CHAPTER SIX: The Training

DAKU

"You really don't have to. I could go home myself," I protested when Kenshi decided to accompany me home. This was my third time telling him that he could leave me because I was fully capable of going home alone. I was not a kid anymore.

"This is non-negotiable. I insisted this in the first place and it's already too late for me to take it back," Kenshi defended without even taking a chance to look at me.

We were only a few blocks away from the shop but I was pretty sure this walk would take a while. With this speed and this atmosphere lingering between, I could say that this journey would be longer than usual. This awkward silence added more tension between us and anytime I would sprint just to get away from this strange and unbearable feeling.

Impatient, I raised a question, "Have you tried talking to him?" We had already finished discussing this matter. In fact, there wasn't a discussion at all. I was left speechless and wordless upon hearing the story. It was something that I least expected. Who knew a skilled and strong swordsman who had a devastating and depressing backstory?

I winced out of insensitivity when I realized how rude and intrusive my question was. I knew for myself those queries were something he would be uncomfortable to answer. There was a high percentage that he would evade the question and act as if no one asked him an inquiry.

"Talking to him was my first action," Kenshi responded which dumbfounded me. All my predictions earlier were demolished like a pinata at a birthday party. And I thought that was it but he continued, "The day when he kicked out his house, I asked him why and what were his reasons. But I received no answer. Just an infuriating glare from him as he was fueled by rage."

The melancholy I felt earlier when he started narrating his backstory intensified. I could see in his eyes the longing of a son with his father. He must have really missed his father but couldn't find a way to fulfill it. He looked vulnerable at this moment and I had this strange urge within me to protect and defend this man.

"We're here," Kenshin prompted, diverting my gaze from him to the shop to our right. The front porch light had already been lit up by Grosi himself.

"You should get going now," I informed him. Kenshi delivered a stoic nod with both of his hands in his pockets. I started trudging toward the door until I got a hold of it. For one last time, I looked back at him and was surprised to see him still standing in the same spot he stood earlier.

Strangely, I found myself admiring his entirety. We barely knew each other and we'd been together for a very short time and yet it felt like we'd already known one another since childhood.

"Thank you, by the way," I said and just like earlier, he just nodded.

For the second time, I turned my back against him to face the doorway of the shop. Upon entering the room, I was greeted by the warmth of the heat trapped inside it. A feeling that satisfied my freezing body from the cold breeze outside. A sign that Yuletide season was fast approaching.

"Daku? Is that you?" Grosi called out from upstairs.

"Yes! I'm home now, Grosi!" I replied while prepping to close the shop. I rolled down the blinds of the windows and extinguished a few lamps making the room a bit dimmer.

I heard Grosi's limping footsteps descend the stairs. I fixed my eyes on it until Grosi's figure came into view. But I was surprised to see him with someone. A child. He hid himself behind Grosi as if taking refuge from something.

"You have a child?"

"This is not mine, you idiot!" Grosi growled, shocking the child behind him. Grosi cleared his throat, "Anyway, this child is my new apprentice. He'll be living with us from now on."

"Please tell me he's not just some random kid you picked up somewhere?" I inquired.

"Of course, not! What'd you think of me, a criminal? He's from the orphanage you came from," he explained, and hearing the last phrase stirred a feeling within me. So this kid was basically the new me. Wait, am I getting replaced? "You're an adventurer now and it will be a matter of time before you find yourself on a journey away from this town."

"So you find some that could fill in my place?" I confirmed.

"Exactly. Are you jealous?" Grosi jestered with a smirk. A smile curved my lips.

After locking the front door, I approached the kid who was still timid behind Grosi. If I had to guess, he was definitely around my age when Grosi made me an apprentice. Though he was a bit smaller than me at that time, I was pretty sure this kid would do just fine as an apprentice.

"You don't have to be scared," I reassured the kid who totally hid himself when I knelt to match his height. It took a few minutes when he reemerged himself from concealing himself. I flashed a smile, the most genuine and friendly one. "You'll be a great apprentice for Grosi."

***

"Do we really have to be here?" I timidly asked as I scanned the vicinity for a possible monster ambush. Holding a training session inside the Amber Forest would probably not be a good idea.

"There's only two locations where we can train: the training ground in the guild, and the arena. The former is something that you don't want to be at after what happened the last time. The latter is also being used by the contestants for the upcoming tournament," Kenshi explained which made sense.

"Well, you're the mentor here so I guess I don't have a choice but to follow you," I reasoned. "We're doing the basics, right? Only the basics?"

"That depends on the circumstance."

