"That's enough."
Tyberius's voice formed through the air, halting the duel with an authority that hadn't been there moments before. The clash of blades paused. All eyes turned toward him.
Harrison, who had been clearly dominating, froze mid-swing. His blade hovered in the air, motionless, then slowly, with an unnervingly precise grace, he lowered it. That restraint from him, it said more about his skill than any show of force could have.
With a short sigh, he extended a hand and helped Oliver up from the dirt. The younger knight grasped it, panting, his pride dented but not shattered.
"You have both demonstrated the virtues of true knights," Tyberius announced, stepping forward. His tone was calm, steady, and oddly confident for someone so new to commanding others. "Your duel has shown me more than enough. I feel assured now, should the situation turn dire, I will be in capable hands."
Unexpectedly, Ty didn't stop there. For someone who rarely addressed others at length, he continued speaking, elaborating with growing clarity and passion.
"You're all dismissed, and Sir Harrison, may I ask you to join me in my tent shortly?"
The words were a request wrapped in the form of an order that he could not turn down even if he wanted to.
Harrison gave a curt nod, saying nothing, but his expression betrayed a flicker of surprise.
As the knights began dispersing, Edward approached Harrison.
"What does the young master want with you?" he asked, brow raised with curiosity.
"How should I know?" Harrison shrugged, sheathing his blade. "Beats me what that bastard's thinking now."
"Go to him. And Harrison—" Edward's voice dropped into something firm, commanding. "Be respectful. He's our commanding officer as proclaimed directly by the Lord"
Harrison raised both hands in mock surrender. "I got it, Captain. No need to sound like you're about to bite my head off."
Truthfully, he wanted no part in angering Edward. That was a lesson hard-won in the past.
---
Moments later, inside the young master's tent, the two men stood facing each other. Ty sat casually, arms resting on the arm of a modest wooden chair, while Harrison stood tall and silent, waiting for the reason he'd been summoned.
"You wanted to see me… young master," Harrison said, hesitating slightly before addressing him with the formal title.
"I did." Ty nodded, leaning forward just enough to make it clear this wasn't a frivolous meeting. "I've called you because I want to request of you."
He tilted his head, his sharp gaze rising to meet Harrison's. "Sir Harrison, would you consider taking me as your disciple during this expedition?"
The silence that followed was not one of shock, but of calculation. Harrison's brows furrowed slightly as if trying to determine whether this was a test, a joke, or something else entirely.
Tyberius, meanwhile, had already spent the better part of the day mulling over this decision. He knew his weaknesses too well. As a game character in a game world, he might have relied on levelling stats the likes of strength, agility, constitution, grinding those stats values until numbers made up for his lack of finesse and proper character control.
But this wasn't a game. Not entirely. The stats he had, EP and Force Factor seemed to grow, yes, but they weren't enough. Not if he wanted to survive against real enemies. Not if he wanted to stand beside men like Harrison and Edward.
Watching the duel had been a wake-up call. It wasn't the swordplay that fascinated him, it was the difference in mindset. Harrison hadn't just been fighting; he'd been reading his opponent like a book, anticipating each move, selecting from a mental catalogue of responses while Oliver floundered.
That was what Ty wanted.
"I believe there's been a misunderstanding, young master," Harrison finally said. "If you're seeking a combat teacher, Sir Edward would be the better fit. He's stronger. Smarter. A seasoned knight more so than I am."
Tyberius nodded, unsurprised. "I figured you'd say that, but I'm not looking for the strongest knight, not really."
Yes, he wanted a strong knight. No one would willingly want to learn from someone weak, and Ty with his aspirations and goals isn't looking for someone to weigh him down in regards to combat specifics.
Harrison is strong, yes, very much so. But even better than that, Harrison has something Ty feels Edward is lacking in.
Which is?...
"I'm looking for someone who won't flatter me or tiptoe around my title."
Harrison raised an eyebrow, listening.
"Captain Edward feels like the kind of man who'd do anything I say, no questions asked. But you?" Ty's voice dropped, his words sharpened. "You seem like the type who'd punch me in the face if I deserved it. Tell me, am I wrong?"
The corner of Harrison's mouth twitched. Ty had hit the mark dead-on.
"And that's exactly why I want you," Ty continued. "I need someone who isn't afraid of me, someone who'll tell me when I'm doing something wrong, who'll push me when I slack off, who'll treat me like a student, not a noble."
The words struck a chord in Harrison. For the first time, he saw Tyberius not as a sheltered brat but as someone hungry, hungry for growth, for grit, for honesty.
He folded his arms. "Very well. I'll train you. But on one condition."
Ty leaned in, listening.
"You obey every command I give you no matter how harsh or demanding it feels, you can't complain, can't quit halfway, and, I won't go easy on you because of your name."
Ty hesitated. Something in the way Harrison said it made his stomach twist. 'He's probably going to enjoy making me suffer…'
Still, the decision had already been made. "I can handle that," he replied. "Do your worst."
A satisfied smirk tugged at Harrison's lips, the kind that promised more pain than progress, though perhaps both in equal measure.
"Good," he said. "Training starts tomorrow when we camp out after the journey."
Tyberius gulped, a creeping sense of dread curling in his gut. 'What the hell did I just sign up for?'