"I have to tell that Edo guy what might happen soon. He needs to know that Toru won't let this go."
The young knight walked through the corridor, already terribly late for breakfast.
"I'm already late for the meal anyway... So I might as well get this over with and find that womanizer!" Klein thought in frustration.
"What does he have that I don't, huh?! That Edo guy... I'm way cooler than him! Aaaaaah, why does Leni like him so much?!"
Klein was thinking so intensely that if loud thinking had a definition, it would be exactly what was going through Klein's head right now.
While fighting an internal battle inside his own mind, Klein had already reached the lowest floor of the castle. The first thing he did was head toward the dining hall, as that was currently the place where he had the highest chance of finding Edo.
And he spotted him.
He saw Edo sitting with a woman other than Leni. Klein stared at them from a distance in disbelief.
"No... You're going after other women too?! If you're interested in that drunkard, then at least leave Leni for me!" Klein thought in panic.
However, he saw that Edo had already stood up, putting his food tray away. Edo didn't notice Klein and, after returning the tray, headed toward the library.
"Alright, love life aside. I need to go up to him and tell him what's going on."
Klein followed Edo toward the library.
Once he caught up with him, he started a conversation. Of course, Edo threw out the words "Peeping Knight," which frustrated him greatly. However, the conversation didn't last long because Leni appeared, and Klein instinctively hid.
"Damn it... What am I doing?! Why do I always hide from her?!" Klein thought desperately as Leni and Edo began talking.
A conversation that changed the way Klein saw Edo.
A conversation that earned Edo his respect.
It was the first time he had ever seen Edo talking with Leni—or more precisely, the first time he had ever heard her speak to him. What he witnessed made him completely forget about his original purpose of warning the boy.
That flow, that confidence, the jokes, the chemistry...
Edo wasn't just some ordinary guy.
At that moment, the knight witnessed a conversation that made him understand why Leni liked this boy so much.
He was simply a master at flirting.
He knew every technique and every type of woman. His theory even made sense, considering he had seen Edo with a completely different woman like Wanda, and later with Leni.
What did that mean?
Only one thing.
"He's a master!!!"
***
Edo and Klein were now standing in an open, paved area in the castle courtyard. This was where the knights trained, while the soldiers had their barracks. There was also a forge and an armory nearby. All of it was located beside the castle, right near the entrance, not far from the library and dining hall.
Klein had given Edo a short white shirt and a pair of leather pants, because obviously, he wasn't going to train in a suit.
"Catch," Klein said, tossing Edo a wooden sword while holding his own.
Edo caught the sword and stared at it for a moment before excitedly swinging it left and right.
"I feel just like a certain unemployed samurai!" Edo said happily.
After all, he was using a wooden sword, which was the signature weapon of the protagonist from one of his favorite anime series.
"I don't know what 'samurai' means, but that word must mean 'weakling' if you're swinging that sword around like that, master!" Klein said loudly, embarrassed.
"I don't even know where to begin... The way you're holding the sword, your stance, your technique, your style... Literally everything about you is wrong, master... Have you ever even held a sword before?" Klein asked in despair.
Edo answered:
"Never a real one. At most, replicas, but I never even used those," Edo replied uncertainly.
Klein let out a loud sigh.
"Alright... So I'm teaching a child how to walk... Fine, let's start with..."
"STOP!" Edo shouted.
"What is it, master?" Klein asked, curious about what his master had to say.
"Listen, about the training. I know you're a knight, so you'll probably want to teach me properly, like a knight should. Some kind of style, stances, or techniques. But I'm looking for something different," Edo said.
Klein looked at Edo with confusion.
"What exactly are you getting at, master?" he asked, puzzled.
Edo answered:
"As a certain turtle master once said, it doesn't matter what techniques your opponent uses—the one who wins is simply the one who is stronger or delivers stronger blows. So... For starters, I just want to learn how to deliver a powerful slash!" the boy said.
Klein's eyes widened, and then he said with a smile:
"Wise words from that master, I'll give you that. Too bad my master isn't that badass, but oh well... You'll always be the best in my eyes... A powerful slash? Alright. Of course, we'll start with the basics, but we'll leave the four main styles for later. First, I'll teach you how to cut with power," Klein said proudly.
After taking a deep breath, he began:
"A powerful slash... Well... I don't know if we'll even get to that today, because first you need to know how to properly hold a sword and how to position yourself. So let's start with the proper grip. Watch how I do it, and I'll explain along the way," Klein said before demonstrating the correct way to hold the sword.
"Your right hand. Relax it for now and grip the sword right beneath the guard."
Edo listened to Klein, following the knight's instructions.
"Good, exactly like that, master. Now use your left hand to grab the very end of the pommel... Yes, just like that! You're doing well," Klein said, watching Edo's movements.
"As for a two-handed grip, this is what you want for a powerful slash. It works on the principle of leverage, where the right hand pushes while the left hand pulls," Klein explained.
Edo listened carefully to Klein, even though he already knew quite a bit of what the knight was explaining.
"Now for the stance. Stand in a wide, stable position. Put one leg—left or right, whichever feels more comfortable—slightly behind you. Good. Now the sword. Raise it above your right shoulder."
Edo listened carefully and followed the knight's instructions.
