The Mad Dog of the Duke's Estate

Chapter 11

When Leo and Caron arrived at the training ground, their swordsmanship training began.

"Young Master Leo, you can use your real sword to practice the Oceanwolf Sword Arts Form 1," Zerath instructed.

"Alright, Sir Zerath," Leo replied.

Leo had started wielding a sword two years before Caron. In contrast, it was Caron's first time learning swordsmanship. It was natural for their progress to differ. Perhaps that was why Leo smirked as he gripped his sword, Sylphid. He thought he had found something he was better at than Caron, and intended to offer some advice as a cousin.

"Caron, the first day of training is really tough. Don't push yourself too hard; it will get better over time," Leo said as he recalled the excruciating muscle pain he had endured after his first day of training. The thought of Caron experiencing that same pain oddly made him happy.

"Leo," Caron began with a smile.

"Yes?" Leo answered.

"Do well in your own training, okay?"

"...Thanks for the encouragement."

"Alright then, move along."

Leo headed to the training ground nearby with his shoulders slumped. That only left Zerath and Caron in the area.

Zerath handed Caron a wooden sword reinforced with iron and said, "Today's task for you is simple. Swing this wooden sword up and down."

"For how long?" Caron asked.

"Until you feel as if you can't lift the sword anymore. I'll demonstrate the proper stance," Zerath replied as he picked up a wooden sword.

Gripping the hilt with both hands, he smoothly swung the blade through the air.

Whoosh.

It was a straightforward, unembellished strike.

"It's important to tense your core. If you don't maintain abdominal pressure, you'll get tired quickly. Also, don't draw on your mana. Rely solely on your physical strength for this exercise," Zerath explained. He then demonstrated the motion a few more times before setting the wooden sword down again. He continued, "Mastering the Oceanwolf Sword Arts requires this process. Please try your best."

The Oceanwolf Sword Arts were the signature swordsmanship of the Leston family and the Oceanwolf Knight Order. They were a relatively straightforward and robust style of swordsmanship. In his previous life, Caron had sparred endlessly with Halo, so he was quite familiar with the Oceanwolf Sword Arts.

It's a sword style that overwhelms the opponent with sheer strength, Caron thought.

This sword style emphasized power over technique. It was entirely different from the swordsmanship used by the Imperial Guards of the Empire. Halo's use of the Oceanwolf Sword Arts had been particularly challenging to counter, especially because of the tremendous boost it received from Halo's Azure Mana, which was as vast as a real ocean.

From that perspective, Caron understood the purpose of this training.

It's not just about swinging the sword. It's about developing the muscles and nerves, Caron realized.

The repetitive motion of swinging the sword was meant to develop the muscles associated with swordsmanship. That was the purpose of this seemingly simple exercise. It was to show that solid fundamentals were always crucial. Although swinging a sword until he knocked himself out had become tedious in his past life, it was a worthwhile endeavor now.

When Caron lived with his parents, he hadn't been able to practice swordsmanship as freely as he wanted to. He had only trained from time to time before bed with wooden swords he had secretly taken from the knights' training ground. But until he was seven years old...

Mother used to visit me at night quite often, Caron reminisced.

Sara had insisted on reading him fairy tales to put him to sleep, and Caron had struggled to pretend he was interested in the stories. He'd needed to secretly practice his mana and also practice his swordsmanship, which made him feel like a spy. But now, he didn't have to hide anything.

Caron exhaled, then gripped the wooden sword with a relieved mind. He felt its substantial weight immediately, which came from the iron balancing rod within it. He swung it a few times.

Whoosh.

Caron liked that this sword was much better balanced than the training swords he had used at home. He nodded in satisfaction and asked Zerath, "Do you have any sandbags I can wear, Sir Zerath?"

"We do have them, but why do you need them?" Zerath responded.

"I read a thesis that increasing weight could be effective for muscle growth. This sword feels a bit light," Caron explained.

Zerath frowned slightly as he looked down at Caron. He wondered whether to interpret this as a sign of childish recklessness, or if Caron just wanted to stand out on his first day of training.

He had heard that Caron hadn't received any proper swordsmanship training at Master Fayle's home. Additionally, the knights stationed there weren't members of the Oceanwolf Knight Order; they were more akin to mercenary knights. They lacked the qualification and ability to teach swordsmanship to a member of the Leston family. Only those from Azureocean Castle had the necessary ability.

However, when Zerath was investigating, he had heard some interesting stories. One of them was that Caron had enjoyed exercising with the knights ever since he was young and often joined them during strength training.

Perhaps because of that story, he thought, Caron doesn't seem entirely untrained.

Caron's physique was already taking shape, especially his lower body, which stood out. Lower body strength was crucial in swordsmanship, particularly for styles like the Oceanwolf Sword Arts that emphasized power. A strong foundation was necessary to support such force.

A few possibilities crossed Zerath's mind. The first was that Fayle could have trained Caron from a young age.

No... Master Fayle is not the type to do that, Zerath thought, quickly dismissing that idea. Fayle was born into a martial family, but he had always disliked swords. Zerath knew people didn't change that easily.

Then, there was Caron's mother, Sara. But her family was known for their public service, which had no connection to martial arts. Moreover, neither Fayle nor Sara had any desire to gain recognition from the other family members. From what Zerath remembered, they had actually hoped for their child not to enter Azureocean Castle. So, there was one most likely explanation.

It was Caron's own choice, Zerath thought. Caron was the boy who had kept his mana a secret until his arrival at the main residence, so it was plausible that he had also been diligently training to learn swordsmanship.

"Very well," Zerath decided. There was no need to overthink this matter. He could see what Caron had prepared for and what he was determined to achieve. He continued, "There are weighted artifacts used by the knights. They're made of thin iron plates and won't be uncomfortable to use. Will that work for you?"

