Part-219

  James shook his head, intrigued. “Why’s that?”

  Ryan shrugged. “People think it’s outdated. You’ve got kids learning MMA, boxing, and all this modern stuff. No ohe point of using a sword in today’s world. It just doesn’t attract much attention. Most of the people who sign up just quit after a few sessions.”

  James thought about that. Ryan had a point. Swordsmanship wasly a skill you needed in daily life, especially with more practical self-defeeiques avaible. But for James, this wasn’t just about practicality; it was about something deeper, something instinctual. There was a e he felt to the sword, a sehat mastering it might be key to overing the challenges in the dungeon.

  “I get that,” James said, agreeing with Ryan’s logic, “but it still feels like something I o do. Maybe it’s not popur, but I’ve got this gut feeling, you know?”

  Ryan shrugged, though he seemed to uand. “Hey, if you want to do it, go for it. There’s this old guy at the ter, Carlos. He’s the oeag it. You could check it out.”

  James nodded, feeling more determihan ever. “Yeah, I think I will.”

  ---

  Later that afternoon, James headed to the martial arts ter. It was a familiar pce, but he hadn’t visited in a while—especially not the ses where less popur csses were held. After making his way through the main training areas, past the sounds of heavy bags being strud mats filled with people practig throws and grapples, James finally reached the small annex where the swordsmanship css took pce.

  As he entered, James noticed there were only four students—three men and one woman, all dressed in traditional gi uniforms. The atmosphere was quiet and focused, a stark trast to the iy of the other training rooms. At the ter of it all stood Carlos, the instructor.

  James reized him immediately. Carlos was a well-built man in his te forties, his posture straight, movements fluid, and his presenanding. He wasn’t the kind of person you’d expect to tea “unpopur” css. There was an air of discipline and experience about him that made it clear he was a serious martial artist.

  James took a deep breath and approached, bowing respectfully before speaking. “Excuse me, sir,” he began, “I’d like to learn swordsmanship. I heard you teach here.”

  Carlos turned, his sharp eyes log onto James. There was a brief moment of silence before he frowned, his expression one of clear disapproval. “No,” he said firmly.

  The refusal caught James off guard. He bliaken aback by the abruptness of the response. “Why not?” he asked, uo mask his surprise.

  Carlos crossed his arms, looking James up and down as if assessing him. “Too many kids e here out of curiosity, thinking they pick up a sword and learn something fshy. They don’t take it seriously. They quit the moment it gets tough or when they realize it’s not as exg as they imagined. I don’t waste my time anymore.”