CHAPTER 20: THE LIBRARY

"Ma'am, do you know what is Angas?"

It's been two months since I started my training at the order of knights of Flolerl. Instructor Rose has helped me a lot in building my strength, but she thinks it is still not enough as I am still a child compared to other apprentices.

After one of our afternoon sessions, I ask her about Angas. I don't know anything useful, and I must change it. Especially because a certain assassin keeps breaking me every time she has a chance.

"You don't know about Angas? Normally, it is the duty of any parents to teach their children about Angas as soon as they can even speak? Were you not taught about it then?"

"Can you please just answer my question?" My parents didn't even consider me as their child. It is a waste of time to talk about it.

"Angas is…." She starts thinking while biting her lower lip. "Well, let's see. Do you know about the goddess MEETIA?"

"MEETIA? I know what needs to be known about her, I think."

"Okay, then it is simple: Angas is a connection. We, humans, are born in nature, and therefore, we can use and alter it in its different forms. But to do so, we need to connect to it and channel its power. That is ANGAS. The connection the goddess grants us." I see, so Angas is a connection—a means to use power already inside us.

"Is it possible to connect to nature without Angas? No, actually, is the goddess the only one who can grant that connection, ma'am?" Her definition is somehow unsatisfying. I don't know why. I feel like I forgot something.

"Well, Kevin, I don't know. What I told you is what I learned from my parents as well as at the eternal academy."

"The eternal academy? What is that, ma'am?"

"It is the greatest academy in this world. They have the most advanced methods of teaching and are also in charge of recruiting people for the eternal army. They are located in Syldavie's capital: MERCURIA." That was too much information right there. Eternal army? Mercuria? As I thought, there is too much I don't know.

When I go to my room, I notice the door is slightly open. It was not really to the point where it can be seen, but since I have started the assassination's initiation, I notice those kinds of things immediately now. I open the door slowly, enter my room, and close it. Then I throw my dagger to the upper corner of the room, above my table location. The dagger simply makes a tuck sound on the cemented wall and falls on the table.

"What are you doing?" The voice comes from the opposite side, so she was behind the door then.

"Nothing important. What do you want to break today?" In two months, the assassin has broken my left hand's fingers, four ribs, and all of my toes. The result: I reached 102 points yesterday. So she is supposed to teach me something, or so she said.

"You will learn your first assassination's techniques today. I hope you are ready." She is unfazed by my question. As always, she keeps her cold attitude.

"Can I ask you a question before that?" I want to ask her if there any place where I could learn a lot.

"Ask away."

"Is there a place where I can learn a lot of different things?"

"You mean a library? There is one on the first floor of the castle, the door next to the vice commander's office."

Nothing more and nothing less. Only give the necessary information needed. That is what she told me to learn one month ago.

"I see, thank you."

"Hm-hm. There are ten techniques assassins must learn. The first one which you will learn today is to erase your presence. An assassin must be one with his environment. At all times."

From what the assassin explained to me, to erase my presence means that I must erase my existence in order people's minds. Bring their mind to treat me like air, or a rock. To do so, you must rhythm your breathing and regulate your heart's beat. Those two parameters are keys to erase your presence. And I will learn it tonight. In just one night? It must be easy to learn then.

The next morning, I realize how wrong I was. I almost fainted four times. Without even noticing. To regulate the rhythm of your breathing and control your heartbeat, you must reduce your breathing to the bare minimum, feel the pain of the lack of oxygen, and then increase it bit by bit until the pain is barely bearable. That rhythm must be kept until you no longer feel the pain. As time goes on, you reduce it bit by bit depending on your body limits. It is a technique that you apply until you die.

"I breath two times per minute and three times if I am fighting or under emotional stress." She only breathes two times a minute!! That's the same as not breathing at all. My limit, for now, is seven times per minute.

"It took me twenty years to be able to breathe only two times. I look forward to your evolution in that aspect." Is that a bet? I will show you then. "The sun is up. I won't come for the following week. Stabilize your breathing as much as you can during that time. Goodbye."

Once again, she disappears right in front of my eyes. Is that another technique? Anyway, the sun is up, and I didn't sleep at all. Today's training with Rose will be a disaster.

*****

"What is wrong with you today? Your swings are all messed up!!" Rose is angry. No, she is mad.

I can't concentrate at all. I am sleepy. I must control my breathing and focus on my posture and body—all at the same time. Even if I can't feel pain, it is too much! No, no, no. I said I would show them; I said I would prevail. It is not impossible; I have to go past my limits.

"Arghhh!!!" I scream as I swing my dagger down and then to the side.

"Yes, now we are talking! That's what I want to see. Again!!"

After my training with Rose, my body is like a slug. I am so sleepy. But I must go to that library. I head to the door the assassin told me and enter. Inside, there is a counter at the end of the room. On the left side, there are three tables, each with four chairs. On the right side, there are books, a lot of books. So this is a library. Sitting at the counter, there is an old man with grey hair and glasses. He looks at me, all surprised, and then speaks.

"Hello, child. Did your daddy send you here while he is training? Do you want to keep company to this grandpa?" What is that old man talking about? Is he senile already? Does he not see I am wearing the apprentice's uniform?

"I am the knight-in-training KEVIN KOERSOMBRE. I am here because I need help." At my words, the old man bursts laughing.

"Hahaha! Yeah, yeah, right. You are a mini knight, I see. Well, does the mini knight need some candy? I have-"

"Refrain from underestimating me, please." I need to show him who the boss is here.

"Child, I am starting to get angry. Do you think the first-day training here is a joke? Adults finished broken after the first day here. And you think a pipsqueak like you would survive?" "I did, though."

"Hmph!! Nonsense! What do you want then? I hope your parents will come here to find you soon. I will give them a piece of my mind about your education."

My parents. Why does everyone keep talking about those betrayers? They can die for all I care.

"I want to know if you have books about ANGAS, about the goddess MEETIA, about this world, about-"

"Wow, slow down boy, you want too many things, and I am not sure you will have the time." "Do not worry. I will." I answer him while walking to the counter.

"Okay then. Take the five books on the lowest row of that shelf. Their topic is respectively MEETIA AND THE WORLD OF SHCAMERIN, LONGINUS AND REGAS ORIGIN, ANGAS'S POTENTIAL STUDY, REGAS AND ANGAS INTERFERENCE and the last one is my recommendation, the BEAR AND THE HONEY. Since the four first books will be too difficult for you to understand, you will surely like this one. My mother bought one edition for me for my sixth birthday. Ah, the good time..." He looks euphoric, like he is in complete ecstasy.

"Sir, you are disrespectful." I better keep this old man in check, or he might keep saying strange things.

"Fine, you want to fry your brain, your pleasure. Take that black book on my counter, it does not have a name, and there is no author's name either. I bought it at an auction because they said it was the only piece in the world, but now I regret it. Even I don't understand anything explained inside. So be my guest."

The black book he pointed at is very thick. It must have 700 pages, at least. "Thank you. I will start with that book then. Can I take it with me if need be?"

"No, you can't, if you want to read it, you will come here and keep me company. Nobody ever comes here." Senile old man!

"I think I know why…" I whisper.

"You said something?"

"Nah, I didn't."

"I thought as much…"