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

"Now you will see how to deal with an Orc," Reinhart said. "Watch and learn, for this could be the difference between life and death on the battlefield."

With a nod, Reinhart gave a command to the guards at the edge of the arena. They responded immediately, pulling the levers that controlled the chains holding the orc. With the sound of creaking metal, the chains fell away, releasing the creature.

At the same time, the heavy doors of the arena began to close, blocking any escape route.

Sensing his newfound freedom, the orc slowly rose to his feet, stretching his limbs like an animal just released from a cage. His fierce eyes scanned the arena and he let out another roar, louder and more intimidating than the first.

Reinhart remained calm and continued his explanations.

"Orcs are creatures of brute force. They are fierce and have an adaptability that many underestimate. Never underestimate an Orc," he said in a calm tone that all could hear present.

The orc opened his arms and advanced with surprising speed, his muscular legs doing the work of propelling him toward Reinhart.

The knight was ready. With a grace that belied the weight of his armor, he stepped aside, dodging the orc’s initial attack like a bull dodging the charge of a bull, and positioned himself in a defensive stance.

"Watch!" Reinhart shouted, keeping his eyes on the orc. "First lesson: never meet an Orc head on. They’re too strong. Use your agility and intelligence."

The orc turned quickly, preparing for another attack.

Reinhart waited until the last moment, then slipped to the side again and slashed at one of the orc’s legs, causing the creature to roar in pain and frustration.

"Lesson two: attack the weak points. Orcs have tough skin, but their joints and tendons are vulnerable. Use that to your advantage."

The orc, now limping, tried another attack, this time with his teeth.

Reinhart placed his sword in the path of the orc’s mouth, which would normally decapitate any creature, but this orc was different because of its very resilient tusks.

The impact reverberated across the battlefield, but Reinhart, with his unusual agility, didn’t flinch. He planted his feet on the ground and spun around, throwing the orc to the other side.

"Third lesson," Reinhart announced as he stepped back. "patience is a weapon. An orc will tire when you wear him down. Make him chase you, force him to make mistakes."

The orc roared, the pain in his leg evident with every lame step he took. He lunged at Reinhart again, his muscular arms trying to grab the rider.

Reinhart dodged again, and his sword found the inside of the creature’s knee. The orc fell to his knees again.

Reinhart raised his sword. "Lesson four: Never give your opponent a second chance."

With a quick, precise movement, he slashed at the back of the orc’s head. The blade found a crevice between muscle and bone. The orc shuddered as he felt it go through the back of his head and still resisted.

"Last lesson," Reinhart grabbed the handle of the sword with both hands and forced it down. "Never try to decapitate an Orc. Their necks are too hard and that makes this kind of slaughter inefficient. However, they will die if they are headless."

Finally, Reinhart’s sword found its way through the orc’s neck, decapitating it.

For a moment, the arena was silent.

Reinhart stood still, breathing slowly as he wiped the blood from his sword. He looked around, his eyes meeting those of the anxiously watching contestants.

"So," Reinhart said, breaking the silence, "you face an Orc."

The young people applauded, some whistling, others looking at him with admiration. Not everyone was thrilled by the scene, however.

The candidates’ companions watched from a stand farther away than the candidates themselves. All the contestants had their eyes focused only on the arena, so they didn’t notice the candidates’ companions.

Among the escorts, Victor Shieldman stood with his arms crossed and a look of displeasure on his face at the blatant cruelty. Beside him, Gracela was visibly concerned.

"This is very extreme. Bel shouldn’t be watching this. He’s just a child."

Victor sighed and although he didn’t agree with Reinhart’s method, he couldn’t agree with Gracela either.

"Orcs are dangerous. He needs to learn that. The outside world isn’t friendly, and the sooner he learns that, the better." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Gracela shook her head negatively. "Bel already knows very well that the world isn’t friendly. He lost his father in a war. Have you forgotten?"

"Then why are you trying to protect him?" Victor asked.

"Because I care for him, of course. To become a knight, he has to go to the arena and fight an orc. Do you know how dangerous that is?"

Victor nodded slowly. "Yes, but Bel is not weak. A few weeks ago, he would undoubtedly die if he fought an orc, no matter how weakened these orcs are by their captivity. However, he’s almost at the level of a Heavenly Rank."

"That’s impossible..."

"Not if you train hard every day. Besides, Bel has talent and just needs to be polished. He could develop a lot with minimal instruction."

Gracela crossed her eyes. "Are you saying I neglected my cousin?"

Calmly, Victor shook his head in denial. "I didn’t say that. But if you want to take it that way, it would be good for me to find out why you or any other Selvarum didn’t train Bel before."

The direct way Victor asked surprised the yellow-eyed woman. Normally, people would try to avoid such a topic, but not Victor.

She turned and looked at the arena again, far from interested in discussing such a delicate subject with a stranger like Victor.

"Is it because Bel has an unstable temperament and a pretentious personality?" Victor insisted.

Gracela sighed. "No, of course not. Bel isn’t like that with me. He probably respects me more than anyone in the world, but... I couldn’t train him."

"And why not?"