The Enigmatic Return (Neera and Jean) novel Chapter 1155

Shane walked over and called out softly, “Mr. Weaver.”

The old man known as Finnley Weaver slightly opened his eyes and squinted. “Oh? It's you, Shane. What brings you here all of a sudden?”

His voice, raspy from age, was filled with the traces of time.

Beside the rocking chair, on the small side table, sat an empty coffee cup and a coffee pot.

With practiced ease, Shane brewed a pot of coffee and handed it to the old man with both hands. “Needless to say, I'm here to find you some work. Not to nag, but at your age, why are you still smoking so much? You never listen to my advice. Here, have some coffee to soothe your throat.”

In the midst of their conversation, he swiftly took the cigarette from the old man's hand and extinguished it without a word.

Finnley pursed his lips, reluctantly sitting up with a great deal of distaste as he glanced at the bottom of his coffee cup. “What kind of coffee is this? It's so weak I can hardly see any coffee powder, and it has no flavor at all.”

Shane smiled faintly. “With your current health, it would be better to drink less coffee.”

The old man huffed defiantly. “What's wrong with my health? I'm in great health!”

As he spoke, he finally let his gaze fall on Neera, his eyes narrowing slightly. “Who is this little girl? Did you bring her?”

Shane introduced her to him by saying, “Yes. Her name is Neera. She's my cousin, my uncle's niece, and also the new head of the Gordon family.”

Then, he turned to Neera and said, “This is the Gordon family's former butler, who watched over Uncle Chad since he was a child.”

Neera saw Shane treating Finnley as family, so she stepped forward and introduced herself respectfully. “Mr. Weaver, nice to meet you for the first time. I am Neera.”

Finnley had heard about the new head of the Gordon family. Therefore, seeing her for the first time, he couldn't help but take a few glances at her. “Mmm, not bad. The young girl is quite pretty and has a good temperament. She seems to be smart and sharp—”

Shane interrupted him with a laugh. “Mr. Weaver, please, no more compliments. Just tell me, will you teach her or not?”

Finnley stroked his beard. “Are you saying that the job you have for me is to teach this young lady?”

Shane nodded.

With a meaningful hum, Finnley leaned back, completely at ease, and said, “I can teach you, but I want to ask you something. Why do you want to learn?”

Neera uttered honestly, “I'm too weak, incapable of defending myself. I can only rely on others. But this place, Phison, is unlike anywhere I've lived before. Here, danger lurks everywhere. Given my current status, I could easily become a thorn in someone's side, a target for their schemes. I want to learn some fighting arts for self-protection.”

Finnley looked at her. “Even if you start learning now, you can't master anything overnight.”

“I understand.” Neera nodded with a bitter smile. “But I have to do something. If I don't try, if I don't put in the effort, I'll never succeed. Even if I can't master it, having some basic knowledge might come in handy at a critical moment. I don't aim to be incredibly powerful, but at least I don't want to be a burden to those around me.”

She spoke her inner thoughts with great conviction.

Finnley revealed a satisfied smile. “As a person, what I detest the most is pretense. I appreciate it when you speak the truth. Such sincerity is wonderful.”

He sat up again, slapped his thigh, and declared, “All right. I'll teach you!”

Neera's face lit up with joy, and a radiant smile spread across her face. “Thank you!”

Shane also laughed. “All right. In that case, you can stay with Mr. Weaver. I'll go back first and come to pick you up in the evening.”

After he finished speaking, he left.

With a sense of urgency, Finnley decided to teach and immediately immersed himself in the instruction.

Neera didn't hesitate. She changed into her training attire and began to study earnestly with him.

As the afternoon wore on, if one were to ask about accomplishments, there were certainly none, just a body filled with exhaustion.

Neera felt as if her wrists were about to give out.

She spent the entire afternoon throwing darts, all aimed at a fixed spot.

During this time, Finnley would occasionally correct her movements, teaching her the technical essentials, the techniques of movement and exertion, as well as some minor details.

By the time it ended, her wrists were in unbearable pain, almost too heavy to lift.

That was far more serious than performing dozens of surgeries.

Finnley chuckled. “It's always like this when you start practicing. You'll get better in a few days. Soak in some hot water when you get home tonight. It'll help ease it.”

Neera nodded. “Mr. Weaver, thank you for today. I'll need your help more in the future. Please don't find me bothersome.”

Finnley laughed heartily. “No worries. After all, I don't have much else to do. If you're willing to learn, I'll teach you all the way.”

After he finished speaking, he handed her two quaint little daggers. “It's unlikely to master the needle technique in a short time, but you can start with larger weapons. Here, take these daggers. They should be the most suitable for you.”

Coincidentally, Shane arrived and saw the situation. He laughed and said, “It's quite rare for Mr. Weaver to give gifts. It seems he really likes you.”

Neera tucked away the two daggers with a smile and cheerfully got into the car.