Mylia, in response to this situation, puffed out her cheeks as if angry, resembling a cat, and said:
"What about our training?"
Khazak, seeing Mylia's angry yet adorable expression, chuckled lightly and said:
"Don't worry, we'll do that too."
Gladius interjected at this point and said:
"Alright, then. Just so you know, the coming days will be beyond torture, as painful as the depths of hell."
Khazak looked at this with worried eyes but a smiling face, and after thinking for a moment, he said:
"I'm already learning Ki training from Mylia, so what are you going to teach me, Uncle Gliadus?"
Gladius stood up and lightly smacked Khazak on the head, saying:
"First of all, I'm not old enough to be called 'Uncle'; just Gliadus is enough. Also, what kind of training do you expect from one of the kingdom's best sword masters if not sword training?"
Khazak rubbed his head lightly and said:
"You're right, Gladius. Alright then, let's make a plan. I can take sword and physical training in the mornings, and Ki training in the evenings, right?"
Mylia, clearing her throat slightly with an obviously jealous expression, said:
"Alright, that works."
Gladius turned to Mylia and said:
"I would say I can give you sword training as well, but you seem quite injured for any training. In fact, you're in pain even now, aren't you?"
After hearing this, Mylia lowered her gaze and gently touched her wound, remaining silent. Khazak immediately rushed to Mylia's side and said:
"Why didn't you tell me before, Mylia?"
Mylia stayed silent a bit longer, still looking at the ground. She lifted her hand from her wound and noticed a small smear of blood on her palm. After standing there for a moment, she turned to Khazak with a faint, resigned smile and said in a soft, soothing tone:
"I'm sorry, I didn't want to scare you."
Khazak's eyes filled with tears upon hearing this; Mylia had been injured for his sake. With a sudden movement, he hugged Mylia tightly. Mylia gently brought her clean hand to the back of Khazak's head and started to softly stroke it. This gesture made Khazak feel a strange warmth, but instead of letting go, he held her even tighter. Mylia, in that gentle tone and with a slight, teasing smile, said:
"If you squeeze any harder, my wound will reopen."
Hearing this, Khazak quickly pulled back, feeling quite embarrassed. Mylia covered her mouth with her hand and began to giggle softly, while Khazak wiped his tearful eyes in a hurry and said in an energetic tone:
"You'll see, you'll never get hurt because of me again. In fact, you won't get hurt at all. I'll work really hard to protect you from any danger, and I'll protect you for the rest of my life!"
Mylia's eyes sparkled at these words. After a moment, she suddenly became extremely embarrassed and looked down, her face turning bright red. She clasped her hands lightly in front of her, intertwining her fingers, and said in an embarrassed voice:
"I'm the one who's going to protect you, idiot."
The final "idiot" part came out very softly and shyly. When Khazak saw Mylia standing there, resembling a kitten, he felt embarrassed himself. After standing in silence for a while, Khazak turned to Gliadus, who was watching them with amusement, and said:
"Let's start the training right away!"
Gliadus, with a mocking tone, said:
"Sure, just finish your little romance with your cute kitten first."
Khazak and Mylia wished the ground would swallow them up after hearing that, while Gliadus, towering over them, was bursting with laughter and delight. After a while, Gliadus went inside and came back with an armful of different swords, throwing them in front of Khazak. He then said:
"Alright, since you're eager, our training starts now. Choose a sword."
Khazak was speechless at the sight of the swords piled in front of him. Each one was crafted with exceptional blacksmithing skill. As he scanned the swords, he thought of the one he had left in Reagon and started looking for something similar. His eyes fell on a seemingly ordinary sword that reflected sunlight in a crimson hue. His hand reached out, and he lifted it into the air. Yes, this was exactly what he was looking for; it matched his own sword in weight and length. Holding it in his hand, he noticed Gliadus giving him a mocking look as he said:
"Are you sure you can use that sword, son? It's quite heavy, you know."
Khazak lightly examined the sword and then said:
"Yes, my own sword is pretty much like this one."
