Actually, the weapon and style that Tapper will be learning are the reverse dual dagger style.
Regular double dagger combat consisted of slashing movements. However the reverse version consisted of hooking movements.
A perk of this combat is that the movements was made to let its user maximize the advantages they would have in any surrounding.
The daggers could cut from any angle, a bit like the fish wire.
The daggers could also be interchangeable with any similar shaped device in the event no daggers were present.
Tapper figured out really quickly why he needed agile hands.
This fighting style was so simple yet very complicated.
He had to execute one move with one hand and another move with the other hand.
It didn't help that the teacher assigned to Tapper was extremely cold.
The teacher barely spoke a word to Tapper and forbade Tapper from saying more than five sentences.
Any mistakes made by Tapper didn't receive any reaction either.
Silence. Complete and utter silence. All the teacher did was adjust his posture.
Sounds not that bad.
Except that the tool he used to correct Tapper was his accursed knife!
Other than Young Master Roman's terrible attitude, Tapper's days were now filled with woe. Thanks to the forever-speechless cold combat teacher of his.
Regardless, Tapper practiced the reverse dagger style with diligence. He even used his free time to train.
As a former AlleyWays denizen, he would have been a fool to pass off an opportunity to get stronger.
It led to him having sore muscles constantly by the end of the day.
Of course there was a notably positive benefit in the whole combat lessons issue.
Tapper always desired to improve his relationship with the Young Master. Talking about his combat lessons made for a good topic.
During one particular tea time, Tapper spoke about the woe he received that day.
"... yes I had made a mistake with my slashing motion.
"It was completely my fault.
" My head was too close to the ground.
"True true…. ah but my teacher…
"Decided to fix my posture! To lift my head!
"Young Master, do you know how he usually fixes me?"
Most of the time, there conversation was extremely one handed. Sometimes, Tapper wasn't even sure if Roman had heard at all.
So often than not, he felt as if he was talking to himself.
"Pfft!"
Sometimes, it led to situations like now during tea time, Roman had spat out his tea as he laughed.
"...right— Oh, Young Master! Wait… paper paper!"
Tapper hastily paused his storytelling in a panic but inwardly, he was delighted. Finally Roman had responded positively! Talking so much made his mouth feel like falling off.
Tapper was elated.
It was as if a long period of hard work on his behalf was finally awarded.
Of course, he also mourned the lengths that he had fallen in order to please another.
'Oh the silver tongued demon Tapper of the Alleyways is now Babysitter Comedian! What my life had become.'
Roman laughed and waved away a maid who was wiping the area.
"He put the knife under your chin right? Ha ha."
"That… right. That is right.
"He tried to lift my head with a knife under it."
"Hahahahaha…"
It was also thanks to this that Roman became much more closer to Tapper. At the same time, Tapper was able to obtain more compliance from Roman which made fixing the bad habits he got from Fin's influence much more smoother.
By the time a year passed from Tapper's kidnapping, Fin was no longer a big deal.
Now, Tapper was capable of reading. So when there was news, he always brought it to read to Roman.
Roman had picked up many healthy habits from Tapper and together, they searched the paper for interesting events.
At least Tapper did so for that reason. He suspected that Roman only read newspaper to act cool in front of his father.
[Breaking News: Chief Wayde Tourey Uncovers Another Crime Syndicate!]
[New Era Style Reaches A Possible Halt As Windcom Clothing Is Revealed As Mafia?]
[Dashing Chief Tourey Receives Countless Love Letters; Who Will He Choose? Expert's Analysis Is Revealed]
[Secret Life of Alley Children: Donate For Their Future!]
That last one drew snorts of laughter from Tapper when he read it. It was just too inaccurate. The interviewed children weren't AlleyWays folks.
Upon reading it to Roman and seeing how the article had fired up his young hot blooded heart, Tapper decided he had to intervene.
"Young Master. I say. This article is fake. The children are actors. The script is nonsense."
"What makes you say that?" Roman was upset that his servant had dissed those poor children.
Tapper didn't reply.
He decided not to reveal his past background to the Young Master. Since for this past period of time, no one has taken the initiative to ask for his name yet.
Tapper gave the Young Master a brief analysis of how fake the actors were.
"Maybe they look like they have experienced hardships and received recovery, just look at their hands! Smooth. Look at mine! See the difference?"
Tapper laughed.
"Young Master. The interview is utter crap. If they really slaved around for the gangsters, would they have hands smoother than me?
"Also, why is it that they said they could not disobey the 'strict' gangsters? What would gangsters want from puny children!
"Goes to show how little the scriptwriter knows!"
Actually that had caused Roman's gaze to turn even stranger. It seemed that his high compassion had collapsed thanks to the few words of Tapper. All the details Tapper had pointed out made sense after all.
It wasn't just Roman that was curious. Wayde had also called Tapper over to verify the article. Even the cold knife teacher of his who also knew about Tapper's past asked him about it.
"Tell me, child. Did you live like this?"
"No. Master, this article and interview information are totally and completely made up."
'He probably suspects I have loyalties elsewhere.' Tapper thought.
"Very well." Wayde had dismissed him after that.
The main reason why Tapper had instantly known that the article was fake was that there was no way that the children would have slept in the streets on ground level.
Since he knew that those that did would die and be preyed on by dangerous ground critters. Some of them were even venomous.
And most of them were nocturnal.
Actually the majority of the population in the AlleyWays were nocturnal.
After Wayde had confirmed that the article was fraud, he led a public investigation.
