Lia Valestria looked at William like he had just insulted her whole bloodline because of that word. Based on her face, it might have been less rude than offering to help.
"I don't need an instructor," she said flatly, wiping blood from her hands onto her already ruined uniform without looking away. "Not a random instructor I've never met before."
William raised an eyebrow when he saw that she quickly tried to hide her shaking hands behind her back. "This girl... I know that she's the type to hide her true feelings."
This is a classic way to deflect, the kind of thing someone would do if they didn't want others to see their weakness. He had seen it a thousand times before, usually right before a soldier broke down during training.
William calmly crossed his arms and said, "I'm not offering to be your instructor."
"I'm just saying that you're going to break every bone in your hands before you get anywhere with that technique."
Lia's jaw got tight. "My technique is good."
William surprised her by sarcastically saying, "Your technique is perfect. That's the issue."
For a moment, she blinked, and the anger turned to confusion. "What the fuck does that mean?"
"Jeez, language there."
"Ehem!"
William pointed to the broken stone pillar. "You are using a high-level sword technique that is meant to be used against armored opponents."
"You probably spent years practicing to get every move just right. But you're using it on stone, which is a whole different story."
"A perfect technique doesn't mean anything if you're using it in the wrong way."
Lia's red eyes narrowed in a scary way. "Are you saying I'm fucking stupid?"
William said, "More like calling you stubborn."
"There is a difference. Stupid people don't see when they make mistakes. People who are stubborn know they need help, but they keep doing it anyway because admitting they need help feels worse than failing."
For a second, William thought she might really try to hit him with that sword. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the handle, even though blood was covering her palms. But instead of getting frustrated, she took a deep breath and stood up straight.
"I don't need help from anyone," she said softly, and this time there was something weak behind her defiance. "I've gotten this far by myself. I'll figure it out in the end."
William knew that tone right away because he had heard it so many times from soldiers who were only one terrible day away from completely breaking down. "What a stubborn girl, but I like that.
"The kind of determination that came from being desperate instead of sure of yourself. She wasn't working out to get stronger, but she was trying to prove something, probably to herself more than anyone else."
William said, "Let me guess," in a casual tone. "You're Lia Valestria, the genius who never loses and is perfect."
"You got the highest scores on all of your combat tests, showed off perfect technique, and probably never asked for help in your whole life because admitting weakness would ruin the image everyone has of you."
For a second, William thought she might really try to hit him with that sword. Her knuckles turned white as she tightened her grip on the handle, even though blood was covering her palms. But instead of getting frustrated, she took a deep breath and stood up straight.
"I don't need help from anyone," she said softly, and this time there was something weak behind her defiance. "I've gotten this far by myself. I'll figure it out in the end."
William knew that tone right away because he had heard it so many times from soldiers who were only one terrible day away from completely breaking down. "She is a stubborn girl, but I like that about her."
Lia's face showed shock for a moment before it quickly hardened again. "How do you know my name?"
"Your reputation precedes you," William lied smoothly, mentally thanking whatever divine force had provided him with access to this body's memories. "Even teachers in the Zero-Class hear gossip."
"The girl who has never lost, never made a mistake, and never shown any signs of weakness in her perfect facade. It must be tiring."
"Shut up," Lia said angrily, but her voice wasn't furious. "You don't know anything about me."
"Even if you do know something about me, that just makes you a perverted creep who likes to spy on girls!"
"Fuck no! I'm not a creep like some guy who always goon to fantasy po--- Ehem!" William stopped himself before we went overboard.
William pointed to the broken pillar and said, "I know you've been out here alone for at least three hours."
"I can see that your hands are shaking from being worn out, but you still hold that sword like your life depends on it. And I know that whatever you're trying to prove by hurting your body like this, it's not worth it."
Lia turned away and moved her jaw as if she were physically stopping herself from saying anything. William could almost see the internal struggle reflected in her eyes. Pride vs. practicality, stubbornness vs. the need to live.
"It really brings back memories of when I first recruited a student." William said in his while while smiling proudly.
"Look," William said, lowering his voice a little. "I'm not here to give you a lecture or take your spotlight."
"I'm just making a suggestion. There is a better way to break stone that won't hurt your hands as much. All I need is five minutes of your time."
"Besides, it didn't look like I needed you somewhere private. We can just do it here."
Lia didn't say anything for a long time before finally turning back to him. "And why are you qualified to teach me anything? I've never even seen you at the academy."
William said bluntly, "Because I'm a Zero-Class teacher. Not worth mentioning because I'm someone who you called a bottom of the barrel, garbage tier."
"But before I got here, I spent my whole life learning how to fight. Just because everyone thinks I'm worthless doesn't mean I am."
