Highsword Style

Daniel and Wendy stood before Freud and the Sect Elder, the former with a calm face, while the latter's cheeks were flushed him embarrassment after her loss. She had looked down on Daniel, and that led to her defeat.

The elder examined the both of them for a minute before he spoke.

"Wendy, you made the mistake of thinking Daniel was weak, just because of the way he looked. His words of not judging a book by its cover was quite apt." The man rubbed his chin. "But, you fought well." He nodded at her. "Go back and think on this spar. You might learn a thing or two from this experience."

"That you, elder." She bowed before leaving. When she left, the elder turned to Daniel.

"Daniel... You did not mention to me that you were already a Pseudo-Sword Initiate." The man eyed Daniel with a critical gaze.

"I intended on doing so, but the situation wasn't exactly in my control." Daniel rubbed the back of his neck.

"Very well, then. I suppose the move you used was the so-called Highsword Style?"

"Yes. It has been passed down in my clan for the past three generations." Daniel affirmed. The Nine Peaks Elder nodded as he donned a thoughtful look, his hand caressing his chin.

"Very well, then. I have made my choice." He spoke, turning to face Daniel completely, his face the very embodiment of seriousness. "Welcome to the Nine Peaks Sect, Daniel. I am the Elder of the Nine Peaks Sect, Haman. And Freud is the current Head of the Sect. You will show him the same level of respect you would to me."

Suppressing his excitement, Daniel replied back with a leveled voice, bowing to thank the Sect Elder.

"Thank you for granting me this opportunity, Elder Haman. I will strive to meet your expectations!" He exclaimed, joining his hands together in thanks.

"You better." Haman spoke to himself under his breath as he turned away. Before he left, he spoke to Freud, "Freud, if you will, assign someone to settle Daniel in. He will begin his official training tomorrow." Haman folded his arms behind him and walked away, vanishing around a corner. Only then did Daniel raise his head.

A low murmur spread through the crowd of students behind Daniel, one that he paid little attention to. Sword Initiates were not often seen, and while it was a bit more common to see a Pseudo-Sword Initiate, they hadn't expected for Daniel to be one, so it was not that much of a shock to him that they were surprised.

Freud leveled the Pseudo-Sword Initiate with a curious gaze. While he had sensed that something was off with Daniel, he had not expected for the young man to be a powerful figure. The amount of power and sway a Sword Initiate, or even their lesser, Pseudo-Sword Initiates, held were in no way little in today's society.

The fact that Daniel had been able to break through at such a young age was even more of an accomplishment that was noteworthy in Freud's eyes. This was enough to stoke a fire of interest that had long since turned into a barely kindled spark in the last few years.

'Interesting young brat. Let us see how far you get under my tutelage.' He smiled internally as he readied his words.

"Wendy, Daniel, please follow me." Freud spoke in a calm, dignified manner. He turned around and led the two through the school's grounds. His steps were graceful, and carried a certain air that commanded respect.

He led them to a garden that had a calm, peaceful atmosphere. A few students were seated here and there, but it was quiet enough for the older man. He sat down under a short, twisted tree, motioning to the bench that was just conveniently placed opposite his own.

He took a deep breath before speaking.

"Wendy, your performance today was admirable. You showed that the Clear Jade Sword Style is still relevant, and of utmost importance to swordsmen in modern society. The pressure you were able to exert was also quite impressive, but ultimately, you still failed to beat your opponent. Do you know why that it?" He asked softly, his velvety voice drifting with the fresh breeze that blew through his long, silky hair.

Wendy bowed her head slightly, feeling pained despite the praise that Freud threw at her Clan's Sword Style. This was especially so when he pointed out her failure to prevail over her opponent.

"It is because I failed to take him seriously from the beginning. If I had taken Sir Daniel as a true opponent from the beginning of the match, then I might have been able to exert a much more significant amount of pressure. Enough pressure that would have been able to secure the win for me." She raised her head and admitted her fault with a brave face.

Despite her bitterness at her loss, she was still an honorable swordswoman. She would not let a single defeat trample over the pride that the Clear Jade Clan had instilled within her ever since her childhood.

"Good. I am glad you are mature enough to identify and admit your faults. That said, you did very well. Your moves and technique would have been good enough to force any other opponent to surrender. You should be proud of yourself." Freud reached over and patted Wendy's head with a small smile on his face. After he was done, he finally turned to Daniel.

"Sir Daniel." He began. In this modern society, there were Titles that were borne by individuals of power. At the level that spanned between the Pseudo-Sword Initiate stage, up to the third level of the Sword Initiate stage, individuals on that level were referred to as Sirs. This was mandatory through the entire world. As for Swordmasters, these beings of great power were referred to as Venerables. Those at the level of the Sword Saint was referred to as a Saint. It was a very simplistic way of referring to someone of great power, but one that worked well.