~Chapter 49~
After that, Calix started practicing alone in the middle of the training ground. He wasn’t swinging a wooden sword like before — he trained with the real sword Ruby had bought him. Ruby thought it was important to get used to a real blade to build a sense for actual combat, so that’s what they decided.
He began his training by working on basic conditioning. Calix liked learning swordplay, but he’d been lazy about fitness. Now that he was training alone, he realized he needed stamina, so he ran laps around the training ground again and again.
The knights noticed Calix’s determined practice, but Hans told them not to interfere, so they only watched. Ruby made time to observe Calix’s training. Sasha peered over too and asked, “Why isn’t big brother taking sword lessons?”
“He has something only he must do,” Ruby answered, and Sasha didn’t fully understand. She lost interest soon and went back to sucking her lollipop. Meanwhile Calix kept running steadily.
Ruby felt proud watching him keep at it. He seemed to believe, like Ruby had hinted, that training alone would bring some sudden flash of insight. But Ruby hadn’t meant a quick epiphany. Grand Duke Lux didn’t either. What Lux probably wanted was for Calix to learn by doing: to build sincerity and seriousness about the sword into his body. Ruby had only given a small nudge; the rest was Calix’s work.
“Calix, take a break — I brought snacks!” Ruby called. Calix came over, wiping sweat with the towel Ruby handed him, and grabbed a biscuit from the basket Ruby and Sasha carried.
“Are you sure you can watch my training when you’re so busy?” Calix asked.
“I can spare a little time for you,” Ruby replied. He showed a happiness he tried to hide.
Ruby decided she needed to pay more attention to Calix. Sasha piped up, “I want to learn too!”
“You?” Calix asked.
“Yes!” Sasha nodded hard. “I want to be strong!”
Seeing that, Calix’s expression softened. He probably remembered the first time he learned swordplay as a child. Ruby suggested that, because Sasha had strong physical strength, a heavier weapon like a war hammer or a mace might suit her better than a sword.
“A mace?” Sasha tilted her head, not knowing what that was. Calix said they should ask Hans about it.
Hans agreed more easily than they expected, but since it might be dangerous, he came along to the armory to supervise. He took them deep inside and pointed at a mace — a club-like weapon with sharp spikes at the end.
“We have one, but none of our people use it much. We can teach the basics, but there’ll be limits,” Hans said.
“If Sasha is going to learn, we might need an outside instructor,” Ruby said.
“She’s only four,” Hans reminded them. Ruby smiled and explained that if children showed interest, she wanted to teach them or find ways to support that training early — it would help Sasha learn to control her strength.
Hans, who had seen Sasha’s raw power, nodded. Calix volunteered to teach Sasha, and Hans warned it might be risky but allowed Calix to try. Sasha, unaware of how tough training could be, happily agreed.
Ruby worried a little about how long the kids would stay friendly during practice, but right after leaving the armory, Calix started training. He insisted that strength and fitness come before weapon technique.
“Let’s run a lap around the training ground first,” he said.
Sasha, eager, took off running without waiting for the command. Calix followed after her. With her short legs she quickly tired, but she kept going.
Hans and Ruby watched from the side. “Are you really going to let your little sister walk this path?” Hans asked.
“I’ll let them choose their own path,” Ruby answered. “They’re still young, but they have talent. If they’re interested, I’ll support them.”
“Try to catch me!” Sasha yelled.
“Come on, big brother!” she called, and before they knew it, Calix had sprinted after her, forgetting his original purpose. Sasha stumbled and fell.
“Sasha!” Ruby jumped up, but Hans stopped her from rushing in. “If you want them to grow strong, you can’t be startled by a little fall,” he said. He had a point — the training could get a lot harder later.
Ruby still worried and watched Sasha closely. Calix walked over, put a hand on her waist, and said firmly, “Get up.”
Sasha looked like she was about to cry but Calix pushed her gently. “You said you wanted to be trained by me, right?”
She sniffed. “Yes…”
“Then get up. Don’t cry.”
Sasha hesitated, then pulled herself up and Calix brushed the sand off her knees and hands. “Good. Don’t give up — keep going.”
“Okay, big brother,” she said and ran again. Ruby’s chest tightened watching them — the children were growing up. Maybe she didn’t have to protect them so blindly anymore; they were becoming tougher.
“Children are stronger than you think. Trust them,” Hans said.
“They are,” Ruby admitted. “They’re getting stronger.”
From then on, Sasha trained with Calix. Calix wasn’t a great teacher, so their practice was rough and a bit messy, but Sasha worked hard. Things went more smoothly than Ruby feared.
At a meal later, Ruby asked Sasha, “Is training going well?”
“Yes. Big brother teaches well,” Sasha said, eating quickly because training had worked up her appetite.
“Calix, you don’t seem to find your sister annoying while teaching her,” Ruby teased.
“Who do you think I am? This is easy,” Calix boasted, proud. The sadness he’d shown a few days earlier was gone; he seemed confident again. Ruby smiled quietly.
“It’s good that you two get along,” she said.
“We won’t fight,” Sasha promised.
“Okay, keep eating — then go back to training,” Calix instructed.
“Yes, master!” Sasha responded, putting her palm to her forehead in a clumsy salute. “Master?”
Ruby blushed and laughed inwardly at their pretend teacher-student game but tried not to show it — she didn’t want the kids to tease her.
Grand Duke Lux, watching them, asked Calix, “How about your own training? Are you making progress?”
Calix said, “It’s hard to get that big ‘aha’ moment from training.”
“Are you trying to get some big revelation through practice?” Lux asked.
Calix shrugged and wiggled a finger. “Isn’t that what training is for?”
Lux clicked his tongue. “You’re still a long way from resuming formal lessons.”
Calix’s shoulders drooped. “Don’t worry. You’ll get lessons again soon,” Lux said.
“How are you so sure?” Calix asked.
Lux looked to Ruby, who answered confidently, “Because I believe in Calix.” Her eyes didn’t show a trace of doubt.
“Well, we’ll see about that,” Lux said, watching Calix and Sasha continue their play-training with doubt in his gaze.
