Part 20

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The third year of school was beginning. A new person had replaced Principal Huang Zhong, who had left with the colonel he praised. The silent Fang rarely interacted with the students, unlike his predecessor. More often than not, the gaunt old man locked himself in his office and went about his personal business, leaving the education of the children to the teachers. Having seen the new headmaster only on the first day of the third year, Guan Yu never met him again within the school walls.

The old man wandered around as a quiet shadow, hiding from other people's eyes. Looking closely and marking something in his notebook, he deftly manoeuvred between buildings, remaining in the shadows. The inconspicuous garb only made Fang's job easier. Black robes were more appropriate for a caretaker than a man of noble birth in a high position.

Pushing aside thoughts of the new head of the institution, Yuu focused all his attention on Teacher Leng. Their class was in a training room that he and Chou practically never left, spending all their free time practising their skills. Recalling the last training session before the general classes started, Guan Yu covered his eyes.

Under Uncle Padou's supervision, the two children had progressed faster than before. The fat warehouse master turned out to be an amazing teacher. In response to a fair question from an orphan about burying his talent, Padu, embarrassed, replied that he was more interested in dusty warehouses and counting property than in working with children. He had only taken them up at the request of his favourite nephew.

Large in appearance, Padu was quick enough to whack away. Alternating between sword and fire magic, the man tried to move less, not wasting his stamina, but he was always quick to deflect attacks and strike ahead. In general, the man's battle tactics were very different from anything Yui had seen. Smooth movements and sliding blocks with sharp lunges of fire magic were disorienting. Whereas classic flame conquerors acted sharply and quickly, and Petty Officer Ping with his negative Jing was slow and calculating, Padou's actions were inexplicable. He could swirl his blade with funkiness, only to lunge at the enemy like a cat in the next second. His movements were mesmerising and relaxing, until the frisky fat man gave the boys a savoury kick.

Unable to bear it, Guan Yu rushed for answers. Inundating the man with questions, the excited child was confused by the words, but the owner of the warehouse extracted the essence for himself. Laughing and stroking his voluminous belly, he sat down on the sand, inviting his pupils to sit opposite him.

-I once served in the navy, defending our northern waters from an attack by the Northern Water Tribe.

A friendly exclamation of surprise mixed with admiration made the large man laugh merrily. Patting his knees, he waited until the children had calmed down to continue the story.

-Our squadron has often encountered the warriors and mages of the Water Tribe-.

-But uncle! I thought they took no part in the war.

Slapping his interrupting nephew with a backhand, the man leaned on his right arm, smiling sadly.

-That's a common misconception. Every month our flotillas are missing ships in the North Sea. The bulk of the army may be defending their huge city-state of Agne Kel, but saboteurs and volunteers keep our troops ashore and at sea.

Grinning wickedly, the man straightened and furrowed his brows. A look of steely brown eyes cut through the kind and pleasant face. There was no trace of the amusing fat man left.

-Memorise well, do not underestimate them. The Water Tribe is a harsh people, hardened by their land. Like water, they circle the rocks they cannot destroy, slowly undermining them until they are completely wiped out. Never relax in battle with them, once you let your guard down,' Padu's sharp jerk went unnoticed as the two boys hung in the air, clutched by powerful hands around the collar of their robes, 'they will kill you without pity or regret.

Releasing the children, the warehouse owner adjusted his rumpled clothes. Raising his hands conciliatingly, he resumed his disposing smile, and his eyes looked with care and warmth.

-After arriving for duty in those accursed icy waters, many of my friends parted with their lives after making that mistake.

Exhaling tiredly, the man drooped his head. Patting himself on the cheeks, he shook off the obsession to continue his impromptu lecture.

-It was then that I learnt this style. When I encountered the warriors and mages of the Water Tribe in battle, I memorised and reworked their movements to our liking. Just as skilled masters of water magic subdue the elements, so my martial art requires subduing my passions and our national rage. The skill of waiting and controlling one's emotions is one of the main pillars of this teaching. Water is not only a weapon but also a virtue; if one seeks to comprehend it only for destruction, nothing will come of it.

The children's expressive look at the man's belly caused a new portion of laughter among all the participants, diluting the tense conversation with positive notes.

-Yes, you're right. Not all of my passions have been dealt with.

Chou raised his hand and waited for his uncle to pay attention to him. An authorising nod of the head, and the boy jumped to his feet with impatience.

-I beg you, uncle! Teach me!

Padu's kind smile faded, leaving a frown of thoughtfulness on his face. Standing to his feet, he took a few steps back. Examining his nephew bouncing with impatience, the man arched an eyebrow sceptically. Watching the pantomime, Yu concealed his laughter with the palm of his hand. Standing beside Chou, he began to whisper quickly in his ear, breaking into occasional chuckles.

-He spoke of humility and waiting.

Chou's movements slowed as he explained, and by the end of the sentence he had folded his hands behind his back, staring expectantly at his relative. Padu came close to the boy and placed his huge palms on his shoulders, not intentionally pressing the child to the ground.

-I'm sorry nephew, but I'm afraid you don't have the stamina to study it, so there's no point in even starting.

Upset by the refusal, the child stoically accepted the answer. Lowering himself to the sand and pouting his lips, the boy angrily looked anywhere but at the warehouse owner.

