In Mushoku Tensei with an A.I. Chip

The Boreas family and Ghislaine were led to the dungeons of the Notos Keep, avoiding the guests mingling in the Grand Hall for the sake of secrecy. Both parties had agreed that this matter was better left confidential for their own reasons. 

While being brought to the dungeons should have seemed sketchy and rang some alarm bells in the Boreas family, strangely enough the charismatic and seemingly trustworthy Luke did not give cause for worry. 

Once in the bowels of Notos Keep, they were escorted to a surprisingly large but enclosed room underground. 

"This is the private training area for my personal guards." Luke explained, playing the part of gracious host, "I made it using Earth magic." 

"Impressive." Philip remarked looking around the subterranean hall. Its dimensions were precise and deliberate, the rectangular layout defined by crisp, unnaturally straight lines and perfect right angles. The smooth stone walls bore no tool marks, indicative of the Earth magic Luke had used to construct this room. 

The ceiling arched high above like a silent cathedral, supported by wide columns that stood at measured intervals—more for aesthetic symmetry than structural necessity. A cool stillness hung in the air, broken only by the echo of training drills and clashing practice blades.

One section of the chamber held rows of sturdy wooden dummies, weapon racks, weighted training equipment and sparring mats, arranged with military precision. In another, an arena was cordoned off by low stone partitions, its floor scored from countless mock battles. An elevated platform had been erected near the arena, allowing instructors or at times, Luke, to watch the proceedings below.

A third section held storage alcoves, benches, water basins, and even a small healing station—functional, spartan, efficient.

Another eye-catching detail was the massive magic circle that had been etched on the polished stone floor of the subterranean training hall. It was a project the A.I. Chip had been working on since Luke learned magical formations, designed to boost stamina and enhance recovery speed. 

All together, the underground chamber was no ordinary training ground. Luke engineered it to be a crucible for his personal guards, where they would be forged and sharpened into deadly blades for battles to come. 

The Boreas family watched the twenty or so personal soldiers of Luke training within the chamber. All of them wore a matching uniform, and over it weighted armor that was more for the purposes of training rather than actual combat. 

They trained in groups. Six of them practiced sword forms quietly with a polished, harmonized cadence. Their blades swung in controlled arcs, while they perfected their technique. Around them were an assortment of other weaponry Philip could only assume they rotated for their training.

Six unleashed brutal-looking martial arts on the wooden dummies outfitted in armor and stuffed with an iron core. The rhythmic cracking of their fists, palms, elbows, shins and knees on the wooden dummies was a symphony of violence. 

Another six were cycling through cardiovascular drills, running laps around the perimeter of the chamber, or performing punishing lifts and pulls with the free weights made of magically created dense iron. 

The final three were within the arena. Two locked in a ferocious duel - one wielding a short spear, and the other with daggers and swift kicks - while the last performed the role of a referee, watching over the duo vigilantly. 

Despite the gruelling and punishing regiment Luke's personal guards put themselves through despite having no overseer present forcing them to, the magical circle etched on the floor fed them subtle strength, dulling exhaustion and pushed them harder and further than normally possible. 

Ghislaine paid particular attention to the duel happening on the far side of the room. Even from a distance, she could tell. Both of them were dangerous. The speed at which they were moving was beyond the standard for personal guards. 

The smaller figure that wielded twin daggers was, to Ghislaine's surprise, a Beast Race teen girl with bunny ears. She moved swiftly, jumping around the arena with her natural Beast Race agility and a zig zagging footwork that was erratic and hard to read. 

The other was a young man with a blank face, holding a spear stoically, with nearly every inch of his skin from the neck down covered in black wrapping under his uniform ending at his wrists. 

These two were Luna and Jude, naturally. 

Jude leaps forward and thrusts once, a variation of the Sword God technique longsword of silence. This technique would be later recorded and named 'Silent Spear'. His trajectory is straight and simple. No flourish nor feints, just a singular brutal thrust of his spear, powered by legs strong enough to snap trees like twigs. 

Luna slides under the spear, the spear tip barely catching loose strands of her hair, and speeds off past his side. Her evasion was not based on her speed, it was done so through prediction. Having fought Sword God practitioners many times by now, she could already predict their opening move based on their starting stance. But Jude never varied his starting stance nor his opening move, ever. 

A crack resounded throughout the chamber, indicative of Luna landing a solid blow with her dagger on the armor Jude wore. Her training dagger does not penetrate, and she dances back before Jude can catch her with a returning swing. 

She darts backwards, circling the lone spearman, dancing in and out of range like a fox baiting a bear. Her daggers flick outward, slicing the air, probing his reactions. She's testing him, trying to find a pattern.

He doesn't give her one. Not because he's clever—but because he doesn't have a plan. Every movement is pure instinct. 

