Zhuzhen snorts again, stops himself from speaking out of line, and then regards me with a deep breath. He breathes in, out, and then says to me, “I will not spend my life defying my father like you have. You were supposed to be enrolled at his Academy by now, and you’ve been running around pretending to be the world’s greatest swordsman. If the great Devikuro orders me to join your ranks, then I’ll lend you my strength. That is, until he tells me to leave.”
“Very well,” I reply with a curt nod before looking back at Devikuro as I exclaim, “Thank you. I wasn’t expecting to gain another follower so soon. Perhaps I might fare better than I’d expected.”
“And you’re still not sure of your plans?”
“No.” I shake my head. “I let down my family upon my first defeat to you. There’s no recovering
