Chương 11: "A Dog-Eat-Dog Lesson"

Jade closed his leather-bound journal, finishing the entry for Day 29 of Celestia's training. He set the pen aside and leaned back in his chair, the wooden frame creaking under his weight. A slow exhale escaped him as he tapped a finger thoughtfully on the journal's cover. Celestia Von Reingarde, his student for the past month, had come far in a short time, at least in body. She moved with the confidence and grace befitting her noble upbringing and intense practice.

By all physical measures, she was superb for her age and experience. Yet Jade's brow furrowed as he stared at the ceiling.' Unsuited. She is completely unsuited,' he mused, not for the first time. In real combat, physical capabilities were only half the battle. Time and again, after they switched to real weapons during practice fights, Celestia would hesitate. That crucial problem, the unwillingness to thrust her spear into an opponent's heart without waver, was missing.

In the Tower, that hesitation would cost her life. Jade drummed his fingers faster against the journal.' If she enters the Tower as she is now,' he thought grimly, ' she will die.' He didn't want that. Jade sat forward and ran a hand through his hair, recalling the past month. Celestia had earned his respect in many ways. She was ambitious, pushing herself to exhaustion day after day without a single complaint.

She followed every order he gave with determined obedience despite the haughty front she often put on as a duke's daughter.

Jade had seen how she treated the household servants with kindness, even if it came with a harsh action or tone. Celestia actually cared for those beneath her station, a rarity among nobles. But that same kindness would be her downfall in the Tower's cruel trials. Enemies in the Tower would not care that Celestia's heart was good. People would lie, cheat, and kill to survive or get ahead.

Jade had witnessed it himself in and outside of the Tower; good people who hesitated ended up dead, betrayed by those they foolishly spared. Celestia needed to learn this harsh lesson now, in a controlled setting, rather than for the first time in the Tower where the price of failure was irredeemable. Jade's tapping finger stopped as he pondered on an idea. After a long moment, he nodded to himself. There was one lesson left to give. A final test to force Celestia to cross the line she so feared.

'She has the potential to become both a leader and a warrior,' Jade thought,'but only if she survives.' And survival might mean staining her hands with blood. With a decision finally made, Jade reached for the small brass bell on the table. He rang it softly. The bell itself barely made a sound in the quiet room, but it was enchanted, some luxury of House Reingarde, so that any ring would be heard by the staff across the estate. Sure enough, not a minute later came a polite knock at the door.

Jade stood and opened the door to reveal one of the estate's butlers waiting attentively. The man bowed.

"What do you require, Sir Jade?" he asked. Jade glanced past the butler at the moonlit yard beyond; the estate was silent at this late hour. The pale moon hung high; Jade felt a pang of homesickness looking at that moon. How many nights had he gazed at it wishing he were home, beside his wife? He pushed the feeling aside, duty came first. Jade gave the butler a curt nod. In a low voice, he issued instructions for the next day. The butler's expression remained neutral, but his eyes flickered in surprise once.

He quickly masked it and nodded in understanding.

"I'll need help making the arrangements by afternoon," Jade finished. The butler bowed once more.

"Of course, Sir. I will inform the Duke and request his permission," the butler said before he turned to leave. Only when the sound of footsteps had faded did Jade close the door. Alone again, Jade blew out the oil lamp on his desk. The room plunged into dim silver light from the window. He stood for a moment, hands braced on the desk's edge, and looked out at the moon once more. Quiet engulfed the lodge.

In that silence, Jade dearly hoped the kind-hearted girl would not break under what he was about to demand of her. With a final weary sigh, Jade left the window and retired to bed. * The next morning, Celestia walked the steps toward the training grounds at first light, only to stop short in confusion. The grounds were empty and Jade was nowhere to be seen. She blinked and looked around, as if he might have simply been hidden by the early morning shadows, but the familiar figure of her instructor did not appear.

Instead, one of the estate's butlers stood by, hands neatly clasped. He inclined his head respectfully when he saw her.

"Good morning, Lady Celestia," the butler greeted.

"Sir Jade asked me to relay his instructions for you today." This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Celestia's lips parted in surprise.

"Where is he??" she asked, a slight furrow forming between her brows. During the past month, Jade had never once missed a dawn session.

"Sir Jade departed earlier into the city," the butler explained.

"He requested me to inform you that you are to complete your morning drills exactly as you did yesterday. He will return for your final training session this afternoon." The butler offered a polite smile.

"He also mentioned that you've been doing exceedingly well." Celestia nodded slowly. So, Jade had some errand in the city, probably procuring materials for the final session, apparently? Jade was nothing if not diligent, if he left on the last day of training, it had to be for something important. Still, she had her orders. She told the butler to leave and then stepped into the familiar training grounds alone. Without further delay, she began her warm-up. The morning unfolded in the usual routine.

