Chapter 22: Training (1)
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Today will be the start of my basic training in swordsmanship. I excitedly got up on the bed, but I realized the little slave girl was still sleeping beside me. I forgot to ask mother where she should sleep so I told her to sleep with me for the time being. She did not seem to mind, I guess she spent her time was spent mostly with the other children around. I wondered why she does not have a name, so I might as well give her one, it would be a shame if people keep calling her slave in our home. However, I will think about that later as mother agreed on my swordsmanship training.

I hurriedly prepared and dressed myself, I wore a basic training gear that looked exactly like what my sister used to wear when she was training. It's made of light wear material for easy movement. I excitedly went out of the room heading straight for the training grounds. The soldiers have already started with their morning training, which were some basic swordsmanship skills that they keep on repeating. As I look at them, I wondered if I would be doing the same thing today for practice.

While waiting for my teacher to come, I decided to sit in a corner and meditate for a bit so as not to waste time. Practicing swordsmanship is important but it is better to have a balance between my magic and swordsmanship. Improving on both would be the most beneficial to me in the future.

As I was sitting in a corner, a shadow suddenly came and covered the area in front of me, as I came out from my meditation, I looked up. What I saw was a man in his 60's with a body of a bear and a face of a demon, well he was not an actual demon but his expression seems like one. His face looked like one who has overcome the vicissitudes of time. His aura is surely that of a master. With eyes that seem to penetrate your soul, children will definitely cry when they see him at night. I bet he was called a grim reaper when he was on a battlefield.

I stood up immediately and gave a bow. However, before I could speak and introduce myself the man cut me off and said.

"Come with me. I am now your master and you shall do what I say."

He did not look back and he walked at a fast pace, which was already considered as running in my small stature. Although I was confused, I still followed his orders and tried to keep up with the man.

"Excuse me, sir, don't I need a wooden sword?" I asked full of respect in my voice.

"You do not need such toys." He said bluntly.

I was confused by this so I said, "But my sister used to practice with a wooden sword, sir."

He suddenly stopped, turned to me and said, "What did I just say?" His eyes looked cold and penetrating suddenly giving my body the chills.

"That I must do what you say, sir," I said, a bit terrified of this man.

He nodded then walked ahead again, he then added, "You shall call me Master starting today."

"I understand Master," I said loud enough so he could hear me as I was trying my best to catch up.

We went in the forests, going deeper and deeper. The surroundings were filled with ancient trees that a single person would not be able to hug. There were no wild animals trying to appear in front of my so-called master. I thought it must be his aura that must have scared the beasts inside this forest. He has been walking for about 20 minutes while I who was running behind was sweating like a pig.

I guess this was part of the training to build my stamina, I thought to myself trying to cheer up and motivate myself. We still continued on and we reached a place near a river, where there are floating logs scattered all over it. They were covered in moss and moving about because of the continuous movement of the water.

My so-called Master stopped and stood in front of the body of water. He waited for me to arrive while standing straight, looking at the other side of the river. I who just arrived while breathing heavily like a person having an asthma attack wanted to lie on the floor and stay there forever. However, my master then spoke and said, "Starting today you shall be crossing this river back and forth until I say that you stop."

"Excuse me?" I asked again as my wheezing and huffing might have affected my hearing.

"Are you deaf boy? I said you shall be going through this river back and forth till I tell you to stop." He said bluntly as if I was stupid, to begin with for asking again.

"But why?" I could not stop myself from asking.

Before I could even realize that it was again another mistake, my master held me on the collar and threw me on the river. I was surprised but was lucky that I knew how to swim in my past life, so I did not drown. As I bobbed my head out from the water, I saw a log near me and grabbed hold for my dear life.

"Now cross the river using the logs. If you fall and get carried by the waves then I will see you at the end of the waterfalls." He said as if it was all pretty normal.

I looked at the slippery logs that are beside me and wondered how am I going to cross while walking through here? As I tried my best to crawl on the log, a sodden swoosh was heard and with a boom, I was thrown in the water again.

I bobbed my head out of the water again and grabbed on to a log.

My master who threw the wind slash that hit me said, "You shall run not crawl like an ant." He looked at me like what he said was pretty obvious, to begin with.

"I do not understand," I said this to myself as I have learned my lesson from the first time I speak out my thoughts in front of my so-called master.

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