Chapter 9: The Appearance of a Sage

In the face of Thomas's earnest plea, Musashi didn't hesitate to reply, "No. I don't mind teaching you the basics, but it would be a waste of time to instruct you traditionally. You don't have any talent for swordsmanship."

"..."

While he didn't expect Musashi to jump at the chance to teach him, her words were like a punch in the gut to Thomas's enthusiasm. In response, Musashi adopted a wry, slightly apologetic smile as she added, "Trying to master something you lack a genuine interest in is impossible. From what I can tell, you've never wielded a sword despite being fairly old. Not old-old, mind you, but far beyond the age people start learning skills such as swordsmanship."

Sheathing her katana, Musashi surprised Thomas by giving him a firm pat on the shoulder. She could tell he 'really' wanted to learn from her; he just lacked the talent and the conviction of a true swordsman. It took years, if not decades, to achieve a reasonable degree of mastery. If Thomas had a genuine interest in mastering kenjutsu(sword techniques), he would have picked up a blade in his childhood and never let it go.

Adopting a radiant, borderline breathtaking smile, Musashi added, "As I said before, I don't mind teaching you the basics. I can even teach you a few tricks that would make fighting against other swordsmen much easier. However, if you truly wish to become strong, you'll need to follow the path in your heart. I'm not sure what that is, but it clearly isn't swordsmanship."

Retracing her hand from Thomas's shoulder, Musashi directed her gaze to Benienma, narrowing her eyes slightly as she asserted, "You, on the other hand, seem to have at least a knack for the blade arts. Despite your small size, I can sense a powerful sword intent within you..."

Recovering from the stupor prompted by Musashi's smile, Thomas made introductions and gave a bare-bones explanation of the situation. Musashi was a little surprised to learn that Benienma was an Oni from Hell, but she was also relieved to know she wouldn't be the only Servant of Japanese origin in Thomas's service...

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Though his expectations were tempered after Asclepius's and Musashi's refusal to instruct him formally, Thomas didn't lose hope that at least one of his Servants would be willing to teach him. If nothing else, he was fairly certain that Benienma or Astolfo would help him...

With such thoughts in mind, Thomas focused on summoning the Second Mate next. He was just going in order of the ship's hierarchy at this point, so, following the Second Mate, he intended to summon their Shipwright, Sniper, and Musician.

Fortunately, while Musashi refused to teach him, that didn't prevent the faintly pink-haired Yojimbo(bodyguard) from sticking around. She viewed it as her duty to keep him safe, so even if Drake hadn't asked her to keep an eye on him, she would have. More importantly, she had swapped out her already skimpy kimono for a significantly skimpier bikini. Heroic Spirits could effectively swap out their outfits at will, so, after learning she would be spending a considerable amount of time out at sea, she adopted an ensemble virtually identical to her Berserker counterpart's start-spangled bikini from FGO.

Though he did his best to be 'respectful,' Thomas couldn't help sneaking glances at Musashi as he focused on filling the Hind's Equivalence Engine with Mana. She noticed whenever he did so, but instead of getting angry or upset, she just carried on her conversation with Benienma as if nothing had occurred...

With nothing happening for nearly five full days, Thomas, Musashi, and Benienma perked up when the Second Mate's Card finally dissolved into motes of bluish-white light. What popped out of the resultant summoning circle was a fairly tall and muscular man with wild, free-flowing brown hair that formed into a ponytail near the small of his back. He had calm yet piercing blue eyes and wore a rather archaic-looking outfit with elements of Greek, Persian, and Celtic cultures. Beyond his peculiar form of dress, the thing about him that stood out the most was the horse-like tail that stuck out from the back of his kilt-like armor...

Immediately recognizing who the man was, Thomas's eyes practically lit up with excitement as he exclaimed, "You're Chiron...!" with a massive grin on his face.

Though he was a little taken aback by Thomas's sudden outburst, Chiron placed a hand over his heart and gave a slight but unsubservient bow as he replied, "That is indeed the name I was vested at birth. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance, my Master..."

Shaking his head, Thomas insisted, "Please just call me Tom or Thomas. Also, I desperately need a mentor to help me grow stronger, so please consider accepting me as your student. If even you decline, I honestly don't know what I'll do..."

Providing Thomas considerable relief, Chiron adopted a faint smile as he replied, "I will gladly accept you as my student. The thing I enjoy most is teaching others, so, as long as you are willing to learn, I'm willing to teach you."

Though he didn't actually tear up, Thomas felt as though he was on the verge of doing so after hearing Chiron's words. The latter was one of the most famous teachers in Greek mythology. In the lore of the Fate Series, he was the one responsible for training heroes such as Heracles, Achilles, and even Asclepius. His forte was archery, acting as the inspiration for the Sagittarius Constellation, but he possessed a unique Skill called Wisdom of Divine Gift that allowed him to use 'all' Skills with B-A-Rank proficiency. With the singular exception of Scathach, he was the best possible teacher Thomas could have hoped for...

