Chương 4: Squire Jessica

"Wake up!" I jumped up in fright on my bed. One of my mother's Squires was standing next to it. She tossed some clothes and armor onto the bed.

"Put that on quickly. Your training begins immediately." I wanted to ask questions, but her stern look and harsh tone made me hesitate. I listened, as my mother had instructed me to obey whoever she sent as my tutor, as if it were her. After putting on the underclothes, I struggled with the armor for a bit.

"Tighten that strap. Tighter. This is light armor, and you must be sure the straps are tight, so they don't become loose in combat. They are designed not to limit your mobility as much as possible." I followed her instructions.

"Good, but slow. We will work on that. I am Squire Jessica in service to the Supreme Warlady Elena Burnstock, a level 83 spellblade. I will be your tutor for the next three months. After three months, your mother will return from the dungeon and evaluate your progress, and another Squire will take over your training."

"Yes, Squire Jessica." The leather helmet felt weird when I nodded, but I didn't complain.

"I have the following rules. First, you will tell me immediately if your healing, stamina, or mana drops below a half or a quarter. Do not hesitate to say something. I need to know this so I know exactly how much I can push you."

"Yes, Squire Jessica." She seemed to like that as she gave me another nod.

"Second rule. Don't look at your stats or skill levels. It clouds your thinking. We will train for these three months without looking at them. If you focus on each small increase, it will take much longer to level up your skills. Better to check every three months for any bottlenecks."

"Um, but how will I know my healing, stamina, and mana if I don't check?"

"When you focus on calling up your status, just think of a shortened version or a combat version. You will only get your level, experience, and reserves. In time, you will sense these things naturally, but that is a tier 2 skill. We will not concern ourselves with that now."

"Yes, Squire Jessica."

"My third and final rule. When I give you instructions, you must listen immediately. Consider your actions, but please trust me. Sometimes, too much information can cloud your thinking when improving a skill. That is why the position of tutor is one of utmost trust and respect."

"I understand."

"Good. I have bought the supplies for a three-month excursion into the dungeon. Follow me." This was happening quickly, but my mother wasn't one to waste any time, and neither were her Squires. We left the estate at a quick walk, and then she had me set off on a light jog.

"Increase the speed of your breathing and maintain the rhythm," she said as we jogged along a road leading from the estate.

"Keep it steady as you go up the hill."

"Keep your pace steady on the downhill. Don't speed up." She kept giving me instructions as the sun rose into the sky. We stopped for a quick breakfast, pulling out food from a spatial pouch. Those were incredibly expensive and rare. But it made sense for my mother's Squires to have such an item.

"Chew and drink. Measure your actions. Keep your breathing steady, even while eating through your nose." I ate carefully while trying to follow her instructions. It was hard.

"Good. Do you need to use the bathroom?" Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. I nodded quickly.

"Yes."

"Then do your business there in those shrubs. Keep your breathing steady." I went into the forest and took care of my business. It was challenging to do my business outside like this. While she wasn't staring at me, she monitored me. Eventually, I finished and used leaves to clean myself off. I didn't really feel clean.

"While it might be embarrassing, that is a common mistake adventurers make, and when they are most vulnerable. As you level up higher, your body will produce less waste, which makes things easier."

"Maybe I should level up then," I replied with a bit of a tone. She laughed for a moment.

"While people might not say it, that is a big reason people don't stick around at the lower levels. But your mother would beat me half to death if I didn't follow her instructions. Let's go, remember your breathing." We stopped for lunch and dinner on the side of the road. We passed various farms, merchants, and other travelers as we ran along the route. The duchy of Burnstock was well settled and prosperous. We were following the signs towards the city of Burnstock, so the number of travelers would only increase.

We got only a couple of looks, but no one stopped us. Squire Jessica stayed right behind me, matching my pace while constantly watching me to make sure I kept my breathing steady. Just as the sun hit the horizon, she called a stop at a small village where we went to a traveler's inn. She got us a room and stew for dinner. We took a corner table and ate quietly. The villagers gave us glances, but no one came to sit with us. Squire Jessica was quite imposing, clad in armor and wielding a sword.

