"I lost," Gideon spoke as he stood in front of Ronnovian's study table.

The Headmaster did not even spare him a glance as he sorted out the numerous piles of paper.

"Why do you think you lost?" He asked as he leaned his back on the soft chair.

"I-I was not strong enough..." Gideon trailed as he looked down in shame.

How could he even come to talk with the Headmaster when all he did was shame the family for having a knight who cannot win against a single opponent.

Worse, he had brought shame upon his young master whom he had vowed to avenge.

"That's correct, you were not strong enough," The Headmaster spoke and Gideon wished that the ground would just eat him in too much embarrassment.

He had woken up after two days of being unconscious and the first thing that happened was all of the memories that occurred after his and the Crown Prince's duel rushing back in his mind.

"You cannot be a good knight for Pier, I'm afraid," Ronnovian spoke and Gideon immediately froze in his spot.

"Do you think a person who just became a knight can bravely say he can protect the successor of the House of Masters?" Ronnovian asked as crossed his fingers and stared at the young knight.

"I..." He clenched his hands. He bit his lip and he bowed his head to the lowest he could while still standing.

The thought of him getting removed as the young master's knight immediately made him want to cry. However, he did not want anyone to see that he was crying.

"P-Please... I... I wanted to become the young master's knight..." He begged as a tear rolled down his cheeks.

"How?" Ronnovian asked.

"I...I will train harder than before!" Gideon spoke as he looked up. His eyes and nose were red. His appearance was like a child that had gotten his favorite toy taken away from him.

In fact, Gideon's training consisted of daily sword practice and physical enhancement.

Ever since the young master had gone missing, he was training so hard that he would only get a rough four hours of sleep every day.

"I-I will lessen the time that I will sleep and rest!" He spoke as he continued to clench and unclench his hands. He is an unstable wreck after losing to the Crown Prince.

Now he was even willing to not sleep at all just to train.

"You will die if you do that," Ronnovian said and Gideon stood stiff.

Gideon was thinking of other means on how he can convince the Headmaster that he will train harder so he can continue becoming Pier's knight.

However, all the things he could think of were constant training and getting less rest to put more time into enhancing his skills.

He thought it would be good if the young master was with him right now so he can ask for pieces of advice. He had been following Pier's talks for him and he could clearly see how it helped him improve.

He knew how much he had grown too. From the time Gideon started training, he had risen to the rank of a high-grade swordsman that can compete with the royal knights of the palace.

"You won't really win against the Crown Prince anyway," Ronnovian spoke as he started to put more piles of paper in his desk after he had finished arranging the first batch.

"P-Pardon?" He asked in confusion with Ronnovian's sudden diversion of the topic back to the Crown Prince.

"The Crown Prince is an expert swordsman. He had already surpassed the highest grade swordsman which you are still trying to approach and he is a step behind in becoming a swordmaster," He explained.

Swordmasters, as the name suggests, are the masters of the sword.

They have perfected their training and have reached the epitome of swordsmanship. However, even amongst swordmasters, there is still a ranking considered because for a person to be considered a sword master, they have to achieve the skill called 'sword aura'.

It is a dream that every knight and every user who wields a sword could become.

"What you saw at the near end of the duel, the red light that started to come out of the Crown Prince's body was an incomplete sword aura," He explained and Gideon's motions subsided.

"An... incomplete sword aura?" Ronnovian did not bother looking at his son's knight but he nodded his head.

"Yes, your duel with the Crown Prince made him awaken a new type of stronger power," Gideon felt his insides turn and his feeling was starting to get bad.

"How..."

"I don't know. Maybe you said some things to him that made the prince realize something" Ronnovian spoke nonchalantly which made Gideon think back at the conversation he and the Crown Prince shared during their duel.

"However, your highness, what would my master think if you lose in this duel?"

"That you once more prioritized your emotions over your own rationality?!"

Gideon remembered them clearly. He facepalmed himself as he thought about it.

"I shouldn't have said that..." He spoke weakly as he regretted he encouraged the Crown Prince to win their duel.

"I purposely made the both of you duel for your growth," The Headmaster said which took Gideon out from his train of thoughts and regrets.

"For me...?"

"Yes. Tell me, Knight Woodlock, from who did you learn the swordsmanship you used against the Prince?" The Headmaster asked and Gideon replied.

"From you, Headmaster"

"How long have we been practicing?" He asked again and Gideon responded quickly as usual.

"Only for a week, Headmaster." Ronnovian nodded his head at the knight's answers.

"I am not the best when it comes to the sword, but I also do not lag behind some of those who are close to being one of the bests. My swordsmanship is something I have personally made for years while practicing magic" He started to speak and Gideon was slightly amazed because it was his first time hearing the Headmaster speak so many words in a single sentence.

"And you were able to copy my swordsmanship entirely within a week," Gideon's eyes widened as he tried to comprehend the words Ronnovian had just said.

"I... did?"

"Yes, do you seriously think you would last against the Crown Prince until the end if you used the measly swordsmanship you have learned while becoming a knight? It is the most common form of swordsmanship taught in the kingdom," Ronnovian spoke as if he found the thing funny.

