When Rakshasa beckoned them to come out, the two hesitantly stepped forward. Rakshasa spoke elegantly.
“They were worried you might run away.”
Elibas snapped.
“Rakshasa!”
“Isn’t that right?”
“Of course not!”
Josephine ran up with anxious eyes and looked at Doah.
“Was the training too intense? Should I tone it down? I think I might have unintentionally increased the intensity today.”
“Josephine always pushes too hard during training.”
“Yes, it’s all my fault…”
Seeing Josephine quickly become dejected, Doah waved her hand.
“No, it’s not that. It’s because I couldn’t keep up…”
Elibas’ expression turned harsh.
“How can you break a child’s spirit like this? Doah, you’re doing great.”
Elibas hugged her.
Since he had just come from a baking class, he smelled like butter and sugar.
“No… It’s just that I want you to learn as much as you can…”
Josephine, flustered, trailed off.
Doah shook her head.
“No, Josephine. Today’s class was good.”
At this, Josephine’s face brightened.
“Really? It was? It wasn’t your class that was the problem today, right, Elibas?”
“Oh, please. You need to stop taking every word so literally.”
“What? So you’re saying Doah lied to me?”
Rakshasa sighed.
“My goodness, have you both become idiots?”
Doah burst out laughing.
Feeling loved gives you courage.
Doah gathered her strength and said,
“I was just worried that everyone would be disappointed in me because I couldn’t keep up with the class…”
When she spoke softly about her concerns, both Elibas and Josephine’s eyes widened.
“No! You’re doing great!”
“Yes, we know how hard you’re trying.”
They took turns earnestly praising her.
The tension left her body.
“It feels like I’m doing the same thing every day…”
As she added this, Josephine’s eyes widened.
“Life is an endless struggle. It’s like swimming upstream in a river. Even if you think you’re standing still, you’re not.”
Josephine put her hand on Doah’s shoulder.
“That’s the same as moving forward. As long as you’re not swept away, it’s fine. Does life feel like a hamster wheel? Good. You’re doing well.”
“That’s quite insightful for Josephine…”
Elibas said, looking bewildered, and Josephine grinned.
“If you’re going to praise me, keep going.”
❖ ❖ ❖
After overcoming a hurdle, Doah felt closer to her mentors. Her mindset completely changed. Doah even opened up about her mother to the three of them.
They listened quietly as she talked. Rakshasa pointed to Doah’s eyes and said,
“Your eyes are called ‘Azure Nazac,’ a rare trait. You might be able to find your family if you trace your lineage.”
“Really?”
“Yes, three great families are known to have those eyes. But who knows how the timelines align.”
Rakshasa’s words made Doah nod.
She felt hopeful at the thought that she might find her mother.
The training continued, but it was no longer just training for Doah.
Learning the skills honed by Josephine, Rakshasa, and Elibas over their lifetimes wasn’t just acquiring techniques.
She felt she was inheriting their lives as well. When she shared this thought, Josephine smiled warmly.
“My swordsmanship ended with my death. I’ve been studying hard here, but it’s pointless unless I pass it on. I’m glad you’re learning, Doah.”
Elibas nodded too.
“There’s no one else who wants to learn cooking from me.”
“Who would want to learn cooking from a grand wizard?”
Josephine grumbled beside him.
Rakshasa said that even in life, she had many disciples.
Doah enjoyed listening to their stories.
Their adventures were endless, and they were told directly by the people who lived them.
She also realized that each of them came from completely different eras.
From her mother’s stories, she deduced that Josephine lived 1200 years ago, Elibas 600 years ago, and Rakshasa 300 years ago.
‘That’s an incredible gap…’
But this thought also comforted her.
How could she compete with someone who had honed their swordsmanship for 1200 years?
She just needed to learn humbly.
Alongside cooking, Elibas also taught her magic whenever possible.
Doah was relieved that she didn’t have to learn magic.
Learning magic required mastering a new language, which seemed difficult to pronounce.
Nevertheless, she studied intermittently and grasped the basics.
