Isaak stood in the center of the clearing, while the Vowless stood on the other side, along with Vaitheless, who sat on a broken tree trunk, his gaze fixed on Isaak's terrifying aura. Vaitheless muttered, crossing one hand over the other:
"This training… there's something strange about it… but I can't quite describe it."
Isaak spoke in a loud, deep tone, his hands firmly placed behind his back:
"Training is the foundation for growing stronger, for becoming someone reliable in battle."
He continued in the same firm tone:
"We have six months — a good amount of time to hone our strength and bring down the infrastructure of the Kingdom… the Kingdom of Kings! Leave them to me…"
"But today, I want each of you to teach Vaitheless your unique skill."
Marceline chuckled lightly and spoke in a slightly sarcastic tone:
"Forgive my beautiful laugh, but is there really anyone in the world who can learn all the skills?"
"I assume it's a rare class… and judging by the looks of Vaitheless, he doesn't seem to qualify."
Vaitheless looked at her with cold eyes, saying nothing. From atop a tree, Eric spoke in a mysterious tone:
"Marceline has a point. No one can learn all the skills, especially when they're from different individuals."
Tawakizura had his eyes closed. Then, slowly opening them, he stepped toward the center of the clearing and spoke in a deep tone:
"Too much talking is forbidden — that's one of Saint Sin's teachings in his writings… So, we won't know unless we try. Isn't that right, Vaitheless?"
Vaitheless' eyes widened as he muttered to himself:
'That sentence… I've heard it from Saint Sin himself?! Seems Tawakizura is a wise and cautious man.'
Vaitheless stood up and walked to the center of the clearing, standing just a short distance from Tawakizura. He smiled and said in a calm voice:
"Wise words. Unlike certain people who think shallowly."
Tawakizura returned the smile and spoke in a soft tone:
"No need for empty words… I'll show you the technique I've learned. You'll simply see my blade moving toward your stomach, but in reality, it's aimed at your head… Two blades will appear before you, and you must dodge the real one."
'What a complex and incredible move… I want to learn it badly,' Vaitheless whispered.
"Now, I'll show you how it works using this wooden sword."
Tawakizura swung his sword and muttered something inaudible… Suddenly, two blades appeared before Vaitheless. He was shocked — unable to tell which one was real and which was an illusion.
'What?! How am I supposed to dodge this now?!'
Vaitheless quickly retreated, but Tawakizura advanced. Vaitheless tried to mislead his movement, but Tawakizura kept his eyes closed.
Then, he suddenly appeared behind Vaitheless and struck his back with the wooden sword. Tawakizura smiled and asked:
"Do you have eyes behind your back, Vaitheless?"
But the blade hadn't touched Vaitheless at all — he had placed his own sword diagonally and nearly upright, blocking the real strike.
Everyone was surprised — some even muttered to themselves…
"I've been with Tawakizura for a long time, and I've only blocked his blade a few times," Marceline said, her voice filled with astonishment.
"I knew he looked impressive from his muscles… Myaa~" Julianne said confidently as she crossed her arms and smiled.
Meanwhile, Lady Malvina watched with one eye, clearly uninterested, her cold gaze unchanged.
Vaitheless smiled, fixed his messy hair, and said:
"So this is the art of the Inverted Cross Blade… the one said to originate from the forgotten King, Bantry Eston."
Tawakizura placed the sword to his side and spoke in a steady voice, a cold smile on his lips:
"Looks like you know a bit about the Inverted Blade Art? Impressive…"
"For your information, there are people who can summon a hundred phantom blades. So far, I've only managed to summon one."
"I saw your lips move. What were you saying before you swung your sword?" Vaitheless asked, curious.
Tawakizura was a little surprised but replied in a steady tone:
"You're quite observant… I recited the chant that conjures the blade."
"Anyone learning this art must think of a word with deep meaning — something majestic, something ancient… and not everyone can master it."
He paused briefly, then continued in the same tone:
"But you? I bet you can do it… Before you swing your sword, say the word two seconds earlier, and both a real and an illusory blade will appear — your opponent won't be able to tell them apart."
Vaitheless looked at the wooden sword, thinking of a deep, majestic word. Then, one name with a terrifying and noble aura crossed his mind.
He swung his sword quickly and whispered the word softly to himself. Suddenly, an illusory blade shimmered beside a real one — everyone was astonished.
Isaak watched silently, smiling. Tawakizura too gave a knowing smile, as if he had expected this outcome. He tried to distinguish the real blade, but the illusion vanished quickly.
