Chapter 14: The Head Maid's Invitation
Chapter 14: The Head Maid's Invitation
As Rain struggled with his meager experience points, a beautiful maid in a gray uniform approached him and said, "Rain, Head Maid Shadiya is asking for you in the back garden."
Rain was taken aback but hesitated briefly before nodding, "Alright, I'll be there shortly."
"George, you can go back first. Remember to tell my parents that I might be late, so they can start dinner without me," Rain added.
George, who had been waiting by his side for a long time, nodded, but he was puzzled. When did Rain become acquainted with Head Maid Shadiya?
It was common knowledge that the head maid was a high-ranking servant in the Habsburg Estate, second only to the steward and treasurer in terms of status.
Soon, Rain followed the maid through the tall back gate of the castle and entered the back garden for the first time.
"Rain, please come in. Head Maid Shadiya is inside," the beautiful maid smiled slightly and then stepped aside.
Rain bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude for the maid's guidance.
At that moment, he already had some suspicions in his mind.
But some things could only be confirmed when they were revealed.
As Rain entered the back garden, he saw a woman in her forties standing by the flower beds. She was none other than the estate's head maid, Shadiya.
Dressed in a black maid's uniform, her expression was stern and unsmiling, giving her an air of seriousness.
However, the protagonist of the back garden was not the head maid but the noble girl in a fitted hunting outfit standing not far from her, in the center of the garden. At that moment, she was fully focused on wielding a two-handed greatsword, seemingly meditating on some swordsmanship technique.
This sight filled Rain with immense joy.
He never imagined that he would catch the attention of such an important figure.
He had always thought it was impressive enough to gain the attention of Swordmaster Humbert.
If he were to exaggerate, it would be even better if he could attract the attention of Steward and Knight Sir Lloyd, who was also the estate's steward.
But he never expected to receive the attention of a noble girl! Rain had heard of her identity; she was the youngest daughter of the Earl, and her status was much higher than that of Steward and Knight Sir Lloyd.
"Rain, choose a sword from over there and attack me," said Shadiya with a slight smile, her two-handed greatsword now replaced with a bastard sword.
Rain's heart would have raced if not for his preparation.
"Yes, Miss Shadiya," Rain replied.
As Rain approached the weapon rack, he noticed that the swords were all steel longswords with sharpened edges, ranging from short swords to knight's longswords, bastard swords, and even greatswords. They seemed to be of decent quality.
He selected a knight's longsword similar to the ironwood training sword and stepped into the center of the garden.
This was the first time, both in his past and present life, that Rain had held such a sharp cold weapon, and he was about to engage in a "battle." It was impossible for him not to feel nervous.
"If you're ready, let's begin," Shadiya said with a slight smile, her two-handed greatsword now replaced with a bastard sword.
Rain nodded.
"Swish!"
Shadiya slashed her sword towards Rain, who instinctively blocked it with his own, using the strength of his blade.
"Clang!" The sound of metal clashing filled the air.
But this was just the beginning. Shadiya followed up with three rapid strikes in quick succession.
Rain's pupils constricted, and he quickly retreated.
Despite his constant retreat, he found himself struggling to defend against her relentless attacks, with no opportunity to counterattack.
Three seconds later, Shadiya's sword came to a stop at Rain's neck.
Three seconds.
Rain had only lasted three seconds against Shadiya's onslaught.
And this was after Shadiya had intentionally held back, matching her physical abilities to Rain's level.
Rain could sense this, having witnessed her effortlessly wield a seventy to eighty-pound greatsword as if it were a mere stick.
But those three seconds of sparring had earned Rain:
[Your skill 'Basic Swordsmanship' has improved. Experience +15]
[You have engaged in combat. Militia Experience +4]
[Congratulations! Your Militia profession has gained experience.]
[Remaining Attribute Points: 1]
[Remaining Skill Points: 1]
"Your basic swordsmanship is quite good for a page. You have a certain talent for swordsmanship, but it's not exceptional."
The young lady looked up at Rain and spoke. "Unfortunately, your physical attributes are a little lacking. The chances of becoming a full knight are slim."
"It seems I was too hopeful. It's difficult to find someone with the potential to become a knight among ordinary people." Kylie said with a hint of disappointment.
Wait a minute, who are you looking down on? The way the noble maiden looked at Rain at that moment made him realize why women are the driving force behind a man's ambition!
"Wait, Miss Kylie, I want to try again. Can I have another chance?" Rain raised his head, his eyes burning with determination as he spoke earnestly.
"Oh? Are you sure?" The girl glanced at Rain with a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes.
At that moment, Rain really wanted to shout out loud to Kylie that when a beautiful woman asks a man if he's up for it, is there any other answer besides 'yes'?
Of course, he was up for it!
Without hesitation, Rain immediately allocated the attribute point he had just gained from leveling up to Militia Level 2 to his Agility!
In the world of martial arts, speed is the ultimate defense!
The reason for his previous defeat was that Kylie's sword speed was too fast, leaving him no time to react.
As his Agility increased from 6 to 7, a surge of heat rushed from his heart, quickly spreading throughout his body, and Rain felt his energy replenished.
That's the beauty of allocating attribute points; it restores all your stamina!
Kylie was about to refuse, but when she saw the determination in Rain's eyes as he got up again, she nodded and said, "Alright, but this is your last chance."
Rain bowed slightly, and in the next second—
"Swoosh!"
Kylie was slightly startled as she noticed that Rain's step had become at least twenty percent faster.
"Clang!"
With his stamina fully restored and his Agility increased, Rain's combat power had improved by an entire level compared to before.
Hmm? Such strength.
The more they fought, the more surprised the girl became.
"Ding ding dang dang!" The two exchanged blows at lightning speed.
Lady Shadiya, the head maid standing beside them, also had a change in expression. Her calm demeanor turned to astonishment!
"Stop!"
The girl shook her sword, pushing Rain back, and said, "Very good, Rain. You can go now."
This time, it was Rain who was a little confused. Was she acknowledging his skills or not?
If Kylie still wasn't satisfied, he was prepared to—
But with her current attitude, Rain could only bow slightly and say, "Goodbye, Miss Kylie!"
Then, Rain turned and left.
The girl watched Rain's departing figure intently.
She had almost given up, but Rain had just given her a pleasant surprise.
From his expression, it seemed that even the power he had just displayed wasn't his limit; it was as if he had held something back.
If that were the case, Rain was indeed a worthy knight-in-training, but she shouldn't rush things. She needed to investigate his background first.
At that moment, Lady Shadiya by her side, wondered, "Miss, why do you value Rain so much?"
"Although Rain seems to have good talent, both Dennis and Marcos are already Level 3 Knight Squires. They are much stronger than Rain, who is around the same age as them.
In the head maid's eyes, Rain's talent was apparent, but starting knight training at this late stage seemed too far-fetched. She didn't believe Rain could catch up to Dennis and Marcos.
However, Rain's future didn't seem promising enough to warrant such attention from the lady.
"Shadiya, Rain is fundamentally different from them. Dennis is the son of Baron Norman and has been practicing the family's Knight Breath Technique since he was young. His current strength can only be attributed to mediocre talent."
"As for Marcos, he is the son of the Bordeaux Chamber of Commerce's president. He has been taking various potions to enhance his attributes since childhood. Although his progress seems fast, his potential has been exhausted, and the likelihood of him becoming a full knight is low." Kylie explained slowly.
This was the first time Shadiya had heard her mistress speak of this, and she couldn't help but widen her eyes in surprise. "So, you mean Rain has high potential?"
(End of Chapter)
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