Chapter 18: Chapter 18

EIGHTEEN DAYS LATER 

I'm currently training with Sack, as I do every day. There is, however, one minor distinction. Is different for the reason that many children are watching us train with curious and excited expressions. Two days ago, while Sack and I were training as usual, a boy no older than four-years-old passed by and saw us training. He approached us with an intellectually curious expression, preventing us from proceeding with our training any further. He was dressed in a green long-sleeved shirt with gray pants. It's an unusual color combination, but it somehow works on him. His face, on the other hand, suggested that he would be a strong, commanding man when he grows older. His brown eyes were sharp, but with a childlike innocence.

I'd seen him before; he was always present when the kids played at the park. This is most likely why he approached us; knowing us, he must have been curious about what we were up to. His name is Kai, Kai is a boy who treats everyone with respect. Regardless of what they had done to him, he would always return their smile and accept their apology. He's a sweet kid, far too sweet in my opinion. "What are you guys doing?" he asked, twisting his head to the side, with that curious expression he had when he saw us. Sack moves closer to him, smiling from ear to ear, before I have time to respond to his questions. That smile, combined with his dirt-covered face and ripped-up clothes, gave him the appearance of a demon.

Kai, on the other hand, did not flinch or scream in terror as I would have expected from a four-year-old child. "We're practicing! Ash is wielding a wooden sword, whereas I am wielding a wooden spear" Sack responded to Kai's curiosity. "But why?" he asked again, intrigued. I intervene this time by saying, "We want to get stronger so we can protect everyone we care about." He returns my stare with that no longer perplexed expression. His face, on the other hand, shows that he has figured out something. "Does that mean that if I train, I'll be able to protect others too?" he asks, approaching me with radiant eyes. "Of course, however, you must first gain strength. Someone weak won't protect anyone" I said.

Moving back and looking at both of us with euphoria, his excitement is so noticeable that I can feel it coming out of him. His excitement is so real that it is comparable to obtaining, gaining, or even receiving something one has always desired. I swear I see shining lights radiating out and over his background, similar to how the sun illuminates the sky. Is he really that enthusiastic about being able to protect others? I turn to face Sack about what to do next. Sack gives me the same questionable look, but before we can say anything, Kai intervenes. With a determined expression, he moves even closer towards both of us. "Can i train with you guys?" he asks practically begging us. However, that is something we have no control over; we can't choose whether his parents want him to train or not.

"We can't do that; it's not that we don't want to, it's just that we cant. Don't misunderstand me. I would be happy to help you, and I'm sure Sack feels the same way. But we can't help you with something your parents may be against, if you ask them and they say yes, then please come back here so that we can assist you" I sincerely tell him. He was sad at first while I was talking, but once he heard the rest of what I was saying, his sadness reversed into happiness. He dismissed himself and ran towards what I assume is the direction of his home, filled with joy and relief. Sack and I returned to our training as usual, but things began to change the next day. Kai couldn't contain his excitement when his parents accepted him to train with us, so he went around to all his friends to brag about it. Yes, he is a sweet boy, but he is still a child, and like any other child, he likes to brag about things that other children his age don't have.

And, as you can see, every kid, without exception, had come over to watch us train. Not only children, but also adults, had arrived; it's likely that the children's parents were keeping an eye on them to ensure that they didn't do anything stupid, but this is still absurd. My and Sack's training time had shrunken even further. Then an idea occurred to me. If I trained them, many, if not all of them would be able to protect and defend themselves in this small village if an attack were to happen. My family would be safe, and I would be free to travel around the world. Smiling from ear to ear, giving the impression of a twisted smile while chuckling softly. Sack and anyone else nearby take a few steps back in fear. Kai, on the other hand, simply stares back at me with a curious expression.

