Training

"Here I go!" 

Gilgamesh took a defensive stance and merely smiled at Eris's posture, who held a wooden sword above her hip. This was a practice battle, but for someone like Eris, it was much more than just a practice battle. She wanted to gauge her current skills against Gilgamesh's. 

"Very well, let's begin!" 

"Aaahhhhh!" Eris shouted as she advanced quickly with her sword aimed at Gilgamesh's chest, who showed many openings to be attacked. 

Boom! 

The first impact made both swords clash forcefully. That impact almost made Eris drop her sword, and she showed a furious expression as she used her left fist to attack Gilgamesh, who was in close proximity. 

"You're very predictable..." Gilgamesh showed no mercy and, in two swift movements, struck Eris's body, causing her to fall backward without her sword in her hand. 

"Eris, try it again!" Gilgamesh swung his wooden sword and looked at his opponent as if he expected much more from her. 

"As I thought, you're very strong, but this will help me better understand my strength..." Eris walked to her sword and lifted it with an intense expression on her face. 

When she took the lead, she attacked once more, but this time her strength and speed momentarily increased, causing Gilgamesh to take a defensive stance. This time, his gaze saw the flaws in the girl in front of him and all the qualities that made her a girl with great potential to grow. 

Her fighting style was interesting, and there was no doubt she would be an incredible swordswoman as she grew. However, at the moment, her small body imposed many limitations. Eris's arrogance and her lack of interest in assessing an opponent who was clearly stronger than her were playing against her. 

Under normal circumstances, Gilgamesh would have struck her until she was unconscious. However, knowing there was no reason to do so, he was a bit gentler, and his blows only landed on her exposed areas. 

Boom! Boom! Boom! 

Although the fight lasted much longer, it ended with the same result as before, and this time it took Eris much longer to recover. 

"You're very strong, but if you feel pain in your body, you should know those are your weaknesses. In the coming months, I'll personally teach you. Only in battle will you truly understand what it's like to be in a desperate situation." Gilgamesh took out a small red potion and handed it to Eris for her to drink. 

As he saw the tears in Eris's eyes, Gilgamesh's expression showed a hint of satisfaction. It had certainly been a bit tougher, but he had avenged a bit of how this girl had treated him before. 

Even though she's his fiancée, if she can't become stronger, she won't be part of his future plans. There's a possibility that she might become his wife, but not now, not even in a few years. At least she must experience life and make her own decisions. A king doesn't marry a woman just because she's beautiful; that would be an absurd and shallow choice. 

"So, Miss Eris, what will you do?" The smile on Gilgamesh's face had grown wider; he wanted to feel Eris's arrogance again, but it had been crushed by his presence. "I don't like simple people; I will be a king in the future, so you must become much more powerful to face stronger enemies than your dear teacher." 

Eris clenched her teeth and picked up her wooden sword, pointing it at Gilgamesh with a fiery tone. "I'll defeat you someday, so we'll fight until that happens." 

"If you land a single blow on me, it will be your victory, not because I'm arrogant, but because those are the odds." Gilgamesh placed his left hand on his sword hilt and said, "Also, I won't use my left hand, and I won't move from this spot." 

"Hah, is that what you call a fair fight? Aren't you too confident to take me lightly, knowing that I'm weak? Ha ha! What if I've been hiding my strength and surprise attack you?" Eris asked while looking at Gilgamesh with an obsessive expression. 

"You have a point... Arrogance is never a good thing in such cases," Gilgamesh lifted his wooden sword and continued, "But you're still weak." 

Eris grew increasingly annoyed at being called weak by Gilgamesh, so, without any further annoyance, she attacked at a much faster speed than she herself realized. This time, she attacked from below, using her short stature to deliver a low blow to Gilgamesh's feet, then quickly jumping back to avoid her opponent's sword. 

"Not bad, but you should know that distance doesn't matter in combat!" Gilgamesh threw his wooden sword, which struck Eris in the forehead. 

Boom! 

The strong blow didn't make her bleed, but she lost consciousness because of it. When the fight ended, Gilgamesh approached her and gave her another potion to drink. 

Sensing someone approaching from behind, Gilgamesh smiled and mentioned, "Don't you think I'm quite cruel to strike Miss Eris like this?" 

Ghislaine, who had walked slowly toward Gilgamesh, looked at Eris and then said, "You targeted her weak points; that potion you gave her enhanced her abilities, and in the next fight, she protected the areas you had previously hit. I don't usually strike Eris-sama that way, but there's no doubt your methods are very effective." 

She had been watching the fight to see how their skills would develop, but as the battle unfolded, it revolved around Eris alone and how Gilgamesh was helping her improve. Right from the start, she noticed that he didn't look at Eris with any sexual desires, unlike any other noble, and each of his movements was finely refined. 

Gilgamesh was unpredictable; one moment, he could be killing someone, and the next, he could be teaching someone swordsmanship. Ghislaine didn't know why, but every action of the prince in her presence seemed like he was searching for a path in this world, as if he somehow didn't know what to do. 

Ghislaine walked over to Eris and lifted her up, then glanced at Gilgamesh and thought: There are only two kinds of people who have that look, those who are very strong and those who have lived for a long time. For a child to have that look, they must have suffered so much to the point where they can't find meaning in their life later on. 

"It would be helpful if you could take her to her room; she won't wake up until tomorrow, but she'll be fine. I'm going to rest, and if you need me, I'll be in my room." Gilgamesh waved his hand and disappeared before Ghislaine, seemingly indifferent. 

"Very unpredictable..." Ghislaine muttered these words before walking into the castle.