lot of freedom but expects nothing but obedience and perfection from his daughter." his tone showing this was hard to speak about "As an example his sons have been able to leave the estate with guards when they were as young as four, she wasn't allowed to take her first steps off the estate until she was fifteen." he continued
"He, his wife and his sons can wear Western clothing while off the estate and while Prince Jirou sees it as an insult so does not, she is expected to forever look like a doll in the clothing of our homeland." showing just how much favouritism there truly was "And Jevi, his highness is in your squad as is the heir of the estate." showing that the one who almost snuffed out Hinota's light was not only serving within the magic knights but in one of the more respected squads as was the favoured son. "Oh, and both of her brothers know. They are far from happy about it happening and both blame me for it but there's nothing they can do about it if they tried and failed it meant they would be either killed or be renounced from the family." he didn't want to go into the last person who wronged the head of the Yuiee to such an extent.
To show further what he meant by not everyone could run from the darkness within their lives he apologised to Shi before removing his own top showing the scars and wounds that he had received since he was very young explaining that any mistake, any unneeded move was punished severely by several people, that nothing less than perfection was accepted by his tutors, his father and his lord. He hoped the visual aid would show the reason why he spoke the way he did about other sword-wielders. Once the point had been made he dressed once more. "I have only ever been allowed one scar ever to be removed and it was because it was upsetting to my mistress." he said calmly "Her mana beast fell into the pool of harmony when she was very young and she jumped in after it almost drowning." he said sighing.
"She was only four at the time, I was meant to be watching over her but I had gotten distracted due to another noise. I did manage to save her and her mana beast. I managed to get her to cough up the water but it was witnessed by a maid and was reported." it was clear he was ashamed he failed in his duty but he would have only been nine at the time. "She became very sick due to the time of year and I was severely punished." he looked up at the sky "It had almost cost me my sight, luckily the punishment stopped before it had, but it still left an obvious mark on my face... when my mistress saw it she was inconsolable even when I told her it was because I had failed her. She wouldn't accept it, she dragged me to her father and in tears kowtowed begging for me to be forgiven as she was the one who was in the wrong." he hated speaking about these things but it was important.
"He wasn't happy about it but he knew that she was young and had a gentle soul so he permitted the healing of the wound, when her nanny took her away to rest he made it clear I would be punished once more for what had just happened and made an edict that punishments were never to be visible to his daughter. I accepted it, it would only have become worse to argue." he said shaking his head "Forgive me, I just needed you to understand just how harsh it is at times." his tone was calm, clearly it was just something he just accepted as part of his life at this point. "I could have run away just as you did but I had to consider what would have happened to the ones I cared for dearly that I left behind." he said softly.
He had no idea if that kind of thought had passed Jevi's mind as he fled his family estate and he wouldn't blame him if it didn't as self-preservation was a strong instinct and was hard to overwrite. Junjie had self-preservation himself but he had people he put before his own life. He nodded to what Jevi had said "Understanding is what a student requires, but it is something a teacher also needs to understand." he said his tone content but he clearly had something on his mind. He bowed his head as he was thanked showing he accepted it. A servant was servant was called and both he and Jevi requested items, it surprised him just how little Jevi had asked for but he guessed it made sense as he never really used a physical blade. He listened to Jevi and chuckled lightly.
"The Honoka have hired Shi and her skills do not come cheaply, do you really think the would be concerned over a few swatches of cotton and silk?" he would ask him in a serious tone "There is leftover fabric when clothing is made and it is this that would be used to allow the swords to be maintained properly." he explained, he was given fabric from the brocades Hinota's clothes were made from to help tend his weapons. The servant came back soon after, he listened to Jevi asking to use some of what he had requested, he nodded and took a seat taking the sword from his side and knelt unsheathing it. He looked over his blade carefully for any problem areas, nicks or blemishes but it would be clear it was well-maintained but Junjie was looking at it as if he had been careless with it.
He took the average swatch and folded it twice before placing rubbing alcohol on it and slowly running it down each side of the of blade carefully, turning it he would do the same down the other side checking it to make sure that all the oil was removed. Once happy with it, he took the small cup inside the purified water and allowed it to trickle down the blade, this was something he did three times on each side before taking the high-grade cotton, once again folding it over twice and on the edge making a 'v' moved it down the blade before doing the same to the other side. when finished he unfolded the fabric and put some of it in the talc before moving down the blade in small backwards and forwards motion as if he was getting rid of anything he missed all the while polishing it and helping to repair any small scratches.
He then turned the blade around and did the exact same thing, once completely done he folded the cloth once more making a 'v' and used it to remove the talc as it had done the required job, even using it to clean inside the guard. Then went over the blade one more time before putting the cloth to the side and looking over the blade making sure everything was as it should be. It looked as if it had been polished thanks to the shine it was giving off. He next took the silk folding it four times and barely placed a small corner of it into the oil. It was clear it hadn't saturated the entire way through, he moved in one movement down one side of the blade before doing the same down the other side and then finishing with the spine of the blade before turning it over and doing the same thing.
Finally, he made a 'v' once more on the oiled part on the edge as he made sure that the edge had gotten the same attention before doing the same thing on the other edge. He then looked over the blade and unfolded the silk a little, using a clean section he moved down the length of the blade taking the excess linseed oil off the blade carefully, he did this around ten times for each side of the blade, making sure to alternate. The blade was still clearly oiled but the layer was very thin, although it was still shiny it wasn't as much as when he had used the talc on it. When finished he inspected it he placed the cloth to the side inspecting it once more before sheathing it. He then took the silk and using the oil that was on it cleaned the scabbard, it also meant that the scabbard was also lightly oiled making it look more vibrant.
"Ah, the water..." he said knowing that would come up, it wasn't something any swordsman had done to his knowledge, but it was a step he and his sister had taken to doing themselves. "You are correct, ordinarily swordsmen and women do not use water while tending to their swords." he confirmed "I, however, have two reasons I do this step..." he said looking at him "Firstly, I do it to purify the blade of the sins that I have it commit." he said his eyes locking on to Jevi's "The second reason is out of respect for my mistress who is a pacifist, I don't want a sword that has needed to kill be around her without it being clean." he said honestly "I'm not so concerned about the blade corroding or rusting, I've been wielding it for around thirteen years at this point if it was going to corrode it would have by now." he said honestly.
"It seems like you studied the Eastern style of sword maintenance as I've never known a Western swordsman to use talc in their routine. Then again it's unusual for them to use such an oil come to think of it." he said his tone almost sounding impressed "For someone that has only read on the subject you have done well enough, I will take you through each step when we have our next lesson explaining why each step is done. It will truly be up to you if you wish to purify your blade or not as this is just a personal preference I have." he said as he placed everything neatly before standing and putting it to the side out of the way for a servant to take later. "You are to tend to your sword each day, I will ask that you do not rush through it as you did this time." he said noting the speed at which he went through it.
"It helps teach patience but as strange as it may sound, it also allows for a bond of understanding to be forged. I also find it quite a calming ritual." he said calmly. "I have a question for you Jevi, what were your former tutors like?" this was something he was quite interested in, he wanted to know if any stood in his corner or attempted to help him understand.
Word Count: 3,637
Total word Count: 9,521
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