Chapter 45 - It Was A Mistake.

The training yard behind the mansion was alive with the clatter of steel and the grunts of effort, a wide, open space ringed by old oaks, their leaves rustling in the late afternoon breeze. The ground was packed dirt, scuffed and scarred from countless sparring matches, with wooden posts and straw dummies lining the edges. A rack of weapons—swords, daggers, and axes—stood near a stone bench, glinting in the golden sunlight. The air smelled of sweat, dust, and crushed grass, the warmth of the day lingering despite the cooling evening.