Today I woke up early. After finishing my breakfast I pondered over the matter of telling Marion what happened in the castle. Yesterday I didn’t bring up the matter but I needed help even if it’s just a little bit. After thinking for a while I decided to sit on the matter for a while. Today I had decided to take a stroll in the city just by myself. Normally I would have asked someone for company but today I made an exception.

The morning air was fresh in the city, as few people were around, though the market place was somewhat busy. People were buying morning supplies from the shops. The shops were selling fresh products. In general, it looked like the people were content with their life here. I felt well, not constricted as I felt when I came here first. I guess with the pleasant breeze coming from the sea, fresh products and happy people the environment does become pleasant. While walking the street, thinking arbitrary matters I came up to a place where people were standing in a line. I went ahead & asked the person who was at the last of the line.

Me: “Excuse me...could you tell me what is this line for?”

???: “Ah...I gather you didn’t read the notice upfront. Well, this line is for people or rather for novice adventurers & explorers or any ordinary people to learn combat, weapons training to be exact. This institution will teach you a short course in weapons training of your choice for a week. Then if you manage to impress the instructors there, you will be allowed to participate in the tournament held by this institution at the end of the training week. But the participation is allowed for only 8 people, 4 from the novice group of trainee & 4 from the advanced group of trainee. The fees for the training for a week is 300 gold, while the people chosen to participate in the tournament will have to pay nothing & the prize of winning the tournament is 1000 gold. There are also other prizes but I don’t remember those.”

Me: “Wow...this is a good opportunity to learn some skills. But is this institution worth it??”

???: “Yes...its a good place to learn from some of the best teachers in this quadrant.”

While chatting with the unknown person, his turn for registration came...huh...I unconsciously reached the registration desk while I was busy gathering information...now my turn came. I decided to register; I told him my name, class, preferred choice of weapons training & gave him the money. I registered for dual swordsmanship & after registering I received an identification paper. I simply have to go to the allotted training ground & show it to the guard & they will let me in. The training class will begin shortly. I hurried up, reached training ground 3 & gained my entry.

There were not many people practicing dual swordsmanship. Well...it was hard as you have to depend upon your sword & armour for defence & not sheild, the armour being light will drop your defence so it was more of an ultra offensive style. Most people tend to avoid it. The teacher came & introduced himself. He told us that we will be training for the next 5 days at the same time, same place. We will use wooden swords for training & upon our result we can be chosen for the tournament. I had my eyes on just the training, the tournament didn’t interest me. Our training began, for the first day all we have to do is work on our stances...repeatedly...if we miss our stances by a hairs length, the assistant instructors will slap our bottoms with a long hard stick. On my first day I got whacked innumerable times. I believe the colour of my bottom became somewhat black & I couldn’t sit anywhere...it was horrible...

After finishing the training, I was returning back to the inn slowly... when I saw the bank I remembered something. I went inside the bank opened my account, withdrew some money in the amount of 300 gold coins & some Vitalis potions. Now if you are wondering how the potion got here as it was back in my hometown, then there is a simple explanation. A small violet crystals help with the teleportation of matters or objects if you will. But the size & amount of objects to be teleported are fixed as the crystal can only teleport a certain amount of objects from place A to B. Now people or weapons, armours cannot be teleported. To teleport this kind of objects the size of the crystal needed is big, the size which does not exist in our continent or rather the whole world. But moderate amounts of potion bottles, bundles of paper, jeweleries can be teleported. So I took my potions, money & returned to my room.

I made sure that there was no one present in the room. I applied the potion on my blackish bottom; I had to get it return to its original colour which was red & stop the damn pain. After a few mins of applying the Vitalis potion, I felt relieved as the pain subsided. I was now able to move or sit with ease. Better to store up this as I will need it during the course of my training...*knock knock* Marion entered the room. A chance presented itself.

Marion: “Le’On what are you doing here alone? & where were you in the morning? We wanted to ask you if you would join us to visit the market.”

Me: “Ah...I’m sorry...I wanted to take a stroll in the city all by myself, I needed a little time to think of something.”

Marion: “All by yourself...you could have told someone before leaving...but to think what?”

Me: “You said we...who were the others?”

Marion (a little sad or discontent crept out on her expression): “Just us girls... the men except you wanted to go fishing.”

Me: “Oh...Marion do you have some free time now?” I spoke with a serious tone now.

She nodded. I asked her to close the door as the matter was serious. After she closed the door I sat on a nearby chair while Marion sat opposite to me on one of the beds.

Marion: “Before you begin, you know Aby was excited to go out today... excitements don’t often come to her...you should have come with us.”

Me (felt a little out of context): “Well, we will talk about that later...but first promise me whatever I tell you today will not leave outside of this room, a secret between just the two of us.”

Marion (a concerned look on her face): “OK...I promise.”

After then, I told her the whole story, beginning from falling into the trap to waking up with severe pain & the events unfolded after that until the monsters sudden death. I felt relieved but her expressed changed by the minute...now I could see tears coming out...ahh...I always feel a warm aura from her.

She got up & approached me with teary eyes... & slapped me right across the face...actually two times.

Marion: “WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU????? WHY DID YOU KEEP A SECRET LIKE THAT FROM US ALL THIS TIME???? YOU IDIOT!!! YOU REALLY ARE AN IDIOT....ABY WAS RIGHT BY CALLING YOU A BOY ALL THIS TIME...BUT ON A DIFFERENT MATTER YOU ARE NOT A BOY NOW....ARE YOU!?”

Oh my...what just happened??...my face was hurting more than my bottoms.

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