It had been two days since they left Margaret's hut.
The landscape was changing steadily. They had moved out of the peaceful countryside and into a region of desolate fields and scattered, jagged rocky mountains. The road grew rougher as well.
Paved paths turned into dirt tracks, and dirt tracks eventually became rugged trails overgrown with grass and choked with stones.
That afternoon, Kyle stopped the horse.
"Please, step down," he said.
Alicia looked at him with a confused expression. "Why? The sun hasn't even set yet."
"You will be walking from now on."
"What?" Alicia's eyes widened. "Walking? From here?"
"Yes." Kyle dismounted first and reached out to her. "The horse is exhausted. If we keep going like this, it will collapse. Furthermore, you need to build your stamina, My Lady."
"Stamina? I don't need stamina. I have a horse."
"And what will you do if the horse collapses?"
Alicia went silent.
"The journey ahead will only get tougher. We have mountains to climb and rivers to cross. You cannot rely on a horse for every step of the way. You must be able to walk on your own feet. You need to be able to run when it is time to run, and you must be able to move through the night if necessary."
Alicia glared at Kyle, but his eyes were deadly serious. He wasn't joking or trying to bully her. He was genuinely concerned for her.
"Fine," she muttered, reluctantly climbing down.
As soon as her feet hit the ground, her legs buckled. Her muscles had grown stiff from sitting on a horse for several days straight.
"Now, let us walk," Kyle said, leading the horse by the reins.
Alicia followed behind him, grumbling under her breath.
An hour passed.
"Haa... haaa..." Alicia's breathing grew heavy. Sweat trickled down her forehead, and her face turned a bright, heated red.
"Wait... just a second..." She came to a halt.
"Is something the matter?" Kyle asked, turning around.
"My legs... they hurt," Alicia gasped, clutching her knees. "My feet are sore, and my whole body aches."
"Even so, you must keep moving."
"I can't! It hurts too much!" Alicia shouted. "What is the point of this? Why does a noble lady have to walk like this?"
Kyle stared at her for a moment. Then, he spoke quietly. "The pain will be your teacher."
"What is that supposed to mean? If it hurts, it just hurts!"
"No." Kyle's gaze turned intense. "You can only gain true strength if you know how to endure pain. If you cannot withstand this small amount of discomfort, you will crumble before the much greater agony that awaits you."
Alicia bit her lip. She wanted to argue, but the words wouldn't come. She knew Kyle wasn't wrong.
"The road ahead is long," Kyle said, beginning to walk again. "Each step brings us closer to our destination. At the same time, it puts distance between us and danger. You must become strong, My Lady. That is the only way you will survive."
Alicia stood there for a moment, staring at his back. Then, slowly, she took another step.
It hurt. It really hurt. But she didn't stop.
As the sun began to dip toward the horizon, they reached the edge of a small forest.
"We will rest here for today," Kyle announced.
Alicia practically collapsed onto the ground. "Haa... haa..." Her entire body was soaked in sweat. Her legs felt like lead, and she was sure her feet were covered in blisters.
"You did well," Kyle said, handing her a waterskin. "Today's distance was a good start. We will try to go a bit further tomorrow."
"Further?" Alicia looked at him in horror. "I felt like I was going to die today!"
"You will get used to it after a few days."
"You're insane," Alicia muttered.
Secretly, however, she had to admit the truth. Walking today had made her realize how weak she was. She was someone who wanted to give up at the first sign of hardship. This wouldn't do. She had vowed to survive and get revenge. If she couldn't even handle this much pain, her vows meant nothing.
"Tomorrow, I'm going to go even further," Alicia whispered to herself.
Kyle blinked in surprise, but he said nothing.
The next morning.
They were moving along a forest path. Alicia seemed to be struggling less than the day before. She was still huffing and puffing, but at least she wasn't stopping to complain.
"There is a stream a little further ahead. We will rest there," Kyle said.
"Okay," Alicia replied.
Right then, a rustle came from the bushes.
Kyle's eyes narrowed. In an instant, he moved in front of Alicia and placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"Who's there?" his voice dropped to a low growl.
A heavy silence followed. The bushes shook, and three figures stepped out. They were boys. They looked to be between fifteen and seventeen years old. They wore rags and carried rusted daggers and wooden clubs.
"Heh, what do we have here?" the boy in the lead sneered. "One grown man and one little brat? Talk about luck."
"Hand over everything you've got," the second boy said, waving his dagger. "If you don't, well, you know what happens."
Alicia's face turned pale. Bandits. She had only heard of them in stories. As a noble daughter, she had never encountered people like this.
"K-Kyle..."
"Stay still," Kyle said softly.
He didn't draw his sword, but he kept his eyes locked on the boys. "Leave now."