One day, Rakshasa said,
“It’s about time for you to take your graduation exam.”
Doah was startled and looked at Rakshasa, who smiled and continued,
“The content of the graduation exam is to develop a new medicine. Use what you’ve learned so far and create a new drug. The duration is until you succeed.”
Though surprised by the mention of a graduation exam, Doah nodded. From then on, Rakshasa acted like a professor reviewing a thesis.
“You’re planning to make this medicine? Isn’t it already available? Is it even useful? How about thinking in a slightly different direction? This medicine seems off track.”
After being rejected several times, Doah finally presented a [scar treatment] which Rakshasa reluctantly approved with a ‘Hmm…’.
Following that, Doah dedicated herself to her research, often pulling at her hair in frustration.
Elibas brought special meals to her workshop, and Josephine, while not able to stop the training, agreed to reduce its intensity.
About two years later, Doah succeeded in creating the medicine and passed her graduation exam.
Immediately after, Elibas assigned another graduation exam: ‘Cooking delicious food in extreme situations.’
Rakshasa clicked his tongue, saying, ‘You’re being too lenient.’
It took her about three months to pass this exam as well.
By this time, Doah started to fear what Josephine’s graduation exam might be. She continued to diligently train in swordsmanship.
Josephine had actually taught her to handle various weapons, starting from hand-to-hand combat to the chain sickle.
“You never know when you might not have proper weapons,”
It was Josephine’s usual saying.
She handled the chain sickle artistically, making it seem like a third arm.
Although Doah tried her best, the chain sickle was very difficult.
Doah was most proficient with a one-handed sword and a small shield, a solid combination, and she was equally skilled with a two-handed sword and fairly competent with a bow.
The chain sickle came next.
‘What if I can’t graduate?’
While Doah was sitting worried. Then Josephine announced,
“We’ll have your graduation exam tomorrow.”
Doah was surprised and looked up.
Josephine stood half-shadowed by the setting sun, her violet eyes glowing ominously.
“Let’s pass it in one go, okay?”
“Wh-what kind of exam is it?”
Doah asked, and Josephine smiled mischievously.
“That’s a secret for tomorrow.”
❖ ❖ ❖
Meditation.
The foundation of swordsmanship.
Why is meditation fundamental to swordsmanship?
Not only does it help maintain a peaceful mind, but mana exists in this world.
Through meditation and breathing, Doah steadily accumulated mana in her body.
Mana slowly built up in her bones, blood vessels, muscles, and skin. By filling her cells with mana, she eventually created mana veins.
Just as capillaries supply oxygen and nutrients to cells, initially very thin mana veins supplied mana to the cells.
The faster the mana circulated, the lighter her body felt, making mana supply more efficient.
To withstand high output, strong mana veins were necessary.
Through repeated training and continuous mana accumulation, the mana veins gradually thickened.
When a mana core formed around the heart, she could finally be called a mana user.
Mana enabled ordinary people to achieve extraordinary feats.
Of course, this also required talent.
The speed at which mana accumulated and mana veins formed varied from person to person.
“Doah is quite average,”
Josephine assessed coldly but then laughed, saying,
“But you have more time than others. Consistency is key.”
Following this advice, Doah breathed diligently without slacking. Josephine had developed a way to accumulate mana through breathing even while moving.
“During a war, you can’t just sit around meditating. That’s when assassins strike. Many knights died that way,”
Josephine smirked.
“I spent 300 years researching this. I’ll teach it to you.”
Thanks to this, Doah could accumulate mana even in her daily activities.
But today, she focused on intensive meditation. She took a long breath in and exhaled.
As she let out the final breath, her eyelids fluttered open, and the world appeared crystal clear.
After emerging from deep meditation, everything felt new and beautiful.
As Doah gazed at the forest in a daze, Elibas called her.
“Doah, it’s time to eat.”
Hearing the voice from behind, she quickly stood up. When she turned around, she saw Elibas calling her from the porch of the house.
“I’m coming!”
