Chapter Thirteen: Rapier and Dagger

Alice continued to meditate for a few hours, feeling the rapier pulse more and more.

She finally stopped and opened the curtains, allowing light into her room. She walked to the kitchen and grabbed an apple, sewing a she hasn't eaten yet. She finished the apple and got a drink of water, before going outside.

Looking up, the sun was high in the sky, so it was around noon. Alice decided she spent enough time meditating and walked back to Odis and the training Royal Knights.

She saw him wielding a short sword, fighting with the captain.

"Come on, Captain!"

"You can beat him!"

"Beat the Captain, Master Odis!"

Alice decided to join the spectators, who moved out of her way so she could see.

"Fight!" A knight said. Without giving the Captain a chance, Odis disappeared and reappeared in front of him, kicking him to the ground, not even drawing his short sword.

All the knights' jaws dropped.

'Woah...' That was everyone's thoughts.

- Using 'Perfection' -

- Success -

- Skill learned; 'Quick Step' -

- Quick Step; A rare skill. It makes the user disappear and reappear at a certain amount of meters in front of them. The amount depends on how far the user can see. -

'So that was a skill? I though he was just fast.' Alice thought. 'He's really fast.'

Odis walked away. Noticing Alice, he motioned for her to folllow him. They walked into a ring as Odis turned to her. "Did you feel it, Princess?"

Alice nodded. "The rapier was pulsing like it had a heart."

Odis nodded. "That's it's core. This is a celestial rapier. I'll allow you to use it in training."

Alice bowed. "Thank you."

"Now then, you'll be trained in a fighting style I call the Rapier and Dagger. This is the most versatile style of rapier combat. It allows the fighter to attack or defend with either hand, and allows the possibility of both distance combat and close-in work.

As the king should have told ya, I'll be training you personally, and for five years as well." He handed her a dagger with a red leather sheath. It also had a wider guard than most daggers. "This was my son's dagger. I'll lend it to ya for training as well."

Alice bowed her head again. "Thank you for taking your time to train me."

She drew the rapier in her right hand and the dagger in her left. Looking at the blade, she noticed it resembled a comb. Odis saw her face and chuckled.

"It's called a sword breaker. It allows one to catch their opponents swords and use various follow up techniques. With it, ya could cause an opponents sword to even actually break! With the right amount of force, of course."

Odis first taught Alice how to properly swing and thrust her rapier and dagger, before teaching her to use them in sequence. This was dragged out over a course of a few weeks, as Odis never showed Alice with a rapier, and she had to develop the skills herself.

- Skill learned; 'Art of the Rapier and Dagger' -

- Skill learned; 'Art of Defense' -

- Skill learned; 'Art of Speed' -

After six weeks had past, they entered the month of Triaphere. Jason turned twelve shortly after they returned home, and Zach turned ten three weeks after she began training.

She of course wrote them letters to wish them happy birthday, which they both appreciated.

Odis decided that this week, he would begin to spar with her. He would dodge her blade and knock the dagger out of her hand, knocking her to the ground.

She was refining herself and slowly learning not only how to properly used the rapier and dagger, but discipline and patience as well. She lacked these things in her last life, and somewhat in this one. A few more weeks passed this way.

Deep in the underground base, Zirian watched on a monitor. Alice kept getting up and knocked back down. 'I hope she knows it takes a while to perfect the use of weapons, even longer than she'll be training.'

"Grand Knight, a report came in. They say the Virtue of Temperance has added the western human kingdom to their territory."

Zirian sighed. "Damn these Virtues. They must have some kind of master plan! What could it be?"

On the world map table, the western human kingdom, a sizable territory, turned black.

"Get me Grand Knight Haytham, please."

The man nodded. "Yes sir."

Zirian took out a pendant and looked at the woman. 'I'll avenge you mother, don't worry.'

A voice came on as a monitor turned on. "Hello, Grand Knight Zirian. *cough* *cough* What's wrong?"

Zirian took in a deep breath. "Grand Knight Cleo has fallen."

Alice stood up and faced Odis. It slowly began to snow. "Wait, what month is it?"

Odis readied himself. "I think it's Felli, why?"

"I turn nine soon." She watched the snow slowly fall onto the ground. "Let's do this!"

She charged at Odis, who easily dodged her, even though her speed has increased dramatically over the course of her training.

'Still too slow.'

She turned back, thrusting her sword at him with a lot of force behind it. 'Too weak.'

He kicked her to the side of the ring. "You still have much to learn, Alice. Good thing you still have a years to train under me. By the end of it, I'll make you a proper swordswoman.

Now then, for the next few weeks, try to refine your skills by fighting knights or training by yourself. I have something important to do."

Alice breathed rapidly, before slowing down. "Yes sir."

Odis nodded. "Good. Also, here." He handed her a book. "These are sword techniques and breathing techniques to increase you lethality in combat. Use it well over the course of your training." With that he bowed and left.

Alice opened the boom as snow began to pile around her and in her hair. She read the first page of the book, before closing it and going inside.

Waking, she knocked the snow out of her hair. 'I wonder what Odis is going to do?' Waking into her room, she jumped on her bed after laying the rapier and dagger on her table. 'So sleepy...' She fell asleep with the book on her chest.