Everyone could tell she was an adventurer, and probably a powerful one, with the quality of her gear. No one in their right mind would start trouble with her. Once we were done eating, we went up to our room.

"We will stay in inns while they are available until we reach the entrance to the first level of the dungeon in two days. Now you will begin reading and copying this. Your tutor, Damian, suggested doing this after your mother spoke with him," she said, and pulled out two books from her spatial pouch. One was a dictionary of the Eldarin language. The other was blank. She also got out a metal fountain pen and a vial of ink.

"Your soul is like a building. Each skill is like a support beam. It is important to complete your support beams. Copying the dictionary and reading it out loud as you copy it will boost your Eldarin language and Writing skills," she explained without me having to be asked.

"Why didn't Tutor Damian do this?"

"Do you think most kids want to read a dictionary and copy it? He probably had you working on fun exercises to keep you mentally engaged while he was present. Having such a high skill level at eight is already incredibly impressive. But I will not coddle you. If you can't do something like this, you will struggle with the future training I plan to give you." She was right, Tutor Damian had done fun exercises with me in the past. Squire Jessica might be harsh, but she wasn't cruel.

She was pushing me, like I had wanted." Light Orb." A white orb of light appeared, illuminating the room.

"Read out loud and copy. I will tell you when to stop and go to bed. Remember to focus on the task at hand. Don't think about other things. I will answer one question each morning." I got focused on the task at hand. I carefully pronounced each word and definition, copying everything into the blank book. It was tedious and complicated to concentrate on something so dull, but I endured. If I were going to be the best, I couldn't let a little tedious task slow me down.

I will perfect it and finish it as soon as possible. I knew that language came before learning Eldarin Script as a tier 2 skill. I knew this was the skill I was aiming for, in mastering an earlier one in the skill chain.

"Stop," Squire Jessica finally said, and I stopped writing and speaking once I reached the end of the word I was copying.

"Good job. I can tell you kept your mind mostly on the task. I expect that kind of focus on everything you do from now on. Now sleep," she said, and the light orb disappeared.

"Um, should I get changed?"

"No. Learn to sleep in armor. You are lucky you get an actual bed tonight. The dungeon floor isn't so kind. Don't worry. Each night, we will alternate mental skills to focus on, so you don't get bored."

"Thanks," I said hesitantly.

"Don't worry, Justin. Your mother wouldn't place her trust in me if I didn't know what I was doing. This kind of tutoring is reserved for nobility or wealthy individuals who can afford to pay a high-level fighter like me to handhold them. If it weren't for your mother, I wouldn't be doing this."

"Thank you, Squire Jessica." I meant it too. She was at a higher level than my father. While he had a higher social standing as a duke, no one would disrespect her. A level 80 spellblade was elite. While not a legend, she could get a job anywhere, from guarding a high-level noble to becoming a high-ranking soldier in an army or mercenary company.

"While your thanks are appreciated, don't waste my time. You did well today, but always push to do better. That is how your mother trains her Squires, and I know she expects the same of you, especially if you want to follow in her footsteps." My mother truly was going all out. I hadn't been sure what would happen when she returned, but I was still in shock at everything changing so quickly. Just yesterday, I was dining in luxury. I was sleeping on a lumpy straw bed that had a slight odor.

It would be easy to quit or give up. But I refused to. I was going to be the best. My goal is to become a legend, not just any legend, but a supreme legend. I would go to the bottom of the dungeon. When people spoke of me, everyone would know my name. Training like this was hard, but it wasn't impossible. Squire Jessica specifically tailored everything to my ability and skill level. It was impressive, since she wasn't a dedicated tutor. I will have to ask her about that tomorrow.

I said nothing else as I kept my breathing steady and drifted off to sleep.