Unexpected meeting

Under the warm afternoon sunlight, three figures walked along a winding path between dense trees.

After training Esdeath in the northern border for a year, Noah decided to visit the imperial territory and see a different scenery, there was no way he would just spend his time in the Northern border with monotonous white.

"Maybe we can stop for a moment at the village that is visible up ahead," Noah said, pointing towards the small village that was visible among the trees. C.C nodded in agreement, while Esdeath just smiled, although her smile gave off a cold impression.

"The village seems peaceful. We can rest before continuing our journey," C.C said in her soft voice.

The three of them continued their journey towards the village. However, as they approached the village, the peaceful atmosphere that they had expected suddenly turned into a commotion. The sound of shouting and clashing could be heard clearly, making the three of them look at each other with questioning marks.

"Something seems wrong," Noah said, frowning.

"Should we intervene?" C.C asked, even though she knew that they did not have a strong sense of justice.

Esdeath, who heard the question, just smiled widely. "Let them be. I want to see how strong they are."

The three of them entered the center of the village, where a crowd of people had gathered. Some villagers looked scared, while a group of rough bandits were robbing houses and threatening the villagers. Noah and C.C stood on the sidelines, watching the chaos that was happening.

"Since we're already here, let's help them, no matter how trivial it is," Noah said lightly.

"Let me do it, I want to play a little." Esdeath said while observing the bandits with sparkling eyes.

Meanwhile, one of the big bandits looked at them. "Hey! Who are you guys? Get out of here before we make you regret it!"

Esdeath was unfazed by the threat. With one quick step, she stepped forward, ignoring Noah and C.C.

"You don't know who you're facing," she said coldly.

"Do you think you can fight us alone, little girl?" One of the bandits laughed sarcastically.

Without answering, Esdeath drew her sword and in an instant, she was in front of the bandit. With a swift movement, she swung her sword. Instantly, the bandit's head was separated from his body, falling to the ground with a terrible sound.

The incident shocked the other bandits. They turned around, saw their lifeless comrade, and fear began to come over them.

"Hah, there's another one!" Esdeath shouted, challenging the remaining bandits. With an arrogant attitude, she stepped forward, ready to fight.

The other bandits who saw this began to retreat, but one of them, who seemed to be the leader, took out a weapon and charged at Esdeath. However, she was ready. With agile movements, Esdeath dodged and countered the attack quickly, killing the bandit in one hit.

"Who else?" Esdeath's voice echoed among the village buildings.

Seeing their fallen leader, the remaining bandits fled in fear. Esdeath stared at them with a sharp gaze, happy to see them escape.

After the situation calmed down again, Noah and C.C approached Esdeath who was standing in the middle of the chaos.

After the bandits fled, the villagers began to come out of their hiding places, thanking the three. They invited Noah, C.C, and Esdeath to stay in their village, offering them food and a place to rest.

For the next few days, they lived in the village.

One night, as they gathered around a campfire, three young children approached them, they were Tatsumi, Sayo and Ieyas.

The three of them whispered to decide who would speak. And in the end Tatsumi who had an optimistic appearance stepped forward and stood in front of Esdeath. He was a young man who was spirited and seemed to have strong determination. The three of them had heard about Esdeath's abilities and wanted to learn from her.

"Esdeath, I want to be like you," Tatsumi said with longing. "I want to protect my village from threats like those bandits."

Esdeath looked at Tatsumi lightly and was not interested in teaching him. "Not interested, go find someone else"

Hearing this, Tatsumi lowered his head depressed and did not continue begging because he did not want to bother others.

Noah who was sitting beside Esdeath looked at the brown-haired and green-eyed child, he did not expect the village they saved unexpectedly was Tatsumi's village, the protagonist of this world.

"I can teach you, but are you ready? My trainer is not easy" Noah said from the side while looking at Tatsumi and his friends with an interested look.

"We are ready!" Tatsumi and the others answered firmly even though they did not know Noah's strength, in their minds Noah should be as strong as Esdeath because it seemed that Noah was the leader of Esdeath.

Seeing their enthusiasm, Noah smiled. "Okay. I will teach you. Get ready."

For the next few days, Noah trained Tatsumi, Sayo, and Ieyas with full dedication. Every morning, they gathered in a large field in the middle of the village, a place where the wind blew gently and the sunlight shone on them. Noah taught different fighting techniques, from basic movements to complex strategies. He not only taught physical strength, but also the importance of intelligence in fighting.

"When fighting, don't just rely on your strength," Noah said seriously. "You must be able to read the enemy's movements and plan your steps carefully. Remember, the brain is your strongest weapon."

Ieyas, who was always curious, asked, "But what if we face an enemy that is stronger than us?"

Noah smiled broadly. "That's why you have to keep training and learning. Strength isn't just about physicality, but also determination and courage. If you have an undying spirit, no one can defeat you."

Sayo, who was always cheerful, added, "We believe in you, Noah! We'll do our best!"

From the sidelines, Esdeath and C.C. watched silently.

Day after day, Tatsumi and his friends trained diligently. They learned offense and defense, practicing evasion and counterattack. Noah watched their progress with pride. Although they were still young, their potential was enormous. Tatsumi, with his burning spirit, showed significant progress, while Ieyas showed intelligence in planning strategies and Sayo showed extraordinary agility.

One afternoon, after a tiring training session, Tatsumi sat under a large tree at the edge of the field. He felt tired but happy. "I think we've learned a lot," he said to Sayo and Ieyas. "But we have to train harder. We can't let Noah down."

Ieyas nodded in agreement. "That's right. He's invested time and effort into training us. We have to prove that we're worthy of this training."

Sayo smiled, "And we have to remember, we're not just doing this for ourselves, but also to protect our village."

That night, Tatsumi woke up with renewed vigor. He felt inspired by the fighting spirit shown by Noah and his friends. He knew that they still had a lot to learn, but he felt confident that they could achieve their dreams.

Two months passed quickly. Every day was filled with intense training and learning from experience. Noah was not just a trainer; he was also a figure that they looked up to and respected. His strength and wisdom taught them a lot about life and struggle.

One day, while they were training, Noah called them together. "I'm proud of your progress. You've learned a lot in a short time. However, your journey isn't over yet. True strength comes from experience. You must face real challenges to truly grow."

Tatsumi and his friends exchanged glances.

"We're ready!" Tatsumi exclaimed, his voice full of enthusiasm.

"Good. But remember, even though you have learned a lot, never underestimate your opponent. Every battle is a new lesson." Noah said.

"Yes, we understand" they answered seriously.

Because Noah trained Tatsumi and the others, they stayed in the village for two months before continuing their journey.