Chapter 13
I quickly looked away, realizing I had been staring at him for far too long.
"Yes, I'm Luna," I answered, clearing my throat.
Travis studied me for a moment.
His expression was calm, but there was a hint of suspicion in his green eyes.
"Leon and Elia told me you came by yesterday," Travis said.
My eyes widened slightly.
"They did?" I asked.
Travis nodded.
"They wouldn't stop talking about you," he replied.
I couldn't help but smile.
"I hope they didn't cause you any trouble," Travis said.
"They didn't," I replied. "They were actually very well-behaved."
Travis nodded before looking at me more seriously.
"I heard you wanted to hire me to teach you swordsmanship," he said.
"Yes," I replied with a nod.
"Then let's talk about it," Travis said. "Come inside."
I followed him into the house.
The inside was just as modest as I had expected.
It was a small wooden home with only a few pieces of furniture. A simple wooden table and several chairs occupied the center of the room, while a small kitchen stood against one wall.
There were only a few belongings scattered around, but everything was neatly arranged.
Despite its simplicity, the house felt warm and lived-in.
I glanced around curiously.
So this was where Travis and his siblings lived.
It wasn't much, but it seemed peaceful.
But where were Leon and Elia?
I hadn't seen either of them outside when I arrived, and they weren't inside the house either.
I looked around once more, wondering where they could have gone.
Travis seemed to notice what I was thinking.
"I asked them to fetch something from our neighbor," he said.
I looked at him in surprise.
"Oh," I replied.
"They should be back soon," Travis added.
I nodded.
"I see."
Travis gestured toward one of the chairs.
"Have a seat," he said.
I sat down at the table while Travis took the seat across from me.
"I'll be honest with you," Travis said. "I've never taught anyone swordsmanship before, so I'm not sure if I'll be able to teach you properly."
I looked at him for a moment.
"That's fine," I replied. "Everyone has to start somewhere, right?"
"Actually, I want to become a mercenary," I continued. "I don't want to rely on anyone else to protect me.
Travis raised an eyebrow.
"You want to become a mercenary?" he asked.
I nodded confidently.
"Yes," I replied. "I want to be able to take care of myself once I start working as one."
Travis studied me for a moment.
"Do you have any experience with fighting?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Not with a sword," I replied. "But don't worry. I'm physically fit."
I raised my arm and flexed my bicep proudly.
Well...
At least, I tried to.
Back in my old world, I had been a firefighter. I was used to carrying heavy equipment, climbing stairs, and pushing my body to its limits.
But apparently, all of that strength hadn't followed me into this body.
I glanced at my pathetic little arm.
...Where did all my muscles go?
Travis looked at me like I was some kind of weirdo, so I quickly lowered my arm.
So embarrassing. T_T
Travis sighed before shaking his head.
"I'm sorry, miss, but I can't," he said. "Mercenary work is far too dangerous for you."
Shit, no.
I came all the way here just to get him to teach me swordsmanship. There was no way I was giving up that easily.
I leaned forward slightly.
"I'll give you five gold," I offered.
Travis's eyes widened in surprise.
"F-five gold?" he repeated.
I nodded.
"Is that not enough?" I asked desperately. "I'll add more," I said.
Travis stared at me as if I had just said something absurd.
"Miss, that's more than enough," Travis said. "But money isn't the reason I'm refusing to teach you."
I frowned.
"Then what is it?" I asked.
"The thing is, you won't earn much by becoming a mercenary in this village," Travis explained. "There simply aren't enough jobs here."
I stared at him.
Oh, so that's the problem.
"To be honest, I do need the money," Travis admitted. "But I don't want to accept your money if I don't believe becoming a mercenary is the right path for you."
I stared at him for a moment, genuinely surprised by his honesty.
Despite needing the money, he was still willing to turn down my offer because he was concerned about me.
I felt a warmth spread through my chest.
What an honorable man.
As expected of the future captain of the Imperial Knights.
"Don't worry about it," I replied.
Travis looked at me with a puzzled expression.
"I appreciate your concern, but I've already made up my mind," I continued. "I still want to become a mercenary."
Travis remained silent for a moment.
"You really are determined," he said.
"I am," I replied firmly.
I leaned back in my chair and smiled.
"And if there aren't enough jobs in this village, then I'll simply go somewhere with more opportunities," I said.
Travis's expression changed slightly.
"You've already thought that far ahead?" he asked.
"Of course," I replied. "I didn't come all the way here just to give up."
"So just teach me, okay?" I said. "I'll worry about what comes next after I learn swordsmanship."
Travis stared at me for a moment before letting out a quiet sigh.
"All right," he finally said. "I'll teach you."
My eyes widened.
"Really?" I asked.
Travis nodded.
"Yes," he replied. "But I have one condition."
I tilted my head.
"What condition?" I asked.
"You'll have to follow my instructions," Travis said. "And you can't complain when the training gets difficult."
I smiled.
"Deal," I replied. "Let's begin right away."
Travis nodded and stood up from his chair.
"Then let's start with the basics," he said.
