With my mind still processing what just happened, I was seated next to myself on the floor mat. I exchanged glances with myselves, as if even I was questioning myself.
Across the room, the other students watched with expressions ranging from envy to outright hostility. Most of them muttered to themselves, and I had the unfortunate curse of hearing them clearly.
“He must be cheating.”
“I’ll kill that thing if I had the chance.”
“A commoner… Truly insufferable.”
I hid my face with my hands, letting out a long sigh. Father… Why did you have to pair Feyt with Carine? I thought I would be able to make friends with the others, but I was public enemy number one instead.
Father stood at the center of the training hall. He clapped his hands, which redirected the students’ glaring gazes away from me. I felt like I could breathe again.
With everyone’s attention on Father and the room deathly silent, Mother walked behind him and handed him a practice sword before returning to her post by the chalkboard.
“Thank you, Reina,” Father said with a small nod. His excitement finally toned down. “Now then.”
He slammed the tip of his practice sword to the floor mat, resounding a loud snap, jolting even ones who were paying attention awake.
“Today’s games end here. Let’s begin our training.” Father turned his head to the side. “Instructor, if you would?”
Without uttering a single word, Mother grabbed a piece of chalk and began writing on the chalkboard. She wrote with finesse and elegance expected of a noble lady, and once she was done, one emphasized word was written on the board.
I heard the students groan and mumbling to themselves.
“It’s the fifth time this month!”
“When are we going to get serious training?”
“This must be that commoner’s fault.”
Now, hold on a minute. How was it my fault?!
“Quiet!” Father’s loud booming voice reverberated, silencing the room. The atmosphere in the room shifted almost instantly. "Is that complaining I hear? Do you all think you're too good for our teaching now?"
I instinctively braced both of myselves. Father’s change of attitude was like flipping a switch, it was also a good way to know that the lesson had started for real. Deep down, I expected this to happen. I was his daughter after all.
Mother stepped forward, her voice as tense as usual. "Anyone who complains about this lesson isn’t fit to hold a sword, let alone swing it.” She raised a practice sword of her own and aimed it at the students. “Fundamentals are the bones of your skill. Without them, you're not knights, just children playing with sticks."
A student raised his hands, a junior. The others around him looked at him as if asking “What are you doing, idiot?!”
Mother raised her chin and looked down at the student. “Raymond, what is it that you have to say?”
Raymond, the one who tried jumping me only to kiss the floor mat. He had a small bandage over his nose, and I was slightly relieved to see that he wasn’t that badly hurt. Though, I had a feeling he was walking to his own doom.
He stood up briskly, his face held forward. “Instructors, if I may. I believe that we have learned fundamentals more than enough. Isn’t it time for us to focus more on techniques? As a junior, I haven’t even learned a single technique yet!”
On Mother’s cold face creeped in a small smirk. “Learned more than enough, you say?” She locked her eyes on me, Carine. “Carine dear, please step up here.”
I suppressed the urge to let out a sigh as I stood up. “Yes, Mother.”
I walked leaving myself behind and was handed Mother’s practice sword.
Mother turned to the still-standing Raymond. “Raymond. Come here.”
Raymond hurried forward and stood across from me, his face nervous but determined, like he was sure he was about to make a good impression on everyone.
Mother handed him a sword from the weapon rack, a real steel blade.
“U-Umm, instructor?” Raymond asked, nervously holding the sword. “Why am I—”
“Hold that sword properly,” Mother commanded. “If you can attack Carine with it once, I will write you a letter of recommendation right here and now.”
Raymond widened his eyes. “R-Really?! I’ll do it!” His grip on the sword tightened as he locked eyes with me.
Aren’t you too eager?!
The letter of recommendation, it was the main reason why many were interested in joining the Sareid Swordstyle school in the first place. Due to how high both Father and Mother’s achievements are as swordsmen, having a letter of recommendation from them was like earning a free ticket to the upper class in knight society.
Not many students ever earned it as both my parents seldom give them. Only the best of the best ever earned it. This is why Raymond immediately took this chance and aimed his blade at me, waiting for the signal.
I didn’t expect to be met face-to-face with a real sword during training. If that thing hit me, would I be sent back to bed like last time?
Mother, what were you thinking?!
“Carine, take up the stance.” Mother turned to Raymond. “You too.”
Both of us nodded as we took up the basic stance. But then, I noticed something.
Raymond… ain’t he wobbly? No, wobbly wasn’t the right word. It was like I could see him fall in many different ways just from that stance alone. His grip was tight yet trembling, his shoulders were too low, and his feet were spread like he was bracing to catch a bull, not a duel. ɪꜰ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀɴᴛ ᴛᴏ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴍᴏʀᴇ ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀs, ᴘʟᴇᴀsᴇ ᴠɪsɪᴛ 𝘯𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭⚫𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘦⚫𝘯𝘦𝘵
His stance was technically correct, but minor mistakes can add up to a lot, and Raymond was the physical representation of that. From where I stood, I could see all the possibilities, almost all of them ended with him kissing the floor mat, again.
This was a disaster waiting to happen!
It was then I realized what Mother wanted me to do.
With a smirk, Mother stepped back and raised her hand. “Begin!” Mother’s voice rang out.