I paced in my rooms, and honestly, I couldn’t tell which of my two bodies was more jittery. Both hearts thumped in sync like an overenthusiastic bass, fueled by a mix of giddiness and sheer nerves.
This was it.
The day.
The day that had been delayed more times than I could count. Finally… Finally! I was about to start sword training!
On one hand, I was excited beyond words. On the other, I was deeply concerned about embarrassing myself in front of Mother.
Still, I had to admit, it was convenient that both bodies were starting at the same time. I considered counting it as a blessing.
Sure, Carine technically had the basics down already—thank you, muscle memory—while Feyt was starting from scratch. But that’s where my biggest cheat came in: shared memories. All I had to do was Ctrl+C, Ctrl+V Carine’s skills into Feyt. It wasn’t perfect, sure, but close enough.
Honestly, this ability might be the most broken thing I have.
Anyway, today wasn’t about excuses; it was about progress. Time to put both of my heads in the game and focus. Two goals: nail the basics until they’re second nature and figure out how to sync both bodies in combat.
Considering my trump cards were enhanced senses and having two playable characters, these goals should allow me to get a general idea of my future combat style.
Of course, that doesn’t mean neglecting individual skills. Carine and Feyt won’t always be together, after all. In fact, given the whole status difference thing, it was more likely we’d rarely meet.
I sighed. If this didn’t work out, I might end up with one of my bodies accidentally stabbing the other.
The sound of knocking snapped me out of my thoughts.
“Lady Carine,” came Leila’s voice from one door.
“Sir Feyt,” Eliza called from the other.
I steeled my nerves and calmed my hearts.
It was go time.
Leila entered first, her expression deadpan as always. “Lady Carine, it’s time for your training session. Everything is prepared in the training hall.”
“Thank you, Leila,” I said, keeping my tone as even as possible. “I’ll be down shortly.”
Across the mansion, Eliza was doing her best impression of Leila. “Sir Feyt, it is time. I shall escort you to the training hall.”
“Of course, thanks,” I said, trying to sound polite but not too polite.
Both bodies moved in almost-perfect sync down different hallways. It was disorienting, as usual, but I was getting the hang of multitasking. Kind of.
Actually, I kinda lost focus in the middle and almost walked Carine into a pillar, but let’s not dwell on that.
Carine reached the training hall first. The room was already filling up, a dozen or so students gathered in the open space. Familiar sights greeted me: wooden dummies lined against the walls, racks of practice swords, and soft mats covering the floor.
But this time, something was different. The atmosphere was heavier, like someone had cranked up the intensity dial to max. It didn’t take long to figure out why. My gaze zeroed in on the source.
Mother.
She stood at the far end of the hall, her posture straight, her gaze sharp enough to cleave through steel like butter. Clearly she was waiting for the other me to come around the training hall.
Even the students, most of whom had probably grown up with her around, seemed stiff, keeping their chatter to a record low.
I felt like the longer she waited, the worse things would be.
Where the hell are you, other me?!
Apparently, Feyt’s journey to the training hall was... taking the scenic route. Eliza led me through hallways that didn’t make sense, looping around the estate in a way that felt unnecessarily convoluted. A few turns in, I started to suspect she wasn’t just showing me where the hall was.
I knew this wasn’t the way to the training hall and that we were just walking in circles for no reason. Was Eliza lost? I doubted it, but I couldn’t exactly confront her about it. Feyt wasn’t supposed to know the layout of the mansion yet, after all.
“Eliza, is it far?” I asked, doing my best to sound clueless but not impatient.
“It is just ahead, Sir Feyt,” she replied smoothly, as though this zigzagging path made perfect sense.
Yeah, sure…
Back in the training hall, Father stepped forward, his usual cheerful grin firmly in place. In stark contrast to Mother, he exuded excitement. The same kind he displayed during the interview.
“Welcome, students!” Father’s voice boomed, instantly commanding the attention of the room and stopping their chatter. “Before we begin today’s drills, I’d like to announce a special announcment.” His eyes swept the gathered students before landing directly on Carine. I resisted the urge to squirm. “We have a new student joining us today.”
I already knew where this was going, but I had to play along. Feyt hadn’t arrived yet, after all.
Father continued, “I’m sure we all know what this mean. Let’s prepare our “welcome party”!”
The students stood up energetically, as if they had just been given the best presents. They all scattered all over the hall, each preparing something different.
Father glanced over my way. “Carine, go help out the others.”
Carine’s face remained neutral, but internally I sighed. Of course, Father had something dramatic planned. It clicked in an instant—that was why Eliza was stalling Feyt. Father was setting up the "surprise."
For a moment, I pitied Feyt. Then I realized… I am Feyt.
Right. This was a tradition for new Sareid Swordstyle students. The moment you walked into the training hall, you’d be greeted with a live combat test. No warnings, no explanations; just instant chaos.
Father’s idea of a warm welcome was more like a dunk into freezing water. It was all in the name of instilling the foundational lesson of the Sareid Swordstyle: always be on your guard, no matter what.
With my other body still en route, the surprise was basically ruined.
First, Feyt's birthday surprise, and now this…
Man, am I a party pooper…