The training ground was situated within the castle's walls, ensuring the king's hands could always reach and the sovereign figure always remained imprinted in their minds. Since the training for these soldiers was funded by the Royal Treasury, it was only fitting, and the warriors didn't really mind, as they were compensated with enough food to feed their families
Right now, standing on this nearly all-white ground, where the training dummies were slightly covered by snow, two silhouettes could be seen facing each other. The common bustling training grounds were now devoid of any other life due to the war happening outside the walls.
Luther stood facing his king while leisurely holding a simple sword in his right hand, not even assuming a serious fighting stance. He had no reason to fight seriously, after all. He was the young king's teacher, and because of that, he knew the extent of his abilities better than anyone else in the world.
If he were to describe in simple words, the young king had talent but didn't put in enough effort to make it blossom and reach his full potential. This was Luther's biggest regret: not being able to lead Henry to unlock this hidden potential.
"It's odd"- Luther thought while looking at the young king awkwardly holding his sword- "It's been a long time since we sparred, but he shouldn't be this rusty. He gives me the feeling of a novice warrior."
"He wasn't like that during the war"- The old man murmured, remembering the young king confidently charging toward the massive horde of barbarians. At that time, he couldn't be considered exceptionally skilled, but he also wasn't this bad. The person in front of him seemed to be a novice holding a sword for the first time.
"Maybe he developed some kind of trauma"- Luther pondered - "If so, I need to help him overcome it before it gets worse. We need him to get through this ordeal."
It wasn't uncommon for soldiers to develop trauma on the battlefield, especially for first timers who had never experienced the cruelty of war, like the young king. This trauma became bigger when facing the fearless and bloodthirsty barbarians, who could continue to fight even with a dagger stuck in their throats.
However, contrary to Luther's hypothesis of trauma, Henry only felt somewhat out of place while gripping the cold and heavy sword in his hands. Despite possessing the memories and the experience of the old Henry, he had never been in a real fight, let alone wielded a sword. He had seen it on TV and even owned an ornamental katana in his room, but he never swung it.
"I don't know if this is the right stance, something feels off" - Henry thought- "I need to familiarize myself with the feeling."
Henry swung the sword in the air a few times, changing postures as the flow of the movements passed through his mind. With each swing, he could feel himself becoming more familiar with the grip and the correct posture of the movements, positioning his feet and wrist at the right angles. The muscle memory painstakingly acquired by the previous Henry was coming to light. These changes didn't go unnoticed by Luther's keen eyes.
"Indeed, the talent is still there."- Luther couldn't help but flash a satisfied smile as he thought, lifting his sword, and inviting the king to attack – "Come, let's begin!"
Henry stopped the movements and looked at the old man, gripping the sword's handle tighter. He wanted to try fighting against this seasoned warrior. Suddenly, as if understanding his desire, a strange energy resting in his heart surged towards his legs, and Henry instinctively kicked the ground, sending the snow beneath his feet flying.
He dashed toward Luther at an astounding speed, his sword arcing up with a ferocious downward slash. In that intense moment, Henry couldn't quite explain where he found the courage to deliver such an aggressive attack against another human being, but he attributed it to the memories of the previous Henry, who was accustomed to such trainings.
However, Luther, with a casual grace, parried the attack using the side of his sword and swiftly counterattacked with the sword's pommel, striking Henry square on the nose. The young king crumpled to his knees, blood gushing forth and staining the pristine snow with a vivid shade of red.
Luther looked down at the kneeling young man, indifferent to his status as king - "Predictable and full of openings" - Luther assessed, twirling his sword and pointing it back at Henry - "Try again!"
Henry stood up, wiped the blood away with his hand, and focused his eyes, freeing himself from distracting emotions.
"Although I have his memories, I can't replicate them completely"- Henry contemplated deeply as he gazed at his sword - "I must delve even deeper and extract everything."
The young king closed his eyes and concentrated on the memories and intentions of the original Henry. He wanted to absorb and integrate all the insights and knowledge about combat skills and body techniques ingrained in his muscles.
Observing this scene, Luther lowered his sword and drove it into the snowy ground, patiently awaiting his king's preparations, who seemed to be reflecting on his mistakes. He wanted to see the king to succeed.
With his eyes closed, Henry was trying to assimilate everything from the previous owner, especially a technique known as the 'Sun God Technique'. This technique allowed him to draw large volumes of Mana from the air and guide it to his heart, where the raw Mana would be transformed into Fire Mana. It would then flow through the countless paths inside his body, known as Mana Circuits, allowing him to create incredible feats. The flow of such dangerous Mana led to a transformation of the body, from the user's hair to his toes.
However, there was no free food in the world. The pain induced by this technique was excruciating, driving some practitioners to madness or causing them to abandon their training entirely. The previous Henry had been a testament to this, unable to endure the agony and remaining at the same level of strength for nearly three whole years.
"Let's do this!" – Henry shouted in his mind.
Despite the potential consequences, he channeled the Fire Mana stored in his heart and circulated it throughout his body, following the flow of the Imperial Sun God Technique, which gave him certain paths to guide the energy. Immediately, a searing pain coursed through his body, as if every cell were being simultaneously burned and healed at an astonishing rate, growing stronger with each moment. Even his nerves seemed to burn, threatening his sanity. Henry tightened his grip on the sword, his shallow willpower being the only anchor to the world.
