Chapter 5: All of You Against Me

“They look like a duck and its ducklings,” an elderly woman commented with a smile as she watched the group led by the Lord of Gignit and the little up-and-comers.

Alexander walked at the front with confident strides, while the boys followed closely behind him. That was how they made their way through the cobblestone streets of Gignit, heading toward the village exit.

“That’s true!” a small semi-human girl added, her eyes sparkling as she watched the young Lord of Gignit. “Those are friends!”

“Let’s go say hello!”

“Yes! Maybe he’ll want to be our friend!”

Two more girls joined her—this time human girls with long black and silver hair. Together, they headed straight toward the departing group.

“Lord Christopher!” they all called out in unison. “Please, we want to be your friends!”

Christopher, a little flushed, lowered his gaze.

“Christopher, look—some very lovely young maidens greeted you and even want to be your friends,” Alexander pointed out. “Respond properly. They were kind to you.”

“Yes,” Christopher nodded with a smile—one that wasn’t forced, but genuine. “Nice to meet you! Of course I’ll be your friend. When I come back, we can all play together.”

“It’s a promise!” the girls exclaimed, waving goodbye before turning around and leaving.

“Hey… what about us?”

Sebastián called out, with Mathias nodding beside him.

Alexander averted his gaze, clearly unwilling to receive the dagger-like stares from the two boys who had, apparently, been completely ignored.

“It’s always you, you bastard,” Sebastián said, grabbing the young Lord by the right shoulder.

“I think I’ll use you as a punching bag… a lot,” Mathias added.

“Stop messing around already,” Christopher complained. “It’s not my fault!”

And while they argued—as always—the group kept moving forward, revealing more areas of the village of Gignit.

The village was small, made up of around a hundred houses surrounding the central plaza. Farther out stood the wall—the only defensive line built to protect the village.

That line of defense consisted of a wall made of rocks and tree trunks, completely encircling the village in a circular shape. There was enough space atop the wall for the guards on watch to stand and observe the outside—and, if necessary, attack any potential invaders.

The group of four reached the village’s only entrance: a gate made of bound logs, tightly tied together with ropes so dense that nothing inside could be seen at all.

The gate was a sliding one, supported by several small wheels. If one looked closely, it was possible to notice that it rested on a rail that allowed it to slide open.

At the center of the gate, about 1.7 meters above the ground, there was a small sliding slit measuring roughly forty centimeters long and twenty centimeters wide. It was used to get an initial look at potential visitors. Since the gate was lower than the surrounding walls—about six meters compared to the wall’s ten—it was common for invaders to attempt entry through that point, as it had been deliberately built that way.

From the outside, the area around the gate appeared less guarded than the walls, where several sentinels constantly patrolled in search of intruders. In contrast, the gate gave the impression of being perpetually neglected.

The group reached the gate and greeted the guards.

“The walls,” the boys said at the same time, lifting their gazes toward the sky.

“They really are tall,” Mathias commented, having to crane his neck to take in the structure’s height.

“I could climb them without any trouble,” Christopher added, earning a challenging look from Sebastián.

“I bet you this candy that you can’t.”

In truth, they weren’t titanic or majestic at all—it was simply that, being children, from their near-to-the-ground perspective, many things looked gigantic.

Alexander walked over to those guarding the gate area.

“Lord Alexander, are you leaving the village?” asked the first of the two guards, Tobias.

He was a Beastman of the Canine Clan—a Wolfman—quite burly, with a bare torso and a broad back. Although his fur was black, several scars ran diagonally across his chest and abdomen.

He wore iron pauldrons on both shoulders, secured with straps that ran vertically down his wide back. These were attached to a thick belt at his waist, from which eight small daggers hung—ready for use—distributed evenly on both sides.

Lower down, a cream-colored leather loincloth protruded from the belt, well crafted and clearly of good quality. At the front, it had a triangular shape with a rectangular tip, while at the back it covered him completely, allowing his tail to emerge from underneath.

Loose fabric trousers covered his thighs, descending to his shins, where he wore iron greaves that matched the silver pauldrons. Both greaves were engraved with the head of a wolf as a symbol.

