Anthony's hand was already there when Jiang's knees finally gave out.
It wasn't dramatic. No rush, no shouted concern. Just a firm grip at Jiang's arm and shoulder, steadying him until his feet were properly under him again. Anthony didn't say anything at first. He waited until Jiang's breathing evened out, until the tremor in his hands faded.
Only then did he speak.
"Well done," Anthony said quietly.
Jiang let out a slow breath and straightened the rest of the way, rolling his shoulder once. "Thank you."
Anthony studied him from head to toe, eyes sharp but calm. "You adapted faster than I expected. That weapon wasn't forgiving, and you didn't treat it like it would be." He paused, then added, almost thoughtfully, "Most people panic when something doesn't respond the way they want. You didn't."
Jiang gave a faint, tired smile. "I didn't have the luxury."
Anthony huffed a quiet laugh. "No. You didn't."
He stepped back half a pace, giving Jiang space, then continued, his tone shifting, still respectful, but firmer. "That said, don't misunderstand what just happened."
Jiang met his gaze, attentive.
"Defeating a Transcendent Knight does not mean you've reached that realm," Anthony said plainly. "Lucien lost today because of his mindset. Not because he lacked strength."
Jiang nodded. He hadn't expected anything else.
"If he had treated you as a true threat from the beginning," Anthony went on, "if he'd committed fully instead of trying to overwhelm you with raw force, the fight would've looked very different." He didn't soften it. "You know that."
"I do," Jiang replied without hesitation.
Anthony seemed satisfied by the answer. "Good. Strength that isn't used properly is wasted. And talent without humility…" He glanced briefly in the direction Lucien had left. "…stagnates."
The dust was still settling around them. Broken boards lay scattered where Lucien had been thrown through the wall, the training ground scarred with impact marks and shattered wood. Anthony looked over it all with an expression that held neither regret nor pride, just acceptance.
"This duel wasn't about beating him," Anthony continued. "It was about showing him a flaw he couldn't ignore. He relies on what he already has. You forced him to confront what he lacks."
Jiang listened in silence.
"I'm also glad you used a weapon he couldn't use," Anthony admitted. "Losing against a weapon he couldn't use cuts deeper than losing with something you're familiar with." His mouth twitched. "That lesson will stay with him longer than a dozen lectures."
There was a brief pause.
Then Anthony turned back to Jiang and said, almost casually, "If you want, I'll take you on as my student."
Jiang blinked.
Anthony didn't dress it up. "Under me, you'd grow faster. Your body, your control, your understanding of recoil and momentum, I can refine all of it. I won't waste your time."
Jiang considered it for only a moment before shaking his head. "I'm honored," he said, and meant it. "But not yet."
Anthony raised an eyebrow, but didn't interrupt.
"I don't reject teachers," Jiang continued calmly. "It's just that I need to walk my own path a little longer. If I bind myself too early, I won't know what kind of warrior I'm actually meant to become."
Anthony studied him for a long second.
Then he smiled.
"Fair enough," he said. "When you do choose a master, make sure it's someone who sharpens the road you're already on. Not someone who tries to replace it."
Jiang inclined his head. "I will."
Anthony clapped him once on the shoulder. "I assume that now you have your weapon, you're ready to leave."
He turned slightly and added, "But it'd be rude to send you off without a meal. Come, let us eat a meal that will replenish your strength."
The tension bled out of the moment after that.
They ate together, Anthony, his household, a handful of guards, and Lucien, who sat quieter than before. There was no apology spoken across the table, no forced reconciliation. Just food, muted conversation, and the shared understanding that something had changed.
When it was time to leave, Jiang retrieved his horse himself.
He carefully secured the weapon in its reinforced case, checking the straps twice and tightening them by hand. The weight settled against the saddle, solid and undeniable. It felt… right.
As he led the horse toward the gate, footsteps approached from the side.
Jiang stiffened slightly.
Lucien stopped a few paces away.
He didn't glare this time. His expression was restrained, composed in a way Jiang hadn't seen before.
Lucien bowed, not deeply, but sincerely.
"Thank you," he said.
Jiang was caught off guard enough to say nothing at first.
"For the duel," Lucien continued. "And for the lesson." His jaw tightened briefly. "I needed it."
Lucien hesitated, then added, "The next time you visit… I'd like to spar again. Properly."
A corner of Jiang's mouth lifted. "I'd welcome it. And you don't need to wait for me to come here." He gestured behind him. "North Pine's gates are open."
Lucien met his eyes, then extended his hand.
They shook.
Not friends. Not rivals.
Something in between.
Jiang mounted his horse a moment later and rode out through the gate. The estate receded behind him as the road opened up ahead, sunlight stretching across the path.
There were no grand thoughts as he rode.
Just the quiet certainty that another line had been crossed, another future nudged onto a different course.
And that this was only the beginning.