With a thud, Jacob's body collapsed onto the cold ground. The longsword in his hand fell as he released it, while he was panting heavily. His arms ached, his hands were sore and his lungs felt as if they were about to be torn apart.
Yet, a wave of cool air rushed through his body giving him a feeling refreshed.
[Two-Handed Proficiency increased by 10.]
[Experience gained: 100.]
That sweet, sweet notification he longed for appeared before his eyes.
Unlike before, there was no time attached to it. That was because of the method Matthew used to train him. There was no basic understanding of footwork, how to handle a sword or mace. Nor did he teach Jacob how to properly use his shield.
Instead, his teaching method was more direct. Something that Renold did with him before, but Matthew's was more intense.
It was the best way to learn and although it caused him great pain, Jacob found it to be fun.
Matthew looked down at him, who was stretched on the ground physically exhausted.
"Pick it up!"
Matthew yelled as he reminded Jacob that he needed to grip his sword. Even if he was tired, he had to hold onto his weapon at all costs.
It was the only thing he could count on in a fight, and if he treated it as a mere tool then his life was just another one that could be taken at any time.
"When you eat, you're holding your sword. When you sleep, you're sleeping with your sword. When you shit, you're holding your sword. The moment I catch you without it, your life is as good as done."
Matthew repeated the same words he told Jacob over and over again.
He really wanted Jacob to realize how important it was for him to have his weapon within reach at all times.
Therefore, he made a game-like situation for Jacob. Throughout the day, Matthew would randomly attack him, in an ambush scenario. If Jacob was caught without his sword, he was dead and would be punished.
The punishment Matthew dealt was not light. Jacob understood this when he was being made to wear steel bracers on his arms and legs. They were light at first, but after working out his body the steel bracers felt as if they weighed a thousand pounds.
Every punishment was different, but most of the time it was some form of tough exercise. Something that Jacob assumed he would not be able to complete, but with Matthew shouting at him he somehow managed to finish it.
Even if he had to drag himself to the finish line.
Jacob gripped the hilt of the longsword as he sucked in the cool air. His lungs burned, but he knew that he was getting stronger.
As for the experience gain, while it was less than what Oswald and Renold gave, it was actually better in a way.
Every time he had a short exchange of swords with Matthew, Jacob obtained experience. Real experience in fighting, not experience points. Although those were good too.
Their spars never lasted that long as Matthew did not seem to know the meaning of going easy. Unlike Jacob who was allowed to use a real sword, Matthew only used a wooden one. But still, he beat Jacob every time.
There was that time Jacob failed to parry a blow and Matthew knocked him out cold. When he gained consciousness again he was in bed, but that did not mean his training stopped.
From morning to night, Jacob had to stay alert at all times. He did not know when Matthew would strike, or from where. He became much more aware of his surroundings, learning how to spot subtle differences in places he has visited before.
Things he would not really take note of before.
In total, he gained one hundred experience points per exchange. In a day, Matthew would attack him one to nine times. It depended on what was going on, or his mood.
Meaning Jacob was actually earning around one to nine hundred experience points daily.
A woman's face appeared in his sight. Her hair was light brown and long with two long braids on the side of her face. The way her brown eyes seemed black due to her blocking the sunlight causing her to cast a shadow made Jacob stare into her pretty face. Even with freckles, she looked beautiful.
Jacob leaned forward, getting into a sitting position.
The woman lent him a hand, which he took as he stood up and brushed the dust and dirt off his wet clothing.
"Lord, my father has replied to the letter I sent him. Would you like to read it?"
He turned to look towards Matthew who nodded his head, telling Jacob that his spar was over for now.
As for Matthew, he turned his attention to the workers off in the distance. They were building a new barracks, something that Matthew wanted and something Jacob needed.
The old one was of no use to him anymore, and building a new one was not bad either. He left Matthew in charge of it so he couldn't wait to see how it would turn out. The building was still in the early stages, but he did not think it would be too long before it was actually finished.
Amber showed him the letter in her hand. There were actually two of them.
He started to read it, seeing what her father had to say. The man actually wrote a lot, telling Jacob that his daughter was outstanding and all of the benefits there were to having her by his side. There was also the slight hint at him marrying her, but Jacob skimmed over that bit.
Seeing how the first page was basically all about Amber, he quickly shifted his focus to the second one.
That is where Varus talked business, something Jacob was looking forward to. Sadly Varus stated he was in the middle of business with a certain duke and was unable to visit Jacob anytime soon. At the latest, they would not meet until after the tournament occurred.
Given the circumstances that would happen at that time, Jacob felt it would be too late.
Luckily for him, Varus also said if he had any urgent matters that needed to be settled he could try to handle it by the time he arrived. All that he needed was for Jacob to tell him what it was.
While it might not be the optimal solution, it was better than having none at all.
For him, Varus played a pivotal part in his plan. Although it did not start out that way, somehow it ended up going in that direction.
Jacob's blue eyes looked up from the letter as he turned his attention back towards Amber.
"How was that matter I had you look into?"
He asked her.
