Chapter 30: DAVID VS NO ONE!

The instructor's mouth twitched in a barely suppressed smirk. His plan was transparent as oiled glass. He meant to stage a public flogging, a masterclass in the gulf between pampered nobles and the men who bled steel for their keep. By choosing Marvin, the greenest recruit with fear radiating off him like a beacon, the instructor intended a "teaching moment" for David, a brutal reminder of his inexperience.

A ripple of anticipation snaked through the assembled trainees. This wasn't just a sparring session anymore; it was a spectacle, a clash of worlds. David, a lone figure amidst the seasoned warriors, stood resolute. Perhaps he didn't grasp the full weight of the situation, but his chin remained stubbornly high.

This was no longer a whim; it was a gauntlet thrown down, and David, fueled by a mix of bravado and a desperate need to prove himself, was ready to pick it up.Marvin, meanwhile, was a picture of abject terror. His eyes darted between the instructor's steely gaze and David's unyielding stance.

He, a fledgling barely grasping the weight of his sword, was thrust into the crucible. This wasn't just a spar; it was an ordeal by steel, a test not just of David's skill, but of his very mettle. The clang of practice swords against wood would soon echo, and with it, the answer to the unspoken question: would David be a laughingstock, or would he defy the odds stacked against him?A bead of sweat trickled down Marvin's temple, leaving a glistening track through the grime of training.

He'd steeled himself, not against David, but against the disappointment in the instructor's eyes. A week in the platoon had already sculpted his once-soft hands, callouses forming under the relentless grip of the wooden sword he now held.

He eyed David, who stood unarmed, a relaxed slouch contrasting the young recruit's tense stance."Young master," Marvin stammered, a touch of defiance battling the nervousness in his voice, "aren't you going to pick up a weapon?"David chuckled, a sound that grated against the seriousness of the situation.

He stretched lazily, his blue eyes glinting with something that could be audacity or amusement – it was hard to tell. "Don't need one," he declared, his voice deceptively smooth.Murmurs of disapproval rippled through the gathered soldiers.

Was this lordling so out of touch, so convinced of his birthright that he thought he could waltz through a duel unarmed? Even the instructor, his expression usually a mask of stoicism, couldn't hide a flicker of surprise.But then, a slow, predatory smile spread across his face. Maybe this wouldn't be the public humiliation he'd envisioned.

Maybe, just maybe, this young master would receive a baptism by reality far more brutal than a simple defeat at the hands of a greenhorn.Marvin, his confusion giving way to a surge of anger, tightened his grip on the hilt. Being looked down upon by a pampered noble, especially during his first sparring session, was a bitter pill to swallow. He lowered himself into a fighting stance, his jaw set.

"I won't go easy on you, young master," he warned, the defiance in his voice now unmistakable. This wouldn't be a showcase of David's incompetence; it would be a test of his true worth, a clash of raw determination against an unlikely opponent. The clang of wood on flesh would soon tell the tale, etching a new chapter in both their stories.

A smirk played on David's lips as he watched Marvin lower his practice sword in a drawing stance, the young recruit's eyes narrowed in fierce concentration. David, however, remained nonchalant, hands casually tucked in his pockets. This posture, a picture of relaxed indifference, only fueled the fire in Marvin's gut.

He wanted this over quickly, a clean victory to prove himself to the instructor and silence the snickers of the other soldiers.The instructor barked the command, "Begin!" and for a split second, a flicker of movement flickered across David's form. It was so swift, so subtle, that most would have missed it entirely. But for Marvin, charging in with the raw aggression of a rookie, was the difference between victory and a very rude awakening.

One moment he was lunging forward, the next, the world seemed to tilt on its axis. A gust of wind, a sudden disorientation, and then… nothing. Panic clawed at his throat as his vision swam, his body draining of strength.

A collective gasp rippled through the gathered soldiers. "What the…" one sputtered, his voice barely a whisper. Another stared slack-jawed, disbelief etched on his face. Where was David? Had he vanished into thin air?

The answer came in a blur. David, who moments ago had been a picture of casual defiance, materialized inches from Marvin's bewildered face. His movements were a whirlwind, a single, precise strike aimed at the young recruit's gut.

The impact was brutal.A choked cry ripped from Marvins lips as the air whooshed out of his lungs. His body, propelled by the force of the blow, arced through the air like a ragdoll before slamming with a sickening thud against the training ground wall.Silence descended, thick and heavy. The soldiers gaped, their initial amusement replaced by stunned awe.

David, his chest heaving slightly, watched the groaning Marvin, the echo of the blow still hanging in the air. This wasn't a defeat; it was an obliteration. In the blink of an eye, David had not only defeated his opponent, but had defied the limitations they'd all placed upon him.

He wasn't just a pampered noble; he was an enigma, a force to be reckoned with. And the training grounds, once a stage for mockery, had now become the platform where David had etched his name, not with a clang of steel, but with the stunned silence of his newfound peers.Dust swirled in the fading sunlight, settling around a crumpled Marvin who groaned against the training ground wall.

The stunned silence stretched, punctuated only by the laboured breaths of the soldiers. David, chest heaving slightly, stood above the scene, not a single bead of sweat. His gaze, no longer nonchalant, held a spark of challenge that met the instructor's directly."Is that all?" David's voice echoed, a hint of amusement laced with a dangerous edge.

The instructor blinked, the smirk he'd worn for Marvin's charge evaporating faster than morning mist. He'd planned a public display, a lesson in the harsh realities of war that pampered nobles often forgot. Instead, he'd witnessed a one-sided beatdown, delivered with an almost supernatural swiftness.

A vein throbbed in the instructor's temple, a testament to the simmering anger beneath his forced composure. "Excellent, young master," he gritted out, the praise heavy with sarcasm. His smile, if it could be called that, stretched tight across his face, revealing clenched teeth."Would you mind sparring with me next?" he inquired, the request barely masking a challenge. His reputation, once secure in the dominance over his men, had taken a brutal hit. He needed, at the very least, to salvage a shred of dignity.

David regarded him, a slow smile curling his lips. This wasn't the same instructor who'd dismissed him moments ago. This was a man stripped bare of his initial contempt, forced to acknowledge David's hidden power.

"Very well," David agreed, a predatory glint flashing in his eyes. "Let's see what this 'excellent' looks like from your end."The air crackled with anticipation. The soldiers, no longer snickering onlookers, resembled a rapt audience.

David, the unassuming noble, had turned the tables. This wasn't just a sparring match anymore; it was a duel, a clash between a seasoned warrior and a man wielding an unknown power. The sun cast long shadows on the training grounds, a silent witness to the battle that was about to unfold, a battle that would redefine David's place in the castle.