Chapter 13: First day training

As the sun cast its rays over the land I stood in the midst of the open landscape, feeling the grains beneath my feet. The gentle touch of sunlight was comfortable and pleasurable to me. 

Unfortunately today I could not revel of the beauty of nature as ahead of me, stood a man with black hair and a distinctive scar adorning his upper lip – Caer. 

"Today marks the beginning of our first training lesson," Caer declared, his voice carrying an air of authority. Without further ado, he reached for a wooden sword and tossed it in my direction. I swiftly caught it, my hands adjusting to the unfamiliar weight. Swinging the wooden sword a few times, I couldn't help but reflect on the fact that in my previous life, the extent of my experience with blades had been limited to occasional use of a small knife.

I have been in a few small fights, I stabbed few people myself and have been stabbed all the same by others,usually for issue with moneys or to defend my belonging, good thing I left that life behind...

''Observe closely'' He told me as he assumed his fighting stance.

As he locked gaze with me he showed the correct posture to assume, his feet firmly planted, shoulders squared, and eyes keenly fixed on an imaginary opponent. Gripping the wooden sword with both hands, he demonstrated a fluid motion, swinging it from an overhead position down to a defensive posture.

"Watch closely," Caer said, swinging the wooden sword a few more times with controlled precision. He then stopped and turned toward me, instructing, "Now, it's your turn. Mimic the motion. Feel the weight of the sword and let the movement flow."

I observed Caer's stance carefully and attempted to mimic it as closely as possible. Gripping the wooden sword , I aimed to replicate his controlled and practiced movements.

"Why the hell are you wasting time like this... you don't need such feeble things; you just need to evoke me, and I shall end your enemy's life, along with that of their progeny. If you so wish, I can end their entire lineage," Baalkaroth spoke in my mind.

As I heard his words, I couldn't help but notice a change in his way of speaking. Before, his words were high-toned, but now they held a somewhat rude quality.

"Fat chance. The moment I use you, I'll be hunted down by the church and the kingdom. Unless I show that I am indispensable for them, you'll remain a secret card. Also, if I were to evoke you every time I went to release my bowels and met a bug, my entire fief wouldn't be able to sustain the price to invoke you. Now, stay put and silent like the dog you are. Your intentions are not unknown, fiend," I thought in my mind, replying to the persistent devil.

"Insolent mortal!" The demon's voice reverberated in my mind "One day, you shall repent for how you address me. I am Baalkaroth, a demon of immense power!"

I scoffed, unfazed by his grandiose claims. "A dog is a dog, no more, no less," I retorted, my tone defiant. "You are no longer a demon, just a ... parasite."

The demon seethed, his words dripping with disdain. "Foolish human! If I was not bound to your soul, I would have tortured you

"good thing your are then''

Baalkaroth kept retorting but I gave it no heed as I saw Cean reach closer, his face having a discernible frown. His eyes flinched, a clear indication that I had likely made a few mistakes.

"Your stance is all wrong," Caen remarked, his voice firm but instructive. "You're leaving your left side exposed, and your grip on the sword is too tight. Loosen it up, and keep your eye on your opponent. Balance is crucial."

I nodded, absorbing his feedback, determined to improve. "Got it. What else should I be mindful of?"

Caen proceeded to provide a detailed analysis of my foot placement, body positioning, and the fluidity of my movements. He demonstrated the correct techniques, guiding me throughy.

"Remember, the key is not just in strength but in precision and control," Caen advised. "Feel the rhythm of the fight, anticipate your opponent's moves. Now, let's try again."

Under Caen's watchful eyes, I continued to swing the wooden sword, using all the correction he had advised. The initial awkwardness began to give way to a more fluid and controlled motion. The grip loosened, the stance became more balanced, and my movements started to mirror the precision Caen had demonstrated.

As I got into the training however curiosity got the better of me so I could not help but pry for an answer from Caer.

"Sir Caer, may I ask you something?" I inquired.

The knight turned his gaze toward me, offering a nod. "What do you want to know?"

"I've heard that you served as the vanguard in the previous war against the demons. Pray tell, how did you come to decide to tutor the heir of a count? I know my father holds influence on the royal court, thanks to the crystal mines, but not enough to persuade a high-ranking military member of the royal army to become a teacher."

"What are you meaning to say, then?" Caer asked, tilting his head in curiosity.

"I believe something must have happened in the capital if you came here," I stated, essentially echoing what my father had told me. I couldn't help it; curiosity consumed me like a cat intrigued by a mystery, and I yearned to unravel the reason behind Caer's decision

"Well, there's no meaning in keeping it hidden. You're right; in the previous war, I served as the vanguard captain and achieved many accomplishments, although not as many as I would have desired. You see, while serving in the royal court, there was a damsel who caught my eye.

Unfortunately, she was of noble blood, the daughter of a viscount—not too high in the nobility ladder but not too low either, unfortunately too high for a landless knight.

Nonetheless, love blossomed between us, and we met in secret. Unfortunately, we were discovered by her father. The king, in his immense magnanimity, interceded and suggested that I leave the court for a few years before returning to let the smoke dissipate a bit. Considering I had served loyally for many years to the royal family, this prevented me from being castrated."

"Castrated? Why would they do that?"

"Don't you know? When a daughter is 'ravaged' by a lower member of the nobility, if the person is three ranks below in the nobility ladder than the father may demand the male member to be cut off to answer for the crime, obviously this is not done between big nobles , as it will create feud between different families , but there is no problem in doing it with just a small knight. So, the king basically allowed me to keep remaining a man, for which he has my eternal gratitude and servitude for."

Caer's tone held a mixture of gratitude, bitterness, and lingering pain as he recounted the events that led to his departure from the court.

The revelation about the law regarding nobility and the consequences of violating it left me genuinely surprised.In the novel such legal matters were never thoroughly explored, especially not in the scope of the main character's experiences. As a commoner, he maintained a degree of separation from the noble hierarchy, and such laws remained hidden from his perspective. 

Seems like playing around as a play-boy is not an option anymore....too bad.

''Anyway prepare yourself'' He said taking a wooden sword himself 

''For what?'' I asked as I watched him getting into a stance

''We are to spar a bit, let me see your level '' He said prompting me to get into a stance too as I prepared to have my first time using a sword, albeit a toy one , for the first time in both life.