Doah quickly ran to the house. In the living room, the food was already set.
“This looks delicious.”
Doah headed to the kitchen to help.
“It’s okay. Today is an important day. You should have some rest.”
Elibas gently declined her help.
Breakfast was a soup full of seasonal vegetables and meat.
Elibas grinned.
“I made something light for breakfast. When you come back after finishing your graduation exam, I’ll prepare a big feast.”
Josephine, already seated, smiled and pulled out a chair for Doah.
“Here.”
Elibas placed a bowl in front of Doah.
The vegetable soup had a separate broth.
As she took a sip, the rich flavors danced in her mouth.
“This is really delicious.”
Doah exclaimed again. Delicious food remained delightful, no matter how often it was eaten.
“It’s still tasty even though it feels like I’ve been eating it for a hundred years,”
Josephine chuckled.
“Eat moderately. You don’t want to end up throwing it all up later.”
Today was the day Doah would take her graduation exam with Josephine.
Having vomited several times after training with her, Doah frowned.
“Ugh… What are you going to make me do, Josephine?”
Josephine cleared her throat and placed a hand on her chest.
“Naturally, you need to defeat your master.”
Elibas, looking incredulous.
“Defeat you? Doah? Why? Are you trying to prevent her from graduating?”
“What are you talking about? She’s taking the exam because it’s time for her to graduate, right, Doah?”
Josephine smiled brightly.
She had such sharp hands that Doah had died several times at her hands.
Each time, Elibas would scold her.
“Why are you try to kill her? Just knock her out! No dinner for you.”
Doah wondered if knocking her out was acceptable, but being killed and revived was indeed uncomfortable.
Every time that happened, Josephine would grovel to Elibas.
Later, Josephine whispered to Doah,
“Doah, the one who makes delicious food is truly the strongest. It’s impossible to defeat them.”
It was clear that she wanted Elibas to hear, as Elibas snorted.
“Of course. Cooking is the only basic need that someone else can fulfill. Sharing a meal is sharing life.”
Doah nodded in agreement.
Appetite, sleep, and excretion.
Among the three basic needs for survival, appetite is the only one that someone else can satisfy.
“So, Doah, you don’t need to worry. When people taste your cooking, they’ll all become your captives.”
Elibas said with a smile. Josephine nodded in agreement.
“Right, right. Look at me.”
Every time Elibas would step on Josephine’s foot, but Josephine wouldn’t even flinch. Of course, then Elibas would get angrier, so she would pretend it hurt.
When Doah whispered to Josephine that she liked how kind Elibas was, Josephine had laughed hysterically.
“Hah, he’s only pretending in front of you.”
Despite such words, Elibas was always kind to Doah. His lessons were always enjoyable.
Sharing and eating delicious food was naturally fun, but it seemed even more enjoyable than usual.
At that moment, the door opened, and Rakshasa, Doah’s herbal medicine teacher, came out. Wearing a robe, Rakshasa smiled sweetly.
“You’ll easily pass Josephine’s test. You already passed mine.”
Her voice was as sweet and elegant as honey, mixed with the characteristic purring of the cat tribe, making it even more so.
However, she shouldn’t be underestimated.
Rakshasa had the sharpest tongue among the three. While teaching herbal medicine, she had filled Doah with the most knowledge and had a very firm stance on money.
“Never treat people for free. If someone pays you with counterfeit money, give them a hard lesson.”
“Talking about money so much is why people dislike the cat tribe.”
Josephine would bluntly say such things. When Josephine, who was attending the lesson, said that, Rakshasa snorted.
“And it’s because of money that we’ve survived. Don’t talk nonsense. Money and swordsmanship are just forms of power. Learning how to use power is what’s important. You don’t understand this, which is why you died like that.”
“What? Me? How did I die? What?”
At first, Doah didn’t know how to handle such situations, but now she was used to it. Doah finished her soup.
The two also quickly settled down and began eating.
They knew well that getting angry in front of Elibas’s table would only lead to regret later.
The food was just that delicious.
