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C204: Training
“From this moment on, you and I are master and disciple, just like father and son. I think of you as my son from now on.”
“What am I supposed to think of Veft?”
“Whatever you want me to think of you.”
I thought about it for a moment. If he thinks of me as his son, then I should think of him as my father.
“I’m going to think of you as my father then.”
“Well, then you can’t talk like that to your father. Fathers and sons are not strangers.”
I guess that means don’t be a stranger.
“Well, then, old man, give me a lesson.”
“Yes, that’s good.”
Veft laughed as he said this.
“First, let’s see what you’re capable of now. Take this and hold it up.”
He handed me a wooden sword. I did as I was told and took the sword and held it up. It’s not something I learned from anyone, but I had some confidence because of my actual experience with the magicrafts. However, my father’s assessment was not what I thought it would be.
“You’re even worse at this than I thought. Well, that’s what makes teaching you worthwhile.”
“Can you tell that just by looking at my stance?”
“Just by asking me that question, I can tell you don’t know shit.”
“What do you mean, old man?”
“Who did you just raise your sword against?”
“No one. I was told to hold my sword, so I just did.”
“You’re holding a sword with no one to fight? Whether you’re holding your sword to defeat your opponent, to prepare for his attack, or to intimidate him, the fight has already begun. Was your earlier stance preparing you for battle?”
I certainly wasn’t thinking about fighting. I just picked up the sword to be cool

.
“I’m not sure if you’ve heard of it or not but when you hold a sword, you are always preparing for a fight, it is the same when you are training.”
“All right. I’ll try it again and you’ll see.”
I held up my sword again. This time, I imagined the person I would be holding the sword against. It would be better if it was someone I knew. If I’m going to fight, I want to fight with someone strong. I chose Arthur as my opponent.
I’ve seen Arthur practice his sword skills several times in Fugaku’s hangar. The most threatening part of Arthur’s technique is his thrusting attack. It’s fast and has the power to kill with a single blow. My stance naturally became half-hearted in preparation for the thrusting attack. In this state, I waited for Arthur’s thrusting attack. Arthur’s thrusts are fast and powerful, but at the cost of leaving a gap after the attack. In order not to miss the gap, I pulled my sword hand back and readied it so that I could swing it immediately.
“This may be parental stupidity, but Yuta you may have a talent. If you can take such a stance with just those words, you have a promising future.”
“Don’t interrupt me, old man. I almost defeated him with a brilliant counter attack.”
“Hmph, I wasn’t interfering, I was helping you. You were unable to avoid the sharp thrust of his first blow, and it pierced your heart.”
I was surprised to hear that. Did he see what I imagined he would see?
“How did you know I was going to be attacked by a thrust?”
“That’s how good your imagination is.”
“My imagination is good, but my stance is bad?”
“No, it’s a good stance. Good enough for a start.”
“Then how did I get stabbed through the heart?”
“That’s an overwhelming lack of skill. I told you that the mind and technique are one. I’m going to teach you everything you need to know, so be prepared.”
When my father said that, I was more excited about what he was going to teach me than scared at the thought of rigorous training.