"What circumstance?"

"If a monster suddenly finds its way here, then you have to fight it to save yourself."

"WHAT? That's not what we agreed on," I protested. This guy was insane.

"The agreement only covers me as your mentor and not your savior."

"But isn't the mentor's responsibility to keep his student safe from any harm?"

"That doesn't exist in our terms. You only ask for me to train you and not save you from any threat that comes along the way." Kenshi was really a tough nut to crack but his reasoning was not logical.

But I had the perfect condition that would turn this table around. "Alright then. I suggest you find another Healer to join you in your quests," I stated while wearing a smug face.

"Impressive. You need that kind of talent in the future. You pass the first training," Kenshi informed, surprising me.

"That was a training?"

"Someday, you'll find yourself in a similar situation. Knowing how to turn the tables can provide you with an advantage. This lowers the risk of you being used for the benefit of others," he discussed and I nodded in agreement. "Now, let's proceed to the actual training."

We reached this small clearing enough for us two. It was well-lit as well and the flow of air was enough to ease our breathing. The breeze was neither humid nor freezing.

"Let's start with the magic control first. This will provide you with a better healing output and accuracy. Controlling your mana consumption and output will not just save others but will also extend your healing. The more you have control over your magic, the longer you can stay on the battlefield and the more people you can save. This is one of the pros of a Healer."

Then, a question arose, "If a Healer was that helpful why others called it useless?"

"It's all about the demand," Kenshi answered. "With everyone knowing healing magic, where do you think is the place of the Healer? Plus, Healers are weak in nature in that they can't even protect themselves to the point that the other members would focus themselves on protecting the Healer. And lastly, Healers are rare. So rare that everyone had already used to not seeing or having one."

"I see." He had a point. Everything that he had said was undeniably the truth. Only Kenshi's curse could my class be useful. It may sound wrong but I was grateful that Kenshi had that kind of curse.

The training officially started. Kenshi did his best to brief me about the basics and I did my best as well to follow everything he had said. It wasn't surprising to see me fail on my first try. I was bound to fail, of course. I was not some kind of a prodigy who would learn a technique in just one try.

But at the very least, I learned how to manipulate magical energy. This made me love the green glow that my magic emit even more. According to Kenshi, I could direct this energy anywhere in my body and I could also manifest this only on the spot where the injury was. But the latter required a proficient magic control which I was yet to learn.

"Let's have a break," Kenshi announced that I concorded. He went to where his bag was and took something out of it. Kenshi swiftly gestured his hand in my direction and for a moment, I saw something flying toward me.

Out of instinct, I caught it before it hit my face and observed its identity. I found out that it was a bottle, probably containing water to quench our thirst.

"Sharp," Kenshi uttered, complimenting my fast reflexes.

I was about to get flushed by his words when I realized something, "You almost hit my face, you know that! At least, give me a heads-up!"

"Then we won't know how sharp your intuition is. Having a good instinct can save you in the most unexpected circumstance," Kenshi reasoned. I just rolled my eyes in annoyance. I knew what he was doing. Using this training as an excuse to justify his actions.

I twisted the bottle's cap to open and chugged a huge volume of water out of it. The sound my throat made when swallowing sounded almost similar to a drum.

I was too busy drinking and hydrating myself that I didn't notice Kenshi's approach. I thought he was just watching me drink but was actually handing me something. Upon having a closer look at it, I realized it was a dagger inside its sheath. Confused about his action, I just stared at him.

"Take it," Kenshi demanded. My brows furrowed, more perplexed. "Just think of it as my present to you for being an official member of the guild."

A present? Why bother giving me a present?

"Thank you," was the only word that came out of my mouth. I knew I was far more grateful than that but I couldn't seem to find the right word for it. This was unexpected and to think I'd received a gift like this from him.

"Thank me later. We have a company," Kenshi said furrowing my already furrowed brows even more. Kenshi's forehead creased and a look of annoyance was painted on his face. His eyes were looking at a distance as well.

Curious of his expression and his recent statement, I turned my head to look in the same direction he was looking. My eyes widened and I almost dropped the water bottle upon seeing a monster just a few meters away from us.

The monster was a corrupted lizard. Animals tinted by the Evil Remnants were qualified for corruption. In this process, they grew in size, developed an ability, and their appearance degraded. Just like the one before us, its scales were sharper and longer, especially on its tail looked like a thorned club. Its claws could tear a human flesh in just one swift move. His long slimy tongue was covered in toxin that could paralyze a part of the body upon contact. Their enhanced vision also gave them an advantage in hunting prey at night.