Gavin took a deep breath, bowed to Edmund, and replied, "I do not hate you, Sir. I am grateful to my father for giving me life, and I thank you for your help to me and my mother."
Edmund didn't say anything after hearing this, but carefully observed Gavin and found that there was sincerity in his eyes, and that a 6-year-old child wouldn't pretend.
Gavin seized the opportunity to muster his courage and said, "Sir, I have a method for making salt that can extract coarse sea salt and turn it into expensive refined salt. The method is quite simple. I would like to offer this method to you to thank you for taking care of me and my mother over the years."
Edmund smiled slightly and said, "Let's not rush the salt matter. Now that you've guessed your background, I'd like you to come back to the castle with me. But once we're back, I'll have Coach Ryan train you in swordsmanship. Can you handle that hardship?"
Gavin was overjoyed and quickly replied, "Of course, Sir, I am very much looking forward to learning swordsmanship, and I hope to become a glorious knight in the future."
Edmund laughed heartily, ruffled Gavin's hair, and said, "Then it's settled, little Gavin. I'll send someone to pick you and your mother up this afternoon. I hope you can work hard and become a powerful knight in the future."
Gavin and his mother had returned to live in the castle. That very night, after returning to the castle, Gavin handed over the written salt-making method to Sir Edmund.
Edmund was astonished after doing a quick calculation of the profits. With the profits from salt production, the family's strength could become even greater, which would undoubtedly bring the Cotoin family a stable income.
Looking at Gavin before him, he felt that bringing Gavin back to the castle was the best thing he had ever done. And so, Gavin officially began living in the castle.
The territory selects young children from families with clean backgrounds among its soldiers for training from a young age, and Gavin is among them. After more than ten days of training, occasionally after the morning group training, Coach Ryan would give Gavin some extra help in the afternoon.
Early in the morning, the sun was still partially hidden behind the clouds and had not yet fully risen.
Gavin and a dozen or so children, filled with anticipation and nervousness, stood neatly in the training ground in front of the stables, their eyes all focused on Coach Ryan, who stood with his arms crossed and a serious expression on his face.
Coach Ryan surveyed the children before him with a stern gaze, his voice steady and powerful: "Children, from today onward, I will teach you how to use a sword. And the sword will be your most important companion from now on! The sword is not merely a weapon; it is a symbol of your honor, courage, and faith. When wielding the sword, your mind must be steady, your hands steady, and your gaze firm. The swing of the sword must be powerful, but even more so, skillful. Remember, every swing must be with your full strength, for on the battlefield, the sword is your life!"
Coach Ryan paused for a moment, then continued, "The first thing you need to learn now is how to hold a sword."
Soon it was afternoon, and Gavin received a call from Coach Ryan asking him to come over. Knowing the benefits of special tutoring, Gavin rushed over excitedly.
Upon seeing Coach Ryan, Gavin bowed respectfully and said, "Good afternoon, Coach Ryan."
Coach Ryan glanced at Gavin and said loudly and casually, "Kid, stop dawdling now that you're here, start with the basics!" With that, he tossed a wooden sword to Gavin.
Gavin hurriedly caught the wooden sword, anxiously awaiting the instructor's next instructions.
Coach Ryan straightened up and said in a booming voice, "Today we'll learn how to wield a sword first, watch closely!" He stood with his feet shoulder-width apart, leaned slightly forward, gripped the hilt of the sword tightly in his right hand, and swung the wooden sword from right to left with great force. His movements were fluid and powerful.
Jia tried to imitate the coach, but his movements were extremely clumsy. His arm swings were pitifully small, and his strength was completely misdirected. His whole body was crooked and extremely uncoordinated.
"Hey! Kid, are you swatting flies? Watch your arm strength, use your waist rotation to power your arms!" Coach Ryan yelled at the top of his lungs.
Gavin blushed and tried again, barely managing to pass, but still couldn't get the hang of it.
Next, Coach Ryan began teaching the slashing technique. He gripped the wooden sword tightly with both hands, raised it high, and then slashed it down with all his might, shouting, "Like this, with all your might!"
Gavin did as he was told, but the first time he chopped, he almost stumbled and fell to the ground because he used too much force.
"Steady! Steady! Release your strength evenly, don't scramble around like a headless fly!" Coach Ryan shouted angrily, his eyes wide.
With repeated, persistent attempts, Gavin gradually grasped the knack of chopping, and his movements slowly became more skilled.
After that, the instructor began to teach the straight thrust. "Kid, when you thrust, keep your eyes fixed on the target, shift your body weight forward, and straighten your arm!"
When Gavin first started thrusting, he could never hit his target accurately, and his speed was as slow as a snail's crawl.
But he gritted his teeth, and under Coach Ryan's strict guidance and his own relentless efforts, Gavin gradually mastered the technique of the straight thrust, with significant improvements in both speed and accuracy.
At the end of a day of training, Gavin was panting and drenched in sweat, but his eyes were filled with dedication to swordsmanship and anticipation for the future.
When Gavin returned home, he suddenly noticed a new change on his skill panel: a new skill had appeared—Swordsmanship: Beginner. There was also a plus sign next to it.
With burning eyes fixed on the panel, Gavin exclaimed inwardly, "Finally, I've mastered it!" He then added the last energy point without hesitation.
In the blink of an eye, the beginner level of swordsmanship transitioned into familiarity. Experiences and techniques in holding and wielding a sword instantly flooded his mind, as if he had been practicing swordsmanship for many years and had experienced countless battles.
He gripped the sword again, as if it had become one with him. Looking at the skill panel and feeling the effects of the skills, Gavin thought, "With this skill panel, I can learn almost any skill quickly, it's just that energy points are hard to obtain."
Having finished his tangled thoughts, Gavin, utterly exhausted, fell into a deep sleep.
Time flies, and years pass quickly. Soon it was the year 291 of the Aegonian calendar.
On the training field, a young man stood there, sword in hand. His silver-gold hair shimmered in the sunlight, and his handsome face was framed by deep, bright purple eyes. His upright posture and the training sword in his hand marked him as Gavin, now 14 years old. He stood facing Coach Ryan. Both men's eyes were filled with determination and focus.
"Gavin, let me see how much you've improved over the years!" Coach Ryan shouted, launching the first attack.