The company was soon sued with the crime of spreading fake news.
Angry people that had donated money did not like having their emotions manipulated. They nearly tore the interview participants to pieces.
But that's another story.
Tapper wasn't exactly certain of his own age. He estimated that he was around twelve years old now.
The Young Master was ten years old. So if Tapper was a little older, he should be around twelve.
He didn't care much about what exact day his birthday was.
No one really asked.
Not that the mansion people cared.
All they anticipated was the various dates of the Master's birthday and anniversaries and the Young Master's various celebrated holidays.
Roman was the son of a top family.
This entitled him to be invited to attend school from early on.
So after turning eleven, he could go to the school for noble children, the Spectrum Education Institute.
But it wasn't good news for Roman. He didn't want to go to school. Studying was boring. He'd rather watch Old Era movies or play with his New Era game consul.
Tapper was almost dying of envy.
He really wanted to go as well. School had been a far away dream for himself and Ink. They even had spared money from their daily catch to save up for the sky high tuition fee.
And now in front of Tapper, there is a person who can attend school yet complained all day about it to Tapper when he would have done anything for a spot.
He often sighed thinking about it.
Of course he must not have any negative thoughts towards the Young Master so he hypnotized himself extra long that day before sleeping.
It was still very difficult.
Tapper had to keep the extra long hypnosis for a few days. It was hard not to feel some resentment.
Of course, other than sighing to himself and admitting it while undergoing the hypnotism, Tapper never let that resentment show.
It didn't last long though.
Humans were adaptive creatures and Tapper was able to get used to it.
Young Master Roman and himself lived in completely different worlds.
It was already his own fortune to be taken into the Tourey family as a servant.
Now he didn't have to worry much about food and shelter.
He was even taught combat skills.
It could be considered a form of school.
As a personal servant, his duties weren't very difficult. All he had to do was fulfill the wishes of the Young Master as well as be his advisor and a free ear to talk to.
Roman had let go of his aloofness and had accepted him in place of Fin.
He would even let Tapper watch movies with him and teach him how to play on the consul.
Tapper comforted himself like this and prepared the celebration that will take place on Roman's eleventh birthday.
It would be his first time preparing for such a large event since he had missed his tenth birthday due to it being still in his servant training period.
It was going to be a family gathering.
Wayde Tourey had a high standing in his family thanks to his position as the Chief of the police department.
He was even one of the contestants for the position of the Tourey family successor.
The Master doesn't usually invite his family over.
Tapper has never met another Tourey family member besides the Master and the Young Master.
It made him somewhat nervous.
'They cannot possibly be more intimidating than the Master right?'
He comforted himself like that.
Noble celebration parties weren't usually this big.
Since the Young Master was about to set off for school, it was naturally a large event. Even Tapper had to help out set up.
On the day…
Tapper woke up nice and early. (It wasn't very "nice")
He had already put on the freshest and most presentable servant uniform that he had.
Then Tapper went to wake the Young Master up. But it seemed that there was really no need. By the time Tapper had arrived, Roman was up and about.
He even started putting on his own clothes!
"Happy birthday, Young Master!" Tapper said with a smile.
"Oh, you're here! Okay. Do my hair.
"You came really slow today." The Young Master said as he ran his fingers through his own amber colored hair.
"Young Master, I think you have combed it to perfection already. It looks brilliant!" Tapper said and gently smiled.
Roman probably only wanted a compliment
He was able to see through Roman as always.
"Oh really? Alright, I'm hungry for breakfast." Roman still hopped up and down.
Throughout the morning, Roman couldn't sit still. He kept talking to Tapper far more than usual.
By the noon, the first few guests have started to arrive. They were the ones that came from outside Spectrum City and needed a place to accommodate them.
Roman did greet them but the ones he was truly looking forward to seeing were the cousins that came with them.
They decided to go luxury shopping in the Market Area's VIP stores.
Upon meeting other children in the Tourey family, Tapper couldn't help having his eyebrows twitch a little.
'They were so extravagant!'
Tapper exchanged looks with the personal servants of those children and noticed similar expressions.
A bond that Tapper has never felt before was formed between the attendants that followed the young masters and ladies as they began to play around.
As per servant training dictated, Tapper and the others all remained silent. There were only somewhat numb expressions as they all stood aside.
They existed to serve, not chat.
Even though all the attendants were children too.
Tapper, as per habit, carefully observed the Young Master's guests.
It was his duty that the Master assigned him to. He wasn't just an attendant, he was a bodyguard as well.
Tapper could be considered proficient in his knife skills after his dedication to his training.
From what he could see, the people around him weren't at his level.
It was only natural since he was the only one with the experience of the AlleyWays.
Of course, some of them were stronger than him but Tapper was confident he could defeat them.
The afternoon passed by slowly for the bored Tapper. Then night arrived.
By now, the various guests whether they be from outside the city or inside the city have gathered.
The party was in full swing.
Tapper stood behind Roman as he pigged out in the feast.
It was a children's ball of a sort.
There were competitions and games between the noble children. All the adults were social networking.
Or gossiping.
Tapper was mostly in bodyguard mode.
He hid his observation behind his smile and his probing in his flattery.
Who knows what sort of people that might be jealous of the Master's success and fame and possibly try to kill Roman?
Lord Wayde was seated at the head table seat. He sipped his wine and watched the children play.
But Tapper didn't know that every time he looked away from Wayde, Wayde would start to observe him too with a slight smile on his face.