Chapter 12: Rein vs. The Brow

Five days later.

As Rein gradually demonstrated swordsmanship at the Level 2 tier, Humbert, the swordsmanship instructor observing nearby, was pretty certain that Rein had an exceptional comprehension of swordsmanship.

To put it bluntly, Rein was a swordsmanship genius; of course, just an ordinary genius, one in a hundred.

Nevertheless, this made Humbert look at Rein with new respect.

If nurtured properly, this was material for a protector, possibly even a captain of guards!

"Today, we will begin swordsmanship sparring!"

"To improve your skill in swordsmanship quickly, you need someone to spar with."

"And the sparring partner can't be chosen randomly. Ideally, the opponent's strength should match yours; only then can your swordsmanship benefit the most." Humbert's resounding voice echoed across the training grounds.

"Rein, Richard, step forward and demonstrate sparring for the others to watch!" Humbert ordered.

Thick Brows was Richard's nickname.

"Yes, Instructor!" the two responded in unison.

After speaking, the two quickly stepped out of formation, each adopting a basic swordsmanship stance in front of the group, their ironwood swords pointed toward each other.

Thick Brows had been feeling an inexplicable anxiety and irritability about Rein's recent progress.

When Rein stood out during work like repairing donkey hooves and nailing horseshoes before, Thick Brows hadn't cared.

His goal was the manor guard, and this had been obvious from how he'd been learning basic swordsmanship ahead of time with relatives over the past two years.

But what he hadn't expected was that during swordsmanship training, Rein once again caught the attention of the swordsmanship instructor, Humbert.

This, he found hard to accept!

If this continued, Rein would someday become a formidable rival.

What's more, there was already bad blood between them; they'd fought before, and he'd suffered a silent defeat.

So Thick Brows had been pondering whether he might "accidentally" injure Rein during sparring—ideally to the point where he couldn't even hold a sword!

"Begin!"

As Humbert shouted, Rein and Thick Brows simultaneously thrust forward with their swords, but Rein immediately noticed that Thick Brows' sword was slightly faster.

This was due to the natural advantages of Thick Brows' taller stature and longer arms, combined with his more practiced grasp of basic swordsmanship.

With no hesitation, Rein quickly changed tactics and used a solid sword block to deflect Thick Brows' direct thrust.

"Thud!"

The clash of ironwood swords produced a muffled sound.

Rein staggered back three steps, while Thick Brows only backed up once. Clearly, Thick Brows had the upper hand.

Thick Brows showed a satisfied expression!

Kid, no matter how talented you are, it'll take at least half a year before you stand a chance against me.

But Rein remained calm; he'd fully anticipated this outcome.

From a height standpoint, Thick Brows had nearly a full head over him, which naturally gave him a longer reach.

This proved to be a significant advantage in sparring.

Moreover, Thick Brows had been honing basic swordsmanship for nearly two years—far beyond Rein's current Level 2 basic swordsmanship tier.

Rein estimated that Thick Brows' skill level translated to system terms somewhere at or close to Level 3.

Rein persistently fended off Thick Brows' attacks, narrowly avoiding calamity each time!

While there was no actual danger to life, the heavy blows of the ironwood sword still caused intense pain!

*"If I don't enhance my swordsmanship level, this match is doomed to be a loss!"*

*"Why did Instructor Humbert pair me against Thick Brows for sparring? Was it to make me experience failure so I'd push myself harder, or was it to provoke my latent potential?"*

"Thud! Thud! Thud!" The dull sound of ironwood swords continued to echo!

Meanwhile, Humbert stood with his arms folded, watching the match expressionlessly.

He'd already made his judgment: barring anything unexpected, Thick Brows should emerge victorious.

Experiencing minor setbacks should drive Rein to give chase! Good steel requires hammering to be forged!

At this moment, Cleya, tall and proud, led a procession of noble sons and merchant heirs, riding spirited horses into the outer castle courtyard, evidently having just finished equestrian training.

From their elevated position, they quickly noticed two young servants sparring.

