[Kaimmy's POV]
When we decided it was time to return, we went to find Hiroshi and stumbled upon a unexpected scene. Yuki was with him, carrying half of the bags. I looked at them curiously, tilting my head as if to ask why he was there. He looked peculiar; his eyes were red, as if he had been crying recently.
Hiroshi: "Ah, you arrived just in time. I was buying the last few things on the list when I found him," he said, nodding his chin toward Yuki. "He's coming back with us."
Ayako: "So, that means you were right, isn't it?"
Hiroshi: "Yes. We can talk more calmly when we get back. Let's go."
Hiroshi started moving, guiding us back to the dojo. I was confused. What were they talking about? Could it have something to do with the serious expression he wore from time to time?
Some time after we returned to the dojo, we all gathered around the table to talk. The atmosphere suggested that the situation was quite serious, and I was starting to get scared. I tried to shrink back and make myself less noticeable until Ayako finally broke the ice, using the gentlest tone of voice she could muster.
Ayako: "So, Yuki, you came to us for a reason that day, didn't you? Can you tell us exactly what's going on?"
Yuki: "I... I don't know how to explain..."
Yuki then started sobbing and crying, leaving me even more confused. What's going on here? Why is everyone so serious? I can't just stand here and watch this. I got up and went to Yuki's side, gently placing my hands on his back. He was surprised and stopped sobbing for a moment when he saw me, but the tears continued to stream from his eyes.
Kaimmy: "... Are you okay?"
Yuki: "I'm sorry... I'm... but..."
Hiroshi: "I'm sorry, kid, we'll try to go slow, but we need to understand the situation. Can you tell us where your parents are? Why are you alone?"
Yuki: "..."
He started sobbing again, and then Ayako came closer and hugged him gently.
Ayako: "Don't worry, we're here to help... But to do that, we need to know what happened. Can you tell us, please?"
Yuki: "I... I ran away... My parents are being held captive by that scumbag, and I ran away to save them!"
Yuki's crying turned into a roar of anger as he punched the table. He ran away? From where? And who is he talking about?
Hiroshi: "Calm down, Yuki! Anger won't help you get your parents back now. At least not for now."
Ayako: "Hiroshi is right. The best thing you can do now is tell us what happened, and we'll help you fix things."
After a long silence, Yuki seemed to have calmed down a bit and began speaking with a slightly trembling voice.
Yuki: "My parents... They're being forced to work for a noble... He offered us a job, but once we entered, we couldn't leave anymore. He treated us like slaves. There were others with us too, and there was always someone watching over us, so we couldn't escape."
Hiroshi: "Strange... Slavery has been considered a crime for quite some time. In that case, a simple report should be enough. Why didn't anyone do anything?"
Yuki: "...debts..."
Hiroshi: "Sorry, can you repeat that?"
Yuki: "Debts. He offered to lend us money to help build our house on his farm. But it was a trap... When we tried to go to the city, he said we couldn't leave his land until we paid the debt. We couldn't even buy food; we had to accept whatever he offered, no matter the price."
Hiroshi: "I see... It's a dirty tactic... What do you think, Ayako?"
Ayako: "...Disgusting... Do you think we can do something?"
Hiroshi: "Maybe... Yuki, have you tried talking to any guards about this?"
Yuki: "Yes... but they couldn't do anything against a noble..."
Ayako: "Those damned nobles... I've heard that many of them were unhappy when slavery was banned. Maybe this is the new method they found to continue exploiting common people."
Hiroshi: "If more nobles are involved in this scheme, they'll likely turn a blind eye to all this... I think the chance of getting help from the government is quite low."
Ayako: "Probably... but if we contact the right people, I think we can get help. Well, we still have our old contacts. I need to send some letters; I'm sure I know a few who can help."
Hiroshi: "Are you talking about who I think you're talking about? It's been a while since we got in touch with them, but it's worth a try."
While Hiroshi and Ayako discussed what to do, I could hear Yuki muttering softly:
Yuki: "I'll save them... I'll become strong, and I'll save them myself, just wait!"
I can't just stand here and listen to all this... It's a lot of information at once, but I need to do something. But... what? If what he said is true, then I definitely want to help him. After some time to gather my courage, I placed my hands on his back again so he'd notice my presence.
Kaimmy: "Yuki..."
Yuki: "..."
Kaimmy: "I'm going with you."
Yuki: "W-what? Where...?"
Kaimmy: "To save your parents..."
After a few seconds of awkward silence, Yuki's face grew even redder, but this time not from crying. He opened his mouth several times, trying to respond while squirming in his chair, but it seemed like he couldn't find any words. To be honest, it was a comical sight, despite the seriousness of the situation. We were saved when Hiroshi approached again and said:
Hiroshi: "So, I assume the reason you sought us out that day was to gain the strength to save your parents, right? I understand now; it's a noble cause. Yuki, this is a promise. I'll train you and make you strong! Strong enough to rescue your parents and anyone else in a similar situation! When the time comes, we will help you, even if it means infiltrating that farm and getting the job done ourselves. But you need to promise me one thing in return."
Yuki: "I... Thank you. What do you want me to do?"
Hiroshi: "You are forbidden from attempting anything until I say you're ready. That's the only condition. What do you say?"
Yuki then stood up, walked in front of Hiroshi, and bowed.
Yuki: "Yes, I promise! I'll do my best, please train me!"
From that moment on, it was decided that Yuki would live with us in the dojo. I was exhausted, my mind buzzing with the new information I had received. I had never imagined that Yuki could be going through something like this. Yes, I had sensed that something was amiss from the serious expression he tried to hide from time to time, but I hadn't thought it would be this extreme. I wonder what I would do in his place. No, actually, you can't imagine such things. Unless you experience it yourself, you'll never know how you'd react in a situation like that.
We spent a few hours setting up a corner for him. I offered Yuki to stay in my room with me, but he turned beet red and refused immediately. After rearranging a small office to serve as Yuki's room, Hiroshi called him for a private conversation, leaving me alone since Ayako was focused on writing the letters she had mentioned earlier. I decided to go to my room and find something to occupy myself. I needed to distract my mind, so I picked up the book my mother had left me, lay on the bed, and began to read.
As soon as I lay down, I felt some of the exhaustion from the previous day sweep over my body. Ayako had definitely pushed me hard yesterday, and it's no wonder she needed to use so much of her aura to heal me, which left her exhausted. The muscles in my legs were bothering me a bit, so I decided to do some stretches before I started reading. But... strange. Was it always this easy? Right in the first exercise, I noticed that my body felt different. Feeling a bit shy, I decided to try something to be sure. Slowly, I began to open my legs into a straddle split, and I was surprised at how easy it was. Drawing my belly to the ground, I tried to mimic the pose Ayako had demonstrated to me the first time she introduced her style to me. With my elbows resting on the floor, hands supporting my chin, and my navel on the ground, I did a perfect split. It took me a few seconds to figure out if I was dreaming or not. Excited by what I had just discovered, I spent the rest of the day attempting increasingly audacious poses and completely forgot about the book, successfully distracting my mind.