Starting With an SSS-Rank Swordsmanship Talent

Chapter 117: An Old Friend

William observed the atmosphere and he realized that he might have jumped to conclusions earlier.

He nonchalantly nodded and just decided to go with the flow since it was already too late to turn back.

”You have good taste, Sir Roland. The scented soap here is a unique product. As you can see, the noble ladies love it.” William had a wealth of experience so he managed to come up with a good topic.

Roland laughed awkwardly. ”Uh, yes. Youʼre right, Sir William.”

At this moment, the young female worker whom they had spoken with earlier came back with a basket full of scented soap boxes.

She politely greeted William before she showed the products to Roland. ”Sir, these are our products. This one is the…”

She introduced the different kinds of scented soap one by one.

With her arrival, William immediately took the chance to leave after waving at Roland and Fredrinn, but he didnʼt step out of the store. He headed straight to the production room where the children at the orphanage were working.

Meanwhile, Roland was relieved now that the old man was gone. The pressure emitted by the old man was so intense that he thought that he was being targeted.

”Please donʼt mind him.” Fredrinnʼs voice drifted into his ears.

Roland stared at the Elite Knight as he continued.

”Sir William is overprotective of the children of the orphanage since he treats them like his own grandchildren.”

Roland smiled wryly while nodding his head. ”I understand.”

A moment later, Vince came out of his office and handed the recommendation letter to Roland.

”Thank you for waiting, Sir Roland. If thereʼs nothing else, I suggest that you leave while itʼs still early. The weather might not be too favorable this evening.” Vince beamed as he offered him his suggestion.

”Is that so? Then Iʼll take your advice. Thank you for your help, Sir Vince.” Roland cupped his fists.

”No problem! You can come and visit me any time. I can offer you a discount if you buy our products.” Vince chuckled.

He then sent Fredrinn a knowing look.

Seeing his signal, Fredrinn cleared his throat and made a ʼthis wayʼ gesture as he spoke to Roland. ”Letʼs head this way, sir. I will prepare my men to escort you guys to North Pine Town.”

”Alright.” Roland nodded and followed him out of the store.

***

Meanwhile, at the training ground of House Silverswordʼs estate.

”My lord, I have already practiced stabbing thousands of times by now. Can you teach me a different move?” Aliya stared at Alaric with a pleading look.

Alaric taught her the fundamental techniques of swordsmanship, but he had mostly taught her techniques related to stabbing.

He told her that it was necessary to build a solid foundation before learning other sword techniques.

She followed his teaching methods and despite her frustrations for only learning stabbing techniques, she didnʼt complain. However, after the recent mission in the Evergreen Forest, she realized that she still had a lot of room for improvement.

Alaric stared at the stubborn young lady.

Her skin had already become tanned after being constantly exposed to the sun and her body had also transformed from that of a skinny young woman to an athletic warrioress.

He had seen her relentless efforts under his tutelage and she was even more hardworking than her male colleagues.

”Aliya… I only taught you how to stab because you are new to swordsmanship. Teaching you other techniques would only bring negative results, but you are right. I can see that you are now ready to learn another sword technique.” Alaric smiled faintly.

Hearing this, Aliya was pleasantly surprised.

In truth, she only wanted to try her luck and she had even prepared herself for a cold rejection. Who would have thought that Alaric would actually agree to her request?

”This time Iʼll be teaching you how to properly slash your word. Try to observe my movements.” Alaric grabbed his sword and performed a series of slashes.

His actions looked simple with no flashy movements added.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

His sword made a tearing sound as he swiped through the air.

Aliya watched him carefully without blinking her eyes.

As someone who had received his guidance on stabbing techniques, she knew that Alaricʼs movements werenʼt simple. It might look like a basic slash on the surface, but the degree of control, the angle of the slash, and many other details were being followed. Together, they form an unimpressive-looking, but seamless slash that could bring out oneʼs full strength with every swing.

