Zerath pressed his lips, unsure of his response since last night. Never did he imagine that one meeting with Silas would form such a deep impression upon Eurus.
But then again Silas is that sort of a person, he smiled with that thought.
"The festival is over, Crown Prince. Can I ask the reason for your unnecessary appearance here?"
"I'm Casca's lord now, so I've a good reason to come here anytime I want, isn't it?" Zerath merrily chirped.
Silas squinted his eyes. "Anywhere in Casca except my humble trinket shop. I'd say your presence is more required at the brothel than my shop."
"Eurus is here," He warned.
As expected, Eurus tilted his head at that term questioningly.
Silas snorted. "You can't demand anything from me if you don't even know what a brothel is."
"He's a child."
"I was also a child at some point and so were you. How far did life let us remain innocent?"
"His situation is different."
"With due respect, everyone's life can be summed up in just one word - Hell."
Zerath decided it was prudent to leave that argument and said, "Eurus sincerely wants to train under you."
"I'm just a humble trinket shop owner," he coldly smiled.
"Formerly known as Captain-General Silas, who commanded a legion of 5000 troops in his glory days."
"Dust has long settled on those glory days, Crown Prince."
"But not on your hard-earned experience."
Impasse.
Another frosty smile was etched on his lips. "Come back when I'll be more tolerant towards your unbearable face."
"For now, I don't see that happening for a long time."
"That's why I've only one answer for you."
Silas shut the door with a bang right in their faces, a gust of wind cutting at them with a violent impact.
He looked down at Eurus. "Convincing him will take a while. Until then, you can train under Sir Draconis."
Eurus gave it a long thought and coming to a decision, he knocked on the door again. Not hearing a response, he went at it repeatedly until Silas was forced to open the door.
"You've a death wish, don't you?" He stared fatal daggers at Zerath.
"It was Eurus. I didn't even move a muscle."
His piercing gaze found Eurus, apparently not impressed. "You're not even at the starting point to throw that underdeveloped valor at me, kid. Do it again, and I'll wring your neck next time."
A soft, silvery aura glowed around Eurus transforming into ice as soon as he focused his concentration on Silas's feet.
"Train me," he bowed.
"What humor are you playing at?"
Silas's expression kept worsening. The exact opposite reaction greeted Zerath's face on the other hand.
"I think he's the perfect disciple for you. Both stubborn. Like master, like disciple," he smiled playfully.
Eurus said, "No rules in fight when facing enemy. Only tri…tri…and deceit. What makes you win. Ice is my weapon, so I will use it."
Silas's own words were thrown back at him - the same with which he had mocked him at the festival once.
'There're no rules in a fight when facing an enemy. Only trickery and deceit. Whatever makes you win. If ice is your strongest weapon, then why are you not using it?'
Eurus stood determined. For the sake of reuniting with Vivia, becoming stronger was his only option.
Silas arched his brow, a sneer forming in his gaze. "So now you'll resort to bending me to your will since politeness won't work, huh?"
That look spells trouble to me, Zerath thought.
"Well then, let's see how you fare well with this 'threat.' You actually came at the right time. Time to test out my theory."
Eurus blinked, befuddled.
Silas smiled. "I'm just a humble trinkets shop owner who repairs small things here and there. But that knowledge to mend things came from my experience as a soldier who has broken through and tested the limits of hundreds of weapons before. So…"
He grabbed his spear with its pointed edge glowing in a soft orange hue.
"The question you should ask yourself is whether your ice is truly unbreakable?"
Moving the angle of the pointed edge towards his feet, he said, "The answer is no because everything has its fracture point. And ice will always be ice which will eventually melt under the right heat conditions."
A swift movement later, the spear pierced the ice on his feet. Steam wafted out from the point of impact, slowly melting and bringing cracks to the ice. It eventually shattered, its pieces falling like broken, scintillating shards of glass.
Eurus could only watch how Silas easily freed himself this time compared to the struggles he had faced on the day of the festival.
"You thought you could defeat me using the same trick again? To lose once is unpreparedness but to lose twice over the same tactics is lunacy."
Eurus looked up tremblingly, staring at the sparkling satisfaction in his eyes. The spear's shaft clanged against the ground hard with the weight of Silas's victory.
"So the first lesson you learn under me is that overconfidence in your strengths leads to your downfall. So get off your high horse that your ice is anything special. Nothing is unbeatable. Nothing is unbreakable."
It was as if Eurus had slipped into a trance, his lips parting in awe. How did the spear manage to melt his ice was his question.
Zerath raised a brow. "As expected of you."
"You want me to stab you next?"
"It was a sincere compliment."
"Doesn't mean much when you've already broken through his ice with your sword."
"I didn't know how that happened."
Silas's eyes narrowed.
"But you know how it happened," Zerath stated.
"I only guessed, which is the same basis I used to forge my spear. Seems like my theory passed."
"What theory?"
He sneered. "You don't get any free answers and," he glanced down at Eurus, "neither will you."
Eurus's little fingers clenched into a fist, his determination to train under Silas further forging like steel. He refused to give up, ready for another round of battle.
"Go back, kid. You're not even close to beginning any training unless you shed that arrogance of yours."
And he shut the door with a bang right in their faces for the second time that day.
Zerath's gaze lowered. "If Vivia had been here, she would've said,
'How dare that trinket shop owner refuse Eurus as his disciple?' to which I would've said,
'His name is Silas.' and then she would've stormed off saying,
'I don't care what his name is!'"
A beautiful smile with a small giggle lifted his lips, cheering Eurus's mood with joy. Zerath joined in the laughter. "Ah, I miss her so much. I wonder what she's doing."
"I'll not move from here! I want my son back! Where have you capital people hidden him?" A sharp voice suddenly screamed in the far distance.
Zerath craned his neck, watching a chaotic situation unfolding at the end of the street.
What's happening over there?