"Come on, Count, I'll take you to try your hand, maybe you need my advice--"

The girl's bright smile, but the impatience of eagerness to try, made Edmond Dantès feel a little nervous.

Only then did he feel the danger hidden in this energetic girl.

She can't really be a very powerful swordsman as she said, right?

"What about my proposal, Monsieur Count?" Agnes continued to inquire as he did not speak, "you think carefully, if I followed my proposal, my father would not doubt you, and could even stay as The guest!"

Agnes continued to persuade, her eyes flashing with brilliance, like a child who wanted to beg for a toy.

She is indeed a child at her current age... Edmond Dantes sighed inwardly.

A child who has experienced happiness since childhood and has never seen the sinister world, is like the purest white flower, self-respecting and independent, kind and helpful, and has the best qualities.

It is indeed a rare honor to be regarded as her friend.

What's more, she helped herself so much just now, and she should repay her and satisfy her thoughts——

"Well, I also think your idea is very appropriate." He nodded.

"Yeah! That's the best way!" Agnes clapped her hands gently, cheering for the good idea she came up with.

Then, she raised her eyebrows again, "Okay, then I'll take you to a place, we can try it now."

"Where?" Edmond Dantes couldn't help asking.

"Go to my teacher's place," Agnes replied. "She's not in Paris now, so she entrusted it to me, where I think I can discuss with you and see if there is anything I need to advise."

Although her tone was normal, she could hear her incomparable confidence, as if she had already determined that she would win, and this also aroused a little bit of competitiveness in Edmond's heart.

As a male, and after years of training as a sailor, he is physically strong, so there must be no chance of winning without reason?

So he didn't say anything anymore, and let Agnes call the carriage to gallop toward its new destination.

The carriage crossed the Seine along the bridge, then went all the way to the southeast, out of the city to the outskirts of the city, and finally came to an apartment building.

The concierge downstairs seemed to be familiar with Agnes, so after seeing her, she just bowed and let go. Then Agnes took Edmond Dantès to the second floor, and opened it with the key. door.

As soon as he entered the door, Edmund found that the furnishings in the living room were very simple, with few furniture, and an empty wooden floor in the middle, which could be described as empty.

The windows were tightly covered with white curtains, the light was dim, and in the corner by the fireplace, there was a shelf with several swords on it. Edmond Dantès would never have imagined that the host was a woman when Agnes called her "she".

The room is quite clean, and there is a balcony in the corner of the room. There are a few potted plants planted on the balcony. At this time, the potted plants are blooming with flowers. It seems that after the owner left, there are still people here to take care of them from time to time.

At this time, Agnes whispered to Edmund, "My teacher doesn't like other people touching her things, so we can just move around in the living room. Anyway, we have everything we need here."

Then, she walked over to the weapon rack, picked it up, and looked at Edmund again.

"Sir, go on!"

As she spoke, she picked up a sword and threw it at Edmond.

Edmund quickly caught the sword, and when he saw it, it was a sword without an edge, and it seemed that it was only used for practice.

The hilt, on the other hand, is very smooth, apparently having been soaked in sweat from the user for a long time.

Then, Agnes also picked up a sword and walked in front of Edmund.

When she held the sword in her hand, her eyes suddenly became sharp, like a lioness staring at her prey, and her delicate-looking body exuded an oppressive force that was hard to face.

"You should adjust your state first, sir-" She giggled with a smile and waved her sword. "I'll start when you're ready."

Edmond Dantès knew that the fight was about to happen, he also took a deep breath, adjusted his body, and prepared to fight.

He did not receive strict swordsmanship training, but when he was a sailor, in order to guard against pirate attacks, he and other crew members received shallow training. But time has passed for a long time, and now he can only rely on memories to pose.

"Are you ready?" Agnes raised her sword gently and pointed at her opponent.

"Yes, I'm ready." Edmond Dantes took a deep breath.

"That's good! Let's start! Three...two...one!"

When she shouted one, Agnes suddenly started, her eyes were full of murderous intent, and then she took two steps forward and stabbed Edmund's chest fiercely.

