Faced with Fili and Kili's confusion, Bernahl patiently gestured for them to be quiet and explained: "Listen to me first. This combat art involves mentally preparing yourself, lowering your center of gravity, and standing firm, thereby instantly improving defense and reducing damage taken."
Kili still felt Bernahl's words were too fantastical, but he couldn't make up his mind, so he looked at his brother Fili.
Fili carefully recalled how Bernahl had looked when receiving Kili's attack. If his memory wasn't wrong, Bernahl indeed hadn't shown any sign of swaying.
Could what Teacher Bernahl said be true? Fili was somewhat skeptical.
Bernahl shrugged: "If you don't believe it, try it on each other first. Kili, throw a punch at Fili, just like you hit me. Fili, try to perform the Endure combat art as I just described."
Kili's eyes lit up: "Really?"
Fili looked at his brother with an exasperated expression: "Wait a minute—if I fail to perform the combat art, won't I just get punched in the face for nothing?"
Kili nodded in sudden understanding. Just as Fili thought his brother understood what he meant, Kili suddenly showed a confident smile: "Then I won't punch your face—problem solved, right?"
Is punching the face the issue here?! Fili's eyes widened.
Bernahl urged: "Alright, you two move faster, don't dawdle. If you think Kili won't work, then I'll do it instead."
Fili glanced at Bernahl and noticed him eagerly feeling for the knight's greatsword stuck in the ground, quickly saying: "No need, let Kili do it. But Teacher Bernahl, could you please repeat the instructions once more?"
"Of course, no problem. Kili, you listen carefully too. After Fili tries the Endure combat art, it'll be your turn."
Bernahl readily agreed, while Kili, whose name had been mentioned, saw that his brother had suddenly become interested for some reason.
He wouldn't actually want to hit me, would he? Kili wondered.
Fili took a deep breath and crossed his hands in front, assuming the same defensive posture as Bernahl had just shown.
Seeing Fili's lack of confidence, Bernahl said: "It's hard for me to describe what successful execution of the Endure combat art looks like. When you feel your body become as hard as steel in a certain instant, that means you've succeeded. If all else fails, just keep repeating the combat art's name in your mind."
Fili nodded, then nodded to Kili: "Come on."
Kili also unceremoniously swung toward his brother's face.
Endure! Endure! Endure!!!
Fili's orange pupils watched Kili's fist continuously growing larger in his field of vision as he desperately shouted in his mind.
"——!"
Just before Kili's fist struck his cheek, Fili indeed felt his body become as hard as iron, with an indescribable sound emanating from within his body.
Success!
Fili cheered inwardly.
But the next second, burning pain shot through his cheek, making his vision go black.
However, his body, like Bernahl's when attacked earlier, didn't sway at all—though Fili's head with its golden-orange braids and short beard did shake several times.
Only then did Bernahl say with a smile: "Mm, not bad, not bad. You got it in one try and successfully performed Endure. But there's one thing I forgot to tell you—while the Endure combat art can reduce damage taken, the pain you feel won't change."
Fili's whole body tensed as he used all his strength to avoid crying out from the pain in his cheek.
Then he raised his face and looked at Kili with a forced smile, words squeezing out between his teeth: "Kili, your turn."
Kili blinked. No matter how slow his reactions, he understood what Fili would do to him next.
So Kili asked Bernahl: "Teacher Bernahl, could I learn a different combat art instead?"
"No!"
Bernahl and Fili refused in unison, both smiling as they looked at Kili.
Finally, amid Kili's several screams, the Dwarf brothers had basically mastered the Ash of War: Endure technique.
Bernahl seriously warned: "Fili, Kili, even though you've mastered the Endure combat art, unless absolutely unavoidable, don't actively use it to trade blows with enemies. It won't make you invulnerable to weapons, understand?"
Fili collapsed exhaustedly on the field and replied weakly: "We understand, Teacher Bernahl."
