Martial Covenant (being edited)

[VANE'S POV]

The events after my duel didn't allow for any training.

Bombarded with questions for advice, and praise—courtesy of my good relations with the soldiers, but there existed some harboring hostility.

Nevertheless, after a hearty feast in the cafeteria, I bid goodbye to the soldiers who wanted me to stay, but I had something else I wanted to do.

I inquired the soldiers about Barbados, and I got to know his lodging amid our conversations.

He was nowhere to be found after my duel with him, and most of the soldiers left the training ground after my duel.

It seems I had garnered quite the popularity, as defeating Barbados, a reputed soldier, skyrocketed my standing.

But I knew better and knocked on the door.

"Who is it?" a deep voice resounded from the room, questioning my identity.

"Vane. I have something I'd like to ask, may I come in?" I asked politely.

"Alright, I'm coming, just wait for a moment," he said, making me wait for a short while before he opened the door.

"Come in." His musculature was accentuated by his casual wear, and he guided me into the room.

"Thank you," I moved into the room and my gaze fell on the monotonous room; white paint, with a bed, cupboard, table, and a small sofa.

He guided me to the sofa, and I obliged, facing him, who was sitting on the bed.

"What is it?" he asked, and I faced him, sincerely.

"Sir Barbados. I have a request that I hope you would consider seriously," I said, and his face contorted into that of slight confusion.

"Go on, I'll listen," with his approval, I nodded my head and continued.

"I sincerely request that you teach me the techniques of wielding a sword, would you please consider it?" I earnestly requested him, to which his brows raised in slight shock, and his eyes narrowed slightly.

He stared at me for a short while and placed his giant hand on his beard while looking up, seemingly contemplating.

I waited for a while; he didn't answer me, and I considered telling him something else, but he replied before I could;

"So you want me to be your mentor?" he asked, now looking at me, maintaining direct eye contact, which I didn't shy away from.

"Yes, Sir Barbados, I want you to become my mentor," my eyes unwavering in my resolution.

"Why should I? You're quite old already, and what can you offer; for me to take up your proposal?" he said, not directly rejecting me.

Honestly, I had nothing to offer. I couldn't offer him money; I didn't have any, nor did I have any extraordinary technique to offer.

I was asking for charity previously, but now, I hoped this would change his mind.

"Sir Barbados, weren't you curious about my master and his teachings?" I asked him.

"Yes, I was, go on, are you going to offer me his teachings?" he asked, catching onto my intentions.

"Precisely Sir, I'd like to offer his teachings for your mentorship," I proposed, nodding slightly as I did.

"Hmm… but what teachings can you offer me? I train in the sword, so would you offer his sword techniques? From what I saw, I don't desire them very much," he flatly said, revealing my true skills—'undesirable.'

"What if I said the way you were training was inefficient?" I posed, subsequently causing him to sharpen his gaze, peering into my eyes, curiosity in them.

"Go on," he urged, slightly leaning forward.

"Have you ever reached a plateau? Perhaps swinging your sword again and again has stopped providing results for you? Doing the same exercise yielded no further result?" I pointed out their inefficient techniques.

"That's true, every soldier faces martial stagnation at some point in their lives, and it is true that I've hit mine," he spoke in affirmation of my claims.

"Then, I know of various techniques that I could offer for you to overcome your plateau," I offered.

"Is that so? If they're so powerful, then why haven't you broken through to the next stage?" he asked, skepticism seeping through his tone.

"Who says I've hit my limit? Besides, the only reason I'm not progressing further is that I wish to remove impurities from my body before I progress further," I replied, a logical explanation for my state.

"…" he remained silent, knowing that my reasons were legitimate.

"Nevertheless, my master mainly trained me in the art of knife, because we couldn't afford swords back in the countryside, and my training in the sword was only for the few months he stayed, so I'm not that good," I told, to which his brows rose in shock, and he sharpened his gaze and immediately asked.

"Are you claiming you're a genius?" he questioned, and I immediately replied.

"Yes, and I'm not merely claiming it, I know I am one, otherwise, why would that drunk-head master of mine even choose to train me?" I faced him with a serene gaze, and relaxed my body, as I spoke with utter confidence.

"Vane, to defeat me even when I'm holding back that much must require skill, something many soldiers here lack, yet, you claim that you learned swordsmanship for a few months and defeat me? Do you take me for a fool?" he asked, feigning indignance with his eyes, but I saw through it.

"I do not, Sir Barbados. You should know from my eyes that I am not lying, and it is the truth that I am a genius, one in thousands, and with me as your disciple, you'd be tutoring one," every word was enunciated with absolute confidence, and Barbados seemed to be considering it seriously now.

"Sir Barbados, I shall be staying here tentatively; my options are many, with Remy offering his teachings willingly, and when I leave, you may never find someone like me ever again in this distant fortress, will you?" I pressured him.

"…" my words seemed to affect him, but he needed a final push to bring him to my side.

"Sir Barbados, you are not merely taking me in as a student; rather, you are benefiting yourself. After all, my previous offer still stands," when I uttered those words, it seemed that I had struck the iron while it was hot.

He looked at me and spoke;

"Alright, I will take you as my student, but there are a few conditions:

First—should you not be talented, I will immediately withdraw from mentoring you.

Second—you must provide me with the techniques to overcome my martial stagnation.

Third—should you end up being a genius, you must acknowledge my mentorship and credit my teachings.

These are my conditions. Do you accept?" he asked, his conditions reasonable, but I couldn't confirm, yet.

"Sir Barbados, shouldn't I first verify your offer first? You know what I can offer, yet I don't know your skills, do I?

I merely approached you because you held back to such an extent and gave me a hard time, while understanding my shortcomings, but if I don't know your skills, then how must I confirm that I receive the fair share of my deal?" As I said that, Barbados thought for a while before replying;

"I understand; if that's the case, then shall we have another bout?" he suggested.

"We shall, but is there another location where we can spar without an audience?" I questioned, but he was prepared.

"Yes, and if you're ready, we can go right now," Barbados offered, and I accepted, moving along with him to an area behind the warehouses, where not many roamed.

I requested my escorts to be the officiators of the duel, and they obliged.

Barbados and I stood opposite to each other, clad in leather armor and holding swords, both of which were his.

"Are you both ready?" the escort asked, and both of us nodded.

"Then, begin!" the moment he said that; Barbados immediately lunged at me.

His speed was similar to a peak mortal-stage warrior, but with his massive frame, he looked like a powerhouse.

He slashed at me, and I bound with his sword.

CLANG

But this time, he didn't push in.

He immediately pulled back his sword and attacked mine from the other side, pinning it to the ground, and immediately raised it to my neck.

"I win," he declared his win, finishing the duel within a matter of seconds, and I didn't even stand a chance.

"I matched my strength with yours, and all I used were dexterous movements," he said, but they weren't merely dexterous moves.

The moment he pulled back his sword, he would be left open.

Yet, his precision was impeccable, wasting close to no movements as his sword traveled to the opposite side of my sword, pinning it to the ground swiftly.

Needless to say, I wasn't surprised. After all, to have such fine control over your strength and technique required a level of skill.

"I'm convinced, Sir Barbados. I would like to be your student," I replied, forging my first genuine relation in this fantasy world.