Grasphing and Shaking Weaknesses (8)

Whoosh!

I pulled out a wooden sword from the bag and threw it to Liam.

“This is...”

Liam casually caught the wooden sword that had suddenly flown at him.

“You weren't planning to use a real sword, were you?”

I pointed my chin toward his waist and laughed.

“Why, did you want to hit me while you had the chance?”

“……That’s not possible.”

Liam cleared his throat and firmly gripped the wooden sword.

‘He was probably waiting for an opportunity, after all.’

There was a high probability that he would injure me during our sparring, pretending it was a mistake. Of course, I planned to prevent such a situation from happening.

I pulled the last wooden sword from the bag. Meanwhile, Liam tilted his head.

“I haven’t used a wooden sword in a long time, so I’m not sure if I’ll be okay.”

“Does it really take that long to adjust?”

“…….”

Liam’s gaze changed at my provocative question. He closed his mouth and swung the wooden sword a few times with force.

Whoosh! Whoosh!

A surprisingly threatening sound came from the wooden sword.

Eventually, Liam turned with a faint smile.

“I think that’s enough.”

Oh, is that so?

I pouted and grabbed the wooden sword.

‘With this weight, it might be similar to Requiem.’

As I gauged the weight, I felt Liam’s piercing gaze on my wrist, which held the wooden sword.

“Young Master.”

Liam called me in a very serious tone.

“First, try swinging it once.”

I sighed inwardly. His intentions were obvious.

‘Should I just play along for now?’

I held the wooden sword and swung it without any spirit.

Whoosh, whoosh.

Unlike when Liam swung it earlier, a weak sound flowed out.

Liam, who was observing me closely, spoke enthusiastically.

“First, we need to correct your stance. And you lack a lot of arm strength.”

Then he glanced at the training grounds in the distance and continued.

“Normally, you would run around the training grounds to build stamina, but…”

He even placed his hand on his chin and spoke in a serious tone.

“Since we can’t use that, we’ll have to think of another method.”

If I left him to his own devices, he would come up with a training plan that would last for months, filling every hour with tasks.

“For now, let’s attach some weights…”

“Stop, stop.”

I interrupted Liam, whose thoughts were stretching endlessly.

‘I can’t let it go on like this.’

He seemed to want to use this time for stamina training. But I wasn’t someone who would waste my precious little time on mere stamina training.

“I don’t need stamina training.”

“But with your current physical condition…”

“I know my body better than anyone. I’m already training.”

“……You are?”

Liam asked, looking quite flustered.

“And you're in this condition?”

This guy?

When I narrowed my eyes, Liam immediately looked away.

“I’m sorry.”

“Enough. There’s only one thing I want from you.”

Swish—

I raised the wooden sword and pointed it at Liam.

“Come at me with the intent to kill.”

“What do you mean?”

Liam’s face twisted in disbelief.

“How could I possibly harm you, Young Master?”

He had just said that.

What a hypocritical act. Yet, he simply shook his head firmly .

“It’s impossible. Please put that down.”

“I told you it’s fine because I ordered you to.”

“That’s not the issue.”

Liam replied in an exasperated tone.

“I cannot spar with someone who has never learned swordsmanship. You will surely get injured.”

“And that’s why I gave you a wooden sword to avoid injuries.”

“It’s not even a fair fight to begin with…”

“Have you forgotten what happened at the Kader estate?”

As I interrupted him, Liam promptly fell silent.

He seemed to recall the day when I had taken down three men without a scratch. The worried expression on his face faded.

“Well… that’s true, but…”

Liam reluctantly responded.

“I acknowledge your talent, Young Master. However, there is a significant gap between a mere thug and a trained knight.”

Taking a moment to catch his breath, Liam continued.

“Above all, you mentioned wanting my swordsmanship, didn’t you? If that’s the case, it would be much more effective to start from the basics and learn as I teach you.”

So he wanted to start with stamina training? That was out of the question.

I shook my head heavily.

“It’s too late for that.”

“Why are you in such a hurry? I don’t understand this reckless approach.”

Liam frowned, his face filled with confusion.

‘Yes, it must be frustrating for him.’

Only I knew the future in this world.

To prevent it, I had to use any means necessary.

“Liam Schmidt.”

I looked directly at him.

"I won't say it twice."

I pointed the wooden sword at his neck and commanded,

"Attack me, now."

Liam's face hardened.

“...Are you serious?”

“If you don’t come at me now, I’ll reduce the money I’m going to give you.”

“...”

“Even if I get hurt, I’ll still reduce the money I’m going to give you.”

Liam's face scrunched up in frustration. I couldn't help but smirk mischievously.

“So you don’t need to worry about me getting hurt. Do you understand?”

Liam furrowed his brows and stared at me for a long moment. If I were to express it a bit more dramatically, his eyes seemed to say, ‘What’s wrong with you?’

I held his gaze without backing down. The determination in my eyes was firm, and it wouldn’t waver.

“...I understand.”

Liam let out a long sigh.

“Then please focus on defense as much as possible. Just that alone will significantly improve your skills.”

