"It's alright, Miss March."
Yanqing steadied his stance, his emotions gradually settling down.
He waved a hand toward March 7th. "It's nothing serious. Besides, just because I won't learn this step technique now doesn't mean I won't learn it in the future."
Seeing that March 7th was about to accept his offer, he voiced his thoughts.
"Even though this scroll disappears after one viewing, as long as you reach the level of a grandmaster, you'll naturally understand its principles well enough to teach it to others. When that time comes, you can strip away the fluff, and I'll learn the refined version from you."
Yanqing's tone was calm, but he bit down heavily on the words fluff. Clearly, he hadn't completely let it go.
Still, he had made up his mind. From what Shopkeeper Sylvester had said, this movement art's value was immeasurable.
A light-footed technique that allowed one to evade purely based on trigram patterns, without paying attention to enemy details, was something he'd never even heard of before!
If he could grasp it—or at least understand its mechanisms—it might even become a major breakthrough for his own swordsmanship.
So he wasn't willing to abandon it entirely.
In that case, entrusting the scroll to a female swordswoman as an investment was the most logical option.
And even in the worst-case scenario—if March 7th's talent in swordsmanship proved limited and the scroll vanished forever—giving it to his friend and disciple would still count as putting it to good use.
But following that logic, the one most suited for the [Ayanami Grace Gossamer Steps] should've been Yunli.
Yet… the idea of giving it to her filled him with unwillingness.
After all, her [100% Barehanded Blade Catch] scroll had been embarrassing enough—they were finally even.
If he handed [Ayanami Grace Gossamer Steps] to Yunli, wouldn't that make him the clown of the story?
No, it had to be March 7th. No one else fit better!
"Oh!" March 7th let out a small gasp, both delighted and nervous. "Master Yanqing has such high expectations for me? A grandmaster level in swordsmanship…"
For him to be willing to wait until she reached such heights before learning it back from her—this was, in a sense, his acknowledgment of her potential. After all, becoming a grandmaster wasn't something that could be achieved through diligence alone!
But that also meant she must not let Yanqing down. Not out of fear or obligation, but because she couldn't, in good conscience, accept such trust and give nothing in return.
"It's fine, Miss March." Seeing her sudden tension, Yanqing realized he might have pressured her too much.
He quickly added, "You're my disciple. Selling you a secondhand technique at a discount is only fair. After the Martial Exhibition, you can go back to your bow and arrow. Don't feel burdened by this."
But instead of relaxing, March 7th grew even more determined.
Master Yanqing was clearly trying to ease her mind, not wanting to weigh her down. The more he showed responsibility, the less she could bear to take advantage of his kindness!
A grandmaster in swordsmanship? Fine! She'd make it happen!
Recalling her training from the day before, she suddenly felt the soreness in her limbs fade.
Her gaze sharpened with conviction. "Master Yanqing, don't worry. I'll definitely become a swordsmanship grandmaster—and I'll return to you with the complete, universal version of the [Ayanami Grace Gossamer Steps]!"
With that, she accepted the scroll—and promptly transferred one million Credits to Yanqing through her phone.
"Miss March…" Yanqing was moved to see his disciple not only stop slacking off but show renewed determination.
As one of the Nameless aboard the Astral Express, her interest in swordsmanship had originally been mere curiosity. It was only because of his bet with Yunli that she had truly stepped onto the path of the sword.
That was why both he and Yunli had foregone the traditional apprenticeship ceremony—and instead given her a reverse initiation gift.
Though March 7th was his disciple, in truth, both he and Yunli owed her more than they admitted.
What she was doing now couldn't be called repaying kindness with kindness—it went beyond obligation altogether.
Despite his youth and limited experience, Yanqing felt from the bottom of his heart that such loyalty and sincerity were rare treasures indeed.
And yet, this left him wondering how he could possibly repay her.
From behind the counter came a soft chuckle—Sylvester's voice carried over to them. "Miss March 7th, you've already begun to show the heart of a true heroine."
To act on behalf of others with loyalty—that sounded simple. But how many could truly put more effort into helping others than into helping themselves? March might be scatterbrained and impulsive at times, but she was without doubt a person of pure emotion and true spirit.
"Ah? Really?"
Caught off guard by the compliment, she rubbed the back of her head bashfully and smiled. "Not really…"
Yanqing slowly shook his head. "No, Shopkeeper Sylvester is absolutely right."
Then, with solemn conviction, he said, "You will become a true grandmaster of the sword—and a heroine renowned across the stars! From this day on, I'll pass down all the sword techniques I've mastered so far. Not just for the duration of the Martial Exhibition—whenever you wish to learn, I'll teach you everything I know!"
"Mm! Master Yanqing, I won't let you down!"
March clenched her fists before her chest, her spirit burning bright.
"The secrets of [Ayanami Grace Gossamer Steps]—I'll return them to you in full!"
"Hey, hey, hey! You two are making me look bad over here!"
In the lounge, Yunli—who had been casually swinging her legs—sprang to her feet when she saw the touching scene.
She wasn't about to let herself be outshone.
Leaping forward, she stood beside them. "Little March, me too! I'll pass on all my techniques to you—not for any scroll or skill, but for your chivalrous heart!"
March's joy overflowed. "That's wonderful, Master Yunli! The three of us will work together and become the stuff of legend!"
She took both their hands and clasped them tightly together.
"Good. March 7th's motivation is truly admirable."
Stelle finished her milk tea, deeply impressed by her companion's resolve.
She figured she ought to contribute something too.
After a moment of deep thought, she had it.
"March, starting tomorrow morning, I'll supervise your training! Don't worry—I'll get up early, prep your exosuit and weights, and even if you can't wake up, I'll stuff you right into the exosuit myself. Your swordsmanship won't suffer under my watch!"
"Uh… maybe let's skip that part."
March's soaring spirit crashed straight into the ground.
Yanqing and Yunli both burst out laughing at her abrupt change in tone.
Feeling the weight of the contrast, March's cheeks flushed red. She darted behind Stelle, pushing her toward the shelf in embarrassment. "Y-you! You have to draw too! Both my masters drew, so you can't run away!"
"Draw? Of course! I came here for the trash cans!"
Straightening her clothes, Stelle took out her phone and shot a glance at Shopkeeper Sylvester before turning toward the line of trash cans.
Heh heh, trash, little trash can… Did you really think you could escape? Big Sis is coming for you!