The kitchen.
Torches burned with yellow flames on the stone walls, casting the figures beside the long table onto the floor in crooked black shadows.
Arwen sat in his seat, scooping a piece of stewed venison from his bowl with a wooden spoon and putting it into his mouth.
There was little seasoning, only coarse salt and a few carrots and onions for flavor, but it tasted fairly good.
He looked up and glanced at the empty seats across the long table.
Vesemir and Geralt had not joined them for dinner.
"Hey, I have to say, tonight's dinner was fantastic."
Winston emptied a large bowl of broth and sucked his index finger.
Horton and the others nodded, their eyes full of satisfaction.
Paul drank half a cup of green juice and nudged Arwen's arm with his elbow.
"Arwen, my good brother, you were just saying this morning that you weren't interested in that herbalist nun."
"And what happened? You didn't even come out with us after alchemy class. Damn it, spill it. What did you do? Did you see her face?"
Arwen put down his spoon. "Lady Viris. I only asked her a few questions about alchemy."
Paul drew out his words. "Oh, Lady Viris. Goddess Melitele above, haha."
The other apprentices laughed cheerfully too.
Arwen said dismissively, "If you wanted to look that badly, couldn't you have just stayed in the stone chamber?"
At those words, Paul and the others froze.
That was right. If they wanted to look, they could have gone back to the stone chamber to find Arwen.
But why had the very idea of returning vanished from their minds as soon as they left the chamber?
All their curiosity about the herbalist nun had evaporated at that moment, as though an invisible hand had covered their eyes.
Arwen caught that brief silence and frowned slightly.
"Ha, all that alchemy is just unorthodox nonsense. What good does it do to master potions? Witchers should use swords!"
Aiken leaned back in his wooden chair and spoke imperiously.
Arwen chuckled without exposing his dismal performance in alchemy class.
That tone was pure childish jealousy-sour grapes.
"Dong!"
A bell rang out over Kaer Morhen, marking the end of the apprentices' day.
Arwen and the others washed their faces, returned to the apprentices' room, and lay down on the large bed. After bidding one another good night, they quickly fell sound asleep.
Cool moonlight shone through the window.
Arwen abruptly opened his eyes.
He had not forgotten Geralt's words.
He reached out and lifted Paul's thigh off his body, listening closely. He could distinguish the snores of each sleeping apprentice perfectly.
Arwen slipped out of bed and tiptoed out of the apprentices' room. Only after repeatedly making sure no one was following him did he head for the training ground in front of the castle.
The bright moon hung overhead, and the autumn wind sighed bleakly. The occasional hoot of a tawny owl sounded from the forest outside Kaer Morhen.
In the middle of the training ground, a white-haired young man sat on a stone block, his amber cat eyes staring straight at him.
"I thought you'd forgotten our arrangement."
Geralt rose and flexed his wrists, his silver-studded gloves gleaming coldly in the moonlight.
"Geralt..."
Before Arwen could finish, Geralt took a training sword from the weapon rack beside him and tossed it down in front of him.
Then Geralt casually selected another sword and raised his chin slightly. With the moonlight behind him, his face looked grim and cold.
Arwen's cat eyes focused. He took a deep breath and bent to pick up the training sword.
[Blade Perception] activated.
[School of the Wolf apprentice two-handed training sword: a two-handed longsword forged by an ordinary blacksmith, with fifty-two impurities. Total length: forty inches. Blade length: twenty-seven inches. Weight: thirty-five ounces. Its center of gravity is at the guard, making it suitable for slashing.]
The act of tossing down the sword was undoubtedly a provocation, and a challenge to a duel.
A duel-how could a real man refuse?
Arwen gripped the hilt with both hands and held the sword upright before the left side of his chest.
Geralt's lips curved upward. "Careful now."
Without further words, Geralt charged, reaching him in the blink of an eye.
So fast!
Startled, Arwen raised his sword to block.
Clang!
Metal struck metal, sending sparks flying.
Arwen felt a tremendous force slam into the web of his hands, driving him back several steps.
Before he could steady himself, Geralt's blade followed.
Arwen pivoted around his right foot.
The blade whistled past his chest.
"Ha!"
Geralt gave a sharp cry and lunged forward, driving power up from the ground as he swept his sword horizontally.
Arwen had no choice but to roll backward.
Geralt pressed him relentlessly, his training sword lashing out again and again like a whip in a farmer's hand.
Only after striking Arwen several times did Geralt ease his assault, allowing him to get back to his feet.
The pain in his back made Arwen bare his teeth and suck in cold breaths.
Holding his sword in both hands, Geralt began circling Arwen.
"Your footwork is too stiff. Turning your torso on just the ball of your foot leaves you wide open when you turn sideways."
Arwen backed away a few steps, his cat eyes fixed on Geralt's movements. Before he could properly digest those words, something happened.
Swordlight flashed across his vision.
"Wait..."
Arwen hurriedly raised his sword to block.
Geralt gave him no chance to beg for mercy. He stepped forward, twisted his torso, and brought a powerful diagonal slash crashing down in a crescent arc.
Clang!
Arwen staggered back several steps, the web of his hands numb and his arms shaking. He nearly lost his grip on the training sword.
His gray cat eyes narrowed to pinpoints.
That strike had been too fast, so fast that he had not reacted at all.
Had Geralt not deliberately struck just above the training sword's crossguard, a blow elsewhere-his shoulder, for instance-would certainly have split his skin and torn his flesh.
Cold sweat kept seeping down his spine.
Geralt stepped back a few paces, resting his right hand on the training sword as he looked at Arwen, whose hair was disheveled and whose body was covered in mud. He was a sorry sight indeed.
"I was right about you. You've practiced your Apprentice Swordsmanship well. Without mastering it, you couldn't have blocked that strike."
"How do you feel now?"
Arwen said irritably, "Geralt, my hands are shaking. Were you trying to kill me just now?"
"Ha, shaking is normal. You'll be fine after some sleep." Geralt raised his sword. "According to the witcher code, your current swordsmanship qualifies you to learn the true School of the Wolf Witcher Swordsmanship."
Arwen looked up, a hint of surprise in his voice.
"Really?"
Ever since maxing out Apprentice Swordsmanship, he had been worrying about how to learn more advanced swordsmanship.
Geralt took up his sword and stepped out, swift and light, tracing streaks of silver swordlight through the air like a deadly waltz.
"Our School of the Wolf Swordsmanship emphasizes footwork. Twist your waist as you dodge, using it to drive your upper body's strength into your sword."
Geralt demonstrated the School of the Wolf Swordsmanship once. "Did you see that clearly?"
With [Dual Souls], Arwen had remembered practically all of it, and he nodded.
[School of the Wolf Witcher Swordsmanship detected. Unlocking.] [School of the Wolf Witcher Swordsmanship Lv1: 0/100]
The panel appeared!
Geralt turned sideways. "Good. Now show me."
Arwen adjusted his breathing and began reproducing the movements Geralt had just demonstrated.
Geralt watched for a while, his cold cat eyes shifting from being moved to astonishment.
He had not expected Arwen to remember almost everything after truly watching it just once.
Still, there were many mistakes, and they were lethal ones.
"Faster."
"Move your feet faster!"
"Dodge!"
Geralt suddenly lashed out with his sword, slashing at Arwen's back.
Clang!
The swords collided, interrupting Arwen's footwork.
"Geralt!"
"Shut up! Hold your sword steady. You must block after turning."
"Remember, you don't know who might ambush you from behind. Get careless, and even a pitchfork can kill you!"
"Faster!"