Swordsmanship Sparring (1)
Erin's training was divided into three main categories.
The first was basic physical conditioning to improve her bodily capabilities.
The second involved swordsmanship training built on those enhanced physical abilities.
And the third was mana training, geared toward practical use in combat.
Thwack!
In the vast underground training hall, the sharp clash of wooden swords echoed through the air.
Eunhyeon and Erin faced each other, wooden swords in hand, locked in a fierce sparring match.
Even blunted wooden swords posed no real threat—but when wielded by someone who could channel mana, the story changed entirely.
Whoosh—bang!
Blue energy rippled along the two wooden blades as they crossed, unleashing a powerful gust that reverberated off the training hall's walls.
Erin's body was gradually pushed back under Eunhyeon's relentless assault.
"The mana reinforcing your body is getting unstable again."
"Ugh."
It sounded simple enough: maintain the mana strengthening your body, track Eunhyeon's attacks visually, block them, and counterattack.
But for Erin, who had never even held a sword before, it was grueling—both physically exhausting and mentally draining.
Still, she didn't complain. Gritting her teeth, she drew up her mana once more at his instruction, reinforcing her body anew.
She charged to close the gap that had opened up, lunging toward Eunhyeon.
"Haa!"
With a spirited shout, her overhead slash gained momentum from the rush—but Eunhyeon easily deflected the predictable strike with his wooden sword. His free hand balled into a fist and drove straight into her abdomen.
"Guhk!"
Air burst from Erin's mouth as the impact launched her body into the air.
She floated briefly before hurtling backward, slamming into the training hall wall.
Her limp form crumpled to the floor. Only then did the delayed agony from her gut hit her full force; she curled up, clutching her stomach with both arms.
"Ugh... urp...."
Eunhyeon spoke to Erin, who was retching from the sheer force of the blow.
"Don't just watch the sword. Keep your eyes on everything your opponent does, right to the end. Enemies never miss an opening you show. The moment you expose one, you're dead."
This was an ironclad truth, no matter if you were attacking or defending.
Attempt an attack, get blocked, show an opening—and your foe would seize it without mercy, claiming your life.
"G-Got it...."
Bearing the unrelenting pain, Erin clenched her teeth, snatched up her dropped wooden sword, and used it as a crutch to haul herself to her feet.
The spar resumed.
Three months had passed since training began, and Erin's physical prowess had improved noticeably.
Daily runs and weight training, without a single day off, had finally started building muscle—and the results were showing.
Leveraging her rapidly improving strength and stamina, Erin swung her wooden sword diligently under Eunhyeon's guidance.
But no matter how hard she pressed, Eunhyeon—who had trained for less than half a year himself—had no intention of taking it easy on a novice.
He stood relaxed, not moving a step, effortlessly parrying every assault with fluid, seamless motions—like flowing water.
Yet his counters, always targeting her openings, struck like lightning: sharp, swift, and devastating.
As Eunhyeon raised his sword arm skyward, Erin instinctively looked up, lifting her blade into a defensive guard.
But he exploited the distraction, sweeping her legs out from under her with a low kick. Her body launched into the air once more.
"Kyaaak?!"
Caught off guard while bracing for an overhead strike, Erin floated helplessly before crashing butt-first onto the hard stone floor.
"Ow ow ow...."
"Don't assume that just because your opponent raises their weapon, it'll be an overhead attack."
"Ah... it hurts...."
The abdominal pain still lingered, and now her tailbone throbbed too. The accumulated aches throughout her body screamed in her mind.
Finally, tears welled up in Erin's eyes.
"I told you: don't fixate on the sword. Watch your opponent's whole body, think, and react."
His words seemed to imply: That's why you're getting hit twice in the same way—because you're not paying attention.
"Ugh...."
Erin shot him a resentful glare but dragged herself back up.
After five or six such counters, not a spot on her body was free of bruises.
Yet her determination to rise again, wooden sword at the ready, was so admirable it almost brought a smile to his face.
"One more time!"
"Bring it."
Their sparring continued, repeating the cycle countless times.
Watching from the sidelines, the Armitas siblings wore complicated expressions.
"At least it's better than Aiter level."
Erin's skill was still nothing special, truth be told.
But Eunhyeon, her instructor, was on another level.
He gauged her limits precisely, countering only with strikes that wouldn't injure her permanently.
At the same time, he exploited her flaws, using pain as a harsh teacher to drive growth.
It was the brutal "learn by getting hit" method—but the girl gritted her teeth through the roughness, endured the tears, and kept pace.
"Even so... does she really need to be pushed this hard?"
Alex and Elenoa watched the intense session with subtle grimaces.
