Swordsmanship

Leus went outside first, And after a couple of minutes Blaze came with the two wooden swords again

Leus caught his sword and asked Blaze

"Dad, What happened exactly?"

"Since you're a Soldier, you can't see auras, but you can definitely feel them.

What happened was that I unleashed an oppressive aura. In battles, such auras and even killing intents are typical.

When someone more powerful unleashes such an aura, it might be a bit much for you.

However, once you get used to it, you will learn to ignore it and concentrate on your magic."

Blaze then added

"But until then, or in situations where you're unable to use your Magic because your opponent is too close, A sword will be of great help"

Leus asked

"So, I'll be stronger if I learn how to fight with a sword?"

Blaze pointed at the wooden sword in his hand and said

"Exactly, That's why we have these now!"

Suddenly, Blaze spoke in a very serious tone

"Leus, If you agree, I'll stop getting jobs and focus on only training your swordsmanship for the next six months."

The offer was sudden, Leus hesitated for a second

"Are you sure, Dad? You already said that you need jobs now"

Blaze waved his hand

"Don't worry, I know how to handle myself.

If you work hard, it'll pay off. Being good at both sword and magic, especially at your age, is impressive.

But you must know, training won't be easy, and we won't take breaks. We've only got six months, and after that, your apprenticeship will take up most of your time.

If we build a strong foundation now, you'll not only get stronger but also improve your overall physical condition, Allowing you to evolve further.

What's your decision, Leus?"

Leus' reply was immediate

"Yes, Let's do it"

Blaze nodded

"Then your first lesson begins now."

"Hold your sword with both hands, I'll teach you how to take a stance"

Leus held his sword with both hands and imitated Blaze's posture

"Straighten your back, and evenly distribute your weight between your feet.

Your feet should be shoulder-width apart, One foot facing the direction of your opponent, and the other should be slightly turned away.

Also, Lower your body a bit

Most importantly, Make sure that your head remains still when you move forward or backward."

After Blaze explained the posture he demonstrated it to Leus

It took Leus many tries to perfect it, But eventually, he was able to get the stance right

Blaze continued

"Now that you'll mainly depend on your magic, It's better for you to use your sword for defense and use magic for ranged attacks, So what you should do now is maintain this posture but change the Sword's grip and direction, Like this"

Blaze held his sword with both hands and aimed it slightly upward, And Leus was mimicking him

"Hold the handle with a very strong grip, Leus"

When Blaze was satisfied with Leus' stance he said

"Good, This is one of the most basic postures.

This stance will allow you to both deflect attacks and keep your opponent at a distance.

However, Swords are heavy, Now that you're holding a wooden sword you aren't feeling that, But with a real sword you'll become tired if you stay in this stance for long ... Until you become stronger at least"

After Leus mastered the first posture, Blaze took another stance

He held the sword close to his shoulder, The tip of the sword pointing upwards behind him, And asked Leus to imitate him

"No, Don't let the blade touch you, Keep it barely above your shoulder.

You can't let the blade touch you unless you're wearing armor or if it's a single-edged sword, but even then I don't recommend that.

Carry your sword yourself"

Leus adjusted himself and followed Blaze's instructions

After Leus got it right, Blaze explained

"This posture will give you good control over your surroundings, At the same time, It will give you enough freedom, Allowing you to attack or parry from multiple directions.

However, You'll need to transition quickly, Speed is very important when you're using this stance"

After he was done, Blaze relaxed his body and focused on Leus

"Keep on switching between these two stances, and slash/thrust with your sword between switching stances and after taking a posture.

Make sure to never misplace your feet and keep your weight evenly distributed, Your posture is very important"

' ... This is a lot more complicated than I thought'

'Can't I just hold the sword and slash it around?'

Naturally, Leus didn't voice out any of his thoughts and followed Blaze's instructions

Occasionally, He lost his balance, but every time that happened Blaze helped him to get it back correctly

After an unknown number of improper slashes and weak thrusts, Blaze decided that it was enough for today.

'What's important is being able to both attack and maintain the stance at the same time, Even if the attack is bad or incorrect it doesn't matter, For now.'

"Leus, Good job, Enough for today, It's already late.

Tomorrow we'll have a lot to do"

Leus looked around him

It was late but Leus used to train his magic further into the night, And he didn't feel like stopping now

"I want to train for more time"

Blaze looked at him for a couple of seconds and said

"Fine, But don't push yourself too hard and get burned out.

Also, Physical training is not at all like Magical training, The consumed mana will be regained from the atmosphere by resting or sleeping but the damaged or hurt muscles won't heal as fast at your level, So the pain will remain.

Keep that in mind, And if you wish to continue I won't stop you.

If you need instructions or help you can ask me, Make sure to sleep early because we'll get up early and start training"

Leus nodded

"I understand, Dad"

Blaze patted Leus' head and then went back inside

Leus remained for some more time trying to maintain his posture while slashing and thrusting with his sword,

But he couldn't continue for long

'My arms are paining and my body is tired, Also, I'm sweating a lot'

Leus decided to take a shower and sleep, Marking the end of his first swordsmanship session.