Finally, Martial Arts Training?
Behind the house, there’s a spread of forest and fields, but out front, since our place is built closest to the east gate, the wide area leading up to the gate is free to use.
The folks working the fields wrap up by morning, and carriages coming from outside usually enter through the west gate where the guild is, so hardly anyone uses this gate in the afternoon.
I thought we’d train on that wide road, but Dad heads into the forest instead.
Deeper than where we usually gather herbs, closer to the river, there’s something like an obstacle course (?!) set up.
Ropes dangle from thick tree branches with logs tied to them. Rope ladders stretch between trees. Logs of different thicknesses and lengths are lined up at regular intervals. Some thick trunks are wrapped with something like cloth, though it’s not quite a towel.
What’s this? What is this place?! I’m getting so excited!
“Haha, looks like you’re likin’ it, huh? Makes it worth all the work settin’ this up. Martial arts trainin’ involves sparring too, but that’s still a bit tough for ya, Vio, so I built this to help ya build up your strength and balance.”
Dad explains with a happy grin, but wait—did he really make this whole place just for me? That’s just too amazing!
“Dad, you’re incredible! This looks so fun! Sparring’s probably a ways off, but I wanna see your martial arts too!”
I beg him, all excited, and he agrees to show me.
I’m sat down on a thick log, and Dad stands in a small clearing. He lightly closes his eyes and takes a deep breath.
In that moment, I can feel the air around us grow tense, like it’s crackling.
Dad said he’s not great with magic, but I think this is his mana faintly spreading out around him. If an enemy stepped into this space, he’d sense them instantly, and since they’re within his mana’s range, he could strike right away.
Unlike his usual gentle self, the way he stands with that sharp, focused expression makes him look like a top-tier fighter right before a match.
His eyes snap open, and his right hand shoots forward so fast. Even without touching it, a log hanging in his line of sight sways with a whoosh.
He lowers his upper body, spins around, and delivers palm strikes—right, then left—making logs behind him clatter and swing.
He drops his knees, then leaps up, kicking a log at the highest point, spins in midair, and lands without a sound.
Dad’s a bear Beastkin, big and heavy, and compared to the cat Beastkin, you can usually hear his footsteps clearly. But right now, there’s no sound at all—just the swaying logs echoing through the forest.
After landing, he drives both fists into a thick trunk, then follows with what I think are backfist strikes, using the backs of his hands and forearms to hit again, left and right.
He steps back from the tree, throws in some kicking techniques, then returns to his starting spot and lets out a long breath.
I was so caught up in the sheer awesomeness of his continuous moves that I forgot to breathe.
As Dad’s aura shifts back to his usual one and his mana dissipates, I finally take a big gulp of air.
“Been a while since I did that, but I’m definitely gettin’ rusty. Maybe this is a good chance to brush up a bit, eh?”
Scratching his head with a sheepish grin, he’s back to being regular Dad. But to think he’s rusty? How insanely cool must he have been in his prime?!
“Dad, that was awesome! So cool! So cool!
That first bam with your right hand making the log fly—was that wind magic? No, you didn’t use magic, right? When you were focused, your mana filled the air, so maybe your attack rode on that somehow.
You weren’t like the usual Dad at all—it was surprising, but so cool!”
I know I’m getting way too excited and my words are coming out all jumbled, but I can’t help it! I can’t find any better words because it was just that cool.
It felt a bit like Shaolin Kung Fu, but unlike a sport designed for safety, if he unleashed that on an enemy, it’d probably kill them instantly.
It might not work as well against beast-type Monsters, but in a fight against people, it’s gotta be super effective, right?
Wait, Dad was an Adventurer, wasn’t he?
I thought Adventurers mainly fought Monsters, but is fighting people part of it too? Like, when you’re an Escort, you might need to deal with bandits or something, so it’s a must?
“Mana fillin’ the air… that so? Never thought much about it, but when I’m focused, I can see enemies’ movements real clear in a certain range. Huh, maybe that’s ‘cause they’re in my mana’s influence, like you said.”
Dad looks like he’s just realizing this for the first time, but that’s so like him—using magic purely on instinct. He says the log flew because of his spirit or something, but I don’t think I could ever do that.
Probably not even the Vice-Guildmaster could, but I bet the Guildmaster could.
After showing off his amazing techniques, it’s time for my training to start.
Of course, I can’t do those crazy kicks or strikes yet, so the goal is to build core strength and leg power using the obstacle course.
“C’mon, Vio, you got this!”
“Ugh!”
Dad runs alongside me as I hop across the logs.
We’re starting without using body enhancement magic, so I can’t clear the high logs yet and have to weave through them in an S-shape.
“It’s fine to hold the ropes at first, y’know.”
“It’s so wobbly~!”
The rope ladder has ropes for handrails, but it’s not connected like a suspension bridge, so it’s super unstable. The gaps between the rungs start narrow, so you can’t see the ground, but past the halfway point, they widen, and seeing the ground below makes my legs shake with fear.
There are a few rope ladders set up, and the one I’m crossing now is so low it’s only about knee-height. Even standing on it, I barely reach Dad’s chest, but the unsteady footing is honestly pretty scary.
When will I ever be able to cross that ladder way up in the trees?
With Dad cheering me on, I manage two laps around the course before I’m completely out of breath.
“Never thought you’d make two whole laps without enhancement magic. Vio, your basic stamina’s comin’ along real nice.”
“Really? That’s awesome~!”
I’m sprawled out on the ground, catching my breath, when Dad says something that makes me happy. I do feel like I’ve built a lot more strength compared to when I could only walk half the distance from the house.
“Rest up a bit, then let’s try two more laps usin’ enhancement magic this time.”
Dad suggests with a big smile, and yeah, he’s kind of a Spartan coach.
But I want to be able to do those cool moves someday, so I’m gonna give it my all!
What do you think about this chapter?
