A hero's party

He'd walk around the castle, looking around for a familiar face. It's been two years already. Two whole years. He knows almost every face here as well as each name attached to them. He knows people's strength and he's grown close to many. While Saito sees himself as amongst the strongest men in the kingdom, he frowns to the extreme respect people treat him with. Yes, I'm a hero. But I don't want to be treated that way. He checks out the courtyard. The dinning halls. The sparring rooms. (Where is he at?)

Stepping foot into the training yard, he finally finds the man he was looking for. 
Facing away, the figure swings his sword back and forth, training through repeated motions.
"Jeffrey."

He stops and looks back at him.
"Oh Saito. What can I do for you?"
He puts his wooden blade aside, paying attention.

Jeffrey has gotten much stronger than he was. He was deployed with him a couple times. And everytime, he has excelled expectations, handling himself much better than his peers. His strength was noteworthy. Yet, Jeffrey does not believe in himself. His repeated past failures gave him an inferiority complex. Whenever he's evaluated, he fails. He gets clumsy, he stumbles. He even dropped his sword at once point. This guy has the potential to become a champion. He's practically already at that level whenever it goes down to life and death. 

"I have something serious to ask."
"Sure, what's up?" Jeffrey stares back at him, curious.

"I want you to join me in my travels. I'm making a party to defeat the Demon King. Come with me Jeff."

Immediately, his eyes widen, surprised.
"Woah there friend. That's a lot to ask of me. It's been two years and I haven't even passed the first fighting test. I can't do that. I'd weight you down."

"No you wouldn't. You're just scared of failure. Whenever something really matters, you become someone else."
"I'm not someone else Saito. I'm me."
"I know. And I want you."

Jeff sighs, rubbing his arm. Is he actually serious? Is this a joke? No, Saito wouldn't about a "serious request". Him? Going on a quest to defeat the Demon King? It sounds amazing. He wants in. To join in something so noble. But he doesn't have that strength. The champion has an opinion of him that doesn't match reality.

Jeff: "I have another test scheduled later. Come watch me and you'll see."
"Sure. That's a plan."

The soldier sighs, walking off. 
Saito stares at him walking away. He has an idea...

A couple hours passes. Standing by the entrance, the protagonist stares as many new recruits are seated by the floor, awaiting their combat exam. Most of them pass, giving satisfactory results following their first two months of training. Jeffrey's turn inevitably come up. 

Unmotivated and unconfident, Jeff grabs his wooden floor, stepping onto the field.
The instructor waves his sword.
"Why are you still trying? You've failed this over thirty times. If you're tired of being a medic, we can find another use for you."

Already feeling defeated, his eyes seeks Saito's. 
The conqueror nods in response, walking onto the ground.
Instructor: "Do you require anything champion?"

"I want to test him myself with a real blade."
A stammer erupts. Some shocked, some amused. Is he trying to make Jeff give up permanently.

Jeff: ".. What?"
Saito: "You heard me. Go pick up your actual sword."
Jeff: "You have to be kidding me.."

Anxiety builds up like never within him. It feels nauseating. Not only will he get humiliated again, but now he'll get crushed like nothing. He drops the wooden sword aside, picking his.
In response, Saito also unsheathes his sword.

Instructor: "Please Saito, I beg you to reconsider. Jeff isn't ready for this kind of thing."
Saito: "I'll be the judge of that. Please, step aside."

He hesitates. But if the champion tells him to comply, he has no choice but to.
He walks forward, taking the place of the instructor.
Jeff can feel his body shaking.

Jeff: "The rules?"
Saito: "Until either is incapacitated."
Jeff: "WHAT?"
Instructor: "Saito please reconsider one more time!"

Ignoring their pleads, Saito bows to his opponent, ready to engage. 
Jeff begins to sweat. (I feel like puking.)
He bows in response.

"Begin."
To lower soldiers, it feels like Saito almost teleported. But his movement speed is really just insane.
Jeff's body instantly tenses up, his eyes locked onto the blade coming his way. He reacts to it and leaps sideways, dodging it. His foe follows up, now swinging at his head. Jeffrey parries it and steps back. Another one comes right away. He doesn't have time to think. The attacks just keep coming.
Without any mercy, Saito keeps the pressure on, striking at him again and again. It takes everything for the soldier to manage self-defence, barely hanging out. Dodging, avoiding, parrying, blocking. His adrenaline replaces his fear, diluting his anxiety. The protagonist then leans in, rushing in for a thrust. He sees it coming. He leans sideways, the sword barely cutting his clothes as he counters. Saito dodges it, but nonetheless, he manages to graze his opponant.

Saito: "That's enough."

Huh? I haven't achieved anything. All I could is survive and defend myself.
He looks at the spectators, embarrassed, humiliated. Surely this was pathetic enough he won't be allowed to try again. (What's wrong with them?)

Rather than judging him and laughing at him, they all look stunned and impressed.
Did something happen.

The instructor clears his throat, visibly self-conscious.
Instructor: "Jeff, you pass. Congratulations."

Stunned, he stare at him, mouth open. Seriously?
Saito: "You don't see yourself do you?"
Jeffrey: "What are you talking about?"
Saito: "I wasn't going easy at you. I didn't use magic, but I still tried and went for genuine attacks that could've killed people. Yet, you parried them."

It takes a moment for his words to click in and make sense.
Saito is a Champion. Not any champion, but the strongest one to current date.
If he can manage to fend him off, although he went easy.. Surely that means a lot. There's no way the common soldiers can handle that.

(Was.. Was this entire thing in my head? Is my self-esteem that terrible?)
It apparently is.

Our hero smiles to Jeff, extending his hand as an invitation.
"Come with me Jeff. I want you travelling with me."

He smiles back, happy. 
(You've always known how to inspire me.)
He reaches for his idol's hand, shaking it.

Jeff: "I'll follow you to the end of the world. But don't get expectations of me."

Expectations of you? Hahaha.
"I don't need those. I know what you can and can't do."