Waled was only six years old. This was a fact that everyone needed to keep in mind. Although the theoretical lifespan of a vampire was nearly infinite, a hundred years was not considered a long time in their eyes. There were even couples with larger age gaps.
However, Waled was only six years old. Even from the perspective of short-lived humans with a lifespan of only a hundred years, Waled was still just a child. Naturally, this was even more true for the "young" Tris.
Although she felt that the current posture was a bit awkward, she didn't feel shy or have any strange emotions. She hadn't answered Waled's question earlier because she had been caught off guard by his move and was momentarily unable to accept her defeat.
By now, although Tris still felt very disappointed, she had mostly returned to normal. She said, "With your current skills, even ordinary vampire knights are no match for you, let alone human knights. The only drawback is that you're too young, your body hasn't fully developed, and your stamina is lacking. But as you grow older, these shortcomings will disappear..."
"That's what I'm saying," Waled smiled as he sheathed his dagger back into the leather scabbard on his left calf. Then, he took the opportunity to push Tris's buttocks, helping her up. Although her vital spot had been attacked, Tris didn't think much of it and stood up with his help.
Waled also stood up, dusted himself off, and said, "So, no more problems, right? Let's go learn some dark magic now."
However, Tris shook her head, rejecting Waled's suggestion. She showed a very dangerous smile—Waled immediately knew things were bad. His skills were something that couldn't be exposed. How was he supposed to explain this to Tris?!
Then, he heard Tris ask, "Of course, it seems I can't teach you much in terms of combat skills anymore. But before that, shouldn't you explain to me where you learned these skills?"
Hearing this, Waled felt even more uneasy. He stammered, unable to say a word. Tris grew increasingly dissatisfied. Waled knew that if he couldn't give a proper answer, she would definitely report this to Lady Winsor. Making a big deal out of this would do him no good.
"If I had known, I would have just obediently followed her to learn basic combat skills," Waled lamented in his heart. After much thought, he finally came up with a reason: "Actually, I learned it by watching the vampire knights train in the arena. Also, I can control the high-level undead in the castle and have them teach me."
"Is that so..." Tris frowned, pondering Waled's answer—if someone could become such a master just by watching, then his talent was truly terrifying... As for controlling the high-level undead in the castle, Tris believed that. But those undead, who had no language ability and only screamed and howled, could they really teach someone properly? She had her doubts.
"...Well, that's how it is," Waled sighed inwardly, seeing Tris's half-believing expression. For now, this would have to do. But in the future, he would have to be more careful not to make such a blunder.
So, it would be better to grow up quickly. Once he was older, he could freely date his beautiful teacher and go out to gain experience. By then, any astonishing actions could be explained as benefits gained from his travels.
"Alright then. Let's go to the alchemy lab," Tris thought for a long time but couldn't figure it out. She shook her head and decided not to dwell on it anymore. Hearing this, Waled breathed a sigh of relief and was about to change the subject to divert Tris's attention when he saw a black cat squeeze through the door, a tomato-sauce fish in its mouth. The cat walked past them, tail held high, as if they weren't there.
"Actually, Teacher Tris, there's someone else who has seriously taught me combat skills. I can say that my current level is largely due to that teacher's careful guidance," Waled suddenly turned around and said to Tris.
"Oh? Who could have trained such a prodigy? Quickly introduce me."
"—It's her!"
"Meow?!"
Waled pointed at the passing black cat and said this. Tris thought about it and realized it made sense—although it seemed unreliable, this magical creature in the form of a black cat was a powerhouse on par with a dragon. Moreover, she had always lived in Drachenhof Castle, so she certainly had the time to do it—no, rather, she was the only one in the entire Drachenhof Castle who had the ability.
"So that's how it is," Tris finally understood. Although this young vampire had a high opinion of herself, she wasn't arrogant enough to think she could rival a dragon. And such magical creatures couldn't be measured by ordinary standards. If she said she could train a genius like Waled to this level in a few years, Tris wouldn't doubt it.
"Is that right, Teacher Silea?" Waled smiled and walked over to the black cat, squatting down to stroke her fur. Tris also approached, wanting to confirm the situation, and squatted down to ask, "Is what Waled said true, Lady Silea? Did you teach him combat skills?"
The black cat, called Silea, looked left and right, lamenting in her heart, "What did I do to deserve this?" Then she noticed that, due to her earlier surprise, the tomato-sauce fish she had been holding had fallen to the ground. The black cat felt a wave of sadness and, from who knows where, pulled out a sign and a quill, writing on the sign and holding it up to Waled and Tris:
"Cats can't talk."
"Ahahaha... Teacher, you're so funny," Waled said while increasing the pressure of his hand, vigorously rubbing the black cat's back. "You did teach me many techniques and moves. Have you forgotten?"
Hearing Waled's words, Silea thought carefully. It seemed that, indeed, she had once seen Waled training alone and had casually mentioned a few things. After that, Waled would occasionally come to her with questions—though most of them had nothing to do with combat skills. As for what they were about, Silea couldn't remember.
"Is that really the case, Lady Silea?" Tris grew more impatient and pressed further.
The black cat had no choice but to find another sign and write:
"Just some basic skills."
"I see..." Tris naturally didn't believe that the "basic skills" taught by this cat were anything but excellent. She no longer doubted and stood up, adding, "Although it's good for Waled to receive your guidance, I am still his official tutor. Please consider my position and communicate with me before doing such things in the future."
After saying this, Tris took Waled's hand and walked towards the alchemy lab across the way. As they walked, she said, "Let's change today's lesson. We'll study necromancy. How about trying to summon a tomb guardian? That's already an intermediate-level spell." Then, with a "bang," the door to the alchemy lab closed.
Although it didn't seem like a big deal, if someone really took Waled away from her, Tris would be very angry. And now, abandoning her usual step-by-step teaching approach to teach Waled more practical, high-level necromancy was proof of that.
"What am I doing, really..."
Silea had lived for many years and naturally sensed Tris's intentions. She complained in her heart, then lay down on the ground, munching on her fish. But after finishing the entire fish and walking out of the basement to throw the fish bones to the servants for disposal, she changed her mind: "But... I really should have a talk with that child."
And so, Silea returned to her room, curled up in her velvet-lined nest. After who knows how long, with her exceptional hearing, she heard Tris's exclamation from the alchemy lab below—it seemed Waled had already learned how to create a tomb guardian.