He succeeded in consciously guiding the Mana. Henry took a deep breath and opened his eyes as he exhaled an uncommon hot air through his nostrils- "Hufff."
At that moment, Luther couldn't help but sense a latent threat buried deep within the young king's calm gaze, like a controlled fire that, under certain circumstances, could consume an entire empire in rage.
Henry gripped the sword even tighter, his body rapidly heating up, causing the snow around him to melt at an astonishing rate, revealing the soil underneath. In Luther's view, he saw an indistinct red aura faintly enveloping the young king's body. He resembled a living god of fire.
"Let's try it again! General!" - Henry shouted, kicking the ground and dashing even faster toward the old general. His movements much more precise and controlled.
"Much better" - Luther complimented with a smile as he swiftly retrieved his sword from the ground - "This will require more strength than I anticipated.
The aura enveloping the young king signaled a breakthrough to a new level. Ultimately, the recent battle against the barbarians had proven beneficial for the young king's progress. Without shifting from his position, Luther raised his sword, and it emitted a bright blue aura as Henry attacked with a horizontal swipe, compressing the air and generating intense heat. His strike was lightning-fast and precise.
Again, Luther defended casually, parrying Henry's attack with the side of his blade. However, Henry didn't relent; he shifted his grip on the sword to a reverse position and slashed upward, aiming for the old man's chin. Luther simply took a step back to evade it, using the side of his sword to deflect Henry's attack, though not with enough force to disarm him.
Luther's counterattack disrupted Henry's rhythm. The young king swiftly adjusted his stance, his movements flowing with precision and determination as he pressed forward relentlessly. Their battle created a whirlwind of intensity, stirring up snow and causing it to melt as their swords clashed repeatedly, sending sparks flying. The blue aura covering Luther's sword seemed unshakeable and Henry's aura seemed more like a wolf biting at its prey.
During the fight, Luther noticed a transformation in Henry's fighting style. It carried a newfound weight and intensity, fueled by the fiery Mana enveloping the king. It was as if Henry's connection with the Sun God Technique had reached a deeper level. There were a lot of wasted movements, but it was much better.
However, at the same time, he could see that the king's stamina was rapidly being depleted. It was much faster than before, and the young king's skin was growing increasingly reddish, with his blood vessels and Magic Circuits struggling to support the influx of power. The old man understood that it was becoming dangerous for the king's body, so he decided to end their spar. This time, he took the initiative, and when Henry powerfully slashed at him with a diagonal strike, Luther stepped forward and invaded his defensive space.
Luther swiftly reached for the king's wrist and deftly twisted it, disarming him and sending the sword a few feet away. Henry also backed away a few steps, his grey eyes fixed sharply on the old man, determined to land at least one solid hit. With that in mind, he took a step back before dashing at lightning speed toward the old man while calculating the distance between them. When he was at the right distance, Henry kicked the ground and turned his entire body, aiming a flip kick at the old man's head. The Mana enveloping his body seemed to burn even brighter, focusing solely on his feet. It held sufficient strength to crack a small boulder.
Unfortunately, he was fighting against one of the most powerful beings on the lands of Stahl Kingdom, known as the Blue Wolf and the North's Wall, a soldier who had vanquished thousands of enemies during his long life. Such an attack would never work, an attack filled with openings.
"That was interesting, my liege!" - Luther murmured, holding Henry's ankles - "I have never seen such a movement, if you were a little faster, it could probably reach me. Unfortunately…. It's your loss."
Luther didn't finish his sentence. Still clutching the young king's ankle, he spun him around before tossing him back to his previous position, again, not minding his position as a king. It was a way for him to pay back for his previous stupid action of dashing towards the enemies without caring his wellbeing. Fortunately, Henry managed to stabilize himself in the air and land safely on the ground, breathing haggardly as he fixed his eyes on the old man.
I think this is enough. Congratulations on your breakthrough, my liege! " - Luther congratulated as he declared the end of their sparring, planting his sword in the partially melted snow left after Henry's attack - "You still need to consolidate your realm and the aura around you. As of now, you can't use it effectively, and it's just depleting your stamina and Mana."
"You have only learned how to externalize your Mana, which opens a world of wonders to warriors" - Luther explained - "The Fourth Warrior Stage is the barrier that separates ordinary individuals from the great warriors. It's the first obstacle on a warrior's path, one that the majority of people cannot surpass without the right bloodline, talent, or even the right technique. There are only a few who managed to reach this state on the North, even more so at your age."
Despite extreme fatigue and the pain spreading throughout his body, Henry listened closely to Luther's teachings. He was a newcomer to this world and had much to learn. While he possessed some fighting skills, the previous owner of his body had been greatly lacking in knowledge. Henry thought that maybe he was a barbarian hidden beneath good clothes.
"Thanks to that guy's memories, I've got the hang of how to use Mana" - Henry thought, clenching his fists – "I have even managed to learn new things. However, this is just the first wall."
One of the most critical challenges weighing on his shoulders was how to harness Mana effectively, as it was an essential tool for his survival in this brutal world, and without it, he would likely perish in the next battle.
Seeing the pensative king, Luther retrieved his sword from the ground and silently walked away from the training grounds. He didn't want to disturb the young man, who he had practically raised himself.
"The next step is to devise a way out of this siege..." - Henry murmured – "I will call out a meeting."
(Edited)