Chapter 23: The First Day of Training

Even before the sun had risen above Lunaris...

...Rowan was already walking through the quiet streets.

At this hour, the village was only beginning to wake.

A handful of merchants were setting up their market stalls.

The scent of freshly baked bread drifted through the cool morning air.

Rowan wandered through the narrow lanes until he stopped in front of a small blacksmith's shop.

The rhythmic ringing of hammer against steel echoed through the street.

The blacksmith looked up from his anvil.

"Morning, Rowan."

"Morning."

Rowan's eyes wandered across the rows of weapons and equipment.

Eventually...

...they settled on a simple wooden training sword.

Beside it rested a plain shortsword in a dark leather sheath.

Nothing expensive.

Nothing decorative.

Just reliable.

Exactly what a beginner needed.

He picked up both swords.

Then added a small dagger...

...and a pair of sturdy leather gloves.

The blacksmith raised an eyebrow.

"Taking on an apprentice?"

A crooked smile appeared on Rowan's face.

"Unfortunately."

The blacksmith laughed.

"I'll pray for your patience."

Rowan only smiled as he paid for the equipment.

His morning wasn't over yet.

Not long afterward, he stepped into a small bookstore.

Shelves overflowing with books reached almost to the ceiling.

The elderly shopkeeper looked at him over a pair of spectacles.

"Since when are you interested in books?"

Rowan held up two thick blank notebooks.

Then a bundle of fresh pens.

And finally...

...a sturdy leather satchel.

A quiet chuckle escaped him.

"I know a certain little lady who's going to fill these before the week's over."

Just imagining Lyra's reaction made Rowan suddenly burst into hearty laughter.

The elderly bookseller stared at Rowan in confusion.

"...Are you alright?"

Rowan immediately stopped laughing.

Then he awkwardly cleared his throat.

"Y-Yeah."

"Totally fine."

A few minutes later, Rowan also bought a pair of metal-reinforced leather gloves.

Light.

Flexible.

Perfect for quick movements.

He studied the gloves for several seconds.

"Yun Yun will probably use these for punching more often than dodging..."

The thought alone made him burst into hearty laughter once again.

By the time Rowan returned to the inn...

...everything was still quiet.

He briefly set the bags down.

Then he knocked three times on the children's door.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

No response.

A faint grin spread across his face.

"Good."

Slowly, he opened the door.

"I seriously hope there aren't any pillows flying this time."

The room was completely peaceful.

Lyra lay half buried beneath her blanket.

Yun Yun was curled up like a cat.

And Kaien...

...wasn't sitting by the window.

...he was still asleep.

For several long seconds, Rowan simply stood there, quietly watching the three children.

Then a small smile crossed his face.

"Kids..."

Carefully, he placed everything on the small table beside the window.

Then he left a short note.

Once you're awake, come downstairs.

We'll eat something quickly, then begin training.

- Rowan

Without another sound...

...he quietly slipped out of the room again.

Some time later...

...Yun Yun slowly opened her eyes.

The very first thing she saw...

...was a wooden training sword.

She immediately sat upright.

Lyra blinked sleepily.

Kaien also turned toward the table in confusion.

Several items had been neatly arranged there.

• leather gloves

• a shortsword

• a dagger

• two new notebooks

• several pens

• a leather bag

Lyra froze.

Slowly, she got out of bed and carefully picked up the notebooks.

For several long seconds...

...she didn't say a word.

Then she gently opened one of them.

Every page was blank.

Her crimson eyes lit up.

"...New paper."

Yun Yun immediately burst into laughter.

Meanwhile, Kaien carefully picked up the shortsword.

Slowly, he drew the blade a few inches from its sheath.

The steel shimmered in the morning light.

He silently admired it.

Then his gaze shifted to the gloves.

Yun Yun curiously picked them up.

"These are for me?"

Meanwhile, Lyra had already hugged the leather bag tightly against her chest.

Almost as though someone had handed her the greatest treasure in the world.

Eventually, Kaien noticed the small note.

After reading it, the three of them headed downstairs.

Rowan was already sitting comfortably at a table, quietly drinking his tea.

The moment Lyra spotted him...

...she unexpectedly hurried over.

Rowan raised an eyebrow.

Lyra stopped right in front of him.

For several long seconds...

...she said nothing.

Then, almost shyly, she spoke.

"...Thank you."

Rowan blinked.

For a moment...

...he simply stared at her.

Then a broad grin spread across his face.

"Wow."

"That was probably the longest polite conversation you've ever had."

Lyra immediately narrowed her eyes at him.

Rowan burst into hearty laughter once again.

After a quick breakfast of sandwiches and tea...

...Rowan eventually led the children behind the inn.

There, a small training ground stretched across the hardened earth.

Simple.

Open.

Perfect for practice.

Rowan tossed a wooden training sword toward Kaien.

Caught off guard, Kaien barely managed to catch it.

