Solomon turned his attention back to Jianyu. "You did great today. You can stop for the evening. Rest your body and come back tomorrow morning to practice the third step."
Jianyu bowed deeply, feeling an overwhelming sense of accomplishment. Believing he possessed vastly superior talent compared to his battered peers, the young guard happily sheathed his wooden sword and left the courtyard with a bright smile.
Marco, Arthur, Maximus, and Elizabeth finally lowered their own practice weapons and walked over to Solomon.
Marco rubbed the back of his neck and let out a tired sigh. "You are incredibly petty. You literally manipulated the royal commanders just so you could beat up the guards who laughed at us."
"It was a highly efficient transaction," Solomon replied sarcastically, picking up Eden's Penance. "They learned a valuable lesson about mocking guests, and one of their guards actually learned a new sword technique. It is a perfect win-win for the kingdom."
