"Optimistic about this last trial?" Captain Desmo Reel questioned as he fixed his gaze on the child standing before him.

Their group had just reached the training ground which would be the final venue of the assessment when he saw his student walking towards him.

Yvonne had come over to speak to him about this trial and to hear what were his last pieces of advice before the trial could begin.

Hearing his query now, the little girl tilted her head while looking up to her trainer.

'Are you questioning your own teachings or is it that you do not have faith in your student?' She wondered while raising her brows at him.

Desmo rolled his eyes when he saw the doubtful look on her face coupled with a tinge of mockery hidden inside it.

"Do not underestimate your elder brother's skills." He warned her in reply to the expressions that he had witnessed appearing on her face.

Yvonne paused and then nodded her head as she had indeed heard about how well her elder brother was performing in his classes from their parents.

Raylene was in constant touch with him through letters so she would often inform the other two family members about his progress in school just as she would inform Howard about Yvonne's classes with her trainer.

'She said that he is the best in his class when it comes to swordsmanship.' She recalled the information she had on him.

Glimpsing at the boy with subtle movements, she found that he was talking to their father and mother while standing next to the table which held the swords that would be used in the trial.

"Remember and utilize the steps which I taught you during our training." Captain reminded her about the times they had spent training.

This man was ruthless in his actions even when he did not use his entire strength.

His speed and his technique were enough to let Yvonne face bitter defeat every time she confronted him in their sparring matches.

However, thanks to his violent training, she had now mastered how to dodge his attacks and at the same time, she had also quick in thinking of what counter-attacks could be made to save herself.

"To defend yourself is just as important as attacking your opponent." He repeated his favorite lesson which he taught to every single student that ever trained under him.

While attacking a weaker opponent, advancing offensively was the best option to defeat them.

Though one could not always meet opponents weaker than themselves.

When the opponent's strength is far higher than yours, the best method to go about such a situation was to bide your time.

Defending yourself and dodging attacks that might cause massive damage to your body was the most advisable step to take.

However, even when you are on the defense you could try and find one spot, one weakness that the opponent might have.

Once such a point was found, ruthlessly attacking that weakness would be your best chance at winning against them.

"Defend until you know when to attack." Yvonne spelled out the technique she had learned from Captain during their training.

'Grandpa would say the same thing.' She remembered the old man who had taught her self defense for a major part of her life.

He too had given her similar lessons, proving that there was no shame in defending yourself until you were ready to attack.

'Make sure that your one attack is an equal and fitting reply to all the blows that you've received.' Grandpa Leo had once taught her this lesson which she kept in her heart until this day.

She changed worlds and bodies but the memories of the lessons she had learned from him were clear in her mind.

This expressed just how much she valued him and his teachings.

"Are you ready?" A voice came from behind, dragging her out of her trip down memory lane.

Turning around, she found that the source of the voice was her elder brother who stood with a sword in his hand.

These were the same wooden swords that she and her trainer had practiced with for the past month.

In reply to his inquiry, Yvonne nodded her head and glanced at her trainer who also nodded as an indication that she was ready to face this challenge.

The little girl took a deep breath in and began walking towards the boy who stood beside the table.

Marquess Samed with his nephews and their friend was already seated on the chairs placed under the canopy, prepared to watch the last trial from the best seats available in the training grounds.

When Yvonne reached the table, she smiled at her parents who were gazing at her with worried eyes.

The cause of their worries which she was unaware of, was this elder brother of hers.

__

Upon arriving at the spot of the last part of the assessment, the parents had some thoughts in their mind which needed to be expressed before their son.

There was something that needed to be discussed before the siblings could begin this last trial and it needed to be done now.

Thankfully, the little girl had gone to speak to her trainer which gave them the opportunity to move ahead in their plan.

Hence, Raylene and Rutherford had gone to their son and decided to have a talk with him while their daughter was busy conversing with the Captain.

Howard looked up at his father and smiled at his mother when he noticed them coming close to his position.

"Son, we need to speak to you." The Earl began the conversation on a solemn note.

The young boy was confused when he saw the strange expressions on their faces but soon that fog of confusion lifted when he heard his father's first sentence.

"We are worried about this last trial…" Rutherford paused and his wife completed the sentence for him.

"Vonny is a little girl, what if she gets hurt?" Raylene muttered in a concerned tone and looked at her good son.

'He should be able to understand what we wish to say here.' The father surmised and was confident that his son was smart enough to find the hidden meaning in their words.

They knew just how competent their son was with his sword which was the leading cause of their fears that something might happen to the little girl during the trial.

'So they have come to ask me to go easy on her?' The boy blinked at his parents without letting out any expression to give them a chance to figure out what he was thinking.

Exhaling out loud, he looked them in the eyes before answering what he thought about the matter that they had put forward before him.

"While I may not use my entire strength against her, I am not willing to be lenient in my assessment." He announced, both accepting and rejecting their request.

He knew of the difference in their physical fitness and also the fact that she was a weak little girl who might not be able to take the brunt of his attacks if he went all out on her.

Therefore he had already decided to control the strength that he would use while evaluating her today.

'All I need to see from her is the seriousness and the techniques she learned.' He recalled the criteria on which he would test her.