Inhaling a deep breath, Thomas's smile and tone were genuine as he said, "Thank you. You have no idea how relieved I am to have someone like you appear. If I had to figure out things on my own..."

Shaking away his self-deprecating thoughts, Thomas's smile became even more sincere as he reiterated, "Seriously...thank you..."

Feeling the sincerity in Thomas's words, the smile on Chiron's face broadened as he replied, "As I said before, I enjoy teaching more than anything. It is a genuine privilege to have someone so eager to receive my instruction. I look forward to both working with and instructing you, Thomas."

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Catching Thomas a little off guard, Chiron extended his fist as if he were expecting a fist bump. When he eventually reciprocated, Chiron gave an approving nod before asking, "Would you like to start now? I'll need to get a basic grasp of your capabilities if I am to instruct you properly. It would also help me better understand the direction your training will take. There are more paths in this world than stars in the evening sky. Finding the one that best suits you will save you considerable time and frustration."

As he had already been pumping Mana into the Equivalence Engine for more than four hours, Thomas didn't hesitate to reply, "I would greatly appreciate it. So far, I've mainly focused on proper dieting and simple exercises, so I'm more than ready to move on to some actual training..."

Nodding his head in approval, Chiron was prepared to teach Thomas everything he was willing to learn. Before that, he turned to Musashi and Benienma, his eyes widening noticeably when he saw how the former was dressed. Unlike Thomas, however, his gaze didn't wander in the slightest as he asked, "Will the two of you be joining us? I can sense tremendous power and potential lurking within each of you."

Dismissively waving her hand, Musashi replied, "I'll come along, but I'm the type that likes to figure out things on my own. Besides, as far as I can tell, you're weaker than me. I don't doubt you could teach me a few tricks, but there's a reason I'm the First Mate, and you're the Second."

Instead of refuting Musashi's words, Chiron gave a slight nod before directing his gaze to Benienma. In response, the petite sparrow replied, "Benienma will assist Master in any way she can, dechi."

Though he could sense that Benienma was a Demon, Chiron could also tell she was being sincere. Thus, with an approving smile, he said, "That will make things easier. It will take some time for our Master to reach our level, but having more opponents to face will prevent him from developing bad habits. I'll be counting on you, Miss...?"

Puffing out her non-existent chest, Benienma stood with her arms akimbo as she answered, "Shita-kiri Suzume no Benienma. Sir Chiron may refer to me as Benienma, dechi."

Following Benienma's introduction, Musashi added, "And I'm Miyamoto Musashi. Since we'll be allies for the foreseeable future, you can call me Musashi."

Similar to when he greeted Thomas, Chiron gave a courteous bow, his right hand over his heart as he said, "It's a pleasure to meet you both..."

Following affirmative responses from both girls, Chiron raised his head, turned to Thomas, and asked, "Shall we get started...?" with a friendly, disarming smile. It was the type of smile that made other feels as though they could entrust everything to him, yet, the moment he adorned it, an involuntary shiver ran through the body of a nearby God of Medicine...

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To get a sense of Thomas's capabilities, Chiron had him perform a series of physical exercises until the point of exhaustion. Then, instead of letting him rest and recuperate naturally, he would use a type of Recovery Magic unique to the Centaur tribe to replenish his stamina. He wanted to test the limits of Thomas's willpower and drive, so the evaluation would only come to an end once the latter had 'given up.'

Unaware of Chiron's intentions, Thomas kept pushing himself even after the Sun began disappearing over the horizon. He felt incredibly stressed, but, desperate to overcome his weakness, he managed to pick himself up and keep going every time Chiron healed him. The twenty minutes he was allotted for dinner even gave him a second wind of sorts, allowing him to continue until nearly 3 AM before the humanoid centaur stopped him, an approving smile on his face as he calmly asserted, "You have significant room for improvement. However, if you continue with the same resolution you showed today, it's only a matter of time before you become powerful enough to stand proudly among the Pantheon of Heroes."

Exhaling a profound sigh, Thomas abruptly collapsed onto the sandy beach, a slightly pained laugh emanating from his throat as he replied, "What a relief..." before falling unconscious. Once he learned that Chiron could heal him, he did his best to push himself as much as his mind and body could endure. There were several times when he just wanted to say fuck it and stop, but his fear of staying weak and helpless kept him going long after his mental anguish transitioned into something that could best be described as resolute indifference. His pain and feelings of frustration didn't lessen, but he gradually stopped caring about both...

Staring down at the unconscious Thomas, Chiron's expression softened as he began drafting the former's training regimen in his mind. Because of Thomas's age, there weren't too many specialized paths he could pursue. Mastering swordsmanship, spearmanship, archery, magecraft, and most martial arts were completely out of the question. However, while he might not be able to master any particular art form, that didn't mean he couldn't become powerful enough to contend against even the world's strongest. He just needed to become strong and durable enough to endure virtually any attack...

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(A/N: Though Thomas won't be able to benefit from Scathach's 'friendship of the thighs,' Chiron's guidance really is the greatest boon he could have possibly received in the form of a Servant xD...)

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