Chapter 51
Young Kane's POV
The place Xavier brought me to was a training ground unlike any I had ever seen.
There were complete training facilities, a clean well, and a modest wooden cabin that offered shelter from wind and rain. For someone who had just crawled out of the beast arena's iron cage, this felt like another world entirely.
"From today on, you'll live here," Xavier said, pointing to the cabin. "Training starts after sunrise and ends before sunset. Help yourself to food when you're hungry, drink from the well when you're thirsty."
I nodded, not daring to ask questions. My right eye still throbbed with pain, and the shoulder where the lizard had bitten me burned fiercely.
But more than the pain, what occupied my mind was this: why would a man powerful enough to casually grant me the gift of flame choose to help me?
Xavier seemed to read my confusion. He crouched down, his golden eyes level with mine. "Do you know why Silver Moon sent you here?"
"Father said... it was for peace," I answered quietly.
"Peace?" Xavier's laugh was cold. "No. It's because your Alpha needed a bargaining chip he could sacrifice at any moment. And Blood River's Alpha needed a toy he could torment whenever he pleased."
His words cut into me like knives.
I clenched my jaw, refusing to let tears fall.
"But I don't need toys," Xavier said, rising to his feet. "What I need are true warriors."
---
Days passed like this.
Xavier was often absent, sometimes disappearing for days at a time. But the training regimen he left behind was exhaustively detailed—from basic footwork and strength conditioning to weapon mastery and tactical thinking, every element had specific requirements.
I practiced relentlessly. Because I knew that only by becoming strong enough could I survive in this place that devoured the weak.
One day, Xavier returned to the training ground with his warrior squad. I was practicing swordwork when he casually pointed to what seemed like the most ordinary soldier in the formation. "Spar with him for a few rounds."
The soldier hesitated but approached. I gripped my wooden sword, recalling everything I'd learned during this time.
The moment we engaged, I realized he was holding back.
Even so, I found an opening—after a feint, I slipped through a gap in his defense and pressed my wooden blade against his throat.
Surprised murmurs rippled through the onlookers. The soldier froze, then smiled wryly in defeat.
"Not bad," Xavier said, walking over and patting my shoulder. "But not enough."
He waved the soldier away and positioned himself before me. "Come. Show me your true strength."
I took a deep breath and assumed an attack stance.
But in the next instant, Xavier toyed with me like a cat with a mouse, effortlessly evading every strike. Using only one hand, he made me look like a complete fool.
Finally, I collapsed to my knees, gasping for air, my wooden sword long since fallen from my grip.
"Remember how this feels," Xavier said, looking down at me. "This is the gap between you and a true warrior."
In that moment, an unprecedented hunger ignited within me—I would become strong enough to catch up to his shadow.
---
Training became even more grueling. I devoted nearly every waking moment to practice, replaying the day's movements in my mind even as I slept.
It was during this period that I began noticing something strange.
Whenever I trained in the yard, I could feel a pair of eyes watching me. The gaze came from the wooden cabin at the edge of the training ground, quiet and focused through the window.
At first I thought it was my imagination, but as time passed, the sensation of being observed grew increasingly distinct.
Finally, one day, I'd had enough.
Why should I struggle here while someone else could hide safely inside, watching me like some performance?
I picked up a stone, aimed at that window, and hurled it with all my strength.
Glass shattered with a crash.
An old servant rushed out, face flushed with anger. "You insolent boy! How dare you throw stones at the window! So disrespectful!"
"Someone inside keeps spying on my training," I said coldly. "That's why I did it."
The old servant paused, then sighed. "Do you even know who's inside?"
"Who?"
"Lord Xavier's daughter!" The servant lowered his voice. "Of course, I cannot tell you her name! Lord Xavier has made many enemies in his campaigns, which is why he keeps his daughter hidden. The poor girl is simply bored staying inside all day—watching your training helps pass the time. Don't make such a fuss."
I froze.
Xavier's daughter?
"I'm sorry," I said, lowering my head. "I didn't know..."
The servant waved dismissively. "Fine. Just be more careful next time."
---
After that, I no longer resisted those watching eyes.
In fact, I began to grow accustomed to their presence.
During breaks from sword practice, I would unconsciously glance toward that window, as if confirming something.
And those eyes were always there, quiet and gentle.
The feeling was strange—as though in this cold, cruel world, someone cared about me in silence.
We had never spoken, never even met face to face. Yet those eyes became my greatest comfort during training.
Finally, one day, I gathered my courage and approached that door.
I knocked and said to the maid who answered, "I... I'd like to meet the young lady."
The maid shook her head apologetically. "That's not possible. The master has ordered that no outsiders may approach the young lady."
"I'm not a bad person," I insisted. "I'm someone Lord Xavier took in..."
Before I could finish, a fist strike suddenly came from behind.
I instinctively dodged sideways but was still pushed back several steps by the force.
"Hahaha!" Xavier's hearty laughter rang out. "Boy, trying to chase girls and you pick my daughter?"
My face instantly flushed red. "I'm not... I was just curious..."
"Curious?" Xavier raised an eyebrow. "Fine then. Beat me, and I'll satisfy your curiosity."
His hand-to-hand combat skills were formidable—normally I could barely last three exchanges.
But today, I noticed his movements were slightly sluggish, especially around his right waist, where he seemed to have a fresh injury.
I gritted my teeth and decided to take a chance.
As he attacked again, I feinted defense then suddenly switched to offense, striking toward his injured waist.
The instant my fist made contact with his skin, a massive electric current surged into my body. The numbing sensation spread through my entire frame, nearly buckling my legs.
"I give up!" I quickly retreated, shaking my tingling hand. "I won't look, I won't look!"
But Xavier only laughed more heartily.
He lifted his shirt, revealing a vicious wound on his waist—the mark of lightning strike and burn.
"You little schemer! Trying to exploit an injury! Got zapped, didn't you!" He laughed. "Hahaha, as for seeing my daughter—we'll talk about that another time."
Just then, a warrior hurried over. "My lord, the Alpha requests your presence for a council meeting regarding the upcoming battle."
Xavier nodded and turned to leave.
I stared at my electrified right hand, where a small current still lingered at my fingertips.
When I clenched my fist, that current suddenly discharged, striking the wild grass at my feet.
A small patch of grass instantly charred black.
My eyes widened in shock as I stared at my own hand.
Just then, the cabin door opened.
The old maid emerged carrying a basin of water with a pink towel resting on top—decidedly girlish.
She said nothing, simply set the basin by the door, then quietly closed it again.
I looked at that pink towel, warmth rising in my chest.
Was this her way of showing concern?
I walked over and used the towel to wipe the sweat from my face.
It carried a faint floral fragrance, gentle and soft, reminding me of those eyes that had been watching over me all along.