~Chapter 48~
“Are you saying you’re going to learn sword fighting from me?” Calix asked, looking at Ruby with a strange expression.
“Yes,” Ruby replied.
“Don’t you have any interest in sword fighting?” Calix asked, still looking puzzled.
Ruby guessed that Calix remembered what she used to say when she was younger. She had been forced to learn sword fighting as a child, but one day, she told her parents firmly, “I have no interest or talent in sword fighting, so please don’t force me to do it anymore.” After that, Ruby focused all her energy on reading books and managing the household budget.
Her parents had stopped pushing her after that, but Calix seemed to remember those days.
Ruby gave an awkward smile and explained, “I saw you practicing and became interested in sword fighting. So, can you teach me?”
“Well, if that’s why, I can teach you… but…” Calix hesitated.
“Then, let’s buy one sword for you and one for me,” Ruby suggested.
“Here?” Calix asked, surprised.
“Yes, let’s buy them and practice,” Ruby said with a grin.
“But Ruby, these are real swords,” Calix said, his face showing concern.
“I know, but don’t you want to spar with real swords at least once?” Ruby asked, subtly stirring the desire Calix had hidden deep inside.
Calix hesitated but couldn’t take his eyes off the swords on display. He picked up a different sword from the rapier he had chosen earlier.
“Excuse me, we’ll take this sword and the rapier,” Ruby said, noticing where Calix’s eyes were drawn and ordering without hesitation.
“You’re buying those?” the shopkeeper asked, raising an eyebrow.
“Yes, we can pay for them. How much are they?” Ruby asked.
“The sword is 6,500 pennies, and the rapier is 7,000 pennies,” the shopkeeper replied, still looking doubtful.
Ruby reached into her pocket and pulled out two large coins, each worth 10,000 pennies.
“Here you go.”
The shopkeeper’s eyes widened in surprise when he saw the large amount of money Ruby was handing over. He quickly took the coins and hurriedly put them into the cash register. He then gave Ruby the exact change, counting it carefully before handing it to her.
“Thank you,” Ruby said politely.
The shopkeeper, still surprised, gave Ruby and Calix their swords, attaching straps so they could carry them easily. The swords were heavy, and Ruby could feel the weight pressing down on her shoulder. Calix, too, seemed unfamiliar with the weight of the real sword but was quickly adjusting.
“Thank you, we’ll be back again,” Ruby said with a polite bow, but Calix just nodded and quickly followed her out of the shop.
Once they were outside, Calix scolded Ruby.
“Ruby, what if someone sees us with all this money? You shouldn’t be spending so much.”
“Why? I paid the right price for them,” Ruby replied.
“But what if someone sees us and tries to steal or kidnap us? We have to be careful,” Calix said, looking around suspiciously.
“Don’t worry, no one else was in that shop except us and the shopkeeper. No one will know,” Ruby reassured him.
“But what if the shopkeeper talks? We should still be careful.”
Ruby wanted to laugh at Calix’s overly cautious tone but chose instead to ruffle his hair and reassure him. “Don’t worry. You’re with me, and you’re strong, so you’ll protect me. You’re stronger than most adults.”
“Even so, we should be careful,” Calix insisted, though he seemed a little less worried.
“Okay, I’ll be more careful. Now that we have the change, we won’t need to spend big amounts again,” Ruby said.
“So, where are we going now?” Calix asked.
“Let’s go somewhere quiet. That way we can try out our swords,” Ruby replied.
Ruby led Calix through the crowd and found an empty area. It was quiet, and no one was around. Ruby pulled out the rapier she had been carrying. It was about the length of her torso.
While Ruby struggled to pull out her heavy sword, Calix easily unsheathed his own. Ruby noticed that, unlike her, Calix didn’t seem to have trouble with the weight. He was used to handling swords, but this was his first time with a real one, so he was still adjusting.
“Alright, Calix. Now teach me how to use a sword,” Ruby said, holding the rapier in front of him.
“Right now?”
“Yes, I want to learn right away.”
Ruby held the rapier and pointed it at Calix. He sighed and stepped closer to her.
“You already know the basics, right?” Calix asked.
“I don’t really remember,” Ruby said, trying to play it off.
“You don’t remember? Really?” Calix looked at her skeptically.
Ruby, knowing that Calix wouldn’t believe her, decided to grab the rapier properly and show she was serious.
“How about we have a sparring match, then?” Ruby suggested.
“You’re no match for me,” Calix said confidently.
“Let’s see about that. I think I could beat you while you’re not feeling confident,” Ruby teased.
Her words seemed to challenge Calix’s pride. He walked to the other side, ready to face her with his sword.
“Even if you think that, I’m still going to win,” Calix said.
Ruby smiled and attacked first, her movements quick and fluid as she charged toward him. But to Calix, her movements were slow and easy to block.
He didn’t push her to fight back, instead focusing on making sure she didn’t get hurt.
“See? I’m not that bad of an opponent, right?” Ruby teased, trying to provoke him.
“I’m just going easy on you,” Calix muttered.
Ruby smiled and asked, “What would happen if you didn’t go easy?”
“Well, this,” Calix said as he forcefully struck her sword with his, creating a sharp clash of steel.
Ruby’s hand tingled from the force of the blow. Calix’s strength was impressive, but Ruby wasn’t about to give up easily.
“You need to work on the basics of sword fighting,” Ruby said, making sure to keep the pressure on.
“Me? What do you mean?”
Calix seemed surprised by Ruby’s comment.
“Even if your opponent seems weak, you should never let your guard down,” Ruby said, getting closer to him and using her foot to trip him.
Calix fell backward, landing on his bottom, and Ruby pointed the rapier at him.
“I win.”
“That’s cheating!” Calix shouted, frustrated.
“That’s not cheating. In sword fighting, the winner is the one who survives,” Ruby said, lowering her sword and reaching out her hand to help him up.
Calix took her hand, getting up with a frown.
“You’re impossible,” he muttered, blowing out his cheeks in frustration.
Ruby gently brushed off the dust from his clothes and said, “Don’t think too hard about sword fighting.”
“What do you mean?”
“You said you wanted to learn to get stronger, right?”
“Yeah.”
“But the truly strong people aren’t the ones who are good at handling swords.”
Calix looked at Ruby, unsure of what she meant.
“I’m saying, the real strength comes from surviving, not just from how well you use a sword.”
Calix thought about her words, nodding slowly. Ruby smiled and added, “It’s not always about using tricks. I just wanted you to understand that sword fighting is about more than just skill with a blade.”
“Does that mean you want me to use trickery in battles?” Calix asked, confused.
“I’m not saying to always cheat. But in life, not every fight is fair. If you only follow what others teach you, you’ll eventually hit a limit. What you need, Calix, is time to think and train on your own.”
“You want me to train alone?”
“Yes, if Grandfather can’t teach you, then you do it on your own. Don’t rely on anyone else. Just you and the sword. Focus on that.”
“You want me to learn without fair training?”
Ruby shook her head. “No, I’m not saying to always cheat. I just want you to know that sword fighting isn’t just about the sword.”
Calix was still confused, but Ruby didn’t want to explain any further. She knew that if she kept talking, she might just confuse him more.
After thinking about it for a while, Calix nodded.
“Alright, I’ll try training on my own from now on.”
Calix’s eyes were shining with renewed determination, like when he first started learning sword fighting.
