Only One King (5)

"I salute my Master!" 

Cain prostrated himself three times towards Brixton, swearing oaths.

"I swear on my honor and dignity that I will not betray you unless you betray me." 

Brixton couldn't help smiling, "Please straighten up young master."

Cain raised his head and looked at Brixton. There was no expression on his face, but his eyes were trembling. He exhaled deeply in disgust as he clenched his fists. However, he made sure he didn't let anything show. 

I'f only he didn't have to be so cautious...

'If he didn't have to hold himself back...

In spite of everything, he had to bear it and keep it bottled up. It wasn't time yet. There were too many people in the Ashborne Family who wanted to take his life. When his abilities were revealed, this number would increase several times and there would be people who wanted to kill him at all costs.

'It's not time yet...'

"Master, the Star that forms around my heart is not angular. Rather, it looks very much like a nucleus. Will this interfere with my application of the Ashborne Family's techniques?" 

"I don't think so," Brixton continued in a low voice after checking his surroundings to ensure the students were not awake. "To use the Ashborne Family's techniques, you must learn to convert Mana into Aura. Only then will your Mana gain its own identity." 

"Identity?" 

"Yes. Auras are divided into different types. Although each person usually has a unique Aura, there is a type of Aura that rarely appears in the Ashborne Family. Dark Star Aura, the level of sharpness and durability of this type of aura is several times higher than other Aura types. It is found in the best Dark Knights of the era." 

Cain rubbed his chin. Since he had just created his star, he had taken the first steps to become a Dark Knight. After that, he would increase his Mana level and start learning techniques. He trusted his talent and perception.

Time passed quickly as Brixton continued to tell what he knew. Cain continued to listen to Brixton without interrupting him once. He had asked him so many questions about the Ashborne Family and Sword Mastery that Brixton was getting tired after a while.

"Let's talk about this later. From now on, I'll give you two hours of private instruction per day. We need to get back to class." 

Brixton smiled and patted Cain's head. 

"Understood, Master. But we need to time it well. The eyes on me are unrelenting. I'm watched every second, especially within the confines of the manor and castle." 

The only time he could talk without the others knowing was during lessons.

"From today onwards, I will teach meditation for three hours a day, during which I will pass on what I know, and two hours of practical combat training. You will need to gain combat experience by practicing with your peers." 

"Actually, I have an idea..." 

Cain whispered at a level that only Brixton could hear. Brixton nodded his head in the affirmative when he heard the idea.

After a short conversation, Brixton had decided how to train Cain. He couldn't help but be disappointed when he realized that he would have to teach everything in secrecy. Although the teachers at the Dark Sword Castle could not take students, some exceptions could be made.

But the fact that Cain was the seventh young master completely canceled that out.

When a few of the meditating students' breathing began to become unstable, Brixton cleared his throat and took his place in the center of the practice field.

Almost all of the students had fallen asleep. There were even snorers among them. Different expressions sometimes appeared on the faces of the children whose bodies were filled with peace.

"Wake up, everyone." 

When the sleeping students heard this harsh voice, they woke up with a start. Their faces were red with embarrassment and their eyes were filled with surprise. They had started the lesson in the morning, but it was already evening.

Brixton cleared his throat and drew attention to himself.

"It is normal to fall asleep because it is your first experience. However, if you make such a mistake in the future, I will break your legs. Since this is a process, you should not rush. But don't let yourself go too much."

He turned his cold gaze on Cain.

The sandy soil around Cain was a reddish color. There was still some blood on his lips. His face was white. You could tell he had internal injuries.

"A friend of yours almost lost his life today. Because of his greed, he almost ruptured his Mana's veins."

A few of the children giggled and laughed.

"Even as a young master, you can fail." 

"Tsch, if only Mana had torn his veins. There would have been no chance of trouble for young master Vladimir." 

"The idiot's causing trouble again." 

Cain was not popular with his classmates. Their parents saw them once a week and gave them information about the outside world. Everyone knew that Cain was one of the heirs of the Ashborne family and not someone they should talk to.

Everyone had a faction they were close to. These children were a reflection of their families who wanted to gain a place in their faction. No one was on Cain's side.

"Ahem! Don't talk among yourselves and listen to me. You have learned what it is like to meditate. Now you will practice meditation for 2 hours a day. The rest of the time, you will train in fitness and martial arts." 

"That's all for today. Be back here tomorrow at the same time." 

---

The children got up from the sandy soil and shook off their clothes. 

"Are you hungry?" 

"Sort of..." 

"Shall we go to the cafeteria?" 

It was getting dark. They all felt tired because they hadn't eaten anything since morning and were mentally exhausted. After a good meal in the cafeteria, they would retire to their dormitories.

Of course, there was one exception.

"Student Cain, you are grounded! You will have to train for two extra hours until you learn to meditate!"

Cain bowed his head as he was chastised by Brixton. It was embarrassing to be chastised in front of the others. The boys, who did not like him, were even happier at the sight. He was such a failure, even though he was one of the heirs of a noble dynasty.

After the students had left, the assistants came to tidy up the training ground. Brixton sent them off the field with the excuse that Cain needed private tuition. After a while, there were only two of them left.

"I don't know how long we can keep this up." 

"We'll have to manage until we find a new solution, Master." 

Brixton nodded. For a while, they would hide under the excuse that Cain was taking extra tuition. It would buy them some time.

"Are you sure you want to start today, Cain?" 

"Yes, Master."

The only thing he didn't have was time.

Cain had to find the person who wanted to kill him as soon as possible. He didn't know where the attack would come from. He was also at a serious disadvantage because he did not know his enemy. But his enemy knew more about him than Cain knew about himself.

"First, let's find out where you are."

There were many factors that determined the power of war. The most important of these was battle IQ. If a person knew what to do in battle, he would have the opportunity to defeat even superior people.

What Brixton wanted to focus on was to improve Cain's combat ability and create a foundation where he could learn the skills as soon as possible.

"Take off your shirt and attack me any way you want." 

Cain didn't hesitate for a moment as he took off his clothes. He took off his grey training suit and was left only in his shorts. He was a little shorter than his peers. The last measurements showed his height to be 125 centimeters. Because he always wore loose robes, he looked rather skinny.

But when he took off his top, his body was revealed.

Brixton couldn't help being surprised.

This was not the physique of an eight-year-old. Most children were able to achieve the physiques of professional bodybuilders at a young age because they had been doing simple physical training since they were young or because they were born with superior genes. 

But he was too skinny for an eight-year-old.

Cain expressionlessly threw aside his clothes, spread his arms, and took his stance. His stance was very simple, yet incredibly solid. Brixton also gave him strange feelings. There was no reaction he could give anymore as he was surprised after surprise.

Brixton opened his arms with a smile and provoked Cain.

Cain's face was rock-hard and emotionless. Without saying anything, he closed the distance with firm steps. He had a calmness not expected from an eight-year-old boy. Brixton's smile slowly gave way to a serious expression.

He felt uneasy as if he were facing an ex-soldier.

Cain approached slowly until the distance between them was a meter.

"The first attack-" 

Brixton opened his mouth and a handful of sand went into his mouth and eyes.

Shaaa! 

Brixton felt a pain in his right wrist as a terrifying killing intent erupted.

Bam!