Chapter 7: Spar Part I

Chapter 7: Spar Part I

As the weeks turned into months, Sevi noticed changes in his body. His stamina increased, his muscles became more defined, and the extra weight he carried began to melt away.

Every drop of sweat, every moment of exhaustion was a step closer to his goal. 

Finally, one morning as Sevi was completing his routine run, he caught a glimpse of himself in a reflective surface.

He stopped, breathing heavily, and took a moment to truly see the progress he had made. He was noticeably thinner, his face more chiseled, and his body leaner and stronger than it had ever been.

Sevi leaned closer to the reflection, examining his features. 

"Wow," he murmured to himself.

"I never realized how much potential my face had. Now... I can hardly recognize myself."

He marveled at the sharpness of his features.

"Breathtakingly handsome," he said with a small, incredulous smile.

Sevi ran his fingers through his silver hair. His once round face had transformed into a chiseled masterpiece, with high cheekbones and a defined jawline that gave him an almost ethereal appearance.

His gaze shifted to his eyes, their deep purple hue standing out like precious amethysts.

"Who would have thought," he repeated softly, turning his head from side to side to take in every angle.

As he stood there, lost in his thoughts, Garef approached from behind. "Admiring your progress, Sevi?" he asked with a knowing smile.

After months of mentoring, the knight captain Garef now calls the young master as just "Sevi". Sevi didn't mind the change and was actually happy as a modern person that is used to being called as his name.

Sevi turned, still smiling. "Yes, sir. I can't believe how much I've changed."

Garef nodded, his expression proud. "You've worked hard, and it shows. But remember, this transformation is just as much about what's inside as it is about the outside."

Garef clapped him on the shoulder. "Let's get to work then. Your training is far from over."

With a nod, Sevi followed Garef back to the training grounds.

The clanging of swords and the shouts of exertion filled the air, creating an atmosphere of intense focus and discipline.

"Sevi," Garef called, motioning him forward. "Now, It's time for you to spar with one of our finest knights."

'Oh, a sparring? Who will it be?' Sevi wondered, his gaze sweeping over the various knights. 

Garef pointed to a tall, imposing figure clad in armor.

"Sir Cedric will be your opponent," Garef said. "Remember everything you've learned. Show me your progress."

Garef's voice rang out across the training grounds, cutting through the sounds of clashing swords. "Sir Cedric, come here!"

Cedric emerged from the group of knights, his tall, imposing figure made even more impressive by his gleaming armor.

Garef continued, "Cedric, you will be sparring with Sevi today. Don't hold back."

Cedric gave a nod, "Very well Sir," he said, his voice deep and resonant. 

Cedric approached Sevi with a warm smile, his demeanor polite and cheerful.

"I've been watching your training for a while now, young master Sevi," he said, extending his hand. "It's a pleasure to finally spar with you."

'...the knights are really full of good people,' Sevi thought as he felt no malice behind Cedric's demeanor.

'But my opponent is Sir Cedric? Hahaha, Sir Garef really pitted me against a genius,' Sevi mused as he looked above Cedric's head. A yellow icon popped up, a feature Sevi had noticed recently.

The yellow icon means that the opponent is quite hard to fight with. Red means really hard, while green is bearable.

Sevi shook his hand, "Thank you, Sir Cedric. I'm honored to spar with you."

Cedric's smile widened. "Let's see how far you've come." With that, he stepped back, his expression shifting to a serious and focused one.

"We'll use wooden swords for this sparring match," Cedric said, motioning towards a rack of practice weapons nearby.

"It's safer and treat it as you would a real sword."

Sevi nodded in agreement, selecting a wooden sword. Cedric did the same, twirling the weapon with practiced ease before taking his stance.

As Sevi and Cedric prepared for their sparring match, the atmosphere on the training grounds shifted.

The clanging of swords and the shouts of exertion from other knights faded as they gathered around, drawn by the anticipation of the bout between the young master and the seasoned knight.

Cedric and Sevi faced each other, each holding a wooden sword. Cedric's usual easygoing smile was replaced by a focused, serious expression. Sevi, gripping his wooden sword tightly, feeling a surge of determination.

The surrounding knights formed a circle, their eyes keenly fixed on the match. Whispers of encouragement and speculation circulated among them.

They were eager to see how Sevi, who had been diligently training under Garef's watchful eye, would fare against one of their most skilled knights.

"Ready?" Garef called out, watching them both closely.

Sevi took a deep breath, steadying himself. "Ready."

"Begin!" Garef's voice echoed across the training grounds.

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