Gliadus, surprised by this, replied:
"How can your sword be as heavy as this one?"
A mocking smile spread across Khazak's face, just like when he was talking about his master, and he said:
"It's my unc- father's last gift to me as a legacy, and it's made of chalybe."
Mylia raised her hand slightly and, as if adding an overlooked detail, said:
"My chalybe."
Gliadus, not really paying attention, perhaps not even hearing her, couldn't hide his astonishment as he said:
"First, a master from the 12 commanders, and now a sword made of chalybe? Son, I wonder what else is going to come from under your head."
After boosting his already high ego and confidence, Khazak continued:
"However, as you can see, one of my arms is injured. What are we going to do about that?"
Gliadus thought for a moment before responding:
"Son, the training ahead of you is already going to be hell, but do you want to make that hell ten times deeper?"
A devilish smile spread across Khazak's face, though inside, he was stressing out after hearing that. But his ego wouldn't allow him to show any weakness, and without changing his tone, he replied:
"Of course."
A devilish grin appeared on Gladius's face as he said:
"Then get ready, son, because I'm going to teach you the dual sword technique of the great sword master, Gladius."
Khazak became even more excited after hearing this, but strangely, he felt a sense of comfort about using dual swords, as if it was the technique he was always meant to use. While Khazak was lost in these thoughts, Gladius grabbed another, slightly lighter sword from the side and thrust it into Khazak's injured arm, then tossed him into the open space in front of the house. Khazak, reflexively, rolled to protect himself from any serious damage, and as he stood up, he noticed Gladius was holding a small wooden training sword with a mocking smile on his face. Looking at him, Khazak said:
"Don't underestimate me that much, 'great sword master.'"
Gladius, without changing his stance, held the wooden sword with one hand and motioned to Khazak with the other, signaling him to come. Khazak slowly stood up, and before he knew it, he found himself on the ground again. Gladius, looking down at Khazak's head, said:
"The best way to learn is through experience, right? I'll give you tactics along the way, so relax. But by the end of this month, you'll be able to swing these heavy swords like they're made of feathers. Understood?"
Khazak was frustrated from the blow to his head and also from the realization of his own weakness after being thrown to the ground so easily. What he didn't know was that Gladius had reacted strongly, annoyed by Khazak's mocking attitude. However, this wasn't enough to stop Khazak. Despite the blow to his head, he responded enthusiastically, raising his voice:
"Understood, Master!"
A slight smile appeared on Gladius's face in response to this, and he removed his foot from Khazak's head, assuming a defensive stance as if calling him to try again. Khazak stood up, took his guard, and, with a smile on his face, paused for a moment to calm himself. He imagined Mylia was attacking him from behind, took a deep breath, and immediately lunged at Gladius. Surprised by the sudden use of his skill, Gladius backed up a little. Khazak managed to cut a small sliver off Gladius's sword, but as soon as his attack ended, his head spun, and he found himself on the ground again. This time, he had fallen on his own. Gladius walked over to Khazak's head and said:
"Son, what you're trying to use is really good, but unless you take at least 15 breaths assistance, don't try to swing like that, or you'll end up exactly like this or maybe even worse due to the increasing body heat. Understood?"
Khazak, lying face down on the ground once again, responded with the same enthusiasm but this time in a quieter voice:
"Understood, Master!"
The training continued like this for about two more hours. Eventually, Khazak lay on the ground again, but this time it wasn't Gladius who approached him—Mylia came over. Khazak looked at her with hopeful eyes, but upon hearing her words, he let out a hopeless laugh. Mylia said:
"Alright, it's time for your next training. Get up."
Khazak, still lying on the ground, replied:
"Please, just let me lie here for 5 more minutes."
Mylia puffed out her cheeks in an angry yet incredibly cute way, grabbed Khazak by the arm, and pulled him up. With her hands clasped in front of her, trying to look stern, she glared at him. Khazak finally realized he had been defeated and that the training would continue. At that moment, Khazak understood—he had truly fallen into hell.