Celestia stretched each major muscle group thoroughly, she then launched into a run around the perimeter of the training grounds. Next came strength drills. Even in Jade's absence, Celestia refused to cut a single corner. By mid-morning, she moved on to spear-handling drills and began practicing the forms Jade had taught her. Thrust, sweep, parry… over and over. The swishing whirl of the spear through the air and the steady thud of her footsteps were the only sounds accompanying her.

At last, late morning arrived, and Celestia finished the final sequence of spear strikes with a grunt of effort. Breathing hard, she rested the butt of the spear on the ground and wiped her forehead with the back of her hand. The training yard felt much hotter now; the sun was almost directly overhead. A nearby maid hurried over with a waiting towel and a flask of cool water. Celestia grabbed the water and took a long drink. The water soothed her dry throat, and she realized just how thirsty she had become.

Handing back the flask, Celestia took the towel and pressed the cold cloth to her face. A sigh of relief escaped her lips as the chill numbed the rawness in her palms and the ache in her shoulders. With the maid trailing politely behind, Celestia headed back into the mansion. In her private quarters, a steaming bath infused with medicinal herbs and elixirs awaited. The bath was tinted a light green from crushed healing leaves, and the sharp, restorative scent of herbal steam filled the room.

Celestia sank into the tub with a groan of relief. Almost instantly, the herbs worked on her tired muscles, melting the soreness and rejuvenating her strength. She closed her eyes, soaking in the comfort. After she was finally clean and reinvigorated, Celestia wore a simple dress and made her way to the dining hall for a hearty lunch. The cooks had laid out a spread rich in protein: roasted meats, eggs, and a thick stew brimming with beans and vegetables.

After lunch, Celestia spent a short time in the estate's library. After skimming a few pages on a book about history, her eyelids felt unexpectedly heavy. Deciding that a brief rest might do her good, Celestia retreated to her room for a quick nap. Sadly, though, it felt like she had only just closed her eyes when a gentle knock and a maid's voice roused her awake.

"Lady Celestia? Pardon, my Lady, but it is time for your afternoon training. Sir Jade has returned and is waiting for you." Celestia sat up immediately and changed into her training clothes. She walked back to the training grounds. As soon as she pushed open the door leading into the walled training grounds, Celestia came to an abrupt halt. Jade was already there, standing in the center of the grounds. But he was not alone.

A short distance to his right, three human figures knelt on the floor, their hands bound tightly behind their backs. Each had a coarse cloth sack over their head, obscuring their faces entirely. They were arranged in a neat row on their knees. Celestia's breath caught in her throat at the unexpected sight. For a moment, she simply stared. She couldn't discern much about people beneath the burlap hoods and the tattered clothes they wore.

Two were fairly large men, their broad shoulders and rough build evident even while kneeling. The third figure was smaller and thin, cowering slightly. All three had ropes biting into their wrists behind their backs. Celestia's stomach twisted at the sight as she felt an uneasy sense of foreboding wash over her. Jade watched her intently. The late afternoon sun cast a hard light across his face, highlighting his stern expression. He stood with arms crossed over his chest.

If there was any hint of the fondness he'd shown in rare moments during their training, it was entirely absent now. Instead, his eyes were as cold and sharp as steel as they flicked from Celestia to the kneeling men.

"What is this?" Celestia asked, her voice quieter than she intended. She stepped forward slowly. She noticed that a weapons rack had been placed near Jade, with several spears, real steel-tipped ones, gleaming in the light. Jade inclined his head slightly in greeting, but there was a formality to the gesture.

"Lady Celestia," he said in a cold tone, "We can begin your final lesson." Celestia's eyes darted uneasily to the three hooded figures. One of the larger men gave a slight shuffle on his knees, perhaps reacting to Jade's words, but he remained silent. She felt a prickle of sweat on her palms.

"Who are these people?" she asked him. At her question, Jade uncrossed his arms and took a step closer to the three men. He placed a firm hand on the first man's shoulder, and then looked back at Celestia.

"This one here," he responded, "is a convicted criminal. A rapist and murderer responsible for multiple heinous acts." He moved his hand to the second, the other broad-shouldered man.

"The second is another convicted criminal, an arsonist who set fire to multiple orphanages. He killed five staff and eleven children." Celestia felt a chill run through her. Scum. that's what they were if Jade spoke true. She swallowed, her throat suddenly dry.

"And the third?" she managed to ask. Her gaze shifted to the final figure, the smaller one who practically trembled under Jade's touch. What terrible crime could this slight man have committed to be dragged here as well? Jade paused, his expression remained unreadable. He rested a hand on the third man's bowed head.

"This last one is a debt slave," he answered.

"A man whose family accumulated a large debt after a failed merchant business. He sold himself into servitude to pay it off." Celestia blinked, taken aback. An unfortunate soul crushed by circumstance? The third man let out a muted sound, almost like a sob or a plea, from beneath his sack. He struggled a little against his bonds Celestia's unease returned tenfold. She opened her mouth, "I do not understand," she murmured.

"Why is he here with these criminals?" Jade lifted his chin, fixing Celestia with a hard stare.

"Lady Celestia, this is your final lesson," he announced.

"Kill these three."