"Yes, the price of grain is five silver lower in Drewin than here, but in the south in Osctford meat is ten silver more. As for…"
Amber started listing off the prices of the items that Jacob had her look into and nodded his head. He could picture their locations in his mind, but it was difficult to calculate the distance.
How long would it take for him to go back and forth? More than a few days, but he could earn quite the profit if he did some trade runs. Well, not him but Amber along with some helpers he'd enlist.
Jacob did think about it, and it was very tempting to but he changed his mind. Now was not the time for that, he could not afford to have Amber transverse the roads at this time.
"I need you to send another letter back to your father. Inform him of the items I would need, I will give you a list of them later. No, nevermind. I'll write it myself. I need you to buy a lot of grain but do so in a moderate amount. I do not want prices to go up too much. Also if you get meat, be sure it is smoked."
Amber squinted her eyes at him.
He just stocked up on essential items and food not too long ago, why was he assigning her to buy more?
"Where will we put it? The storage is full, you cannot fit anymore in there even if you tried to force it in."
Jacob laughed, she was right. The storage was full, but there was always a backup.
"Let me worry about that, just figure out how you will get the rest of the things I want."
Looking at it from her perspective, Jacob must have seemed weird. The amount of food he had in the mansion was enough to last a family of five enough for fifty years. That may be exaggerating it a bit, but it was still a lot of food.
Amber started to wonder if Jacob was trying to feed the entire city or something. But that did not sit right with her, there was very little chance of that happening.
With what he had right now, sure he could feed the entire city. But that would only be possible for a day or two at best. Maybe a week if he stretched it out, but that was nothing.
The storage unit he had was nothing compared to the warehouse located by the armory. It was heavily guarded and stored food in case a war happened. The food in there was enough to last the city months, but it was never used.
She was not too sure if anything was actually in there at this point.
Jacob's wet clothing was sticking close to his body, and he was sweaty. He needed a bath.
He got Amber on her next task and Matthew was busy overseeing the construction of the barracks. Now was as good as any to wash up.
Passing through the kitchen, Jacob headed straight for the bathroom. He smiled as he greeted the maids who were busy cleaning or preparing lunch.
It's been a week since Jack left, Jacob started to wonder if something happened to him.
Funnily enough, as soon as the thought popped into his head Jacob saw Jack in the main hall. He was chatting with Ava, and by him was a woman with blonde hair. Her clothing was not the best, but she stuck close to Jack as if she were afraid he would vanish.
Behind him and the woman were five young men, all gazing around the place with curious eyes.
"Jack. You made it back in one piece."
Jack stopped talking to Ava as soon as he heard Jacob's voice. He turned his head and saw Jacob coming his way. Jack threw him a smile.
"Lord! I told you there was no need to worry. Let me introduce you, this is my sister, Luna."
Jack slightly pushed his sister who was shorter than him forward to greet Jacob. Luna was startled and hastily bowed her head in respect. This was her first time seeing a noble so close and she was afraid.
That, and he was a male. Not to mention a stranger.
She kept her eyes focused on the ground, only able to see Jacob's feet and not his eyes. Jacob noticed this but said nothing of it.
"Nice to meet you, Luna. If you have any worries or anything you need, feel free to ask me or anyone here."
"T-thank you."
Luna spoke in a whisper-like voice, barely audible. Jacob could feel something was off about her, it was as if she was afraid of him. Was it due to him being a noble? Probably.
Yet, there could be something more to it. He did not ask, this was not the time nor place.
"What about your parents? Did they not come?"
Jack sighed.
He wanted his parents to come, but that did not happen. They refused to move, stating that they could not leave behind all they had worked for. He really tried his hardest to convince them but failed. Luna also did not want to come, she would not even leave her room.
Jack failed her once, he would not do so again. He forced her to come with him, something he could not do to his parents. It pained him, but he gave them the money he has earned and saved. He told them to use it to at least visit him in the coming months, at least this way if something happened they would be around for him to protect them.
They did not refuse his offer, but declined the money. Jack left it with them in a sack on the counter. Even if they did not use any of it, it was there for them.
As for the others behind him, they were his old friends. People that wanted to leave the village but were too poor to. They all had good hearts and Jacob did leave the hiring of the new guards to him, so these old friends of his were not bad candidates.
They were hard workers and had muscle.
"No, they were very insistent that they stayed. But they should be visiting in the coming months. While I was out I also brought back a few friends to be guards. They are hard workers, I can vouch for them. Trustworthy too!"
Jacob looked them over when he came in the main hall, but it was only a simple glance. Now that he took a closer look, he felt they were adequate. Probably never held a weapon before, but only started using one not that long ago.
With some training and proper guidance, these guys could turn out alright.
While the mansion was large, with all these people here there was not a lot of room to fit everyone. Some of the maids already shared rooms, and Jacob was not inclined to give all these people their own rooms.
Jack was an exception, but from the way his sister was glued to his side, Jacob thought it best to have her sleep in his room with him.
As for the others that came with Jack, Jacob could find some place that suited them. They would not be living in the mansion once the barracks were complete, but until then they had to stay somewhere.
Jacob left Jack to give his friends a tour of the place. He still needed a bath and did not want to delay it any longer. Jack understood right away and let Jacob go without another word.