Shortly after James had left his father's study, he hadn't even had time to fully process the conversation with his father when Master Yevan, his father's stern and no nonsense Chief Guard, appeared seemingly out of thin air.
The man always moved like a ghost, silent but commanding attention the moment he entered a room.
"Master Kaelan," Yevan said in his usual calm, sharp tone. He stood with his hands clasped firmly behind his back, his posture so straight it almost looked painful.
His cool green eyes locked onto James like a hawk studying its prey.
Although James wasn't short at 6'2, Yevan was even taller. He was also way more muscular than James.
In short, he was intimidating.
"Your father has instructed me to begin your preparations for the Academy Entrance Exams immediately. I will be personally training you over the next two months."
James blinked in surprise. "The Entrance Exams? Already?" he repeated, his voice tinged with a mix of curiosity and excitement. His heart sped up as he realised what this meant.
Just like in all those Webnovels, The rich young master always gets a private tutor who puts them through the early stages of the world's power system.
According to the blueprint, the MC would later become so much stronger than the tutor in such a short time that the tutor can only sigh...
Yeah, he had enough experience. This was his first training montage!
"Yes," Yevan confirmed, his tone as sharp as ever. "The exams are just two months away. If you are to perform at a level that befits your family name and political status, there is no time to waste. We will train every single day."
For a moment, James just stood there, letting it sink in. Then a spark of excitement lit up inside him.
He wasn't scared of hard work; in fact, he was looking forward to it. This was his chance to grow stronger faster than he ever had before.
His future was bound to be filled with danger and near death experiences, he was sure of this fact. The faster he became stronger, the better.
This was what separated the elite from the mediocre. Other mediocre kids his age were probably training on their own, stumbling through trial and error and trying to grasp meagre opportunities.
It was the perfect protagonist package, but not for him. He had a master instructor at his disposal.
'This is what being rich gets you,' James thought smugly to himself, though he kept his face neutral.
He gave Yevan a nod. "Understood. Let's do this."
Without another word, Yevan turned sharply on his heel. "Follow me," he commanded, and James quickly fell into step behind him.
They walked in silence through the estate, passing numerous lush gardens and tall, marble columns until they reached the family's private training yard.
James had been here a few times before but never for anything serious. Now, as he stepped into the space, it felt different. He knew instinctively that he was going to suffer a lot here.
The training yard wasn't flashy or overly decorated like the other parts of the estate. It was a simple, open area surrounded by tall stone walls that gave it a secluded, almost fortress like feel.
The ground was covered in hard packed dirt, perfect for footwork drills and sparring.
Along one side, there were rows of enchanted wooden dummies, each one poised and ready for simulated battles.
These dummies could battle opponents on their own through animation enchantments although their overall strength was very low.
Nearby, a weapons rack held an assortment of practice gear—wooden swords, spears, and staffs of all sizes.
In the far corner, there was a stone bench and a water barrel, though James had a sneaking suspicion Yevan wasn't the kind of guy to allow too many breaks.
All in all, the place was very simple.
It wasn't flashy or overly grand like some of the extravagant training facilities he'd read about in noble houses, but it had everything one could need for serious work.
Yevan stepped into the centre of the yard and turned to face James. As soon as he did, his usual calm expression shifted into something colder, almost intimidating.
His green eyes seemed to pierce straight through James, and his presence felt heavier, more intense.
"Listen carefully, Kaelan," Yevan began, his voice low but firm. "From this moment on, there will be no leniency. No pampering. No mercy. No hand holding.
"I don't care that you're the son of this household. In this yard, you're just another student, and I will treat you as harshly as I would anyone else—or harsher, because you have no excuse to be weak."
James raised an eyebrow at the declaration, his lips curling into a small, amused smile. "That's fine by me," he said confidently. "I wouldn't want it any other way."
For a brief moment, Yevan's lips twitched, as though he was holding back a smirk, but his expression quickly hardened again. He took a step closer.
"Good," he said. "Because I will push you harder than you've ever been pushed before. Over the next two months, we will do everything in our power to increase your battle power."
Yevan's gaze seemed to grow even sharper, as if he was pleased with the question. "Battle power is the measurement of a warrior's overall combat ability," he explained.
"It is divided into four key aspects: Soul Power, Unsealing, Attainment, and Technique. Each of these aspects is essential if you wish to reach your full potential as a fighter."
James frowned slightly, intrigued. He nodded, urging Yevan to continue. "What are those aspects, exactly?"
Yevan's cold expression didn't change, but there was a hint of approval in his tone as he replied, "I will explain each one to you."
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We still haven't had our first gift guys. Come-on, show some support please!
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Power stone Goal!
50 PS - 1 Bonus chapter
100 PS - 2 Bonus chapter
200 PS (Quite an achievement as of now) - 3 Bonus chapters.
Castle - 20 Bonus Chapters!