After half a day of regeneration, Ethan managed to heal most of his internal injuries. Although his body was still wrapped in bandages, those were just for superficial wounds and didn't affect his bodily functions. After eating a nutritious meal prepared by Lily, his strength gradually returned, allowing him to walk around with some difficulty. Seizing the opportunity while Angelina was resting, Ethan quietly slipped out of the room to check on his broken Champion's Blade.
Angelina had placed the broken sword on the captain's desk. When Ethan pushed open the door and saw his trusty blade, he felt a deep sense of sorrow. He sat down, gently stroking the blade, tears welling up in his eyes, but he remained silent.
Seeing this, Aphrael, who was warming herself by the fire, spoke up, "Instead of resting, you're here admiring your broken sword?"
"This sword means a lot to me. It's my most trusted companion," Ethan replied, his voice choked with emotion.
"Oh, I understand," Aphrael nodded. "This sword is indeed extraordinary. It seems to have absorbed most of the damage for you."
"You can see that?" Ethan asked, surprised. "Can you repair it?"
"No," Aphrael shook her head. "But in my homeland of the Elves, there is a way to repair it and even bestow blessings upon it. However, it will come at a price."
"I'm afraid I don't have the time to go to the Elven homeland, nor the means to afford it," Ethan said with a sigh.
"No," Aphrael wrapped her blanket tighter around herself and approached Ethan, her eyes gleaming with a mischievous light. "If you're willing to teach me the falconry skill, I'll go there immediately to repair your sword and have my teacher bless it. You should know, while all Elven blessings are powerful, the blessings from my teacher, a Grand Sage, are incomparable. He could imbue your sword with four or five abilities. Just having 'Indestructible' alone would be incredibly useful for you. And considering your expertise in blocking, 'Damage Absorption' would be perfect. You understand what I mean, right?"
Ethan was impressed by Aphrael's persistence in negotiating for the falconry skill, always tying it to her offers. It made him realize how exposed his needs were. Originally, he kept Aphrael close to learn more about her and negotiate effectively. Instead, she had learned all about him and was leveraging that knowledge against him.
Deciding to make the deal, Ethan thought it best to set some terms, considering he would be imparting the entire Archery Specialization, which couldn't be broken down into separate skills.
"Aphrael, I appreciate your sincerity. I'm willing to teach you the falconry skill, but I have some conditions. Are you willing to hear them?" Ethan asked.
"Of course, tell me," Aphrael said, delighted.
"First, I must inform you that my falconry skill is quite unique. It's not something you need to learn slowly or practice over time. I can transfer it to you directly using my primal force, and you'll be able to use it immediately," Ethan explained.
"That's magical infusion! My teacher has used it on me before when he thought I was learning too slowly. This is fantastic!" Aphrael's excitement grew.
Seeing her enthusiasm, Ethan quickly tempered it. "Don't get too excited yet. I'm not done. The skill I'm teaching you isn't standalone; it's part of my entire Archery Specialization, which includes 'Falconry,' 'Archery Mastery,' and 'Precision Shot.' They can't be separated, so you'll be getting all three. This makes the value of your offer less than what I'm providing, which is unfair to me."
Aphrael's eyes widened in surprise. "You're also an archer?"
"Yes. My archery skills are not inferior to yours and, in some aspects, might even surpass yours," Ethan said confidently.
"Hmph!" Aphrael was skeptical, her anger evident. "This is a bundled deal, and I don't need your archery skills."
"No," Ethan shook his head. "Believe me, the archery skills I'm imparting are far beyond your imagination. Since I'm currently injured and can't demonstrate, if you're willing to wait until I recover, I can show you 'Precision Shot'—hitting any target within a certain range without direct line of sight. Of course, I'll need to borrow your bow because ordinary bows can't withstand this power."
"Hitting any target within a certain range without direct line of sight?" Aphrael was incredulous. "Are you joking? Even with my magic arrows, 2000 meters is my limit. You're saying you can shoot farther and without seeing the target?"
"Since you don't believe me, we can discuss this later," Ethan suggested.
"No need!" Aphrael decisively rejected the delay. "Once you transfer the skills to me, I'll know if it's true. If it is, I'll willingly fulfill the trade. So, what are your terms?"
Ethan smiled, appreciating her decisiveness. "I have three conditions. First, the 'Duel Cage' will be mine. Second, you'll repair my sword and have your teacher bless it. Third, you'll serve my territory for ten years. After that, you'll be free to go."
"Deal!" Aphrael agreed without hesitation. To her, only the second condition posed a challenge, as her teacher might not agree to help. As for the 'Duel Cage,' she had no real use for it, and ten years was a negligible time span for an elf.
However, she added a condition of her own. "I agree to serve you for ten years, but you must pay me a salary during that time. After all, I still need to eat."
"Of course," Ethan replied, slightly regretting that he hadn't set higher terms, but it was too late to change them. "Shall I transfer the skills to you now?"
Although it was just a verbal agreement, Ethan trusted Aphrael to keep her word. He was eager to conclude the deal and had a contingency plan in case she reneged.
"Yes, please! I can't wait to start training a falcon," Aphrael responded eagerly.
Ethan smiled and summoned a red glow to his fingers. "Please lean forward and try not to resist the transfer of knowledge."
Aphrael complied, and Ethan pressed the glowing finger to her forehead. Moments later, she collapsed to the floor with a thud.
"What happened?" Ethan exclaimed, alarmed.