We quickly reached the bridge, crossed it, and started walking on the road.

I activated my Spirit Sense to check our surroundings because this was an excellent spot for an ambush. To my relief, I found no creatures nearby, and the two of us continued walking on the road.

"Brother Mulligan, I think we should ask your Headmaster to send somebody to instruct the commoners how to fight. Our brief instructions won't be enough. The students barely understood our lessons, and they need someone to drill it into them on a prolonged basis. Otherwise, they will be nothing more than fodder for Arthur's army," Van explained.

"That's an excellent idea," I replied. I was thinking the same thing. However, I wasn't sure how receptive Kalistra would be to this idea. After all, it was the ordinary folk who drove the dojo out of Tregome. How ironic would it be for her to have a representative return to the old location of her school to teach again?

On the other hand, the cat girl followed a strict code of Honor, and Kalistra wouldn't allow petty feelings to prevent her from discharging her duty to protect and assist the people. Thus, I was confident that she would agree to send someone to instruct the commoners if I ask.

After a 10 minute walk, we arrived at the Village of Kalistro. As usual, the students were busy exercising or practicing swordplay in the courtyard. Furthermore, I saw that Gurgne, the dog man master, had returned to the dojo! I immediately jogged over to him. When I stood before him, I bowed deeply to pay my respects.

"Ah, it's the young pup!" Gurgne said with delight. "It's been a long time since we last saw each other," he noted.

"That was when we defended the old dojo against Hleandros," I reminded him.

"Indeed," the dog man nodded. His dark brown eyes stared at my Staff of Merlin with open curiosity. "May I look at your new weapon?" he requested politely.

I handed it to him.

Gurgne took a few steps back. He swung the staff and performed a few moves with it. Finally, he handed the weapon back to me with both hands. "Congratulations on becoming Merlin's successor," the master said and bowed deeply to me.

I was surprised for two reasons. First, Gurgne knew how to use the staff. Second, this was the first time he was bowing so respectfully to me. "Do you have some skills with the staff?" I asked him.

"Yes, I do, young pup. I can teach you if you have some time," the master offered.

"What is the significance of becoming Merlin's successor?" I asked. It had not the first time that I had heard this term.

Before Gurgne could reply, someone else interrupted us.

"Merlin is the father of the beast kin," a familiar voice said.

I turned and saw that it was Rijana! Standing behind her were Bjoukin and Bjoukia.

The mischievous elf maiden, Bjoukia, was waving at me flirtatiously; she earned an elbow to her torso from her brother.

"Congratulations on defeating the Sorcerer Supreme," my magic instructor said and bowed deeply to me.

"Thank you," I replied and returned her bow.

"How was it like to fight the great Merlin?" Bjoukia asked. She was extremely disappointed that she couldn't watch the fight even though she knew that Carmarthen, the mystical home of Merlin, was off-limits to trespassers and unreachable except via magic teleportation.

"It was a tough fight. Merlin had reached Level 50 as a mage, and, with his enormous mana pool, he was able to cast high-tier spells constantly. There was no way for me to trade spells with him because I will run out of mana if I did that. Instead, I started the fight by relying on my Sprint skill to approach him and utilized my swordsmanship to attack him. Luckily, I was able to discover his weakness, and I used it to end the fight," I recalled.

"A weakness?" Bjoukin asked with his blonde brows raised. "What was it?" The elven ranger was truly curious. How could the hero of legend, Merlin, have a weakness?

I shook my head. "I cannot reveal his secrets," I replied. "As Merlin's recognized successor, I must uphold his reputation especially now that he has entered the realm of the dead."

"I'm glad you're taking your duties more seriously, Lord Mulligan," a female voice intruded on our conversation.

I recognized the voice and immediately turned around. It was Kalistra! And standing behind her was Bila. I bowed duly to the Headmaster of the Butterfly School of Swordsmanship.

"May I examine your staff?" Kalistra asked.

