Kuina's First Display of Brilliance

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On a rainy night in Foosha Village, Ron and Kuina found a tavern with a welcoming glow in the window—a cozy inn that promised warmth and shelter from the cold drizzle outside. As they stepped in, they were quickly greeted by a stocky server who didn't seem thrilled by their arrival.

"Welcome to our humble establishment! …Hmm? Wait a minute—two kids? Hey, we don't serve children here. Off you go!" he barked, his expression hardening.

Ron responded with a calm smile, drawing a small pouch from his pocket. He casually tossed a few golden coins onto the counter, making them clink loudly.

"We'll just stay the night. This should cover it," Ron said nonchalantly.

The server's eyes widened at the sight of the genuine gold coins. Immediately, his expression transformed into one of eager friendliness, practically glowing with delight. "Why, of course, that's no problem at all!" he said, pocketing the coins quickly. With that settled, he directed them to a quiet corner of the tavern.

Ron and Kuina took their seats, and soon the server brought them plates of food and glasses filled with fresh juice. Ron took a sip, savoring the rare moment of peace.

"Ron, where did you get that gold?" Kuina asked, curiosity flickering in her eyes. She had never seen Ron carry anything like that before, and his thin white training robe seemed to lack any pockets large enough to hide such a pouch. "Did you… steal it?"

Ron laughed and shook his head. "Of course not."

"Then… how did you get it?" Kuina pressed, looking at him suspiciously.

"It's mine, of course," he replied, giving her a nonchalant shrug. "I just kept it somewhere you wouldn't have seen."

Kuina looked away, cheeks tinged red as if she had guessed something she found embarrassing. Quickly, she changed the topic, sipping her juice in silence.

Meanwhile, Ron's mind turned inward as he delved into the information about the permanent buff he had recently acquired.

[True Essence of Ten Thousand Tempers: Anything done with focus and dedication will yield twice the result!]

"So, it'll accelerate my progress as long as I put my heart into it," Ron mused to himself, already considering how this buff would benefit his swordsmanship.

For example, if he trained his sword techniques for an entire day, he would normally gain ten points toward his sword proficiency. But with this buff activated, he would gain twenty points in half the time, exponentially increasing his growth. A grin spread across his face as he imagined how much faster he'd grow.

"Ron, Ron," Kuina's soft voice pulled him out of his thoughts.

"What is it?" Ron asked, looking up.

"Don't look now, but there's a table of people over there who seem to be staring at us," Kuina whispered, her voice barely audible.

Ron's gaze subtly drifted to where she indicated. Sure enough, four burly men with tattoos snaking across their shoulders and faces were seated across the tavern, their heads huddled close as they exchanged whispers and smirks while occasionally casting furtive glances at Ron and Kuina. The expression in their eyes was unsettling, as though they viewed the two young travelers as easy prey.

Ron's eyes narrowed, his friendly demeanor fading into something colder.

Apparently noticing Ron's sharp gaze, the men shared an amused look. Then, the largest of them, a bald, heavily muscled brute, pushed back his chair and stomped toward them, every step heavy with arrogance. He stopped at their table, his tattooed hand slapping down on the wooden surface as he loomed over Ron, sneering.

"What are you looking at, brat? You got a problem?" His voice was a low growl as he leaned in, menacingly close. "Do you even know who I am? I could rip your eyes out if I wanted to!"

Nearby, a few patrons whispered anxiously.

"That kid's in big trouble. Didn't he realize who that thug is? That's Lute! He used to be with the Higuma Bandit Group."

"Seems a little extreme—wasn't it just a glance?" someone else muttered, sounding a bit pitying.

Ron remained calm, turning to Kuina with an impish grin. "Wanna practice your sword skills?" he asked her.

Kuina's face lit up as she nodded enthusiastically, her blue eyes sparkling.

Lute's face flushed with anger. His three companions, still seated, jeered at him impatiently. "Hurry it up, Lute! They're just kids, how long is this gonna take?"

"Just grab their money and be done with it!" another complained, rolling his eyes.

"Shut up!" Lute barked over his shoulder before he returned his glare to Ron, reaching out with one beefy hand to grab the boy. "I'll teach you a lesson you won't forget, punk!"

Seeing things escalate, the server approached nervously. "Um, Lute, sir, could we maybe avoid any fighting in here? If the boss finds out, I'll get yelled at for sure…"

"Buzz off!" Lute snarled, brushing the man aside before lunging at Ron.

*Clang!*

A sharp sound rang out, freezing Lute's hand mid-air.

Lute's hand froze mid-air, stopping just short of his target. All eyes turned toward the scene, where a glinting, razor-sharp blade was now pressed against Lute's neck, its cold sheen reflecting the tavern's dim light.

The blade was held by none other than Kuina, her slim form radiating a quiet, deadly resolve as she stared down the would-be attacker. Her eyes were fierce as she spoke in a calm, steely voice, "Take one more step, and you'll regret it."

A bead of sweat rolled down Lute's forehead as he glanced down at the sword, swallowing hard. Slowly, he took a step back, his face losing its bravado as he retreated.

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T/N:

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