Lost World-Chapter 45: Training 2

"Master Greaves noticed too. I heard him tell Kelvan that your progress was ’unprecedented.’ He thinks you might have some kind of natural gift."

"What do you think?"

"I think gifts are rare, and this level of acceleration is beyond even most prodigies." Caius settled into a guard stance. "But it doesn’t matter. Gift or not, you still need to put in the work, and you are putting in the work, so I’ll keep teaching you the little I know."

They continued training, but Yamamoto could feel the shift. Caius was paying closer attention now, watching not just his performance but him—trying to understand what he was seeing.

That night, Yamamoto’s One-Handed Swordsmanship mastery hit 99%.

One more good training session, and he’d cross into Adept rank.

The system was accelerating his learning, certainly, but Yamamoto suspected there was more to it. Training under an acknowledged master like Greaves, learning from skilled students like Caius, it all seemed to boost his progression even beyond the system’s normal parameters.

It made sense, in a way. Games often gave experience bonuses for completing quests with higher-level party members or training with NPC masters. Looking at it, even if it wasn’t part of the game, it was possible that this world had similar mechanics, translated into real-world effects.

Whatever the reason, Yamamoto wasn’t going to waste the opportunity.

...

Kenneth visited on the seventh day, showing up at the guild lodging just as Yamamoto returned from evening training.

"There you are!" Kenneth said cheerfully. "I’ve been looking for you. Haven’t seen you around much this week."

"Well what do you think? Been busy training," Yamamoto said, wincing as he sat on his bed. Every muscle ached. "Master Greaves doesn’t believe in rest days."

"So I’ve heard. How’s it going?" Kenneth said following a short laugh.

"It’s brutal, but its also effective." Yamamoto tested his shoulder mobility, feeling the stiffness. "I’m learning more in a week than I did in months of self-teaching."

Kenneth grinned. "That’s great! I knew Greaves would be good for you." He grabbed Garrick’s chair and sat backwards on it. "Listen, I was thinking. You’ve been training non-stop, which is admirable, but you still need to eat and make money. How about we grab dinner? My treat. There’s a good spot in the market district that serves actual food, not guild hall slop."

Thinking about it, Yamamoto couldn’t help but wonder why all the treats and good mood, but that actually fit what Kenneth was capable of, so he didn’t think too deep. While he took his time answering, his stomach made the decision for him with an audible growl. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Kenneth laughed. "I’ll take that as a yes. Come on."

"Sure."

...

They arrived at the place, found a corner table and ordered something for themselves, roasted chicken for Kenneth, beef stew for Yamamoto, ale for Kenneth.

"So," Kenneth said once they’d settled in, "how are you really doing? Not just the training, but... everything. Adjusting to guild life, the team, Mashlow?"

"It’s an adjustment," Yamamoto said, almost answering on auto pilot. "Different from what I’m used to."

"Which was?"

"Solo work mostly. Traveling, taking odd jobs, avoiding commitment."

Kenneth nodded thoughtfully. "I get that. Some people are naturally solitary. My older brother was like that—couldn’t stand being part of a group, always had to do things his own way. That alone drove my father crazy all the time."

Yamamoto could imagine. "What about you?"

"Of course, I prefer teamwork, not that I have the talent for solo work."

"So you weren’t forced into adventuring per se."

"Heh, force might be putting it mildly, more like expected. My father was also a member of the Iron Vanguard, and my grandfather before him. It’s practically a family tradition at this point." Kenneth’s expression was complicated—pride mixed with something else. "They were both respected members, known for their skill and reliability. I’ve got a legacy to live up to."

"That’s a lot of pressure."

"You have no idea." Kenneth took a long drink of ale. "Every time I take a quest, I’m wondering if I’m doing it the way they would have. Every time I make a decision, I’m second-guessing whether it’s what they’d expect... It’s exhausting."

Just then, their food arrived and they ate in silence for a few minutes before Kenneth continued.

"What about you? Any family pressure driving your decisions?"

Yamamoto thought about his real family for a moment, all he really had left was his dad. None of that translated to his current existence, though.

"No family to speak of," he said carefully. "Just me, trying to figure things out."

"Must be nice in a way. Freedom to make your own choices without disappointing anyone."

"It has its downsides." Yamamoto said, thinking of how he caught himself missing his old man one day... something he had never thought would happen in a lifetime.

Kenneth studied him. "You’re pretty private, aren’t you? I’ve noticed you don’t talk much about yourself. Your past, where you’re from, why you became an adventurer."

"Not much to tell," Yamamoto said, deflecting. "Grew up poor, needed money, discovered I was decent with a sword. Here I am."

It wasn’t exactly a lie, just... severely edited.

Kenneth seemed to accept this with an exaggerated nod, or at least chose not to push. "Fair enough. Everyone’s got their secrets." He grinned. "Though I should warn you—Ninia’s been asking about you. Very casually, of course. ’Where’s Yamamoto training?’ ’Is Yamamoto settling in well?’ She tries to be subtle, but she’s terrible at it." He said, making funny gestures.

"I noticed her attention," Yamamoto said dryly.

"Yeah, and so has Silas. He’s been in a foul mood all week. He keeps muttering about ’pretty boys who don’t know their place.’" Kenneth shook his head. "I tried talking to him, but he’s not hearing it. Just... watch yourself on the next quest. Don’t give him reasons to resent you more."

"I’m not trying to cause problems. Besides, why’re you telling me that as if it’s my fault? He should blame natural selection, not me."

"Natural Selection?" Kenneth asked, confused, as he signaled for another round of drinks. "Speaking of which—Cole mentioned you guys are planning another dungeon raid in two days. Small keep that got overrun by undead. You planning to join?"

"I was," Yamamoto said. "Unless there’s a reason I shouldn’t?"