FicWad

It has been two months since Christine passed her test to become a Swordsman. And in that time span, she had to undergo a gruelling training under Shurank to learn the ways of a Swordsman. If she wasn't hell bent on being a Knight at all costs, she would've given up already. That, of course, was accompanied by the challenging task of trying to prank Shurank time and again. Of the countless times she tried, none of them succeeded, much to Christine's frustration.

Christine was prepared to feel disappointed that her prank was another failure as she sat there in the room that has been her torture chamber for the past two months, waiting for Shurank to show up through the door. But much to her surprise - and delight - it was Knight De Thomas who walked into the room instead.

"Good morning, sir. Where's Shurank? Is there something wrong?" Christine asked, trying very hard to suppress her smirk as she waited for the supervisor's answer.

"I'm sorry that I have to tell you this, but you will have no classes today. Shurank cannot make it." He said.

"Oh... I see." She wanted to scream in joy - obviously the laxatives she put in Shurank's food worked brilliantly. But no, this is not the time. Celebrations come later. "Good day then, I'll be returning home." She smiled curtly at the supervisor.

"Christine..." Knight De Thomas started quietly, as he walked to the door and closed it up. "I would like to have a talk with you. Please, sit."

"Yes sir."

"Is there anything wrong going on between you and Shurank?"

"Like what, sir?" Christine felt perplexed at the sudden question.

"I can see that you're very hostile towards him. And Shurank knows it too. He even knows of all your attempts to... prank him." He stroked his beard as he said.

Christine gulped, and laughed nervously - he had hit the jackpot. "I... I don't know what you're talking about, sir..."

"Do you remember the oath you've taken when you were initiated as a Swordsman?"

"Yes sir."

"Then you must remember the one that mentions that the members of the chivalry shall uphold their honour at all times." Christine nodded at the sentence.

"So tell me the truth, are you bearing any grudges against Shurank?"

Christine admitted defeat, and hung her head down low, heart filled with guilt. Knight De Thomas sighed, and placed his broad, rough hands which were full of scars acquired from his past battles on her head.

"I know Shurank maybe a hard guy to deal with sometimes. He's a great guy overall, but he has one flaw - he doesn't know how to channel his thoughts and show how much he cares for someone in a proper manner. While he may be strict and his training methods may be a little... extreme sometimes, he means well."

Christine remained silent, not knowing what to say. She jumped when the supervisor held her chin up so that she would look him in the eyes.

"Do you know why Shurank is being so strict with you?" She shook her head.

"He sees great potential in you. So does the rest of us here in the guild. That is why I assigned him to train you - he used to be the best Swordsman around the Kingdom of Rune-Midgard."

"Then... why didn't he go on to be a Knight?" Christine finally broke her long-kept silence. There was almost no reason why a high-flying Swordsman didn't end up in the Chivalry of Knights - there was only one other reason, which is they rather join the Legions of Crusaders instead.

Knight De Thomas considered deeply for a couple of moments before he answered her question. "Not many people knew this, but his family - his wife, a son, and a daughter - were assassinated a few months before he was supposed to be initiated as a Knight, ten years ago. Shurank went into a deep depression after that, and when he finally snapped out of it, he decided that he wouldn't proceed to being a Knight."

"But why? Wouldn't he have more power to exact his revenge on the person who killed his family if he were a Knight? Why did he become a trainer here instead?" There was no way Christine could put the subject down. She was too sympathetic and too curious about it.

"It's best that we do not question his decision, Christine. He has his reasons why, I think. I didn't want to pursue the matter further so I stopped short of asking him."

"Oh..."

"Well, for now, please do train diligently under him. He has good intentions, and I suppose he could see the future you if you followed his training menu. Be proud that you have Shurank as a trainer." Knight De Thomas told Christine as he got off his chair and headed to the door. "I expect great things from you, kiddo." He winked.

"Yes sir!" She beamed, as the Supervisor walked out.

--

"Good morning, sir!" Christine exclaimed loudly the moment Shurank stepped into the room on the next morning. She considered during her sleep, and thought it best to put forward her best attitude that she has not shown since she was initiated as a Swordsman. That's the least she could do, after all the pranks she played on Shurank - besides training even more diligently than ever.

"Why, aren't you a little too enthusiastic today?" Shurank raised an eyebrow. "I'm gone for a day and you had a complete change in attitude? Then I think I should be gone for a couple of days more..."

"No!" Christine yelled, and quickly rephrased, "I mean, please don't do so. I would like it very much to be a Knight as soon as possible. And I'm... I'm sorry for playing pranks on you. Was the laxatives so powerful?" she grinned awkwardly.

"Ah hah! I knew you were up to no good!" Shurank boomed. Christine gulped, as she thought she was going to get four times the normal training menu as a punishment. Shurank is very capable of that, as she has learned the hard way for the past two months. But to her surprise and comfort, a smiled formed on his face. "Just kidding, kiddo. It's a good thing you came clean about your pranks - not that I don't know about them at all. And just to give you one final disappointment before we stop all this nonsense, the laxatives didn't work - on me, at least. You put them in the wrong food." He chuckled.

"Eh? Then... someone else ate it? Oh man..." Christine groaned.

"Yup. Poor fella, I say. I think he's still at it today... Well, it doesn't matter. He'll be fine sooner or later, I hope." Shurank said, and Christine merely nodded. Besides, there was something bigger roaming freely in her mind after her conversation with Knight De Thomas the day before.

"Should I or should I not ask him about his family?" she wondered. Her curiosity was running wild, but her conscience was telling her that there's no saying as to what his reaction would turn out to be. She hardly even knows the most basic information about Shurank, so it's not really ethical to be prying into his life all of a sudden, especially when the man himself hasn't mentioned anything at all. In the end, Christine took all of her mental strength to contain all the questions that she wanted to ask, and kept the lid sealed tight.

However, Shurank seemed to have noticed her troubled expression. "Kiddo, you alright? Seriously, don't worry about the guy. He'll be good after some Acolyte attends to him or something."

"Oh, no, it's nothing." She flashed her most convincing grin.

Shurank eyed her suspiciously, but then decided not to pursue the matter. "C'mon, we have loads of work to do today." He said as he grabbed Christine by the shoulder, and she gave him a single huge nod, grinning from ear to ear.

Things were going to be good.