Chapter 69: Swordsmanship Lessons and the First Client
In terms of raw swordsmanship, Egger might not have possessed even half the skill of the First Sword whom Arya's father had originally intended to hire. However, teaching a girl the basics is not a duel; high technical proficiency doesn't necessarily translate into an overwhelming advantage in pedagogy.
Egger still clearly remembered that his middle school physics was taught by a PE teacher. It sounds like an outdated joke, but it was the truth. His parents had been busy starting a business back then, so he attended a dilapidated little school in their hometown. That tiny campus lacked for nothing—except specialized teachers for anything other than Chinese and Math. His homeroom teacher was a young woman recently graduated from a sports academy; she taught the entire class both PE and Physics.
The physics level of this convert teacher could only be described as abysmal. She studied the material herself while preparing her lesson plans. Egger could still recall the comical scenes in class where she would correct errors she had made in the previous lecture. Yet, interestingly, even under such backward and harsh conditions, the class's physics scores consistently and significantly led the other two classes taught by normal-school graduates.
For enlightenment, a vast reservoir of knowledge isn't the deciding factor. What matters more is whether the teaching method is engaging, the content is easy to understand, the attitude is earnest, and the teacher sets a diligent example. If an instructor can build a solid foundation and foster a student's interest in learning, they are a qualified mentor.
Admittedly, that PE-turned-physics teacher could never have taught anyone high school physics. But the image of her lecturing seriously, patiently guiding students, and answering every question remained etched in Egger's mind even after he graduated from university with a degree in physics. To this day, he firmly believed that she was the best middle school physics teacher he had ever encountered.
Now, he was set to play the role of Arya's swordsmanship mentor. Despite his average skill, he believed that with enough sincerity and patience, he wouldn't teach any worse than Ser Alliser.
Egger's most direct goal in agreeing to the girl's request was to build a rapport with a member of House Stark, making it easier to leverage Eddard's status as Hand of the King should the need arise. With such a pragmatic objective, he naturally wouldn't be as stern or meticulous as the Braavosi water dancer from the original plot. He didn't play tricks like throwing a sword at her to see if she could catch it. Instead, he handed her a light training sword in a perfectly conventional manner, showed her the proper grip and stance step-by-step, and so the lesson began.
Arya was left-handed, which was quite interesting. According to a theory he'd heard before his transmigration, the reaction speed of the left hand is faster than the right. Perhaps she was a natural-born swordsman.
"There is no such thing as 'legendary' swordsmanship; there are only countless techniques and maneuvers for offense and defense. Thrusting, slashing, hacking, lunging, bashing, sweeping... these are for the attack. Dodging, blocking, parrying, deflecting... these are for defense." Egger didn't dare lead her astray with unproven theories, so he stuck to the universally applicable truths he'd gathered from Gared and Ser Alliser Thorne. "A swordsman's job is to learn and master these movements until they are second nature, and to know when and in what combination to use them."
"We will start with the most basic exercises to build a rock-solid foundation. When the time is right, you can decide which techniques and styles suit you best."
Egger began teaching the girl the fundamental motions. There were likely hundreds of people in the world who could perform these movements more gracefully or skillfully than he could, but they wouldn't necessarily teach Arya any better. Egger had only started learning the sword a little over a year ago, and now this shortcoming became an advantage—he still vividly remembered the difficulties and doubts he'd faced as a beginner, as well as the solutions he'd eventually devised. To the Watchman's surprise, the little she-wolf caught on incredibly fast—so fast that she was soon demanding new moves.
"How long do I have to do these same motions?"
"There is no such thing as 'too long' for the basics. You've barely learned to walk and you want to run? if you think you've mastered them, then try to hit me."
After a flurry of clangs and clatters, Arya hadn't even touched the hem of Egger's clothes.
"This dress is so annoying! Can I take it off?"
"No. Overcome the difficulty. You are a girl, a lady of House Stark. There will be many occasions in the future where you must wear a dress. Do you think an enemy will give you time to go change into trousers?"
"Ugh... why do girls have to wear dresses? Trousers are so much more convenient and comfortable!"
"Don't blame the dress. Keep practicing!"
"It's not fair, this sword is heavier than Needle!"
"It's much lighter than a real sword! Besides, do you intend to use Needle for the rest of your life?"
...
Amidst Arya's grumbling complaints about dresses and training swords, the two practiced until lunchtime. After eating, Egger proactively suggested a break. There was no need to rush the progress; a heavy training load was one thing, but Egger's real fear was that she would learn too fast and he would run out of tricks within a month.
They returned to the inner office, relaxing in their chairs and chatting. As "master and apprentice," they had only met briefly before and knew little about each other. Egger hoped to use these heart-to-heart talks to quickly close the distance with the Stark girl, much like he had used his tall tales to grab Tyrion's attention at Winterfell. As for the content, it was naturally tailored for a playful, willful young girl.
...
Entirely as expected, Arya was quickly captivated by the carefully woven lies. Egger didn't tell her about advanced technology or systems; instead, he spoke of the two things the world of Ice and Fire lacked most: gender equality and a spirit of freedom. In that distant land west of the Sunset Sea, girls could openly learn swordsmanship, join the army through regular channels, or even become government officials... and perhaps most importantly to many girls, they could choose their own husbands and even demand a divorce if they were unhappy.
If it were just that, Arya might have simply longed for the fictional land. But when she heard that Egger was an adventurer who had arrived in Westeros and joined the Night's Watch only after an accident during a voyage around the world, her eyes lit up.
"You're an adventurer!" The girl's wolf blood was practically boiling; it would be more accurate to say her "eighth-grader soul" was burning bright. Egger instantly became her new idol. "When are you going home? Take me with you on your next adventure!"
"Heaven knows when I can go home. Westeros doesn't have ships capable of safely crossing the Sunset Sea."
"Oh... well, alright then. Quickly, tell me more adventure stories!"
"No more sword practice?"
"Later! No rush."
The girl's shift in interest was so sudden it caught him off guard. This was a bit of a problem. Recalling memories and processing them into his own personal experiences wasn't beyond his capabilities.
Just as Egger was spinning a tale, Tyrion's voice suddenly drifted in from outside: "Egger! Come out and greet the customer! The first bond buyer has arrived!"
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