- Shari -

Today I am free.

Truly free, since even Liqu is occupied with guard duty.

Especially now, after we learned about this document's contents she ought to be especially vigilant while looking after the girl.

She doesn't say it directly, but I'm sure she's quite fond of her.

For me, this means that I can enjoy the whole day as I like, so I want to take it easy and simply go for a stroll.

After walking a bit through the gardens, I move to the training grounds.

I notice how Peras trains again with Lidan.

Poor boy.

It doesn't look in the slightest like Peras is considering that he's fighting a young boy and should go easy on him.

With a fierce swing, he strikes the boy's sword out of the way and the follow-up sends him flying to the ground.

And I mean flying with this impact.

This is bordering on child abuse.

And I'm not too sure about the "bordering" part.

"Uhh!" (Shari)

"What is?" (Peras)

"Ahem, do you have to hit him that hard?" (Shari)

"What?! Are you seriously questioning my methods?" (Peras)

Your methods of child abuse?

Yes, kinda.

"I just believe that he could get seriously injured if you don't hold back." (Shari)

"For that reason, we have healers in attendance. Pain is a good teacher. If he wants to avoid it he has to get better. It's obligatory that the future warden of the south has to be able to stand his ground." (Peras)

"But shouldn't you rather slowly raise the difficulty? He might simply lose hope if he always gets beaten up without having the slightest chance." (Shari)

The boy in question looks hopeful in our direction.

Or he's at least glad that I'm buying him some time for a small breather while he dreads when it will start anew.

"Fights aren't fair. But if you insist on this." (Peras)

"Insist? Insist on what?" (Shari)

"Training him. It's your turn." (Peras)

Damn, curse my big mouth.

And no comments about its possible size.

What have I gotten myself into here?

I trot in front of the shaking boy.

While I don't particularly feel like harassing kids I can't defy orders.

As a compromise, I will go easy on him.

I guide slime tentacles out of my sleeves, quickly pick up four wooden swords, and position myself in front of him.

"Try to reach me." (Shari)

With this, I lash out.

Naturally, not too hard.

I simply swing in his direction and make sure to slow down before contact.

Still, even this much is apparently enough to strike his weapon once again out of his hand.

The following repetitions aren't much better.

After all my fights I can at least judge that his foundation isn't too shabby.

His stance is stable, his blocks and swings without major openings, while he still deals very straight blows.

The problem is that he's afraid of the attack and like this cannot counter.

So I'm increasing the pressure on him by using two swords at once to force him to go all out.

"Don't just take the hit. Strike against it. Show some strength!" (Shari)

I adjust my swings in a way that they come faster back at him the weaker he defended before.

If he uses some force to deflect me I grant him longer breaks and make sure that he notices.

All the time, I have Pera's sharp gaze on me.

After he managed to adjust a bit, I bring another sword into play.

I know that a child won't be able to keep this up for long but I want him to learn how to fight under pressure.

Naturally, I make sure that the hits that get through don't injure him too much and pause as soon I notice that he lost track and I'm only beating him up at this point.

However, I won't grant him any breaks.

"If you don't even try to attack me you're going to get beaten up." (Shari)

This is the other point.

From his training, Lidan just learns to take hits.

He's probably totally afraid to retaliate against the man who hit him already so many times.

And the time with the bandits was probably not beneficial for his confidence.

Not that I am better, but I continue to invite him to attack and deliberately show openings.

"Hadn't you had enough hits by now?" (Shari)

I tease him a bit.

Raising frustration and anger is a good way to motivate someone to hit you.

"This won't stop until you land one of your own." (Shari)

It's hard to be mean to a kid but this is training.

He needs to learn to defend himself if he ever wants to get over his trauma.

I have already all four swords out when he finally starts to move in my direction.

I throw some hits from the side, weak enough to not completely distract him.

He can block one with his sword and dive below the other.

When he's almost there I grow a smile.

I see his panicked expression at this but nonetheless, he runs further in my direction and thrusts his wooden sword at me.

