Lady Izolda is quick to guide us through the basic stances. Not just with words either. She makes subtle adjustments to our posture, both the young lord's and mine too. Through it all she doesn't raise her voice, even once, either. She takes the time to explain the changes she makes to our postures though.

"Just keeping your shield in position is only half of it. You need to angle it to best match your opponent's angle of attack too. Keep an eye on how you opponent holds their weapon."

It is at this point that I interject a question. I do so because the young lord seems like he wants to ask something himself. I can only guess what goes through his mind, but I do give it my best shot.

"What about feints?"

The young lord straightens up a little at my words. It seems my guess is right, or at least close enough.

The head maid, who almost certainly is not a maid, nods, as if that is the question she has been hoping for. There is only the slightest hesitation to it. Maybe she hoped that the young lord would ask it instead of me though.

"The leg work is a first solid hint at a feint. You have to learn to read it. If it doesn't match the direction of an apparent slash or thrust you are either dealing with a novice swordsman or a feint. Both can be dangerous."

I blink in surprise. Is that a barb directed in my direction? Well, I certainly am a clueless novice compared to her if even Wiktor fears her, so I won't protest. Instead I ask a follow up question.

"The leg work can be a first solid hint? What if it isn't though? Or if the leg work is the feint instead?"

Now she smiles, even if just faintly.

"What if? In that case? You are most likely dead and just don't know it yet."

She doesn't leave it at that and provides something actually helpful instead. This still is a lesson for the young lord after all.

"Some skills can help. Tactics, to a degree. Some mind reading spells make feinting hard to pull off. Precognition makes just about all feinting useless."

I nod and so does the young lord. Curiously enough I can feel [Tactics] improve a little. I guess the lesson gives me a better handle on my options in an engagement.

Finally the young lord speaks up as well. It's the first time I hear his voice.

"Of course Mind Reading spells can easily be countered by spells or skills that shield the mind or ones that provide misdirection?"

What he says makes sense of course, but he still sounds uncertain. Or is it that he seeks not just confirmation but approval? And there is something else too, that is nagging at the back of my mind. A realization comes to me then and there, but I don't dare act on it. Instead I decide to pick up on what was said and apply some misdirection.

"Precognition on the other hand is harder to deal with, isn't it? At lower levels superior numbers might do, since at some point you simply can't dodge, parry or block yet another blade. At higher levels though this tactic might simply result in the opponent not showing up to a fight they can't win at all."

Justyna groans quietly from where she is standing to the side. The head maid in turn chuckles.

"Manners, dear Justyna. Manners. They are what sets us apart from beasts and monsters."

Then she turns to face the young lord and me again.

"She isn't wrong though. Lets focus on the lessons at hand instead of playing mind games of what if, even if your observations so far are very much spot on. Please focus on mimicking the offensive and defensive positions I'll show you for now. We will focus on feinting and detecting feints another time."

Well, if that's what she wants, then I'm happy to oblige. Mimicking is my thing after all. I refocus on the lesson with renewed vigor and the results soon come in too. The next skill that improves, even if just a little, is my [Blades] skill. It is quickly followed by my [Melee Weapons] skill.

That is already quite nice, but the real bounty follows a little later as we switch to exchanging, practice blows under the guidance of Lady Izolda. One of us will focus on offense and the other on defense. Then we will switch. This earns me a total of three notifications!

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Shields general skill at Level 1!]

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This one counts towards my scoundrel class' progress and might just be the best of the bunch, although the other two, which follow a little later as we keep exchanging carefully measured blows, are nothing to sneeze at either.

[*Ding!* Your skill Block has leveled up to level 4!]

[*Ding!* Your skill Parry has leveled up to level 4!]

This means a little more progress for both of my classes. My defense and attack power improve a little too, as does my health. Overall this is a pretty good haul, everything considered. And even better I'm getting paid for this! Marvelous! It's actually a little challenging to hide how giddy I with the progress I'm making. It's in fact enough to make my [Bluff] skill progress a little, too. That, in fact, doesn't make keeping my excitement bottled up inside any easier, but I manage.

By the time Justyna and, surprisingly enough, not Lady Izolda calls for a break to have lunch I'm quite sweaty already. Progress does come at a price after all. The same is true for the young lord, but at least he seems to be opening up, even if just a little.

We don't join the rest of the castle's inhabitants for our lunch though. Instead we retreat to a sitting room adjacent to the training hall, where four bowls of steaming stew are already waiting for us. Vegetable stew with bread. Not exactly my favorite, but I'm not choosy. It's warm and filling, and that's all that matters right now.

