The door opened.
Riento walked in soon after, closing the door behind him.
The training hall was more marvelous than most of the places he had walked past.
Lines of racks full of wooden swords, spears, blades, daggers. And even training dummies.
The light of morning ever so beautiful,The sunlight shined upon the courtyard. A big rectangular courtyard, It looked quite groomed.
A rectangular platform stood in the middle of the courtyard.
That was the dueling arena, if you asked the knights, they would called the dueling arena the 'sparring arena'.
This is... Luxurious. Despite the fact that the main area is a courtyard with a platform made of what? It must be something durable to be considered an arena made for dueling, i'm jealous of the people in this world for these luxurious buildings...
They should be out for laps around the forest near the city right now, I believe it was called the Aurishen Forest?.
"Sir Robert?." He muttered out, calling for his teacher. Whom was supposedly waiting for him. Got impatient and called Riento... Who was long dead.
Oh yeah... What am I gonna explain to them about my broken dantians? Gosh damn it! Riento groaned at the thought of having to get an excuse out of his brain. He started nibbling on his thumbs nail. His right leg bounced, sweating dripping down his jaw. Sweat poured down his smooth white face.
I failed trying to get through a breakthrough? No! That's for swordsmanship... Maybe Advancement?... No, that won't work too! Riento was said to have a lot of potential in magic... Argh! He ruffled his hair, scratching it in annoyance. Not finding a suitable excuse. If I say I was attacked... No one would believe me...
But maybe ascension would work? His hands moved towards his chin stroking it. He stood there, thinking for a few seconds. Maybe... But Riento is the one with the most talent in holy power in history...
Having nothing to base that information on with nothing but riento's memories. It couldn't be proven nor be true. Should I say it was because of an great evil? I might be able to do it?. Maybe grievance too?.
It might work. I should use that. Good luck to myself. Hopefully it works. He looked around once more. And saw a tall man, with a beard. It looked to be quite shaved. But still having hair.
The man had curly brown hair, thick eyebrows, eyes that of a hunters. His eye color being white. He also had a scar on his left face. Long and Rough.
This man would be considered a quite attractive middle aged man.
Robert Redford, The Swordmaster of the Holy Empire.
As the man approached, Riento quickly put on his 'acting' face.
"Sir Robert. How is your condition today?" Asked Riento, bowing slightly with his hand on his chest. It was basic courtesy in this world.
I believe it was like this?... Hopefully i'm right, I don't have that much memories of things like this. He prayed in his mind, hoping that it would be right.
Robert in unison, also bowed with his right hand to his chest. "Good morning Saint, I have been alright. I was ever so worried by your health since you haven't came here early today."
Damn you Riento, I have to clean up this mess of yours and I also have to do everything you did!. He cursed Riento in his mind.
"I give you my utmost sincerity for worrying about my health sir Robert, I am ever so healthy. I was only late for this occasion because of a problem I had." Riento replied. Did I do it right? Was I too formal? I don't know!...It's worrying!.
"What is this problem of yours saint?." Robert asked, tilting his head in confusion.
Riento stopped for a moment, using that brief moment to think about his earlier excuse he was thinking about.
Hopefully he believes this...
"Because of my grief that my disciple died. I failed my ascension to the 10th holy path... And you know that if one fails they die. I had to sacrifice my holy power, my mana, and my sword ki in order to live.
"But in exchange for surviving... My cores got cracked. And almost shattered." He looked away, A single sweat flowed down his face. Unnoticeable. His breathing was slightly erratic.
Hopefully he will believe it... I don't know if they call it cores or what, It wasn't part of the memories...
Robert stared too long, before riento's words ringed and registered in his mind.
Robert's face visibly changed, His eyes widened. Filled with shock and confusion.
"Saint! I didn't know you had sword ki?." Robert said in confusion. "You did mention yesterday that you might fail ascension... So saint, don't worry. Atleast you survived."
Huh? By how he didn't question when I said core,That must be what they call it...
"Ah, yes. I did train in sword ki sometime ago." He muttered, vaguely describing his lie. Which he got out of nowhere.
Thank you saint! You finally did something good for me for once!. You saved me there for explaining more. He breathed in a sigh of relief, unnoticeable.
"Now. Moving on from that topic since you already know about it, you called me here to train?." Riento said to Robert, moving away that topic which could endanger him of revealing that another soul inhabited the body of the saint.
"Yes, I did call you here."
"Run 50 laps around the courtyard." Robert pointed to the courtyard, with a stern face. Immediately switching to the mentality of a teacher.
5-50 laps?! Is he crazy?! Hearing it again is surprising... How did Riento even do this every single day?. The court yard is what? Like 30 meters?.
