"But I don't want to have fair spars with you much longer," Ajax continued changing the mood of the room instantly.
As soon as he heard that, Dean couldn't help but bite his teeth in anger making a grating sound loudly.
"This idiot is making things difficult for me again," thought Dean in his mind. "I hate these kinds of interactions where I can't guess what a person would say next."
"Why? Didn't you just say that you wanted to spar with me?" Jean asked. He was just feeling elated at being indirectly praised by Ajax, but felt that those emotions were suddenly stomped upon.
"You are weak. While I am getting stronger. I fought because it allowed me to get stronger, but there is a limit to it and I will hit it soon," explained Ajax.
"Everybody gets strong Ajax. He will also improve. That is no reason," said Dean.
"It is a valid reason. Even if he breaks through to the knight stage, he can't continue at the same pace. The highest strength of blows at the initial knight stage is close to 2500 kg for a good candidate like him and at knight stage, it isn't bodily strength but the maximum strength displayed by technique. He can't use that for long. So, it is not possible to contend with me for long in a fair fight which you want. I would rather fight with with Timothy or Pete as they have had their breakthroughs," explained Ajax.
"It is not wrong," said Jean calmly.
This made Ajax very happy. All the time, he wanted to make Jean to be his friend and associate, but he also wanted Jean to feel a bit inferior to him. He felt that only such a relationship would allow him to achieve his aim.
On the very first day of the special classes being started, he was given special access to the library at the training facility by Raban on his request. The first two days, he spent almost all of his free time in the library. He looked for various ways to improve his strength and combat techniques.
During that time, he went through various methods of body strengthening in higher stages of cultivation. He also realized that he had the basics of using various combat weapons, but he had never had a chance to use one kind of weapon in his past life.
It was a spear. Be it sword, axes, tomahawks, blades, whips, daggers, bows, guns, staffs, using all of them were trained into him in his past life. He had a very high level of martial arts training. The only exception was spears as an agent had very little chance to use it in combat. It was too long a weapon.
As an agent, he mostly fought in corridors and smaller areas, unlike in this world where fighting in open areas and arenas was a norm. So, a spear has a lot more utility for him now.
It was during these first few days that Syam had started conducting matches between students after the classes and he observed that Jean wields a spear and was quite good at it. On investigating a little bit more, he found out that Jean was a good for a reason. Jean's family all used spear as a main weapon and were famously known for being a family of one of the best spear masters with their own unique style. They even had a martial dojo where they taught the use of spear, but the members of the dojo were considered a part of their clan.
For Ajax, not knowing how to use fight with a weapon is something that he could come to terms with. As an agent, it something that is unacceptable. Even if an agent, didn't use a weapon on regular basis, he needed to know how to use it, because that would allow him to better fight someone using that weapon. Else if he had confronted someone like that, there are much higher chances of him being defeated or killed.
Moreover, spear was the common weapon used in most armies. Be it cavalry or foot soldiers, they commonly carry spears and shields especially border guards as it allowed to maintain more distance and fight beasts and other enemies. Also, his pendant which gave him the inheritance also is shaped like a spear or scepter, so he felt it more sensible to learn spearmanship.
Ajax had decided at that time to learn spearmanship from Jean as it is always better to learn from a more accomplished person. But he couldn't join Jean's clan and they don't teach others just like that. Else, their arts and techniques would be spread to others easily and they would lose their advantage.
Thus, he had planned to get close to Jean. If he revealed his identity as a prince, Jean himself would probably try to get close with him. Even if the Creek family didn't teach their unique skills to him completely, they wouldn't mind teaching him the basics.
Sadly, he can't keep letting others know about his actual identity. So, he had to get close to Jean and he felt that the best way to get close to a teen who wanted to be the best while making sure that the teen didn't look down at him was to defeat him repeatedly, then offer to join hands because the teen was good at something and he wishes to learn and compete in that aspect.
So, he did exactly that. He made sure that Jean fought him and made sure that Jean and others would accept Ajax to be a much stronger fighter. Now all that was left for him to acknowledge his skills in spear and compete with him in the same.
"To be frank, you just want someone to beat you. So, it is easier to pay someone to do that," added Dean.
"I am not going to do any such thing," said Jean. "I don't need anything which he can give me."
"I agree. I knew he wouldn't accept payment. So, I went for competitive matches instead," said Ajax.
"Ok, so Jean you can breakthrough and spar with Ajax if you want to do so," said Dean.
"So, you suggest that we have matches still.." started Jean.
"Yes, despite the fact that your strikes and physique are much weaker compared to Ajax. It is true that you are skilled with the spear. At the same level of strength and physique, it is true that you end being good sparring partners for the other. It is also true that you are second after Ajax. Many don't there fight you seriously because of your lineage either. Without a good rival, it will hamper your development too," said Dean.
"Don't worry instructor. I will no longer hold off by breakthrough. I held back because I thought I could give a shot at being a limit breaker, but I realize that doing so might actually allow others to overcome me," said Jean.
