Episode 2
Episode 2
Contrary to what one might think, the medieval era wasn't overwhelmingly busy.
That's because farming is the main occupation.
From autumn to spring, work is impossible, so we essentially rest for almost half of the 12 months.
Moreover, since I'm a girl, helping with household chores is all I do normally, so it's more relaxed than being a slave to a small-to-medium enterprise.
Well, it's a slave and a commoner we're talking about.
Without even needing to compare, you could say slaves are lower.
On top of that, the men go out to do the dangerous and hard work.
The five older brothers above me help our dad by going hunting when necessary, and on other days, they even go farming.
If I say I want to go farming or hunting, everyone stops me, saying what kind of hunting is that for a girl.
Isn't this the right kind of medieval feminism?
The men are sacrificing themselves like this for the safety of women.
"Hehe."
As I giggled to myself over these vain thoughts, Ivy, who was watching from the side, tilted her head.
"What's up? You had another weird thought, didn't you?"
"What do you mean, weird thought? If someone hears that, they'll think I only have thoughts like that."
"But you always say weird things. Aren't you going to go say something weird right now too?"
"What weird thing?"
"Aren't you going to go tell Delit Ajusshi that you need to get stronger for the peace of the world again?"
"Yes. But it's true, you know?"
I explained it in my own way, but of course, Ivy didn't believe me.
Well, I guess no one would believe it.
Even if a friend says every day that the world will end someday and that you're the talent who will become the Hero, there wouldn't be that many people who'd believe it.
One day, when she asked why I wanted to train, I said it's because Ivy is the prettiest in the world so she'll become the Hero, and I got scolded.
Something about how it's embarrassing to compare such a great person to herself.
But it's the truth though...
Thinking I'll show her later when she becomes the Hero, I nodded.
"No, but. It's Mia's theory time now."
Mia's theory time, without fail.
"What is it this time?"
"Dad and my brothers went out hunting, but what will you do if a bad person comes to the village? I snuck into the house avoiding Delit Ajusshi's eyes."
"Then you should shout for help and call people."
I shook my head side to side.
"I'm telling you, it'll be too late by then? You have to protect yourself before seeking help."
"...Is that so?"
She's buying it again.
She's the one who says it's weird every time but gets persuaded every time.
"Of course! That bad person might..."
I pondered for a moment.
Even if it is a medieval fantasy world brimming with romance, night colors, and rampant rape and murder, isn't it a bit much to tell a young child?
"...steal Ivy's cherished handmade doll before people arrive."
"A robber would steal a doll? Not kill people?"
You know more about reality than I thought.
Medieval early education is really something.
"Anyway, the important thing is to protect my body. That's the point. Got it?"
"It doesn't seem like a wrong statement..."
Actually, it's unnecessary.
If robbers come, it's not just one person but a whole bandit gang swarming in, so you have to quietly get raped or commit suicide.
'Anyway, as long as I persuaded her, it's fine.'
While educating her with my theory, we arrived at Delit Ajusshi's house.
Delit Ajusshi doesn't patrol the village every single night.
Since the village youths take turns patrolling, he has days off, and there are also days when he patrols in the morning, not at night.
Knock knock.
"Ajusshi! You have to teach us today! Two cute girls have been coming for months begging you!"
Ivy, looking at me with a strange expression from the side, then said.
"Then I'll head home. Mom said she'd teach me how to make bread."
"Learning how to make bread is important. See you later then."
"Mia, you too, don't bother the ajusshi too much."
She looked at me with an indignant expression, but Ivy waved her hand and disappeared.
I knocked on the ajusshi's door again and said.
"If you don't come out quickly, I'll tell everyone you gave me alcohol! Do you want to get scolded by mom again?"
Actually, I stole and drank this secretly.
I just drank the alcohol the ajusshi left behind in the hut used by the guards at the village entrance.
Of course, there was no reaction.
"If you really don't come out, I'll spread a rumor that you groped my body..."
BAM!
Finally, the door opened.
Bushy beard and unkempt hair.
Whether he chose alcohol over sleep, faint dark circles were visible under his eyes.
His flustered eyes scanned the surroundings.
"Hey! Saying it like that sounds weird. I just touched your arm a bit when I asked if your body was suitable for training! You can't say I groped your body!"
"Ah, you finally came out. So when are we starting?"
Realizing he'd been tricked by me again, he let out a deep sigh.
"Mia, you don't really need to wield a sword. You have five reliable older brothers above you, why are you so obsessed with fighting?"
"Because I have to save the world? It's a really important matter."
"Is this again about Ivy becoming the Hero so you have to protect her?"
"Yes! That's exactly it! You finally understand."
I told him about the future I know, but he didn't believe me.
If I went to the modern era instead of the medieval times and predicted coins or stocks, he would have believed me well.
"Hoo..."
Delit Ajusshi sighed, plopped down on the ground, and looked at me.