Riento kept his blank face up, despite the turmoil in his thoughts right now.
He reluctantly moved his body to start running around the courtyard.
Riento finally completed the laps in just 23 minutes, A bit out of breath.
He pushed his hair back with his palm. Turning to Robert. "Sir Robert, what's next?."
"1,000 Vertical sword swings, 1,000 Horizontal sword swings, 1,000 diagonal sword swings, both sides." Robert replied with the same stern face from earlier.
I-is he serious? That's... That's a lot! Most of the training regime Riento did wasn't part of the memories I got... This is outrageous!. Riento thought in shock. He swallowed. Reluctantly grabbing a wooden sword and started swinging.
He was way too weak to reply back or go against Robert... And even if he was strong enough, the old Riento was too diligent. For him to go against Robert.
He started swinging the wooden sword.
It felt exhilarating. Was the sword really this fun? Then why didn't I do it sooner? Or is this just an effect of riento's body?.
Riento subconsciously smiled. His body sweating and aching after just 200 swings.
Robert noticed this.
"Eh? The saint is enjoying this?." He smiled deviously seeing that.
Around an hour passed. Riento finally finished.
"Saint, 250 more of each one." Robert told Riento.
Wait what?! 250 more of each one? What in the world?! Why Robert?.
Riento complained in his mind. As he began to do it.
His body aching in too many places to name.
———
Riento laid on the floor panting, his body hurting in almost every part of his body.
It hurts! It's fun, I admit. But it hurts!...
He panted, breathing erratic. His chest rose up and down in uneven paces.
Robert walked up to him, looking down. "Training is over saint, you may continue whatever you have left in your schedule."
Robert bowed, hand to his chest. "I'll take my leave now saint. I still have the knights to train."
He started walking away, before abruptly stopping and informing Riento "Ah, Right. saint, i'll inform the other about your condition." Right after finishing, he started walking away. Leaving Riento on the ground tired. It was around 12 in the afternoon.
After a few minutes, Riento had finally recuperated from the training. He forced himself up, legs trembling. Shaking.
He pushed his hair back with his fingers, panting. Chest rising up and falling back down, sweat drips down his jaw.
Riento put his hands to his hips, as he complained. "I have to do this tomorrow too?... The original riento probably recovered faster because he had holy mana..."
Having no one around, he finally let out his thoughts.
"The first thing I should do is go through the library and find cultivation methods... I should stick with cultivation for easier purposes. I don't even know what they call it here." He let out a sigh.
Riento turned his head, facing the door back into the main complex.
He subconsciously tapped his foot on the floor contionously. "Hm..."
"Now that I focus on my body. It seemed to have recovered much faster now that it isn't under the main recovery stage from stamina loss..." He mumbled, not focusing on anything else.
His legs started moving.
He opened the door to the main hall, humming. He made his way to the great library of the holy empire inside the main royal kingdom. This library was inside the castle of the saint, Only a few individuals could enter.
He pushed open the door of the great library.
What is this?. Why is it so long and spacious? I know the name is the great library of the holy Kingdom. But I didn't think it would be this great.Riento silently lampooned in his thoughts.
He walked in, closing the door behind him. He looked around.
And saw the librarian.
This man was a tall handsome young man, with smooth white skin, narrow eyes. Lush, smooth, long hair tied up in a ponytail. The librarian wore a traditional robe, tied around his waist.
He also wore silver spectacles rimmed with golden details.
The librarian eyes dart to Riento, he bowed with his hand to his chest and asked. "Saint? What brings you here?."
So this is the warm and trustworthy librarian in riento's memories? Shouldn't he be old by now? Don't tell me he doesn't get with the help of magic?. Riento inwardly said in shock.
Though his expression didn't change much.
After a slight delay, Riento replied Apathetically. "No reason, I just came here to read. Mister Luke."
Luke, that was the librarian's name.
"I see you still have that habit of reading after training, just like you did when you were a child, saint." Luke chuckled after hearing my response. "What are you looking for saint?."
"Books about mana cores, and holy cores. And how to form and reform them."
"Books about that..." He thought for a few moments, and replied with a smile. "Saint, it's the 3rd section, behind me on my right. The second aisle, Both of your inquiries are there."
Luke bowed in respect. The book he was holding to his chest was still there. "If you need me saint, i'll be behind the desk like always." He chuckled, walking to the desk.
Riento bowed in unison, walking to where luke had told him the location of the books he was looking for. What a warm man. Now I myself know why Riento likes luke.
He subconsciously smiled, Unknowingly picking out a book.
Realizing what had happened. This snapped Riento out of his thoughts. "Huh?." He tilted his head in confusion at the book.
It was titled.
"Secrets of the Cores"