As Kenneth's group began to leave the populated area on the third day, Kenneth was a little worried that his strength alone was not enough to protect Matias' family. On the jungle roads filled with wild animals, Kenneth had to worry about wild animals and bandits who liked to target merchants like Matias.
In the past, Kenneth had often accepted jobs killing wild animals or criminals to make extra money. But since, this time, he had someone to protect, Kenneth feared that his powers were not good enough for Matias and the others. Matias had tried to tell him that even though he didn't dare to go unaccompanied by a single adventurer, that didn't mean the roads were always dangerous. Sometimes, there were days when they didn't encounter any danger at all. And Matias actually hoped that this trip could end like that.
Unfortunately, their journey didn't end as smoothly as Matias hoped. Not only the wild animals, Kenneth also had to fight the bandits several times. The bandits seemed to be getting more active as the adventurers who usually kept an eye on them had all gone to the royal palace. Kenneth fought them with all his strength. But unlike what he had thought all along, fighting them turned out to be not as difficult as Kenneth thought.
Perhaps because Kenneth was used to fighting powerful criminals in the capital, common bandits were no match for him. The Matias family witnessed how Kenneth was skilled at using magic like a magician and using a sword like a swordsman.
Kenneth used his magic to eradicate weak enemies at once or to make strong ones temporarily immobilized. After that, the prince would use the sword that had been infused with magic to finish off all his enemies. He acted like an adventurer with a lot of experience. Thanks to that, they did not encounter any serious threats until the tenth day of their journey.
When the night fell, the group would camp in a relatively safer place and start making fires for cooking. Since they camped near a river this time, Matias managed to get enough fish for dinner. Matias gave the fish to his wife to cook. Kenneth sat near Amy to see how she cooked and smelled the delicious aroma when the dish was ready to serve.
At that moment, Matias walked up to Kenneth and handed the prince a plate of food. Perhaps because Matias had witnessed how well Kenneth protected them these few days, a friendly smile never left the man's face.
"Here's your share, Kenneth. As always, thank you for your hard work."
Kenneth smiled, then thanked him as he accepted the food. Kenneth loved Amy's food, which was always delicious. Kenneth ate his food quietly while Matias also began to enjoy his meal.
"Ah, yes. Since we are fortunate to be camping near a river today, you can clean yourself in the river after this, Kenneth. My wife has bathed beforehand. So, while you bathe, you don't have to worry about someone interrupting your time."
"Alright," Kenneth replied. After fighting and sweating all day, Kenneth knew he needed that bath time. Kenneth handed over his dinner plate for Amy to clean up. After that, he finally went to the river to clean himself.
But on the way, his steps stopped when he heard the sound of someone practicing alone in the night. When Kenneth searched for the origin of the sound, he found that Brox, Matias' son, who hadn't spoken much throughout their journey, was practicing swordplay while imitating his movements.
With a wooden stick that was found by accident, Brox began to imitate some of Kenneth's movements with a serious expression. Although Brox was only ten years old, his sharpness in imitating Kenneth's complicated movements deserved some praise. Kenneth involuntarily smiled when he saw the boy's earnestness. If Brox found a capable teacher and practiced more, Kenneth was confident that the boy could become a great swordsman in the future.
"Don't just rely on your hand strength when using the sword, Brox. Use your whole body to make your attacks faster and stronger. Also, having a good stance is an important factor in combat."
Kenneth could see that Brox was surprised by his presence. Brox quickly released the wooden stick, and his face looked like he had just seen a ghost. Kenneth didn't understand why the boy reacted that way. The prince walked over to Brox and then put his clothes away in a clean place before picking up the wooden stick Brox had previously used to practice swordplay.
"If you make that move while utilizing your whole body, it will become ... like this."
Kenneth repeated Brox's moves from a close distance, then earning an admiring look from the little boy. Kenneth always thought Brox had ignored him because the little boy hated his existence. But after seeing Brox now, Kenneth thought that could no longer be the reason.
