Chapter 385: Training Together

Darkness coiled around Soren, pooling on the kitchen floor before rising into the shadowy form of a panther. Soren knelt and set the plate of herb-crusted dragon meat on the ground in front of him. ’Here, this is for you.’

The panther shifted his violet eyes toward Soren, then down to the steaming meat. ’Thank you, Master.’ Malakar replied softly before opening his jaws and swallowing half the portion in a single bite.

Soren smiled and reached for a new large platter, and served the remaining main dish on it. Setting it down right next to the plate, he said, ’Eat this too and tell me what you think. After all, you’re at the emperor level, so your insights are much better.’

Malakar nodded in agreement and stepped closer to the platter.

"Take your time," Soren added, then headed back into the living room, where Ethea sat watching TV.

"Are you ready, dear?"

"Mm, are you finished already?"

"Yes," Soren chuckled, then bent down, slipping one arm behind her back and the other beneath her knees to lift her effortlessly into his arms. She rested her head on his shoulder as he carried her straight into the bedroom.

Half an hour later, after helping her change into her sleeping clothes, Soren carefully laid Ethea on the bed and pulled the blanket up over her shoulders. He leaned over and brushed a strand of hair from her face.

"I’ll be back soon."

He went to the kitchen and washed the platters Malakor had left in the sink after eating. He then quickly prepared a moonleaf tea for Ethea and returned to the bedroom. He sat on the edge of the bed and helped her sit up, holding the cup steady while she drank. When she finished, he helped her lie back down, set the cup aside, and climbed in beside her, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close.

"Goodnight, my love." He pressed a gentle kiss to her lips.

"...Goodnight, my love." She whispered as they parted their lips.

They closed their eyes.

A moment later, they appeared in their shared mental realm. The grassy field stretched out around them, and Ethea was still nestled in his embrace as they lay on the ground.

"...Should we start the training?"

"Okay." She closed her eyes briefly, and the surroundings shifted. The grassy field melted away, replaced by a large training ground with wooden dummies, weapon racks, and a wide-open floor.

They stood up. Ethea picked up a wooden sword from the rack and tossed it to him.

"Dear," she called, her face solemn. "Do you really want to learn and practice swordsmanship instead of your new spear technique? You’re not doing it because I told you about it, right?"

"I’m already practicing the spear in reality," Soren replied as he familiarized himself with the sword by swinging and switching it between his hands. "And even if I lack a natural talent for swordsmanship, I still want to try. And maybe with a teacher as skilled and beautiful as you, I’ll actually be able to pull it off."

"Flattery won’t make the training any lighter, dear. And..." Ethea smiled at his words. "I will be teaching you strictly from the absolute basics. Are you prepared for that too?"

"I’m ready." Soren nodded solemnly. "In fact, it’s better if you don’t show mercy and work me to the bone. I need to build proper muscle memory from scratch."

"...Alright." Ethea nodded and walked toward him. "Then let’s start with the foundation of everything: your stance and weight distribution."

She circled him slowly, her eyes tracking every line of his posture. "...You’re standing like a spearman, dear. Your center of gravity is pulled back, preparing for range and forward momentum. A sword demands balance from the center: receptive, yet ready to drive forward at a moment’s notice."

Soren adjusted his feet, widening his stance slightly, but Ethea shook her head.

"Lower," she said, stepping in and pressing her fingers against the side of his hip to shift his alignment. "...Drop your weight into your thighs, not your knees."

Soren did as he was told, and then her hands moved up to his shoulders, pressing down until his upper body relaxed. "Unclench your neck too. Your upper body should be fluid, dear."

Ethea then moved directly behind him, closing the remaining space until her front brushed against his back. Her arms wrapped around his waist, her hands tracing the sides of his ribs before sliding down to cup his hands over the sword’s hilt.

Her breath warmed the side of his neck as she aligned her elbows with his.

"Feel the difference?" she whispered, her chin resting lightly near his shoulder as her fingers tightened over his knuckles, adjusting his grip until the blade aligned perfectly with his wrist. "Your index finger relaxes. The power doesn’t come from a white-knuckled squeeze; it flows from the pinky and ring fingers, rooted straight down through your spine into your heels."

’...’ Soren gulped dryly as he did his best not to get distracted by her proximity. Although he was used to holding her close and caring for her every day, this kind of almost deliberate, body-to-body contact under the guise of "strict martial instruction" was a completely different test of endurance.

His eyes darted slightly to the side, catching the faint curve of her jaw just inches from his own. Every slight shift of her body against his back sent a sharp pulse through his mind, rendering the sword in his hands almost entirely forgotten.

"Are you listening, dear?" Ethea murmured right against his ear, and though her voice carried that same innocent lightness, the tiny tug at the corner of her lips betrayed her amusement.

"I-I am listening," Soren said quickly, oblivious to her playful intent as he cleared his throat and stared rigidly straight ahead, simply assuming her close proximity was part of the rigorous training process. "Pinky and ring fingers. Spine. Heels."

"Then why did you just tense up?" she asked softly, her hands smoothing over his chest down to his waist, pretending to adjust his posture while clearly enjoying his reaction. "Focus. Or do I need to hold you like this until you learn to keep your head cool?"

"N-No," Soren muttered, locking his gaze onto a distant pillar and forcing his pulse to settle. "I’m focused."

"Good, now hold this stance. We will move on to basic vertical cuts once you can keep your balance for thirty minutes without breaking form."

"Thirty minutes?"

"Hmm? You can’t do it?"

"No, I can do it," Soren replied seriously. "...You can cultivate in the meantime if you want."

"No, dear." Ethea shook her head, finally distancing herself from him. "I will be watching you so you don’t slack off or slip back into your spear habits the moment my eyes leave you."

"Come on, dear," Soren said, keeping his arms steady and his eyes still fixed on the distant pillar. "You can trust me to take this seriously."

"I do trust you," Ethea replied smoothly, then sat on the floor not far from him. "There is actually another reason I am staying... I want to talk about your past again."

Soren blinked, maintaining his stance despite the sudden shift in topic. "My past?"

"Yes," Ethea said, resting her chin on her hand as she watched his form. "...Dear, why didn’t you learn to fight or train with a weapon back then? And... why didn’t you ask me to teach you swordsmanship sooner instead of choosing a spear?"

"..."

"You don’t have to answer if it brings up bitter memories, dear."

Soren kept his posture intact, his arms steady and the wooden blade level, though his eyes shifted toward her. A faint smile touched his lips, devoid of any genuine bitterness.

"I think you’ve already guessed most of it, dear. And the truth really isn’t that dramatic or interesting," Soren said, his voice measured as he maintained his breathing. "I never trained with a weapon back then because my family never intended for me to actually learn. Whenever they arranged ’lessons’ for me, it was just an excuse to use me as a punching bag. Between the knights, the instructors, and my own family, I heard the exact same thing every day. They kept telling me I was weak, devoid of talent, and completely useless with a sword..."

He shrugged slightly without letting his shoulders rise, keeping his core locked. "But I knew they only said those things to break my spirit, so I just ignored their words as usual and stopped ’learning’ altogether after some time. There was no point in giving them the satisfaction of watching me fail."

"..." Ethea remained in her place, barely stopping herself from jumping and taking him to her embrace.

"...As for choosing the spear when I came here," Soren continued with a thoughtful expression, "it was simply the most practical option. You should also know that it’s widely considered easier for beginners to grasp. It also offers good reach from a distance. And... you could barely speak back then, and our relationship wasn’t exactly close enough for me to ask you to teach me swordsmanship. And..."