I handed my artifact to her.

The cat girl tossed the staff in the air and caught it. She started spinning the weapon in front of her and then behind her. "HA!" Kalistra used the staff to hit imaginary opponents.

I was mesmerized by the grace and fluidity of her movements. It was very different from the aura she possessed while using a sword. Finally, I regained possession of the relic.

"Thank you, Lord Mulligan," Kalistra said and bowed to me. "As Rijana said, Merlin is the father of the beast kin. All the animal people were created by him to protect the Kingdom of Merlin."

"But I had to kill Merlin to remove the soul binding on his staff," I pointed out. "Aren't you upset that I murdered your creator?"

A deep voice rumbled as Gurgne laughed. "The Gods brought you to Carmarthen. They gave you the quest to defeat him. You had no choice. We, the animal people, value strength and vitality. The old and the infirm must be culled to make room for the young and the strong. If you faced the Merlin who was in his prime, he would defeat you. Instead, you faced the Merlin who was old and weak. You completed the quest that the Gods have given you. We cannot be upset about that," the dog man explained.

Gurgne mollified me with his explanation. A part of me feared that the animal people would refuse to fight under my banner because I had killed Merlin. I was relieved to learn this wasn't the case. Instead, they appeared to believe in the life cycle.

I looked around the courtyard, and I saw that I had gathered my former party members with except for Sister Waverly, who I will see in London. I turned toward Kalistra. "Headmaster, I have two requests. First, people are training at the former location of the dojo. Van and I spent two hours offering them instructions in swordsmanship. However, they need a lot more instructions than we could provide. Is it possible for you to send someone to teach them??" I requested.

Kalistra's tail flickered back and forth as she pondered the question. "How many people are seeking guidance?" she inquired.

Van and I exchanged glances. "A good four dozen people," I answered.

Gurgne's thick, shaggy brows rose. "With the dojo's departure from Tregome, the town had roughly 450 residents remaining. 10% of the remaining population is a fairly significant number of people," he commented, "especially if we take members of the Church and the Watch out of consideration." The master turned toward Kalistra. "Headmaster, with your permission I would like to train them," he proposed.

The cat girl's whiskers twitched. Usually, Gurgne would not volunteer to train new students in the way of the sword. Her pale green eyes surveyed the courtyard as she considered the request. "I would like to send the apprentices to accompany you," she said.

"Why, Headmaster?" a young voice demanded.

I turned toward the familiar voice and saw that it was Gendun, the teenage son of Amelica. I had not seen the boy in over a month. His long, disheveled blonde hair was cut; in its place, he now wore a short, spiky hairstyle which resembled a porcupine.

The questioning angered Gurgne because it made the head of the school lose face. "Gendun, you have no right to question the Headmaster!" he yelled at the boy.

However, Gendun was defiant and refused to apologize.

Kalistra raised her paw. "To be accepted into apprenticeships with my dojo, you need to demonstrate talent with the sword You have trained with the school for the past several weeks, and you learned many things in the way of the sword. You know more about swordsmanship than the common folk training in Tregome. It is our responsibility, as enlightened students of the sword, to teach them not to harm themselves with the blade. Master Gurgne cannot teach them by himself. Thus, I am sending you to assist him in this matter."

This explanation satisfied Gendun and the other apprentices. "Yes, Headmaster!" they said and bowed in unison.

The cat girl held up her paw again. "Master Gurgne and I have private matters to discuss with Lord Mulligan. Wait here and continue your training until our meeting is over. Master Gurgne will leave the village with you," she ordered.

Kalistra turned toward me. "Let's visit the Inner Sanctum."

Gurgne and I followed her and entered the dojo. We crossed the training hall and walked into a small room. I lit a thin stick of incense, held it in both hands, bowed three times toward the small urn containing the late Headmaster Kalistro's cremated ashes, and then placed the stick into the incense holder.

