Life continued smoothly once all my questions had been satisfied. I wasn't able to return to progressing in my lessons because of my arms, so Luvia instead taught me about the history and branches of magecraft. I'd have preferred to still try applying my magic, but I didn't complain.

My lessons with Luvia started immediately after we had our breakfast and after that, we had lunch. After we ate our lunch, I was immediately handed over to Auguste who took care of my other lessons. Everything I had to know that was not of magic was taught to me by him. Mathematics, Science, Japanese, English, and Psychology were the main subjects he would prattle on to me about throughout our lessons.

My magic lessons with Luvia were boring, but Auguste's lessons were on an entirely different level. Not only was it so much harder to understand, but Auguste is a ruthless teacher. These "lessons" didn't even come about until after I set off that explosion from my room. The day after Luvia explained to me what I did, Auguste held a meeting with Luvia and myself, insisting I learn the other aspects to society other than magic. Luvia was strongly against it. She kept telling him that it would take away time that could've been spent learning magecraft and that there was no point in me learning anything else and, while I didn't quite understand why she was so against it, I very much didn't want to spend more time in the day with boring lessons.

Auguste didn't budge on the matter and Luvia gave up after a few days, but she made it clear to Auguste that what he's doing is "a mistake" and it will "be something they regret." I had been taught basic addition, numbers, and the alphabet by Luvia before, but she said so long as I could count and form a sentence, I didn't need anything else. Auguste, however, was teaching me things I had no clue even existed. I was having severe trouble following what he was teaching, especially in Japanese and Science, but one thing I was intrigued by was Math.

The concept of multiplication fascinated me and after only two lessons, I'd been able to multiply any numbers that I wished. I was so intrigued by it because I didn't understand how so much could be yielded from two smaller amounts. Auguste did well in explaining it to me, stating that the number remains constant and is put into multiple groups that, when added together, created the large outcome.

While I was able to take easily to the mathematics, it seemed I made almost no progress at all in regards to the other subjects, much to Auguste's disappointment. Nevertheless, the lessons continued, despite the knowledge remaining unabsorbed. Luvia and Auguste each teach me their own types of lessons, but whenever I'm alone, I partake in my own brand of lessons.

In the little downtime I have away from Luvia and Auguste, I make my way outside of the mansion and to the edge of the surrounding forest. The mansion is very large; approximately the size of 80 rooms matching the size of the one I'd lived in when I first arrived. There is one corner of the mansion facing the south that has no windows or doors, putting that piece of the property in a blind spot. That is where I engaged in my lessons. I would break a branch off one of the trees, or pick up a sturdy one from the forest floor, and mimic the technique of the men from my dreams. I had been clumsy at first, but it took little time for me to become accustomed to the swordplay. I couldn't gauge how closely I imitated their technique, given I'd been using sticks instead of actual blades, but I felt confident that I executed the same beautiful skill they had themselves.

Was I really doing something that would help? Luvia humored my talk of swords and the interest I'd shown in them, but she does so with almost everything I do or say. Maybe she considers swordsmanship "childish." Just like everything else I do… For some reason, being called childish, and being associated with it, really upsets me. From what I've gathered, it essentially means the same as "immature." It was confusing having so many words that meant the same thing. What is the point of "childish" if "immature" meant the same thing? Using what I retained from Auguste's lessons, I could understand immature, as its prefix basically means the opposite of what the word really means, but I didn't understand "childish" because its suffix indicates I'm like or of the noun that is the root word. I knew not what a child is. Regardless, If I was indeed older than Luvia, why did she say I was the immature one? Auguste did mention once how independent and wise she was for her age. But he dotes on her all the time, so I don't know how much truth is in what he says.

I'm soon covered in sweat and breathing heavily from the exercise. I was more proficient in using my right hand for swordplay, but it was still not fully healed so I had to switch to using my left for the time being. Much to my pleasure, I had now become almost as good with my left as I was with my right. This is not to say, however, that my left arm was completely healed either. Every time I swung, the tender appendage beneath the bandages screamed out in pain, but I ignored those screams. I was too immersed in swinging the oak branch to even acknowledge the pain. I looked down at my left arm, covered in bandages that had become loose and begun to unravel. I had the urge to rip the bandages off and see my arm once more.

It was just as it looked the last time Auguste changed the bandages: rough and of a shade darker and fleshier than the rest of my body. Auguste explained the damage would be healed completely, but that I'd always carry the nasty scar with me. Luvia had said the damage was minor compared to my right hand, but it looked far more severe to me; the skin had been completely torn off the arm, after all. I found it unpleasant to look at the malformed skin that had finally covered my arm in a new layer. My fingernails had yet to even begin growing back in. It was unsightly, but I decided I would not wear bandages over it again. It had healed enough and, from what Auguste told me, it would not get any prettier any time soon, so I might as well get accustomed to the look of it. I looked up at the sky to notice it was becoming darker and I realized it'd soon be time for dinner.

