Chapter 51: The Oath of Master and Disciple, and Farewell to a Friend

The next morning, in a sunlit inn room, I carefully removed the old bandage wrapped around Chris’s left arm.

Rowena stood right beside me, watching anxiously.

“How’s the pain?”

“…It’s almost gone. Thank you.”

I cleaned the wound with a fresh cloth and applied medicine again.

“Good thing it wasn’t serious. But that was an injury you could have avoided. Don’t forget—yesterday’s defeat was the result of your carelessness.”

My tone was calm, but carried the firmness of a mentor.

The Chris from last night might have argued back.

But the one standing here now was different.

“Yes, Master… I’ll keep that in mind.”

His honest acceptance made me feel the beginning of a true master-disciple relationship.

I finished wrapping the bandage and let out a small sigh.

“Stop calling me ‘Master.’ I’m just traveling with you while teaching you the sword. Nothing more, nothing less.”

“…Even so, to me, you are my master. And I’m fine with that.”

Seeing the sincerity in his eyes, I said nothing more.

Rowena gently placed her small hand on Chris’s injured arm.

“Chris, still hurts?”

At her kind question, Chris smiled awkwardly.

“No, I’m fine now. Thanks, Rowena.”

The three of us exchanged looks and silently vowed to cheer for our friend in the final match.

The town was even more frenzied than the day before.

The streets were overflowing with people, filled with lively music and the energetic calls of vendors.

In front of the arena, entertainment acts had begun to hype up the finals.

Acrobats performed unbelievable feats, and beast tamers amazed the crowd with rare creatures.

Rowena’s eyes sparkled at the sights, her cheerful laughter ringing out.

Even Chris seemed to relax a little in the festive atmosphere.

Though I was tired of the crowd, I watched the two of them with a quiet sense of calm.

After the performances ended, it was time for the third-place match.

Chris bowed deeply to us before heading to the waiting room.

I gave him one final piece of advice.

“Your opponent lost to Gideon in the semifinals. He’s strong, but his movements are simple. Don’t overthink it—just try even one of the things I told you.”

His opponent was a heavily armored fighter wielding a large shield and a hand axe.

Following my advice, Chris avoided relying on big moves and instead used a hit-and-run strategy.

He gracefully evaded heavy attacks, slipped into close range, and struck precisely at the gaps in the armor.

He used the uneven ground to break his opponent’s balance and positioned himself with the sun at his back to obscure his opponent’s vision.

His tactical movements, born from real combat experience in the swamp, were nothing like before.

Voices from the stands praised his growth.

But cornered, the opponent abandoned defense and charged recklessly, throwing his axe as a surprise attack.

Chris instinctively deflected it with his sword.

But in that brief moment, the distance closed—and he was struck head-on by a powerful shield bash.

The blow rattled his brain and broke his stance.

Before he could recover, a heavy kick slammed into his exposed torso, sending him crashing into the dust.

It was a narrow defeat—decided by experience.

As the arena reached peak excitement, the final match between Gideon and Forno began.

Power versus technique.

At first, Forno unleashed a storm of attacks while Gideon steadily defended.

But it was all part of Gideon’s plan.

He dragged the fight out, wearing down his opponent’s stamina.

The moment Forno’s movements slowed, Gideon seized the chance—

He slammed his axe into the ground, sending up a massive cloud of dust that blinded his opponent.

Circling behind the disoriented Forno, he placed the blade of his massive axe at his neck.

With strength—and the strategy to use it effectively—Gideon claimed victory.

During the awards ceremony, Gideon received a pouch of gold coins as proof of his triumph.

When offered a position as a knight by the lord, he simply laughed.

“I’m better suited to swinging an axe.”

And politely declined.

That evening, behind the arena, we said our farewells to Gideon.

“Thanks for everything. Chris, your fight was impressive. Next time, I won’t lose.”

“Gideon… thank you.”

“Ed, Rowena—take care.”

With that, our friend walked away alone into the setting sun.

We watched his back in silence.

Afterward, preparing for the long journey south, we bought supplies at the still-bustling market.

Preserved food, medicine, and for Chris, a leather case to carry throwing knives.

I also made sure to buy extra dried fruits for Rowena.

Back at the inn, we packed everything into our bags.

As their mentor, I taught Chris and Rowena how to organize their gear efficiently and shared practical travel knowledge.

The next morning, after finishing some last shopping in the lingering festive atmosphere of Reservoir,

the three of us—now officially joined by our new companion Chris—set out from the southern gate toward our next destination: Vaide.