Chapter 8: Royal Swordsmanship

June 5th, the Kane family estate.

It was another clear, sunny day. Rossi opened the dining room windows to let in the fresh air. Lyss, however, still looked like he hadn't slept, sitting at the dining table and stifling a yawn while enjoying his breakfast.

Today's meal consisted of bacon and eggs, blueberry cake, and yogurt with granola. The pink bacon, sliced into small pieces, paired perfectly with the golden-yellow fried eggs, lightly seasoned with pepper and salt, making for a truly appetizing dish. The exquisite blueberry cake and the colorful bowl of yogurt and granola provided a sweetness that always ensured a good mood for the day ahead.

Even Lyss, who had spent over ten hours in the basement conducting research, felt a bit more spirited.

The vibrations and noises echoing from the basement throughout the night hadn't alarmed the servants. Everyone knew that Master Lyss was conducting magical research in the basement; it was just that this time, it had lasted a bit longer and been a bit louder than usual.

Lyss didn't pay any mind to the dark circles under his servants' eyes. Although his dozen hours of experimentation yesterday had failed to yield a perfected first arcane spell, the gains were still significant.

First, the system’s Arcane sub-module was different from his previous life. Every attempt to modify a spell model no longer cost any experience points; the only limitation was that he could not manifest the spell model if his mana was insufficient.

Second, the success of each spell model modification within the Arcane sub-module was no longer indicated by a "compatibility" rating. Consequently, Lyss had to cast a fireball after every modification to observe the actual effect. Perhaps he would only recognize the standard for success once he successfully constructed his first exclusive arcane model.

Third, casting spells in this real world was not like the immersive games of his past life, where one simply used their consciousness to select and release a spell. Every time Lyss used Fireball, he clearly felt real magic flowing within his body, and he still needed to adapt to and master this sensation.

Despite the many difficulties, Lyss was not discouraged. Unlike in a game, the feeling of truly mastering transcendent power was so wonderful and intoxicating that he quickly became absorbed in it, losing track of time. Moreover, with constant experimentation, Lyss had a premonition that he would master his first arcane spell within a week.

Lyss stretched his body, feeling that he hadn't yet achieved perfect harmony with his current physical form. For instance, last night, his mind had been buzzing with excitement while his body was utterly exhausted. This pampered body was not yet adapted to a soul that loved the late hours!

But that was fine; it was simple... He just needed to stay up late a few more times! Exposure therapy, anyone?

Just as Lyss was limbering up, the butler, Joyce, spoke from the side: "Master Lyss, the clothing you requested has been placed in your bedroom. Welf is already waiting for you in the courtyard with two guards."

Lyss patted his face, rousing himself, and said, "I understand. Tell Welf and the others to wear plain clothes and wait for me at the back gate."

"Yes, sir."

Shortly thereafter, Lyss changed his clothes and arrived at the back gate of the estate.

***

Joyce knew Lyss intended to exercise and learn how to use weapons, so he had specially prepared a set of short-sleeved shirts and shorts. The cotton material was comfortable and breathable.

Welf and the two guards were already waiting at the back gate in plain clothes, equipped with their weapons. One of the guards was somewhat thin and was standing next to Welf, chatting away with a sycophantic smile. The other, who looked less than twenty years old, stood to the side carrying his weapon alone, not participating in their conversation. Upon seeing Lyss approach, he immediately straightened up and saluted.

Only then did Welf and the thin guard notice Lyss had reached them, and they quickly saluted as well.

"Good morning, Master Lyss."

Lyss waved his hand. "I remember Welf, but you two...?"

The thin guard quickly replied with a fawning tone, "Good morning, Master Lyss! My name is Bill. I joined the Kane family alongside Captain Welf."

The young guard spoke with a steady tone tinged with respect, "Master Lyss, my name is Dissen. I was adopted and raised by Butler Joyce, and I have always stayed at the estate."

"I see," Lyss nodded. It was clear that Bill, like Welf, had been hired by the butler to serve as a guard for the Kane family, while Dissen had been raised by the household since childhood and was considered his trusted subordinate.

"Let’s head out. We’re going to the warehouse on Belay Street. When we go out today, let’s act like ordinary people and keep things normal."

Welf and the others had no objections; they simply followed their master's orders. Perhaps the young master had just had a sudden whim to experience the life of a commoner!

Belay Street was not far from Faith Street; both were located in the eastern district of Brightlight City.

Looking at the spacious warehouse enclosed by gray-white walls, it was estimated to cover over 800 square meters, with a ceiling height of 5 meters. The items previously stored inside had all been cleared out, leaving only some firewood piled in the corner. Besides the warehouse itself, there was a nearly 1,000-square-meter open space on the east side, seemingly used for parking caravans and cargo. The entire area was surrounded by a brick wall over a man's height.

The warehouse was quite tidy and appeared to have been well-maintained. Lyss was quite satisfied; the space was sufficiently large and relatively secluded. Beyond the storage area, there were several rooms in the back for temporary rest.

Lyss walked around the warehouse once. Seeing that Welf and the others had prepared the weapons and that the food box containing the desserts and black tea Rossi had brought for him was set on a table, he signaled Welf to begin the training.

Seeing this, Welf stepped forward without hesitation and handed Lyss a wooden practice sword.

"Master, let’s start with a one-handed sword."

With that, Welf picked up a wooden sword himself and effortlessly performed a beautiful flourish.

Lyss tested the weight of the wooden sword. Although it was wood, the material was quite hard and felt heavy in his hand. While his strength had not yet received attribute modifiers, the strength growth from reaching level 30 was enough for Lyss to handle the wooden sword normally.

Watching Lyss clumsily swing the wooden sword in an irregular flourish, Welf smiled and asked, "When facing an enemy on the battlefield, the one-handed sword and shield are generally used in tandem. Of course, more highly skilled warriors seeking greater agility and freedom may choose to use only the one-handed sword."

"Which sword style would you like to learn, Master Lyss? The Rock Style, the Tide Style, or the Gale Style?"

These were all styles Welf had mastered himself, and they were considered top-tier among publicly available sword arts.

Lyss did not hesitate; he already had a plan. "I want to practice the Royal Style."

"The Royal Style?" Welf was surprised. The Royal Style was indeed a very famous sword art, but it was not known for its raw power; rather, it was famous for its flashy, ornate movements. In short, it was a ceremonial sword art that existed primarily for visual aesthetics. For this reason, it was highly favored by nobles and wealthy merchants.

Welf knew this style, of course, because besides being visually pleasing, its greatest advantage was its simplicity. Hesitating for a moment, Welf abandoned the idea of persuading Lyss to choose a different style. He would just treat it as accompanying the young master on a whim; perhaps the esteemed Mage Lyss was only training with weapons because he specifically liked this style.

Welf raised his hand, pointing out the blade and the tip, and began to explain the one-handed sword and the Royal Style: "The parts of a one-handed sword that deal damage are these two points. To fully utilize..."

As Welf lectured, lines of system information appeared before Lyss's eyes. The reason he chose the Royal Style was because it was simple and allowed for rapid progress. The Royal combat methods—including sword, spear, and blade techniques—were all proven through numerous experiments to be the quickest martial arts for raising weapon proficiency.

As for being mistaken for a practitioner of "flowery" techniques, Lyss didn't care. Mastering the [Master of All Weapons] specialty as quickly as possible was his top priority.

[Golden Warrior Welf is teaching you one-handed sword techniques. Your one-handed sword proficiency has increased.]

[...10%...50%...100%]

[Your one-handed sword proficiency has increased to Novice.]