My match was about to start, and the crowd was larger than I'd expected. Much larger. Were they here to see me? To watch me fail and flail around? To get a kick out of my embarrassment?
But it didn't matter. The size of the crowd wasn't my concern. Even if I showed them I wasn't a pushover, I wouldn't reveal my true abilities. There was a clear difference between being skillless and being a master swordsman.
I glanced at the weapon rack. The array of swords before me looked unimpressive—cheap, poorly crafted, and barely sharpened. They seemed like they were meant to be mere props in a poorly made play. But appearances can be deceiving. Sometimes, even the most unremarkable tools can be wielded with surprising effectiveness. A skilled hand can turn a worthless blade into a valuable weapon. So, I picked the cheapest sword on the rack, made from the lowest-quality metal. It looked unimpressive and barely sharp, but it was good enough.
