Sword Training

According to Demacian law, one must be fifteen to join the army. Besides, the Noxian army wouldn't arrive anytime soon, so there was no rush.

In fact, I was puzzled. Why could I reduce casualties on both sides? Did I gain some strange power after transmigrating to this world? I wasn't sure, I could only wait for time to reveal it.

During the following period, I spent almost every day with Fiora, and we were very close. She was pleased with my diligence and eagerness to learn.

Of course, most of my efforts were aimed at her. Sometimes I couldn't control my impulses, like staring at her with an ardent gaze, hoping to convey my feelings.

She always pretended not to see, and her attitude would occasionally turn cold. I didn't know if she had noticed my feelings.

After some time, under Fiora's careful guidance, my swordsmanship improved greatly, especially the move where I parried an enemy's blade with my sword. I had mastered it very skillfully.

I knew without her telling me that this move was called: Laurent's Mind Blade.

As for Blade Waltz, she didn't demonstrate it to me. I didn't know if it was too difficult to learn quickly or if she didn't have it.

One day, halfway through practice, Fiora suddenly stopped. She said that a few days ago, she had commissioned a master swordsmith in the city to forge a sword for me to take with me when I joined the army, and today was the day to pick it up.

She had originally planned to pick it up herself, but later, at my strong insistence, she agreed to take me along.

I had been in this world for some days, and I rarely went out. When I did, it was usually for a specific reason. This time, I wanted to explore the Silver City and experience its different customs and culture.

The Silver City was built on the coast of western Demacia. The sea breeze could be felt frequently. The terrain here was rugged, and many buildings were built against the mountains. Some even developed entire mountains into residential areas.

The houses here were built with white stone, giving them a silvery appearance from afar.

The Silver City was probably named literally. I heard that this white stone contained many null-magic components, which had a strong suppressive effect on magic, so mages couldn't use magic freely here.

Laurent Manor, like the royal palace, was built on a relatively open flat area. However, the place where we were picking up the sword was on a mountain. Although it was in the same city, the road was not short. Thanks to this, I got to see most of the city's scenery.

We climbed up a small mountain, with houses and residents along the way. By the time we reached the summit, there were still many streets.

Most of the people here were merchants, selling all sorts of peculiar items. Since I hadn't seen many of them before, it took up some time, which displeased Fiora, but she didn't hinder me too much.

After turning a few corners, I finally saw a blacksmith shop. Due to long-term forging, the walls were already blackened, and there was a line of people outside.

Fiora explained to me that the blacksmith here, Harley, was Demacia's most renowned master swordsmith. Therefore, whenever tourists from other regions came to the Silver City for business or pleasure, they would come here to purchase a desired weapon.

Actually, I knew that even without her telling me. Demacia's weapon-making craftsmanship was the most exquisite on the entire continent. Especially the integration of null-magic technology, which made their weapons widely applicable. Some people would travel thousands of miles just to buy a suitable weapon.

Just as we were both standing obediently in line behind everyone else, we suddenly heard a commotion ahead. Someone was arguing.

One party, judging by their appearance, was not from Demacia. The other party consisted of three people who looked like officers, with a broken axe emblem on their chests—they were from the House of Dali.

"What bad luck, to run into them here." Fiora's words clearly showed her dislike for these people.

The outsiders were quickly driven away by the people from the House of Dali. At this moment, one of them spotted Fiora and me and came over with a smile to strike up a conversation:

"What a coincidence, Miss Fiora. I'm delighted to see you here. I was just planning to buy a gift and pay a visit to your manor."

"No need to be so polite, Jon. I've been very busy lately, so I'm afraid I won't be able to entertain you properly. Perhaps you should choose another time."

"You still dislike me as much as ever, but my admiration for you grows deeper each day. I've already told my father that after the war, I will propose to Lord Filius to formalize our union."

"My marriage is my own decision. If you wish to have me, you must first defeat me."

"I believe I will earn your approval. Hey, Leivo, do you remember me? It's your big brother Jon, who used to play with you often. I heard you've been chosen as Demacia's savior. Congratulations, congratulations."

"Sorry, I forgot."

When I heard that he intended to propose to Fiora, I felt disgusted. Now, consumed by jealousy, I naturally wouldn't give him a good look. Our past relationship didn't matter; I had someone else now.

Jon's expression darkened. It seemed no one had ever dared to treat him like this: "You will regret this!"

With that, he left with his subordinates. His arrogant demeanor was just like General Dali's during the royal court meeting. It seemed to be a family trait.

"Hmph, ridiculous."

Fiora dismissed him with a snort. She found Master Harley, collected the pre-ordered sword, and left.

Because of the long journey and my previous lingering, it was very late by the time we returned home. However, I still practiced for a while before resting. There wasn't much time left; by a rough estimate, only a little over half a month remained.

During this period, my understanding of Demacia deepened. I also learned that it was currently controlled by the five great families.

Among them, the House of Lightshield, the House of Lightshield, and the House of Dali controlled the entire country's military. The House of Tabor managed divination and sacrifices, and they were also the only family in the country permitted to use magic. As for our Laurent Family, we were like prime ministers, managing the kingdom's economy and most of its internal affairs.

I already had a good understanding of the League of Legends worldview, and now, combined with my personal experiences, I was even more familiar with it.

During this time, I didn't encounter any more acquaintances. I still hadn't met the Zhao Xin I had been hoping for. Strangely, I had asked Fiora about him, but she didn't recognize a guard named Zhao Xin in the royal palace, explaining that she didn't visit the palace often.

