Free Web NovelChapter 128: First Request
Margaret brought a tea service to serve Victor and Luísa. They were in one of the many sitting rooms of Selvarum Mansion.
After Margaret left, Luísa prepared two glasses of steaming tea and sat down in the armchair opposite Victor. She watched him for a moment before speaking again.
"Do you realize how much your actions have reverberated throughout the kingdom in the last few hours, Victor? Not only here in the north, but all over the Kingdom of Athina, people are talking about you in the markets, in the taverns, in the buildings of the Hunters’ Association. Everyone wants to know more about the man who defeated the Devourer of Ships, because they don’t even know what your rank is."
Victor took a sip of his tea, enjoying the pleasant temperature. "Honestly, that’s why I wanted to do everything myself. However, I was unlucky in that the captain of the ship I hitched a ride on was a talented storyteller. It was a risk I was willing to take in order not to need your help anymore, Luísa, so now I have to bear the consequences".
"Most hunters wouldn’t exactly call that bad luck, but I know what you mean. Anyway, I think the best thing you can do for now is to stay in massion. That’ll keep you out of trouble for a while."
"What do you mean?"
"Victor, you are a powerful man, a hero. The balance of this world depends on powerful people like you fighting instead of weak people. It’s only natural that if you hang around, you’ll always find problems, tasks, and confusion. Haven’t you ever thought about that?"
At that moment, Victor put his left hand on his chin and thought about what Luísa had said.
In fact, it was undeniable that Victor had more problems in a week than most people had in a year. He thought it was because he was unlucky, but it made more sense because he was a hero.
"Now that you put it that way, it makes sense."
Victor’s serious answer drew a hearty laugh from Luísa. "Please stay a few days without leaving the villa. Take advantage of this early winter to relax before the holidays."
Victor sighed and leaned back on the sofa. "All right, I’ll do that." He said and then thought, ’Not least because I can’t go very far. Mari said she’ll have to take my blood every day.’
"By the way, remember I said there was something I wanted to ask for?" Luísa asked, after taking a sip of her steaming tea.
Victor straightened his posture and looked at her. "Of course. You can ask for anything."
"Anything?" She looked away with rosy cheeks, and this time it wasn’t because of the cold. "If that’s the case, I want you to..."
"Almost any request." Victor interrupted her.
Luísa smiled a little awkwardly and returned to normal. "All right, if you can’t do the first item on my little wish list, I’ll do the second. I want you to train my nephew, Bel Selvarum, in the art of the sword."
"Bel? That boy?" Victor asked with a tone of hesitation. He remembered well how rude the boy had been to him during their few interactions.
"He is young and has great potential. However, he needs proper guidance and won’t accept ordinary instructors. I’d ask Gracela, but she’s here resting and waiting for the winter to pass, and I don’t want to bother her."
"But why me? Frugeon seems skilled enough for that."
"Believe me, Victor, judging by your recent past, there’s no one better than you to guide you. Frugeon has neither the tact nor the experience with young people that you have. Look at your daughter. She’s become a formidable S-rank."
"I don’t know, Luísa. I don’t know Bel that well, and, from the little we’ve interacted, I can see that he’s... a bit difficult to deal with."
Luísa let out a soft sigh, her eyes revealing a hint of concern. "Yes, he can be a bit stubborn, but he has a good heart. Bel needs someone to see past his rebellious facade and help him find his true path. He reached the Majestic level without ever having a proper teacher."
Victor took another sip of his tea and thought about Luísa’s words.
The truth was that he didn’t feel comfortable taking on the responsibility of training someone after having trained Wanda. If Victor agreed to help Bel, he would unwittingly end up putting too many expectations on the boy’s shoulders, because Wanda was spectacular in almost every area and he would expect nothing less. Besides, Victor had other things to worry about.
"Victor, I know it’s a lot to ask, but Bel needs someone like you. Someone who will not only teach him how to fight but who will inspire him to be a better man. I really think you can do that."
Victor closed his eyes for a moment, weighing his options. He could feel Luísa’s sincerity with this request. He knew she was speaking from the heart.
’Would it be impolite to refuse? This is the first time in twenty years that she’s asked me that honestly. Even after all that, I showed up at her door and she gave me a large room to sleep in without batting an eyelid. Hmm...’
Finally, Victor opened his eyes and met her expectant gaze.
"All right, Luísa," he said as he stood up, "I will train Bel. But know that it won’t be easy, neither for him nor for me."
Luísa smiled, relief written all over her face. "Thank you, Victor! It means a lot to me and our family."
Victor just nodded, a little worried.
*
The next day, Victor went to the outdoor training camp. The field was in the back of the property, surrounded by tall pine trees that provide privacy. It was a large area, equipped with practice targets, training dummies, and a variety of weapons carefully organized in holders, something expected from the Selvarum family, who had an impressive track record of excellent swordsmen and warriors.
As he approached the camp, Victor spotted Bel. The young man, stripped off his tunic and wearing only a t-shirt, practiced his sword movements alone against a wooden dummy.
Bel had focused eyes, a small sign that he was at least dedicated to his physical training. However, there was an arrogance in his posture and an excess of personality in his eyes, something out of proportion to his skill.
Victor approached in silence and watched the young man go through a series of movements. When Bel finally realized his presence, he stopped and turned, his eyes narrowing as he recognized Victor.
"What are you looking at?" freēwebnovel.com
"I’m just wondering how many thousand blows it will take you to break that doll with that wooden sword. A thousand? No, I think it’s three thousand. If it’s more than five thousand, you’re definitely no good with swords." Victor replied.
A vein of anger burst from the boy’s forehead. "Quiet! And how many could you manage, huh?"
Victor smiled. This was exactly the opening he had hoped for.
