HST: Chapter 194/195

Chapter 194: Disciple, Buff Above

"Caelan-sama, what a coincidence."

Kyros's mouth twitched.

He had just been relieved that he managed to stop Rebecca from meeting Caelan, but he didn't expect to run into him right around the corner.

Now, everything was ruined!

"Caelan-sama, when did you arrive?"
Kyros asked, his face full of awkwardness.

"I've been here since the very beginning."
Caelan looked at Kyros and smiled.

This guy was truly irritating.

He actually tried to stop a beautiful girl who admired him. Luckily, he discovered it early. Otherwise, he would have missed meeting Rebecca.

She was a fair and delicate girl with pink hair. Even though she wasn't wearing the "tight" armor that increases an opponent's attack speed, the fitted princess dress still showed her good figure.

In terms of appearance, she was exactly Caelan's type. The fact that she was related to Violet made him even more interested.

Caelan looked at Rebecca with open admiration in his eyes, and then sincerely invited her. "Rebecca, your swordsmanship is pretty good. Are you interested in following me?"

"But Father said I'm not strong enough and might cause you trouble."
Rebecca looked like she wanted to agree but couldn't, clearly conflicted.

She had been confident that with her strength as a swordswoman, she could be of help to Caelan.
But after her father's repeated words, she started to doubt herself.

"It won't be any trouble. I think you have great talent in swordsmanship, and I really want to give you some guidance."

"So, are you willing to learn swordsmanship from me?"

Caelan reached out and gently touched Rebecca's soft pink hair, finding it silky to the touch.

"I am willing, Caelan-sama!"

Rebecca was so excited that her face turned red as she agreed without hesitation.

She never expected that her talent would be acknowledged by Caelan.

This was her idol. She was so thrilled!

"Caelan-sama, you have so many important things to do. Wouldn't it be a waste of time to spend it teaching Rebecca?"
When Kyros saw Caelan's actions, his sense of crisis grew stronger.

The moment they met, he started taking liberties. This man has ulterior motives!

Men understand men best. It doesn't look like Caelan's intention is to teach his daughter swordsmanship. He's afraid that sooner or later he'll end up teaching her in bed.

"How could it be a waste of time?"
Caelan dismissed Kyros's comment and then said, looking into Rebecca's expectant eyes, "Just giving pointers during my own practice isn't a problem at all."

When he practiced before, he had also trained with Nami and the other girls, guiding them as well.

Now that the Nami group's strength had entered a slow-growth phase, they no longer needed constant guidance.

With his experience, teaching Rebecca would be easy.

"Thank you, Caelan-sama!"
Rebecca's eyes curved into crescents as she bowed to Caelan, a happy expression on her face to show her gratitude.

"Well then, since Caelan-sama doesn't mind my daughter, I'll leave Rebecca in your care."
Seeing this, Kyros felt helpless.

He didn't know what to do about his daughter who was so eager to offer herself!

But after all, she was still his daughter, so he had to make some effort.

After thinking for a moment, Kyros said to Rebecca seriously, "Since Caelan-sama wants to teach you swordsmanship, you must treat Caelan-sama as your Sensei, understand?"

"I understand, Father!"

Rebecca answered without hesitation.

It was only natural for her to respect Caelan as a Sensei since he was going to teach her swordsmanship.

Caelan immediately saw through Kyros's intentions.

This father clearly wanted to use the master-disciple relationship to restrict any further development between him and Rebecca.

But after seeing so many cases where disciples ended up going against their masters, he didn't care about this.

Instead, he became even more excited at the thought of his pink-haired female disciple.

Wouldn't this give him an attack speed buff?

"Don't worry. I'll teach Rebecca well."
Caelan patted Kyros on the shoulder and left with Rebecca.

Rebecca, you must take care of yourself and don't fall too early!

Kyros reached out as if wanting to say something but hesitated, and in the end, just watched the two leave.

---

Soon, Caelan brought Rebecca to his courtyard.

"Are you not confident in your own abilities?"
Caelan asked, rubbing his chin.

In fact, Rebecca's strength was quite good. She was already a swordswoman at a young age.

Compared to the current Zoro, there wasn't much difference.

"Yes, a little. I am far behind Caelan-sama."
Rebecca said, a little dejected.

"Are you comparing yourself to me? That's aiming a bit too high."
Caelan stroked Rebecca's long pink hair and said, "But with my guidance, I believe you'll improve quickly as long as you're obedient."

"I will be obedient. Please teach me strictly, Caelan-sama!"

Rebecca bowed deeply, inadvertently revealing her snow-white curves.

