Terrence Euler

(Lex POV)

"A watchsmith? I see so you're retired?"

"Yep, that brat Fenitz recommended me to your case."

'If this proves useful I should thank Fenitz.'

Terrence took a cigarette from a belt-pouch and lit it with a click of fingers.

-Click!

He took a large puff of it.

"What did you do?"

He looked at me questioningly for what I meant, I gesture at the cigarette,

"I mean how did you spark that cigarette?"

"This? It's a simple trick, I used aura to recreate the effects of flint and struck it."

"Wow... that's amazing you must have a high level of control for something like that huh?"

He shrugged,

"Not really anyone here could do this with the right amount of time, and I've had a lot of time to myself for this. You learn little tricks like this once you retire. It won't help you though... not for now at least."

"Mhm, Okay~"

-Puff~

He took one more puff of smoke and his obsidian eyes took a look up and down me.

"You've trained well, I've seen your schedule most people would have given up a few days in especially without the assistance of aura."

"Haha right~"

Terrence seem genuinely impressed he nodded to himself and continued to contemplate something. He went straight to the topic at hand no finny business.

"Alright do you have any weapon that you want to use in particular? They'll all be useful once you reach a certain level of mastery."

"Not really... I wasn't even sure if I was going to pick up a weapon I was going to rely on my body for the most part."

"Pfft! And do what? You can't use aura to supplement your missing strength you'd be as good as dead when you meet someone near or at the state level. I've only met one creatine user at the country level and they don't use their abilities for combat."

'I don't think I'd lose that easily...'

"Alright then... I'll try the sword first then."

"A common choice here..."

-Woosh!

"It's a regular a wooden broad sword of it doesn't break today you can take it back to experiment on."

I nod and catch the sword he throws at me it's would have been a bit heavy had I not worked out prior to this. I give it a couple of swings till I can find the most comfortable way to hold it.

"Have you held a sword before Lex?"

"Hmm? yes a few, I've tried holding one from adventures and such."

Terrence doesn't tell me why he asked the question, and nor do I ask. He crushes the cigarette in the palm of his hand and accurately throws it in a bin a couple meters away. He's a man who doesn't litter.

"Alright come at me, you can come at me as you wish."

I take a stance familiar to me that required practice. Based on the agile positioning in the [Tempest blossom arts] manual, then I combine it with the rigid upper body stance I've seen from Heinrich.

Despite the 'ease' I had in dodging the moves thrown at me there was always a forlorn feeling of efficiency and immense danger in each of his swings. I just couldn't pay attention to it at the time.

(Narrator POV)

Terrence took a lazy but interested look at Lex experimenting with his body, he recognised the stance on his lower half from the shared information he got from the boy Ichiro.

However his upper half and breathing was of a stance he hadn't seen before, he wondered if he was trying to make his own stance.

"If you're going to take so long I'm going to run in first hope you don't mind!"

In a casual sprint Terrence jumped forward his leg headed insanely fast at Lex's head, however he found his foot planted on Lex's sword. Lex felt a heavy force being held on the sword so he took a step back.

Terrence landed whipping a punch at his face, to which Lex responded with a horizontal strike of the sword his wrist twisted a bit awkwardly. Terrence reacted calmly and ducked underneath it then kicked upwards landing a hit on Lex's gut.

-Bump!

Lex tripped back with a grimace, but continued to swing desperately. His balance just barely being maintained. Lex stabbed forward, Terrence took and efficient step right and trapped the sword under his arm and in quick succession landed two hits in Lex's face.

-Crack!

-Bam!

Lex fell on his ass and winced annoyed, he felt his nose bleed a little.

"Come on we'll do this 9 more times then I'll recommend something better for you."

...

Once again Lex fell on his ass he was sweating profusely but apart from the bruises on his face and a nose bleed there wasn't much more to say.

"Sir Arlan was not kidding about your talent and will to learn, each time you did practically the same thing and on some of attacks you managed to react on time.

"I honestly praise you for these things but you also lack a lot. However I think I can get you up to speed in a month or two."

Lex was feeling disgruntled the first three rounds he didn't rely on any skills except for [Controlled chaos] which gives him the ability to learn body movements much faster than the average person.

However even in the last two where he use [Pathway Maker] Terrence could counter attack his counter attacks. Even without the use of aura!

"Sir Euler are you a hand to hand fighter by any chance?"

"Me? No not really in fact I'd say its one of the 3 to 4 things I'm the worst at."

"Worst?! Do you mean best by any chance?"

Terrence shook his head to which Lex jaw was agape, he could hand Lex his ass without the use of aura and it wasn't even his speciality.

"Y-you said 3 to 4 things, just how many things can you fight with Sir Euler?"