Lower still, his legs—clearly lupine in shape—were wrapped in tightly bound black bandages. Beneath the paw pads and the metacarpal pad, he wore plates of the same shape, protecting them from direct contact with the ground.

A black eyepatch covered his right eye, making his blindness unmistakable—perhaps the result of a fierce battle in the past.

Only one eye remained as his window to the world.

His ears were pointed, though only the left one was intact. The right had been cut halfway off.

This caught the children’s attention, and once they observed him more closely, they felt a brief shiver run down their spines. It was as if they could feel, in their own flesh, the pain the wolfman had endured in the past.

Tobias wielded two scimitars, secured on either side of his hips by a black belt.

His companion was a bald, bearded human, with both large and small scars etched across his head.

Like his wolfman companion, this man also stood around 1.80 meters tall. He went bare-chested, wearing only leather armor similar to a sleeveless bulletproof vest, though thinner.

A pair of straps ran across his back, securing the rear of the armor. At his lower back, he wore an iron plate that offered additional protection.

He wore brown leather gauntlets—matching the armor—that covered his entire right forearm and fist, leaving the palm exposed.

On his left arm, he wore only a white bandage, as it had been amputated halfway up the forearm. For protection, he used a leather sheath that fit perfectly over the stump.

Strapped to his back was a double-edged sword, sheathed and secured to a belt.

Resting beside the gate was his shield, modified so it could be fitted to his amputated forearm, allowing it to serve as both defense and offense.

He wore thick trousers, metal knee guards, and long leather boots—so tall they nearly reached the kneepads.

His name was Tadeo, Tobias’s longtime and trusted companion.

“Yes, we’re heading out to train,” Alexander replied to the question the wolfman had asked earlier.

“Please, be very careful, Lord Alexander,” Tadeo said, clearly concerned for the Lord’s safety—and especially for the children. Though it sounded like a request, the seriousness in his gaze made it feel more like a warning. “We recently faced a large feathered serpent. We couldn’t kill it, and although it’s wounded, it’s very likely still roaming the area.”

“Damn serpent,” Tobias muttered, carefully looking at his right forearm, which bore a moderately deep cut. “It managed to wound me… luckily, it didn’t manage to poison me.”

Alexander fixed his gaze on both of them, observing with evident interest the fresh injuries the guards bore. Each wound was moderately deep.

“That feathered serpent… is it a BETA-class?” he asked. Then he corrected himself, “No—rather, is it an adult BETA?”

Both of them denied it.

Alexander was highly skilled at identifying the traits of beasts. Judging by the size of the wounds—especially those on Tobias—he concluded that the feathered serpent they had faced was fully grown.

The injuries looked like the result of a sharp object, matching the dagger-shaped tail tip that only adult feathered serpents developed.

“No, sir,” Tadeo said.

“It’s not a BETA-class beast, nor an adult BETA…” Tobias let out a sigh. “We believe it’s an ALFA-class.”

“I see… that changes everything…” Alexander said, downplaying the matter as he smiled. “Don’t worry, boys. Nothing will happen to us.”

Incredibly, the children lost all traces of concern the moment they heard the adult responsible for their training speak. Calm returned to their faces.

They left the village.

✧ ✧ ✧

Discreetly, Alexander glanced behind him, noticing how cautious the children were being.

As mentioned before, they weren’t afraid—after all, Lord Alexander was with them. But that didn’t mean they could completely relax or lower their guard. They had to stay alert to their surroundings; it was one of the lessons Alexander had already taught Christopher and Sebastián. For Mathias, on the other hand, it was a basic racial instinct.

Although they appeared to be walking casually, they were paying close attention to everything around them. Mathias’s furry ears reacted to even the faintest sound in the environment.

Sebastián’s eyes moved from side to side, focused on the right flank, searching for any trace that might indicate an enemy lurking nearby.

Christopher seemed calmer, but no less focused. He kept watch over much of the left flank, doing the same as his friend—looking for signs that could reveal the presence of potential enemies.

Alexander couldn’t help but feel happy.

Despite being only five years old, the children were making remarkable progress. Unlike his son, who had already learned quite a lot, Sebastián and Mathias were advancing rapidly in reading and writing.