With tears in his eyes, he looks upward and sees that all my swords are ready to plunge at him.

Meanwhile, I try to close the edges of my smile to look friendlier.

"If you had hesitated this would have got you." (Shari)

I pat him on the head, realizing a moment too late that this drenched him.

His weak legs give in and he crumbles down.

I turn around.

"Was this satisfactory?" (Shari)

"Hmm. At least you've got him to attack. It's always a pain when he tries running away." (Peras)

I wonder why that is so.

"Now leave! You've bothered me enough." (Peras)

Guess he's just disgruntled that I was right.

But since I didn't come here to start a fight I let it go.

In the first place, I had another plan for today.

So I walk back to the estate and up to the second floor.

None of the guards are willing to step in my way.

My goal is clear.

The library.

I deliberately brought my special set of gloves for reading that I've got from Dion.

While there are some interesting topics I'm mostly interested in politics right now.

To be precise, Koreso.

That name fell yesterday and the implications should be great.

When I enter, the librarian almost falls over.

Well, I'm as well surprised that there even is someone with this kind of job in this militaristic household.

"Wh-wha-?" (librarian)

"I'd like to take some time to read a bit. This shouldn't be a problem, right?" (Shari)

One half of him is still troubled to process my arrival, while the other probably cannot believe that I can read.

"I, I am n-n-not s-sure if I c-can a-allow this." (librarian)

Sigh, this was so clear.

The typical racism is that only because I consist of slime which might ruin the books am not allowed to enter.

"Look, I have permission to read. I even got these gloves for this purpose. Would you really want me to call one of the superiors here because you're giving me a hard time?" (Shari)

"I-if you say so. But please, don't destroy them." (librarian)

He doesn't seem totally convinced.

But who would argue with a giant slime?

"It would be nice if you'd help me, please. I need to fetch the right one and would like to be careful with these gloves." (Shari)

As ordered, the fabric is very thin and while they're certainly high-quality I wouldn't want to stress it by grabbing heavy stuff.

"Wh-wh-what kind of book?" (librarian)

"About outer politics. Especially information about Koreso." (Shari)

I let him do his job and wait until I have the first book before me.

I start with checking up on information I already know.

The first I gather is that Koreso is the country west from us, which was a given since in the north is an unpassable mountain range, in the east just barren planes inhabited by orc tribes, and in the south is the Evergrove.

The main point of exchange is naturally Siras.

The furthest western town of Rakis was just established to interact with them.

The next thing I discover is that we wouldn't stand a chance in a war.

This country is not only three times larger than ours but has a stupidly advanced military.

The more I read, the more I get the impression that they're quite the warmongers.

Some kind of elitist "we are better than others" attitude.

Yet sadly with the power and technology to back this up.

As far as I see it they deliberately keep some developments from us.

Like for example those extraordinary strong crossbows.

One starts to ask oneself what else they're hiding.

The main question is now why these militarists didn't already invade us.

The books are a little vague about this point.

There might be some treaties that were established in the past but nothing that would substantially stop them.

If I have to guess, I'd say we aren't worth the effort.

Rakis has an overproportionate army and is constantly on edge because of the orc tribes.

If we'd now use all these soldiers to fight the enemy there would be no one left to stop the orcs.

So even if Koreso would win a certainly hard-fought war, they would in the end only get a land overrun with monsters.

A land where no one likes them and they're still occupied fighting another enemy.

There would be no advantage in doing this.

I read some more but don't find anything of interest.

Only that they utilize a weird political system where more than one person decides together how the country proceeds as a whole.

Can't get how this can work out.

Wouldn't they always get in each other's way and totally contradict their own decisions?

Like I, while linking with Liqu, can't move in any way?

However, if I ever meet one of these people my last concern will be their administration.

Since I am done with my research I decide to leave again for my room, very much to the relief of the librarian.

The next meal should come soon and I'd like to train a little more before going to sleep, making use of the excess energy.

I have to improve myself if I want to be ready for what is to come.