meeting Dave.

I was dressed in a white Tai Chi suit with blue water decorations on the right side. I hadn't brought my sword or any weapons with me.

"Noah, where did you get those clothes? They're beautiful," Margaret inquired.

"I made them myself. I tried to look for something I liked, but I couldn't find anything, so I learned how to make my own clothes," I replied.

"Ah, you must make me an armor and a dress," she demanded.

"Hahaha, when I have time, I'll make you something," I chuckled.

We didn't have to wait long before a fancy black car arrived. I hopped in, and we drove to the Smith mansion. When we arrived, their property was five times the size of my house and even more stunning.

"Rich people are something else," I grumbled.

"Look who's talking," Marline retorted as she walked out.

"I can't compare myself to you all," I joked.

We shared a light, friendly hug and entered the mansion. "Is Clara not home?" I asked.

"She'll be back in the afternoon. She went to the army to make some preparations for her return," Marline explained.

"I see. Why did you buy the Chinese sword when you already had a better version of it?" I inquired.

"Well, my husband wants to give it to his nephew as a birthday gift."

"I understand. As a friend, I'd suggest not buying swords from auctions. They're often made from leftover metals I combine to create a sword. It might still be better than what's on the market, but as my friend, you deserve better," I advised.

She was taken aback and then smiled, "I appreciate that you see me as a friend, Noah," she said.

I gave her a knowing smile. "You know me, Marline," I replied.

"Sure," she said sarcastically.

We reached a room where a red-haired man was sitting. He stood up when he saw me entering.

"Welcome, young Noah. I was eagerly waiting for you," he greeted with a gentle smile, extending his hand for a handshake.

I reciprocated the handshake and returned the smile. "Pleasure meeting you, Mr. Smith."

"No, please call me Dave. I don't like formalities when I'm talking to people I respect," he said.

I was surprised by his informality but didn't insist. "Alright, you are exactly as the rumors say," I remarked.

He smiled. "I hope I didn't disappoint you," he joked.

"Please don't say that; you'd make me feel like you're making fun of me," I insisted.

He gestured for me to sit down, and I obliged.

"I was hoping you would bring your sword with you," Dave said with disappointment.

"I knew you would want it, so I made sure not to bring it. How can I take it back if you want to study it more?" I replied honestly.

This surprised Merline, who was sitting next to her husband, as well as Dave himself.

"You made the right choice; he hasn't given me back my weapon yet," she complained.

"It's just too good; I want to keep it," Dave admitted.

I chuckled. "Just give me the type of weapon you use, and I'll make you something that will keep you busy until your grandchildren graduate from college," I teased.

Dave's eyes sparkled with excitement. "You promise?" he asked.

I laughed. "Of course, I guarantee it on my pride as a swordsman."

"Okay, I use a Nihon-style sword. My master was from the 'Shogunate of Sakura,' and he taught me everything I know about the sword. I've always used Nihon swords," he explained.

I was genuinely excited. "Tell me, Dave, what's the name of your technique?" I asked.

He looked surprised but didn't think much of it. "It's called 'Hiroshi's Aerial Fury,' named after my teacher Hiroshi Saro. Since my qi is of the wind type, my fighting style is agile and fast," he explained.

I nodded. "I've always been waiting for a chance to make a Nihon sword. I'll create one for you that you'll want to use to challenge all your enemies just to show it off," I promised proudly.

"Hahahaha, I'll wait for it. Don't disappoint me, Noah," he reminded.

"Don't worry; I never make empty promises," I assured him.

"What do you want in return?" Marline asked.

I smiled. "I don't want money; I want techniques. You see, I have a sister who's just Rank 1, and I need to prepare a bunch of techniques for her to study. Additionally, I'd like a high-level mace technique for Margaret," I requested.

Dave was surprised, and Marline's eyes furrowed. Techniques weren't something you usually asked a family for.

Seeing their reactions, I clarified, "I don't want your family's techniques. Just obtain them from your enemies or elsewhere," I explained.

"Alright, don't worry. In three days, I'll send you all the techniques you want," Dave promised.

"But why didn't you ask for techniques for yourself?" Marline inquired.

"Oh, no, I'm not from a normal family. My parents left me techniques to learn, although most of them were related to medicine and alchemy. They did leave some other knowledge," I lied.

In reality, Old Noah's parents had left him money and a key with an address that he hadn't cared about and had thrown away. However, with my new perspective, I wanted to go through with it. There must be something important there. Since I had taken his body, I would take care of his problems. If his family had been good to him, I'd treat them like family. If they were awful, I'd treat them like enemies.

"Are you related to the Neemr family?" Dave suddenly asked.

I was surprised that he knew. "Yes, I didn't expect you to know, especially since Marline didn't recognize the name when I introduced myself," I explained.

"Well, I've met one of your family members years ago. She was a doctor in the Shogunate of Sakura, and she was a King Realm cultivator back then," he recalled.

"Ah, yes, my family members went to different places. They value medicine and knowledge more than fighting and territories. There's a branch of the family left behind in the Maghrebian Empire to guard the old place," I explained.

Marline was surprised. "Are you planning to go back?" she asked.

"No, my parents passed away when I was three, and I never met them. I don't know if they were good or bad people. I plan to visit when I'm strong enough. I've heard there's a grandmaster there, and I don't want to go and die if he turns out to be evil," I elaborated.