This was exactly the situation I wanted. To face an opponent who would attack me while wielding the Ovest swordsmanship, all while maintaining their reason.

It was just about to unfold before me.

“Alright. Let’s begin.”

I smiled broadly, feeling quite satisfied.

Liam’s gaze flickered to my lips. He took a quiet breath and tightened his grip.

“Let’s start. Please be careful.”

As soon as he finished speaking,

Whoosh!

His body lunged at me like a flash. The moment I instinctively thrust my sword to block,

Clang!

I felt the overwhelming disparity in strength.

“Keuk.”

Instead of pushing back with strength, I tilted my blade to the side and deflected Liam's sword.

“...Ha.”

I had only blocked the attack once, yet my palm felt numb.

Such raw power. Is it because all that muscle is packed into those arms?

“Hoo.”

I steadied my breath and assessed the situation. I was outmatched in both strength and speed. A counterattack was impossible. I needed to look for an opening.

I calmly adjusted my stance and waited for Liam to approach. Observing me closely, Liam spoke in a stiff tone.

“Well done. Don’t force yourself to hold on; focus on evading.”

“Come at me.”

Despite my cold retort, Liam flashed a faint smile.

“Understood.”

Spot!

Once again, his sword came flying at me like a bolt of lightning. A simple yet precise attack aimed directly at my vital points.

‘This is the first form of Ovest swordsmanship.’

I focused on deflecting Liam's blade. Thanks to him deliberately holding back, it was manageable. However, if time continued like this, I would surely tire, increasing the chances of making a mistake.

“Huff, huff.”

My breath was already becoming uneven. The constant movement was gradually draining the strength from my limbs.

In contrast, Liam's face was utterly calm. Annoyingly so.

‘How do you expect to learn swordsmanship this way?’

His gaze seemed to say that.

To him, the outcome was already very clear — an outcome where this tedious exchange continued until I eventually collapsed from exhaustion.

Generally speaking, it was almost impossible for a young master who had never even held a sword to spar with him.

‘That’s not enough.’

But ‘I’ knew that merely being ordinary wouldn't be enough to survive. I had to surpass that.

So, while exchanging blows with Liam, I took in his stance, the grip of his sword, and his footwork.

'I have to know it to break it.'

My indigo eyes sharpened, momentarily flashing an icy blue. Every single movement was slowly imprinted on my retina.

At some point, I began to see gaps in his seemingly perfect movements. Without even realizing it, I was mimicking Liam's movements.

"......!"

Perhaps noticing that, Liam's eyes widened. His hand paused for a moment, and he missed my movement.

'Now!'

The first form of the Ovest Swordsmanship unleashes a fierce offensive, but it's weak in the lower body.

I knew this fact in theory. And now, having witnessed it in actual combat, I instinctively knew what to do next.

Swoosh!

My figure disappeared from Liam's sight.

"What!"

Liam hurriedly retrieved his sword and retreated. Then, with his stance extremely lowered, he discovered me surging up from below him.

'Too late!'

He cannot injure me, but the opposite is possible.

Thwack!

My sword mercilessly grazed Liam's armpit.

**

A few days later.

"Change shifts."

A fellow knight tapped Liam on the shoulder. Liam grimaced at the sudden pain.

"Ugh."

"Oh, sorry. Are you hurt?"

He quickly composed himself and replied,

"Not injured, just a little sprain."

"Liam, how unusual. You've never had that happen before."

Liam lightly shook his head.

"I made a mistake."

He tried to brush it off, but his fellow knight seemed quite surprised that Liam had gotten hurt.

"Hey, did you hear? This guy got a shoulder injury?"

He even relayed the news to other fellow knights who had come to change shifts.

"Ah, no wonder. You looked a bit uncomfortable when you moved."

"What happened?"

Liam shook his head, as if reluctant to talk about it.

"It's nothing."

"Come on, tell us."

A fellow knight who had joined in the conversation narrowed his eyes.

"By the way, what do you do on your days off these days?"

"Why do you ask?"

"We never see you around. Do you have someone you're meeting?"

At the casual remark, the eyes of the other fellow knights lit up.

"Is it a woman?"

"Must be a woman."

"......No."

Liam sighed and covered his forehead.

"I wish it were a woman... Oh well, never mind."

"Come on, what is it? Tell us."

"Forget it. I'm leaving now."

Liam waved his hand and turned away. At that moment, a stinging pain surged from his shoulder blade.

"......"

His eyes twitched. He took a deep breath and pushed back the pain.

After a light dinner, he took the wooden sword he had hidden under his bed in the dormitory and headed to the stable.

Above the quiet stable, the soft moonlight slowly descended.

'If he's coming... there's still some time.'

Abel always appeared leisurely, only after the clock struck the hour. Waiting for him was Liam's job.

Liam leaned against a pillar in the stable. He rubbed his aching shoulder and fell into thought.

'I never thought it would turn out like this.'

When he first set foot in the gambling den, he was anxious, wondering if others would recognize him. He was worried that it would become known that a noble knight of the Ovest Knight Order was frequenting such an illegal gambling den.

But the first step is always the hardest. After that, it's easy.