37 Ash’s idol

Although the academy or school could not be done so easily in the short term, it would be possible in the future if there was enough support to make it happen.

It not only required funds to make it happen but also the influence of those in power and those who would be willing to teach all kinds of subjects like farming, tailoring, cooking, swimming, fishing and crafting.

There was also the current noble teaching situation that often required private tutors for one or more children within their families as teachers would be occupied by those families over a long period of time.

However that left open jobs for those that had grown older but still had their experience and knowledge but were having a hard time taking care of themselves, a job as a teacher could open up a path for a longer life and a better monetary situation for them.

If the model was successful for the commoners of Zou and other families sent their children there as they may not be able to hire qualified teachers for their children then it would gain more support from the lower ranked noble and rich families too.

While some higher noble families may stick to their own way of doing things, there may be some that would wish for a more advanced academy which was for those of a higher class rather than mixing the commoners with the nobles in one single school.

While some families may continue to prepare their children with their own methods, they would then enter a school for the nobility to learn various sets of skills for managing the household, their lands, businesses and resources along with other additional noble teachings while those in the public schools would be receiving all kinds of beneficial skills to help them get a job after they graduate.

When Pixel had went home, she had started preparing a report on her own ideas for a public school and the various advantages and disadvantages that came with it so that it could be sent to Duke Genghis Baan.

Pixel then informed her family and friends about what she had asked for. "And so.. it is like that."

Ash showed a look of excitement. "Wow.. to think that I would get to see one of the dukes up close. This is like a dream! He is the idol of many felines!"

She started acting like a big fan as she revealed a little shyness and was overly excited.

It was like she had returned to her youth where she would talk about their favourite idols within Zou, many had shown great support to a couple of central figures but most felines had greatly respected Cat Viper to the point of worship.

It was needless to say that he was very popular with the ladies and if Ash had not already been married, she may have thoughts about courting him since he is still single.

Although her husband had been reported dead recently and she had been alone for a long time, she was not so disloyal that she would think of moving onto another mate even if she did have a liking for them even if it was one of her idols or a crush that she had when she was younger.

There was also the fact that she had the responsibility to look out for her daughter within the Meridian family so she could not spare time for relationships but she also did not wish to bring more of a bad name and reputation to herself and Pixel.

If she had moved on from her dead husband, many within the family may start to call her heartless and shameless which would also help to fuel the rumours that already existed.

She had already been married and had a child so Cat Viper was just someone that she idolised and looked up to but could never think about anything beyond that kind of distant relationship so it was a miracle for someone of her background to be able to be given such a chance to study under him.

She put away her messy thoughts and coughed. "Do not worry my daughter, mommy will protect you. If I can use this chance then everything will be worth it, I was never given this kind if chance when I was younger so I do not know how far I can improve now but I will try my best. Thank you. I love you! Garchu!"

Pixel suddenly felt her body squeezed tightly in her mothers embrace as her cheeks were rubbed. "Garchu!"

The mother and daughter had spent a little while in a loving embrace as their cheeks rubbed together and electro sparks were created between them.

Ash like other Minks had a natural fighting sense and abilities since birth so she could protect herself well but compared to other Minks that had training, a better bloodline type and more experience, she was much too far behind.

She grew up in the poorer areas and was taken in by someone who only taught her to cook and about various ingredients and materials so she did not have such an opportunity to improve herself besides keeping herself healthy and physically fit.

If it was not for her own daughters persistence towards training, she may have been cooped up within her room and would not have been able to improve herself over the years but she had been able to train herself so that she could not lose against Pixel.

If her daughter thought herself as the strongest then she may give up training so she was forced to improve herself over the years but she had found that Pixel was improving far too quickly as she grew that it was difficult for her to stay ahead of her own daughter.

The chance to train with Cat Viper was something that she needed not only for herself so she could improve herself but also for her daughter so that her daughter could see that there are many other talented and strong individuals within Zou.

Harley looked at the wooden sword in her hands and sighed. "I wonder when I will be able to graduate from this thing. Do you think that they will have a real one for me?"

Old Swifty shook his head. "Only by achieving a high status can you get anything decent but do not rely on a weapon even if it is a high quality one. All you will do is abandon your techniques and cause damage to the weapon which will cause them to break. If you can make a cut with a wooden sword and twig without breaking it then you can start with a higher grade sword but for now.. you must only try to get your hands on a cheaper sword."

Harley frowned. "Why is that master?"

Old Swifty sighed. "My techniques are very fast, precise and have very lethal cutting power but they put a high amount of stress on the blade and body if not executed to absolute perfection. You want to be able to pass by an opponent and cut through them but to do so requires a great amount of control. If you use too much force or are unable to cut through your opponent or a structure then the blade will be the first thing to give way. For now it is best that you only use cheap swords or those wooden ones until you gain a better mastery over it so that you will not break any good swords."

Old Swifty's techniques were very lethal but required a great deal of mastery to be used as they should be. 'Sigh.. during my youth, I had went through many swords until I had learned how to cause the least damage to the blade edge.'

He had went through many battles within Zou and had made a journey outside so he had clashed swords with others many times along with fighting animals of different sizes.

When fighting someone or something with high durability or high skill, it was difficult to avoid damage to his weapon and there were even times when he was left without his weapon due to it breaking mid combat.

To a swordsman, to lose or break their own sword during combat was like losing their own limb so although his techniques were powerful, they did have their own drawbacks.

He looked down at Harley and sighed. 'I do not have to worry too much about the same thing with Harley as her progress is very fast. Still.. it is best to remain strict so that she does not lose her sharpness and stray away from her goal.'

It was very easy for a martial artist or swordsman to lose their path or stray away from their goal once they had gained a means to improve their survival.

They may become reliant of a tool or something else that would halt their ambitions to improve their techniques but it would also make many of their experiences less memorable.

Those experiences may have been crucial times where they could overcome their flaws and grow from with their own hard work, determination and talents but due to the extra variable that they were relying on, they would not be able to experience the same thing and would miss the opportunity for growth.

There would always be more chances in the future but some may become too reliant on a strong weapon and not improve themselves anymore so when the time comes for them to encounter a strong opponents, they will be unable to bridge the gap with what they had been so reliant on.

If they survived then they may be able to learn from their mistakes but that was only if they were lucky enough not to die or be heavily injured once the battle had ended.

He then spoke to Harley. "While I am still your teacher and you are learning my techniques, it would be wise to learn as much as you can from Duke Dogstorm. He is much stronger than me and he has gained much understanding of the sword when he had left Zou. Since I have been granted entry too, it will be a good opportunity to learn a thing or two and guide you on your path."

Harley bowed and saluted respectfully. "Yes master."