novelinnhs Chapter 204: Vaelith
Chapter 204: Vaelith
Shortly after Doran, Ethan, and Aerick left the training ground, the slightly more than two hundred guards who had been waiting there quickly took up their positions.
Among them, more than twenty possessed Rank B talent, four possessed Rank A talent, and a single guard held Rank S talent.
All the others were at least Rank C, and the few who had not yet reached the second stage would soon cross that threshold.
If it weren’t for the lack of third- and fourth-stage specialists, that troop could already be considered a pretty decent military force, especially since they were professional soldiers.
In a world where most soldiers were nothing more than peasants conscripted in times of war, possessing a professional army so large relative to the militia gave Goldenveil a clear advantage against forces of similar numbers.
Among the guards beginning their training with enthusiasm was Cain.
Standing before him was one of the seven elves who had joined the guard.
As a wood elf, he sported the iconic slightly greenish-blond hair of his people, along with a slender yet powerful build—features that set him apart from most of the humans on the field.
Wielding an elven saber—a family heirloom recovered from the goblin camp from which Ethan had freed him—the young elf was, without a doubt, a terrifying figure to Cain.
"Damn it, Vaelith!" Cain cursed, parrying dozens of rapid saber strikes in the span of a single breath.
The clang of steel rang out without pause, forcing him into a constant retreat, his boots scraping against the floor with each step backward.
He was more talented, and even physically stronger, yet there he was, being pressed back in such a humiliating manner.
The reason? Technique.
Vaelith mastered an extremely fast and powerful style, having trained with the sword alongside his father since childhood.
That same father had also joined the guard, and was now just one step away from the third stage.
"We should only train in the Golden Dragon Emperor’s fencing!" Cain complained, drawing a laugh from the elf, who effortlessly slipped past one of his strikes and landed a precise kick to his stomach.
"That’s just the talk of a sore loser, Cain." Vaelith taunted, stepping forward without losing his elegant posture.
Knocked off balance by the kick, Cain recovered quickly, advancing with a precise thrust aimed at the elf’s torso.
Vaelith moved as if he were water, his slender body bending at an impossible angle as his elven saber carved through the air toward Cain’s neck.
The whistle of metal cut through the silence between them.
Cain tried to dodge, but soon realized he was trapped.
The elf’s left hand formed a strange symbol, and from between the bricks of the floor, small green vines sprouted, twining around Cain’s feet and holding him in place.
The elven saber stopped just inches from Cain’s neck, the blade reflecting the morning sunlight as Vaelith smiled with satisfaction.
"See? That’s why the captain wanted us to learn other techniques, even though almost everyone thought that just the Golden Dragon Emperor’s fencing would be enough.
You’ve been training with a single technique, and against a single technique. The moment I used something with a totally different fighting style, you lost, even though you’re stronger.
It’s no use just having brute strength; you also need to be flexible and adaptable."
Cain listened to the wood elf’s words attentively, a bitter smile spreading across his face as the vines around his feet slowly unraveled and slithered back between the bricks.
The age difference between them was only two years, but it felt like twenty.
Well, it was only natural.
Vaelith had received a thorough education from an elven warrior who was already over a hundred years old.
Cain, on the other hand, had only learned to write less than a year ago.
"Ah... best of three, let’s go again!" Cain refused to let himself get discouraged, gripping his sword with renewed firmness.
Unfortunately, that resolve crumbled shortly after, when his eyes fell upon a figure who had just arrived at that part of the barracks.
It was Vaelith’s older sister, beautiful and elegant, carrying in her hands a small lunchbox of food for their father, who was on guard duty in another part of the barracks, and for her brother who was training there.
Cain looked at her with a gaze that would fill Ethan’s heart with pride.
The elven girl, catching that look, smiled shyly in return, her long pointed ears tinged with a slight pink hue.
Vaelith had been one of the first elves to join the guard, and had quickly become friends with Cain.
Because of this friendship, the young human had already visited their home a few times, and his face—considerably handsome for a human—had caught the girl’s attention.
Cain was about to wish her a good morning when he sensed Doran’s presence approaching.
Immediately, he turned to the man he considered his master, snapping to attention with his back straight.
"Captain!" he declared, strength ringing in his voice.
Doran, noticing the young man’s flushed face, exchanged a quick glance with Vaelith and smiled inwardly.
His young apprentice was growing up.
"The Lord will need you for something," Doran said, motioning for Vaelith to follow Cain to a corner of the Arena.
Soon after, he turned his gaze to the other assembled guards.
"One hundred and fifty of you will be chosen to participate in special training prepared by our Lord. This training will last a month, and during that time, you will not be able to contact anyone. But don’t worry, we will notify your families.
For those not chosen, your turn will come soon."
Hearing Doran’s words, the guards quickly organized themselves into rows, and the captain selected one hundred and forty-eight of them with a discerning gaze.
Cain was a little discouraged at not having had the chance to speak with Vaelith’s sister, and the elf himself wasn’t happy about having to leave without first tasting the food prepared with so much love by his sister.
But, for now, that mattered little.
For both of them, becoming stronger was the most important thing, above all else.