"Brox, why do you train so far away from our camp? Although we always choose the safest place to spend the night, we never know when we might encounter danger again. If you really want to practice swordplay, you can practice near the camp with me."
Kenneth thought Brox would like his offer. But unexpectedly, Brox's expression turned grim after the boy heard his offer. Brox glanced at the sword at Kenneth's waist, then lowered his head.
"Brox?"
"My parents have no other child besides me. I know. Although they haven't said anything to me, they want me to become a merchant like them. Be a swordsman or an adventurer... I know I can't do any of them."
Because of Brox's words, Kenneth, who previously only wanted to take a bath, finally chose to postpone his bath time first to sit next to Brox. The man looked at Brox, who looked so sad, then began to ask his first question.
"Brox, do you want to be an adventurer?"
"Of course! To me, adventurers who use swords are the best!" Brox replied without hesitation. Even before Brox met Kenneth and saw how great the prince was with his sword, Brox had always admired how people swung their swords. Instead of doing business and living a quiet life like his parents, Brox actually preferred to live a life full of challenges like adventurers. Brox wanted to discover many new things out there. The boy wanted to wear armor and wield a sword like other warrior adventurers.
"Let me emphasize something first. Becoming a swordsman or an adventurer is not an easy path, Brox. Being a swordsman means being willing to see your hand get hurt again and again. Also, you have to be ready to leave your family for a long time or live in danger if you become an adventurer. You never know when you might die out there. An adventurer's career is also not as easy as continuing a business that your family has worked hard to build. Sometimes, an adventurer may lose their purpose and turn into bad people. After hearing all those truths, do you still want to be an adventurer?"
"Of course! Please don't underestimate my determination, Kenneth!"
"Then, why do you want to become a merchant in the future?" asked Kenneth. Brox was silent for a moment after hearing that question. "It's because...." And after saying that, Brox closed his mouth again.
Although Brox did not answer his question, Kenneth already knew what answer the boy wanted to give. Kenneth smiled slightly. For him, who had seen Brox's untrained talent, letting Brox throw away his dreams was such a shame. Kenneth would also not be this strong if he gave up at the beginning, like what Brox was doing. From Kenneth's experience, the prince knew that Brox just needed someone to support him from now on.
"Let's put it this way. Like today, I will allow you to keep practicing secretly like this. Of course, from now on, I will personally train you. I will teach you everything that I already know. Afterward, you can choose whether to remain to be what your parents want you to be or pursue your dreams."
"Really? You're going to teach me!?" asked Brox enthusiastically. Of all the adventurers Brox had met, Kenneth was the strongest among them. Although mimicking Kenneth's moves was a bit difficult, Brox always loved the time when he relearned Kenneth's moves.
Being able to secretly learn Kenneth's moves was already a blessing by Brox. The boy never expected that there would be a time when Kenneth would offer to teach him privately like this.
"Of course. But, just so you know, the way I teach is a bit harsh."
"Don't worry. As I said, you better not underestimate my determination to be a swordsman, Kenneth," Brox told him.
Seeing Brox's serious expression made Kenneth unconsciously chuckle. Brox's words and expression reminded Kenneth of how he had told his sword teacher the same thing in the past. Kenneth's martial arts teacher was one of the figures he respected the most in his life. If Kenneth had never met him in the past, he was not sure he would still be the Kenneth he is today.
Unfortunately, the man who defended and praised him so sincerely had left the palace many years ago. If only that man is still around, Kenneth might not be traveling alone at this time.
That man would accompany Kenneth and could teach Brox something more valuable than what he could teach.
"In that case, it has been decided that I will start training you from tomorrow. Today, however, you should go to bed early, young man. You will need enough energy if you want to train with me."
Brox looked at the pile of clothes, indicating that Kenneth was planning to take a bath, then finally shook his head. "I need to take a shower first. I'm all sweaty from training for so long," he informed. Kenneth understood that sleeping after sweating was not amusing. So, after that, he finally allowed Brox to clean up like himself.