Norton slept soundly until noon, so soundly that his clothes were creased. Realizing it would be impolite to meet his teacher in such a state, he summoned Maia to help him change into a fresh set of clothes. Once presentable, he waited by the door to greet Miss Triss upon her arrival.
As Triss stepped out of her carriage, Norton noticed she seemed quite weary, likely due to the recent frenzy caused by the fake threat of the Strigoi vampires. This unintentional chaos, which led to heightened vigilance among the academy’s staff, left Norton feeling somewhat guilty.
“But because of this, Miss Triss’s delicate demeanor seems even more pronounced, making her appear even more beautiful,” Norton thought to himself. Just as he mused on this, Triss alighted from the carriage, her fatigue evident as she stumbled slightly. Norton hurried over to assist her.
"You look very tired," Norton remarked, extending his hand to her. However, Triss laughed softly, declining his help.
"I’m not so old that I need a child to support me," she said, raising a hand to gently wave him off. After a brief pause to steady herself, she continued toward the castle.
Norton felt a bit embarrassed and disappointed; it was clear Triss regarded him purely as a junior, a notion he found slightly disheartening despite its accuracy.
"What happened?" Norton asked as he walked alongside Triss towards the castle.
"Those Strigoi rebels," Triss replied with irritation. "The recent discoveries sparked some panic, so the Citizen Assembly decided to act first. We launched attacks on several Strigoi strongholds under our control, fighting from last night through this morning."
She paused, muttering under her breath, "Truly disgusting."
“Disgusting?” Norton caught the remark despite Triss’s attempt to suppress it.
“Oh, it’s nothing… Their resistance was just fierce, which was a bit exhausting,” Triss added, appearing a bit flustered. Norton wisely chose not to pursue the topic further, instead offering consolation.
“That sounds tough. Next time, please prioritize your rest. You can always skip a lesson,” Norton suggested.
“That won’t do,” Triss refused with a smile. “A little fatigue is nothing compared to ensuring you receive a proper education. As the heir to the von Carstein family, it’s crucial I teach you well.”
With such exchanges, they entered Dekenhof Castle. Triss, skipping the usual tea and snacks, dove into the lesson. Rather than heading to Norton’s room, they proceeded to the basement, equipped with ample space and training equipment. Though her purpose was to teach, her fatigued state urged for an efficient session, which Norton eagerly anticipated.
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“Is today’s lesson on magic again? I’ve practiced the technique you taught me to better control the Winds of Magic. What's next?” Norton inquired.
“Today’s lesson isn’t about magic,” Triss replied, steering away from the alchemy lab and towards the adjacent combat arena. “You’ve completed the basics of black magic over the past month. Today we’re focusing on weapon and hand-to-hand combat.”
“Eh?!” Norton voiced his discontent.
While he valued this world’s rich magical energy and its applications, Norton looked down on its rudimentary martial arts. As a former officer who defeated countless alien threats, he saw no worth in medieval tactics.
Feeling a faint superiority, Norton objected, “Why must we? I think magic is more beneficial and don’t see the need to learn combat skills.”
“Why do you think that?” Triss asked, surprised by her normally compliant student’s resistance.
“On the battlefield, a vampire necromancer who commands vast undead armies holds much more power than a lone warrior, no matter how skilled,” Norton reasoned, quickly formulating his argument. “My ambition is to study strategy, tactics, and necromancy, with supplementary skills in augmentation and debilitation spells. As for martial skills, I believe the Blood Dragons of the Abhorash family are more suited for that. It’s not for me.”
“An excellent argument,” Triss acknowledged with a gentle smile. “It’s impressive for you to realize this at your age.”
Just as Norton felt he had persuaded her, Triss, still smiling, delivered disappointing news: “But it’s still necessary.”
“Why?!” Norton protested. “Spreading oneself too thin leads to achieving nothing. My goal on the battlefield is to be a commander, not a frontline brawler!”
“Bold statement, indeed. By your logic, Sylvania’s knight orders have no reason to exist,” Triss chuckled, then explained, “I understand your aspirations and agree there’s merit in your reasoning. But there’s a reason you need combat training.”
“What reason?” Norton asked.
“Do you know the greatest weakness of an undead army?” Triss posed, prompting Norton to think.
“Umm…” Despite his cleverness, Norton was momentarily stumped. Undead troops boasted unparalleled discipline, could be trained to near-perfection through necromancy, and had endless endurance, loyalty, and numbers. Constructed through bone and black magic, they were somewhat fragile, but enhancements could remedy this. They feared nothing, required no sustenance or rest, making them seemingly the perfect soldiers. Besides magical constructs like golems, nothing rivaled undead warriors.
Seeing her sharp student stumped by her question filled Triss with satisfaction, momentarily dispelling her fatigue. Smiling confidently, she prepared to reveal the answer before Norton could.
But he quickly interrupted, “The commander.”
“Little rascal,” Triss silently cursed, reflecting on the drawbacks of teaching a brilliant student. Norton's earlier confusion had likely been feigned, aiming to undercut her moment of triumph in retaliation for forcing him into unwanted lessons.
“Correct, it’s the commander. Kill the vampire in command, and the undead become targets, unable to act. Despite often having the upper hand, opponents have frequently turned the tide by successfully implementing decapitation tactics.”
Triss paused, adopting a lecturing tone, “Now, do you understand the purpose of learning combat?”
Norton shook his head, persisting in his stance, “I still believe that focusing on too many areas leads to failure. Mastery of magic offers defense as well. For combat support, I can rely on my undead minions and kin. By creating more high-level undead and enlisting vampire knights, I can ensure my protection.”