"Ugh just call me Terrence for one thing kid. To answer your question I was known as this kingdoms Royal Weapons master, I'm able to use around 20 to 30 different weapons of different shapes and sizes.

"I'm in the state rank, I've never managed to qualify for the country rank some considered me the best all rounder in the kingdom back in my day at least... someone else has that title now."

'Wow I feel like I got a VIP to train me!'

"You were in the royal guard Sir- Terrence?"

He nodded affirming his own statement. To be exact there are 8 royal guards that are chosen with each new ruler or if one has passed away.

Terrence looked at Lex who had an uncaring express and raised an eyebrow with his arms crossed,

"You're not surprised?"

"No I am surprised, now I'm just a bit motivated to make use of having such a prestigious teacher."

"Only a bit?"

"If I were any more I think you'd be believe me similar to a pest wouldn't you?"

Terrence looked at him and laughed,

"Hahahaha! Right you understand me pretty well despite us only knowing eachother for a few minutes.

"To be honest you were laying on your personality pretty thick Terrence."

"Hahaha~ right okay you've given me a decent laugh. You're a good kid come I have some recommendations for you we'll review your comfort and understanding of each weapon and then we'll go into the fighting and protection capabilities of creatine."

***

They spent the hour talking, experimenting with swords of different length and shapes based on what Terrence had observed.

"You've got an interesting move set Lex, however I think there's something suited to the fighting style you were trying before. I won't be teaching you how to use a sword but how to fight!

"Check these out, this one is a sword called a katana a type of single edged sword found in the east, Ichiro could probably tell you more about it. I have experience fighting people who could use it. This one comes from up northeast a Falchion, also single edged, you'd find a few people using this here too."

Lex looked at both as if making a tough decision here. The Falchion looked nice and would shit the time and his current aesthetic. But in its own way a katana on a butlers outfit would be cool too...

Though to Lex it wasn't a tough decision he picked up the katana because of the unorthodoxness it has in Cheshire and because as person who watched a lot of anime when has a katana not been cool?

"I'll be taking this 'katana' as it's called, is there a reason you recommend these swingle edged swords?"

"Of course the techniques you showed me helped me find something I'd like to try it out..."

Lex was interested in what fruit Terrence's observation had borne.

"For one the [Tempest blossom arts] as it's called is a rather low stance it requires a lot of leg strength but also an agile body. The second part is your rigid upper body movements, it seems a bit awkward but I found inspiration in it!"

Terrence for the first time spoke rather excitedly about what he had in mind,

"There was one particular horizontal slash I was fond of, it was high speed, efficient but carried weight behind it. I believe that that movement is best suited for 1 to 3 movements and if you combined it with the agile movements it creates a high speed single slash, single kill move!"

'I like where this is going!'

Lex thought to himself they were both looking towards eachother inspired. Lex wasn't all new to the concept of a one slash kind of art but if he could make it come to real life it felt like he could simply salivate at how awesome it would appear. It wouldn't only be that either, if it turns out right it would also provide an efficient move set!

"So Lex... would you be willing to be my test dummy? It could be a learning experience for the both of us, there's also a possibility to involve creatine into the creation process."

Lex nodded obtrusely and so began the process of making this worlds first one slash one kill martial art!

***

The rest the time went along swimmingly, Lex showcased the effects of some of his inscriptions and his quick molding and shaping ability which Terrence inwardly clapped at the talented young man in front of him. They decided to have another proper fighting session next week.

***

Lex felt a bit obtuse he had used a few too many brain cells having discussions with Terrence about weaponry their use and they simulated together how the art, that Terrence would think about in his free time, would perform. Now however he wasn't going to spend some time with Arlan for his theoretical lessons. On Earth they were never his favourite. Luckily he got a bit of tolerance for it from Armine's memories and experiences of learning some of the ropes from his dad.

"Welcome Lex you seem... drained."

Arlan spoke, he smiled a bit but only dimly. Lex wasn't planning to give him any room to feed his sadistic desires and so he acted energetic. Unfortunately Lex couldn't keep the act up for long as he couldn't control a yawn as he was learning about monsters across the world.

This surprised Lex as he thought he would be interested in this aspect but what is there to say? Learning about the reproductive process of a shadow type species leopard is both gross and boring as hell.

Unfortunately Arlan caught onto this and smirked,

"Oh? Are you tired Lex how about we conduct a short recital of the geode types that exist for crystal type monsters hmm? There's only around 30-40 I'm sure that big brain of yours can handle it."

'Nooooooo!!!'

Lex screamed in his mind, to his own peril he bogged down all the information he could.

...

'I want a skill that gives me an eidetic memory damn it!'

******

A/N Hope you enjoyed the chapter, it seems I still haven't gotten over my procrastinating nature. Struggling to write two or even three in one day *sigh*...