Chapter 24 - Making progress (2)

"Heavenly Spear Dance… second technique - Celestial Waltz," John murmured, his body gracefully flowing into a new stance as his spear transformed into a fluid and precise dance of aimed strikes. To an onlooker, the attack appeared as a mesmerizing and beautiful performance, one that seemed simple yet captivating.

"What the hell!" the Duke exclaimed in surprise as John's series of strikes headed towards him. Despite not being fast or strong enough to land a hit, he was taken aback by John's impressive fighting skills, which he had not expected from someone he thought was untrained.

"So, you do know how to fight," the Duke said, a wide grin spreading across his face.

However, John's exhaustion caught up with him, and he fainted. The Duke looked at the multiple holes in the ground where he had been standing, chuckled to himself, and said, "I'm the crazy one, huh? This is going to be fun. Fu fu fu."

"You there! Bring me a bucket of cold water," the Grand Duke called out to a trainee knight in the hall. "And while you're at it, bring a shovel to even out the holes this kid just made. If he thinks he can quit training so easily, he's dead wrong."

A moment later, the squire returned with a bucket of water and a shovel. SPLASH!

"Hu-hu-hu…what the hell was that?" John screamed, waking up with a shiver of panic and a sudden cold feeling.

"Get up, kid. Training isn't over yet. We've just started, and if you think you can faint that easily after one attack, then get your head out of your ass," the Grand Duke said with a wide smile on his face.

"Now, enough questions. Come at me again. This time, no using those techniques of yours. I won't ask how or where you got them from, but I can see that you are not good enough to use them yet. You are forbidden from anything but basic imperial spearmanship until I say so. Unless you want to stop holding the spear forever." The Duke threw the wooden spear that John had been holding before he fainted.

"Eh? What are you talking about?" John said as he caught the spear.

"You should be glad your hits didn't land anywhere. If they did, your body wouldn't have been able to handle the recoil. If it had hit something, that hand of yours would have been broken in more ways than can be fixed," the Duke explained.

"I see…what the hell was that for?" John exclaimed as the Duke hit his leg, ordering him to get back up. "Now get back up. Training isn't over yet. This time, you will come at me. Use stab, grab, and slash to try and land a hit on me."

"Fhuuu, okay," John breathed out as he got up and picked up his spear.

"Come at me," the Grand Duke said, his sword held steady, his eyes piercing through John's own.

John let out a battle cry and charged forward, his spear at the ready. The Duke stood his ground, easily parrying John's strikes with fluid movements of his blade. John swung and stabbed, frustration building with each missed hit.

"You're too focused on brute strength," the Duke commented, still effortlessly blocking John's attacks. "You need to be more strategic, think two steps ahead."

John gritted his teeth, sweat pouring down his face as he tried to adjust his approach. But no matter what he tried, the Duke was always one step ahead.

"You're telegraphing your movements," the Duke said, swiping John's spear aside with ease. "Your emotions are clouding your judgment."

John stumbled back, panting heavily. He couldn't seem to catch his breath, let alone land a hit on the Duke. He felt he was back at square one, like all the progress he had made was for nothing.

"Fuck this," John thought, frustration boiling inside of him. "I was an Indigo Core Knight… even if he is a Violet Core Knight, I should at least be able to land one hit on him."

The Duke approached John, offering him a hand to help him up. "Get up, kid. It's almost time for dinner. Wash your face, change your clothes and meet me in the dining room. We have much to discuss."

John took the Duke's hand, pulling himself up with a defeated sigh.

As John washed up and changed, he couldn't shake the feeling that this was just the beginning. There was so much more he had to learn, so much more he had to do if he was going to become the best version of himself. He may have lost the sparring match, but he was determined to win the war.

"You're finally here, take a seat," the Grand Duke said, gesturing towards the table. "Dinner has been ready for a while, I was just waiting for you to arrive." the Grand Duke said as he sat in a dignified manner at the centermost seat of the table, looking at John.

John sat down across from the Duke, eyeing him warily. "Do you have multiple personalities or something? Because the you, I see now is very different from the one I saw in the training hall."

The Grand Duke chuckled. "Don't worry, you'll be like this too. If you wish to survive in the northern reaches of the empire, especially if you're as high-ranked as I am, you must be able to switch between your true nature and a more dignified demeanor. And what you saw in the training hall is simply my true nature. If I showed that to everyone, it would take all the fun out of playing the part of a dignified noble." A small smile played on his lips.

John nodded, understanding. The two of them ate in silence, their utensils clinking softly against their plates. After they finished their meal, the Grand Duke leaned back in his chair and looked at John.

"So, you wanted to ask me something?"

"Yes," John replied. "Earlier, you mentioned that you had something to say to me. What was it?"

"Ah, yes," the Duke said, his expression turning serious. "Let's finish our dinner first, then I'll explain everything to you in detail."

And with that, the two continued their meal in silence, the only sounds in the dining hall the soft clink of utensils and the occasional scrape of a fork against a plate.

"Well, now can you tell me what you were talking about earlier?" John asked, pushing away his empty plate.

"Of course," the Grand Duke replied, his eyes fixed on John's face. "Your father has sent a letter, actually two letters, but one of them was addressed to me." He gestured for one of the servants to bring the letter, then looked back at John. "Go ahead and read it, I'm sure its contents are similar to the one your father sent to me."

John took the letter and began to read, the Grand Duke waiting in silence. As John finished reading, the Grand Duke spoke. "As you can see, your father wants you to marry the Elven princess whom you met at the banquet. What do you think?"

"I need a moment to think about this," John said, placing the letter down. "While I was expecting it, I still need to consider a few things before I make a decision."

"That's fine," the Grand Duke said with a nod. "Your father has given you a month to make a decision, according to his letter."

"And one more thing," the Grand Duke added, "in the year you enroll in the academy, students from other races will be joining as well. So if you do decide to accept this proposal, you will meet the princess there."

John remembered hearing about this in his past life, but he never got a chance to apply to the academy. He was too busy fighting for his survival.

"I'll take my leave now," the Grand Duke said, patting John's back. "Take your time to think about this, and don't forget, I expect you back on the training ground tomorrow at the same time as today. Hans will wake you up, but it's best if you make a habit of waking up at 4 in the morning while you're here. We'll be following the same routine every day from now on." With that, the Grand Duke left the room.