"Coach, but we're still injured." Baron raised his hand.
"Oh? Where are you hurt? Broken bones? Can't stand up?" The coach's sharp gaze made Baron afraid to argue further.
"Solin, you're up first."
"Yes, sir!"
The black-haired young man stepped forward. Though he was still covered in bruises, he picked up a sword and fought with earnest focus.
He stepped forward, then thrust. Solin's swordsmanship was crisp and efficient, aimed straight at vital points, with no wasted movements.
"Clang!" "Clang!"
The coach held his sword in one hand and nimbly dodged Solin's attacks with steady footwork. Then, with a casual flick, he knocked the wooden sword from Solin's grip and kicked him away.
"Not bad. A little too direct and lacking in variety, but otherwise, nothing wrong with it for now." He gave Solin a fairly high rating.
"Next!"
"Baron."
"Yes, sir!"
Baron picked up a wooden sword and charged in to attack. Unfortunately, though he swung it quickly, his moves were rash and full of openings. His performance was nowhere near as good as Solin's.
After knocking Baron down a few times and offering some pointers, the coach called for the next student.
"Ray."
"Yes, sir!"
The tallest student in the group stepped forward, holding the wooden sword as if it were a toy.
"Hah!"
Ray took a deep breath and swung his sword toward the coach.
Facing Ray's powerful swing, the coach twisted his wooden sword around it like a python, then jabbed Ray in the palm. The pain made Ray let go.
"Good strength, but your swordsmanship is crude. It's hard to watch." The coach shook his head.
"Maybe you should learn to use another weapon."
"Next!"
The rest of the students took their turns. Sylutia watched from the Training Ground, her light blue eyes blinking as she continuously analyzed everyone's movements and how they exerted their strength.
"Basic Swordsmanship" proficiency +3 "Basic Swordsmanship" proficiency +2 "Basic Swordsmanship" proficiency +5 ...
So that was another way to learn. She could say she'd gained a lot from watching the sparring.
Even when people used the same swordsmanship, their builds and habits led them to use it differently and emphasize different things. And when faced with different situations, each person's response changed accordingly.
Basic Swordsmanship Lv.4: Basic sword techniques, the foundation of combat. Current progress (573/1200)
Though she hadn't taken part in the fight, watching had still taught Sylutia a great deal. What's more, as she watched the coach spar, she gradually came to understand that the combat techniques he used must be more advanced.
[Military Swordsmanship Lv.0]: Sword techniques used in the military. Crisp, efficient movements that emphasize swiftly killing the enemy in life-or-death combat. Current progress (31/100)
Compared to Basic Swordsmanship, Military Swordsmanship was deadlier, but it demanded more of the user's physical abilities. Without enough strength and speed, it was impossible to bring out its full potential.
Being able to learn just by watching people spar was a pretty handy ability. Sylutia felt she'd gained a great deal from coming to study with Scholar Heide.
But her leisurely spectating was about to come to an end.
"Boys, go rest in the open area on the left. Girls, step forward." The coach scanned the group.
"Valenie, you first."
"Huh? Uncle Burke, are you calling me?" Knight Levin's daughter looked surprised.
"Of course."
"All right." Valenie reluctantly stepped forward, picked up a wooden sword, and charged at Coach Burke.
Unfortunately, the knight's daughter hadn't inherited her father's skill. Her abilities were barely passable, and the coach easily beat her, sending her sprawling to the ground.
"You can't grip your sword properly, your technique is poor, your footwork is sloppy, and your reactions are slow. Not a single one of your movements is any good. It seems Levin spoiled you far too much." The coach criticized her coldly.
"Uh..."
Valenie looked thoroughly embarrassed, but soon a flash of anger crossed her face.
"What right do you have to criticize me? I'm not going to be a knight anyway. And if you're so good, why don't you try crossing swords with my father?"
"Hmph." The coach couldn't be bothered with a little girl's childish rant and simply ignored her.
"Next, Karen."
"Yes, sir."
Karen took out a wooden spear and stepped forward. She lowered her waist and center of gravity, keeping her eyes fixed on the coach.
A few seconds later, she thrust the wooden spear without warning, aiming straight for the coach's chest.
The coach raised his sword to deflect the attack, knocking the spearhead aside. Then he stepped in from the side and slashed at Karen's fingers.
Karen shifted her body while gripping the shaft, taking the sword strike on her shoulder. Then she thrust again.
"Clang!"
Unfortunately, the coach blocked her spear once more.
But after blocking it, he didn't press the attack. Instead, he gave Karen an approving look.
"Not bad. You're bold. You've got potential."
"Next, Comia."
"Ah, I... I don't know any combat techniques." Comia looked close to tears.
"Oh?"
Coach Burke frowned at that. How could she have no basic training at all? How had Scholar Heide accepted someone like her?
Before long, a servant came hurrying over to Burke and whispered something to him. Burke's frown eased a little, and he glanced at Comia a few times.
"All right. You won't have to practice with swords or spears from now on, but you still need to do basic physical training. Run ten laps around the Training Ground."
"Urgh... Yes, Coach." Comia had no choice but to go running.
Only Iona and Sylutia had yet to take part in combat training.
The coach glanced at Iona, then turned his eyes to the seemingly delicate girl beside her.
"Iona, come over."
"Yes, Coach."
Iona's tone was flat, as if she found the task ahead of her a little boring.
She picked up a wooden sword with one hand and held it in front of her. A faint golden gleam flashed in her eyes, and then she thrust fiercely at the coach. A thread of golden light appeared along the blade, but the strange sight lasted only an instant. Sylutia was the only one who noticed it right away.
The wooden swords clashed. A series of slashes and impacts rang out across the Training Ground, and this time, the fight didn't end quickly.
The fierce battle drew the attention of every student. Even Comia stopped running.
"She's amazing."
"Iona's not only beautiful, her swordsmanship is so graceful, too."
"Isn't that more than ordinary swordsmanship?"
Iona moved with graceful agility, closing in and pulling away as she danced across the Training Ground. Her sword flashed again and again, each strike as sharp as a needle's point.
"Golden Needle Sword Technique: Thrust!"
In an instant, three dazzling golden threads appeared, stabbing toward the coach like three golden needles. Faced with an attack imbued with the power of an extraordinary Aspect, the coach stopped holding back.
"Steel Edge Sharp Blade!"
The wooden sword in his hand was instantly sheathed in a silver steel sheen. With a rapid slash, he shattered the wooden sword in Iona's hands, sending splinters flying in every direction.
With her sword gone, Iona retreated several steps and released the remaining hilt. She stopped fighting, then looked proudly at the coach. Even in defeat, she had nothing to be ashamed of.
"Hmph. As expected of Viscount Callen's daughter."
Before Viscount Callen was imprisoned, he had been a powerful military official. His family had plenty of inherited techniques and resources.
At this point, Sylutia was the only one left who hadn't taken part in the sparring.
Should she take part? If she did, holding back the whole time would lead to all sorts of awkward, contorted situations. But if she didn't hold back and stole the spotlight—even overshadowing the blonde young lady who was supposed to be the protagonist—wouldn't that completely go against her plan to keep a low profile?
Sylutia was faced with a difficult choice.
Perhaps someone had noticed her predicament, or perhaps she was simply lucky. Someone interrupted the training just then, getting her off the hook.
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