"You are good," the old man praised, wearing a satisfied smile.
I was lying flat on the ground, my face and body covered in black and blue bruises as my chest heaved up and down in sheer exhaustion.
My sword was a few meters away from my reach and agonizing jolts of excruciating pain were coursing through my body each time I tried to move.
Just as I was mustering up my courage to brace the pain and move to stand back up, the old man's voice reached my ears.
"You almost had me this time."
Liar! I never almost had him! This devious old man had seen through all my attacks from a mile away! Yes, I was calling him devious now!
Earlier, when I saw him, I had thought of him as a noble and stern warrior. Well, forget that! He was devious, through and through!
You couldn't trust a single thing he said or did. His technique might have been impeccable, but his true mastery lay in deceit and misdirection!
Haaa, no, to be honest... His swordplay was astonishing, utterly breathtaking. But it was almost as if I couldn't trust his sword.
If his sword seemed to be coming at me from the right, the attack would arrive from the left.
And when I prepared to block a strike from the left, expecting an attack from the right, he'd surprise me by actually striking from the left!
Then, when he swung his sword to the left, I was ready to block it and also braced myself for a hit from the right. But this time, he kicked me square in the chest!
In layman's terms, what he was doing was called executing feint attacks.
And normally, I could handle these kinds of feints.
After all, staying on guard and anticipating the unexpected was the first thing Leo had ever taught me.
However, something about the old man's sword was different.
Something felt eerily out of place. It was as if his sword itself couldn't be trusted.
And to make matters worse, just like Leo, he could also read my moves. He almost always knew what I was about to do.
It was almost like I was fighting against someone who could predict the future, damn it!
...Huh. Now I understood how my opponents must feel when I see through them. Poor souls.
"Alright, get up," the old man instructed.
I clenched my teeth and protested, "No! I'm not getting up!"
"...Why not?" the old man asked with a hint of amusement.
"What's the point when you're just going to knock me down again?"
I whined. "I'd rather stay right here on the floor!"
The old man silently looked at me for a few moments before bursting into laughter.
"You're just like your master," he remarked between chuckles. "Don't worry, we won't spar anymore. It's getting late, and you've had a long journey. It's best if you turn in for the night."
".....?!" The old man walked up to me, grabbed my collar, and lifted me to my feet as if picking up a wooden stick from the ground.
He then handed me a slip of paper and said, "This estate will be your residence for the next few months. You can choose any room you like, except for the one that's locked."
I took the slip from his hand and glanced at it. Written on it was what appeared to be an address.
Raising an eyebrow, I turned back to the old man and quipped, "What's inside the locked room? Ghosts?"
The old man chuckled. "Funny. It's actually my great-
granddaughter's room. She's quite the angel. Anyway, she hasn't returned home yet. I expect her back in two or three days."
"I see," I shrugged, placing the paper slip in my pocket. Letting out a sigh, I gave the old man a slight bow and headed for the exit of the training hall.
As soon as I stepped out of the training hall, a familiar tall man with neck-long red hair came into view, approaching me.
"Woah!" Leo chortled as he came to stand before me and looked at my condition. "He hasn't even started the training, and you already look like a zombie!"
I shot Leo a stare that was a mix of fury and helplessness. "I swear to god, if he kills me, I will haunt you for all eternity."
Leo chuckled. "Oh, by the way, I have something to tell you. I'll be heading to the Eastern Continent tomorrow or the day after and might only be back in a week or two."
I sighed, nodding in response. "Alright, alright."
Leo frowned. "Aren't you going to ask where I'm going?"
No, I already knew. He was going to the Eastern Continent because Spider had its eyes set on the Underground Auction that was about to take place there.
In the novel, by the time Spider arrived to heist the Underground Auction, the local authorities had already confiscated most of the items.
The auction hosts tried to escape with the remaining relics, but Spider hunted them down and took whatever was left in their possessions.
This time wouldn't be any different. The Auction was set to run for three weeks, but according to Amelia, Nero had already gathered allies.
He planned to strike within the span of two nights. So when Spider was going to arrive there, they would find nothing but the aftermath.
Hmmm, or perhaps, it was also possible that Nero's group had to face-off with Master and his squad.
Oh, man! That would be so epic!
...Haaa, but what did any of that have to do with me?
Even if a showdown between Leo and Nero were to happen, I'd be stuck here... training.
Tsk, sometimes being a side character was a drag.
Shaking my head, I responded, "I guessed that since you didn't tell me, it's a personal matter."
A faint smile graced Leo's lips as he nodded, saying, "Yes, it's somewhat personal. A few thieves stole some things from me and my friends. I'm going to take it all back."
Hmm? What did that mean?
Before I could ask for more details, the voice of the old man echoed from the training hall behind me.
"You're still here, little one? Want to spar some more?"
A shiver ran down my spine as I glanced at Leo and offered him a polite smile.
"Alright, catch you later!" I said before disappearing from the scene as if I had never been there.
â
As Leo and Ifa watched the comical sight of Lucas running away, they both erupted into uncontrollable laughter.
"You really traumatized him on the very first day, master!" Leo exclaimed between fits of laughter, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes.
"Remember, you acted the same!" Ifa chortled, holding his aching stomach as he continued to chuckle.
After a while, their laughter subsided as Leo took a deep breath and asked, "So, how is he?"
Ifa massaged his forehead, where faint wrinkles were barely visible.
"You've done an excellent job refining his technique. I couldn't spot a single mistake in his movements, even when he was using an unfamiliar weapon."
Leo shrugged. "That's nothing. You'll be amazed by his ability to learn. He can absorb knowledge like a sponge soaking up water."
"A rare quality in noble children," Ifa remarked.
Leo nodded before furrowing his brow. "Huh? What do you mean? I was also a noble when I came to you!"
"I stand by my point," Ifa replied with a nonchalant shrug.
The master and disciple exchanged a serious glance before bursting into laughter once more.
After their laughter subsided once more, Leo posed another question. "So, where is she? Where is Selena?"
Ifa furrowed his brow, wearing a confused expression. "Don't tell me you haven't met her yet? She should be back at the mansion right now."
But then his lips curled up into a knowing smile as he continued, "Haha! Thinking of finally proposing to her, are you?"
Leo rolled his eyes and began walking toward the mansion. "Please, I've told you a thousand times that we're just friends, master."
Ifa followed him closely behind. "You might think that, but it's quite clear that she has feelings for you. Have you seen the way she looks at you?!"
"Arrogantly," Leo retorted. "Like she looks at everyone beneath her."
"...Okay, fair point, but behind that facade of arrogance is love! For you!" Ifa insisted.
"Master!" Leo exclaimed in exasperation. "I think old age is finally catching up to you. We're just friends!"
Leo wasn't lying. He genuinely thought of Selena as a friend.
Besides, he wasn't going to the mansion to propose to her... but to receive his orders.
Ifa rolled his eyes and turned around as he began to walk away.
"Okay, fine! Ignore the advice of this old man, just like everyone else does these days."
Leo watched Ifa leave and shook his head.
"He's still playing matchmaker even at this age," he scoffed before proceeding toward the mansion.