“I’m looking forward to running into that feathered serpent,” Sebastián said with a sigh, gently stroking the hilt of his sword. His desire was silently shared by the other two. “I know I’ll be able to cut it. I want to take its feathers as a trophy.”

Mathias couldn’t help feeling curious, momentarily setting aside his self-imposed mission of listening for enemy sounds. “Have you already faced a feathered serpent? Are they strong?”

“Hmmm.”

The sound came from Christopher, who had both hands behind his head as he looked up at the sky.

“Actually, we’ve seen a few when we went out training with Dad—but none of them were adults… and we didn’t fight any of them.”

His tail swayed happily—a sign that he was starting to get excited—and Mathias wanted to know even more about that potential enemy.

“What does a small one look like?”

“Well… they’re not that small,” Sebastián said, recalling the first time he had encountered one of those serpents. “The last one we saw was really close. I think it was at least four meters long.”

“Yes, I think that’s about right,” Christopher concluded. “Or are we mistaken, Dad?

Alexander stopped eavesdropping on the children’s conversation, feigning normalcy once he realized he’d been caught. Without breaking his stride, he corrected them.

“Actually, that feathered serpent was entering adulthood. It measured nine meters in length and about one meter in width.”

“How big is an adult one?” Mathias asked, voicing a question that interested the others as well. “An adult must be a monster.”

For a brief moment, Alexander searched his memories, recalling the day he had hunted an adult feathered serpent.

“As far as I know, the largest ones reach between eighteen and twenty meters in length, with over a meter in width… unless they evolve into an ALFA. The one I hunted some time ago was around twelve meters long.”

“Woooow.”

The boys looked thoroughly amazed, while Alexander puffed out his chest with pride.

“Are they dangerous?” Sebastián asked.

“Remember this, kids: any magical beast can be dangerous,” Alexander said, making sure to drive the point home.

He couldn’t allow his students to joke around or underestimate magical beasts, no matter how harmless they might seem.

“If you don’t know how to attack them or defend yourselves, consider it the end. Always analyze your opponent—look for its weak point or any advantage. When facing a feathered serpent, you must keep in mind that adults have multiple ways of attacking.”

Alexander kept talking as they drew closer to their destination.

“Adult feathered serpents use their tails like daggers, right?” Christopher said.

A very good observation. Alexander felt pleased that his son was so well informed.

Information was vital when facing an enemy. Knowing its traits would always give you an advantage—whether it was a person or a beast.

“Exactly. If the serpent manages to pierce you with its tail, you won’t escape—you’ll be poisoned and devoured alive,” he said, making the children shudder. “It also possesses a very potent venom, which it can either spit from a distance or inject when it bites you. In either case, consider yourselves dead.”

The children made a mental note of it just as Alexander came to a stop, smiling cheerfully at his young apprentices. He shifted the topic to ease the tension.

“We’re almost there, guys. How about we do a bit of warm-up?”

He stretched his arms and legs in front of the children, preparing his limbs.

“Don’t fall behind!” he exclaimed—and with a powerful stomp, he took off at breakneck speed. “This is a race!”

It only took a second for the three of them to understand what had just happened, and they didn’t need to stop and think about it.

“Reinforcement Magic: Strengthening.”

A strange and striking aura surrounded both Sebastián and Christopher the instant they cast the reinforcement magic on themselves.

That peculiar magical aura closely resembled swelling muscle fibers as it rose, and the reddish hue of the energy swirling around them only heightened its resemblance to real muscle tissue.

Unlike Christopher, Sebastián still couldn’t use other types of magic, but when it came to Reinforcement Magic, he could handle it without much difficulty.

At the same time, Mathias bent his legs and shot forward at incredible speed. By the standards of semi-human children compared to human children, he was fast enough to easily catch up to Christopher and Sebastián, who—unlike him—had relied on magic to propel themselves.

The children ran like that for about ten minutes, until they began to faintly hear the sound of running water.

As they moved forward, the sound grew stronger until they reached a clearing. A perfect circle of trees surrounded it—an excellent place to train… and to rest.

They surveyed the terrain, confirming at a glance that it was ideal for training, with not the slightest unevenness.

