Since that day, the training with Chief Feldor had been scheduled almost everyday. Aside from teaching them the way of the sword, he also taught them some martial arts techniques and strategies.
Every training session commenced from about 9 o'clock in the morning. The first part of it was strengthening all the muscles and joints of the body. The "Orthodox Sword Art" was a collective term used by different sword artists and masters. It only means one thing—the sword technique invented by Hero King Arthur Mare Gin Styllacus I, the first ruler of this kingdom about hundreds of years ago. Ever since this was taught to different soldiers and knights for generations, there'd been so many modifications, but the meat of it remained the same.
This sword technique required strong arms and joints to extract enough force for decisive blows and strikes. When Cimmerian learned of this, he found a major disadvantage that the enemy might exploit. It was very slow, and those who utilized this technique weren't very capable of defending external attacks from martial arts. In short, it was too formal and focused to weapon fighting. Hence, he learned of a new method to support his self-invented martial arts.
A month later.
It was 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
"Hah, hah, hah." Vaissien was breathing heavily, his heart throbbed like crazy. "Rayha, are you fine?" He'd been worried about her since her hands were both injured on the current training regimen—which was slashing the swords thousands of times to tighten the grip and to fortify the limbs and joints.
"Y-Yeah, I'm fine. I can still continue." She blushingly replied while looking away.
"You too, Elaine. You should take a rest a little." Ferm was also worried of her as she was as exhausted as Rayha.
"I can do this, no—I have to do this." She said stiffly.
(I have to do this. Or else, Cimmerian will leave me behind.)
Yes. The chief purpose of her training was actually for Cimmerian not to leave her when he'd be applying to become an adventurer or whatever plans he'd choose. She wanted to be on his side forever.
"Elaine, Ferm is right. Don't push yourself too much."
"Yeah, you're right. But this is a must."
Ever since she was little, she'd already understood that Cimmerian was a boy who was different on her eyes. She liked his hair, hands, eyes, demeanor, and even the smell of his feet and hair while they were playing tags when they were still kids. She couldn't imagine a life without Cimmerian on it. In simple terms, she was infatuated with him. She'd never allow herself to be affected by such small wounds in the hands.
Waldo, on the other hand, never bothered listening to the teenagers. He continued to swing his heavy wooden axe a thousand more times. Ever since this morning, he never took a break. He even ate his food while swinging continuously.
"Okay, except for Ferm, I guess we can call it a day. Kindly—." Feldor was about to dismiss the training when two persons, who'd always bring trouble, came again at the training ground.
"Chief, Chief, where are you?"
Before the exhausted ones could stand up, the two beat-up men called for the Chief. Their shirts were all muddy and grimy. The Chief wasn't worried though, since the ones calling for him were not wailing but wearing lively faces.
"What's it?" He blandly replied.
"L-L-Look at this!!!"
"Also this…"
The two men, Alfredo and Mado, extended two bags full of something. Chief Feldor opened them each, and when he saw what was inside, his eyes widened.
"What!!? This many? Are these..."
When Vaissien and the others heard of this, they flocked at the shocked Chief.
"Chief, what are these lustrous stones?" Ferm casually asked.
"You're really an idiot, Ferm. You don't really know what are these? These are magic cores of monsters. Didn't you see long ago when the Chief made us look?" Rayha slugged Ferm's head.
"No way! Where did you get these?" Waldo asked.
"Ha-ha-ha. Actually, Master Cimmerian did the extermination, and both of us accompanied him."
"Yeah. We never did anything, though... He defeated all monsters in the way without any hardship." Mado added.
"Cimmerian did? Then why are all muddy and stinky?" Rayha asked while covering her nose.
"He-he-he. Uhm, actually, Mado and I fell into some traps set by adventurers for the monsters in the slushy ground. If not for Master Cimmerian, we would've been dead by now."
"Yeah. Master's so cool." Mado wore a smug face.
"What!!? Are saying you're just a burden to him? Aren't you ashamed of that? And why are you calling him Master?" Rayha was annoyed by their answer.
"Aha, we actually asked him to teach us some martial arts and sword arts, and he said yes."
"Alfredo's right. And Master said that the best form of training is experience so we went to the forest to kick some monsters' asses."
"So, where is he now? Why isn't he with you? Is he wounded?" Vaissien was worried when he heard that they were really fighting monsters.
"Oh, he said he's gonna take a bath and clean his majestic sword. So he asked us to give this to the Chief instead. And don't worry, he doesn't have any scratch."
(I'm relieved! I thought he was hurt. Seriously? No scratch at all? How have you become so great, brother?)Vaissien was lost in thought.
"Alfredo, thanks for delivering this to me. That Cimmerian really is very kind. He's offering this to the village's treasury."
"What??? Did Master say that?"
"Wait, didn't you hear what Master said, Mado? He instructed us about it before we left..."
"By the way, Cimmerian told me to give you 3 silvers each." Feldor dipped into his pocket to get the coins.
"No. We can't accept that. Actually, we should be the ones paying Master for allowing us to accompany him. Right, Mado?"
"Yes. So no thanks."
"Anyway, we have learned a lot today, so we're gonna clean ourselves now. Bye."
"See ya."
Alfredo and Mado left immediately. After they were gone, Feldor gazed at the magic core stones of monsters.
(That kid is just special. I wouldn't be surprised of what's he gonna do tomorrow. I hope the sword I gave is useful to him. I have hopes in him, but his aura is really different. Unlike his brother, Vaissien, I'm not sure if he's good-natured... Anyway…) Feldor deeply thought.
"Chief, how much would that cost if brought to the guild?" Ferm asked.
"This is about 12 golds, I guess? But not every adventurer can get this. What do you think is the reason why so many low-raking adventurers are still poor?"
"You're right... But, t-that's much? Why? Are these monsters that powerful?"
"Yes. From the size of these cores, I think these are chimeric beasts. And this large one is a demonic minotaur. Though I don't know how did he encounter this one, since demonic minotaurs never leave the maze forest near the central regions...
"Is a minotaur that strong?"
"Ferm, stop with your stupid questioning. You weren't learning anything up until now. Of course, a single one of it can even kill many high-ranking adventurers simultaneously." Rayha yelled at him again.
"S-S-Sorry!"
"Chief, a minotaur?" Waldo's expression became grim, "impossible… Tsk, damn it, that Cimmerian…" Waldo threw his huge wooden sword to the ground and walked away gritting his teeth.
"What's wrong with him???" Vaissien asked haphazardly.
"Leave him be. He has his own problems to deal. Anyway, you may go home now." Feldor permitted them to go home already to signal the whole-day training's end.
"""Yes"""