"You're very motivated. I acknowledge that!"
Caelan was momentarily stunned by the whiteness of her chest and acknowledged Rebecca's… strong determination.

"Then, our sword training will officially begin. I will teach you the Secret Sword, Swallow Return!"

Caelan looked into Rebecca's eyes seriously.

"The Secret Sword, Swallow Return?!"
Rebecca's face became serious, and she looked at Caelan excitedly.

"The Secret Sword, Swallow Return, allows a mortal to cut through a swallow in flight."

Caelan nodded and began to explain the origins of the technique.

"Cutting a swallow? That sounds kind of ordinary."
Rebecca commented somewhat cryptically.

In fact, for her, with her current swordsmanship, cutting a swallow wasn't very difficult.

"This is a great sword technique, one that can make someone worthy of being called a sword master. The key is not in cutting a swallow itself, but in allowing a mere mortal to be capable of cutting a swallow."
Caelan shook his head slightly, smiling.

In the world of pirates, many sword techniques indeed weren't that powerful.

But the concepts within them had real merit.

If the first stage of Swallow Return isn't enough, then there is still the seventh stage. It was enough to leave someone like Doflamingo so depressed that he locked himself away.

"A mortal cutting a swallow?"
Rebecca became even more confused.

How can an ordinary person cut a swallow?

Swallows fly high and fast, free spirits of the sky. She herself had learned flying slashes, so she could cut birds in the sky.

"Swallows are migratory birds that can sense air currents. When a mortal swings a sword, the swallow senses the change in air and changes direction."

"So, a single sword strike cannot kill a swallow. You need a second strike to block the path the swallow will take to dodge. But their reaction is so sharp that they may still dodge to the side even with the second strike. Therefore, there must be a third strike to block their sideways escape."

"One strike forces movement, one strike cuts, and one strike kills. When the Swallow Return is unleashed, three strikes are launched at different angles almost at the same time, leaving the swallow no way to escape and guaranteeing its death."

Caelan explained in detail.

It sounded simple, just three strikes.

But it was completely different in actual combat. The enemy, like the swallow, was constantly changing position.

Therefore, the directions of the three strikes must be adjusted on the spot, while still maintaining full speed and power, to deliver a fatal blow in an instant.

"Poor swallow."
Rebecca stuck out her tongue, lamenting the swallow's tragic fate.

What crime did the swallow commit to deserve such a terrifying technique?

Which sword master was so bored that they created such a move just to kill swallows?

"Fool. The swallows are pitiful, but your enemies are not."
Caelan flicked Rebecca on the forehead and scolded her with a smile.

"I understand, Sensei!"
Rebecca covered her forehead, looking pitiful.

If an enemy were to face such a move, they would definitely fall into despair.

In a daze, she imagined herself as a carefree swallow.

While flying freely in the sky, three flashes of sword light suddenly appeared.

Going forward meant death, retreating meant death, and turning sideways also meant death.

Death, death, death!

Trapped with no way out!

Rebecca was shocked by the killing intent behind the Swallow Return.

She couldn't help but feel excited. This kind of move was a supreme secret skill for any swordsman, one that would only be passed down at the final moment.

"Sensei, I want to learn this!"
Rebecca said excitedly, her eyes shining.

(To be continued.)

Chapter 195: I Came at the Wrong Time

"No problem."

Caelan agreed without hesitation.

Then, under Rebecca's astonished gaze, he grabbed her hand.

"Hand-in-hand teaching, is that okay?"
Caelan whispered into Rebecca's ear.

"No problem."

Rebecca's voice trembled as she obeyed.

This hands-on guidance from a sensei is the kind of treatment a disciple in a dojo would get.

Caelan-sama really treats her as his own!

But, won't this kind of teaching involve a lot of physical contact?

Rebecca glanced at Caelan secretly, feeling a little shy.

"Then let's get started."

Caelan held Rebecca's hand and guided her through the Swallow Return movements.

"Yes, Sensei."

Rebecca relaxed her body so Caelan could guide her more effectively.

But the friction between their bodies left her mind in a daze, and she couldn't keep up with Caelan's movements.

"Be serious."

Caelan's calm voice made Rebecca's heart tremble.

She quickly cast aside all distracting thoughts and immersed herself in Caelan's precise instruction.

With Caelan's dedicated teaching, her progress was obvious.

"If I were to be ranked among famous pirate teachers, I'd probably be two levels higher than Rayleigh," Caelan thought to himself with satisfaction as he observed Rebecca's growth.