“I like this place,” Mathias commented, his feline instincts urging him to rest right there. “I’d like to take a nap here.”

“Do that and I’ll cook your ears,” Sebastián shot back.

For a brief moment, they relaxed—their shoulders dropping as they listened to the melodious flow of the crystal-clear river continuing along its natural course.

“Did you notice?” Christopher asked, sweeping his gaze across the surroundings. “Where’s my dad?” He looked around again. “It looks like he hid.”

At that remark, Sebastián and Mathias paid much closer attention to their surroundings, though they were still partly relaxed, captivated by the beauty of nature.

The semi-human took a few steps toward the river, admiring the beautiful aquatic scenery. Thanks to the crystal-clear water, he could easily observe the small aquatic fauna—tiny fish of different shapes and colors, and rocks that served as hiding places for other creatures.

Suddenly, his eyes widened in surprise as he caught a sound that didn’t belong to the calm silence. His furry ears twitched as if they had a life of their own. In an instant, Mathias—who had been crouching—sprang upright. Something was approaching.

“Guys, something’s coming…!” He tried to warn them, but it was already far too late.

Alexander came down on him with an axe kick, aiming straight for his head. But just before the impact, Mathias leapt backward, baring his sharp claws and positioning himself to Christopher’s right.

Sebastián moved to Christopher’s left.

Alexander smiled as he watched the children. From his point of view, they were lined up from left to right: Mathias, Christopher, and Sebastián.

Christopher and Sebastián drew their swords. Mathias stretched his fingers, releasing the tension built up in them, while Alexander continued to chuckle under his breath before giving his first order.

“No swords—much less magic. This will be pure hand-to-hand combat,” he said with casual confidence, smiling as he removed the coat that so strongly characterized him.

The children glanced at one another, and Mathias grew bolder.

“Hand-to-hand? That’s my specialty.”

But Alexander stopped him. “Mathias, your claws… put them away.”

Mathias obeyed without a word, not losing a single trace of the excitement he felt.

Christopher raised his guard. At a glance, it was clear that it belonged to a rather novice martial arts practitioner—but that didn’t make it any less respectable.

After all, martial arts deserve respect. They aren’t easy to learn, let alone to practice consistently—and for children to train in them was certainly worthy of praise.

At the same time, Sebastián did the same.

Trying to imitate them, Mathias attempted the same stance—but his was clearly lacking.

So this is how we’re doing this…

Alexander thought, giving his apprentices one last glance before launching himself at them.

“He’s coming! Get ready!” Christopher ordered, almost desperately, clenching his teeth. Even though they were excited, that didn’t mean they weren’t nervous.

When Alexander reached them, Christopher was the first to attack, lunging forward with a punch that was easily dodged. In the same motion, Alexander caught the arm as it passed by his side and twisted.

With that, he flung his son aside and followed up with a kick aimed at Sebastián’s forearms, which were crossed in an X. Sebastián managed to raise them just in time.

The difference in strength sent him flying several meters backward. Alexander watched with a mocking smile; he found his apprentice’s clenched-teeth expression amusing.

Mathias didn’t hesitate to jump into action.

The energetic semi-human slipped past Alexander, who evaded the charge. The moment both of Mathias’s feet touched the ground, he used the speed and strength inherent to his race to attack again. Even so, he was still far too slow. Alexander sidestepped and landed the first blow on one of the boys.

Next, Alexander leapt aside to avoid his son, who rushed in again at full speed.

This time, the exchange was more interesting. Among the children, Christopher was the most skilled—but even so, the young Lord of Gignit still had much to learn.

Alexander blocked a right-handed strike from his son with his knee and, in the same motion, delivered a solid hook to the boy’s abdomen.

That made two—only one left.

Beads of sweat rolled down Sebastián’s face as he followed every movement of his opponent.

Alexander noticed and immediately praised him.

“You’re doing well by analyzing your opponent, Sebastián—but you’re taking too long,” he said. With his superior speed, he appeared in front of the boy in the blink of an eye, delivering a light blow to his abdomen.

For Sebastián, it didn’t feel light at all.