I snuck back into my new room through the window after shimmying up the side of the house via the blanket rope ladder I had made, but when I reached the top I was greeted by Auguste who was holding the makeshift cloth ladder by his hand.

"So, young man, finally decided to return to your dwellings?" I stammered for a response while he looked down at me with an unreadable expression.

After a few moments, Auguste released his hold on the rope ladder and I went falling down to the ground from 3 stories up. I was prepared for the fall however, as my body was still limber and ready from the workout I went through just a little while ago. I landed on the palm of my left hand, but broke into a tumble before too much weight was put on it. After I had rolled away, I turned back to the window in a kneeling position to see Auguste jump from the window and follow me down to the ground. Unlike me though, he landed flat on his feet, and was not even phased by it. I could've sworn I felt the ground shake beneath me when he landed.

"So, you've been taking advantage of the generosity of Miss Luvia have you? Sneaking off during your independent study hours to play with sticks?" I had finally let my irritation run loose, as I stood to my feet, seeing red in my vision.

"I'm not playing around. I'm practicing my swordsmanship! How did you even know I was doing it? I was careful in picking out a place where I'd be out of the eyeshot of you and your stupid master!" His stoic expression faltered at my words and I could see he didn't like having his master insulted, but I didn't care. It's enough to have Luvia think I'm immature, but I'm not going to hear it from this butler too.

"We have security cameras set up all around the area, and I review all of the footage every night before I sleep. I have known about your sword practice for a while now, but only chose to question you about it tonight. And don't fret, I have not told the Misses anything about how you've been spending your free time."

Cameras? Footage? I didn't know what these things were, but it didn't sound like I was in trouble. I loosened up a bit, thinking this was just going to end with him scolding me and telling me to not let it happen again, but.

"It's a waste of time. And regardless of what you think, it is a childish desire to want to wield a sword in battle." What? What did he say?

"What did you just say?" He gently adjusted his glasses and reached his hand inside his coat while he answered me.

"In these times, it is foolish to practice swordsmanship. A sword is useless against a mage, and it is even useless against a normal human. In this modern day," Auguste begins to retract his arm from his coat "one will fight with magic," in his hand was a slick, black, metallic object that was held by him as if it was crafted for that sole purpose "or one will use a firearm."

Auguste raised his arm at me, tightly grasping this "firearm" and then time around me seemed to lag a few seconds behind. He pulled his last finger to clasp around the grip of the device, which prompted it to come alive. Its entire body jerked and it spit out a quick gout of fire, from which emerged a small object flying at me quicker than anything I'd seen before. I wanted to reach out to it, but not only was I aware I could never hope to be quick enough to do so, but my body was frozen in place as the brass point came for me. Then I breathed in and time around me was perceived as normal, while the thing whizzed past my head, by only a few inches. Auguste cleared his throat and reached back into his coat to put away the smoking firearm.

"As I just demonstrated, this weapon will make you fall before you are even close enough to swing your blade."

I stood with shaky legs waiting for Auguste to continue.

"If you understand this, then cease your foolish pursuit of swordsmanship. It is not that I think it is a bad hobby, but we are on a tight schedule and I'd rather not have you waste what little self-study time you have."

He turned to go back to the house, but I called out to him: "Au-GUSTE!" My legs were not shaking out of fear, or in awe at his weapon, but of pure, burning anger. Why his words struck me in such a way is beyond me, but all I know is that I was rushing at him, fists ready. Without turning to face me, I heard him let out a barely audible sigh. I swung at him and my fist was greeted by nothing but air. He had dodged it so swiftly and had altered the stance which his body was in quicker than I could process. Then, I felt my breath get knocked completely out of my lungs. I looked down to see Auguste's elbow lodged in my abdomen. I fell to my knees choking and attempting to force air back into my body while he continued walking towards the house.

"I would advise you to refrain from fist fighting. As useless and ineffective as wielding a sword is, using your fists will prove even less effective."

I clenched my fist in anger and bit into my lip hard enough to draw blood, while breathing heavily through my flared nostrils. But I couldn't stand back up. He had humiliated me. As Auguste turned to cut the corner of the house and disappear for good, I heard him call back to me. "Master Emiya, since you are so insistent on fighting like a barbarian, I have made a decision. You will no longer have any time to yourself other than when you return to your chambers at night. That time will now be spent with me. If you want to fight so badly, then I'm at least going to ensure you can do so correctly."

I heard him chuckle gleefully as he walked around the corner, away from where I could see. Though he had walked away, he didn't cease talking and I could hear him say "prepare yourself, Emiya. Starting tomorrow, your first day in hell begins." I had no idea what hell was, but his tone didn't bode well.

It was out again now. The starry sky. I was sad to notice that the moon was not out tonight and wondered where it could have gone.

"How mysterious." I continued lying there and thought about the beating I just took. How many more times am I going to go down with a single hit here? I decided that starting tomorrow, I was going to return the favor to Auguste for teaching me to fight. If he was going to give me "hell", then I'm going to give it right back to him.