This was what she had comprehended after reaching a decent understanding of the stabbing technique he taught her.

Whoosh!

After one final slash, Alaric put down his sword and glanced over at Aliya.

”Did you see it well?” He asked.

Aliya smiled in embarrassment while shaking her head. ”Yes, my lord, but I wonʼt be able to execute the movements perfectly like you do.”

”Thatʼs normal.” Unlike him who had had the SSS-rank Swordsmanship trait, normal people had to learn using their own comprehension. He didnʼt even need to train hard to understand and execute the most complex sword techniques. It was like the sword had become a part of him, an extension of his body.

It was the most accurate description of what it felt like to have the SSS-rank Swordsmanship trait.

”Show me what you have understood.” He motioned for her to take out her sword.

Aliya nodded and pulled her sword.

Shiing!

She felt a bit nervous now that Alaric was observing her.

To calm her nerves, she took a deep breath and shook off all the distractions as she tried to remember Alaricʼs movements.

In the next moment, she lifted her sword and imitated what she had remembered.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Alaric could see her flaws at a glance, but he didnʼt correct her immediately.

Sheʼs focusing too much on imitating me, but itʼs quite surprising that she comprehended that much after only one demonstration.

At that moment, he felt that she might be more talented in swordsmanship than he had imagined.

Impressive. She just needs a little bit more training.

”Thatʼs enough.” Alaric calmly uttered as he motioned for her to stop.

Looking at Alaricʼs indifferent face, Aliya didnʼt know if she had performed below his standards.

”Donʼt focus on imitating me. My sword is different than yours and our physical characteristics arenʼt the same. You must integrate what you have…” Alaric explained the principles of the movements to her in a way that made it easier for her to understand.

Aliya listened with great attention. Soon, she revealed a look of realization as if something clicked in her mind.

”I see. So thatʼs why it felt so weird when I tried to imitate it…” She mumbled something under her breath before she eagerly tried for the second time.

Alaric didnʼt disturb her and just quietly watched her performance.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Hmm… The strength behind each slash is stronger now, but it still needs some work. She already has the basic principles so she just needs to incorporate everything she learned until it is deeply engraved in her mind.

While she was absorbed in her training, Alaric sensed someone approaching from the distance.

He turned his head and frowned when he noticed a few unfamiliar figures riding on horses together with Fredrinnʼs team.

With just a glance, he could already feel the aura emitted by the man who seemed to be the leader of the group.

A peak Elite Knight.

It was a level that was comparable to Fredrinn and Warrick, but still a bit weaker than Galanar.

”Hold on… That person…” Alaricʼs eyes trembled when got a clearer look at the man.

It was a familiar face. One who had been with him for the longest time on the battlefield.

Itʼs been a while, Sir Roland.

This man was one of the battalion commanders who led the crown princeʼs army in his past life. He was a powerful warrior who would soon have his name etched in the Astanian Dragon Leaderboard!

Clip-clop. Clip-clop.

The clip-clop sounds of the horses made Aliya stop her training. She was a bit annoyed after having been disturbed, but when she saw the intimidating group coming towards them, her annoyance turned into alarm.

A few moments later, the group stopped in front of them and climbed down their horses.

Fredrinn and his subordinates walked towards Alaric and bowed to him. ”Greetings, my lord.”

Rolandʼs group seemed to have realized Alaricʼs identity when they saw this.

”Can you tell me whatʼs going on here?” Alaric calmly asked.

Although he already knew the other partyʼs identity, he had to pretend like he didnʼt know.

”My lord, this man is Sir Roland, an Elite Knight under…” Fredrinn quickly made the introductions.

”Itʼs a pleasure to meet you, Lord Alaric. I have been eager to see you in person after I heard tales about your amazing talent.” Roland stepped forward and gave him a standard salute.

Heʼs just as I remember him. Scary on the outside, but a kind man deep down.

Alaricʼs lips curved upwards as he stared at his friend.