We stepped outside and headed toward the training ground.
Travis handed me a wooden sword before taking one for himself.
"The first thing you need to learn is how to hold your sword properly," Travis explained. "Your grip should be firm, but don't tense your hands."
I adjusted my grip according to his instructions.
"Like this?" I asked.
"That's better," Travis replied.
He then showed me the proper stance.
"Keep your feet shoulder-width apart," he instructed. "Keep your knees slightly bent and your weight balanced."
I carefully followed his movements.
"Good," Travis said. "Now, swing."
I swung the wooden sword toward the practice dummy.
"Too much force," Travis said. "You're putting too much of your strength into the swing."
I lowered the sword.
"Isn't that a good thing?" I asked.
"Not if you can't control it," Travis replied.
He demonstrated the same swing himself.
His movement was smooth and precise, and the wooden sword struck the dummy with a solid thud.
I stared at him.
So that's the difference between someone who knows how to use a sword and someone who doesn't.
"Try again," Travis instructed.
I nodded.
I raised my sword and swung again.
This time, I focused on controlling my movement rather than simply putting all my strength into it.
"Better," Travis said.
I smiled.
Just then, we heard footsteps approaching from behind us.
"Sister Luna?"
I turned around.
Leon and Elia were standing at the edge of the training ground, staring at us.
Their eyes immediately fell on the wooden sword in my hands.
"Luna, are you learning swordsmanship?" Leon asked excitedly.
I smiled.
"Yes," I replied. "Your brother finally agreed to teach me."
Leon grinned.
"That's awesome!" he exclaimed.
"All right, that's enough talking," Travis said. "We still have training to do."
I turned back toward him and raised my wooden sword.
"Sorry," I replied. "I'm ready."
Travis nodded.
"Good. Let's continue," he said.
He stood in front of me and carefully observed my stance.
"Your feet are too close together," Travis said. "Widen your stance."
I adjusted my feet.
"Like this?" I asked.
"Yes," Travis replied. "Now keep your shoulders relaxed."
I nodded.
"Next, we're going to work on your basic strikes," Travis explained. "Don't worry about speed yet. Focus on getting the movements right."
I raised my sword.
"Understood," I replied.
"Start with a downward strike," Travis instructed.
I swung the wooden sword downward.
"Again," Travis said.
I swung again.
"Again," he repeated.
I continued.
After only a few swings, my arms were already starting to ache.
Damn.
Why is this body so weak?
Back when I was a firefighter, I could carry heavy equipment and work for hours without feeling this exhausted.
But this body was already struggling after a few swings.
I gritted my teeth and continued.
"Don't tense your shoulders," Travis reminded me. "Relax your body."
"I'm trying," I replied through my heavy breathing.
"Trying isn't enough," Travis said. "You need to make it natural."
I frowned.
Easy for him to say.
He had probably been doing this for years.
I swung again.
This time, the movement felt slightly smoother.
"Better," Travis said.
A small smile appeared on my face.
"Really?" I asked.
"Yes," he replied. "Keep doing it like that."
I continued practicing, determined to get it right.
For the first time, I began to understand just how much work it would take to become a swordswoman.
But I didn't mind.
I had already made up my mind.
I was going to learn.
No matter how long it took.
Several hours passed before Travis finally called for a break.
By then, my entire body was exhausted.
My arms were sore, my legs felt heavy, and even holding the wooden sword had become a struggle.
I dropped onto the ground and let out a long sigh.
"That's enough for today," Travis said.
I looked up at him.
"Already?" I asked.
Travis raised an eyebrow.
"We've been training for hours," he replied.
I glanced at the sky.
He was right.
The sun was already beginning to sink toward the horizon.
I looked down at my hands.
Even though I was exhausted, I couldn't help but smile.
It had only been my first day, but I could already tell that learning swordsmanship wouldn't be easy.
"Thank you for teaching me," I said.
Travis nodded.
"You did well for your first day," he replied.
I smiled.
"Then I'll come back tomorrow," I said.
"You'd better," Travis replied.
I laughed softly.
"I will."
"Oh, and one more thing," Travis said.
I turned toward him.
"Wear something more comfortable tomorrow," he advised. "Pants would be better for training."
I glanced down at my clothes.
"All right," I replied. "I'll wear something more suitable tomorrow."
I reached into my pocket and pulled out five gold coins.
"Here," I said, handing them to him. "That's your payment."
Travis's eyes widened.
"All five?" he asked in disbelief.
I nodded.
"You taught me for the whole day. You deserve it," I replied.
Travis stared at the coins in his hand, clearly shocked.
"Are you showing off?" Travis asked jokingly.
"Maybe I am," I replied with a playful smile.
I turned toward Leon and Elia and waved goodbye before heading back toward the village.
The two children waved back at me, calling out their goodbyes as I walked away.
I couldn't help but smile to myself.
Maybe I was showing off a little.
But honestly, I didn't mind.
I was glad Travis had agreed to teach me.
Now, I just had to become strong enough to survive in this world.
.
.
.