Seeing Snow's handsome face,the kind that made one instinctively want to throw a punch,appear in his vision, Kaspars grunted and jammed his cue stick into the rack beside the billiard table. He waved to the people around him, signaling for them to leave.
Most of those playing with Kaspars knew what kind of business he ran, so they left without any sign of displeasure. Once everyone irrelevant had departed, Kaspars stepped forward, gave Snow a thump on the chest, and then spoke, "Hell, how many shots did you fire today? The smell of gunpowder on you is so thick you could almost be cured in it!"
"I just spent the morning at the range. I went through about three pounds' worth of ammo. By the way, did I arrive a bit early?" Snow said, pulling out his silver pocket watch and giving it a token glance.
"A bit early or a bit late doesn't matter." Kaspars didn't intend to bicker over such things. With a wave of his hand, he said, "Come on. I'll take you to meet your combat instructor."
Following the limping Kaspars out of the Braveheart Bar, the two quickly crossed the Backlund Bridge and arrived at the Cherwood District,an area that could be considered the most "livable" in Backlund.
Unlike the West District or Empress Borough, which required immense wealth to inhabit, or the East District and Bridge District, which faced various security risks, this place had relatively decent security, a respectable level of consumption, and a fairly good environment.
"The instructor I found for you is a retired knight. He didn't have the best luck, though. Just as he became a formal knight, the era of high-pressure steam rifles arrived. Since he lacked any noteworthy battlefield achievements, he didn't receive compensation like those veteran knights who were at least active during their prime. However, his old man left him a considerable inheritance, so even if he does nothing, it's enough for him to live comfortably in Backlund.
"Nonetheless, his strength is genuine. He's taught combat techniques to several people like you. Oh, and he charges per project for his combat classes. In his words: 'You Beyonders can learn everything in one or two classes; charging by the hour is a ritoff.' But none of the Beyonders he's taught have ever come back to cause trouble, so you can be at ease on that front."
Kaspars shared the instructor's background as they walked, speaking with an accent from somewhere unknown.
Snow nodded, gaining a general sense of the instructor's professionalism. The fact that he could continue taking jobs after teaching several Beyonders suggested that what he taught was worth the price.
Despite Kaspars's limp, his pace wasn't slow. After walking for about ten minutes, they stopped in front of a detached house with a garden. Although the location was in a "trashy area" at the boundary between Cherwood District and Bridge District, a house like this would still cost at least eighty pounds a year in rent.
Kaspars stepped to the door, grabbed the clapper of the bell hanging on the fence, and shook it vigorously, producing a piercing clang.
"Stop ringing! Damn it! Sooner or later, I'm going to replace that bell! Hell, didn't you say you'd come after four?"
A somewhat gruff voice came from the courtyard, followed by the appearance of a middle-aged man who didn't look particularly tall but seemed very spirited.
He looked to be in his early forties. His hair and beard hadn't been groomed for some time, appearing quite messy. At the moment, there were still droplets of sweat on his face; he had probably been doing some physical labor earlier.
His physique was well-maintained. Although he didn't have bulging muscles that threatened to rip his shirt, he lacked any beer belly. The muscle lines on his arms were smooth, and his voice held significant power.
"This is the new student you found for me? He looks... forget it. You Beyonders are always full of deception anyway!" The man said as he opened the wooden gate,which served little practical purpose,and signaled for Snow and Kaspars to come inside.
Following him to the backyard, they found it had been converted into a training ground with sand pits, horizontal bars, sandbags, dumbbells, and various pieces of equipment whose purposes weren't immediately obvious. Kaspars, appearing unfazed, patted Snow on the shoulder and said, "Mordred, this is Snow, whom I told you about. Snow, this is Mordred. You can just call him by his name."
'Mordred? Is your father named Arthur or your mother named Altria?' Snow made a mental quip, but outwardly only gave a polite greeting. While the name was indeed ripe for teasing, considering that Klein's teacher was named Gawain, perhaps the retired knights of Loen truly could form a "Round Table Host Club."
"Snow, right? Let's skip the nonsense. Here's the price list. Take a look at what you want to learn." Mordred didn't notice Snow's stray thoughts. He waved Kaspars away, then pulled a menu-like folder from a corner and tossed it to Snow. Opening it, Snow indeed saw clear pricing per project:
- Basic Combat: 12 Soli
- Basic Swordsmanship: 8 Soli
- Military Combat: 1 Pound 5 Soli
- Military Swordsmanship: 1 Pound
- Knight Exercise Method: 2 Pounds
- Knight Breathing Method: 3 Pounds
- Horsemanship: 2 Pounds
...
"What is the Knight Breathing Method?" Snow asked as he looked at the most expensive yet most ambiguous item.
Mordred glanced at him with an "I knew you'd ask" expression, "An old relic of the previous era. It's used alongside the Knight Exercise Method to improve one's physical constitution. But at most, it only reaches my level. It can't compare to the physical stats you get from drinking a bottle of medicine. And if you stop, you'll regress. In the past, it could be used to bully ordinary people, but after high-pressure steam rifles appeared, it's just something to practice for fun."
Hearing this, Snow's eyes brightened. He immediately asked: "If I learn it, can I teach it to others?"
"Kid, do you know?" Mordred's eyes suddenly flashed with a sharp light at Snow's question. "Even though it's not worth much now, this stuff used to be treated as a family heirloom by every knightly family! Although it can't handle Beyonders... how many Beyonders are there on a battlefield?"
"So?"
"Teach it however you like!"
"Huh?" Snow didn't react for a moment, thinking he had misheard "you have to pay extra." Noticing Snow's surprise, Mordred spread his hands, "The mouth is on your face; I have no way to put a lock on the method. If you teach it to others after learning it, how can I control that? For something worth a few pounds, should I really go find a lawyer and sign a contract with you? Besides, I'm not short on money. Teaching students is just a hobby. As long as you don't use my name to cause trouble everywhere, I don't care how many people you teach."
Seeing how generous this Mordred was, Snow didn't waste any words and immediately counted out ten pounds in banknotes:
"Except for horsemanship, I'll learn everything."
[Translated and Rewritten by Shika Kagura]
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A/N: Paradox (悖论) - Honorable Name Structure.
You are the traveler from a distant time and space;
You are the contradictory spiral of logic and wisdom;
You are the reflection of knowledge, the reverse side of truth.
A/N: Mordred (莫德雷德) - A name steeped in Arthurian legend, fitting for a retired knight in a world inspired by Victorian England and European myth.
T/N: "Livability" (易居) - A play on the word for "easy to live in" rather than a typo. Cherwood District is portrayed as a middle-class haven.
T/N: "Round Table Host Club" - A reference to the anime Ouran High School Host Club and the legendary Knights of the Round Table, reflecting Snow's habit of making otaku-style mental jokes.