Chapter 103: Let’s go tradition
The silence after Nolan’s question stretched a little too long, the air thick with tension, as if even the room itself waited with bated breath.
Finally, Alina shifted and answered, softly but clearly, "Granfire hasn’t actually taught us yet, sir."
Nolan blinked. "What?"
"He just gave us a movement skill," James chimed in, gesturing vaguely toward the floor where they’d been dancing before. "He said it was something he devised specifically for the Academy Counselors’ evaluations. He told us to keep practicing it, and once we’re done, we can move on to the body dance and then finally the blade portion."
For a moment, Nolan looked genuinely confused, as though trying to process if he heard them right. Then his eyes narrowed, suspicion brewing behind the glint of his glasses. "Wait a second. Are you all telling me that the movement I corrected earlier... that was something he taught you?"
The students nodded.
Liam added, "It’s the form he told us to memorize. He even said it was an improved version, adapted to modern styles."
Nolan’s arms dropped to his sides as he let out a slow, incredulous sigh. "And the original? Is there any record of it?"
Without hesitation, a few of the students reached into their uniform pockets and pulled out aged scrolls bound in black cord. Alina had hers rolled carefully in a velvet wrap. James and Liam had theirs folded and stuffed into their inner coats. They passed the bundle to Nolan with a reverence that came from generations of tradition.
Nolan unrolled the first scroll, his brow furrowed in concentration. His eyes scanned the inked lines with the practiced speed of a veteran, but his expression quickly soured. His brows arched, nose wrinkled slightly, and he gave a soft scoff.
"Hmm. This step is five beats too slow. The lower foot is supposed to pivot—not slide. If someone did this in an actual duel, they’d get stabbed before even completing the second rotation."