The Author's POV

I anticipated it would be difficult to convince the three to teach me their arts. I expected to have to make a sacrifice in order to get them to comply, so I was pleasantly surprised to learn that they were willing to teach me their arts without anything in return on my part.

"Are you sure you guys want to teach me, a complete stranger, your arts?"

I emphasized the stranger part.

Five Star Martial manuals were a big deal. The more people knew about them, the worse they became, as they would be dissected to find their weaknesses and flaws; consequently, few people shared them.

Even though I had some familiarity with their arts, particularly the Keiki style, the core of it was quite different from the real Keiki style.

My Keiki style, and Grandmaster Keiki's [Keiki style] were similar yet different. After all, the only thing he handed down to me was knowledge, and when it came to martial arts manuals, knowledge wasn't everything.

"It's fine. If not for you, we would've died without having spread any of our arts to the world yet. We thought we had some time before we could pass them down to those we deemed worth it, but…"

Grandmaster Keiki lowered his head with a frown. Grandmaster Levisha finished the sentence for him.

"…but we ended up in the situation that we're in."

Grandmaster Gravar nodded his head.

"Moreover, based on what I observed earlier, you could have directly forced us to teach you the arts, but you didn't. In addition to your knowledge of Toshimoto's art style, which I have no idea how you acquired, you also seemed to be knowledgeable regarding the Gravar style, and so you are definitely talented enough to learn our arts."

Martial Manuals. Especially for four stars and above, learning requires a certain level of talent. He was trying to hint at the fact that I had the necessary talent to learn their arts due to how I was able to learn the Keiki style.

I felt a little embarrassed hearing their words.

"My talent is not bad, I guess."

"…"

The three looked at me with strange faces, and I turned my head away from them. Their gazes were rather uncomfortable.

"Alright, I'll start first."

Grandmaster Keiki stepped up. He looked at me with an interested look.

"I won't ask you how you've come to learn of my art style, but I'm curious about something."

"Ask away."

"You…"

His eyes narrowed.

"…Just how much of the Keiki style have you learned? Up to what movement?"

"Ah…"

pursed my lips. After musing for a minute, I

to most of the sixth

"Sixth movement, I s..."

Keiki's face froze, and his body stiffened. His eyes

"The sixth movement?"

grasped the sides of my shoulders as Grandmaster

"Hold on a minute."

moved my head away with how close

sixth movement? No, as a matter of fact, how did you even learn the fifth movement? Even I myself have barely even grasped that… That's impossible. Are you lying to

"Toshimoto, is everything okay?"

"What's wrong with you?"

him strangely. Seemingly not understanding why he was behaving like that. It was only

"Is this even possible?"

is it possible for him to reach the sixth movement when even you haven't created it

Keiki looked at them

definitely possible. You two should know better than

his gaze to

"Young man..."

However, as if he had made up his

teach me the

"Ehm."

a loss for words. How did it go from me

moment, I shook

"No, I'm sorry."

disappointed

understand. You probably don't

"That's not it."

off before he could misunderstand the reason

to teach you. The reason why I can't teach you is because you're not yet at a level where you

I could barely use the final movement of the Keiki style. It would be a bit of an exaggeration to say that I had completed the sixth movement. In point of fact, I only mastered about half of it, and

Grandmaster Keiki were to learn it, he'd explode

level where I

with a confused look. I smiled at

me now, but you'll possibly come to understand why I said what

hands and looked at the

time. If possible, I'd like

arriving any moment now. I wanted to maximize the time that I had

would I get a better idea of

***

Her eyes were currently drawn toward four people. They were diligently practicing all sorts of movements and styles in the distance. Although she could hear what they were saying if she wanted to, she restrained herself from

type of person who would blatantly steal from other people. Furthermore, since she didn't use a sword, it wouldn't have been very helpful

wonder what his