After looking at me with a complicated expression, he started explaining again.
"Ivy can't become the Hero. All Heroes so far have been men. Do you understand what I'm saying?"
"There's no guarantee it will be like that in the future, you know."
"That may be true, but. Historically, that's how it is. And why does it have to be me?"
"You have to choose your teacher well, you see."
Actually, in the game, a former mercenary also serves as a guide.
Of course, it's not this Delit Ajusshi.
But leaving that aside, Delit Ajusshi is the only one who can teach me this stuff. The other men just hit things hard with brute force.
"Anyway, please teach me. You teach the boys regularly, so why not me? This is discrimination. Discrimination."
"The boys will protect the village later, but Mia, you'll get married, have babies, and stay at home, right?"
Me, have babies?
Blergh.
Just imagining being pinned under a man and whimpering was disgusting.
"You don't know that. There are women among the famous mercenaries these days, you know."
"Are you talking about the Red Mace?"
"What mace was it? Probably, right?"
"That person is a Dwarf hybrid, isn't she? Dwarves are different from humans, I tell you? I've seen that woman myself; she's short but stronger than me. The race is different."
"Wow, even racial discrimination. This is a bit..."
"No! Uwaaah...!"
Driven mad by my endless pestering, the ajusshi rubbed his face vigorously as if exasperated.
I, on the contrary, continued speaking without pause.
"But why won't you teach me? It wouldn't hurt to invest a little time in me. Wouldn't it be more fun than drinking and sleeping every day?"
"It's because I'm worried about you. Won't your parents worry if a girl does this kind of thing?"
"My mom already knows what kind of kid I am, you know?"
"Won't your dad worry?"
"My dad is a total daughter fool, so if I say I want to do it, he lets me do anything."
I'm the youngest daughter among five sons and one daughter.
I'm the snow-white daughter who came after five dark-skinned sons, and I even look like my mom, so I'm pretty.
I'm sharp and good at acting cute with dad, so he can't help but adore me.
"What about your brothers? They're also crazy about you."
"If I hug them once and whine that I really want to do it, they end up allowing it, you know?"
At first, there was resistance, but I'm using it well now.
"Sigh, fine. If you've been coming every day for almost three months, you must be serious. So what do you want to learn?"
I finally succeeded in persuading him.
I decided to learn the sword first, as it's the most versatile weapon used in the game too.
Pretending to swing a sword, I put my hands together and swung from above to below.
"I want to use a sword. Swinging it like this, just one shot on a Magical Beast! You know what I mean, right?"
The ajusshi looked at me for a moment and then went inside the house.
A short while later, he brought out a small wooden sword and handed it to me.
"Take this and swing it. This is the wooden sword the boys your age use, you see?"
I carefully received the wooden sword.
The wooden sword was heavier than expected, and the handle was rough.
I could see why the men had so many calluses on their hands.
"Can I just swing it anyhow?"
"Yeah, swing it comfortably."
Holding the handle with both hands, I pondered for a bit, then raised the sword high.
The tip pointed towards the sky, and I swung it down vigorously.
Whoosh!
The sword, which I intended to swing moderately, was heavier than I thought, and it ultimately moved more than I intended. Finally, the blade hit the ground.
"It's way heavier than I thought. The kids just swing this around?"
"I guess so. The boys do a lot of strength-based work from a young age. Their innate muscle strength would also be different from yours, a girl's."
"Then it's a big problem. I'm weak and a girl. Should I start building muscle strength from today?"
There's at most 5 years left before the Magical Beasts attack the village.
Before that, I need to be at least capable of hunting a Magical Beast by myself.
At my words, the ajusshi shook his head.
"No. A girl building muscle strength can't possibly catch up to a man. That's impossible unless you learn Aura. Rather..."
The ajusshi pondered for a moment and then asked.
"Why did you say you want to get stronger? To protect Ivy?"
"Yes, if Ivy becomes the Hero, I need to protect her from the side."
"Then how about using a Shield instead."
"A Shield? Can you kill things with a shield?"
The ajusshi shrugged his shoulders.
"You block with the shield, and when the opponent shows an opening, you attack. Then you can fight even with a light weapon like a dagger. Of course, this is harder."
As if showing an example, Delit Ajusshi took a stance.
He posed as if holding a shield and continued his explanation.
"Let's imagine the opponent swings their sword from above downward. Then, you don't just block with force; you have to block at an angle."
He tilted his arm about 45 degrees, pretending to block, and with his other hand, he traced the trajectory of a sword.
The hand coming down from above deflects sideways following the angle of the shield.
"If you tilt it slightly like this, the sword deflects to the side, and an opening is created in the opponent. This is the basic principle of shield technique. How is it?"
Impressed by his expert demeanor, I clapped and nodded.
"So when are you going to teach me the sword?"
To hell with romance, what's with the shield.
A man's weapon is the sword.