"Oh, good, I am glad to know that," said Dean.
"Still doesn't make him as strong as me. The physical strength of someone who just broke through knight stage is at most slightly more than that of body strengthening stage," said Ajax.
"Yes, but I come from a family who practice body strengthening even during higher stages of cultivation unlike most. So, give me a week and I will catch up enough," said Jean.
"True, the noble clans have their own advantages," said Dean. "They have their own private techniques. Once at knight stage, his technique might allow him to increase his strength at a much larger pace than you Ajax."
Hearing that Ajax, realized that he had seriously overlooked this case. How could he expect that Jean's family had such a technique? He was the prince of the kingdom and he wasn't given any such technique by his family.
"Thank you for having this little talk with us instructor," said Jean looking at Dean and making a little bow. "This gave me some much-needed perspective."
"No thanks required Jean. Your father was our senior. It is all part of my job and I am glad to see Jeremy's son is adaptable and fast. I would make sure to tell him that when I get a chance to see him," said Dean. "You are dismissed. You can return. I have more to talk with Ajax."
"Ok, sir," said Jean as he got up opened the door and left.
"What was your plan?" asked Dean looking at Ajax seriously.
"What plan?" asked Ajax looking at Dean confused.
"You are good. You must have lied a lot in your palace if you this good. It takes some kind of natural talent bordering on evil to be able to lie so effortlessly," said Dean. "I guess your parents wouldn't have been fooled, even if most of the guards and workers in the palace were right?"
"I don't know what you are talking about," said Ajax in a calm plain tone.
"Ok. This time i do believe what you said. You probably didn't ever have to lie to your parents," said Dean.
"I am still confused," said Ajax shaking his head left and right.
"Ok, let me explain you a few things," said Dean. "When a person lies, he needs to think about the lie imagine about it. It takes effort. Most show some physical cues like movement of their eyes, taking some time to get their words out or stammer as they haven't properly made their lies yet. As investigators trained in finding out traitors we are trained in such things."
"When people are thinking to make a store or hiding, there are some other things like mana usage, soul fluctuations etc," continued Dean. "Most king and emperor level cultivators can easily notice this and some hunters also train in techniques which can observe such things."
"And you are one such hunter?" asked Ajax with a weak smile.
"Yes, I am and I noticed you were hiding quite a few things when Jean was the only one still willing to spar against you serious or your respect for him," said Dean.
"So, why did you actually get Jean to fight you?" asked Dean.
"I genuinely respect him for having the spirit to not give up and I didn't lie about that," said Ajax.
"Damn!" said Dean standing up and slamming his hands on the table. "You do respect him for not giving up but you are still hiding something. You can't lie to me kid. Speak up."
"I wanted to learn spearmanship. He is the best spearman among the recruits and practicing against him is the best way..." started Ajax, but before he was stopped by Dean.
"Wait a minute. Wait a minute there. I thought you were a swordsman. You use a sword," interrupted Dean as he walked out from behind the desk and stood behind Ajax.
"Ya. I use a sword," said Ajax.
"And you are actually very good at it, much more skilled than most guards in the fort with only your strength limiting you," added Dean continuing to walk from one side to another while behind Ajax.
"Yeah, I guess I am not bad," said Ajax seated and moving his head looking at Dean walk from one side to another.
"So, why do you want to switch to a spear? I have seen you with a spear. I don't think it suits you," asked Dean.
"I am also good with an axe, dagger and bow as I am with a sword. I intent to try various weapons," said Ajax.
"This conversation is going crazier by the minute," said Dean stopping at one side of the room.
"What is crazy?" asked Ajax genuinely confused.
"Trying to learn so many things at your age," said Dean. "Why don't you just stick to the weapon you like most like all other kids?"
"What if I don't have like one weapon more than the others?" asked Ajax back.
"Are you saying you don't like weapons? You are not one of those stupid pacifists by any chance, right? I heard rumors that the queen, your mother had those tendencies," said Dean.
"I am not a pacifist," spat out Ajax with disgust which surprised Dean. His mother never actively used a weapon so even if he was not a fan, disgust wasn't an emotion expected from Ajax by Dean.
"I only don't want to be limited by a weapon or be defeated due to lack of experience with a kind of weapon," explained Ajax. Ajax with his previous experience as an agent felt it necessary, but Den was just overwhelmed. Dean never heard of such a thing.
"Crazy, it is," sighed Dean.
"It is not crazy. It is not just done before," said Ajax.
"Yes, there is a reason for that, you, dumbass," said Dean. "You spend effort on every kind of weapon who will not be proficient in anyone. You have only held very basic weapons. You didn't even try to ever use a proper mana-based weapon technique as a knight. You will find that learning and using one will take a lot of effort and time. But you wanted to learn the use of multiple weapons!"
"You think it is easy or doesn't take time to use mana along with weapons," continued Dean with his voice raising in volume by the second.
"I work in finding out traitors who present me the stupidest thoughts and reasons for them doing what they did. But this, this is the most stupid thing I have ever heard in my life," he yelled.