The training hall of the Morvain estate did not look like something that belonged in a modern city.
From the outside, it resembled a renovated gym.
From the inside—
It looked like a private museum for people who solved their problems with steel.
Weapon racks lined the walls in clean rows.
Swords with sleek modern grips.
Composite bows mounted beside traditional longbows.
Spears with reinforced carbon shafts.
Even a few weapons that looked suspiciously like experimental prototypes.
Julien stood at the entrance, hands in his pockets, staring in silence.
'So this is what rich families do for fun.'
Helior Morvain walked in behind him, footsteps steady.
"Choose."
Julien turned.
"…Just like that?"
"Yes."
Julien looked back at the wall.
The problem was not that he had too few options.
The problem was that he had too many.
He walked slowly along the racks.
Sword?
Every protagonist chose a sword.
Spear?
Too long. Too obvious.
Axe?
Too heavy. His back was still recovering from yesterday.
Bow?
He imagined himself missing every shot and accidentally hitting a chandelier.
Bad future.
Then he noticed the lowest rack.
Not polished.
Not flashy.
Almost hidden.
A short-handled, crescent-shaped blade rested there quietly.
Small.
Simple.
He picked it up.
"…This looks like something you'd find in a gardening store."
Helior answered calmly, "Kama."
"A farming tool?"
"Originally."
Julien weighed it in his hand.
Light.
Balanced.
Short range.
No dramatic reach.
No heroic aura.
Just… practical.
He swung it once.
The motion felt natural.
Not powerful.
Not elegant.
But comfortable.
Like holding a tool rather than a weapon.
Alicia, leaning against a pillar nearby, raised an eyebrow.
"You're not even considering the swords?"
Julien glanced at the shining blades.
Then at the kama.
"Swords look like trouble."
"That thing looks like trouble too."
"Yes," Julien agreed, "but smaller trouble."
Helior observed him closely.
"The kama requires control. Close range. Fast reactions."
Julien nodded.
"That sounds like something I'll mess up a lot."
Helior paused.
Then said, "Good."
Training began immediately.
No special techniques.
No flashy mana.
Just fundamentals.
Grip.
Stance.
Footwork.
Swing.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Julien learned three important facts in the first thirty minutes.
One: Helior did not go easy.
Two: His arms were much weaker than he believed.
Three: A kama was light only until you swung it a few hundred times.
Happy Face already activated
By the hundredth swing, his wrist burned.
By the two hundredth, his shoulder screamed.
By the three hundredth—
"…Sir," Julien said between breaths still smiling, "purely out of academic curiosity… is passing out considered a valid training method?"
"No."
"Unfortunate."
Alicia watched with visible amusement and concern.
Joshua sat on a bench nearby, acting as a very serious referee.
"Big brother! Four hundred twelve!"
Julien stared at the ceiling.
'Why is my little brother my executioner?'
Helior corrected his stance again.
"Lower your center of gravity."
Adjusted.
"Your wrist is loose."
Adjusted.
"Your breathing is uneven."
"…I'm being judged by my lungs now?"
"Yes."
Julien obeyed.
Gradually, something changed.
His swings became smoother.
Not stronger.
Just cleaner.
The kama followed his intent naturally.
Helior noticed.
"Good."
That single word hit harder than praise.
After training ended, Julien collapsed onto the wooden floor.
Face down.
Arms spread.
"…I regret every decision that led me here."
Alicia nudged him with her foot.
"You chose the weapon yourself."
"Yes. And now I accept full responsibility for my suffering."
Joshua sat beside him.
"Will you fight with cards and this together?"
Julien lifted the kama slightly.
"…Eventually."
Helior spoke quietly.
"You will not rely on talent alone."
Julien nodded.
He understood.
Cards are unstable.
Happy Face is dangerous.
A weapon was honest.
It only did what his hands told it to.
As the sun lowered outside the windows, training ended.
Julien stayed behind alone.
Sweaty.
Tired.
Holding the kama loosely.
And then—
A thought crossed his mind.
Unexpected.
'What is Daniel doing right now?'
At this point in the story…
Daniel should be training alone.
Pushing himself.
Carrying regret.
Preparing for the academy.
Julien smiled faintly.
'You're walking a hard road, huh.'
He spun the kama once.
Slow.
Careful.
'Guess I'll walk mine too.'
Different path.
Same world.
And somewhere out there—
The real protagonist was moving forward with fists.
While a so-called villain learned how to hold a blade.