"Show me how you fight."

Kaien gave a small nod.

Then he awkwardly settled into a stance.

Rowan watched him in silence.

After a moment, Kaien began attacking.

One strike.

Then another.

Slow.

Uncertain.

Far too stiff.

Only a few seconds passed before Rowan let out a quiet sigh.

"Alright."

Kaien immediately stopped.

Rowan slowly circled around him.

"First lesson."

He lightly tapped Kaien's front leg with his foot.

"Your stance is terrible."

Kaien instinctively looked down.

"If I can knock you off balance this easily..."

"...you're already dead."

Kaien nodded seriously.

For the next several hours...

...he repeated the same movements over and over again.

Footwork.

Stance.

Strikes.

Blocks.

Again.

And again.

Every mistake was corrected immediately.

"Don't swing with just your arms."

WHUMP.

Rowan gave Kaien's shoulder a light shove.

Kaien instantly stumbled backward.

"See?"

Kaien bit the inside of his lip.

Then quietly reset his stance.

Several meters away...

...Rowan was also training Yun Yun.

She now wore the reinforced gloves.

Even after only a short while, she was already breathing heavily.

Once again, Rowan effortlessly slipped past one of her punches.

"Yun Yun."

She panted for breath.

"Y-Yeah?!"

"You keep staring at me."

Yun Yun blinked.

Then threw another punch.

Rowan sidestepped it with ease.

"Exactly."

"You've stopped paying attention to everything else."

Yun Yun frowned.

"...What?"

"And stop trying so hard to hit me."

She looked at him in confusion.

A faint grin spread across Rowan's face.

"Staying alive is more important than landing a hit."

Then he suddenly flicked Yun Yun on the forehead.

"Ow!"

Rowan burst into hearty laughter.

"If you become a mage and let someone hit you..."

"...you're finished."

Yun Yun crossed her arms.

Then, without warning, she scooped up a handful of sand and flung it straight at him.

"WOAH!"

The sand hit Rowan square in the face.

Silence.

Then...

...Kaien quietly laughed.

Everyone immediately turned to look at him.

Even Kaien himself seemed surprised.

As Rowan brushed the sand from his beard, he couldn't stop laughing.

"Alright."

He pointed at Yun Yun.

"That was unfair."

Yun Yun folded her arms with a smug grin.

"But it worked."

Rowan stared at her for a few seconds.

Then burst into laughter once again.

Meanwhile, Lyra sat comfortably beneath the shade of a nearby tree, carefully recording everything inside one of her new notebooks.

Yun Yun utilizes a primitive sand-throwing technique.

"HEY!"

Nearly four hours later...

...Kaien and Yun Yun were completely exhausted.

Kaien lay flat on the ground, struggling to catch his breath.

Yun Yun sat beside him, looking utterly defeated.

Rowan crossed his arms with satisfaction.

"Not bad for your first day."

Then his gaze drifted toward their heavy winter coats.

He fell silent for a moment.

"...You three desperately need new clothes."

Yun Yun looked down at herself.

"Huh?"

"You're walking around in the middle of summer dressed like you're about to survive a snowstorm."

Lyra slowly looked up from her notebook.

"Technically speaking..."

"...we are."

Rowan let out a weary sigh and rubbed his forehead.

An hour later...

...the four of them were already standing inside a tailor's shop in Lunaris.

Several light summer outfits had been laid out before them.

Yun Yun looked completely overwhelmed by all the choices.

Meanwhile, Kaien stood quietly nearby.

As the tailor took their measurements, Rowan suddenly spoke up.

"Quick question..."

"How old are you kids, anyway?"

Lyra answered immediately.

"Fourteen."

"So am I," Yun Yun said.

Kaien gave a small nod.

"Fourteen."

Rowan fell silent.

The playful smile slowly faded from his face.

For several long seconds...

...he said nothing.

Then he quietly sighed.

"...Damn."

He gently patted Kaien on the shoulder.

Then softly ruffled Yun Yun's and Lyra's hair.

"And you've already had to go through something like that..."

No one answered.

For a brief moment...

...the shop fell quiet.

Then Rowan clapped his hands together once.

"Anyway."

He folded his arms.

"What do you all want for dinner tonight?"

Lyra frowned.

"Dinner?"

She glanced toward the window.

"...We just had lunch."

A broad grin spread across Rowan's face.

"We're training until this evening."

"And training is a lot easier when you've got something to look forward to."

Lyra thought for several seconds.

Then answered with complete seriousness.

"I'd like silver stag steak with herb butter."

Rowan stared at her.

"...That sounds incredibly expensive."

Lyra remained perfectly straight-faced.

"I used to be.."

Yun Yun slowly raised her hand.

"I'd like stew."

Kaien thought for a moment.

"...Fish."

Rowan looked from one child to the next.

Then dramatically lowered his head.

"Of course."

"Three children."

"And not one of you can agree on dinner."