The journey back to Mount Hua was, for the lack of better words, hella awkward and mostly silent.
Well, as silent as it could be.
While we rode the train to go back to the right mountain range, the grandfather and granddaughter duo engaged in hushed
conversations.
Since they both were sitting right beside me â the old man to my left and Trish by his side â it was hard to ignore the content of their conversation.
"Grandpa, what are you doing?!" Trish nearly whimpered.
The old man suppressed a chuckle. "What do you mean, angel?"
Trish clenched her fists. "You know what! What do you mean he's going to be my housemate? And you knew about him since I told you after the tournament, so don't pretend you didn't know!"
Ifa Zenith grinned teasingly. "Alright, fine. I wanted to surprise you."
"What do you mean 'surprise'?" Trish began to frantically tap her foot on the train's metal floor.
The old man shrugged, his grin growing widened by the second.
"Well, since you spoke about him so passionately, I thought you'd like to befriend him."
Upon hearing that, the silver-haired girl's face flushed, and her eyes widened in panic. "I-I-I was talking about his technique! Not him specifically!"
Once again, the old man wore a teasing smile and chimed in, "Of course, I'm talking about the same thing. You can learn from him, and he can learn from you too. What else were you thinking?"
"....." Trish remained silent for a moment, giving her greatgrandfather a deadpan stare before letting out a resigned sigh.
"You're the worst."
"Heh, that I am," the old man responded with a snug sense of satisfaction. "But you know, if you have an issue letting him stay with you, I could simply place him in one of the boarding houses."
Trish's eyes widened momentarily before she coughed dryly. "I-I...
Um, I suppose it's fine. Since you're insisting so much."
The old man silently relished his victory with a grin, clearly amused that whatever shenanigan he was pulling had already begun to show results.
Meanwhile, I kept my gaze narrowed on him. I didn't know precisely what he was up to, but I didn't trust him for a second.
Indeed, he was a devious old man.
â
Yesterday, after returning to Mount Hua, the old man left us with a sly grin etched on his barely wrinkled face.
Trish and I made our way to the manor in silence. On our way back, Trish seemed to want to say something as she opened and closed her mouth several times but chose to remain quiet in the end.
I had told myself not to judge people too quickly before, but she came across as shy to me â a far cry from the girl I had fought in the King's Tournament.
I couldn't help but wonder what was the matter with her.
Anyway, when we reached the manor, we exchanged a few words and went inside our respective rooms.
Since the kitchen was shared, I saw her again only in the morning when I went there to make my breakfast.
It wasn't until the afternoon that I saw her once more as we made our way to the old man's training hall.
Currently, we stood at the center of the training hall, with Ifa Zenith fixing us with a stern gaze.
Today was the official start of my sword training under him.
To be honest, I wasn't entirely sure why I needed to learn swordsmanship, but Leo had mentioned that the path of the sword was a gateway to mastering other weapon arts as well.
Coincidentally â or notâ the old man had also said a similar thing to me a few days ago, which made me think they might be telling the truth.
I mean, the old man had a point. Even Leo Kurogami, who was renowned as a master of all weapons, had to have a reason to opt for the sword as his main weapon.
But enough about swords, let's get back to the present.
Ifa nodded his head satisfactorily and walked over to a weapon rack, picking up two sheathed tang daos before tossing them in our direction.
As we caught the swords, he turned to me, his usual playful humor now replaced by a serious expression as he began to speak.
"Before we start your training in sword arts, it's important for you to first refine your sword-handling skills. Of course, the easiest and safest way to do that is through sparring," Ifa explained.
Oh, I can see where this is heading â I thought to myself.
Meanwhile, Trish's eyes suddenly lit up in sparkles as if she was a child who had just received her most wanted Christmas gift.
I couldn't help but frown. One moment, she was timid and reserved, and the next, she was brimming with excitement. To be honest, I don't get her at all.
In the meantime, the old man continued without pause, "So, let's start this session with a light sparring match. I'll give you both guidance and corrections wherever you make a mistake. Soon, we will move onto learning the sword arts."
With that, we assumed combat positions. Trish circled a few steps away and came to stand a few meters from me, her gaze resolute.
Suddenly, her whole demeanor shifted, and her aura turned cold and razor-sharp. The girl from a few moments ago was nowhere to be seen now. It was as if she had been possessed.
Right, that's the Trish Zenith I knew.
"You can use mana to fortify yourself and your weapon, but casting any kind of spell is NOT allowed. Martial Aura is also NOT allowed.
Killing each other is... well, NOT allowed," the old man stated the obvious. "Now... commence!"
A lovely smile bloomed on Trish's doll-like face as she spoke in a soft tone that now sounded a little dangerous, "Get ready, Morningstar."
I smiled back in reply, unsheathing my single-edged sword as a metallic ring hummed through the air. "There's really no need to announce your attack, Miss Zenith-?!"
Unfortunately, I didn't get to finish my sentence.
Suddenly, the silver-haired swordswoman was beside me, her sword falling down on me like the blade of a guillotine.
