Hayden then started practicing or exhausting his body first before training with his Foundation Breathing Technique. He couldn't immediately find any visible effects but he trusted the calculations made by the Ocularis Lens.
A few days had quickly passed it was finally their first Basic Swordsmanship Class, it was their first time in this lesson.
During the past few days, Hayden had finally gotten to know some of his classmates. There were three of them who had actually approached him and struck up a conversation with him. They were William, Mylene, and Brylle.
These three had actually come from the same neighboring city. They do not know other students here and seeing that Hayden was always alone, they decided to include him in their group out of pity.
"Hayden, come here!" Mylene called out after seeing Hayden.
William and Brylle also gestured for him to stand close to them.
The Basic Swordsmanship class was held in the academy's second training yard and only once every week.
The yard was an open space surrounded by wooden fences and lined with practice dummies.
The instructor, Sir Roland, doesn't look like a swordsman at all. He looked just like a kind man with a tired face.
Nonetheless, Hayden wasn't disappointed since this class would just teach them the basics of swordsmanship. As long as the instructor knew what he was doing, they should be just fine.
There was no need for a highly skilled instructor for seven-year-old students like them.
Sir Roland stood at the center of the group while his hands rested on the hilt of his practice sword.
After introducing himself and asking everyone about their names, he began the lesson.
"Today, we will focus on the fundamentals: stance, grip, and footwork. These are the building blocks of any swordsman's skill. Master them, and the rest will follow."
With that, he gestured for them to take a wooden sword from the crate. Then, he gave instructions for them to stand in a semi-circle around him so everyone could see his movements.
Hayden stood at the edge of the group as he watched Sir Roland's movements with his Ocularis Lens. Needless to say, he was already analyzing every detail of the Instructor's swordsmanship. His vision highlighted the instructor's stance, grip, and footwork, breaking them down into specific, actionable steps he could easily copy…
'It's really just basic movement… No one for the Lens." Hayden muttered.
What Sir Roland demonstrated was the basic stance… Their feet were shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and the sword held at a 45-degree angle.
"I'm not teaching you the Dawn Swordsmanship yet… You just need to learn the basics." He said while glancing at Hayden who had supposedly learned and modified the sword technique already.
In any case, he continued teaching the students.
"This is your foundation," he said. "Without a strong stance, you'll be knocked over faster than a leaf in the wind. Now, everyone, assume the stance."
The students awkwardly mimicked his posture, some wobbling as they tried to balance.
Hayden, however, adjusted his stance easily…
Well, the only reason the others didn't do well at first was because of the weight of the wooden sword. It was definitely a lot heavier compared to the ones they were familiar with.
Sir Roland walked around the group, offering corrections. "Jade, widen your stance. You look like you're about to topple over. Mylene, good form, but relax your shoulders. Ava, stop showing off and focus. Brylle, excellent precision. Hayden... wait."
He paused in front of Hayden as he recalled that this student indeed possessed some experience with the sword.
To be honest, he believed that Hayden should already be learning in a more advanced class. After all, using the Dawn Swordsmanship just from seeing other people practice already proved the fact that he had a lot of potential. It would just be wasted here in his class.
"Well, well. Someone's been practicing. Did you learn this from your brothers?" He asked.
Hayden shook his head and promptly replied. "I just watched my brothers do it… I also watched the other students in the main training yard, Sir Roland. Of course, I've also been practicing on my own."
Sir Roland nodded a hint of approval in his eyes. "Keep it up, lad. You've got potential."
He didn't want to say too much as he heard that Hannah was already doing something for Hayden.
Then, after seeing everyone with a good stance, Sir Roland demonstrated the proper grip and swing.
"Your grip should be firm but not tight. Think of it as holding a bird—too loose, and it flies away; too tight, and you crush it. Now, watch the swing. It's not just your arm, it's your whole body. Use your legs, your hips, your shoulders. Let's try it!"
This was definitely easier said than done.
The students practiced their swings, their movements were clumsy and uncoordinated at first.
Ava, eager to impress, swung her sword with too much force, nearly losing her balance.
William's swings were hesitant, while Mylene's were smooth but lacked power.
As for, Brylle, he was being too cautious. His swings were so slow!
Hayden, however, executed the swing perfectly. There was no need for his Ocularis Lens to guide his movements…
"Hayden… Teach us quickly…" William said seeing that Hayden's movement seemed really stable like that of an adult.
"That's true… You're doing great, Haydent." Mylene muttered.
Of course, the Instructor had already noticed this so before Hayden could reply to his friends, he already spoke up.
"Hayden," he called. "Come up here and demonstrate."