I'm a Immortal Tavernkeeper, But My S-Rank Daughter Doesn't Know That!

Bel took a deep breath, feeling the cold morning air fill her lungs.

The instructor she would face was an experienced knight, Sir Armand, known for his refined technique with the sword. He had a noble bearing and cold, piercing blue eyes like steel. His neatly trimmed gray beard gave him an even more imposing appearance.

"Are you ready?" asked Sir Armand.

"Yes, sir," replied Bel.

"Begin!" declared Sir Reinhart, his voice echoing through the chamber.

Bel’s tactic for passing this test was to be cautious and use the reactivity techniques he had learned from Victor Shieldman. So he didn’t move forward and, coincidentally, neither did Sir Armand, so they began to circle each other.

Soon, the instructor’s first blow came. Sir Armand’s blade made a snake-like movement and snaked toward Bel, who blocked it with wide eyes. Bel felt the impact reverberate through his body and shake his arms. Still, he managed to have some reaction as he blocked Sir Armand’s blade and spun it around, trying to throw it to the ground, completely destabilizing the instructor’s stance.

"Interesting," Sir Armand muttered, stepping back with an almost imperceptible smile on his lips. "You have potential, boy. But will it be enough?"

Bel quickly jumped back to avoid a reactive punch from Sir Armand.

"You’re a Selvarum, aren’t you?" Sir Armand asked suddenly, lowering his sword for a moment to observe Bel. "Does that mean the yellow-eyed woman watching your test from above is Gracela Selvarum?"

"Yes, she’s my second cousin," Bel replied, trying to keep her voice neutral.

"Interesting," Sir Armand repeated, taking another step forward. "Gracela was a genius, did you know that? At her age, she was already a Celestial Rank warrior. And you? Never heard of you, boy."

Comparisons with Gracela always irritated Bel because he compared himself to her so much. Bel felt anger bubble up inside of him, but he knew that was exactly what Sir Armand was trying to do with those words.

So he took a deep breath and remembered Victor’s teachings about keeping a methodical mind in battle. He raised his sword and lunged forward, delivering a blow that Sir Armand blocked at the last second.

"That’s not bad, you’re not bad at all," Sir Armand admitted, "but it’s still not good enough. Do you think you can overcome your cousin’s shadow with these weak blows?"

"Are you a knight or a psychologist?" retorted Bel with a forced smile. He knew he had to keep his cool. He couldn’t let his instructor’s words get to him.

Sir Armand laughed briefly, but it was as if the sound of his voice hissed like a snake.

"I am a knight, but sometimes, boy, the hardest battle is in your own mind."

Sir Armand knew that Bel probably had the necessary skill with the sword to become a knight. After all, Bel was a Selvarum, so he had to test the boy’s psyche.

Bel finally understood what the teacher was trying to do with those words. That’s why he blocked all thoughts that weren’t about fighting. He had to show that he had more than just technique; he had to show control and honor.

His next move was quick. Bel advanced with a series of fluid blows, each one faster and stronger than the last.

Sir Armand blocked most of them, but one went through his guard and almost hit his shoulder. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

"Looks like there’s more to you than I thought." Sir Armand said.

Then Sir Armand began to take the lead in the fight again, delivering a side blow that Bel barely had time to block.

The impact was powerful, knocking Bel backwards. He regained his balance as quickly as he could and countered with a downward blow that Sir Armand parried with ease.

"I could list a number of aspects you need to improve. Like discipline and the ability to control your own demons, but your technique is certainly near flawless."

Bel heard the words and continued to attack. "That’s because I have an excellent master!"

The fight continued, with Bel’s every move becoming more confident and precise. He blocked Sir Armand’s blows more easily and countered with strength and determination.

Those outside the fight still couldn’t believe their eyes. This was no longer a simple test of hand-to-hand combat, it had the intensity of real combat.

"That boy... He’s a Selvarum, right? He certainly has stamina."

"The way he moves his sword... I’ve never seen it before. He uses some moves from the Mountain Dojo, but he doesn’t seem to have a solid base."

"I can’t tell if it’s good or bad to have no conceptual basis for the moves in this case. He’s incredible."

"He certainly looks freer than normal riders, but there’s no grace and subtlety."

"Yes! He looks like a barbarian fighting a noble swordsman!"

"Barbarian? Huh!" the same woman as before said, appreciating Bel’s movements. "He simply uses real fencing. There’s no subtlety or nobility on the battlefield, just the difference between action and reaction. His master must be someone incredible."

At that moment, the woman’s eyes caught sight of Victor, who was proudly watching his young pupil fight.

Finally, after a series of quick blows, Bel managed to land a blow that made Sir Armand think of retreating, momentarily unbalancing the instructor’s footwork.

Seizing the opportunity before him, Bel moved in for the final blow. However, just as Bel was about to strike Sir Armand’s neck, a real sword appeared in the middle of the path and cut Bel’s sword in half.

Everything froze, then Bel looked at the actual sword and saw that it was Sir Reinhart who had interfered with the duel.

"Direct blows are allowed, but only in areas that don’t weaken the instructors." Sir Reinhart said, giving Bel a stern look.

Then Sir Reinhart turned and walked away, keeping his sword in its scabbard.

Sir Armand raised his hand, signaling the end of the match.

"You have passed the test, Bel. You showed great skill with the sword, competing with a veteran like myself, even when challenged mentally. That is the mark of a true knight," Reinhart said.

Bel felt a surge of relief and pride. He bowed deeply to Sir Armand and then gave a brief nod to Sir Reinhart.

"Thank you, gentlemen," he said, the emotion still in his voice.

As he left the testing area, he glanced at Victor, who was watching him with an approving smile, and knew he hadn’t embarrassed his master, so he celebrated silently.