Edmund was stunned by Agnes' speed. He never imagined that the weak looking girl could be so powerful. In a hurry, he raised his sword to block, but in the dazzling gap, Agnes stopped. She stepped forward, turned slightly sideways, then retracted her sword and stabbed hard. The sword in her hand bypassed Edmund Dantes' defense and stabbed him directly in the chest.

Just like that, the fight between the two ended in just a few seconds.

"what……"

The severe pain caused Edmund to cover his chest and abdomen and let out a scream.

This ferocious blow made his eyes go black, he almost fainted, and he almost shed tears in pain.

"You... are you all right?" Agnes retracted the sword, then walked up to him, looking at him uneasily, "I'm sorry... I seem to have hit hard..."

"It's alright, miss, I... give me time, I can recover," Edmund hissed.

He suddenly thought at this moment that when he was attacked by His Majesty with a cane in the treasure crypt, he was also stabbed in the same spot in the chest.

Is this an accidental coincidence, or is it a reincarnation of history?

No, neither, it should be these two equally good swordsmen, both proficient in how to remove the opponent's combat power in an instant without injuring the opponent.

No wonder Agnes said that she had fought against His Majesty... She did have this confidence and ability.

"It seems that although you have a good physique, you lack basic knowledge." Agnes said with a little regret, "If you want to learn, you need to start from scratch, and at your current age, you want to It's already hard to have a particularly high achievement..."

Edmond Dantes was silent.

He drew a hint of pity from Agnes' tone.

For a moment, his heart was suddenly filled with anger.

He doesn't hate Agnes, but he hates being pityed, because pity can't resolve his hatred, it can only make him feel how insignificant and how slaughtered he is.

Do not! no! This is definitely not the fate I have to accept!

The sense of superiority and victory that he had just obtained from Danglars was now gone, and Edmond Dantes saw again the self he hated the most, the weak and powerless one who could only lie in the dungeon of Château d'Eve. An ignorant youth who is slaughtered.

What can you be happy about now? Do you deserve to be happy? You haven't done anything yet.

The title you have now and the wealth you have are just gifts from that young man, in other words, they all belong to him.

What is truly yours? What is your real ability? What qualifications do you have to ask for a better position, and what ability do you have to avenge yourself?

These angry rebukes echoed in Edmund's heart, leaving him with nowhere to escape, and causing him pain and anger.

"I'm sorry, sir... I may have gone too far..." Agnes couldn't help but regret looking at his expression of sorrow and despair, "I shouldn't have forced you to compete for the sake of my own happiness... I'm sorry. , if you don't like it, then let's forget it, and let me make up another reason?"

"No, ma'am, you have done a great job, I am very grateful to you!" Edmond Dantès raised his head and looked at Agnes passionately, "You let me discover the truth, let me see clearly myself."

"It's not like that..." Agnes felt a little embarrassed, wondering if the other party had broken her brain.

"I admire your swordsmanship very much, and I can imagine how much effort you put into it." Edmund continued to look at the girl eagerly, "Can you teach me? Although you said that I would not be too high. I have achieved it, but I think that as long as I work hard for it, I will definitely become an excellent swordsman, and I have this determination."

Yes, he has made up his mind to take this opportunity to learn swordsmanship and improve himself.

Not only for self-defense, but also to master a skill that nobles like, and use this to create their own identity and personality, infiltrate the French high society, and become a figure that cannot be ignored.

The French are arrogant, people don't care about an unknown foreign nobleman, but if the other party is a good swordsman, then it is worth admiring.

He wandered into the upper class, established his identity, and then he could approach his enemies unknowingly. He would spy on them, find their weaknesses, and finally defeat them one by one.

Yes, he had to do it.

"Sir, are you interested in learning?" Agnes asked, "If you want, I can teach you. After all, you work for that guy. If you are too weak, I will train you as a Give him a present. But how long will you be in Paris this time?"

