During Stella's training in the past couple of days, she was only using a small branch of a tree that he picked up somewhere to take the hanging wood challenge.

It was a kind of training that Stella had never heard of. Sixteen pieces of wood were tied by a rope in a tree that her master selected, it will then be hit by her or her floating master to gain momentum in which she either had to dodge or parry.

​​

It was painful.

'I would've looked for a softer wood if I know that this would be so difficult.'

Stella remembers the firewood logs that seem to be bearable in this situation. Unfortunately, she instead found steel-like logs that could hit her head really hard. It was such a bad decision.

Even if she requested it to be changed, her master said that there's no time to waste for that as he said that she would have to be capable of hunting beasts within a month.

'Urgh… I can do this… Master said that I should be able to do this much since a ten-year-old kid that he knows can do this too…'

Stella remembers her master's words as she focused her mind and sensed the trajectories of the hanging woods.

Pah!

She hit one of the tied logs then leaned forward to dodge the other one that was about to hit her right ear.

"Ack!"

Her hair was caught by that piece of wood and disrupted her momentum. She was then hit by a couple of tied logs before she managed to duck and avoided all the swinging woods.

"Urgh… I already have this short hair…"

Stella touched her short black hair as she considers whether she has to shorten them a bit more.

"You don't have to. Just tie your hair in a bun…"

It was as if her Master was reading her thoughts as he made a suggestion…

"Bun?"

"Umm… It's like this…"

Stella then saw her master adorably draw on the ground.

'Ahhh…'

For some reason, seeing a floating sword drawing something on the ground doesn't look terrifying for her but instead enchanting…

"Like this…" Reiji finally said after drawing on the ground.

"I see… I can try that. You're really knowledgeable, Master… Ah… I just noticed, how are you always clean, Master?" The wooden sword just touched the ground and Stella was planning to wipe off the dust using her sleeves but noticed that the sword remained very clean.

Stella was already curious about this useful ability before but never had the chance to ask until now.

She envied the sword a little as she looked at her dirty self after plunging on the ground many times. She may even have smelled already but just didn't notice it yet.

"It's nothing impressive. It's an Arcane Magic that a Common Arcana can normally have."

Reiji answered dismissively.

"Is that so…"

Stella didn't have much knowledge about the various skills that an Arcana could employ so she could only nod and thank her master for answering.

After feeling a bit better, her master reminded her about the footwork he taught to her and made her practice for a while before she was thrown in the hanging woods again.

The day continued like this as her master said that she already has very good stamina. She only has to learn the techniques that he would be teaching her.

The night came fast as she received a summon in the Hunter Association's building.

Reiji's guess before was correct. Only three days had passed and Stella was notified by the Association that her posted mission was already completed.

"Amazing! I didn't know that Hunters were this reliable."

Stella admiringly said after she considers the time it would take to travel back and forth from the central area of the Wailing Forest to their village.

It should have been five days but the mission only took them for about three days. It was a very impressive feat.

She can only think that they used a special mount to do this or something similar.

Reiji only kept silent about the possibility that the Hunters were just keeping the unique materials found in the forest within their secret storage to rank up easily.

He then observed the two branches of the Beacon Tree in front of Stella.

The branch was indeed familiar with its reddish bark that was still present. Reiji lived in that tree for about a month so he was familiar with this material.

'Considering that gigantic tree, this is just its twigs.'

Reiji thought as he glanced at Stella who was preparing the tools she needed to craft a wooden sword. It seems that she was confident in her skills with her years of experience in the smithy.

That's right. She had brought them in her uncle's smithy so she can temporarily use some of his tools to make the sword.

Reiji already realized that she has skills with the woodcraft since the weapons displayed in their workshop had partly wooden sword handles, scabbard, and many more.

"Master, can I just take your size in a moment?"

"Ahh… Alright…" Reiji was cooperative so she can make the sword faster.

"Mhmm… Master, do you want me to make you a bear leather scabbard?" Stella suddenly asked after she was done getting his size.

"Eh? No need…"

"I see… Will you be unable to breathe within a scabbard?"

"What are you saying? Just get the sword done."

"Yes, Master!"

Stella answered as she focused on making the two wooden swords. It seems that she doesn't have plans to sleep at all.

She needed this sword for practice and not for real combat so as long as the weight and form are right, it would be enough.

In any case, she can't use some real swords yet since it would destroy her training dummy and the hanging woods. It would also be a problem if she hurt herself after making mistakes in her sword swings.

Although the sword technique in kendo doesn't have flashy moves, they were still difficult to perform especially with a complete beginner like Stella who only had her strength or Spiritual Energy as an advantage.

"Hey! Stella! I'm going to sleep now! I'm closing the shop." Hemil said as he held his right chest in pain for a moment. Although he already received some medication and even consumed a low-quality rejuvenating potion, it would still take about a week to get fully healed from his broken ribs.

"Ahh… Yes, Master—I mean, uncle Hemil! I'll clean up after this." Stella quickly corrected herself as she focused on the wooden sword.

Hemil can only shake his head after seeing her like that.

Finally, the place became a bit quieter as she had the whole place for herself and her master.

***

The appearance of the Three-Eyed Imp Cult at the southern region of the Chodora Kingdom alarmed the many leaders within the region.

Their base of operations should be somewhere in the northern region of their kingdom… or it's probably better to say that it's in the buffer region between the Losea Kingdom in the north and the Chodora Kingdom in the south.

A question of how they managed to travel undetected was lurking within the minds of these people.

Within the largest Fortress in the southern region, a group of individuals was discussing this same issue.

"So, under whose territory was attacked by the cultists?"

A bearded old man that radiated an oppressive aura asked all the gentlemen within the room. All of them wore high-quality clothes, robes, and adorned by jewelry as they read the reports left on the table. Well, except to the old man who only glanced at the papers.

There were only five people present within this room and all of them were part of the nobility.

"Earl Lloyd, the Jarnae Village, and the other villages at the south of the Wailing Forest was under the jurisdiction of Viscount Kale."

The one who answered was a man in his twenties called Reaver. He's a son of a viscount and was employed as a strategist within this stronghold, the Eagleview Fortress, that had managed to halt the Orc's advance for many years.

At this moment, Great General Maximilian has left the post and returned to the capital due to the king's summons.

It means that this bearded old man in front of him was the one who has the highest position within this fortress.

"This is troubling… What are they thinking? Why would they travel this far just to get some sacrifice to their evil god?"

"Mhmm… Perhaps, they tried to escape from General Julian's sight in the North and tried to look for sacrifice here?"

"Indeed, the general has incredible exploits during his campaign."

"What? Are you saying that our territory in the south is an easy prey?" The Earl asked in discontent.

"We didn't mean to say that--"

The Earl grumbled after hearing their excuses.

There were three generals within the Chodora Kingdom and General Julian in the north was known for being a great leader that created peace within the region.

It was said that he managed to kill more than half of the members of this Three-Eyed Imp's Cult alone!

"Hmph! Call Viscount Kale here…. No--- Just coordinate with him and ask about his current actions."