Capítulo 14: Liliruca
Feeling the warmth of the sun, I followed my usual morning routine and descended the stairs.
I sensed Mama Mia as she cleaned the familiar tables and greeted her while making my way to the kitchen for breakfast.
"Good morning, Mama Mia," I said.
"Ah, good morning! You're up early, as always," Mama Mia replied and joined me on the way to the kitchen.
"By the way, the pub will be closed for a few days, so you can have some time off," Mama Mia informed me.
"Is there a specific reason for closing the shop?" I inquired.
"Ever since you joined us, more adventurers have been visiting the pub, and with the increased adventurers I need to expand the pub," Mama Mia explained.
"With the earnings we've made, I can do it without any worries!" Mama Mia added cheerfully.
"Thank you for the time off, Mama Mia," I expressed my gratitude.
"Haha, I should be the one thanking you, Xian," Mama Mia patted my back, and we finished our breakfast.
I then left the pub and headed to the abandoned church for my morning sparring session.
-
I noticed Bell leaving the church, donned in his new armor and with a blissful face. I approached him quietly and greeted him.
"Up and about so early, all geared up in your armor. You're quite energetic for the morning," I remarked.
"AH, Xian, don't startle me like that."
"A warrior should always be vigilant; the weakest moment for a warrior can be exploited," I playfully karate-chopped his head and headed towards the field.
Bell quickly regained his composure and readied his stance. I picked up a branch.
"Don't assume you're safe inside that armor," I declared coldly and dashed towards him, striking overhead.
Bell swiftly sidestepped and counterattacked with his daggers, but I shifted my weight to dodge his strike.
"You've improved considerably since our first spar," I complimented.
"Hehe, I have a great teacher," Bell replied.
"Flattery won't make my strikes any less painful," I feigned an initial strike and followed up with a punch that sent him backward.
He quickly recovered and went on the offensive, slashing rapidly and using his kicks to disrupt my sightlines.
"Good kicks, but attacking out of sightlines doesn't affect me," I blocked one of his kicks and thrust my branch toward his face, but he managed to block it with his dagger.
"You're quickly developing your own fighting style. Congratulations," I said, putting down my branch.
"Fighting style?" Bell stopped brandishing his dagger and asked.
"Where I come from, a fighting style encompasses your approach to combat. For you, it's using your fists to distract and delivering unexpected strikes with your kicks, stunning your opponent before finishing them off with your dagger," I explained.
"Oh, do you have a fighting style?" Bell inquired.
"Indeed, I've developed several over the years during my time on the battlefield," I replied.
"Could you teach me one?" Bell asked eagerly.
"No," I promptly rejected his request.
"I don't want you to learn the one I've created, as it's designed primarily for massacring," I explained, intentionally omitting the "against humans" part.
"The best fighting style for you is the one you create for yourself, so it would be counterproductive for me to teach you one," I added, discouraging any further inquiries.
After our brief break, we resumed our sparring session.
-
"Bell, would you mind if I accompany you into the dungeon?" I asked as Bell took a break.
"Hmm? Don't you have work?"
"Mama Mia plans to renovate the pub, so I'll have some free time," I replied.
"I'm curious how you fight below the tower" I said, having nothing to do would bore me and this can give me something to be curious about
and with the decaying cloth of Kirion, I need to find a secluded field to replace it without affecting the surrounding
"Sure, Eina always told me it's safer to explore the dungeon with a companion," Bell agreed.
"I'll take on any monsters that pique my interest. For now, I'll retrieve my weapon, so let's meet up at the dungeon entrance," I suggested.
"See you later!" Bell called out as I left.
-
Arriving at a secluded alley, the designated meeting point, I waited. After a while, I sensed someone approaching and turned my attention to them.
"You're here early," Hephaestus greeted me.
"Is my weapon ready?" I asked getting straight to the point.
"It's ready. Take a look," Hephaestus replied, handing me a cloth-covered weapon.
"Do you have a habit of wrapping your weapons in cloth?" I remembered Hestia had given Bell his dagger in a similar manner.
"Sort of. Anyway, I've fulfilled my end of the deal. Just don't let THAT sword fall into the wrong hands," Hephaestus cautioned, referring to Kirion.
"If Kirion ends up in anyone else's possession, I wouldn't consider myself a warrior," I stated firmly. I exited the secluded alley and examined the katana I'd been given.
Unwrapping the fine fabric, the katana was revealed, sheathed in a black scabbard with a white handle. I ran my finger along the blade, nodded in approval, and sheathed it back.
(pic)
With my weapon in hand, I sought out a merchant who sold a long piece of cloth.
-
As I approached the tower's entrance, I scanned the area for Bell and found him engaged in conversation with a young girl by the fountain.
Bell noticed me as I approached and waved.
"Bell, I noticed you long before you spotted me. There's no need to get my attention," I said casually, then shifted my focus to the young girl.
"Ah, right. Xian, meet Liliruca. She's a supporter who asked to join us," Bell introduced.
"Liliruca, meet Xian. She's my teacher and will be accompanying me," Bell added.
"Mr. Adventurer, are you sure she can fight?" Liliruca whispered to Bell, glancing at my blindfold.
"Little girl, if you'd met me a year earlier, you'd only see a blade at your neck," I stated.
"Ah, I'm sorry," Liliruca quickly apologized terrified at my threat.
"I understand your doubt, but I can assure you that even in our sparring sessions, I haven't managed to land a hit on her," Bell admitted.
"WHAT?" Liliruca looked at me in astonishment, recalling that I had easily subdued the adventurer who had chased her. This was the same person who couldn't hit a blindfolded opponent.
"Now that the introductions are done, let's head inside the dungeon," I suggested, walking closer to the tower, with the two quickly following.
~~
sorry for the late chap and if it is bad, yesterday was hectic and took a lot of mental energy out of me
Estado de energía semanal
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