While teaching enthusiastically, he also enjoyed the process of guiding a beautiful girl.

He held Rebecca's hand, pressing close against her body as they practiced in perfect synchronization.

Rebecca's hands weren't soft and delicate. She was already a swordswoman at a young age, and both hard work and talent were indispensable.

After years of holding a sword, her hands had become slender yet strong, carrying a sense of perseverance and flexibility.

Well, just like Tashigi's hands. Very comfortable to hold.

Her body had also grown flexible and energetic through long-term sword training.

She exuded a strong youthful aura, the very image of a passionate young girl.

"That's great,"

Caelan sighed silently in his heart.

At that moment, Caelan noticed Rebecca's movements were incorrect. He immediately guided her body and said, "This way, it will be more powerful."

With his current level of swordsmanship, teaching while enjoying himself was nothing more than basic training.

"Oh, I see!"

Rebecca quickly nodded, committing the adjustment to memory.

In the blink of an eye, several days passed under this serious training.

It was another sunny afternoon, and Caelan was still teaching Rebecca step by step.

The two of them pressed close to each other, moving with perfect understanding. Whether drawing or sheathing their swords, their movements were as smooth as flowing water, almost like a single person.

The sharp sword light of the Secret Sword, Swallow Return, flashed at extreme speed.

The large sycamore leaves floating in the courtyard were shattered by the sharp white sword light, falling to the ground in pieces as small as ants.

But within this cold sword light, there was a faint pink atmosphere around Caelan and Rebecca.

"Sensei, will you still be teaching me step by step?"

During a short break, Rebecca asked with a blushing face.

After a few days of practice, she had already mastered the basics of Swallow Return. From now on, it was only a matter of diligent practice.

"Why? Does Rebecca not like sensei's teaching?"

Caelan leaned close to Rebecca's ear, chuckling as he asked.

He had no intention of ending this teacher-disciple interaction.

"No, no!" Rebecca denied loudly at first, then whispered softly, "I like it very much."

She didn't know why, but she always felt safe when Caelan was with her.

The warm scent of the sun on Caelan's body and the feeling of being held close to him made her unable to stop.

Even at the end of each day, she couldn't help but look forward to the next day's training.

But… is this a bad thing?

Rebecca thought shyly and awkwardly.

"It's almost time for a break. Let's do one more round."

Caelan once again took hold of Rebecca's slender, strong hand.

"Um."

Rebecca's voice was as soft as a mosquito, but her body obediently leaned into Caelan's arms.

The two pressed together again, and sword lights flashed across the courtyard.

But this time, Rebecca's thoughts wandered.

Even though the sword techniques were the focus of the training, she couldn't concentrate.

The burning breath behind her and the ambiguous atmosphere created by the friction with Caelan distracted her more and more, to the point she could hardly hold on to her sword.

Caelan-sama's embrace is so warm!

Rebecca thought absentmindedly.

Soon, Caelan also noticed something was wrong with Rebecca. He silently stopped his movements, still holding Rebecca in his arms.

"Well, is it over?"

Rebecca came back to her senses and muttered to herself in confusion.

"No, this is just the beginning."

Caelan gently pinched Rebecca's face and then, to her surprise, kissed her on the lips.

"Hmm~"

Rebecca's beautiful eyes widened as she let out a startled hum.

Caelan. Caelan-sama!

He actually kissed her!

In an instant, Rebecca's face turned red, and she froze completely.

"No! Uh-huh~"

Rebecca gasped as she felt his tongue enter her mouth.

And then, her mouth was sealed.

She could only passively endure Caelan's advances, completely unable to resist.

Rebecca had completely sunk!

After a while, their lips parted, leaving a crystal-like thread between them.

"I like you, Rebecca."

Without hesitation, Caelan confessed to another girl.

Even though he had said it many times before, he meant it each and every time.

"This, this, this!"

Rebecca's mind went blank. She was completely overwhelmed.

She thought of Caelan's serious teaching over the past few days, and of their intimate actions, like those between a Sensei and student, or even a couple.

In a daze, Rebecca instinctively responded, "Sensei, I like you too!"

Hearing this, a smile appeared on Caelan's face. He hugged Rebecca's flexible, coordinated body tightly and was about to kiss her again.

At that moment, Violet, who was bringing lunch, walked into the courtyard and saw Caelan and Rebecca holding each other.

Caelan and Rebecca also saw Violet, and the world fell silent for a moment.

"I'm sorry. It seems I came at the wrong time."

Violet gave an awkward smile, her toes practically digging a three-bedroom, one-living-room hole into the ground.

(To be continued.)