"Nothing like a good bath to relax the muscles," Kizaer thought aloud as he adjusted his body as much as possible inside an old barrel he had brought into the house a few years ago.
Despite being young, Kizaer was resourceful, always finding solutions for immediate needs. Indeed, his old barrel was just one of his clever inventions, repurposed from a discarded wine cellar container.
Soon, it would be time to leave home and head to the Free Feathers Martial Arts School. Kizaer wanted to make the most of it, easing the fatigue from the morning training.
Squeezed but relaxing as much as he could, thoughts from the previous day crossed Kizaer's mind and the changes in his grandfather's training routine during this morning left him intrigued.
Kizaer pondered to himself, "Who is this Helena that the old rascal mentioned? Could she be one of his lovers?" He imagined. "Certainly! Just look at the way he gazes at Aunt Mayare. Despite her beautiful light brown curly hair and pretty face, nothing justifies his behavior. He acts like a dog in heat around her!"
Leaning his head against the edge of the barrel, Kizaer continued his musings. "But… I still don't understand why he's been acting so strangely lately. I've never seen my grandfather behave like this before."
"And then there was that odd apology. I mean, he's never truly harmed me—well, aside from those grueling training sessions, his cold and cruel demeanor, and those threatening glares. And yes, I admit I deserved some of those slaps… But what was that all about today?" Kizaer reflected in solitude.
=====
Earlier that day
=====
That had been a rather atypical morning; all the training sessions Kizaer was supposed to go through had been cut in half, and he wasn't even as exhausted as usual.
Kizaer sat down, preparing to begin his training session for the "family technique," or as he secretly liked to call it, "The Old Shameless Man's Torture and Suffering Techniques." However, he was interrupted by Bandolen's stern voice.
"Kizaer, starting today, we'll be making some changes to your training," Bandolen instructed curtly. "You'll be working on a new technique of Simultaneous Flow Synchronization."
Wide-eyed, Kizaer asked, "But Grandfather, if I change techniques now, won't I harm my foundations for the future? You always taught me that when I asked what could happen if someone changes their cultivation technique."
Kizaer didn't understand what was happening. He was also somewhat confused by his grandfather's serious expression. Well, Bandolen always had that serious expression, but something about it now hinted at a condition Kizaer had never witnessed in his grandfather's eyes: apprehension.
It was almost as if Bandolen regretted what he was about to say.
Bandolen didn't respond immediately. He simply remained silent, maintaining his gaze on Kizaer's emerald eyes.
After a few moments, a certain resolve returned to Bandolen's eyes before he spoke again. "Kizaer, you won't be switching techniques in the sense of starting from scratch…" Bandolen's eyes briefly shifted away from the boy, as if he recalled something distant before refocusing.
"What you'll learn now is the complete version of the technique…" Bandolen paused. "Starting today, you'll train with the full version of the technique I taught you."
Before Kizaer could question anything, Bandolen said, "Let's just say that your efforts have pleased me, and I've decided to pass on this complete version to you based on your daily progress during training."
Kizaer tilted his head to the side, still not understanding, before responding with a simple, "Okay, then."
*Pah!* - "urrhhhhh" A sharp slap to the side of Kizaer's head not only straightened his posture but also elicited groans of pain.
"You scoundrel, is that how you should speak to me? And where did you pick up this habit of tilting your neck to the side?" Bandolen corrected Kizaer.
"Sir, yes, Sir!" Kizaer quickly adjusted his posture and manner of speaking, hoping to avoid another "correction" from his Grandfather.
"Alright, close your eyes and focus your mind on the beats of your heart. I will guide small threads of Flow through your body, and you must memorize the path they take."
"After circulating the Flow within your body, you'll perform the same route I demonstrated to you, without mistakes, while I supervise everything."
Kizaer didn't respond; he simply closed his eyes and followed his grandfather's instructions.
It was then that he heard his grandfather murmur softly, "Forgive me…".
====
A few hours later
====
"Grandfather, I'm heading to school." Kizaer stepped out of the house. "Goodbye, Aunt Mayare, and thank you again for the fruits!" As usual, Mayare who was waiting outside had stopped by Bandolen and Kizaer's house to leave some fresh fruits she knew the boy liked.
Since the Flow Cultivation technique training had extended beyond the usual time that day, Kizaer finished just as Mayare arrived, coinciding with Kizaer's departure for school.
Although Bandolen always ensured that Kizaer lacked nothing essential, Mayare's small acts of kindness were a way to pamper the boy.
Kizaer dashed through the streets of the southern district, carrying one of the wild fruits he had taken from Mayare's basket. After a while, he stopped at a specific street corner.
He waited there for a few moments until a silhouette quickly approached. Ciona had arrived at their daily meeting point after running from her house to where Kizaer stood.
Ciona looked as beautiful as ever, her calm gaze unaffected despite having run all the way there. She wasn't out of breath or sweaty; in fact, her appearance was flawless. These facts demonstrated her physical fitness and agility.
