Chapter 73: A Failed Demonstration
Chapter 73: A Failed Demonstration
Rain was shorter than him, only reaching up to his eyebrows.
But after not seeing each other for half a month, Rain had grown almost as tall as him! This surprised George greatly, and he grabbed Rain's arm, exclaiming, "Rain, what have you been eating lately? How did you grow so fast!"
But the next second, George was stunned. He looked down at Rain's arm, which he was holding.
He couldn't even grip it!
Instinctively, George pinched Rain's arm with his fingers, and a firm yet elastic sensation traveled up from his fingertips.
George was dumbfounded. "Rain! You've changed so much!" George stared in disbelief, his words stumbling out.
Not only had Rain grown taller, but his entire body had also become a size larger. However, due to his well-proportioned physique, it wasn't immediately noticeable at a glance.
Fortunately, George had touched Rain's arm. If he had touched Rain's chest or back, he would have felt the hard metal strips of the 'Plate Mail' armor.
Humbert paused for a moment, and a flash of inspiration struck him. He immediately thought of a way to cover up this failed demonstration.
George was taken aback, and his expression immediately changed to one of realization. "No wonder!"
But just now, with that sword strike, he had already used seventy percent of his strength. Logically, Rain should have barely had time to react, and his sword tip should have been pointing directly at Rain's chest.
Therefore, Rain naturally took a step back, easily dodging Humbert's strike.
"Yes, Instructor!" Rain was surprised, but quickly agreed and took a step forward.
What happened before them was slightly different from what Humbert had anticipated.
"Everyone needs to learn from Rain's excellent response and practical techniques!"
"This..."
Rain's eyes narrowed, and in his heart, he secretly sighed. Finally, Instructor Humbert was taking this demonstration seriously!
Rain naturally carried his cotton plate armor and dagger, but he decided to leave the two-handed greatsword behind as it was too eye-catching.
"I've been eating well, so I've grown taller!" Rain gestured to the eggs, milk, and meat he had just purchased.
"Cough, Rain just gave a great demonstration!"
"Two grown men, stop pulling and pushing!" Rain pretended to be angry.
Humbert's ironwood sword had been knocked away, while Rain's sword tip was pointing directly at Humbert's chest, motionless.
Instinctively, Rain took a quick step back, and then swiftly swung his sword, blocking Humbert's strike with the 'Reinforced Blade' near the hilt.
Most of the servants only saw Swordsmanship Instructor Humbert and Rain exchange a quick strike, followed by a 'Bang' sound, and it was over.
The previous strike was too perfunctory, but this one was clearly much stronger. However, it was unclear how much of his true strength Instructor Humbert had used this time—fifty percent? Or perhaps sixty percent? Rain's mind raced with these thoughts, but his body's movements didn't slow down.
"So, today we will learn how to use our longswords for defense!" Swordsmanship Instructor Humbert announced.
Just as Rain thought Humbert would pursue and continue the attack, he noticed that Humbert was looking at him with an odd expression.
"Just now, I struck with a cross-step, and Rain quickly blocked my strike with the 'Reinforced Blade' and then countered with a thrust. It was a very good response."
Additionally, Rain, accustomed to wielding the heavier two-handed greatsword, now swung the ironwood sword with the agility of a straw, making it easy to block and quite smooth.
"Clap!"
As for how Rain defended, it was hard to see clearly.
Outside the Habsburg Estate's training grounds, the servant training resumed.
"Rain, come forward and demonstrate with me."
"Bang!"
Humbert coughed and continued, "For the correct version, read at 69 Book Bar!"
In reality, Rain had avoided George's attempts to touch and feel his body, preventing him from discovering that he was wearing the cotton plate armor underneath.
Meanwhile, Rain was puzzled as to why Instructor Humbert had struck with such a slow sword, as it seemed too unrealistic for a demonstration.
"Previously, we learned the basics of swordsmanship, which consists of only three moves: Leap Strike, Downward Slash, and Upward Thrust. All of them are offensive techniques, and there are no defensive moves."
Rain contemplated for a moment and decided to attend the Servant Training in the afternoon. After it ended, he would go to the Estate Kennel to choose a Greyhound puppy.
"I'm sure the Instructor is holding back something."
"Yes, everyone, pay attention to my demonstration." Master Humbert nodded and then turned to address the group of servants loudly.
At this moment, Master Humbert could no longer contain his surprise, letting out a soft "Oh," while his mind was filled with astonishment.
Master Humbert held the ironwood sword horizontally, aiming it at Rain's chest, and swiftly executed a Leap Strike.
"Rain, that was a very effective defense. Let's try again." Master Humbert said.
The two training ironwood swords clashed rapidly and then suddenly parted.
Did Master Humbert, the Estate's senior guard and servant swordsmanship instructor, not care about his own face? Obviously, Rain was unaware of Master Humbert's thoughts at the moment, and he nodded immediately:
"By the way, why did you look for me today?" To prevent George from dwelling on this issue, Rain changed the topic.
As for the other servants watching, some were captivated, while others were shocked.
"Swoosh!"
Master Humbert wondered what had happened to Rain recently. In just over half a month, his strength had advanced by leaps and bounds.
It wasn't that he was worried George would reveal it; it was just that the fewer people who knew about this, the better.
Huh! He had originally planned to go to the Habsburg Estate later to settle the matter of the Greyhound puppy, but he didn't expect to recover in the afternoon.
"Are you ready?"
Perhaps due to the significant increase in attributes, especially psychic power, Rain could accurately predict Master Humbert's sword trajectory.
Master Humbert never expected Rain to easily dodge his attack. Clearly, this was a failed demonstration!
"Additionally, my speed with the sword this time was obviously much faster than the last time."
Although he was well aware of Rain's swordsmanship talent, he had sparred with Rain before and thus knew his approximate strength.
This time, Master Humbert's expression became much more serious, and he decided to use ninety percent of his strength.
Today was the training for basic swordsmanship.
The speed of this strike far surpassed the previous one, so fast that it slightly tore through the air, emitting a faint sword whistle.
In the afternoon.
"But even in this situation, Rain easily blocked it."
"Oh, Rain, your change is too drastic!" George seemed quite dejected.
After all, if both demonstrations failed, he didn't know how to explain the following content.
"The Estate just notified me that the Servant Training will resume this afternoon." George slapped his forehead, remembering the important matter.
"Yes, Instructor!"
Should he find someone else to demonstrate instead?
Then, he could use this as a correct demonstration to explain to the servants the importance of defense and how to defend.
"If it was the first time, it might have been because I underestimated him, allowing Rain to easily dodge my attack. But this time, I deliberately took advantage of Rain's unpreparedness."
This time, Master Humbert didn't ask if Rain was ready. Instead, he saw Rain standing firm and suddenly leaped forward, striking with his sword.
"I'm ready, Instructor."
Hearing Master Humbert's praise, Rain was visibly startled.
This seemed different from what he had envisioned for the demonstration. Shouldn't it be him dodging the sword strike while Master Humbert calmly blocked it?
However, Master Humbert's explanation made sense! The servants watched with a mix of shock and admiration.
Among them, the one with the thickest eyebrows was the most impressed. As the second-best swordsman among the servants, he deeply understood how challenging it was to practice such a swift defensive counterattack.
(End of Chapter)
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