endless path, infinite cosmos

chapter 44

After enjoying a quiet night after the dramatic events of the previous day, both Vahn and Lili awoke before sunrise. Today marked the first day of Lili's physical training, so as Vahn suggested they woke up early to get a head start on the day.

The two made their way towards the north-west gate, their destination being the outskirts of the Western Forests. Vahn was disappointed that Gregory wasn't on duty, so he asked the guards to pass a message for him. After filling a small exit log, they were easily allowed passage through the gate. At this time Vahn still had the 'guest pass' obtained from Hephaestus, which he had loaned to Lili temporarily.

After arriving at the forest outskirts, Vahn was very tempted to make his way towards his previous home. Though it hadn't been that long since he left, it still stirred something in his heart at being separated from the place he had lived for so long.

Lili could see his melancholic expression, so she tried asking what was bothering him. "Vahn? What's wrong?"

Vahn just shook his head and smiled. "It's nothing Lili, I was just remembering the time I spent living in the forest. Even though a few days have passed, I can't easily get over my attachment to my former home."

"Mmm, we should go there one day. I want to see the place where you grew up." Lili stared in the direction Vahn had been looking. She was curious what kind of environment the boy had lived in before coming to Orario.

"Sure, one day. For now, we need to begin our training." Vahn leads the way towards a clearing and used his sword to cut down trees in the area. Lili watched as he stripped the logs before digging holes and burying them upright in the ground. Seeing that she was watching him work, Vahn demonstrated some basic exercises she could perform while he finished setting everything up.

His main goal was to help her improve her speed and adaptability. Pallums didn't have a lot of strength by nature, but Lili's [Artel*Assist] would provide her with plenty of strength once she obtained a proper weapon. He was using the logs to create an obstacle course which she would have to maneuver through while he would periodically fire practice arrows he had obtained from the shop. They were similar to normal arrows, but the arrowhead was replaced with a white lump that caused a numb sensation on contact.

Using this method he wanted to help increase her awareness of threats, her mobility in evading obstacles, and lastly...her tolerance against taking hits. With this method and the combined CQC training techniques, she would be able to build a solid foundation for the future. He also planned to continue their previous days' training in the dungeon later.

After they had discussed things previously, Vahn decided the schedule would be split between three active days separated by a single rest day. This would continue until she was able to fight freely within the first four floors of the dungeon without assistance. Though it was a tough regimen, it was still much better than her previous life so Lili didn't have any complaints.

It took nearly two hours, but Vahn finally finished setting up the course. Lili had been continually performing the exercises he demonstrated earlier, so he gave her a short break while explaining his plans. They took time to eat a light breakfast, which Lili wasn't too fond of.

"This jerky is very bland. It doesn't even taste like it has any seasoning. Give me a moment.."She started searching through her backpack until she had found some salt and some kind of spicy paste Vahn had never seen. Applying the salt and paste, he was very surprised with the difference in taste and texture.

"This is much better than the jerky I made." Vahn was enjoying the variety of flavors. He had eaten a lot of smoked and dried meat when he was in the forest, and it wasn't until he entered the City that he realized how bland his cooking actually was.