Nebis Leyang and Glantham Phoenix arrived at the latter’s personal training ground. The arena held all kinds of weapons and armor—swords, spears, staffs, axes, shields—alongside practice dummies and even automatic magic puppets.

But those magic puppets required Mana Crystals to activate. If damaged too much, you had to pay for repairs. Ordinary folks couldn’t afford them. Even if they did use one, they’d only dare to passively defend, training their evasion skills.

Leyang picked an ordinary wooden sword. Phoenix chose a one-handed sword and a buckler. Her ash-green hair was tied neatly into a single ponytail hanging straight down her back, giving her a distinct air of a knight’s daughter.

“Come on, Phoenix. Let me see your swordsmanship foundation,” Leyang said, holding his sword in one hand as he faced her, smiling faintly.

“Yes, Lord Leyang. Please be careful,” Phoenix replied. She knew he was incredibly strong—even a large group like Wyatt Paul’s couldn’t beat him alone. So, she didn’t need to hold back; holding back would be pointless and only make her suffer more.

“Hyaah!” With a crisp, girlish shout, Phoenix leaped and slashed at Leyang, putting her full weight behind the blade.

*Ding~*

Leyang’s eyes narrowed slightly as he raised his sword to block the strike firmly. He could have easily dodged it, but he wanted to test her strength, so he deliberately took the hit.

From that strike, Phoenix’s power was at least three hundred pounds. Even without magic talent, she’d surely become a great knightess someday. Her petite frame hid immense strength—clearly, she’d never skipped sword training.

Girls were naturally weaker than boys. To match them, she must have poured in extra effort and sweat. Though Phoenix seemed delicate, her will was strong—stronger than most her age.

When the slash missed, Phoenix didn’t falter. She swung her buckler at Leyang’s chest.

Leyang parried her sword aside and stepped back, creating a small gap.

“Good, Phoenix. Keep going. Show me everything you’ve got.”

“Yes, Lord Leyang.”

Excitement flashed in Phoenix’s eyes as she thrust her short sword repeatedly. Leyang dodged while observing her form.

“Lower your waist. Shift your center of gravity down.”

“Keep your arm straight when thrusting. Make it sharp and clean.”

“Too slow. Faster.”

…

Leyang coached like a strict instructor. Phoenix trained tirelessly, adjusting her movements, attacking again and again. Yet he evaded every strike effortlessly, leaving her frustrated.

“Huff… I’m exhausted.”

Suddenly, Phoenix plopped down on the ground, drenched in sweat.

Leyang, meanwhile, looked completely composed—not a drop of sweat on his face. It was simply unbelievable.

“Your foundation is solid. Who taught you?”

“My father—Glantham Anke. He’s a great knight.”

“I thought so. Rest ten minutes. Later, I’ll teach you a few sword moves. Even when I’m not around, you’ll have some self-defense skills. Your current training is just basics. Against a stronger opponent, you’d lose quickly.” Leyang flicked his wooden sword casually.

“Huh? Lord Leyang, you know swordsmanship too?!” Phoenix exclaimed in surprise.

“What? Underestimating me? If I didn’t know swords, how could I teach you?” Leyang raised an eyebrow, glancing at her seated on the ground.

“No, no! I didn’t mean that,” Phoenix hurriedly shook her head and waved her hands.

“Let’s start now. Stay seated and watch my demonstration. I’ll show it twice. How much you learn depends on your insight.”

“This art is called Moon-Embracing. It uses softness to overcome strength, turns the enemy’s momentum against their weaknesses, and stays flexible.”

With that, Leyang stepped forward and began the Moon-Embracing Sword Art. His movements flowed—sometimes like a full moon, sometimes a crescent, sometimes a newborn moonbeam. Phoenix watched, utterly entranced.

Honestly, among all sword arts Leyang knew, Moon-Embracing was mid-to-high tier. He didn’t value it much, but it was perfect for Phoenix. Deeper arts would overwhelm her. This one balanced offense and defense, suiting her well.

After two demonstrations, Leyang sheathed his sword and looked at Phoenix.

“How much did you grasp?”

“I think I understood most of it.”

“Oh? Show me.”

Moon-Embracing was tough. She understood most after just two shows? This girl truly had talent.

“Mhm.” Phoenix patted her skirt, grabbed a wooden sword, and began practicing. Her motions were stiff and awkward, but the stance was unmistakably Moon-Embracing. Halfway through, she froze, her small face twisted in frustration—she’d forgotten the next move.

“That’s enough. Moon-Embracing has thirty-six techniques. You memorized eighteen after two demos—that’s impressive. Focus on mastering these eighteen first. Once you’re fluent, I’ll teach the rest.” Leyang patted her shoulder lightly.

“Mhm, okay,” Phoenix sighed, her face sour. She’d remembered it all—why did it slip away?

“Spend the rest of the time refining these moves. I have matters to attend to. Oh, and skip my afternoon class with Soya Jemi. Tell her I won’t be coming.” Leyang turned and waved.

“Huh?! Lord Leyang, you’re skipping class?!”

“Not skipping. Exercising academy privileges. Noble etiquette lessons this afternoon? That stuff’s a pain. I hated it at home, and I’m not wasting time on boring nonsense here. Better to do something fun.”

“That’s it. Just tell Soya Jemi straight.”