"What?" The lead boy's eyes widened. "Are you giving us orders?"
"It is a warning. If you leave now, nothing will happen to you."
"You arrogant bastard!" The boy swung his club.
In that heartbeat, Kyle moved. He lunged forward like a bolt of lightning. Before the boy could even finish his swing, Kyle's hand clamped onto his wrist.
"Gah!"
A sickening snap followed as the wrist was twisted.
"Aaargh! My arm!" The boy shrieked and fell to his knees.
"What the...?" The other two boys jumped back in shock.
Kyle knocked the first boy to the ground and immediately closed the gap with the second.
"Stay back!" the boy yelled, slashing with his dagger. Kyle effortlessly swerved his arm to dodge the blade and grabbed the boy by the scruff of his neck.
A loud thud echoed through the woods as the boy was slammed against a tree.
"Urgh!"
The third boy was already trying to run away. Kyle picked up a stone from the ground and hurled it.
The stone struck the back of the boy's head with a dull crack.
"Ugh!" The boy stumbled and collapsed.
Everything was over in a matter of seconds.
Alicia stood there, her mouth hanging open. Three bandits, or rather, three young bandits, had been neutralized in the blink of an eye. Kyle hadn't even drawn his sword. He had handled everything with his bare hands.
"It is finished," Kyle said, turning back to her. His voice was as calm as if he had just finished a casual stroll.
"How... how did you do that?" Alicia stammered.
"It was nothing special."
"Nothing special? There were three of them! They had weapons!"
"They are not trained fighters. They are just hungry children," Kyle said flatly. "The real enemy is far stronger than this."
Alicia swallowed hard. The real enemy. The soldiers of the House of Castel. The black-armored knights who had attacked the castle. If they were stronger than these boys, then...
"I want to learn, too," Alicia said.
Kyle looked at her.
"How to fight. I want to learn."
"You, My Lady?"
"Why? Is it not allowed?" Alicia stared straight at him. "I don't want to be a victim ever again. Not like Martha... or my father. I don't want to wait around for someone to save me."
Kyle studied her for a moment. He saw a flicker of raw sincerity in the thirteen-year-old girl's eyes. This wasn't a whim.
"You are not ready yet, My Lady."
"I know. That's why I'm asking you to teach me."
"Combat is different from walking. It is harder, more painful, and much more dangerous."
"I don't care," Alicia said firmly. "I want to protect myself. I'll do whatever it takes."
Kyle watched her for a long time. Finally, he gave a slow nod. "We will begin tomorrow."
Alicia's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"On one condition." Kyle's expression became stern. "You must do exactly as I say. You cannot give up because it is hard. I will not stop even if you cry from the pain."
Alicia hesitated for a moment, but then she nodded. "I'll do it."
"Very well." Kyle turned away. "Then that is enough for today. Rest up for tomorrow."
He walked past the fallen boys. Alicia followed him, looking down at the teenagers on the ground. They were still moaning in pain, but they seemed to be alive.
"Why didn't you kill them?" Alicia asked.
Kyle stopped in his tracks. "Should I have?"
"They were bandits. They tried to hurt us."
"They are children," Kyle said softly. "Children who took a wrong turn because they were hungry. There is no need to kill them."
"Then who...?"
"The true villains are different, My Lady. They are not like these children."
Alicia fell into thought. The true villains. Marquess Castel. His son, Roderick. They were the ones who truly deserved death.
"I understand," she nodded.
The next morning.
Kyle began the training as promised. "Take this," he said, handing her a wooden stick. It was a branch he had cut to a specific length.
Alicia took it, looking puzzled. "What is this?"
"It is a sword."
"A sword? It's just a stick."
"A real sword is still too dangerous. You will hold one only after you have learned the basics."
Alicia looked dissatisfied but didn't argue.
"First, I will teach you the basic stance," Kyle said, standing in front of her. "Spread your feet shoulder-width apart. Left foot forward, right foot back."
Alicia moved her feet as instructed.
"Bend your knees slightly. Not too much, but not too little either."
"Like this?"
"Lower."
"Ugh..."
"Grip the stick with both hands. Right hand on top, left hand on bottom."
Alicia gripped the stick.
"Your elbows should not be too far from your body, but do not tuck them in too tight either."
"This is harder than it looks."
"This is the basic stance. I will teach you nothing else until you have mastered this position perfectly."
"What?" Alicia's eyes popped. "I'm just supposed to stand here?"
"Yes."
"That's the training?"
"It is the most important part," Kyle's voice was firm. "If your basic stance is weak, every technique you learn will crumble. You can learn nothing without a proper foundation."
Alicia bit her lip. She wanted to talk back, but she was the one who had asked to learn. "Fine."
"Hold that stance for one hour."
"An hour?!"
"Begin."
Thirty minutes passed. