Chapter 59: A Cold MemoryAbout five days had passed since Vincent placed me into my memories. I wasn''t sure whether or not my body was fine outside the illusion, but I knew damn well my mental health was deteriorating.

    "Gentleman''s rule number 57?" [Vincent]

    "A gentleman will not betray their comrades." [Solace]

    "Gentleman''s rule number 88?" [Vincent]

    "A gentleman must ask for forgiveness if they''ve done wrong." [Solace]

    Testing by randomly calling out numbers, I was close to finishing my gentleman''s education.

    "Gentleman''s rule number 69." [Vincent]

    "A gentleman shall not overestimate or underestimate themselves." [Solace]

    "Gentleman''s rule number 22." [Vincent]

    "A gentleman may judge a person by their looks as it does not affect their personal feelings or view." [Solace]

    "Good." [Vincent]

    Nodding with approval, Vincent smiled.

    "It appears you''ve finished memorizing all of the Gentlemanly rules. We can now move on to combat training." [Vincent]

    "Really?!" [Solace]

    My exhausted mind lit up with excitement. I really wanted to see what he had in store for me.

    "|Shift|." [Vincent]

    Waving his hand, the room changed. The ground slowly turned uneven, and the air seemed to lower in temperature at an alarming rate.

    "This...!" [Solace]

    Shocked by what I was seeing, the environment changed into a snowy area before I even knew it.

    "This isn''t in my memory...! Where are we?" [Solace]

    "How observant of you. We are in fact NOT in your memory. We''re in mine." [Vincent]

    "This is... surprising." [Solace]

    I scanned the area, still stunned by the scenery. It appeared that we were in a mountainous area, with snow covering all around.

    "You have acquired |Cold Resistance|" [Spirit Guide]

    "Where are we?" [Solace]

    "We''re in the-" [Vincent]

    Just as he was about to speak, a loud roar interrupted him.

    "Wha-?! My ears!" [Solace]

    The voice echoed across the peaks, somehow shaking the ground and giving me shivers that didn''t seem to be from the cold.

    "...As I was saying. We''re in the Jotun''s tundra." [Vincent]

    "Jotun? Like, as in giants?" [Solace]

    "You''re quite knowledgeable. The name Jotun refers to the size of the creatures living in this tundra. You may hear or see a few of them fighting, but that''s normal." [Vincent]

    So he said as I witnessed a mountain shift in the background.

    "Quick question. Are we standing on one of them at the moment?" [Solace]

    "Let me see." [Vincent]

    Raising a foot, he slammed his foot against the ground with tremendous force.

    "Woah!" [Solace]

    The shock seemed to pass through the mountain, which caused the mountain to move accompanied with a pained cry.

    "Huh. Seems we are." [Vincent]

    ("...I want out.") [Solace]

    "Wait. How are you able to interact with it if we''re in your memories?" [Solace]

    "Simple. My illusion magic is so advanced that it can even mimic sentient beings. What I did just now was just interact with it as if I was one of the memories." [Vincent]

    "...That still slightly confuses me." [Solace]

    "Don''t worry about it." [Vincent]

    Ignoring the mountainous beast we were on, he picked up some snow and formed it into a ball.

    "Why are you making a snowball?" [Solace]

    "Preparing your first training. In other words, dodge." [Vincent]

    The moment I heard that, I found my face feeling the cold of snow.

    "Ack!" [Solace]

    "|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]

    Vincent''s snowball struck me so fast that I was almost knocked off my feet. I staggered backwards a bit, but I managed to regain my footing.

    ("When did he throw it?!") [Solace]

    I was just about to complain, however my thoughts changed as soon as I saw another snowball in my master''s hand.

    ("Uh-oh.") [Solace]

    I dashed to the side, barely dodging the snowball and falling into a pile of snow.

    "|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]

    I quickly stood up and shook off the snow, only to jump back in to desperately dodge another snowball.

    "|Cold Resistance| has gained a level." [Spirit Guide]

    "Can you not?!" [Solace]

    "Hm?" [Vincent]

    Pausing his next snowball, he gave me a questioning look.

    "Why are we doing this?" [Solace]

    "I thought I told you. It''s training." [Vincent]

    "All I''m doing is dodge your snowballs though?" [Solace]

    "Dodging is an important asset in combat, no?" [Vincent] Sёarch* The N?velFire(.)net website on Google to access chapters of novels early and in the highest quality.

    Puzzled by his reply, I was at a loss for words.

    "Are you really doing this for my training, or just for your own entertainment?" [Solace]

    "...Yes." [Vincent]

    I stared at him with an unamused expression after his reply.

    "Can we do something else?" [Solace]

    "...You''re not ready." [Vincent]

    "Bruh. I am not willing to keep dodging snowballs for training." [Solace]

    "..." [Vincent]

    My master sighed.

    "Fine. Have it your way." [Vincent]

    Snapping his fingers, the time of day seemed to speed up.

    "...What did you just do?" [Solace]

    "I sped up time in my memory. Soon, your training partner will arrive." [Vincent]

    "My training partner?" [Solace]

    The moment I uttered those words, I was stricken with fear. I felt a bloodcurdling presence approaching from down the mountain, and my instincts told me to run.

    "Wh-who...?" [Solace]

    My mouth and body failed to move. I wanted to run and scream, but there was simply no possible way.

    A man covered in rusty armor came up the mountain, face covered with a dark fog. Torn scraps of cloth clung to him, and he dragged a large sword by his side.

    "My dear disciple, meet my friend from the past. Also known as the sword king Cor Sanguis." [Vincent]