Swords.

On the battlefield, it was the weapon most commonly used by soldiers.

A type of white weapon, with a hilt and a straight cutting and/or stabbing blade.

At first glance, it seems easy to use, but it must be remembered that it is still a weapon, the kind used to kill.

It is common sense, but killing other humans, especially if they are also carrying weapons, is very difficult to do.

There are many factors that affect survival in combat between two armed people.

To give a clear example, if one person with a sword were to face another with a spear, the additional reach of the latter could result in a nasty outcome.

Being exclusively rational, there are many weapons better than the sword. The spear, or much better, the bow, are just a few examples.

But in a real combat it is not only the range that affects. Skill, fatigue, the user's diet and even something as uncontrollable as the weather. Almost everything is a determining factor in a fight.

Therefore, when choosing a weapon, its shortcomings and its compatibility with the context must be taken into account.

I have three reasons why I chose the sword.

The first is that the sword has always been the romance of men, and I include myself.

The second is that rumor has it that if you wear a sword, you have a better chance of becoming an honorable knight.

My only wish in this life is to be able to live well and without many worries. If I have to become a knight for that, I will do it.

And last but not least.

Unfortunately I am a poor orphan in a rural village. Normally I wouldn't have the means to learn about swordplay or any weapon in general.

But I have them. In my village there is a retired knight, an old man of 50 years who does not forget to train his sword every day at the same exact hour.

Although when I asked to be his disciple he sharply refused, he let me continue to watch his training.

That was enough for me to learn, even a little bit every day.

In short, I had no choice.

Swing!

And with one last swing stronger than the others, my own daily preparation ended.

I wasn't too tired or anything, even after a mild physical training session and a long practice of swordplay.

This wasn't because I had prodigious stamina or anything like that, it was because I had my own measurements, and I didn't want to overdo it and get too tired.

Who knew what I would have to do today to earn my daily bread. Literally.

*

The Loi village was quite remote from any other sign of population, at least, no foreign visitors for as long as I can remember.

This one is located dangerously close to the forest. The village had a few guards posted in the direction of the forest in case an animal attack occurred. In fact, most of the village's meat supply came from there.

A curious thing considering that there was a group of hunters who specialized in that....

In any case.

This was the place where I was born, and it was more beautiful than any place I had ever seen.

The leaves of the trees were as green as emerald, full of amazing vitality. The blue sky was unmistakable behind the silky white clouds.

It was truly a wonderful place to live.

At this moment I was walking back to the village, admiring the scenery as if for the first time, with the wooden sword at my waist.

The village had only one entrance, and this was surrounded by a log wall up to where the contact between it and the forest ended.

In fact, I could have entered the village already, but I didn't want to. Every day I went in and out of the same place, and there was a reason for this.

I didn't want many people to see me, not with this appearance of mine, at least.

It wasn't that I was so ugly that no one could stand to see me or anything. It's just that both me and my clothes were dirty, and I didn't want a lot of people to see me in this state. The less the better.

However, it should be clarified that I wasn't stinky, I wash every day so that's how it is.

In the end, I ended up going in where I always do, without anyone seeing me or noticing my presence.

My guts roared with hunger, and my feet changed their direction almost instantly.

Surprisingly (or maybe not), there was a bakery in the village.

The owners were a young married couple who were very kind to me.

Of course, it's not like I was taking advantage or anything.

Instead of going through the main entrance like a normal person, I knocked on the back door of the bakery, which was relatively out of sight of others.

When this one opened, who came out turned out to be Julia, the wife.

"Oh, it's Leo. Good morning."

"Good morning, madam, could I have three loaves of bread?"

From my pockets I took out three copper coins.

"Sure, wait here a moment."

She took the money and came in with a smile on her face.

Of course I wasn't taking advantage of them, I was paying them like everyone else.

The only difference was that I was a dirty child, for whom no one would be saddened if I died of starvation or any disease.

Just for that, the fact that they let me buy bread from them was already an irreplaceable sign of kindness.

That was how the world worked.

Julia soon returned with three loaves of bread in her hands.

When she handed them to me, I made sure to keep them away from my dirty clothes, and thanked her.

"Always a pleasure, Leo."

He said with a smile that seemed holy to me, worthy of worship.

I just stood dumbfounded for a second before nodding and turning away with my food for the day.

Three loaves, breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Good thing I washed my hands before I came.

"And Leo."

Julia called after me.

"Hmm?"

"If one day you don't have money, you can come see us anyway, we'll give you something to eat, for free."

She told me with an expression of concern and sadness.

Yes, they are kind.

"Thank you, I will do that, Madam."

I tried to give the nicest smile I have in me as I said this.

She just nodded at the gesture, as if saying goodbye.

*

Julia stared at the back of the boy who was now leaving satisfied with what was probably his only food for the day.

She didn't go back inside until his silhouette disappeared from her sight.

"Was it that boy, Leo?"

Once inside, her husband Thomas asked curiously.

"Yes. He came in to buy three loaves of bread."

"Oh, I see." He said. "But how old is he, anyway?"

"He should be seven this year."

"At his age I was still playing all day long without worrying about anything," Thomas felt a little nostalgic remembering those times. "And that kid is already paying for it with his own money, it's really amazing."

"Yeah...," Julia agreed with a somewhat sad expression.

*

I made my way at a slow pace towards my house, or at least what I considered as such.

This was a small shack, with a tile roof and wooden walls.

Someone else would live there if it weren't for the fact that it belonged to the village blacksmith, who used it as a storage room for his old materials and tools.

It wasn't the coziest thing in the world, but it was my home. That was enough.

By the way, yes, I had permission to reside there from the owner himself, the blacksmith.

So I could live there without any problem.