Chapter 3

Without a model to refer to, Rio's self-taught swordsmanship was difficult to develop.

He held a stick in a makeshift scarecrow and checked his stance from the outside, then wrote down his impressions on the ground after moving a few times to consider how to react if struck in certain places.

Avoiding attacks, not forcing attacks, and minimizing movements to reduce openings when attacking—these and many other necessary considerations piled up.

However, a stance that met all these conditions was beyond the amateur Rio.

"It's difficult without an opponent."

Practicing was essential for optimizing stances and movements.

However, he couldn't just enter the forest. It would be suicidal with his still unrefined swordsmanship.

"Rio, come here for a moment."

Called by his mother, Rio interrupted his thoughts.

Holding a wooden sword in one hand, he peeked into the house through the window, and his mother, standing in the kitchen, handed him a leather bag filled with water and a cloth.

"Take this to your father. He should be cutting wood."

"Near the road?"

"Right. Everyone is working together to widen the road to the town. If you have time, Rio, help out."

"Okay."

His self-taught swordsmanship was at an impasse. This errand would be a good change of pace, so Rio accepted it.

Running past the dojo's students who were sluggishly practicing, Rio headed for the road. He heard a snide remark but couldn't make it out clearly because he had left them behind.

With the momentum from his run, he jumped over the stone wall that surrounded the village. Running through the fields, he saw the log wall that had been built to protect against bandit attacks from the road.

The log wall, nearly twice Rio's height, was too high to jump over. He honestly went through the wooden gate and onto the road.

Ruts from the previous day's rain and the carts that had carried the cut wood were visible on the muddy road.

At a spot visible just outside the gate, Rio's father, Baldo, and three other men were working.

"Father, I have a delivery."

Approaching and calling out, Baldo wiped the sweat from his forehead and welcomed him.

"Rio, you came just in time. I have another delivery for you."

"Sure, but what's up?"

"While cutting wood, this thing appeared."

Baldo moved his shoulder to let Rio see.

Surrounded by the four men was a beast resembling a monkey. It had been killed with an ax, with a deep cut from its right shoulder to the middle of its abdomen.

The blood-dripping ax belonged to Baldo.

"It's not a monkey."

The beast was twice the size of a monkey, nearly as tall as Rio, with thick, developed arms. Its hands were hard and sharp, like polished obsidian.

"It's an evil beast. Probably. Take this corpse to Kalil."

"Who's Kalil?"

"He left the village to become an adventurer and returned about half a year ago after losing an arm. He has connections with the adventurer guild. When an evil beast appears, we report it to the guild, but it's faster to go through Kalil."

"Wow."

The evil beast, which had been drained of blood, was surprisingly light for its size. Rio tried to lift it but found it too heavy to carry alone. Looking around for something useful, he found a handcart, likely used to carry axes and other tools.

As he loaded the corpse onto the handcart, one of the men with an ax approached.

"I heard, Rio. You apparently challenged the dojo master, didn't you?"

"I didn't. I just don't agree with his teaching methods."

The man laughed and patted Baldo on the shoulder.

"You're not afraid of anything, just like your father! Rio, this evil beast. It jumped out of the forest, and your father kicked it, then finished it off with an ax as it rolled over. Without a sound."

"It was just a reflex."

"Your father screams when he sees a spider."

"Hey, Rio!?"

"That's how he calls for help."

The man helping to load the corpse onto the cart looked at Baldo in surprise.

"You're afraid of spiders?"

"... I can ignore them outside, but inside the house, where I feel safe, it's a bit different."

Baldo, looking away awkwardly, glared at Rio.

Glared at, Rio pointed to a small spider basking in the sun on the cart handle.

"Are you going to overcome it?"

"Stop it, you idiot!"

Rio shrugged, blew on the spider to send it into the forest, and grabbed the cart handle.

"Where does Kalil live?"

"There's an entrance to the western mountain path. It's around there."

"Ah, that house. It's been empty for a long time."

Understanding, Rio pushed the handcart back toward the village.

"After you hand over the corpse, wash the cart and bring it back."

"Got it."

With the cart making a rattling sound, Rio passed through the gate and headed west. It was in the same direction as his house, but the village was long and narrow, so the target house was a bit far.

After pushing the cart through the stone walls for a while, he saw Kalil's house.

The barren, lifeless garden surprised him. According to his memory, it should have been overgrown with weeds.

"Did he pull weeds with one arm?"

Stopping the cart in the garden, Rio pulled the string attached to the front door. The connected bell rang beautifully, unlike the rusted one at his house.

Waiting for the door to open, a man's face appeared in the wooden window, looking annoyed.

A man in his thirties with dull brown hair and blue eyes, holding a bottle of alcohol in his left hand. He seemed to be drinking from early in the day.

"What does a kid want?"

The man, seeing Rio, frowned and took a swig of alcohol.

Rio pointed to the cart in the garden.

"Kalil? An evil beast appeared on the road, so I brought the corpse."

"Damn, work. Actually, it's a legitimate reason. Sorry for calling you a kid."

Kalil, putting the bottle on the windowsill, moved away from the window.

He soon opened the door and walked to the corpse, his empty right sleeve flapping in the wind.

"Leave it to me. I'll report it to the village chief as well."

Kalil waved his left hand to shoo Rio away.

With no reason to stay, Rio grabbed the cart.

Kalil called out to Rio's back.

"What's your name?"

"Rio."

"Rio, huh. I'll remember you as one of the few decent kids."