"You completely discarded the previous swordsmanship you learned as a knight and equipped the copied version of mine" Gideon was baffled by the information he was getting from the father of his master.

How?

How could he do that? The Headmaster would not talk about something so important carelessly so he knew the Headmaster was serious.

Was he really able to copy the Headmaster's swordsmanship and use it?

He had a dumbfounded look on his face as he was thinking.

"I am not the one who is to compliment others but I want you to take this as one" Ronnovian said again as he had a quill pen on his hands while he was signing on some papers.

"You are a prodigy of the sword, Knight Woodlock"

Thump!

Gideon's heart started to beat very fast at the mention of such a word.

"H-Headmaster, I-I beg to differ..."

"Do not contradict my statements"

"..."

"You are a prodigy in using the sword. You have just been knighted for a year but you are already approaching the rank of the highest grade swordsman and soon, you will be able to reach the Crown Prince's position" Ronnovian explained and each word made Gideon's eyes widen.

It came to the point where they were like saucer plates with how wide they were in surprise.

"I do even think that right now, you are on the level of the highest grade swordsman, no?" Ronnovian asked as he placed the quill pen down and looked at the knight standing in front of him.

"I-I do not know, Headmaster. I am unsure..."

"You just learned the Crown Prince's swordsmanship, I assume," He spoke and Gideon's entire body froze.

"How..." He spoke as his thoughts ran off.

It was indeed true that after Gideon had woken up, the replay of their duel was constantly on his mind and the Crown Prince's unique swordsmanship was displayed in his memory. He was continuously replaying it and as time went by, he was also learning from it.

"I made you duel the Crown Prince so you can learn his swordsmanship just like how you did with mine. I want you to enhance your skills while combining both of the Crown Prince's and my swordsmanship styles altogether and make it your own" He spoke as he tapped his pointer finger on the chair.

"You are removed from the position of Pier's personal knight"

"Headmaster... I-"

"However, you may become one again after you become a swordmaster," He spoke and Gideon could not say anything.

He was speechless. The Headmaster was giving him a condition that he could only become the young master's knight if he became a swordmaster himself.

"That..."

"Knight Woodlock, I believe you are truly devoted to my son in becoming his personal knight. That is why I am giving you this task" Ronnovian spoke as he brought his hands together and interlinked them.

He crossed his legs under the table and he leaned his muscular body on the table.

"Do you seriously think I would just let that brat get away after asking such a disgraceful thing from my successor?" He asked as his eyes darkened and immediately, the surroundings started to slowly shake. It was faint but Gideon's heightened senses could definitely feel it.

"I want you to become a swordmaster before the Crown Prince, Knight Woodlock." Gideon's breath hitched and his hands shook from the unexplainable feeling he had gotten from the statement.

"Steal the title of the youngest swordmaster from him and crush him. I want you to destroy the Crown Prince's reputation and make him face reality. You are a prodigy that can surpass any swordsman" Ronnovian encouraged and Gideon just stood there listening.

He could not move his body and he was so stiff. He did not know what to say.

"Headmaster... how did you..."

He was baffled. He was astonished. He was scared.

How did the Headmaster come up with all of this?

It greatly reminded him of his young master who was so great at planning schemes behind the other's backs and he could feel the same energy coming from the both of them.

"I don't know if I can..." He doubted himself as he thought about it.

If what the Crown Prince displayed during their duel was an incomplete sword aura, then he was already so close to becoming a swordmaster. Gideon was doubtful he could ever catch up to the Prince.

"It will take the prince more than a few years before he could complete his sword aura so before he could do so, I want you to surpass him."

"If it would be a few years for the Crown Prince then Headmaster..." Gideon spoke because he knew it was almost impossible for him to do such a thing in a few years.

"In the next months, until the year skips to another, I want you to become a swordmaster by that time" Gideon's heart almost leaped out from his chest and he felt his entire world stop at the condition.

"If you can surpass and take the grandest title of the sword from the Prince, you can become Pier's knight and I will even make you the House of Master's War Commander." Gideon took a big inhale at the title.

The House of Master's War Commander

The highest position is next to the Headmaster and the Young Master.

"The position of our War Commander is currently vacant because I could not find anyone who can qualify for the title. However, if you become a swordmaster even on the lowest grade, you are already fitting to become our War Commander," Ronnovian explained and Gideon's breath continued heightening.

Becoming the House of Master's War Commander would also mean another thing.

"Then..."

"You're correct. Once you inherit the title of a War Commander, you will also attain a title that can threaten a Royalty, Knight Woodlock," Ronnovian spoke as a small smile formed on his lips.

"That is my condition before you can freely come back and become my son's knight, Gideon," Ronnovian said with finality as he returned to sign the papers for their household.

Gideon breathed hard.

'A swordmaster and the House of Master's War Commander? I would also get to be the young master's knight?' He thought.

It was all too beneficial for him. All the things he could gain from becoming a swordmaster and surpassing the Crown Prince were immeasurable.

'I'd get to stay by the young master's side whenever I wanted to and only him and the Headmaster can tell me to stop...'

Gideon could not reject the proposition of the Headmaster.

"Then I will accept your conditions, Headmaster!"