Chapter 64 – Chapter 3: Apple and Short Sword – 3
I started training again.
Fortunately, last night’s special training was not in vain.
Even if he wasn’t as talented as he was, he looked quite convincing by swinging the sword in the same posture over a hundred times.
If I looked at it a little more closely, it seemed like everything would work out.
“Huuuk-huuuk-.”
“Wait a minute, uncle.”
I went behind his back and held his arms tightly.
“Nooooo-?!”
“Hold it hard like this. Give proper strength to your hands and arms. “It’s dangerous if you slack off.”
“OMG… Ugh…”
“With this kind of power, can you stand up to the people who are harassing you?”
“T-It’s okay if you have Tia…”
“I can’t be by your side forever. “You must know how to protect yourself in times of danger.”
“Ugh…”
Because the man was so big, it was twice as difficult to correct his posture.
He had no choice but to completely attach himself to his body and hold it in an almost hugging way.
“Now, follow my touch. Raise it slowly…”
After lifting the man’s arms together.
“Harder!”
They even made the motion of crossing their swords.
“Laugh! Whoop-! Whoop-!”
I was about to move on to the next movement, but strangely, the man was sweating more than usual.
Heat came out of my body, and my breathing became even heavier.
“Where does it hurt?”
“Oh, no… Are you okay…”
“Concentrate? Just push it like this-.”
Hold your left hand firmly.
I placed my chest tightly against the uncle’s weak shoulders and supported them firmly.
“Ugh… !”
This time, the man made a strange noise and retreated to the side.
Oh, why are you like this?
Did you push yourself too hard?
“What’s wrong? “If you’re having a hard time, please tell me.”
“Oh, no, that’s not it… Feeling…”
The man was holding his lower abdomen.
Are you feeling the pain in his side as soon as you eat lunch?
Or an upset stomach? Injured yesterday?
“The wound hasn’t just healed, right? “Get your hands off me.”
“Oh, no…”
“It could be a big problem!”
“Now, wait a minute, Tia… !”
Holding on to the hesitant hand.
The moment you flip to the side.
Hwaak-!
Suddenly something huge rose up in front of my eyes.
“… !”
It was bigger and thicker than what I saw in the morning.
Now, without even thinking about hiding it, he has created a huge mountain peak in his pants.
The tip is pointing towards my face.
Uncle Posao stuttered to explain.
“This… Well, so… Tia’s, her heart touches… I, as a man, naturally… That…”
“…”
I swallowed my saliva.
I was so shocked that I could barely let out my pent-up breath.
“… Oh, it doesn’t hurt, right?”
“Yes…”
“That’s it.”
I got up from my seat and pretended like nothing was wrong.
Her heart hardly calmed down.
Is it because I’ve been conscious of ‘that’ guy since morning?
My heart feels tight today.
Don’t worry.
It must have been embarrassing for you too.
“…”
When the awkward atmosphere has calmed down a bit.
He shook it off and spoke as if he had forgotten everything.
“Now let’s start again!”
“Uh, huh!”
And when evening finally came.
The special training achieved excellent results.
I can’t say it’s perfect yet, but I was able to put my strength into it and successfully step on it.
It is truly a huge step forward.
“That’s Okay! You have become a person who can protect yourself!”
“Ugh… And thank you. Tia…”
“Be proud. Because he learned swordsmanship from me. From now on, I will show the ‘bad guys’ that I have seen clearly with this counterattack.”
“But Tia… ‘Bad guys’… Uh, how do you tell them apart?”
“A person who wants to harm you! Anyone who tries to hurt you is definitely a ‘bad guy.’ “You understand, right?”
“Ah Okay…”
After that, we rehearsed a few times and even fought with swords.
After seeing Mr. Posao’s confidence soar, I finally felt a little relieved.
This is enough… You can protect yourself even without me.
You will be able to stand up to even the ‘bad guys’ who try to harm the good Mr. Posao.
Thinking that way made me proud too.
* * *
After much deliberation, Uncle Po Sao decided to direct her business towards ‘hardware’.
However, ‘Modales Trading Company’ was a trading company in name only.
In order to expand the trading volume of this trading association to more than 500 gold, it had to be officially reported to the government office.
So, as soon as the rain stopped, we went to the Deseo government office.
I heard that the agency’s work was very slow, so even though we waited in line all morning, it seemed like it would take a long time to get back to our turn.
I squatted down on the street and sighed.
“Haha, uncle. “Can we enter the government office?”
“There are more people than I thought… Oh, I guess it’s because there’s a ‘fall festival’ coming up soon…”
Fall festival.
Around mid-autumn every year.
The largest festival is held in Deseo for three days, enjoyed by everyone from royalty to commoners.
I heard that it was originally a festival held along with a tribute acceptance ceremony.
However, the date was postponed due to an unexpected accident at the public offering event, and it was eventually changed to coincide with Thanksgiving.
Therefore, the front of the government office was crowded with people who came for the festival.
“Ha-am- It’s going to take a long time.”
“If you’re bored, Tia, you can walk around for a bit. Because I will stay in my place and guard…”
“No. We promised to be together wherever we go.”
When I was bored waiting.
