"Tell us!!!"
Spencer opened his eyes.
After giving the strongest a beating, the rest started giving him attention. And he tasked them to continue sparring with one another for the rest of the time.
They were already doing it so rejecting won't do anything. Together with the fact that they ARE in training so they needed to do something.
After that time ended, having nothing more to do until the evening where he will have to train them again. Spencer looked for a shaded spot in the training ground to sleep away his boredom. He has nothing else to do right now anyway, why not take this chance to sleep?
Once his mission with Julian starts, surely he will have less time in enjoying his favorite pastime.
But just as he was enjoying his time in dreamland, he was jolted awake by the four rascals who are done with whatever they have to do. Taking the time to disturb his wonderful sleep.
"Yes, I'll tell you that the sheep are so soft and cuddly. So let me go back to my sleep."
He shifted in his position and slowly drifted back to sleep until he was pulled up into a sitting position.
"What do you want? Another beating?" he grumbled.
"Tell us what you are doing here?" Kyle was still curious.
"I'll tell you when you can stand from five of my attacks. Just one and you are already down. How can you be so weak?"
He was ready to lie down again when this time around a sword was placed between his back and the ground. When he tried to lie back down, the hilt poked him in the back.
He yelped in surprise, waking him up completely.
"What was that for?" he complained to Eldon who placed the sword there.
"You are rude."
Spencer stared at him blankly for a while.
"You are the rude ones. How can you disrespect your trainer?"
"You are the one who is sleeping so blatantly when you are supposed to watch over those who you are training," Kyle rebuked.
"Your training under me is over, I will have to train you again this afternoon."
"This is the palace ground. No matter what you can't sleep like that!!" Kyle answered.
"Brats," Spencer messed with his hair, it was obvious that they wouldn't let him go this time until they received the answer they wanted.
"You are just two years older than we are."
Spencer waved his hand, "What do you want?"
"Why are you here? When we parted ways you were still adventurers. Why are you being punished now?" Lilian was the one who responded.
Spencer raised an eyebrow, "It seems you have done some research."
A while ago, they were shocked to see him, so Spencer concluded that these guys are unaware of their appearance here.
"We asked around after the training. We had ignored the news before because we thought of it as nonsense, if we knew that it was you guys then we would have been more attentive to the rumors," she answered.
Spencer sighed, "Pick up your swords."
They all had a bewildered look.
"I will tell you the story while looking at you forms. Do you expect to wake your trainer as you wish without any consequences? In your dreams."
The four of them swallowed hard, Spencer's face was dark.
They did not expect that he would be this mad for being woken up.
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
*CLANG*
As they listened to how things came about, they were made to parry his attacks while he reprimanded them for the lousy defense they are showing him.
Soon, all four are lying on the ground while breathing heavily. Their whole body are in pain from the onslaught of attack that he had done.
"And that's how we end up in this place. Any more questions?" he finished after giving each of them one final hit.
"Why are you not out of breath, teacher?" Kyle asked him.
Spencer's brows twitched, "Don't call me that. It was obvious that I asked for it a while ago while putting a whole load of sarcasm in my tone. But I am not out of breath because you guys are simply weak. I did not expect that."
"We are training as hard as we can," Patrick rebuked.
"I know. But maybe your training is not enough. You don't only need to strengthen yourselves but you also needed to know just what your weaknesses are. You have to understand yourself as a knight through and through in order for you to understand how far you can go."
The four of them sat down and listened to him attentively.
"Also, don't think of your swords as simply your weapons. You have to think of it as a part of your body..."
They opened their mouths to say that they were already doing it.
"...even if you are not using your abilities."
And their words were stuck in their throat. They did think of their weapons as a part of their bodies but that is only when they are using their abilities.
"The more you understand your weapons, the more you will see what part of your weapon you can use the most and if it is already close to its end. Bringing a sword that will break at any moment in a battle is plainly stupid. Your weapons are your lives, keep that in mind. Because abilities can lose its mana but your weapons can be used as long as you have the will to live."
"I did not expect that you can really teach this way."
As they were absorbing his words, another voice rung behind all of them.
When they turned, the eyes of the four of them turned wide.
"What are you doing here?" Spencer asked her.
Luna shrugged, "I was sent as a messenger to let you know that we will have a meeting tonight about our mission."
"A messenger?" Spencer wanted to laugh.
Luna's eyes turned sharp instantly when she noticed his reaction.
Spencer simply pursed his lips, it seems that Luna and Julian aren't really getting along that well.
"Anyway, it is already lunch. Are you done torturing your trainees? Shall we go eat?"
Time passed without them realizing it.
Spencer instantly understood why she was sent as a messenger, "It seems you declared that you will have lunch. Simply you went 'up and go' that the crown prince tasked you to be a messenger instead. Since you are leaving."
Luna's leg flew to the back of his knee, "Shut up."
Spencer buckled forward but soon laughed.
She looked around when she noticed something instead.
"Where are the kids?"
Spencer got up and looked around before seeing the four of them behind a tree.
Kyle, Lilian and Patrick are half hiding, their heads are poking behind the tree. Eldon was standing with them but he was not hiding.
"What are they doing there?" Luna was bewildered.
"Her eyes are open," Kyle pointed.
Luna blinked, "What did I do?"
Spencer remembered why they are reacting this way. He couldn't stop himself from laughing. Hilarious that the four of them got scared of her when Luna herself does not even know them.
"Come back here," he called out.
"But..."
"Do you want another beating?"
With gloomy looks on their faces, they walked back with reluctance.
"I am so beautiful to look like a monster, what's going on, Spencer?" Luna couldn't comprehend why these people are reacting this way when she appeared.
"..."
Spencer bit his lower lip when the four of them had their lips dropped open. It seems that they have only realized that she is currently talking.
"She talked!!!" Patrick exclaimed.
"Pfft!!!"
Spencer ended up laughing hard while holding his stomach at the look of terror in their faces when they snapped out of their initial shock.
Luna face slapped herself, just what is wrong with these people?
She glared at Spencer who was enjoying himself before suddenly smiling innocently.
One would think that she won't do anything bad with that smile of hers and that is what the four are thinking at this moment. They are even feeling it, though they are wondering why the sudden change.
She looks so innocent like your usual eighteen-year-old girl.
But Spencer's reaction was the complete contrast to their own.
He had forgotten that she had such a smile.
The innocent smile that will send shivers down the spine to those who have already experienced it. And he had experienced it a lot.
"Lu- Luna... calm down. I- I am done laughing. We can talk it out now... right?"
He was slowly backing down while Luna stepped forward maintaining that smile.
The four watched as their terror trainer turned to be the one being terrorized when Luna grabbed hold of his collar in a flash. It was so fast they barely saw anything.
And the next thing they knew, Spencer was sent flying half way through the training ground.
"..."
Their mouths were wide open.
Even Eldon, who had been showing the least reaction from the five of them, ended up agape at the sudden turn of events.
The smile disappeared as she turned her attention to them.
They swallowed hard waiting for their own judgment.