Jude adjusts, pivoting slightly as he chases after her, his spear returned to the center and held in a thrusting form. His technique was simple and straightforward. Keep stabbing, faster and faster, eventually he will catch them. 

His philosophy clearly influenced his movements as his speed increased to the point that Luna needed to bend backwards in an unnatural angle to avoid the spear. 

Her feet flew up in a counter, crashing against Jude's chin. The blow would have shattered the jaw of anyone not yet capable of reinforcing their body with Touki, but it only staggered Jude slightly. 

The young man re-angled his spear and slammed the butt of his weapon downwards, only for Luna to once again leap out of the way with unnatural grace before dashing off to create distance between her foe. 

Jude grunted in frustration but repeated his previously futile effort - pursuing the evasive Luna with his spear. 

While Luna was fast and agile, Jude's pure speed had exceeded hers. She could bob and weave, using footwork to confuse her opponent, but their physiques just differed too much for her to get a definite advantage. 

This was the difference between a Branded Swordsman and someone who had yet to undergo the procedure. 

Although Jude's physical stats had vastly exceeded Luna, his battle sense was still far too lacking to keep up with the nimble and quick witted bunny girl who had a natural instinct for fighting. 

Luke and the Boreas family stopped at the stairs that descended down to the underground chamber, clearly wanting to watch this duel complete. 

Eris, in particular, watched in awe with wide eyes and an open mouth. Luna was no Ghislaine, but it was still impressive for her to see a girl close to her age display such skill and strength. 

The exchange between Jude and Luna continued for only a few more moves. Though the bunny girl showcased skill and alacrity impressive for her age, Jude who had gone through the Branded Swordsman procedure just overshadowed her in raw strength, speed, stamina and durability. 

Luna could land another dozen blows and Jude would not even flinch, since they were using blunted training weapons. 

Very soon, Jude caught her with a lucky swing that smashed through her hastily raised guard. The shaft of the spear cracked against her side, splintering into a thousand shards and sent her out of the ring. 

The teen girl only let out a low pained grunt in response upon receiving the hit. She rolled across the stone floor a couple times before stopping and picked herself back up right away. She looked more frustrated at herself for failing than at Jude for besting her. 

"She's good." Ghislaine praised. Was she that good at that age? No, she was still a wild, untamed creature living like an animal even after getting picked up by Gal Farion and brought to the Sword Sanctum at 10 years old. 

It had taken many years before her master managed to teach her how to rein in the beastial instincts within her, and more so temper it with polished technique. 

"She's gotten a lot better." Luke remarked. "She's only been training for a year and a half. Give her a couple more years, I think she can catch up to you, miss Ghislaine."

"Oh?" Ghislaine hummed, intrigued, though a little doubtful. While she was not arrogant, Ghislaine also would not be overtly modest about her own achievements. While her intelligence was lacking, she was proud of her strength. 

Amongst all the disciples who studied at the Sword Sanctum, how many could break through the barrier of Saint-rank? And amongst the handful of Sword Saints in this world, how many could reach the realm of Kings?

Raw talent alone wasn't enough for someone to reach Ghislaine's level. It also took dedication and obsession. The Beast Race swordswoman was not familiar enough with Luna to make an accurate judgement of her potential either way. 

"She's so cool…" Eris breathed out absentmindedly, her eyes focused entirely on the bunny girl that though lost the duel, but somehow gained a fan. 

Sauros' eyes sweep across the underground chamber. While he was not of a martial lean, with experience he could recognize strength for what it was. And the inhabitants of the large hall radiated strength. 

Luke's personal guards had been commoners just 18 months ago, but now they seemed more akin to veteran soldiers, each qualified to command at least a troop of men in the King's army. 

Yet the Boreas lord was stunned at the youth of these seasoned soldiers. None of them looked older than twenty, and the youngest of them–a boy that looked not much older than Luke, was striking the wooden dummy with bloodied fists and shins with barely an expression of pain.

Is this the secret troops of the Notos family? He wondered. Powerful noble families usually cultivated secret soldiers that were not paraded publicly. Sometimes they were used for shadowy deeds that said noble families could not afford for their names to be attached to, sometimes they were a force held in reserve for crises. 

The Boreas family had their own hidden guard. Keyword being had. The succession battle between James and Philip had gotten bloody, both in the field of politics as well as the field of battle. The Boreas' secret troops had been engaged in battles on behalf of both lord candidates, resulting in many of them having fallen during the internal strife. 

What a waste it had been, Sauros realized all too late.

Though he felt it strange that the Notos Greyrats' secret soldiers were all so young, and even a little judgemental. For these youths to be so skilled, how young did they start training? Were they mere toddlers when the Notos family put a sword in their hands?