Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 441: Beau...tiful

As Asher remained lost within his thoughts, Rachael’s voice echoed softly through the training chamber..

”Brother Asher, you use the rapier?” she asked, her gemlike blue eyes fixed on him with quiet curiosity.

She had sparred with Finch before and understood well enough that the rapier was not his primary weapon. Finch merely used it during their spars because of her, accommodating her preference, as his true weapon was his soul-bound chain. Because of that experience, Rachael had developed a keen eye for distinguishing genuine familiarity from casual use.

From the few minutes she had spent sparring with Asher, she immediately recognized the difference. He possessed vast experience with the rapier, experience that went far beyond simple practice. It was evident in the subtle economy of his movements, in the precision of his footwork, and in the refined patterns of his attacks. Every thrust carried intent, every parry was calculated, and every motion flowed naturally into the next. To her, it felt as though the rapier was not merely a weapon in his hand, but an extension of his very being.

Personally, Rachael did not wish to awaken a soul-bound weapon like her older brother Finch. Or rather, to be more precise, even if she did awaken one someday, she wanted it to be a rapier. After all, it was the weapon she loved above all else, the one that resonated most deeply with her heart.

Within the Zarethorne Empire, children were allowed to choose whatever weapon they wished to train with from the age of five. No parent in their right mind would limit their child by forcing a weapon upon them. If a child loved the spear but was compelled to wield a sword instead, the results could be disastrous. Talent often bloomed where passion lay, and suppressing that passion could cause a child’s potential to wither rather than grow. A child’s true affinity might rest within the weapon they instinctively gravitated toward at an early age.

That was precisely why children were allowed to select their own weapons and train with them freely until their natural awakening at the age of fifteen.

Of course, families such as the Wargrave family did not follow this custom due to the nature of their Bloodline ability.

Asher’s purple eyes shifted toward Rachael, who had already steadied her breathing but was wiping the sweat from her face with the back of her hand. He did not respond immediately. Instead, he raised one hand calmly. Astra energy flowed into the air through his Astra veins, invisible yet unmistakable in its presence. The very atmosphere seemed to ripple faintly.

The next moment, both his rapier and Rachael’s rapier flew through the air, gliding effortlessly back toward the weapon racks from which they had been taken, settling neatly into their respective places.

Asher redirected his Astra energy, this time sending it toward Rachael’s small frame.

She froze for a brief moment as a cool sensation washed over her body. Then, gently, she felt herself levitating off the ground. Her eyes drifted shut as though she were savoring the sensation, her body light and unburdened. The feeling lasted only an instant before vanishing just as suddenly as it had come.

Her blue eyes snapped open as she plummeted downward, her feet kissing the earth beneath her with calm gentleness. She raised a hand to her face, touching her skin in disbelief. All the sweat that had covered her body moments earlier was gone, erased completely by Asher’s Astra energy.

”Wooo... awesome!!!” she exclaimed, her voice ringing with unrestrained excitement. She had never witnessed such a skill before.

Asher’s voice echoed calmly as he finally spoke. ”Yes, I do use the rapier. Since you’ve already read about the Wargrave family, I’m sure you know about our bloodline. The rapier is my own soul-bound weapon.”

The moment he finished speaking, Virelass hummed softly as she unsheathed herself. Her elegant form floated into the air, suspended effortlessly, before coming to a halt directly in front of Rachael, as though silently judging her talent and affinity for the rapier.

Rachael’s blue eyes remained locked onto Virelass, wide with shock and fascination. Which child wouldn’t be captivated by their favorite weapon floating before them, alive with presence and will?

”Beau... tiful,” she murmured in a low, reverent voice. Slowly, her small hand reached out to touch Virelass.

The rapier did not resist. Instead, she floated closer, allowing Rachael’s fingers to brush gently against her flat side. Rachael simply stared, unable to find words, her breathing shallow with awe.

”Brother Asher, what abilities does your rapier have?” she asked at last, her voice filled with fascination.

”If I explained, you wouldn’t understand yet,” Asher replied calmly. ”You’re still a child. When you grow up, I’ll tell you. And my rapier’s name is Virelass.”

”Vire... lass,” Rachael repeated softly, committing the name to memory with reverence.

The next moment, Virelass hummed once more before vanishing instantly, reappearing beside Asher in a blink.

”Wow, it can teleport!” Rachael exclaimed, her gaze snapping toward Virelass’s new position.

Virelass hummed again, communicating silently to Asher that she loved the child, before returning to her sheath.

Rachael fell silent for a moment before speaking with sudden resolve. ”I’ve decided. I will awaken a soul-bound rapier like Brother Asher.”

She struck a childish pose, determination filling her voice, as though she were issuing a command to reality itself, demanding that it comply six years from now, or face her wrath. Asher did not discourage her, nor did he tell her that awakenings could not be influenced by sheer will. Instead, he simply supported her. ”I’m sure you will.”

Suddenly, she remembered something else and did not hesitate to ask. ”Brother Asher, how did you make your Astra energy do those two things? Teach me!”

”How can I teach you if you don’t have Astra energy?” Asher replied, gently reminding her of the obvious.

”Urgh... I want to grow up already,” Rachael complained, pouting slightly. ”So many cool abilities.”

She wasn’t alone in that sentiment. Every child within the world of Crymora who understood what awakening truly meant eagerly awaited their fifteenth birthday. It was one of the most anticipated moments in anyone’s life.

”Six years will pass before you know it,” Asher said calmly, patting her head. ”You just have to not think about it.”

’Having a cute little sister would have been nice,’ he thought quietly as his hand rested atop Rachael’s head.

In his past life as Ethan, he sometimes wondered whether his parents had gone on to have another child after abandoning him at the orphanage.

’Jennifer and I would have had a cute daughter,’ he mused, his gaze softening as his thoughts drifted toward her. ’I guess it’s been over a year here without her.’

He had told himself that he would move on, and truthfully, he was doing so. He understood that remaining in love with someone he could never meet again was a form of self-punishment.

’I could build my determination and tell myself I’ll cross planets once I reach a certain level of power,’ he thought. ’But would she really wait all that time for Ethan, someone who might be dead or vanished entirely?’

Shaking his head, he forced himself to stop dwelling on it. Yes, he had resolved to move on, but that didn’t mean he would never think of her again. After all, true love was not something that could be erased so easily.