Then, seeing both Fili and Kili's faces still swollen despite using Endure and showing signs of fatigue, he took out his Crimson Tear Flask and handed it to Fili.
He weighed the red bottle in his hand: "Tarnes should have told you what effect the liquid in this bottle has, right? Drink it, recover your stamina, and prepare for practicing the next combat art."
Hearing they would practice the next combat art, Fili and Kili showed resigned expressions.
They were beginning to understand why Teacher Tarnes had looked at them with such sympathetic eyes before leaving and had warned Bernahl to restrain himself.
The Dwarf brothers each took the Crimson Tear Flask and drank. Their consumed stamina was quickly replenished, and the physical damage from practicing the Endure combat art rapidly healed.
Seeing Fili and Kili stand up again with adjusted attitudes, ready to face the next combat art lesson, Bernahl once more showed a satisfied smile: "Very good, you're both spirited. What kind of combat art do you want to learn next? If you don't say, I'll choose myself."
Fearing Bernahl would teach them another combat art like Endure, Fili quickly asked: "Teacher Bernahl, could you teach Kili and me that combat art you used against Teacher Tarnes at the beginning of your sparring match?"
Bernahl searched his mind for information about the recent duel, then nodded: "Oh, you mean Vacuum Slice."
Fili and Kili immediately nodded vigorously. This combat art's considerable power and invisible attack method made the Dwarf brothers particularly eager to learn it.
But Bernahl shook his head: "With your current strength, learning Vacuum Slice is still somewhat difficult. Even if I taught it to you now, the power you could achieve wouldn't meet your expectations. To fully master Vacuum Slice, you must start learning from the most basic combat arts, unless..."
Kili asked impatiently: "Unless what, Teacher Bernahl?"
Bernahl looked at Kili: "Unless you possess a weapon imbued with the Vacuum Slice combat art, allowing you to skip the learning stage for this technique."
Then Bernahl looked toward the direction Tarnes had left the training ground: "But among the people I know, only Tarnes seems to have such a weapon. The combat art imbued on that weapon was completed through his collaboration with a highly skilled blacksmith."
After hearing Bernahl's words, Fili immediately thought of the Icerind Hatchet that Thorin treasured and never left his side.
He had heard his uncle mention this battle-axe's origin—it was a gift from Tarnes, a battle-axe with magical abilities. Fili had personally seen Thorin use that axe to casually freeze attacking Orcs into ice sculptures.
Fili glanced at Kili and could clearly see from his expression that he too had thought of Uncle Thorin's battle-axe.
"Such magical weapons are far too precious. I think even Teacher Tarnes couldn't give them away casually, and we've already received so much from Teacher Tarnes... Teacher Bernahl, please let Kili and me start learning from the most basic combat arts." Fili patted his cheek and said with renewed spirit.
Kili also nodded vigorously.
Bernahl praised loudly with satisfaction: "Excellent! Your willingness to build a solid foundation step by step pleases me greatly! Then let's start with the most basic combat arts!"
Fili instinctively looked at his brother Kili while rubbing his sore cheek, asking quietly: "Um, Teacher Bernahl, could we start with combat arts that don't cause pain?"
Bernahl didn't refuse. After nodding, he walked toward the armory while saying loudly: "Of course, no problem! Let's start with Ready Stance!"
Accompanied by the sound of searching through weapons in the armory, Bernahl soon returned carrying three of the most ordinary standard longswords and three heater shields.
He tossed a longsword and shield to both Fili and Kili. The two Dwarves caught them precisely, and now all three held a longsword and shield.
Though the longswords and shields were somewhat unwieldy for Fili and Kili.
After all, they were Dwarves—normal human longswords and medium shields became almost "greatswords" and "greatshields" in their hands. The standard longswords were several inches longer than their legs, and the heater shields nearly covered half their bodies.
Bernahl didn't draw his longsword from its sheath but directly asked Fili and Kili: "I have a question. In close combat, when facing enemies with raised shields, what would you do?"
Kili answered without hesitation: "Of course, quickly circle to the enemy's side or back—places their shield can't protect."
