Osric ignored the whispers and continued training.
The cold air burned slightly in his lungs as he stepped forward again.
William raised his wooden training axe.
"Again?"
Osric nodded.
They circled each other across the thin layer of snow covering the ground.
William swung first.
Osric deflected the strike and stepped to the side, letting the wooden axe pass harmlessly through the air.
The two of them exchanged several quick strikes.
Wood struck wood in dull thuds.
William attacked aggressively, pressing forward.
Osric moved calmly, redirecting each attack with controlled movements.
After another exchange, Osric stepped back.
"Better."
William lowered his weapon and exhaled.
"Better for you maybe."
Osric was about to respond when footsteps approached from behind.
He had already noticed them a moment earlier.
Four adventurers stepped onto the training ground.
Two of them looked curious.
The other two looked irritated.
One of the larger men spoke first.
"So the rumors are true."
William frowned slightly.
"What rumors?"
The man crossed his arms.
"That two rookie E-ranks suddenly became monster hunters."
He looked Osric up and down.
"And apparently even killed a Thornback Boar."
William opened his mouth to respond, but Osric spoke first.
"Yes."
The man snorted.
"Right."
Another of the four adventurers shifted uncomfortably.
"Maybe we should just leave it…"
But the arrogant man ignored him.
He stepped closer.
"How about a spar?"
William hesitated slightly.
But Osric remained calm.
He studied the four men for a moment.
Two of them were clearly unsure.
The other two were the ones pushing the situation.
Osric already understood what this was about.
Jealousy.
If he refused, they would continue spreading rumors.
If he accepted and won, the problem would likely end here.
And if they were truly dangerous…
It would be better to know now.
Osric adjusted his grip on the wooden training sword.
"One round each," he said calmly.
William looked at him in surprise.
But the arrogant adventurer grinned.
"Good."
He stepped forward and picked up a wooden training sword from the rack.
Behind him, one of the other adventurers sighed quietly.
"This is a bad idea."
Osric stepped onto the open ground.
Snow crunched softly beneath his boots.
Across from him, the larger adventurer rolled his shoulders and lifted the wooden training sword.
With his other arm, he strapped on one of the practice shields hanging beside the rack.
Osric raised his own shield slightly and adjusted his grip on the wooden sword.
The man smirked.
"Ready?"
Osric nodded.
"Yes."
The adventurer attacked immediately.
His swing was strong but clumsy.
Osric blocked the strike with his shield and stepped to the side.
The impact was heavy but predictable.
As the man tried to recover, Osric recognized his voice.
It was one of the two from yesterday.
One of the ones speaking with the most confidence.
"It's obviously all luck and exaggeration."
Osric's expression didn't change.
The man swung again, aiming high this time.
Osric deflected the strike with his sword and stepped inside the man's guard.
The arrogant adventurer tried to shove him away with his shield.
Too slow.
Osric hooked the edge of his shield against the man's arm and twisted.
The wooden sword flew from the man's hand and landed in the snow.
Before the man could react, Osric's practice sword stopped an inch from his throat.
Silence.
The entire exchange had taken only a few seconds.
Osric lowered the weapon and stepped back.
"Next."
The disarmed adventurer stared at him for a moment before stepping away, his face red with frustration.
Behind him, one of the quieter adventurers shook his head slightly.
"I told you…"
But the second arrogant one stepped forward instead.
This one carried a wooden axe and shield.
He looked less confident than his friend had.
William stepped beside Osric.
"I'll take this one."
Osric nodded and stepped aside.
The two men faced each other.
William rolled his shoulders and raised his shield.
The other adventurer attacked first.
Unlike the previous one, this man was more cautious.
His axe struck William's shield with a loud thud.
William staggered half a step but held his ground.
The two exchanged several blows.
Wood clashed repeatedly as the fight became rougher and less controlled than Osric's.
William took a strike against his shoulder but barely reacted.
Instead he shoved forward with his shield and forced the other man backward.
The adventurer tried to circle away.
William didn't let him.
He closed the distance and slammed his shield into the man's chest.
The impact knocked the wind out of him.
Before the man could recover, William hooked the practice axe behind his opponent's shield and pulled.
The man lost his balance and fell into the snow.
William stepped forward and pointed the wooden axe at him.
"Done."
The adventurer groaned and raised a hand.
"Alright… alright."
William lowered the weapon and grinned.
"That was fun."
The four adventurers stood silently for a moment.
Two of them looked embarrassed.
The other two looked thoughtful.
Finally, the quieter one spoke.
"…Guess the rumors weren't exaggerated."
Osric said nothing.
But he could already tell something had changed.
Word of this would spread through the guild soon enough.