"Alright! Take your pick," I told Svend while offering him a variety of weapons I made.
They were all made from normal metal with wooden handles or staffs. I obviously wasn't gonna give him anything made from divine metal yet.
Svend looked at the many weapons with conflict. He kept looking at each one before going for a normal circle shield. After he picked up the shield, he looked over the weapons and picked up a simple sword, although way more hesitantly than when he picked the shield.
"We're gonna start off small, okay? You may have survived what I've put you through but this time, I'll actually try to harm you, got that?" I instructed.
"Yes, Meistari!" Svend held up the shield while raising the sword in the other hand.
I turned to my water element and created a ball of water - just to be safe - before chugging it at him at decent strength. Svend raised the shield quickly but it still almost knocked him back to the ground.
I kept chugging water balls at him. Strangely enough, Svend didn't raise the sword once try using it, or even attack me. He just kept raising the shield and almost falling back with each splash or water.
Eventually, Svend did get knocked on his back but he quickly scrambled to stand up again, I just watched as he raised the shield while still not looking like he has any plans for the sword.
"Hmmm... Svend, drop the sword and hold the shield with both hands!" I told him.
The boy blinked a couple of times before nodding. "Y- Yes, Meistari," he couldn't sound more confused if he tried.
He still did what I told him and when I sent a water ball at him, he only leaned back slightly but didn't look like he was gonna fall this time. I sent several more water blasts and he skidded a few feet back but didn't get knocked on his back this time.
"You're good with a shield, that's good to know," I commented as I turned back to my wood element and started scratching my chin. "This is an interesting development but not completely unexpected," Svend
lowered the shield and looked at the ground. "What's wrong?"
"Ah, nothing, Meistari," the kid shook his head. "It's just... shouldn't we try with different weapons?"
"Is something wrong with a shield?" I asked. "Yes?... no?... how is a shield a weapon?" He REALLY seemed confused.
I guess their battle-hungry nature makes the Norse look down on shields or at least view them as not that important.
"Weapons aren't defined by what they are, but by how you use them," I explained while walking closer and putting a hand on his head. "For example, I knew someone who used gold itself as a weapon." "Really?!" Svend looked at me in pure shock.
"Yeah. Trust me, kid, if that guy can make it work, what's stopping you from using a shield as a weapon?" Gil would most likely be furious about what i just said, but if he has a problem, he can Summon himself from the Throne and say it to my face.
Judging by the fact no golden covered guy appeared and started raining weapons, I'll take that as a no.
"But... isn't using only a shield cowardly?" Svend asked.
"There's a major difference between stupidity and bravery, kid. Trust me. Those who wield shields are usually the bravest," I explained before turning back to my water element. "Now, shields up!"
Svend's eyes widen before he quickly raised the shield and stopped the water blast that almost struck him in the face.
"Over here!" While he was blocking the first strike, I turned my body into a puddle and reformed right behind him - an ability I learned while I was in Greece - before blasting him from the back.
Svend looked at me in shock and managed to point one of his hands towards me, but sadly for him he must've done that outta pure instinct because it wasn't the hand that held the shield, which caused him to be knocked on his front from the water.
"Nice reaction speed, but poor choice of reaction itself," I said as I walked up to Svend and held my arm forward. "We can fix that, though," when Svend handed me the shield, I turned my arms into metal and made the shield split in even halves while changed their shape to look like two rectangles that can be held together to form a metal square.
After I handed him the new pair of shields, Svend held one in each arm while testing their weight. He also how they join into one big square shield a tested couple of times before nodding to himself. "Thank you, Meistari!" Svend said.
"Oh, don't thank me yet, after all, our training just started," I said as my arms turned back to water. "Believe me, kid, I definitely plan to make you regret asking me for apprenticeship."
Svend gulped with a scared look but still held his shield up.
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