"Everyone!, please come forward if you want to train! I would be delighted to assist you all, and Sack will, of course, assist me as well. Please let me know if you have any questions!" I say to the crowd gathered around me, while Sack looks at me puzzled. He must have assumed we were only going to help Kai. Yes, we will help him, but there is no reason why we cannot assist others at the same time we help Kai. It may require more effort, but it will all be worthwhile in the end. All of the children who had heard what I had just said ran at me. Some had gone the other route to get permission from their parents, but they in the end, ended up in front of me. "Good! Let's start with some stretching. Then we'll start doing exercises. Stretching and exercising will assist us in laying the groundwork and making us stronger. We require this, particularly for those wishing to learn how to use a weapon!" With a satisfied tone in my voice, I say.

Looking at the children as if I am their master and they are my students. I've been saying "crowd of children" and such, but there are actually about three kids my age, four more who appear to be a little older, and two more who appear to be even older. The older, older ones are simply watching us from the sidelines. So, yes, only seven of the nine kids who arrived today will be training with me.... with Sack and I. That's great; if at least half of the kids here stick with their training until the end, that will suffice. Some may leave, like me, but not all, which is preferable to not having anyone here who can fight. I know it sounds a little selfish of me to use these kids for my own gain. That's fine with me; I'm sure they'll thank me later when they use their abilities to save or protect others. Picking up where we left off, Sack is currently explaining and showing them the proper way to stretch. Some are copying him to perfection, while others are struggling to follow that simple task.

After all, they are children, and I couldn't reasonably expect anything else from them. I approach those who are struggling in order to help them. One by one, I'm showing them how to stretch properly. After about ten minutes of this ordeal, I ordered them to stand in front of me for their next task. "Now that we've finished stretching, let's start running for a few minutes. Let's see, umm, yes, let's run for about fifteen minutes and for those who are unable to continue until the end. You are free to take a short break. Those who have finished resting, on the other hand, must return with the rest of us "I address the crowd that has gathered around me. I took the lead and began to run at a pace that they could all keep up with. Looking back and seeing the kids following me, as well as Sack positioning himself to my left.

Sack casts a questionable look at me. I'm sure he has a lot of questions. "What exactly are you thinking about?" I return my gaze to Sack. "No, it's just that I assumed we'd only be assisting Kai. It's not that I don't want to, but...." he says averting his eyes at the end. "What? Sack, who is friendly to everyone, does not want to help children" I say acting shocked. "That is not what I meant, and I'm sure you know this. All I want to know is why you decided to help all of them. I understand Kai because he asked for our assistance, but the others did not. I assumed they were only there to observe" He says this with a puzzled expression. I sigh after taking a deep breath "Sack, please answer me this. What are your plans for the future?" He tilts his head to one side, perplexed. "What exactly do you mean? Do you mean when I'll be old enough to make my own decisions?" "Yes," I simply reply.

"umm, i don't know, mabye travel around the world" he answers me back. I say this while smiling "That is also my dream; I want to see the world and marvel at its beauty. But, after what we went through with Jack, it would be difficult to leave this village knowing that such a threat could appear at any moment." Sack returns my gaze with a "I get it now" expression. "So you want to strengthen them in order to protect this village. That way, you can leave knowing that nothing will go wrong here" he claims. Nodding to his statement while looking back at the kids who are running behind us, talking amongst themselves. "Do you think I'm doing the right thing? I can't shake the feeling that I'm treating them as if they were tools." "Yes you are, however, at the same time no. There is indeed a possibility that they will not be required to use their skills. Even so, they and everyone else in this village would survive. In the end, that is what matters" He tells me with a smile.

Even the all-caring Sack feels the same way, I see. For the time being, we need to strengthen the children, but to do so, we need professionals in this field. I apologize, but I believe you, father, have a lot of work ahead of you. We need you to help us get stronger, but they need you even more to help them get stronger. I want them to be strong enough to defeat any enemy that comes their way by the time we leave. I will assist them in working as a team, as if they were one person. Each person will take over a skill that the others may lack. This way, they could defeat an opponent five times their strength. They require a leader, so I will appoint Kai as their leader. This will relieve a huge burden from my chest, oh how overjoyed i am.

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