"I should only be able to stay for a few days," replied Edmond Dantes. "Your Majesty is anxious to wait for me to bring people and money to him, so I will leave after I have sold my jewels, without any delay. But I don't think I'll be in Paris again before long."

"A few days... It seems that there is no way to teach it too deeply..." Agnes frowned and said a little troubled.

Then, as if she had made a decision, she raised her head to look at Edmund, "Count, why not? I think I can give you emergency training, at least so that you can put on a pretense and bluff. It should be no problem to live there. At least I can convince my father that you are indeed a relative of my teacher. Anyway, this time we just want your identity to be recognized by your father. Is that enough? If you are still interested in the future If so, I can continue to teach you."

"That's great." Edmond Dantes nodded. "But... what if someone challenges me?"

"Don't worry so much, we are not in the 16th century but in the 19th century, there are not so many fighting fools on the street and in the living room, as long as you don't take the initiative to provoke others, there won't be so many people looking for nothing. A foreigner." Agnes couldn't help laughing, "Besides, if anyone challenges you without opening their eyes, then I will come forward and block them, claiming that whoever bullies my teacher's relatives is the one who can't get along with me. If you think like that, no one will dare to hold on to it any longer..."

Although her tone was flat, she could also feel a sense of pride.

Edmond Dantes now understands that this lady is not just bragging, she really has the ability.

A girl of noble birth, and such an excellent and outstanding girl, is worthy of being the flower of Gao Ling, and she deserves the best happiness.

Maybe only His Majesty is worthy? He suddenly couldn't help thinking.

"Thank you, Miss Agnes." He put aside these boring thoughts, and then bowed solemnly to Agnes, "I am very grateful for your help to me, although I have nothing to repay you now. Favor, but if there is a chance in the future, I will do my best to help you."

"You don't need to talk about this!" Agnes felt a little embarrassed. "It's okay, Count, just treat me as if I'm idle and panic, so go find something to do, it's just a little effort, it's not worth your seriousness."

"For you, it's a small gesture, and for me, it's an inescapable kindness and kindness," Edmond Dantes replied, "I've seen too much malice in my life, so even a little kindness can For me, it is a dazzling light, and I must repay these kindnesses with sincerity, because I want to repay those malicious ones with the same ruthlessness, and the revenge will be repaid, and a lot of points."

Agnes blinked, unable to understand the Count's philosophical answers.

But now, she has nothing else to do.

"Well, since you're pressed for time, let's not delay any further—" She raised her sword again and pointed at the Count of Monte Cristo, "Let's start with the most basic!"

………………

It was not until the evening that Edmond Dantès took Agnes' carriage and returned to the mansion of the Marquis of Treville under the cover of darkness.

His face was very bad, and rightfully so, because he had endured severe torture.

He was guided by Agnes's sword and his posture and steps, and now his skeleton is almost like a broken frame, and he secretly marvels at how he was able to walk into the living room without being helped.

But now he has reached the limit, he slumped on the sofa, unable to move a step.

"You...Are you all right!?" Alice looked at Edmond like this, almost panicking, "Have you encountered any crisis situation?"

"No, everything went well, ma'am." Edmond Dantès shook his head slightly. "I just... just learned from your sister."

"Agnes!" Alice shouted angrily. "I'll reprimand her later, sir."

"No, don't do this, ma'am, I asked her." Edmund replied quickly, "I hope... I hope I can learn something."

"Mr. Count?" Alice was a little surprised.

"Fate made me fall to the bottom and gave me the opportunity to get up again. Since the opportunity has come before, I must seize it. I want to make myself a strong man, ma'am." Edmund sighed, " I want to be someone who is qualified to stand upright in front of you and others."

Looking at the count's resolute expression, Alice seemed to understand something.

So she smiled slightly. "Then I wish you all the best, sir."

Then, she changed the topic again, "By the way, my father-in-law has something to tell you - he will arrange an important meeting next, please be sure to attend as a special envoy. The voice you convey is what everyone expects. I don't know how many years..."

"I am honoured." The Count of Monte Cristo closed his eyes slightly.

I, Edmond Dantès, are going to be big, and I must be.