"Very good. Now I'll show you the movement in slow motion and explain it as I go. Your body needs to work like a spring, so you need to slightly shift your hips. Take a quick step forward with your right leg, since you had it behind you. Transfer your weight onto it, then drive your hips forward and swing the sword so that your left hand pulls it toward your stomach while your right hand pushes it forward, directing the blade toward wherever you want to strike."
As he spoke, Klein performed the swing.
It was so fast and powerful that the gust of wind it created actually pushed Edo backward.
"Alright, now you try, master," Klein said.
Edo focused on everything Klein had told him and then performed the sequence he had just seen the knight demonstrate.
He swung.
Compared to Klein's movement, it was pathetic. There was no gust of wind, only the sound of the sword cutting through the air.
However, Klein looked at Edo with admiration.
"Well, well... I didn't expect that. I thought it would take you longer. Sure, the strike was weak, but technically, it was phenomenal. Something tells me this might be one of your strengths."
Edo hadn't expected such words from the knight, but Klein continued:
"Now strike me. I'll block your attack."
Edo nodded and prepared himself. Klein raised his sword to defend himself as Edo struck with all the strength he could muster. Their swords collided, but Klein's sword didn't even budge.
"Good. It's a weak strike, but everyone has to start somewhere. I'll remember this strike so I can later see how much you've improved. Now repeat the entire process—from gripping the sword to the swing—one hundred times."
***
Edo collapsed onto the pavement, completely exhausted. His hands were torn up and covered in blood, while sweat poured down his body.
This was worse... much worse than his own training.
Five minutes later, he stood up, breathing heavily. Klein had watched Edo throughout the entire training session before finally speaking.
"Well, well... Your endurance and determination aren't half bad either. Honestly, a lot of people can't perform one hundred precise slashes in a row, yet you did it without much trouble. But there's one more thing about you I need to test."
Edo didn't even have time to respond before he saw Klein, who had been ten meters away just moments ago, now standing right beside him.
He swung his sword at Edo.
The knight had suddenly moved to attack him, and he had even chosen the side Edo hadn't been practicing from during his hundred repetitions.
Edo didn't even have time to react.
Yet his body reacted for him.
Instinctively, he positioned his hands correctly, assumed the proper stance, and performed a technically sound angled slash to block the attack, clashing his sword against the knight's.
Klein grinned from ear to ear.
"You've got some impressive adaptability and instincts too! You only just started, yet you're already reacting on instinct, and you even swung in a different direction than usual. I can tell you've had some experience with fighting before, or perhaps you trained on your own. Or maybe it's simply your fire element helping you fight like this. After all, you're a demon."
Edo couldn't tell him that he didn't have that element at all, and that the only reason he was considered a demon was because of his black hair and short stature, which was nothing more than a coincidence.
Still, he nodded at Klein's praise.
"You're pretty good, master. Your slash isn't powerful, but it's really good and precise. For now, you'll only practice this. Once you've mastered it perfectly, we'll move on. Of course, don't forget that you need to practice it on your own every day. Now, let's head back to the castle. Lunch should be ready by now, so let's go. You'll wash up and change and... well... the master still owes me some advice, right?" Klein said, pleased with Edo's progress.
As they headed toward the entrance, Edo began thinking deeply about everything.
"I'm pretty good? My training is progressing at shōnen speed, seriously! This is too fast! I don't think I'm actually that talented! Still... I don't think Klein is the kind of person who would lie. I've always had a knack for adapting to or imitating movements, but I never expected that skill to be useful in combat... Maybe if I build up a little strength, I won't have to use that disgusting power of mine so often. Or, preferably, not at all."
"Did something happen, master?" Klein asked, looking at Edo.
"Yeah, don't worry. But I have a question... Is it really okay for you to call me 'master'? Won't it draw the attention of the others?" Edo asked awkwardly.
Klein answered casually:
"I don't care what other people think."
Edo snorted quietly at that and whispered:
"Yeah... Peeping Knight..."
"Master... You said you weren't going to..." Klein said, looking sad and panicked.
"Yet you do care what people think," Edo replied.
Still looking sad, Klein quickly said:
"Well, master is a different matter... Please..."
Bickering with each other, they finally reached the main entrance.
"Alright, I'll wait here by the dining hall. You go to your room, wash up, and change," Klein said.
"Alright, I'll be right back," Edo replied, walking quickly toward the stairs.
Klein knew that once the boy returned, they would have to talk about something important.
About the intentions of the lizard, Toru, toward him.
***
As he climbed to the highest floor of the castle, where Edo's room was located, he passed through the castle corridors. Reaching the top took some time, and combined with the exhaustion from training, the boy climbed much more slowly.
However, once he reached the corridor where his room was located, he saw a figure at the end of the hallway that he absolutely did not want to see there.
It was the lizard, Toru.
Edo tried to remain calm as he continued walking forward.
They passed each other.
As if nothing had happened, they simply walked past one another, but for a moment Edo felt as though the lizard wanted to say something.
Maybe it was just his paranoia.
Edo, now calmer, entered his room, took off his clothes, grabbed his suit, and went to wash himself.
He did it quickly because he didn't want to keep Klein waiting. At the same time, he wondered how the shower system in this castle worked, but decided he would figure it out later.
Now dressed in his suit, Edo headed toward the dining hall, where the knight was waiting for his master's wise advice.