“You must remember that your opponent won’t wait for you to finish forming an attack plan. He’ll strike as quickly as possible—so you can’t afford to hesitate.”

Alexander ducked his head, watching in slow motion as Christopher passed over him. Despite appearances, the boy’s plan had never been to confront his father head-on, but to draw him away from Sebastián.

“It’s harder than before,” Christopher remarked.

Sebastián nodded. “And he’s probably just playing around, like always.”

Both of them turned their attention to the third among them, watching as Mathias tried once more to fight Alexander.

The result was obvious. With a single blow, Alexander sent him flying back toward his friends. He smiled with absolute confidence.

I’ll let them plan something—even if it’s only for a couple of minutes… let’s see what they come up with.

He was willing to wait a little longer than usual to see whether the children could devise some kind of plan.

Meanwhile…

Rubbing his abdomen, Mathias pushed himself back to his feet.

“He’s really strong… ow, that hit hurt a lot.”

“Any plan?” Sebastián asked, directing the question at his best friend.

Christopher looked very serious as he weighed every possible option in his mind—thinking not like a child, but like a tactician.

“Listen. This is what we’re going to do.”

Alexander smiled and raised his guard. He had noticed that his son was giving instructions, and he responded with respect, taking him seriously.

So you’re the one in charge of the attack plan. Let’s see what you have in mind.

The children exchanged confident looks.

Without wasting any more time, they dashed toward their formidable opponent at full speed. Their formation was the same as at the beginning, in the same order.

As they closed in, the two flanking Christopher crossed paths.

The instant they switched places, only two of them remained visible: Sebastián on the river side, stepping into the water; and Mathias on the side of the trees, running so close that the bushes brushed against his body.

“And Christopher!”

Christopher vanished.

“I know—he jumped!” Alexander exclaimed, lifting his gaze toward the sky. But all he saw were white clouds, like tufts of cotton, drifting along in their natural, unhurried course.

“What? What do you mean he didn’t jump?”

He didn’t understand—and didn’t have time to—because the children took advantage of that brief moment of distraction to attack.

Sebastián charged in, while Mathias, drawing on the full strength of a semi-human, launched himself in a tremendous leap.

Sebastián kept up the pressure, forcing Alexander—while dodging—to step back little by little toward the bushes. Then, just as he avoided a strike, Alexander grabbed him by the arm and hurled him toward the water, sending him tumbling near the shore.

“HAAAA!”

Alexander looked up as he heard Mathias descending toward him. He caught only the silhouette closing in. But experience was entirely on his side: he stopped the charge with his forearm, caught the kick, and threw him into the bushes.

SPLASH.

The Lord of Gignit heard a loud impact in the water. Smiling, he turned halfway toward the small stream. All he could see were ripples spreading across the surface—like someone had tossed in a stone.

Then the final pieces clicked into place.

Alexander spun around.

His face was the very image of surprise—this was something he hadn’t expected. Standing before him was his son, already throwing a punch.

Alexander was so caught off guard that he couldn’t react in time. Thanks to that, Christopher landed the first clean blow straight to his father’s face, sending him staggering several steps backward.

Alexander steadied himself and looked ahead, seeing his son in an attack stance while the other two circled him. The plan had worked.

“Just like you said,” Sebastián laughed, while Mathias raised his hands in celebration. “We finally managed to land a hit!”

“Next time, I’ll be the one to land a blow!” an extremely excited Mathias added. “So come up with a plan for that!”

“That’s easier said than done,” Christopher replied. He looked thrilled—and at the same time, unmistakably proud of himself. The distraction had worked perfectly.

He had managed to land a hit on his incredibly strong father.

Only then, after taking the blow, did Alexander fully understand the ingenious plan.

I’m very proud of you, boys. You proved that you know how to devise—and follow—a solid attack plan.

Now he grasped exactly what they had done.

It had all begun the moment they crossed paths and switched positions.

At that instant, I thought Christopher had jumped—but he hadn’t. What he actually did was position himself behind Mathias and take advantage of the moment I looked up at the sky to rush toward the trees.

That was precisely what had happened. The moment Alexander’s attention shifted upward, Christopher slipped into the bushes in a single leap—closely followed by Mathias.