Their expressions were similar, but their perspectives differed: one as a knight, the other as a noble lady.
"She's not even twenty yet. Does a young girl like that really need to endure this kind of grueling punishment...?"
"She's also a kid who's survived hell with no one to protect her."
"......"
Alex and Elenoa knew Erin's tragic past, so they understood why she trained so desperately now.
"This training started from her own resolve and determination. It's not our place to interfere. More importantly, that guy's impressive as always."
No matter how much of a beginner Erin was, her growth in just three months was extraordinary.
Keep this up, and soon she'd rival the boys in Aiter's trainee knight classes.
Considering that noble heirs typically got two or three years of private tutoring before enrolling...
Eunhyeon's talent for forging that level of skill in three months was undeniably exceptional.
What stood out most was her mental fortitude: enduring near-knockouts after repeated counters, yet persisting.
That steely resolve and glint in her eyes bespoke a knightly will rare even in the orders.
If she kept growing like this, Erin could become a fine knight. She had that potential.
"Kyaaak!"
"If your attack gets blocked, predict their next move immediately. Decide: block or dodge?"
Another critique flew as Erin sailed through the air yet again.
"Alright, that's enough for today."
"Ughhh... I didn't land a single hit again today...."
"Lady Elenoa."
Eunhyeon called out to Elenoa, who had been observing from afar, while checking on the muttering Erin.
"Yes."
She approached and examined the sprawled girl.
She's changed so much she's unrecognizable....
Three months of consistent exercise and nutrition—fed like a mother bird stuffing her chick—had transformed Erin's scrawny, malnourished frame from before.
Proper diet and training had packed on healthy weight. In the midst of her growth spurt, her body was maturing into that of a proper young woman.
Her fuller bust, toned thighs and arms without an ounce of flab, flawless skin purged of impurities by mana training—it all combined into a striking picture of healthy beauty.
How did he do it? In just three months...?
That thought crossed Elenoa's mind as she healed Erin's bruises with holy magic.
As a woman herself, she couldn't deny a twinge of envy and curiosity toward the girl's stunning glow-up.
Elenoa glanced sidelong at Eunhyeon, the cause of it all.
"How about a quick spar with me next?"
"...No, Young Master. Aren't you busy?"
Eunhyeon made no effort to hide his annoyance, pulling a bored face.
Alex grinned at the stark contrast to how he'd treated Erin—gentle overall, but merciless in training.
"The Royal Guard works shifts. Today is my day off. I came because I'm personally interested."
Three months ago, in exchange for accepting Elenoa's plea to rescue her from the Arkys Great Labyrinth, Eunhyeon had made a simple demand.
- I'm planning to train the kid, so swing by every day and use holy magic to heal her up.
Elenoa had bristled at the idea: her, daughter of the Armitas ducal house that commanded all military authority in Pernias Kingdom, reduced to a daily "healing shuttle" for some girl?
- What? You're refusing? For real? Oh dear, really? Well, that just won't do.
His sleazy grin had laid bare his pettiness, boiling her blood. In the end, she'd had no choice but to agree.
He had answered her call first, and he'd played a huge role in saving her brother and the kingdom's princess.
Still, if she'd known he was such a nasty piece of work, she might've thought twice—thrice, even—before asking.
"Sigh, fine."
"Looks like you've got an angle here too?"
"Well, not nothing."
Eunhyeon glanced at Erin before accepting Alex's challenge.
"And drop the formal speech while you're at it. I don't see myself as someone more worthy of honor than you. Beyond status, I'd like us to be straight-up friends."
"That inexplicable goodwill of yours is downright suspicious."
Eunhyeon narrowed his eyes at the blond hunk's ever-refreshing smile.
That gaze, brimming with odd affinity, felt oppressively heavy.
"You're just being polite with the honorifics anyway, right? I don't need fake respect that doesn't match your attitude. Ditch it."
His tone was outright rude, belying any verbal deference.
So why the friendliness from Alex? No real connection between them—it was baffling.
"Brother, you should be more selective about your friends...."
"Hey, healing shuttle—quiet down."
"Ugh, seriously?!"
Elenoa glared indignantly, but Eunhyeon ignored her completely, eyes on Alex.
No respect or consideration whatsoever in how he treated her.
"Fine. If that's what you want, I can oblige."
"Hah."
Alex nodded, picked up Erin's discarded wooden sword, and tested its balance with a few swings.
Satisfied, he leveled it at Eunhyeon.
"I'll take first move."
"Go for it."
No sooner had the words left Eunhyeon's mouth than Alex darted into his guard.
His wooden sword thrust viciously at Eunhyeon's chest—
Clack!
Eunhyeon casually batted it aside, and their duel began.