Chapter 116 – Little Master’s Training Begins
“Hir, do you want to try holding a sword?” Hir could not take his eyes off the two knights fencing. He was beyond captivated and didn’t notice Lila speaking to him.
“He would love to,” Lacias replied instead. He sneaked behind the entranced boy, grabbing him by the waist to lift him up. The unexpected height startled Hir and the boy looked down in bewilderment.
“You’ll have a better view from up there,” Lacias told him.
“Yes, sir. Thank you, sir.” Hir squirmed in Lacias’ grasp, and he shifted his hold so both he and the boy could stand more comfortably. Lacias had been described as a cold-blooded character in the original story, but his actual personality showed the book couldn’t be further from the truth. If he was such a cold-blooded, terrible person, why would we have adopted Hir, an orphan?
A rumor said Lacias accepted Hir only because he did not have a son of his own, but anyone could have been made the heir of Wipere. Someone inherently talented at fencing or handling rings should have been a better option, but Lacias chose to allow a child with many flaws be his heir.
Lila concluded Lacias was a sweet person. He was pleasant to everyone and must have seen Hir’s potential. She knew him to be different then the book portrayed. The only time he had come across a little hard was the first time they met. Even then, he had not become upset when she had been rude.
“Wow! This is amazing!” Hir smiled ear to ear.
“Really? Would you like to give it a try?” Lacias asked.
“Do you think I can do it?”
“Nope.”
“Pardon?” The boy looked shocked.
“Nobody’s born an expert. But anybody can become one with practice.”
“Oh, I see! Then if I practice enough…”
“Of course, you can, Hir.”
While Lila drifted in her thoughts, Lacias and Hir shared an intimate conversation as if they had become close friends. Hir often displayed a hint of awkwardness in front of Lacias, but it was nowhere to be seen at this moment. She had worried Hir might not show any interest in fencing, unlike the original story. By the look in the boy’s eyes, he was extremely intrigued. That gave Lila some relief.
“Then, may I try? I’m new to this. I’ll need instructions.” Hir said, hesitantly.
Lacias motioned over Hizette. “Do you have any wooden swords?” he asked.
“Yes, we have a few, but they might be too big. Probably too heavy, as well, for the young master to hold.”
Lacias clicked his tongue. Lila, who expected the cute sight of Hir swinging a small wooden sword around, became disappointed. Lacias noticed she had become upset. “No worries. Nothing was promised. It’s fine.”
Hir seemed to be taking the news better. Lila smiled sadly at the boy. Lacias, trying to rectify the situation, said, “If you’re alright with it, it would be a good idea to hire an instructor to teach Hir how to fence.”
“I completely agree, but only if Hir wants to.” Lila and Lacias looked at the boy.
“I would like that,” Hir confirmed. “But I’m worried I won’t be skillful enough.”
“How about we have a wooden sword prepared? One that suits your height. Then we can begin with the training.” Lila was as eager as the boy to start.
Hir hesitated at the fact it was going to be a lesson, not a casual trial. He feared he might not be able to absorb all the instructions taught.
Lila smiled. He would do well. Even if Hir showed not to be as talented as in the original story; as long as he tried his best, Lila would be happy. All she cared about was giving him the opportunity to try out every activity he showed interest in.
Lila knelt in front of Hir and looked him in the eyes. “Hir, you don’t have to be good at everything. If you want to learn, then that’s enough. You can stop at any time. All I want is for you to have the experience, and perhaps develop a few skills.”
“Mother…” Lila patted Hir’s head, and he gave a shy chuckle. “Then I want to give it a shot. I mean, I really do!”
“Lacias, would you help him prepare?”
“No worries,” Lacias answered. “I’ll pay for a wooden sword to be constructed and then he can start his training.”
Hir’s blue eyes twinkled. He could not wait for tomorrow.
Lila never expected Hir to be as excited as he was. She was proud to find him an activity he truly wanted to take part in. The hesitance had vanished and Hir’s face filled with pure anticipation.
Lila looked forward to seeing Hir’s first fencing lesson. She would watch from the back of the class, to not disturb the students. What she had imagined while reading the book, would become a reality tomorrow. Lila appreciated she could watch Hir develop with her own eyes. An added bonus was she did not feel tired anymore.
“Master, who have you chosen as the young lord’s fencing opponent?”
At Roxana’s question, Lacias scanned the gymnasium. There were many knights, besides Roxana, Lugar, and Hizette, who currently trained. The crowd was bigger than usual as if they had a special event in the near future. They must be having an evaluation day, he thought.
The knights of Wipere conducted an individual evaluation of each fighter, once a month, to prevent their skills from rusting. They were given a disadvantage if their score decreased from their previous evaluation. Therefore, all the knights trained diligently and voluntarily, honing and enhancing their abilities
Everyone seemed focused on improving their skills, Lila wondered if they even had the time to teach Hir. Contrary to her expectations, the knights gathered in front of Hir, their eyes shining, as if they begged to be picked.