About five days had passed since Vincent placed me into my memories. I wasn't sure whether or not my body was fine outside the illusion, but I knew damn well my mental health was deteriorating.
"Gentleman's rule number 57?" [Vincent]
"A gentleman will not betray their comrades." [Solace]
"Gentleman's rule number 88?" [Vincent]
"A gentleman must ask for forgiveness if they've done wrong." [Solace]
Testing by randomly calling out numbers, I was close to finishing my gentleman's education.
"Gentleman's rule number 69." [Vincent]
"A gentleman shall not overestimate or underestimate themselves." [Solace]
"Gentleman's rule number 22." [Vincent]
"A gentleman may judge a person by their looks as it does not affect their personal feelings or view." [Solace]
"Good." [Vincent]
Nodding with approval, Vincent smiled.
"It appears you've finished memorizing all of the Gentlemanly rules. We can now move on to combat training." [Vincent]
"Really?!" [Solace]
My exhausted mind lit up with excitement. I really wanted to see what he had in store for me.
"|Shift|." [Vincent]
Waving his hand, the room changed. The ground slowly turned uneven, and the air seemed to lower in temperature at an alarming rate.
"This…!" [Solace]
Shocked by what I was seeing, the environment changed into a snowy area before I even knew it.
"This isn't in my memory…! Where are we?" [Solace]
"How observant of you. We are in fact NOT in your memory. We're in mine." [Vincent]
"This is… surprising." [Solace]
I scanned the area, still stunned by the scenery. It appeared that we were in a mountainous area, with snow covering all around.
"You have acquired |Cold Resistance|" [Spirit Guide]
"Where are we?" [Solace]
"We're in the-" [Vincent]
Just as he was about to speak, a loud roar interrupted him.
"Wha-?! My ears!" [Solace]
The voice echoed across the peaks, somehow shaking the ground and giving me shivers that didn't seem to be from the cold.
"...As I was saying. We're in the Jotun's tundra." [Vincent]
"Jotun? Like, as in giants?" [Solace]
"You're quite knowledgeable. The name Jotun refers to the size of the creatures living in this tundra. You may hear or see a few of them fighting, but that's normal." [Vincent]
So he said as I witnessed a mountain shift in the background.
"Quick question. Are we standing on one of them at the moment?" [Solace]
"Let me see." [Vincent]
Raising a foot, he slammed his foot against the ground with tremendous force.
"Woah!" [Solace]
The shock seemed to pass through the mountain, which caused the mountain to move accompanied with a pained cry.
"Huh. Seems we are." [Vincent]
("...I want out.") [Solace]
"Wait. How are you able to interact with it if we're in your memories?" [Solace]
"Simple. My illusion magic is so advanced that it can even mimic sentient beings. What I did just now was just interact with it as if I was one of the memories." [Vincent]
"...That still slightly confuses me." [Solace]
"Don't worry about it." [Vincent]
Ignoring the mountainous beast we were on, he picked up some snow and formed it into a ball.
"Why are you making a snowball?" [Solace]
"Preparing your first training. In other words, dodge." [Vincent]
The moment I heard that, I found my face feeling the cold of snow.
"Ack!" [Solace]
"|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]
Vincent's snowball struck me so fast that I was almost knocked off my feet. I staggered backwards a bit, but I managed to regain my footing.
("When did he throw it?!") [Solace]
I was just about to complain, however my thoughts changed as soon as I saw another snowball in my master's hand.
("Uh-oh.") [Solace]
I dashed to the side, barely dodging the snowball and falling into a pile of snow.
"|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]
I quickly stood up and shook off the snow, only to jump back in to desperately dodge another snowball.
"|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]
"Can you not?!" [Solace]
"Hm?" [Vincent]
Pausing his next snowball, he gave me a questioning look.
"Why are we doing this?" [Solace]
"I thought I told you. It's training." [Vincent]
"All I'm doing is dodge your snowballs though?" [Solace]
"Dodging is an important asset in combat, no?" [Vincent]
Puzzled by his reply, I was at a loss for words.
"Are you really doing this for my training, or just for your own entertainment?" [Solace]
"...Yes." [Vincent]
I stared at him with an unamused expression after his reply.
"Can we do something else?" [Solace]
"...You're not ready." [Vincent]
"Bruh. I am not willing to keep dodging snowballs for training." [Solace]
"..." [Vincent]
My master sighed.
"Fine. Have it your way." [Vincent]
Snapping his fingers, the time of day seemed to speed up.
"...What did you just do?" [Solace]
"I sped up time in my memory. Soon, your training partner will arrive." [Vincent]
"My training partner?" [Solace]
The moment I uttered those words, I was stricken with fear. I felt a bloodcurdling presence approaching from down the mountain, and my instincts told me to run.
"Wh-who…?" [Solace]
My mouth and body failed to move. I wanted to run and scream, but there was simply no possible way.
A man covered in rusty armor came up the mountain, face covered with a dark fog. Torn scraps of cloth clung to him, and he dragged a large sword by his side.
"My dear disciple, meet my friend from the past. Also known as the sword king Cor Sanguis." [Vincent]