-And Yuu doesn't seem to fit in!

The muttering was heard by the orphan. Looking questioningly at Padou, he received a quick negative reply. Shaking his head, the classmate's uncle clasped his hands together at his waist.

-I'm sorry guys, but both of you can't fathom this knowledge. Chou is too hot-tempered and aggressive, while Yu is too direct and inflexible. For full mastery, you need not only physical data but also a state of mind that will help you achieve mastery in training.

Glancing over, the two disciples exhaled disappointedly.

Memories rushed through their minds faster than the wind. Deciding that he could mourn the missed opportunity another time, Yu followed Teacher Lang closely. Walking around in front of the formation, he explained the simple rules of behaviour in the gym. Safety precautions and the most important condition of training. Weapons stay here, none of the students dare to take them outside the hall. Only the warehouse manager or the teachers.

-And now we'll spar. We'll test your initial capabilities and compare them with the results at the end of the year.

Excited whispers spread through the rows of pupils. With difficulty the children restrained themselves from talking. As they pierced the teacher with their gaze, they brought an understanding grin to the man's face. Like anyone else present, he preferred theory to practice, and what was the best practice for future soldiers? Battle, of course.

Breaking into pairs, the class began to fight. One after another, the duels took place, evoking feelings of superiority and dejection in Chou and Yu's soul. Over the past year, they had paid little attention to other people's successes, which they now regretted. Both boys had expected that their classmates would be able to diversify their training by providing new opponents with different styles and skills, but the reality was disappointing.

Most of the kids used the sword as a stick altogether. In a general fight, standing side by side with their comrades would be enough, but in duels, the military school students were turning into a pair of bullies that didn't share territory. Sand throwing, tripping, wrestling - all this they practised in joint classes. A dog fight often happened on the battlefield, so experienced military men immediately hammered into the heads of their charges that they should use any methods.

Disappointedly looking at the next couple of fighters, Yu next walked to the centre of the arena. Standing in front of another faceless disciple whose name the orphan didn't even remember, he darted forward without hiding the pity in his eyes. Enraged by this look, the classmate was about to hurl a couple of insults when a combination of blows hit him in the chest, arm, and thigh. Falling to his uninjured side, the boy screamed as he let go of the iron sword.

Feeling a sense of deja vu, Yu looked around. The hushed children were looking at the victor with a strange expression on their faces. Even Teacher Lang made a strange grimace, sinking into past memories. When snotty sobs rang out from the sand, Yu came out of his prostration and headed towards the teacher.

-Teacher Lang, I think I broke his arm..... Again.

-Yes... I'll be right back.

The next situation was not much different from last time. Only now, Guan Yu didn't feel ashamed of the damage he had done. If his classmates didn't want to learn how to fight, it wasn't his fault. They had plenty of time to master more of the school curriculum, but instead they were having fun and playing childish games.

The consequences of this behaviour came back immediately. Principal Fang summoned the culprit to his office. As if on his way to the scaffold, Yu was escorted by various looks from his classmates. Some gloated and others shook their heads sympathetically, only Chou stood with a tired look, as if to say, 'I knew it.'

The journey to the headmaster's office passed in tense silence. The closed-helmeted guard sent after him didn't utter a word even when they arrived at the place. Shaking his head towards the door, the armour-clad man froze in place, unresponsive to questions from the child.

Walking inside, Yu gazed around the room for the first time. There were various rumours about Huang Zhong's office, as he would not let anyone in there, wanting to settle matters on the spot. Unlike the new owner who often invited the guilty to his office. Looking around, the boy came across the gaze of Principal Fang's attentive grey eyes.

In the semi-darkness of the room, his glasses glittered as the flames moved, casting an intimidating glare. Clasping his hands in front of his face, he rested his elbows on the tabletop, completely hiding the lower part of his face.

-Have you had enough?

A cold, penetrating voice, devoid of any emotion, echoed through the room. It sounded like someone sharpening a blade, which was exactly the association the boy had formed.

-I'm sorry, Mr Headmaster, a student of the third...

-I know. Guan Yu, the son of Captain Li who died in battle three years ago. The ward of Petty Officer Ping, who teaches you the guan dao, the weapon your family is named after.

The quiet, terrifying voice was chilling to the bone. His hands trembled relentlessly, and the orphan's eyes ran from corner to corner just to avoid meeting the headmaster's gaze.

-Yes...

-I didn't ask a question. If you answer without authorisation again, you will be punished. Understood?

-Yes!

-Good, you have an excellent academic record, especially in the physical disciplines. And your weapons skills are rated much higher than a prospective infantryman.

Swallowing viscous saliva, Yu didn't know what to expect next. The headmaster's speech didn't provide any clarity. This whole situation was too strange and frightening.

-I have an offer for you,' Fang continued, waiting for the boy to calm down, 'You will be transferred to a special class where your best skills will be developed. If you successfully complete your studies, you will have a good future ahead of you. What do you say?

Without thinking about the answer, Yu immediately agreed. Studying in his previous class doesn't bring the right results anymore, at this rate, he'll be stuck at his level forever. The fate of being a sword grease for shrews was not very appealing, and with Ping gone, there was no one to improve his skills with the halberd.

-I agree.