Fili thought for a moment before replying: "If it were me, I'd probably throw a knife at the enemy's eyes. While they raise their shield to protect their upper body, I'd quickly rush in to attack the exposed lower body."
Bernahl said: "Mm, both your approaches are actually correct and reasonable responses when facing shielded enemies. But the Ready Stance I'm going to teach you is a combat art that can directly break through enemy defenses from the front."
He then raised his sheathed longsword parallel to the ground and said to Fili and Kili: "No amount of talking compares to witnessing it firsthand in combat. Fili, raise your shield with both hands and block my attack with all your strength."
With a 'Why am I always the one to suffer first?' expression, Fili grimaced and followed Bernahl's instructions, gripping the heater shield's handle tightly with both hands, raising it to hide his body behind the shield.
"Kili, watch my movements carefully. After you and Fili switch positions, have him observe my movements too." Bernahl said while looking at Fili.
Fili poked his head out from behind the shield, nodded to Bernahl, then quickly ducked back.
Seeing Fili was ready, Bernahl suddenly thrust forward, his sheathed sword striking the shield's lower half from below.
Hiding behind the shield and gripping its handle tightly, Fili felt like he'd been rammed by a goat—he couldn't hold the shield, and his body staggered backward several steps.
If not for the Dwarves' exquisite mastery of their own balance, Fili would have fallen on his rear instead of staggering backward to dissipate the force as he did now.
Of course, this was also largely because Bernahl hadn't used his full strength.
Otherwise, Fili should have been sent flying.
Bernahl quickly reached out to grab Fili's arm, helping him stabilize.
Fili immediately stared in shock at his hands, which seemed to have lost their strength, then looked silently at Kili, his eyes asking what Kili had just seen.
Noticing his brother's gaze, Kili frowned: "Teacher Bernahl just attacked your shield from below quite normally—no, it didn't seem quite normal. The moment Teacher Bernahl moved, I seemed to see something different about the weapon in his hands."
Bernahl didn't hide anything and said directly: "That's the feeling when a combat art is successfully executed. Kili, now it's your turn. Fili, stand where Kili was and observe me carefully."
Kili nodded, picked up the shield, and switched positions with Fili.
Then his performance was the same as Fili's—his shield nearly slipped from his hands as he staggered backward.
Though Kili's face showed undeniable surprise, he also felt anticipation and excitement about learning this combat art.
Fili walked over, also looking surprised: "I understand what Kili meant just now. Teacher Bernahl, when you attacked, there was a moment when all parts of your body reached perfect coordination and maintained it until the attack finished."
Kili nodded repeatedly: "Yes, yes, that's roughly what I was trying to say."
"Good, good, good! You Dwarves are interesting—you could roughly guess the essence of the combat art just from watching once. Alright, you've both seen the Ready Stance demonstration. Now it's your turn to perform the combat art for me. Fili, you go first again." Bernahl said while laughing loudly.
Fili nodded and imitated Bernahl's previous posture.
But Bernahl walked over and reached out to personally correct Fili's posture bit by bit, teaching enthusiastically: "Keep the sword parallel to the ground, and don't lower your center of gravity too much. Relax your muscles, don't be too tense... Kili! Don't just stand there—come see where your brother's posture is wrong so you won't make the same mistakes."
Under Bernahl's guidance and the Dwarf brothers' earnest learning, time flowed like water through fingers, and before they knew it, a month had passed.
Rogier and D returned to the Golden Tree territory, unable to hide their travel fatigue, bringing news of Tharbad.
Moreover, an old friend had returned with them—the three had met in Tharbad's marshlands.
Riding a white horse, wearing gray robes and a wizard's pointed hat, Gandalf looked up in shock at Haight Fortress, Moen City, and Stormveil Castle standing proudly on this land.
After a brief moment of surprise, a faint smile appeared on the old, wise face: "My friend Tarnes has truly given me a great surprise."
[Chapter Complete]
***
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