Chapter 18: Cairo’s Sword Training The next day... "Before we start, I want to know your current fighting style." Cairo lifted the wooden sword with ease, settling into a loose stance. "Attack me. No need to hold back." After adjusting his grip on the wooden sword’s handle, Alex charged at the Catkin. Once he was in range, he didn’t hesitate to slash from the side, targeting the Catkin’s waist. Cairo easily blocked his attack, but the young man wasn’t done yet. He unleashed a series of sword strikes, while the Catkin blocked, dodged, and deflected all of his attacks. The spar lasted for ten whole minutes before Alex stopped and panted for breath. Cairo didn’t attack him even once during their exchange, so he went all out and unleashed everything he got. Only when he completely exhausted himself did he stop his attacks, kneeling on the ground as he struggled to catch his breath. "As expected," Cairo declared. "You suck big time." Dim Dim giggled after hearing the Catkin’s comment, while Alex only sighed helplessly. "But don’t worry." Cairo patted the young man’s shoulder. "I’m sure that after I’m done with you, you’ll be able to memorize the basics. Stand up. We’re gonna start." Alex nodded and accepted the Catkin’s hand, which pulled him up. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦 "The first thing you need to learn is the stances of swordsmanship," Cairo said. "This is the basics of basics, and although swordmasters add their own unique twists on it, most of them follow the same base." The Catkin tightened his grip on the wooden sword and leveled the blade in front of him. It hovered just above his waist, angled slightly forward. He stepped forward with his right foot, his stance solid. The left foot was behind, giving him balance and control without sacrificing mobility. "This is called the Middle Guard," Cairo explained. "It’s a balanced stance that can keep your opponents at bay. From here, you can strike or defend depending on the situation." "The foot you set in front must be the same as your dominant hand. If you’re ambidextrous, just choose whichever is more comfortable." Cairo paused, allowing Alex to digest the words he had just said. "Make sure to hold your sword firmly, so your opponent wouldn’t be able to knock it away," Cairo continued. "In a sword fight, the moment you lose your weapon is the moment you lose your advantage. You’ll be lucky to get away with serious injuries. If you’re not, then you already know what will happen." The Catkin made a gesture of slicing his neck with his thumb. Alex nodded in understanding. Cairo then raised the sword over his head as he changed his stance. "This is called the High Guard," Cairo said. "As you can see, this stance is meant for powerful downward strikes. It can be used to intimidate your opponents, but the downside is that it leaves your lower body open for attacks." Cairo then lowered his sword and pointed it down to the ground, holding it firmly. "This is called the Low Guard stance. It’s meant for quick upward strikes and defensive movements," Cairo explained. "This is also the most deceptive stance of all since it can bait your opponents into attacking you, allowing you to unleash a counterattack. "The downside of this stance is that you’ll have limited attack options aside from quick upwards strikes and stabs. You are also vulnerable from overhead strikes." Once again, Cairo shifted into Middle Guard, the most balanced stance of the three and perfect for both quick attack and defense. "You need to master these stances first so you can figure out which one to use in different situations," the Catkin went on. "Most people think sword fighting is just about swinging the blade. But that’s only half of it." He adjusted his grip slightly. "The right stance and footwork will make your attack more effective." The Catkin then asked Alex to take the High Guard stance and practice doing a downward strike. "When you do a downward strike, think of cutting your opponent in half from the head down to their waist," Cairo stated. "It has to be swift and deadly. If you’re stronger, this strike will still throw your opponent off balance even if they manage to block it." "Frankly, you lack strength. During our spar, it’s clear that you’re the kind to rely more on speed than power. It’s not a bad thing per se, but you still need to master properly executing a downward strike." "The more you practice it, the more effective it will be in battle. Remember, swift and deadly. Imagine cutting your enemy in half with each strike." After making Alex swing his sword repeatedly for an hour, the Catkin asked him to stop and change to the Middle Guard. "Now, we will practice blocking and deflecting sword strikes," Cairo stated. "Go and stab me." After a quick nod, Alex thrust his sword toward the Catkin’s chest. Cairo easily deflected it with his sword, repeating the motion several times so that Alex could study the technique up close. Once he was confident that Alex had at least grasped the basics, they switched roles with Cairo doing the stabbing and Alex doing the defending. The swordsman slowed his strikes just enough to give Alex time to react, allowing the young man to adjust to his attacks. "Good, you’re a fast learner," Cairo praised after the young man managed to deflect a quarter of his sword strikes. "Alright, quick break. Once you’ve recovered a little, we’ll go over how to properly block sword strikes." Cairo had observed Alex closely. The latter’s movements weren’t aggressive, and he clearly seemed more like a defensive fighter. If anything, he fought like someone used to holding the line, not pushing it. More than once, Cairo noticed Alex’s left hand shifting unconsciously, as if ready to raise a shield. The Catkin had sparred with knights who specialized in sword and shield, and he had to admit they could be quite troublesome as opponents. ’Maybe I should gift him a good shield when I come back from my mission,’ Cairo thought. ’I’ll ask Gramps to give me the shield hanging on the living room wall for display. It will be better to put the shield to good use than leaving it as decoration.’ A few minutes later, the two resumed their spar. Little by little, Alex was starting to understand that he was truly a novice when it came to wielding the sword. In the end, he decided to add sword training to his daily routine. That way, he would be able to master the basics faster. While he didn’t learn any special sword skills from Cairo, he now had a better understanding of how to fight against melee opponents, especially goblin warriors who specialized in close combat.