บท 35: Unexpected visit

I fell asleep in her embrace and when I woke up it was already late afternoon. Ling wasn’t with me, so I grudgingly got up and found a set of new clothes by the foot of the bed. They weren’t as fancy as my usual ones, but since the others would have been lost when the boat exploded, I wasn’t going to get picky.

I was sore all over and my joints felt squeaky, which was a testament to the time I had spent in bed.

I would have to begin training again in the morning. But for now, a very late breakfast was in order.

“His highness awakens, finally!”

I looked at the strange company sitting around the bonfire, blinking in surprise, all but ignoring the comment of the unknown man as I searched for Ling. She was on another bonfire with a group of elder women.

They seemed to be chatting amiably and Ling looked happy, so I let her be and instead turned to the man who had addressed me before. He was grumbling about ‘lack of respect’ and ‘younger generations’.