"Is that all you've got?" Abel said as he lunged at me with his wooden sword.
"Not yet…" I replied.Even though I didn't want to admit it, he was skilled. Every strike and the entire flow of the fight were guided by his rhythm, and there was nothing I could do to stop it.
He raised his sword quickly and swung diagonally. I barely managed to block it. Even so, I couldn't feel the full weight of his attack. I tried to watch his movements, but it was already too late.
He pulled his sword back toward his body and thrust it straight at me. The impact sent me down to my knees.
"Sorry, Rivingar, but it looks like I won again."
"I think I was close this time," I said, breathing heavily.
We had fought so many duels that I had lost count. The only thing I knew for sure was that the score was far from being in my favor—zero victories.
"I've got thirty-two wins and five draws," he said with a grin, extending his hand to help me up. I accepted it without hesitation.
"So, what should we do today?"
Our duties had been light these past few days, which was why we spent most of our time training.
"Well… I'm not sure. How about we go see old Glenn?"
"You know he gets annoyed every time you call him old," I said. I could see him smiling as he heard me.
"Then it's decided. We're going."
Without waiting for my response, he ran off. I tried to follow, but he was much faster than me. Before I knew it, we were heading toward the village entrance.
When we arrived, there was a large sign that read Welcome to Torune, and beneath it, a guard was crouched down, attaching another notice. Unfortunately, his work was interrupted when Abel charged straight at him.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" the guard snapped, standing up angrily. When he realized who it was, he lowered his voice. "Not you again."
"Hey, old man, need help with anything?" Abel said, patting his shoulder, which was covered in armor. Sometimes Abel didn't care who he was dealing with—he treated everyone the same.
"Rivingar, can't you control this brat of yours?" the guard said, brushing Abel's hand away.
"I'm sorry, sir, but if you don't mind, we'd like to help."
When would this ever end differently?
"Exactly. We've already finished today's training, and we don't have anything else to do."
"…Fine. But next time, show some respect."
"Got it, old man."
I could see Glenn's irritation clearly. Honestly, I didn't understand why Abel always acted like this at times.
"Not many people in the village have seen this yet, but the kingdom has issued a recruitment order. Our village has been selected again after ten years."
Why us again? I didn't want to go through that again.
I wasn't sure what expression I made, but Abel's hand rested calmly on my shoulder.
"It'll be fine. If you look closely, it says it's optional recruitment. Nothing we need to worry about."
"You're right. Thanks."
I still hadn't gotten over the last time our village participated in a recruitment. Back then, it was forced. The only thing I remembered clearly was my father's silhouette as he said goodbye.
"You'd be doing me a big favor. Once you're done, come back to the entrance. I'll reward you for your help."
"Let's go," Abel said.
He led me through the village as we began spreading the news. We moved at a good pace, but seeing everyone's reactions made me ask the question that had been bothering me.
"What do you think about this?"
"What do I think? Well, it happened a long time ago, and it's not something I like thinking about. Saying goodbye to everyone ten years ago was hard… and the worst part was that no one came back."
He was speaking seriously, without his usual smile.
"Do you think it'll happen again?" I asked, unable to hide my doubt.
"You mean no one coming back? I don't want to believe that. But this time, only those who choose to go will go, right? Some people dream of becoming warriors who defend the kingdom. After all, everyone has a dream. Let's keep working hard for ours."
"An adventure where we get to see the entire world," he added, his smile growing wider.
"We'll work hard for our dream. Let's go."
Guided by his pace, we finished the task sooner than expected. When we returned, Glenn was watching us with a smile.
"Good work."
"Thank you, sir."
"Of course, old man," Abel replied casually, still calling him that.
"Abel, your birthday was not long ago, right? Here—take this. A small gift."
He handed Abel a sheathed sword.
"Really? I can have this?"
"Yes. You just turned seventeen, and your goal is to become a famous adventurer. The world out there is dangerous, and you two are obsessed with fighting, so I thought it'd make a good present."
"Thank you very much, Glenn."
"And you, Rivingar—your birthday is next month. Would you like to receive the same?"
"Yes, sir."
Even though I was happy, I didn't think I deserved it. After all, I never managed to win.
"I've got some free time. How about I guide you a bit in your usual training?"
"Really? I'd really appreciate that, old man," Abel said.
Glenn let out a sigh, already resigned to how Abel addressed him.
"I'd be happy if you helped us too," I added.
We headed to the training field, where he began guiding us. He corrected Abel's stance and showed him the optimal movements for attacking. When it was my turn, his expression grew increasingly frustrated.
"Rivingar! What do you think you're doing? Waiting for the other person to control the pace is useless. You need to push forward and attack!"
I knew I had to, but I couldn't do it. After all, I was weak.
"I'm sorry. I'll fix it."
I raised my wooden sword and swung forward, but a moment later, I felt a sharp blow to my head.
"Idiot! Damn it, I don't understand how you keep enduring this. You should just give up!"
Give up? If I did that, I'd never be able to achieve our dream. I had to try harder—just a little more.
"Aaah!"
I swung my sword at him again. He attacked, but I managed to avoid it. Now was the moment. My blade aimed for his exposed side, but he blocked it.
"Good. That's what I want to see."
I needed to be faster, but he suddenly dropped his sword.
"That's enough for today. How about you two have your usual duel?"
"I'm fine with that," Abel said eagerly.
"Alright."
We both took our stances. As always, Abel opened with a flurry of attacks, which I barely managed to block. I tried to counter with a low strike, but he reacted instantly and returned the blow. I jumped back just in time to avoid it.
"Hahaha, that's it, Rivingar. Now you're really trying."
He kept pressing me, never giving me a chance to take the initiative. I had to push myself. I had to answer the effort he always showed me.
I tightened my grip with both hands and swung. He blocked it, but I managed to throw him off balance. I followed up with a rain of strikes, and when I saw an opening, I poured all my strength into a thrust.
The same one I had lost with that morning.
The hit landed without resistance.
"Good. The duel is over," Glenn said, satisfied.
Abel remained on the ground, unmoving.
"Are you okay, Abel?" I asked, reaching out to help him up.
He slapped my hand away. His usual smile was gone.
"I'm fine. Who would've thought you'd beat me after all this time? Congratulations."
I felt like he was congratulating me, but he didn't look happy.
"Thanks," was all I could say.
"I've got something to do. See you."
As I watched him walk away, I noticed his fist clenching tightly.
It had been a long time since I'd seen him like that.