Suddenly I saw a strange sight.
Unlike the people waiting in long lines, some people were entering through the back door.
I called my uncle.
“What is it that’s not waiting in line?”
“Ah, this is the road all rich people take.”
“Hmm… “Then shall we go there too?”
“W-what-? If you get caught… I’m in big trouble…”
“As long as you don’t get caught.”
I can’t wait here all day.
The festival was not important to us, but the business of earning ‘1,000 gold’ was more important.
… I know I shouldn’t do this, but.
Well, you’re going to get rich soon anyway!
“I’m just taking a quick look.”
“T, Tia… !”
I immediately got out of the queue and headed to the back door.
The man followed behind him with a scared face.
Fortunately, there was no one watching.
The more awkwardly you behave, the more suspicious you become.
She straightened her back and walked through the back door.
“Whew.”
Once I got into the building, I succeeded.
Where should I go now?
I followed my intuition and moved to the right.
This feels more luxurious. There seemed to be more footprints covered in dirt.
While I was quietly walking down the hallway with my uncle.
Suddenly, a man who appeared to be a government office employee appeared on the left street.
“Hmm?”
“Oh!”
It’s a big deal.
The moment when you rush to run away to the other side.
A man came out there too.
“Rain, get out of the way!”
Boom.
In the end, I couldn’t avoid it and my body collided.
I fell crashing to the floor while being held in the man’s coat.
The man beneath me said.
“This! Sorry, miss. Are you okay?”
“Yes. However…”
I looked at the man without thinking, but I couldn’t help but stiffen my expression at the ‘familiar’ face that flashed in my memory.
It was the same on that side.
The man’s eyes widened when he saw my face.
“You… ?”
“So, sir?”
The first day I worked at ‘De Clácio Bar’.
It was a male customer I met at that time.
I came to the bar to soothe my sorrow over losing my friend.
The man who nominated me, who was a newbie, and we had a fun conversation.
He even remembered my name.
“Tia… “It’s Tia, right?”
“Yes. That’s right!”
“Oh my god. “How did you get here?”
“Oh, I… Sorry, but now…”
It was a chance encounter, but I didn’t have time to dwell on it.
Employees were already running over and grabbing Mr. Posao.
The male customer must have noticed my urgent expression and immediately stood up and shouted.
“Let him go!” “These are the guests I called.”
The employees who were suppressing the man were startled and withdrew their hands.
The man who was released came running towards me, panting.
“Huuuuu, it was dangerous.”
A male customer in a brown coat adjusted his fedora.
“Two people. “Are you hurt?”
“Yes. Thanks to you. Thank you so much for your help.”
“Haha. No.”
He smiled and threw up his hand.
“Anyway, there seems to be something going on. Could you give me a moment? “I’d like to talk to you.”
“… Yes.”
“Follow me.”
We moved somewhere.
It was a reception room connected to a long hallway.
Although it was small, it had everything.
He guided me to my seat and told me to sit comfortably.
“Long time no see. Tia.”
“Ehehe- It’s been a while since I had a customer.”
“Have you quit going to bars?”
“Yes. “It doesn’t fit well.”
“I see. Good decision. “I didn’t think it suited you there.”
The male customer took off his fedora.
“Since we met outside, let’s greet each other formally. My name is ‘Avan Berdnando’. “I’m in the clothing business.”
“My name is Tia Anthea. This person is Mr. Posao Modales. Nice to meet you, Mr. Verdnando.”
“Just feel free to call me ‘Avan.'”
Mr. Aban also exchanged greetings with Uncle Posao.
“I heard a story from Miss Tia. “I heard you helped me a lot in many ways?”
“Ahhh… Yes…”
“You are a good person. Haha.”
Even when I met him at the bar, I felt that he was a very nice person.
The rich people of Deseo are usually gloomy, money-loving snobs, but Mr. Aban had no such aura.
Like… This man reminds me of Robert.
After the brief greeting, Mr. Aban asked first.
“But Tia. What’s happening at the Deseo government office?”
“Yes. That’s it…”
He told me what had happened so far.
He explained that he had been kicked out of the bar and worked several jobs, but he still needed more money, so he was now planning to start a business.
After hearing the general story, Mr. Aban nodded his head thoughtfully.
“You’re thinking about starting a business because you need money. “How much are you specifically aiming for?”
“1,000 gold.”
“1,000 gold. If you need it in the shortest possible time…”
He thought for a moment and then smiled curiously.
“Maybe it’s possible.”
“Really?”
“Of course, it’s impossible as it is now. Mr. Modales’ idea to revive the hardware business that was in a recession and try to succeed is great, but it has the problem of having to wait endlessly for the time to come. Isn’t that right?”
“… Yes, that’s right.”
Perhaps because he was a rich man who had achieved great success in business, he accurately pointed out things that even Uncle Posao did not know.
We only had vague hopes.
There was absolutely no guarantee that it would be a business worth up to 1,000 gold.
Until now, the idea was to just lay the groundwork and see.
“But if we can decide the ‘time’ when the hardware industry booms again, there will be no problem.”
“We decide? How?”
Mr. Aban said quietly.
“… ‘Autumn Festival.'”
