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 went

to most of the sixth

"Sixth movement, I s..."

his body stiffened. His eyes widened, and his

"The sixth movement?"

grasped the sides of my shoulders as Grandmaster Keiki's face inched closer to

"Hold on a minute."

with how close his face was

the sixth movement? No, as a matter of fact, how did you even learn the fifth movement? Even I myself have

"Toshimoto, is everything okay?"

"What's wrong with you?"

It was only after he turned around and explained that they finally understood. Both showed similar shocked

"Is this even possible?"

it possible for him to reach the sixth movement when

at them

two should know better than anyone that this

shifted his gaze

"Young man..."

as if he had made

possible, can you teach me

"Ehm."

sudden request left me at a loss for words. How did it go from me asking for them to

for a moment, I shook

"No, I'm sorry."

showed a disappointed look. He

You probably don't

"That's not it."

he could misunderstand the reason for

didn't reject you because I didn't want to teach you. The reason why I can't teach you is because you're not yet at a

of an exaggeration to say that I had completed the sixth movement. In point of fact, I only mastered about half of it, and the

like Grandmaster Keiki were to learn it, he'd explode on the spot.

yet at a level where

me with a confused look. I smiled at him and didn't

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

and looked at the three

time.

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

idea of how to develop my very

***

a daze. 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 doing

steal from other people. Furthermore, since she didn't use a sword, it wouldn't

his real