Vaitheless stared at the wooden sword in disbelief. Tawakizura, still stunned, spoke:
"I don't know what to say… but you truly surprised me. You'll need to practice the move many times. That word you used… must've been powerful."
Vaitheless smiled and replied in a calm tone:
"Yes… it was powerful indeed…"
'Archimedes… the name of the king who died standing, and whose body terrified soldiers from approaching him for a hundred years,' Vaitheless muttered quietly.
Tawakizura turned around, still smiling… but before Isaak could speak, Marceline stepped into the center of the clearing, stopping in front of Vaitheless and leaning down, since she was taller than him.
She spoke in a teasing, beautiful tone as she placed her hand on her waist:
"You really surprised me, Prince Vaitheless…"
"How about I show you my skills? Let's see if you can learn them as easily as the Inverted Cross Blade."
Vaitheless smiled at her lovely face and replied in a cold tone:
"I love challenges… especially when they come from a beautiful lady like yourself."
Marceline's face turned red, like a blooming red flower. She then turned away and gave a charming smile.
"To be honest, I still haven't mastered this move myself… it's called Royal Guard."
"You must block the enemy's strike with perfect timing and precision… If successful, a red aura will appear and the strike will be reflected back at your attacker."
Vaitheless placed his index finger on his chin and spoke in awe:
"Royal Guard… from the name alone, it sounds like it carries ancient heritage. And it seems like an extremely elegant technique."
Marceline scratched her nose and replied confidently:
"Correct. It originates from the kingdom of Van Bersen. My father learned it there and passed it on to me… And I want to see if you can learn it."
Vaitheless smiled and said:
"I don't mind giving it a try."
Marceline smiled and raised her right hand in the shape of an L, then placed her left hand horizontally near the right one. She lowered her body slightly, with her right foot stepping forward ahead of her left.
"This is the blocking stance called Royal Guard… Now, I want you to strike me with the sword."
Vaitheless raised the wooden sword and swung it at Marceline… but she failed to block it the first time.
"See? I need to execute it a split second before the sword hits me. That's why I have so many scars on my body — though I hide them well," Marceline said, glancing at her hands.
"Try hitting me again."
Vaitheless swung the sword once more — and again, she failed. After four attempts, on the fifth swing, Marceline blocked the strike perfectly, and a red aura flashed around them.
The strike rebounded toward Vaitheless — he was thrown backward, stunned by what happened. Before he could crash into a tree, Marceline caught his body.
"See? It takes a lot of time to perfect it… Do you want to try the stance?"
Vaitheless nodded and stepped toward the center of the clearing, practicing the Royal Guard stance. After several attempts, he managed to get it right — although not fast enough yet.
"That's good. You've learned the stance, but now let's see if you can block a strike perfectly," she said with a smile.
Marceline continued:
"Now, I'm going to swing the sword, and I want you to block it perfectly."
Marceline swung the sword for the first time, but Vaitheless failed to block it.
"No worries. The first time rarely goes well — keep trying."
Marceline struck Vaitheless a second time… a third… a fourth… until the fifth attempt. A red spark finally appeared — but it vanished quickly due to him shifting slightly from the position.
Marceline was astonished and spoke in a stunned tone:
"You're quite the fast learner… I bet next time you'll pull it off—"
She didn't finish her sentence. Someone had grabbed her shoulder.
It was Lady Malvina. She walked past Marceline and advanced toward Vaitheless.
She stood before him and spoke in a sharp voice:
"It seems you have talent, son of the Emperor… How about a light duel — between you and me?"
Everyone was shocked. No one said a word… until Marceline spoke in an angry tone:
"Malvina, can't you see we're in the middle of a training session?"
Before Lady Malvina could reply, Isaak placed a hand on Marceline's shoulder and spoke in a heavy tone:
"Please, dear Marcy, would you go back to your place?"
The anger vanished from Marceline's face, and she returned to her spot. Julianne whispered softly:
"Is a duel really going to happen?"
Eric, half-asleep, barely muttered his response:
"Don't care… but most likely, yeah."
Isaak spoke while looking at the two standing in the clearing:
"Seems like Lady Malvina wants to challenge you… What do you say, Sir Vaitheless?"
Vaitheless smiled and brushed a lock of hair back:
"No problem. If Lady Malvina wants a duel… she shall have one."
Lady Malvina smiled a mysterious smile and said to him:
"You have a beautiful smile… Lost From Faith."