Surprisingly enough the ladies and the young lord start eating without any ritual. No prayers. No nothing. Just like the common people and adventurers I have come to observe so far.

I'm about to join in too, with the first spoon already halfway to my mouth when I stop dead in my tracks. I sniff. Then I give it a careful taste. My brows furrow.

The others are looking at me now like I'm in the process of growing a second head.

Finally I speak up. I have to.

"Is it bland like this on purpose?"

Justyna bites back a laugh and the young lord lets out a deep sigh. It's the senior maid who answers in the end. And she does so in a no-nonsense, matter-of-fact tone.

"Yes, of course. It's easier to notice poison like this before you ingest a lethal dose. Especially for professional taste testers."

Well, I'm not a professional taste tester and I'm pretty sure that the others aren't either. That implies that the stew has already gone through the hands of someone of that profession before it ended in our hands. That is most curious and slightly troubling. I can feel my [Gather Information] skill a little too.

Finally I nod, but I don't remain silent.

"A precaution for safety reasons. I guess there are reasons for it, but it certainly doesn't make for a very enjoyable culinary experience."

The young lord, curiously enough, blushes a little at my analysis, but doesn't say anything as Lady Izolda instead nods and speaks up.

"Yes. It's a common sacrifice those in positions of power have to make. Now, eat up everyone so we can return to practice. I want to speed up your exchanges of pointers a little."

That at least sounds promising, thus I do as she says. It's an enthusiasm everyone else and especially the young lord seems to share too.

We don't return to training right away though. First Lady Izolda leads us on a small walk inside the keep. We stay on the same floor, but I'm pretty sure we traverse the keep from north to south and east to west at least once before we return to the fencing hall.

I don't question this, as a little light exercise, like a walk, is just the right way to get started again after a meal. I take this chance to pay little more attention to the young lord, as we make our way through the keep. Carefully and covert, as to not draw lady Izolda's ire. On one hand, this gives my [Perception] another little boost. On the other hand I'm almost certain now, by the way they carry themselves and the way they walk, that the young lord is a young lady. Almost certainly. There is still some doubt though.

Why the charade though? The same reason they serve bland food as a precaution? Is this place really this ripe with intrigue? I haven't exactly moved in these circles before, but I can't help but be surprised anyway. This all seems a little much to be honest.

I distract myself by picking my buckler and training rapier back up. I return to my position at the center of the room too and wait for the young lord, who might be a young lady instead, to take up position across from me.

I have just enough time roll my shoulders once before Lady Izolda starts to guide us through attacks, blocks, parries and dodges again. She really picks up the pace too. We have no other option, but to strike faster and thus harder.

Our attacks are almost serious like this. I'm pretty certain though that with the extra protective gear I could take even a serious blow by my current opponent without suffering any permanent harm, if I'd suffer any at all. And while the increased pace comes with its own challenges, it isn't without its rewards either.

[*Ding!* You have unlocked the Heavy Armor general skill at Level 1!]

After this first notification another is quick to follow.

[*Ding!* Your skill Shields has leveled up to level 2!]

This means a little more progress for both of my classes. My [Clothes] skill improves a little too and so do my [Block] and [Parry] skills as well. It's not enough for a level up notification for any of the three skills, but that's alright. All progress is good. And the day is not over yet either.

In fact there is another set of notification that almost puts a smile on my face, even as sweat starts to trickle down my back.

[*Ding!* Your skill Heavy Armor has leveled up to level 2!]

[*Ding!* Your skill Dodge has leveled up to level 5!]

This much progress is exhilarating even if it's exhausting too. By the time Lady Izolda calls a stop for today I'm actually breathing hard and drenched in sweat. The same is true for my sparring partner. They look excited too though and their guard is down, at least a little as well. I guess hard training like this can be quite liberating.

As we finish putting our training gear away again Lady Izolda speaks up once more. She somehow sounds pleased too.

"Justyna, why don't you accompany our young lord to the bath. I'll take care of her quest papers and then show Viviona back out."

She quietly puts her seal on the quest papers in the appropriate spot. As she hands them back to me she doesn't let go right away though. Her piercing gaze captures mine for a moment.

"You have read all the attached paperwork thoroughly?"

I gulp and nod, another little bead of sweat trickling down my back. This one ice cold.

"I … have."

"Good. Not a word. Not to anyone."

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