The sweaty Rein also discerned Thick Brows' hostility!

Several times, his opponent made deliberate motions targeting vulnerable spots.

*"Shit! He's got bad intentions?"*

*"No wonder this bastard's been so quiet lately—he was waiting for this moment!"*

*"Injure me? Leave me bedridden for one or two months?"*

*"Damn it! Enough is enough!"*

Rein's face hardened with resolve!

Add points!

As he decisively invested one Skill Point, his basic swordsmanship instantly leveled up to Level 3. A flood of training-related memories surged into his mind.

Thick Brows noticed Rein's momentary hesitation.

He sneered internally, "*Perfect opportunity!*"

With a slight smirk, he aimed a vicious step-forward downward slash at Rein's right shoulder.

If the strike landed, Rein would be out for ten days or more—and possibly unable to train in swordsmanship for months.

But as Thick Brows closed in, Rein suddenly felt as though the ironwood sword in his hand was an extension of his body, moving with instinctive precision!

In a flash, Rein used a solid cross-block once more.

"Thud!"

The ironwood swords clashed again, producing the same dull sound.

This time, however, Rein held firm and didn't retreat!

Taking advantage of the rebound force from the collision, Thick Brows turned and executed a spinning downward strike—aiming once again at Rein's face, swift and ruthless.

Thick Brows' mood soared as he performed the move!

It was an optimal strike, the pinnacle of his current ability.

From his perspective, Rein had zero chance of blocking it!

Once this was over, he could pretend it was an accidental injury and even stage a little drama!

*Haha, "One-Eyed Rein"—what a great nickname!*

Thick Brows' lips curled sharply as he made the strike.

The boldness of the move elicited gasps from the surrounding boys who were watching.

George, filled with worry, stared at Rein, uncertain whether his close friend could defend against such an attack.

Instructor Humbert tensed, prepared to intervene to stop the strike!

Rein felt a sudden jolt of alarm, and then instinctively powered through with a rapid lean backward, placing his sturdy sword horizontally in front to intercept Thick Brows' fierce blow.

Then, using his core muscles, he swiftly straightened up and counterattacked.

"Smack!"

Thick Brows' wrist took a heavy blow from Rein, causing his ironwood sword to drop loudly to the ground!

The reversal in fortune stunned the young servants watching—they were dumbfounded!

For a moment, the area fell silent!

*"Huh! This kind of instinctive swordsmanship intuition—seems I underestimated him after all!"* Humbert's heart was filled with surprise and a hint of excitement.

From a distance, Cleya—Habsburg Earl's youngest daughter—let a spark of recognition flash in her bright eyes.

*"Shadia mentioned this black-haired boy once... Rein, wasn't it? His father is a tenant farmer—a clean background. Interesting, perhaps... he's worth developing?"*

If he truly showed talent, she wouldn't hesitate to give him a chance.

But...

Whether he could seize the opportunity depended entirely on his performance.

"Rein wins!" Instructor Humbert immediately proclaimed, his face reflecting approval.

Thick Brows stared expressionlessly at Rein's departing figure, but deep inside, resentment blossomed!

*"Rein, enjoy your victory while you can! Wait and see!!*"*

He had already concocted another plan to deal with Rein!

Originally, he'd felt above such things.

But Rein's rapid progress was unnerving!

Fast enough to inspire a sense of dread!

Thick Brows' family owned a tavern, and he was acquainted with many unsavory figures.

Take Drunken Jack, for example—once a mercenary, skilled and capable!

Walking off the grounds, Rein suddenly froze!

Moments later, he beamed with delight.

The system notification appeared:

[Your skill Basic Swordsmanship has leveled up, Experience +17]

[You've completed a sparring match, Militia Professional Experience Points +9]

*"A short sparring session yielded 9 points of Professional Experience—about equivalent to two days of training!"*

*"Looks like everything Instructor Humbert said was spot on!"*

*"Sparring repeatedly with opponents of similar skill is the best way to improve swordsmanship quickly!"*

For a moment, Rein felt that Thick Brows wasn't entirely insufferable...