I frowned as I saw the lock on the Archaeology classroom.
"Where is teacher Finoya? Why is the room locked?" I asked the other 4 students present in front of the locked door.
"Your Highness, we also don't know, but Ravi had left to ask about this matter to Vice Principal." Tanu the ash blonde-haired boy said.
Senior Ravi and Senior Tanu, both of them are a year older than me and also the first students of teacher Finoya.
Soon senior Ravi came back, his handsome face had a frown. Senior Ravi has brown hair and brown eyes.
"What happened senior Ravi?" I asked to which he replied.
"Teacher Finoya has departed this morning to 'South Ocean Ruins' on the orders of Emperor."
[I guess they found something new this time.]
~sigh~
"Okay seniors pardon me this time, I am taking leave for today and I will meet you all tomorrow in the library." Saying that I bid farewell to them.
*****
As I entered my dorm my other 4 servants who were cleaning and maintaining my dorm became surprised when they saw me coming from the door alone.
"Your Highness welcome back." They all bowed and said hurriedly trying to wrap up some incomplete work.
"Don't worry about me, I am here to take some stuff that all, so just do your work."
"Yes, your Highness."
As I walked through them I took notice of there hard work they put in to maintain my dorm.
Many people of the high class think that servants are just slaves without a mark or dogs without a collar but in truth, they are the main helping hand, without them high society will be crippled.
I was the same before I met Rachel, treating servants as my toys.
Rachel had always shown professionalism that's why she never stopped my mischief back then but after I heard the story behind the slave mark behind her neck, I started to question our hierarchy and this whole system of our kingdom.
Back then my Maa had said that "From the moment you started thinking about this, you started walking on the path of a true Ruler."
Her words didn't enlighten me back then but now I am slowly starting to understand the meaning of her words in a true sense.
Putting my thoughts aside I changed into my training attire, a leather armor and leather pants made from 'Mushy Rhinos' as the leather made out of them is thick and hard on the outside and soft on the inside. And without any runic enchantment, it is as heavy as a 7 feet giant boulder which is very good as training equipment.
After taking some more stuff I left the dorms and reached the training grounds where many students were already training with their instructors, some with spears, some with swords, some with fists and many more. But they all have one thing common in them and that is diligence.
As I walked through them in search of a training spot, I found an unfamiliar face practicing alone with a new type of weapon. And assumably he is alone because he couldn't find a well-knowledgeable instructor about the weapon.
The basic form of the weapon is that of a sharp metal prong with two sharp and curved side prongs projecting from the handle.
As I was curious about the weapon, I made my way toward him.
"Excuse me, do you have a moment?" The boy didn't hear me at first as he was practicing with full ferocity and attacking the practice dummy with full power, as he stabbed the neck of the dummy multiple times.
"Excuse me." I said to him, this time a little louder.
He finally stopped and turned towards me with cold and empty eyes.
[They are the eye... of a broken.]
"Yes?" he said while catching his breath.
"Can you tell me about your weapon? I am just interested in it." I said.
He thought for a second and then asked. "What I will get in exchange?"
"!?"
[What is he saying? Doesn't he know who I am? Maybe he is new that's why he doesn't know me.]
I looked at him from top to bottom before speaking anything.
[He has some foreign features and unusual green hair, maybe a lost descendent of some clan of our empire?]
"Okay, you can ask for any favor from me which should be equivalent to the information you will give me." I said.
"Okay, first of all, let me introduce myself, I am Kireshu Emeraldheart from the Strongsteel clan in the Divine Smith kingdom."
[Oo... From smith kingdom, that is surprising.]
The Divine Smith kingdom people are very secluded and down-to-earth type. They love and respect their smithing and family very dearly. That's why it is very rare to see someone from that kingdom's great clan except some Grandmaster blacksmiths around the empire.
"I am Finn... from Divine Sword kingdom." I said, not giving my full name.
"Okay, Finn I will explain now. This is a melee weapon named 'Sai', it originated from the North East continent."
"This main prong is called 'Monouchi' while the tip is called 'saki', these prong-like side guards are called 'yoku' and the handle is called 'tsuka'." He said while pointing at the parts of the weapon.
[Monouchi, yoku, tsuka, all this really sounds North Eastern but how did he know about it?]
"Sai is used for stabbing and striking, well... and also for trapping and blocking too." He said while gently poking his fingertip on the saki.
[That much I had already deduced after seeing the weapon.]
I thought as I remembered my training with my Maa.
In a battle, the weapon can tell many things about the opponent. And Those who can see through the weapon then they are one step closer to reading their opponent's first move.
"Sai is an assassination-type weapon... mostly, but it can also be used for frontal assaults too." He finished his explanation.
[Well that much is obvious, I can think of many stabs and block moves already.]
"To be honest with you, I had already deduced its uses, the moment I saw it but it's always good to confirm." I said to which he frowned.
"Are you implying that my information is not worth much to you?"
"You don't have to take it that harshly but yes the information is not sufficient to grant you any favors." He became silent to my words.
My word seems to strike some of his nerves so I decided to give him another opportunity.
"Okay, how about this you defeat me in one friendly duel and I will grant you one favor which is in my power to give."
He remained silent for a moment and then spoke up.
"Okay deal." After saying that I also entered the training mat.
The yellow training mat was three meters in radius, present in every spot where students were training.
It is used because the mat's runic enchantment makes a thin layer of invisible barrier that helps in absorbing shock waves and deflects certain levels of fatal blows.
I proposed this duel because I wanted to see how my 'Quick Death' style fair against a quick death type weapon. And also because I lack real experience against different types of weapons.
We both prepared our stances as we were about to clash.
**********