Work Prophet
Chapter 239 - 87 Wasted Effort

Chapter 239: Chapter 87 Wasted Effort

After his visit to the Royal Capital, Marquis Kuren looked even more slender, and the sideburns that had been black now had a few strands of white.

However, his spirit seemed quite good. Even though his eldest son David had caused such a mess, he did not seem to be too affected.

In the morning, he had just presided over the knighting ceremony of Sir Irelia, had eaten a small lamb leg at noon, and in the afternoon, he was back in the yard practicing swordsmanship.

When Sir Irelia and Li Yu arrived at the Marquis Mansion, he had just finished sparring with his Guard Captain, drenched in sweat. Glancing at Li Yu standing beside Irelia, he asked, "Care for a couple of rounds?"

"No, thank you, I do not know how to use a sword."

"It’s clear you are the type who prefers to solve problems with your mind, and indeed, wisdom is more useful than fists most of the time, but... there will be moments in your life when you must resolve issues with a sword. Come, let me teach you a few moves."

Without waiting for Li Yu to respond, Marquis Kuren tossed a practice blunted sword over.

Li Yu had no choice but to catch it.

Then the Family Head of the Figrola clan tossed another sword to Irelia, who was at the side.

Surprised, she said, "Do I need to as well? I am just a woman."

"But you are a knight now, and when it came time to battle the Black Dragon, did you not charge to the forefront?"

"Um..."

"Anyway, let’s start with the standing posture. Spread your feet apart, just like me, keeping them shoulder-width. Good, now step forward with your left foot, pointing the toe in the direction you want to attack, and angle the other foot’s toe outward as well, forming a T shape with your feet. This will help you maintain balance in all four directions as much as possible."

"Next, bend your knees slightly, relax your body, but not too much, you still need to keep your back straight. No, your shoulders are too stiff, which will make your actions slow, and in combat, slowness means danger."

Marquis Kuren told Li Yu, and when he looked at the Lady, he was surprised to find that the girl’s posture was quite standard.

"Did you practice before?"

"No, but as a child, I often watched my father practice swordsmanship in the castle courtyard."

"Oh. Although I’ve said this once before, I must express my deep regret for what happened to your father," Marquis Kuren said solemnly, "and it was due to my lack of discipline. I need to formally apologize to you for the actions of my eldest son, David, Sir Irelia."

The girl’s lips were tightly pressed.

"Tell me, is there anything I can do for you."

"Justice, nothing but justice, my lord," the Lady stated resolutely.

"Then you shall have the justice you desire, I give you my word as a Figrola, on the honor of my family," Marquis Kuren declared, his expression unchanging.

"But, David is your son, the future lord of the west..."

"I have two sons, and three years ago I also gained a grandson, so you need not worry about my heir," Marquis Kuren said.

After pausing, he then spoke to Li Yu, "That’s better. Now, let’s learn how to grip the sword. Grasp the hilt with your right hand, as close to the guard as possible, and your other hand at the back, without touching the pommel. Gripping the sword this way ensures strength and maintains precision in your thrust."

"Lastly, the stance: lower the sword with the tip pointing down towards the ground. This posture can entice the opponent to attack; observe his footsteps and the direction of the assault closely..."

Marquis Kuren spent about half an hour imparting some basic swordsmanship knowledge to the two.

However, applying this knowledge to actual combat would require a lengthy and tedious training process, and neither Ireya nor Li Yu were particularly keen on persevering with it.

As a woman, Miss Rabbit didn’t feel the need to master swordplay, and Li Yu, as the Prophet, had no plans of switching professions to become a warrior. Besides, if it came down to close combat, he still had his electronic anti-violence device.

So Marquis Kuren’s efforts for half a day were essentially wasted, akin to casting pearls before swine.

Fortunately, he eventually got to the point and asked Li Yu, "You mentioned a Foreigner named Gabriel and his kin; are they planning to attack us?"

"That’s correct. His exact words were—’Revel, revel to your heart’s content, for your good days are nearing their end. The valiant and fearless Winged Tribe will traverse the vast oceans to conquer this rotten and decaying land for their Mother Goddess, enslaving all the foolish and weak races on land.’"

Li Yu repeated Gabriel’s threats.

Marquis Kuren frowned, "Did he mention where his homeland is?"

Li Yu shook his head, "No."

"How many of them are there?"

"I don’t know."

"I understand your concerns, but with just one sentence, it’s hard for me to convince His Majesty the Emperor and the other nobles of the Empire to take this matter seriously enough," Marquis Kuren said frankly.

"After all, in the course of thousands of years, no such winged creatures have appeared on the Bratis Continent. It looks more like a fluke that he came to our land."

"Dragons also had not appeared on the Bratis Continent for three thousand years, yet just over a month ago, my people and I killed one," the Lady stated. "There is always a first time for everything."

The Family Head of the Figrola family pondered for a moment, "Well, I’ll send word to the cities along the East Coast, let the Lords there ask the local sailors and merchants to inquire if there is any place overseas where a group of winged beings lives.

"If such a place truly exists, I will be able to persuade some families to be on guard, to make some early preparations and arrangements."

"What about His Majesty the Emperor?" Miss Rabbit, who held a fondness for the Emperor who had granted her the title of Dragon Slayer Knight, inquired.

However, Marquis Kuren advised, "You’d best not hold out too much hope for His Majesty."

"Is it because of the Life Goddess?" the Lady recalled the words David had previously spoken. "Has she bewitched him?"

"It seems such rumors have already reached the Western Regions, but the situation is much more complicated than you imagine. On my recent trip to the Royal Capital, I also met the Priest of that goddess and experienced her tactics firsthand. All I can say is that her abilities might not be inferior to yours, Prophet Merlin," Marquis Kuren said.

Before Li Yu could respond, Ireya exclaimed in surprise, "Really? Is she that powerful? Can she record voices too, can she control a Divine Bird with three eyes?"

"No, but she possesses other skills."

"What skills?"

"She can peer into people’s hearts, infiltrate your mind; none of your secrets can hide from her," Marquis Kuren warned, "If you encounter her, you must avoid any physical contact with her."