Headed by a Snake

As Athena was Tycon's focus, Shao Ran had already visited her, checked her skill level, and assigned her some training exercises. He hadn't used a hands-on approach with her, though... mostly because Tycon explicitly disallowed it.

Anyroad, Ran figured he could be tougher on the boy.

He was far better at training one rather than whole groups. Whole groups had to be trained according to the median person. The weakest person often held back everyone else's development.

In single training, Ran only had to set the pace and goals for the one. And that one person was very strong! That person was meant to be, for all INTENSIVE purposes, a HERO of Tyrion!

The kid looked like a Hero, too! He had bright red hair, styled upward, and carried an enchanted sword on his waist. Though it was nowhere near the strength of Ran's heirloom halberd, Ferocity, it looked decent... maybe four or five generations old.

Shao Ran knew everything about fighting. He was the best at it! That made him the best at training, too! Training... by FIGHTING!

It'd be the easiest job he'd ever signed up for, since joining the Royal Fleet.

"Alright, kid!" Shao Ran grinned, "The first step in training is... the reason. What makes your heart BURN like the sun?"

The young hero saluted proudly, "It is my solemn wish to cleanse evil from the lands of Tyrion with my own hands."

Nice.

"Good! But not GOOD ENOUGH!! Aha haHA!!" Ran laughed, "In order to achieve that wish, you gotta be strong, pup! Like me! Ahaha!"

"Yes, Sir!!" The hero shouted at the top of his lungs.

Ohhh, that was good volume. Perfect!

"Alright, now what was your name again?"

"It's Chaleb, Sir! The strongest male combatant in the Academy!!"

Ran chuckled to himself. That was good. He could use that.

It was misleading, though... The strongest warrior in the Academy was actually the young Athena Vanzano, which meant that Chaleb was the second strongest overall.

SECOND was the FIRST-PLACE LOSER.

Still, the kid both knew the pain of training to be strong, and at the same time, he had an almost insurmountable goal in front of him. From the way he talked, he might have had a thing for Athena, too. All in all, it meant the kid'd be able to handle Ran's not-so-gentle style of training.

"Ahh, I wasn't listening!" Ran snorted, "You gotta earn my respect before I treat you better than the shite the fish puke onto the sands!"

"Yes, Sir!! This, I swear on the name of House Moretti!!" Chaleb yelled... adopting a wide grin.

Arrogant! Ran liked that. Thinking back on it, that's probably why he liked that Tycon nerd, too. He did look forward to wiping the smile off this particular noble's face, though.

"I like your answer, kid, "Ran planted the base of his halberd into the beach sand, gesturing Chaleb forward. ’Now... show me your strongest move."

The boy was nothing but a goldfish in a pond. There were adventurers dozens of times stronger than the young pup... and even the newest crewmember on his own ship, the Spear of Selene, could trounce the boy with both hands tied behind their backs. Chaleb had to look well beyond besting Athena Vanzano. The kid had to want to be the biggest, baddest fish in the sea.

Ran would show him that power... He'd strip him of his confidence... He'd open his eyes to the world of strength beyond human understanding... and after breaking him, Ran could re-train him from the ground up.

Chaleb drew his sword and flourished it in an arc. It glowed with divine power, surely from his deity, the Eternal Flame. He was a perfect Tyrion warrior... and Ran would mold him into a warrior that could fight the heavens and hells as he saw fit.

"Here I come, Instructor!!" Chaleb roared as he charged. "I am VENGEANCE given FLESH!!"

"Hah! Too slow pup!!"

Charging mana into his legs, Ran dashed forward, spilling sand behind him with the sudden burst of speed. Chaleb was forced to attack early, swinging with the sloppiest sword swing Ran had ever seen in his life.

Ran slipped the attack and grasped onto the fire mana in the air. With flames trailing his fist and forearm, he powered a punch deep into the boy's abdomen.

Weaving elemental mana into physical attacks was one of the major concepts that Lieutenant Tycon had asked him to impart to Athena Vanzano. With Chaleb Moretti's natural talent, the boy would be able to learn it, as well-- this was the power he'd get after training!

Shao Ran had reached the highest levels of fundamental mana manipulation in his Golden Crow Hidden Sect. There was no better teacher than him!

Ran's strike took the kid's breath away and sent him tumbling backward for several fulms before stopping, half-buried in the sand.

Hah! He'd even dropped his sword! Chaleb had left himself open for his all-in attack, not a single thought going to defense. That was good-- but one wrong move against a stronger opponent was fatal.

If Ran could train the boy's speed and strength to even a half-step higher, he'd be able to win the Caeruleum tournament without little Athena lifting a finger.

Shao Ran picked up the sword and walked towards his fallen opponent, "Now let me tell you where you screwed up. I, Shao Ran, your father, am the strongest single duelist in the Royal Navy!"

He laughed aloud, "It'll take you another hundred years to defeat me. But we'll start you off with a new daily training regimen. I was thinkin' a 10 klick run, 100 push-ups, 100 sit-ups, and 100..."

...Ran stared at Chaleb Moretti, face-down in the sand.

"Hey, uh... kid."

The young hero didn't move... even as Ran prodded him with the end of his halberd.

...No. Haha...

No.

Kneeling over, Ran gently shook the boy, "Hey. Hey, kid... Hey!! Boy!!."

His shaking grew more frantic as his panic steadily began to rise, "Chaleb. Hey. Get up!"

"Lord Moretti?!" Ran flipped the boy over, cradling the body in his arms, "Sea god's socks! Wake up, boy!! Please, wake up!"