Hayden didn't care about the reaction of the Professor and his classmates as he focused on passing this exam with the best grade possible.
After the Charging Stance or the ninth stance, Hayden proceeded, with the next stance, the Circular Stance.
He shifted his weight to his right foot and spun in a circle while his sword arced through the air…
The movement he made was smooth and once again, other students weren't able to perform this as well as him. With such stability, it showed his skills to transition between complicated stances effortlessly. After all, this stance was mostly used to evade attacks and create openings.
The next stance was the Counter Stance. Hayden stepped back with his left foot this time while his sword was held diagonally across his body.
Soon, his weight shifted to his back foot, and his free hand extended for balance. This stance was designed to absorb the force of an opponent's strike and prepare for a counterattack. It was a simple stance that could certainly be effective but using it in real sword battles may not be the best.
Finally, Hayden performed the Final Stance, which was also the 12th stance.
Well, it was just a simple movement of his body and feet as Hayden or ending the sequence by returning to the Ready Stance where this time, his sword was held vertically in front of him.
'That looks perfect for me…' Hayden thought to himself as he steadied his breathing.
He then shifted his gaze to the instructor and saw that he gave a rare smile of approval.
"Excellent form, Hayden. Your control and accuracy are remarkable for your age. So far… You've earned the highest grade in the class."
Needless to say, the students weren't really surprised after seeing how Hayden performed just now.
They were all at the same age but he was actually able to perform without any errors. They felt that he was even better than their instructor.
Of course, there were a few others who were still a bit skeptical as some of them believed that Hayden had been trained by a Knight already.
Nonetheless, Hayden simply nodded, thanked the instructor, and returned to his place.
***
After class, Hayden finished his lunch in the cafeteria before he decided to visit Professor Althea's workshop.
Over the past few weeks, Hayden had been visiting the Professor. Well, he was quite interested on how swords are being made since books were definitely not enough for him.
Anyway, he also wanted to ensure that Professor Althea's condition was at its best. After all, the bulge on her stomach was already quite noticeable since it had already been about four months.
He was curious to see if she had taken his advice about her health and was balancing her work and rest.
As he walked through the courtyard, he suddenly bumped into a group of older students.
"Hmm?"
The leader of the group was a tall boy with a smug expression. It was Graham, the person Brody and Henry had defeated in various subjects.
"Well, well, if it isn't the little prodigy," Graham said with a hint of mockery in his voice.
Hayden was quite confused since he wasn't really acquainted with this person. They'd probably see each other around but they had never talked to each other. This seemed to be their first-ever conversation.
'So he could no longer wait, huh…' Hayden mused as he recalled Carl's warning about this person.
"I heard you aced the Basic Swordsmanship exam. Quite impressive for a seven-year-old." Graham said.
Hayden met Graham's gaze calmly. He was actually quite impressed how Graham was able to know that so quickly.
It was as if he had someone in Hayden's class spying for him.
"Thank you. Is there something you need?" He replied.
Graham smirked. "Oh, nothing much. I just thought it'd be fun to see how good you really are. How about a little sparring match? You and me, right here, right now."
The students around Graham chuckled, clearly enjoying the spectacle.
Hayden knew this was a trap. Graham was twelve, taller, stronger, and far more experienced. It was basically some sort of bullying. Any other first-grade student would surely be humiliated by this person.
'Should I accept?' Hayden was a bit unsure what to do. After all, it would barely benefit him. Furthermore, Graham doesn't look that serious either. Perhaps, he was only here to scare him or something similar.
After a few moments, Hayden thought of an idea. Well, he also knew that backing down would only make him a target, so he might as well deal with this matter now.
"If we're going to spar, let's make it interesting," Hayden said…
This surprised Graham since he wasn't really interested in beating up Hayden.
Hayden was a bit too small for him after all. However, Hayden was serious.
"How about a bet? If I win, you give me 50 gold coins. If you win, I'll give you the same."
After hearing that there was a bet, Graham finally threw away his compassion and was excited to see where this would go.
Graham smiled and looked at Hayden greedily.
"Fifty gold coins? That's a lot of money for a kid like you. Are you sure you have that much money?"
"I have my ways…" Hayden replied. "Do we have a deal?"
Graham laughed. "You're on, kid. But don't come crying to me when you lose… You can give any time and place. I'll be finding a fair judge."
"How about right now?" Hayden said.
Graham was shocked as he thought that Hayden would actually think of having someone else fight for him. However, it seemed that Hayden really wanted to fight him in a match!
"Fine! You said it. Let me find a judge—" Before Graham could finish, an attractive professor wearing a large coat approached Hayden from behind.
"How about I'll be the judge of it?"
The one who spoke was none other than Professor Althea who had been listening to their conversation from the start.