Ciona raised an eyebrow slightly before saying, "Good morning, bedwetter! Did something strange happen again?" Ciona was referring to their conversation from the previous day and how Kizaer had seemed distracted, holding a partially eaten fruit.
Kizaer was snapped out of his reverie and replied directly, "My grandfather is still acting oddly. Today, I only completed half of my exercises, and it seems he's teaching me the full version of the 'Family Technique'."
As Kizaer and Ciona had been friends since their earliest memories, they shared events with each other without much concern, regardless of the seriousness of what might occur.
"Well… It's not uncommon for some techniques to be passed down only partially to practitioners from certain families, organizations, clans, and so on. Perhaps you've finally gained some sense, and your grandfather decided to treat you more seriously," Ciona replied to Kizaer as she began walking toward the West District, heading to school.
Walking alongside Ciona, Kizaer retorted, "What do you mean, gaining some sense? Do you see me as some kind of foolish scatterbrain? Humph! My grandfather is just acting strange, and he must have recognized the monumental talent possessed by this young genius master here." Kizaer puffed out his chest at the end of his statement.
Ciona chuckled lightly and said, "Yes, of course, monumental talent in wetting the bed after the age of six. Haha."
Kizaer clenched his teeth and glared at Ciona menacingly. "You're just jealous of my talent! And I didn't wet the bed at six; I was only four… or maybe five. But that doesn't matter!" Exasperated, Kizaer decided to change the subject after taking a deep breath to calm his anger. He turned to his friend and asked, "Ciona… How is Aunt July doing?"
Ciona's relaxed posture stiffened momentarily before she replied softly, "My mother is still the same. She hasn't improved, but at least she hasn't gotten worse. She's just tired, and if she pushes herself too hard, she might faint. But I believe she'll get better soon."
"Alright, I'm looking forward for Aunt July's recovery. I hope to see her health improving soon," Kizaer nodded, briefly commenting without delving too deeply into that delicate subject.
They continued walking until they reached the central boundary between the South and West Districts.
To improve orientation for visitors of City Path of Rest, restaurants and shops were established at the center of district boundaries. Those centrals points were known as the "Edge Market," which held no special or significant meaning but served alone as a reference point.
A visitor could ask, "Where is the Edge Market between the North and East Districts?" and receive more specific directions.
Kizaer and Ciona stood at the Edge Market between the South and West Districts, stopping in front of an iconic restaurant in the area called "The Glutton." Despite its peculiar name, the prices and Flavors of the dishes pleased both humble and wealthier patrons.
After a few minutes of waiting, Kizaer and Ciona spotted two people walking briskly toward them.
As they crossed the courtyard and stopped in front of Kizaer and Ciona, the new duo remained silent. The quartet exchanged glances before Kizaer extended his hand and, with a goofy smile, said, "Good morning to both of you." Ciona politely echoed beside Kizaer, "Hello, good morning."
Shen Strider reached out and shook Kizaer's hand, returning the polite greeting. His grey eyes met Kizaer's emerald ones.
Shen was impressed by Kizaer's handshake but didn't show it, maintaining the calm and serene demeanour he always carried. 'The strength and firmness of his handshake are unusual; he clearly takes his training seriously. Well, that's better; it seems our team has individuals dedicated to the martial path.' Shen quickly concluded in his thoughts before responding. "Good morning to both of you as well."
Joane wore a slight smile as she also reciprocated the polite gesture. "Good morning, strange boy, and good morning, Ciona."
"???" – Kizaer raised one of his eyebrows, not understanding the comment. "Strange boy? What do you mean?" he said.
"You're all smiles, but as soon as you fought that other pompous kid, your whole demeanour changed, and you looked like a cold psychopath ready to kill your opponent in the most brutal way possible," Joane replied, still smiling.
The Armanci had a habit of speaking their minds about themselves and others, even if it sometimes came across as rude.
Ciona just facepalmed and shook her head. "See, Kizaer? This is what I always complain about; you act strangely, and people notice." Despite being accustomed to Kizaer's unique behaviour during fights, this disparity in personality was still quite strange for her. Imagine how it appeared to someone unfamiliar with him.
Shen chuckled and said, "Joane, it's our first day as a team, and you're already offending people." Shen corrected Joane. Although they were old acquaintances, they didn't have a close enough relationship to call each other "friends." However, they had interacted due to business meetings and discussions between the Strider and Armanci families.
Choosing heirs with the best talents from other clans, families, and similar backgrounds to form marriage pairs was a common practice. Even if the candidates didn't develop an interest in their potential life partners and ended not marrying each other, these interactions still served to align internal political interests and promote collaboration between both organizations.
Shen and Joane weren't marriage candidates, but they knew each other from these gatherings between the Striders and Armancis. During these occasions, they would often spar in martial arts. Their relationship wasn't quite friendship or rivalry; they were simply two fighters who regularly faced off against each other.