Chapter 269: The Question of Practice
Seren and Darion exchanged glances.
The suggestion hung in the air between them, a challenge that neither of them had anticipated. Darion hadn’t thought about that.
He had been so focused on mastering the sequences, on perfecting his form and timing, that he hadn’t considered how they would perform against actual opponents.
The thought was both exciting and terrifying. The idea of using the moves he had practiced so diligently against a real enemy, one that would fight back and try to kill him, was a sobering one.
Seren looked at Garren, her expression curious. "What do you have in mind?"
Garren shrugged. "I don’t know actually. What do you both think?"
Darion thought about it, taking his time. He turned the question over in his mind, weighing the possibilities, considering the risks.
Seren and Garren did the same, the three of them standing in the courtyard, the morning sun warming their faces.
The sounds of the construction site drifted over from the other side of the castle: the hammering of nails, the shouts of workers, the rumble of carts carrying stone. But in this moment, those sounds seemed distant and irrelevant.
Then suddenly, Garren suggested: "How about we go to the Forest and you practice against Animals? Bogarts, wolves, and whatever is in there."
Darion thought about that. The idea had merit. The forest was full of dangerous creatures, creatures that would test his skills and push him to his limits.
But there were problems with that approach, problems that Darion had to consider carefully.
Imagine a fierce Bogart dashing at him, its teeth bared, its claws extended. His life would depend on whether he could get some moves right.
He would have to execute the sequences perfectly, without hesitation, without fear. If he failed, if he stumbled or made a mistake, the Bogart would be on him, and the consequences would be severe.
There would be no second chances, no do-overs. It would be a test of his skills in the most unforgiving way possible.
But there was another problem. He definitely could not use his undeads because that would ruin the training.
If he instructed his undeads to protect him and they suddenly saw a wild animal dashing to kill him, they would definitely attack that animal and kill it before it arrived at Darion’s side.
The undeads were programmed to protect him, and they would not hesitate to intervene if they perceived a threat.
That would defeat the purpose of the training, which was to test his own skills, not his undeads’.
And wild animals weren’t exactly his targets when he was learning this move. Sure, they were a threat, and the moves were about fighting regardless of whatever.
Meaning his fighting wasn’t limited to a human. The sequences were designed to work against any opponent, regardless of their shape or size. But fighting humans was like the main aim for the moves.
Head strikes, chest strikes, the kind of attacks that were most effective against a bipedal opponent. Animals walked on all four legs, which wasn’t ideal for executing the six moves he had just performed right now.
Their bodies were lower to the ground, their centers of gravity different. The moves would still work, but they would be less effective and less precise.
"I don’t think Animals are the best way to practice the move, Sir Garren," Darion said.
Garren nodded. "I understand. They aren’t tall and human, in which the moves were specially designed for."
Darion nodded in the affirmative. "Exactly."
Seren looked at Darion, a hint of confusion in her voice now. "But that is the closest to anything we can train with."
Darion made an expression which showed ’well yes butttt’ — a raised eyebrow, a slight tilt of his head.
She had a point. Animals were the closest thing to a real opponent that they could train with. But that didn’t mean it was the best option. He needed a better way, and his mind started like a truck on fire, finding a better way out of this.
"If you want human practice subjects, then maybe I can arrange some knights for you," Garren said. But even he himself knew that was not going to happen. The suggestion was absurd, almost comical, and he said it with a hint of irony in his voice.
Darion laughed at that. "Kill six knights because I can?"
Garren laughed slightly too, same with Seren. The idea was ridiculous, and they all knew it. Darion would never willingly harm any of his knights. That was not who he was, and it never would be.
But Darion imagined the dangers of that, the scenarios. If he were to use knights as practice subjects, what would that look like?
They would be meeting their demise as he used them as practice subjects. He would be swinging his sword at them, trying to land hits, trying to execute the sequences perfectly.
And they would be trying to defend themselves, trying to stay alive. It would be a deadly game, one that would end in tragedy.
In some kingdoms, this was a thing, actually. Wicked kings just did what they wanted. Sometimes using the lives of their servants or knights for entertainment purposes or to train.
They saw their subjects as disposable tools to be used and discarded at will. They didn’t care about the lives they took or the families they destroyed. They were cruel, and they were powerful, and they did as they pleased.
But Darion would never do such a thing. He would never willingly harm any of his knights, like intentionally just because he can.
They were loyal to him, and he valued that loyalty. They had fought for him, bled for him, and some had even died for him.
He would not repay that sacrifice by using them as target practice. That was not the kind of leader he wanted to be, and it never would be.
That was why, suddenly, Darion came up with a better idea! His eyes lit up with the realization, and a smile spread across his face. It was so simple, so obvious, that he couldn’t believe he hadn’t thought of it before.
"Why not I use my Undead knights!"