The reason Mathias ran so close to the bushes while Sebastián stepped into the water was to mask the sound of Christopher’s footsteps, ensuring Alexander wouldn’t notice. Once they found the right opening, Mathias made that large leap—that was the signal for the attack to begin.

If Christopher had moved through the bushes himself, the sound of branches brushing against him would have given him away. That was why Sebastián ran through the water and Mathias brushed against the shrubs—together, their noise concealed Christopher’s movement.

The next phase of the plan was Sebastián charging in, striking with punches and kicks to push Alexander as close as possible toward the bushes. That positioning gave Christopher the chance to emerge with a single jump, without needing extra steps or momentum.

That was when the remaining distractions came into play: Mathias descending from the direction of the sun, shouting so Alexander wouldn’t hear Christopher repositioning himself… and so he wouldn’t notice that Sebastián had thrown a rock into the water.

After Alexander dealt with Sebastián—throwing him aside—the boy picked up a rock large enough to create a loud splash. He waited for the precise moment… and then threw it.

Hearing Mathias shout, Sebastián timed it perfectly, waiting for the brief instant when Alexander would be dazzled by the sun’s rays before tossing the rock into the water and sharply drawing his attention.

At that point, the plan had been executed to perfection.

After dealing with Mathias, they needed a way to distract him—one that would let them attack from an angle where, by the time he realized it, it would already be too late. That was where the rock distraction came in. Overconfident, Alexander had assumed it was one of them emerging from the water… but it wasn’t. And by the time he understood the truth, he no longer had time to react.

Well done, he thought.

With genuine pride filling his heart, Alexander mentally applauded his apprentices.

He knew the children truly took their training seriously. Still, he couldn’t give them too much credit just yet—they had only been able to execute the plan because he had deliberately given them the time to do so.

If they had truly been facing a real enemy, they would already be dead.

Even so, it was only fair to acknowledge their achievement and congratulate them.

“Not bad, boys,” he said, stretching his neck to relieve some tension. “But the training isn’t over yet. And I’m about to give you the beating of your lives.”

Once again, the practice combat resumed.

The children were thoroughly beaten.

✧ ✧ ✧

A couple of hours passed, and the training continued. The sun still shone with some strength as it slowly made its way toward the horizon.

The children were utterly exhausted, pearled drops of sweat covering every inch of exposed skin. The droplets fell like rain, splashing against the hard ground below.

Once the practice bout ended, Alexander moved on to emphasize the points they needed to improve.

Unlike Mathias—who was clearly a beginner, albeit a very strong one—Christopher and Sebastián, especially the former, handled martial arts remarkably well for someone their age.

“Christopher, you have very solid defense. You know how to throw punches, calculate, and read your opponent’s movements. I can see that you have good combat sense… but you need to put more power behind your attacks.”

With Sebastián, the situation was almost the same.

“Sebastián, your technique is good, but your strikes also lack power. On top of that, your stance is too rigid, and you take too long to analyze the situation.”

Alexander had already noticed that. Since Sebastián was still a child, he didn’t intend to be harsh—but he made it clear that this was something that needed to be corrected as soon as possible.

“Remember what I told you: your enemies won’t wait for you to finish putting together an attack plan.”

Lastly, he turned his gaze to Mathias.

“Even though this was your first day, you did very well. You have a lot of energy, which is a good thing. You throw your punches with plenty of force, and you have speed.”

Here, he let out a sigh and looked at him very seriously.

“But you lack technique. You still don’t know how to read or calculate your opponent’s movements, and you attack without thinking—something that could prove fatal for you in the future.”

Alexander went over the points each of them needed to improve. The children didn’t take it badly—especially knowing that Alexander would help them grow stronger.

All he asked was that they continue training with enthusiasm, and that they not feel discouraged if he ever needed to point out their mistakes.

Now, sword training would begin.

“Lord Alexander…” Mathias called out. “I don’t have a sword.”

He glanced to the side, toward his friends, who had already drawn their own swords.

Smiling, Alexander rummaged through his coat, neatly folded atop a rock. From it, he took out a sword identical to the ones the other children used.

It was a medium-length sword, as the children were not yet capable of handling a full-sized one.

