At present, the first preliminaries for Group D had just begun.
"Lacking in scale, all of them."
As head of the Cayen style—a school standing as equals with the Heinemann style within the Amelia Kingdom—Aaron let out a deep sigh while watching the youth of his own style charge toward the enemy, comically shrieking at the top of their lungs.
Even the trio from their rival, the Heinemann style, was far better than that. At the very least, they were actually practicing swordsmanship.
Though, whether out of caution or cowardice, they didn't seem to have crossed swords in earnest just yet.
Before long, the trio surrounded a single, slight youth. This first preliminary round was an examination meant to test tactical judgment. In principle, such team battles were not forbidden.
However, the difference in physique was far too great. What's more, that boy was the Heinemann style's incompetent, Kai Heinemann. Aaron had seen him on several occasions when Elm brought him along.
To secure a victory in the preliminaries, they had ganged up on someone of their own style—and the weakest among them at that. This was a problem far preceding actual ability.
Comically, they even seemed to be bickering over who had priority in the fight. At this rate, there was no point in even having a three-on-one advantage.
(It seems Elm is struggling with successors just as much as I am.)
If things continued at this rate, the rumored Spear King was highly likely to be nothing more than a spoiled young warrior relying purely on his Gift. At the very least, he could never surpass Aaron's direct disciple, Arnold.
Just as Aaron was mulling over those impressions, it happened.
Kai Heinemann slowly stepped forward, slipped into the trio's guard, and clapped his palms together. Snatching the armbands with both hands from the three who had frozen stiff in shock, he withdrew from the martial ring.
"D-Did you see that?!"
Even at his direct disciple's screeching voice, Aaron remained motionless, his eyes wide in disbelief.
"Wh-What in the world was that movement?"
Through a throat parched bone-dry, he somehow managed to squeeze out the question.
He did not need his disciples to point it out. That movement just now, entirely stripped of all waste... That was an action permitted only to those who had stepped into the realm of masters like Aaron and his peers. And an exquisite one at that—.
"Could it have been a fluke?"
"Don't be a fool!"
There are no flukes in martial arts. The moment he pulled that off, Kai Heinemann had set foot into the exact same realm as them.
"But was there really a youth capable of moving like that?"
To the assistant instructor's utterly clueless question, Aaron spat out a curt reply:
"Kai Heinemann. Elm's grandson."
"W-Wait a moment! Wasn't Kai Heinemann's Gift an incompetent one?!"
"Did that look incompetent to you lot?"
If it did, then they were far too devoid of talent. He would advise them to seek a path other than martial arts at once.
"No, but if that really is Kai Heinemann, what does this mean?"
"Most likely, Elm was putting out false information."
Aaron could not suppress his boiling anger. Incompetent grandson of the Sword Saint, my foot! How could someone who reached that realm at such a young age possibly be incompetent?! It was obvious that the Sword Saint himself had beaten the sword into someone blessed with natural talent from childhood under the guise of practical combat. Otherwise, that movement simply made no sense.
The reason for doing so was most likely to ward off scouts from other organizations.
However, did Elm realize how much his own grandson was despised because of that? No, if he didn't realize it, he couldn't have committed such an atrocity. And that meant—.
"Curse that Elm, does he not know the difference between what is permissible and what is not?!"
This was equivalent to grinding down a person of natural genius just to preserve his own style. As a master of the sword, it was an outrage that could never be forgiven.
"Still, there are rumors that Kai Heinemann left the Heinemann family..."
"Elm let that boy go?"
"Yes, an assistant instructor of the Heinemann style was bragging about it right here in Luzahal. He didn't seem to be lying, so it might very well be true."
Let go of someone with that caliber of skill? Did he fail to notice because he was his grandson? No, anyone with a certain degree of practical combat experience would undoubtedly notice the sheer abnormality of that skill. It was unthinkable that Elm hadn't noticed. Then what was Elm's intention in deliberately casting aside such talent? He didn't know! He couldn't comprehend it at all!
"Could it be that the Gift appraisal calling him incompetent was actually true? Like, as an exception, there was another hidden Gift that didn't show up. You know, in Lamoor where the Heinemann style is based, there's a strong tendency to judge everything purely by Gifts, right?"
Certainly, this remark from one of his assistant instructors sounded the most convincing.
Only one Gift is bestowed by the gods. So it was said. However, it had never been proven that a person possessing two could not exist in this world.
At the very least, compared to the nonsense that someone displaying master-class conduct was merely incompetent, the existence of a Double Gift Holder was far more worthy of belief.
"If that is the case, then they truly are fools."
"Yeah, absolutely."
In any event, Aaron would have to meet Kai Heinemann immediately after this tournament.
If his style could secure the boy, the position of Royal Guard to the next King would practically be assured. Should that happen, the Cayen style would reign as the Amelia Kingdom's foremost swordsmanship for two consecutive generations.
"Tch, to think I cannot leisurely watch his matches at a time like this."
Unfortunately, he had an unavoidable meeting in the neighboring town starting now. Either way, this tournament was under the Cayen style's management.
If he finished his business and returned quickly, he would be able to watch the championship tournament from the best seats in the house. He just had to endure until then.
"Let's go!"
Suppressing his eager excitement with all his might, Aaron urged his accompanying assistant instructors along and departed the arena.