Chương 34: Robert's Talent, Belius's Test

When I attacked, Robert started dodging more frequently. He probably got used to my attack rhythm and realized that directly dodging attacks was better than blocking them for an efficient counterattack. This was proof that his reaction speed was getting faster and his body was adapting to his strong dynamic vision. At this stage, what Robert needs isn't physical training but training to completely control and Master his current strength.

Once he master's it, he only needs to slowly grind up his sword skills and keep practicing the Martial Breathing Technique to truly step into the Path of Martial Arts. Combined with his Magical Talent, he can perhaps walk the rare path of Magic and Martial Arts which very few people have successfully walked in all of Antasia Empire history. Hmm? Robert suddenly switched the hand holding his sword. I see, it seems he's been seriously thinking about countermeasures.

However, haphazardly switching your dominant hand is a double-edged sword; used well, it can achieve surprising victory, but once the opponent reacts, you can't even defend properly. Moreover, he's a novice who's been learning swordsmanship for less than three days, so using this move was entirely a 'gamble'. I sidestepped Robert's counterattack, then with a light flick, I knocked the wooden sword out of Robert's hand. This moment decided the outcome.

"I surrender." Since he decided to train in the Defense Flow style, Robert has already lost to me over 30 times, but he has also made significant progress from the very beginning. I only adjusted his sword-swinging posture and told him how to avoid unnecessary movements; the rest he comprehended himself during actual combat training. Compared to theoretical knowledge, the best way to learn swordsmanship is, of course, to memorize various combat experiences through the body; this is my theory.

The biggest discovery wasn't his talent but his mental fortitude and intelligence. Robert's ability to think during training is terrifying; he constantly tried to stay calm, even if he panicked momentarily due to differences of strength, but I never felt any sense of frustration in his eyes. This, without a doubt, was also a "talent." Three days passed quickly, but unfortunately, these short three days couldn't let me see the moment his "talent" would blossom.

"Haa... Haa..." Sweating profusely, Robert panted heavily; he had trained almost a full day again, and it was nearly time for him to be exhausted.

"The sun is setting, let's stop here for today."

"Thank you for your guidance, Master Belius."

"You should also rest early; don't always train by yourself until late at night."

"Did Master find out?"

"I know you want to improve quickly, but pushing yourself too hard isn't a good thing."

"No, it's not like that; I just can't bring myself to be idle. As a Noble, I surprisingly have a lot of free time, and I find this life of wholeheartedly practicing swordsmanship every day very fulfilling."

"Is that so." This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. It was as if he was concentrating all his attention on swordsmanship to escape something.

"Besides, Belius Master is leaving tomorrow, aren't you? Even if it's just a little, I want Master to see my progress." So that's it; he thought I wouldn't come again. Originally, I had planned to do so; I wasn't so idle as to specifically accompany a child training swordsmanship until he could stand on his own, and he wasn't my only disciple who needed guidance. But...

"One month."

"Eh?"

"I will come back in one month, so before then, train well by yourself and let me see how much you can improve." Let me keep this expectation for him for now; I'll check the situation in a month. To bo honest, I also have my own expectations, I want to see how far he can go with his talent and whether he can persist on this path. If he can't persist, it means he's reached his limit, and it won't be too late to stop then.

"C-can I really?" Robert was clearly surprised by my answer, looking astonished.

"Initially, I thought you wanted to learn swordsmanship out of simple whimsy; a Noble young master would probably get bored after playing for a few days, but I've seen your performance and progress these past few days."

"Since you're serious, it's not impossible to accompany you for a while longer."

"In short, you can consider it an exam after one month. If you want to learn more about swordsmanship, whether it can be achieved depends on the exam results. How about it? Do you have confidence?"

"Confidence... hard to say."

"Anyway, there's nothing else good to do, so I can only say I'll do my best to pass the exam." He didn't make a confident boast but simply went with the flow. Well, this way, the psychological burden will be smaller, and he might be able to perform better.

"By the way, don't just practice swordsmanship; it's best not to neglect your magic studies either. For us swordsmen, Auxiliary Magic is also an extremely important part; without it, we have no chance of winning against mages."

"Auxiliary Magic?" Ah, at his age, he should have just started learning about magic, and Auxiliary Magic is taught at the Royal Academy, isn't it?

"Although you'll learn this sooner or later, I'll give you a brief explanation now."

"When we talk about magic, we first think of offensive magic like Fireball and Wind Blade, while magic that only affects oneself, not for attack, is collectively called Auxiliary Magic."

"For example, Fire Attribute Auxiliary Magic enhances one's strength; things that couldn't be moved before become movable, and weapons that were difficult to wield become easy to handle."

"Wind Magic Auxiliary Magic enhances one's speed; since you've started learning swordsmanship, you should know how important speed is for a swordsman."

"Moreover, the biggest advantage of these Auxiliary Magic spells is that they consume very little magic power, and their combat endurance is much better than pure offensive magic."

"But unfortunately, offensive magic and Auxiliary Magic cannot be used simultaneously, and there's a certain vacuum period when switching between the two, which causes most people to prefer focusing on offensive magic and neglecting to learn Auxiliary Magic."

"The Knight Order, on the other hand, focuses more on the use of Auxiliary Magic, as we have more opportunities for close combat with enemies; offensive magic has almost no chance of being cast during sword clashes, or rather, it would easily turn one into a living target for the enemy."

"I see, there's also an art to when to use offensive magic and Auxiliary Magic. I hadn't considered this before. Perhaps against him... no..." Robert looked thoughtful.

"What's wrong? Do you have someone you want to defeat?"

"Ah, no, I don't have any ill will towards him. It's not about wanting to defeat him; it's just to be prepared, I still want to improve my strength as much as possible, that's all." What's going on? To be prepared? Prepared for what? It seems there's another hidden story I don't understand.

"Besides, even if I wanted to defeat him, I probably couldn't win. Even if I had the same swordsmanship as Master Belius, my chance of winning against him would be only about 10%."

"Hmm? Is there such a powerful person? Even I can't win against him? Let me be clear, unless it's a chosen one who can use all attribute magic and receive the Blessing of the Gods or the Evil Gods Descend on Earth, no one except a few old monsters can defeat me.

"No, don't worry about it; I was just joking. Ah ha, ah hahahahahahaha..." Robert gave me an awkward smile, and I didn't know what he meant again. By the way, does he know who I am?

"Did Master Bahod not mention me to you?"

"Eh? Father only told me your full name, that you are the captain of a certain Knight Order, that your strength is guaranteed, and that I shouldn't be disrespectful."

"Is Belius Master's Knight Order really a well-known Knight Order in the country? Sorry, I'm not very familiar with that." I see, he doesn't know. But that's even better.

"Ah, no, it's just a small, somewhat famous Knight Order, and I'm just an old man who's been freeloading in the Order by relying on some old military achievements."

"Absolutely not."

"Haha, don't worry so much about it." So, the next day, I officially left the Anglus Family and embarked on my journey home. Whether I could spare time to come next month was still a question mark; if the country suddenly had a war, I would be too busy. As for those social engagements and internal Order affairs... There would always be a way, right?