Ayane found herself growing fond of patting Matsurize's head. After doing so again, she waited for Matsurize's response to her question. This time, he didn't reply immediately, as if he understood that this was an important decision, one that couldn't be made lightly.
But he didn't make Ayane wait too long. He soon gave his answer, as straightforward and clear as always.
"Alright, from now on, I'll learn swordsmanship with Little Ayane."
Matsurize spoke with firm resolve. Each word he said reflected his determination. He had made up his mind—no matter how hard or tiring it might be, he was committed to following Ayane and learning the art of the sword.
Ayane understood Matsurize's intentions. She could see his determination and desire to stick with the training. From what she had observed during his recovery, she believed that Matsurize had a natural talent for physical activities, which would make his learning of swordsmanship much more effective.
Still, despite her confidence in his physical abilities, Ayane couldn't help but worry about whether Matsurize would be able to stick with it. She knew that, for now, his words were sincere—his memory loss had left him with a childlike honesty. But precisely because of this childlike nature, Ayane was concerned that, like a child, he might give up when things became too difficult.
Even many grown men found it hard to endure the grueling training of swordsmanship. Every accomplished swordsman, regardless of their skill, had an exceptional level of willpower.
Ayane didn't know whether Matsurize would be able to persevere in the long run. But, in the grand scheme of things, this wasn't her biggest concern. Right now, what mattered most was helping Matsurize gradually recover from the side effects of his memory loss.
As Ayane continued to explain some basic swordsmanship concepts to Matsurize, Uncle Abin arrived, knocking on the front gate.
Knock, knock, knock.
"Ayane! Are you home?"
Ayane was standing in the courtyard with Matsurize at the time. She picked up the plow that Uncle Abin had asked her to repair and walked toward the gate, with Matsurize quietly following behind.
Ayane carried the plow in one hand and unlatched the gate with the other. She opened it and greeted Uncle Abin, "Good morning, Uncle Abin. Step back a little."
Uncle Abin took a step back as Ayane placed the plow outside the gate for him. Then, she held out her hand expectantly.
Uncle Abin quickly reached into his pocket and handed over the 700 Beli he had prepared.
As he did so, his eyes fell on Matsurize, standing behind Ayane. Uncle Abin was puzzled. He knew Ayane was a solitary person, with no close friends in the village, so seeing a man staying in her house caught him off guard.
Pointing at Matsurize, Uncle Abin asked, "Who's this?"
Ayane was momentarily unsure of how to introduce Matsurize. Should she call him her brother? A friend? She hesitated, but then an idea came to her.
"He's Matsurize, my blacksmith apprentice," she explained. "You know, blacksmithing is really a job for men. We women don't have the strength for it."
Uncle Abin looked at Ayane in disbelief. Everyone in the village knew that Ayane was the strongest person around, so hearing her claim that she didn't have the strength was amusing, to say the least.
Seeing Uncle Abin still eyeing them curiously, Ayane quickly moved to formally introduce the two. "Uncle Abin, you can just call him Little Ze. Little Ze, Uncle Abin is heading back now. Say goodbye."
Matsurize obediently followed Ayane's instructions. "Goodbye, Uncle Abin."
Realizing that Ayane was subtly urging him to leave, Uncle Abin responded, "Goodbye, Little Ze. Goodbye, Ayane."
With that, Ayane began closing the gate, and Uncle Abin had no choice but to head on his way.
Just as Ayane was about to continue explaining swordsmanship to Matsurize, a loud sound interrupted them.
Grrrr, grrrrr.
Ayane followed the sound to its source—it was Matsurize's stomach, growling loudly with hunger.
Matsurize noticed Ayane looking at him and simply said, "Hungry."
With a gentle smile, Ayane responded, "Alright, let's get breakfast ready. Little Ze, come help me."
Ayane didn't expect Matsurize to do much. Her main goal was to teach him some basic life skills and help him slowly regain his sense of independence after his memory loss.
Ayane led Matsurize to the kitchen, where she had him sit in front of the stove and watch the fire. She explained how to monitor the flames and add firewood when needed. Ayane patiently explained every step, and when Matsurize didn't understand, she would demonstrate herself.
Meanwhile, Ayane took the dough she had prepared the previous day and placed it in the steamer to make buns. Her stove had two boilers—one for steaming the buns and the other for cooking rice porridge. She ladled some rice from a wooden barrel into the pot, ready to make the porridge.
From a wooden box stored in a cool spot, she also took out some preserved vegetables. She placed a small dish of the pickles in front of Matsurize, telling him to eat a little while he waited for the meal to be ready.
As Ayane worked, she noticed that despite his memory loss, Matsurize was learning quickly. Once he learned something, he didn't forget it.
Ayane always approached the first explanation of any task with great patience, but she didn't like repeating herself. Thankfully, Matsurize's quick learning made her job easier, and she was becoming more and more satisfied with him.
In no time, the two of them were sitting in the dining room with their breakfast. Ayane felt a deep sense of fulfillment as she watched Matsurize devour the buns and porridge she had prepared. As someone who loved cooking, seeing him enjoy the meal so much brought her immense satisfaction.