Time passed quickly amidst the intense training. In the blink of an eye, three months had gone by. I had memorized the swordsmanship Fiora taught me and could use it very skillfully. I had officially graduated.

At this moment, I suddenly didn't want to join the army anymore. It wasn't out of fear of combat, but rather reluctance to part with Fiora.

She was the first person I saw after waking up, she treated me very well, and I also admired her.

Of course, I wouldn't make such a request, because only by protecting Demacia could this peaceful life continue.

I longed to achieve great deeds and earn her approval, not as a brother, but as a man...

On the third day before my departure, I didn't practice swordsmanship because tomorrow would be my coming-of-age ceremony, and then I would leave here for the Dauntless Vanguard barracks.

My feelings of reluctance intensified. That night, I went to Fiora's bedroom. The servant at the door wanted to announce my arrival, but I stopped him with a silencing gesture.

Since coming here, I had never been to her bedroom, even though we weren't far apart.

Pushing the door open, I was immediately met with two waves of disappointment.

The first was the room's decor. I had originally thought that despite Fiora's cold demeanor, she would be full of girlish charm. To my surprise, the room was decorated very simply.

The second was that she was still wearing the same training clothes from earlier. While these clothes were form-fitting and showcased her curvaceous figure, which was a feast for the eyes at first, after three consecutive months of the same style, it was bound to cause aesthetic fatigue.

At that moment, she was sitting by the window, lost in thought. She didn't turn around when she heard someone enter, clearly not realizing it was me and mistaking me for a servant:

"What is it?"

"Nothing, I just didn't get to practice today and missed you a little."

"Leivo, it's you! How can you enter my room without announcing yourself? That's very rude, you know?"

"You often enter my room without announcing yourself either. I suspect you've seen my entire body while I was sleeping."

"I watched you grow up, why would I be interested in your body? Such a smooth talker, haven't you been disciplined enough lately?"

"My skin is itchy, and my heart is itchy too."

"Oh? Is there something you want to say?"

"Tomorrow is my coming-of-age ceremony, and then I'll be leaving. I'm a little reluctant, so I came to chat with you."

"Coincidentally, I was also thinking about you. The night is perfect, let's go out for a walk."

Behind the Laurent mansion, there was a small hill. I often gazed at the scenery from my window, but I had never actually gone there. Tonight was the perfect opportunity to enjoy the night view.

We walked out of the courtyard, side by side, without speaking. I was simply enjoying the quiet atmosphere, wondering what Fiora was thinking.

Before long, I found a flat spot and pulled her down to sit. It was late summer transitioning into early autumn, and the night breeze was refreshing. The waist-high wild grass rustled around us, and the sky was filled with twinkling stars, a truly beautiful sight!

"You..."

"You..."

Neither of us spoke, but we both started talking at the same time. Fiora gestured for me to speak first.

"It's nothing, really. I just wanted to ask why you haven't found a partner. You're not exactly young anymore."

"There's no one who satisfies me. To pursue me, you must first defeat me."

"Haha, that won't be easy. What were you going to say?"

"You... you're not actually Leivo, are you? Or rather, you're not my brother?"

Fiora's words instantly tensed my previously relaxed mood. I looked into her eyes without answering, listening as she continued:

"Our parents are busy with their work and don't pay much attention to their children's lives or changes. But we're together often, and your sudden change had already caught my attention. I suspect Nora and Noviya have noticed too, but they're too afraid to say anything."

"You knew all along, yet you didn't expose me?"

"I wasn't sure of your identity or your purpose. Moreover, after spending this time together, I found you had no ill intentions, only that you were diligently learning swordsmanship. I often thought, 'If only you were really Leivo.' However, my wicked brother would never suddenly become sensible. Now, I just want to know, who exactly are you? And what happened to Leivo?"

"I truly have no ill intentions. It's because I don't belong to this world. Due to an accident, I was hit by a vehicle called a motorcycle. My life was unknown, and when I woke up, I was here. As for your brother Leivo, I don't know what happened to him either. Is he dormant within me, or is there some other situation?"

Fiora looked at me carefully for a long time before finally choosing to believe me: "Alright, I believe you. But you must take good care of Leivo's body, because he could regain consciousness at any moment. By the way, what was your original name?"

"Zhao Xin. The same name as the person I asked you about before."

"Zhao Xin... The name sounds like someone from Ionia. If you have the chance in the future, you can go there. Perhaps you'll find the answers you seek on that ancient continent. But first, you must survive the war!"

"You seem to care about me quite a bit?"

"I told you, your body is Leivo's. Don't overthink things! Besides, how could a kid like you garner my concern?"

Fiora's words seemed like a cover-up, yet also like pride. No matter how I looked at it, they felt incredibly genuine. This was her charm.

"I'm not a kid. You just said your standard for a partner is to defeat you, and I will definitely achieve that, and not too long from now!"

"Fine! If you can defeat me, then... it's still no good. Because in other people's eyes, you'll still be Leivo."

Fiora seemed a little shaken. It was evident that with this appearance and my personality, I was quite to her liking.

I didn't pursue the topic further, as conveying my feelings was enough. Perhaps it was a bit selfish, but love is like that – only concerned with expressing one's affection and care.

After speaking our minds, we both felt much lighter. We lay on the hillside, chatting idly, and before we knew it, it was late at night. Only when the wind blowing on us felt a bit chilly did we get up to head back