Kalistra and Gurgne sat cross-legged on the round, and I did the same.

"Our Patron God, Leonus, sent us a dream warning," Kalistra began the discussion.

The dog man nodded. He, too, received the same dream.

"Our brethren, the lizard people, have been corrupted and turned away from the Path of Honor. They are marching under the banner of the Champion of Chaos. The human spirit of William de Vere has been corrupted with Madness and merged with the soul of Hleandros," she revealed.

"What!" I blurted out in astonishment. "Did they form a soul pact?" I wondered aloud. Hleandros was a might, evil red dragon that the Butterfly School of Swordsmanship had defeated at a hefty cost. I was disheartened to learn that the spirit of Hleandros was still causing trouble for Britannia.

Kalistra's eyes glowed as she observed my reaction. "When a powerful entity like Hleandros is defeated, sometimes their spirits will linger in the mortal realm if their desires are strong. It was unfortunate that Hleandros somehow convinced Arthur to merge their spirits," she continued.

I shook my head. "When I fought Arthur at the Melee Tournament, I knew that he was very unusual. He was a narcissist who craved power and attention. If a creature like Hleandros were willing to offer power, then Arthur would gladly accept the offer no matter the cost," I replied.

"The lizard people respect and admire the dragon race. It is easy to understand why they have answered Arthur's call to march," Gurgne added.

Kalistra looked directly into my eyes. "Our dojo has pledged to support you as our liege. Whenever you raise your army to attack Arthur and his forces, our school will join you. However, I ask that you will permit our young apprentices to stay out of the fight." After making the request, the Headmaster bowed her head.

Gurgne immediately did the same.

I recalled the time when the wererats dug up tunnels under the dojo in Tregome and then attacked the school. Master Gurgne sent away the young apprentices to keep them out of the fight. Headmaster Kalistra was seeking to do the same thing again. "You have my permission," I answered.

The two raised their heads. "Thank you," they said in unison.

Kalistra untied a money sack from her belt and threw it toward Gurgne. "I want you and our apprentices to stay in the old dojo. There are 50 gold coins in the sack to pay for food and clothing," she said. "You have two tasks. First, you will train anyone who wishes to learn swordsmanship free of charge. I will permit you to waive tuition fees. Second, you will help defend Tregome. I fear that the forces of Chaos may use this opportunity to attack the town while it is underdefended," she explained.

"Yes, Headmaster!" the dog man replied with a bow. He tied the money bag to his belt.

The cat girl looked at me expectantly.

I smiled. "When I receive recognition from The Twelve as the Champion of Order, I will begin my march toward Arthur's army. At that time, I will send someone from the Magic Guild to your village and use Gate to send your students to my location," I said.

Kalistra purred. My answer was the assurance she needed to hear because otherwise, it would make Kalistra lose face if her dojo was left out of the upcoming battle.

The Headmaster turned toward Gurgne. "Please take the apprenticeships to Tregome now. I don't expect to see you again until after the war," she noted.

The dog man rose to his feet. Gurgne bowed to Kalistra; he turned toward the urn containing Kalistro's remains and bowed again. Finally, Gurgne offered me a slight nod, and then he left the Inner Sanctum.

Once the dog man was gone, Kalistra looked at me again. "Can you stay here a bit longer? I can teach you a staff skill or two," she offered nonchalantly. When she saw the skepticism on my face, she explained, "Kallimon was proficient in all the common weapons before he fell in love with the sword and decided to specialize in swordsmanship. My ancestor learned some staff skills and passed it on his inheritor. I can teach you some of these skills."

I nodded. "I can stay for a few hours. I would like to return to London by dusk," I replied.

"Fair enough," the Headmaster agreed. She rose to her feet and walked out of the Inner Sanctum.

I bowed deeply to the urn containing the ashes of Kalistro, and then I quickly followed his daughter out of the room.

