Chapter -22.
"How should I put this? Hmm... it seems like your sword strikes are sharper than before!" Callum struggled to find the right words, feeling a bit frustrated as he tried to express his thoughts. He could almost picture how much Lucien's swordsmanship had improved, but when it came to saying it out loud, he found himself tripping over his words.
Lucien noticed Callum's confusion and raised an eyebrow, genuinely curious. "What do you mean?" he asked, trying to understand the compliment that seemed a bit unclear. He tightened his grip on his sword, a flicker of uncertainty in his eyes as he waited for an explanation.
That's when Dorian, jumped in to help. With a calm smile, he said, "What Callum is trying to say is that your sword swings feel more natural now. Before, you relied a lot on brute strength, but now there's a real finesse to your movements." Dorian's words flowed easily, making it clear for both Callum and Lucien.
Lucien's face lit up as he finally understood. "Oh, so that's what you meant!" he said, grinning at Callum, who nodded enthusiastically, relieved that Dorian had put it into words.
"Thanks! I've been training pretty hard lately, but I still feel like I have a long way to go," Lucien said with a smile. He took a deep breath, ready to thrust his sword again, and aimed for the same spot on the wooden dummy where a crack had formed from his earlier attack.
Ktak!
A loud sound echoed as the upper part of the wooden dummy shattered into pieces, surprising everyone watching.
"Wait, did he really just do that?"
"Is he really the same guy from our battalion? He must have done something to that wooden dummy."
"Exactly! How could he destroy that wooden dummy when even a third-level swordsman would struggle with it?"
"Haha.. if he really had done something funny with that wooden dummy, then i have heard an interesting fact that this wooden dummy almost cost the same amount as a first rank swordsman monthly salary."
The onlookers were taken aback by the unexpected turn of events. Some of them had been training at this ground longer than Lucien, and they had plenty of practice with the wooden dummies. Yet, despite all their efforts, they couldn't match the results that this so-called "wastrel" of a warrior had achieved.
Feeling a bit shocked, they even started to wonder if Lucien had somehow tampered with the wooden dummies before, which might explain his surprising success.
But while everyone else was reacting, Lucien was focused on something different. He was a bit worried about the damage he had caused and whether he'd have to face the consequences. At the same time, he felt a rush of excitement seeing his strength grow. If he could just use this technique during the hunt, he might earn some achievements and avoid the looming threat of being kicked out of the battalion.
"Lucien, we should probably get out of here for now," Callum said, having overheard some of the snide comments from the other warriors. He knew they might try to stir up trouble for Lucien, who was usually pretty easygoing and didn't stand up for himself. So, he suggested they take a breather somewhere away from the crowd.
To Callum's surprise, Lucien ignored him and turned to Dorian. "Hey Dorian, since you're not busy right now, how about we practice a bit? I feel like if I push myself a little harder, I might make some real progress in my swordsmanship."
"What? Are you out of your mind? Can't you see everyone is watching you? And instead of keeping a low profile, you want to practice with him?" Callum quickly stepped closer, concerned about Lucien's carelessness.
Meanwhile, Theodore, not quite grasping why everyone's attention was a big deal, looked at his friend and whispered, "Laying low? For what? Do those guys have a problem with me practicing here?"
"Absolutely, and even if they didn't pay you any attention before, witnessing you completely demolishing that wooden dummy has definitely changed their minds. I'm just concerned they might cause you some trouble; it wouldn't be difficult for them to do so, and you know that too." Callum, despite being a friend, felt it necessary to remind Lucien of something embarrassing to help him avoid potential issues just a day before the hunt was set to begin, especially when he saw Lucien acting oblivious.
Lucien was only trying to improve his technique a bit, wanting to practice how to apply various skills he had learned on a moving target, especially since the monsters he intended to hunt the next day weren't going to sit still for him. He hoped to prove his worth to the battalion.
However, after hearing Callum's concerns and reflecting on recent events with Miss Effie, he thought it might be wiser to stay out of the spotlight for today to increase his chances of safely participating in tomorrow's hunt. But since he had already damaged the dummy, he realized that problems might still follow him and asked, "What should we do if someone decides to stir up trouble for me?"
Callum, lacking an answer, replied, "We'll deal with that when the time comes, but for now, let's get out of here." He encouraged Lucien to put away his sword and leave with him.
"Wait! If you want to practice, we can go somewhere else; I know a few spots where I swing my sword when I'm bored," Dorian said, stepping in at just the right moment with a good suggestion. With all three agreeing, they followed Dorian to another location.
Meanwhile, the few spectators who remained were brainstorming ways to make a fool of the wastrel who had suddenly tried to act tough.
"Hey, we should tell Adam about this. Didn't you hear he beat up that wastrel because his stunning wife was being cute with him?"
"Really? What would that achieve? It's not like breaking a wooden dummy is forbidden; the commander might even reward him for it."
"That might occur only if there aren't any rumours of that wastrel messing with all the wooden dummies. Do you understand what I mean?"
"Alright, fine. Let's go see Adam; maybe we can even catch the attention of his wife and get lucky; we're at least better than that stupid lucien."
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