"Oh, that sounds nice," Caron replied.

"Please wait for a moment," Zerath said, then promptly brought the weighted artifacts.

These artifacts, embedded with weight magic, were tools the Oceanwolf Knight Order commonly used for strength training. Zerath handed them to Caron, then explained, "You can set the weight yourself. Just think of the desired weight, and the plates will adjust accordingly."

"What's the maximum weight they can hold?" Caron asked.

"Each plate can go up to a hundred kilograms," Zerath responded.

Caron smiled in satisfaction as he strapped the plates to his arms and legs. He thought to himself that he would have asked his father for these long ago if he had known about them.

"Sir Zerath, will you be watching me the whole time?" he asked.

"Yes, but don't feel pressured over it," Zerath answered.

"I wasn't going to," Caron said with a smile as he lifted his sword. Then, he began swinging it exactly as Zerath had demonstrated.

Every time I do this, I'm reminded of how much I like this new body, he thought to himself.

It wasn't just his adaptability to mana; it was also remarkable how much better his physical attributes, such as muscle recovery speed and muscle density, were. This body was superior in every way compared to that of his previous life. It was no exaggeration to say that his body was naturally suited for martial arts. It was almost as if he had been born to wield a sword.

Halo, I won't take that long, Caron mused as he looked forward to becoming a troublemaker by Halo's side. The future promised to be full of rewarding days. HHe swung his sword with a smile. From now on, this time was entirely for him.

Zerath watched silently as he observed Caron's every move.

***

After Caron's first day of training, night fell over Azureocean Castle. In the duke's office, Halo and two others had gathered. Halo sat back in his chair as he listened to his sister, Sabina.

"That child is a monster," Sabina said.

"You certainly have an odd way of talking about my grandson," Halo remarked.

"A monster should be called a monster. What else can I call him? A genius? That would be an insult to his gift."

"Sabina, it's been a long time since I've seen you this worked up," Halo commented.

"Just take good care of your own children, especially the second one. He's bound to be jealous of Caron's talent," Sabina advised Halo as she downed a glass of whiskey. Whether it was because of that or her youngest grandnephew's talent, her face flushed, and only she knew the reason.

Halo shook his head at his sister, then turned to his right-hand man, Zerath. He asked, "Do you agree with her, Zerath?"

"How could I dare to agree that your second son is dangerous?" answered Zerath.

"Your sense of humor is improving along with your age," said Halo.

"Haha... If you're asking about the youngest master's talent, I share Lady Sabina's thoughts," Zerath said, then took a sip of some wine.

He had observed Caron closely all day at Oceanwolf Island; he took note of everything, from the boy's unflinching demeanor before the Oceanwolf Knight Order to his relentless swordsmanship training until sundown. Caron's physical ability alone was remarkable.

Zerath had felt an immense desire and ferocity from Caron as he swung the sword, and it was a ferocity that no ordinary ten-year-old would ever display. The fact that Caron had pushed his body to the brink of rupturing his muscles was a matter of sheer willpower.

"I've never taught anyone like him. It's not just his physical abilities. His courage, willpower, just... Everything is extraordinary. Even compared to your first grandson, who is considered a genius... I think Caron stands out," Zerath said.

Hugo Leston was the eldest grandson of the Leston family. As the son of Dales, a candidate for the succession, Hugo had both legitimacy and talent. Within the Orias Empire, rumors about the duke's eldest grandson being a genius were widespread. And yet even he couldn't match the impression Caron had made.

"It's only been a day. I think both of you, Sabina and Zerath, are overestimating Caron's talent. Caron is a child who's only ten years old, so it's too soon to judge his potential. We can't predict what will happen or how it will affect his growth," Halo said in a low voice, sounding uncomfortable.

It had only been a single day since Caron started his training. Halo thought excessive expectations would ruin a child.

"Who knows," Sabina said as she filled her empty glass with whiskey again. She continued, "Halo, do you really think he's just an ordinary ten-year-old boy? I don't think you do, because you don't act like it. If you really thought Caron was an ordinary ten-year-old, I don't think you would have paired me with that cunning boy."

Her words rang true; Halo could only respond with silence. From the way Caron had stood his ground after violently hitting his cousin, to the fearless smile he had shown while holding the menacing Guillotine, the Execution Sword... His youngest grandson, whom he had only met after ten years, was completely different from what he had expected.

The things Sabina and Zerath had seen from Caron were in line with what Halo had already witnessed. That was why he had decided to pair Sabina with his youngest grandson. Caron was destined to bring change to Azureocean Castle. It was his fate as the one bound by the vow.

"I heard that Caron broke the Pledge Stone. What's going to happen from the next generation? Is our illustrious family coming to an end?" Sabina asked mischievously.

Halo shook his head firmly and answered, "No, it's not."

"Then what?"

"The one who breaks the Pledge Stone will set down a new one. Just as our ancestor did, so will Caron," Halo said.

Sabina shrugged at his prophetic words, then said, "Our family does have a lot of secrets, doesn't it, Zerath?"

"Indeed," Zerath said.

"By the way, the currents of the North Sea are troubling. More things are crossing over from the edge of the world. Could that be related to Caron breaking the Pledge Stone?" Sabina wondered.

Halo nodded solemnly, then said, "It signifies the approach of the time of the vow."

"Our dear youngest must bear a heavy burden. So, when will you tell Caron about this?" Sabina asked.

In response to those words, Halo tilted his glass and replied in a low voice, "When the time comes."

Bearing these heavy secrets was the responsibility of the adults. They were too much for Caron to carry just yet, so for now, it was just a time to watch him grow. Halo downed his drink with a bittersweet smile.

***

Just like that, three years passed.