He handed it to Mathias, who caught it with a bright smile and hugged it as if it were a precious toy. His eyes squeezed shut with excitement. For him, being given that sword meant a great deal.

Once the initial rush of euphoria passed, he unsheathed it. Sebastián and Christopher couldn’t stop smiling—they wanted to see their friend’s face when he discovered a certain surprise.

“What…?” the semi-human murmured, staring at his sword.

Its shine revealed that the blade was pristine—it hadn’t been stained or used even once. Thanks to his far more developed sense of smell, he could detect the distinctive scent of newness lingering around the guard.

But what truly caught his attention was something else entirely.

“Is this sword… real?”

Mathias thanked the governor of Gignit from the bottom of his heart for the gift. Until that moment, he had always believed it was only a practice sword—one without an edge.

The reality was very different. This one was real… and very sharp.

“What did you expect, little kitty?” Christopher couldn’t help teasing his friend. “Are you scared of fighting with a real sword?”

Sebastián joined in.

“Don’t worry—I’ll make sure not to turn you into cat slices.”

Both of them were clearly enjoying provoking their friend, who absolutely hated it. The semi-human tightened his grip on the sword’s hilt with one hand, his expression twisting into a smile that openly declared his intentions.

“You two! I’ll take care of you now—”

He leapt forward, only to fall flat on his face when Alexander grabbed him by the tail.

“Lord Alexander! Why would you do that?”

“Don’t rush in like that,” Alexander scolded him. “Did you forget everything I told you needed improvement? Do you even know how to wield a sword?”

The small semi-human shrugged, while his friends burst out laughing once again.

The last hour of training passed without incident.

Once more, Alexander lined them up side by side. They began by swinging their swords from top to bottom several times, then moved on to horizontal cuts. After that, they practiced diagonal strikes—from top to bottom and from bottom to top—varying the angle.

He made them repeat the same motions again and again.

Next, they began wielding their swords with only one hand, practicing a variety of individual attack forms—first with the right hand, then with the left.

After repeating the movements multiple times, the boys noticed something very important: there was a significant difference between attacks made with both hands and those performed with only one.

Many factors became apparent—cutting range, form, style, and even the distance they could cover.

This difference became even more noticeable when using, so to speak, their “weaker” arms.

With that, the difficulty increased. Attacks made with the weaker arm tended to lack strength, speed, and even precision. They quickly realized that, since all three were right-handed, strikes with the left hand were almost useless.

That was precisely why Alexander had made them train this way.

“It’s hard to do it with my weaker arm,” Sebastián commented.

“In martial arts, there shouldn’t be a strong hand and a weak one. You need to know how to use both,” Alexander replied.

The children nodded; their instructor had a very solid point.

“If you’re in the middle of a fight—whether with fists or swords—and your ‘strong hand’ gets injured… what will you do?”

That was when the necessary connections formed in their minds. They had just learned a valuable lesson.

Alexander sealed the idea with finality.

“Only death awaits you. That’s why you must have ‘two strong hands.’ In martial arts, it should be natural to throw powerful blows with both arms. I’m not saying you need to apply this to writing—that’s different, though it wouldn’t hurt—but in combat, it’s essential.”

The children nodded again. Every day, they learned that in battle, underestimating something, becoming overconfident, or lacking full control over their own limbs could cost them their lives.

And it was clear that this applied not only to arms, but to legs as well.

Christopher made a mental note of the lesson, since he hadn’t brought along the notebook he usually used for taking notes.

“Alright, start getting ready. I want to be back in the village before nightfall.”

“Yes!” the children answered in unison.

They headed to the river to wash their faces, which were dirty and soaked with sweat. They even dared to drink some of the water, as it was so crystal clear that it seemed perfectly safe.

This nearly caused Alexander to suffer a heart attack, as he immediately insisted that no matter how clear it looked, the water might not be safe to drink.

By the grace of the gods, the water turned out to be clean and free of harmful impurities.

Alexander even thanked the heavens out loud—he couldn’t imagine how titanic Valentina’s scolding would be if the children ended up getting sick.

Especially since the village still lacked a physician capable of properly treating and curing their ailments.