The Headmaster led me out of the building and walked toward a secluded section of the courtyard. As she crossed the dojo, she paused to pull a wooden staff from the barrack. Once Kalistra reached her destination, she turned around to face me. She twirled her weapon a few times and pulled the wooden stick behind her back. She reached out with her right paw, and she gestured at me to come. "Attack me from any direction," she ordered.

I immediately activated Sprint and reappeared in front of her. I thrust the end of my staff toward her solar plexus. *CRACK*

My opponent turned her body in one quick rotation, and she diverted my strike away from her body.

Suppressing my surprise, I made a stab at her throat.

*CRACK-CRACK* Kalistra rotated her body again and diverted my attack. But this time, she stuck her stick out as Kalistra completed her rotation. She delivered a strike to the back of my skull!

Dice rolled inside my head. Somehow, I was able to stay conscious despite the critical blow. I took a step back and used the Staff of Merlin to regain my balance.

"Oops! I didn't mean to hit you that hard!" the cat girl blurted out as she dropped her weapon and grabbed my arm.

Fighting off a wave of dizziness, I closed my eyes and cast Minor Heal on myself. When the soothing divine energy entered my body, my condition immediately improved. I took a deep breath and exhaled. I opened my eyes. I saw that my master's ears were downcast. "I'm fine now," I said.

Kalistra released my arm and took a step back. She bowed deeply to me to apologize.

I rubbed the back of my head. "Was that a skill?" I asked.

The cat girl nodded enthusiastically. "It's called 'Impenetrable Dome,'" she answered. "The move is designed to offer a defense and a counterattack," Kalistra explained. "The skill requires a dexterity check every time you try to parry an attack. But it's a great skill to use if enemies surround you."

The Headmaster motioned with her paw for a group of students to come over.

When they arrived, the pupils bowed respectfully to her. "Yes, Headmaster?" one of them asked.

"I want you to surround Lord Mulligan, and attack him with your practice swords," she ordered.

The students were surprised by the command, but they quickly surrounded me.

An evil grin appeared on Kalistra's face when she addressed me. "You're going to practice this skill until you learn it," she said. The cat girl then made a party request with me.

I sighed as I clicked "Yes." With Kalistra back in my party, she will be able to read the in-game notification whenever I learn Impenetrable Domain.

The Headmaster clapped her paws. "Begin!" she barked.

The six students attacked me in unison.

I tried to execute the skill, but my body spin was too slow. As a result, five of the attacks landed.

"You have to spin faster!" Kalistra yelled at me.

The students attacked me again.

This time, I managed to divert half of the strikes. The problem was that, as my body spun around, I had to keep my eyes open and my mind had to process the visual information in a split second. Then, I had to move my arms with perfect timing to divert the blows. This task was challenging to accomplish because my mind could not process the data so quickly. As a result, I could not follow all six attacks with my eyes.

My training partners attacked me relentlessly. They only stopped attacking when Kalistra asked me to heal myself.

Since the Headmaster was my party leader, she was able to keep an eye on my Health bar. She paused the training session whenever my health dipped below half-full. Kalistra reminded me to heal myself.

It took two hours before my eyes were able to follow all six attacks. It took another hour for my arms to adjust to making minimal movements to divert the blows.

After three and a half hours, Kalistra stopped the session for the final time. She clapped her paws and said, "You can take the rest of the day off."

The students bowed deeply to her and left quickly. None of them dared to look at me because all of them felt guilty for ganging up on me so mercilessly. However, they could not let up their attacks because otherwise, Kalistra will punish them by making the pupils run laps around the village.

When I was alone with Kalistra again, she said in a soft tone of voice, "Look at your last notification."

My pop-up message read: "Staff skill LEARNED: Impenetrable Domain. +200XP." I sat on the ground and released my hold of the Staff of Merlin. My hands were numb because I had held the weapon for many hours.

Wordlessly, Kalistra joined me on the ground. She leaned her back against mine, and we sat in that position until sunset.