She seemed to connect with that in some way. Lia looked at him closely, her red eyes looking for any signs of lying or mocking. When she didn't find any, her shoulders dropped a little, and her adrenaline finally caught up with her tiredness.
"Okay," she said softly. "Five minutes. But I'm leaving right away if you waste my time."
William nodded and then went to get her training sword, which she had dropped. He picked it up to see how heavy and balanced it was.
It's a standard academy issue, nothing special, but it works. He turned to face the stone pillar she had been hitting and took a loose stance that probably looked entirely wrong to anyone who knew how to use a sword in this world.
"Pay close attention," William said. "This method is called a quick draw, but it's not about how fast you go. It's all about timing and how the weight is spread out."
He moved his weight to his back foot and held the sword low and relaxed. Lia watched with doubt, probably thinking that there would be some flashy show that would look cool but not be useful.
Then William moved, and for a split second, the world seemed to stop. The sword slipped out of his hand in a way that was so smooth it didn't even seem like it was moving.
It was more like the blade just decided it wanted to be somewhere else. There was no wind-up, no visible preparation, just one smooth arc that hit the stone pillar.
After the impact, there was a loud crack that echoed across the empty training grounds. A clean cut ran through the stone from top to bottom when William stepped back, splitting it perfectly in half. For a short time, the two pieces stayed balanced, but then they slowly tipped over and fell to the ground.
Lia's mouth dropped open a little, and her face showed a mix of shock and maybe hunger. Not hunger in the physical sense, but the deep need for knowledge that all true warriors felt.
"What the fuck was that?" she said, forgetting all about her anger from before.
William shrugged and gave her the sword back. "It's a method I learned from my previous teaching experiences." It's not so much about raw strength as it is about finding the weak spots in solid materials."
"Stone has a grain structure, so if you find the right angle, you can break it with little effort."
Lia said, "That's not possible," but she didn't sound sure of herself. She had just seen him do it. "No one should be able to move like that."
William agreed, "Most humans can't, but most people don't train until their hands bleed trying to break through their limits by brute force alone. You have the willpower, and you just need to use better methods."
Lia looked at the broken pillar and then back at William, her mind clearly racing. "Show me."
William said in a calm voice, "Hmmm..."
William crossed both his arms while showing his smug face. "I thought you didn't need an instructor~"
"I don't," Lia said right away, but then she stopped herself. "I mean, I don't need an instructor all the time. But if you can show me how to do it, I'll let you teach me for a short time. One lesson. That's all."
William smiled a little. "You know what I showed you earlier was a one-lesson thing."
As soon as he spoke, the mechanical voice came back to him, and the clear screen appeared in front of his eyes.
[Mission Complete: Teach a girl with potential]
[Reward: Basic Stats Unlocked]
[Bonus: Student Bond Made with Lia Valestria]
[New Stats: Strength +2, Stamina +1]
[New Skill Learned: Quick Draw LV1]
William's mind was flooded with information, and all of a sudden he could feel the difference in his body. "I see now... so I just need to train someone so that I can become stronger as well...? Neat!"
The weakness that had been bothering him since he woke up in this world got a little better, and he felt a small but noticeable boost in his physical abilities. "If I keep this up, then I could become even stronger!"
William said in his mind. "It wasn't much, just enough to make a difference in a real fight. More importantly, it proved that this system worked and was real."
"Are you all right?" Lia asked, looking at him with worry. "You just lost your train of thought for a second."
William quickly waved away the screen and said, "I'm fine."
"I'm just thinking about how to best organize your lesson."
Lia nodded slowly, still looking doubtful but seeming to be okay with the explanation. She was going to say something else when a new voice came through the training grounds.
"What do we have here?"
William and Lia both looked to see a tall man coming from the main academy building. He wore a gold-trimmed instructor's uniform, which indicated that he was a teacher from the top levels of the hierarchy.
His blonde hair was perfectly styled, and his posture showed that he was confident and in charge. He had a sense of privilege and power about him. William knew him right away from the memories he had borrowed, and his stomach dropped.
Reinhardt Ashford is the head of the Combat Department and one of the academy's most respected teachers. He is also known for being very protective of his students and highly competitive with other teachers.
"Instructor Wade," Reinhardt said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "I didn't know you had the go-ahead to do private training sessions with students."
"Not with Miss Valestria, who is currently enrolled in my advanced combat class."
William could feel Lia getting tense next to him. She had been open before, but now that the political situation was clear, she was no longer forthcoming.
Things were about to get hard. "Just about when I was about to enjoy this new life..."
"...another dick came up to me just so that his balls could be kicked by me."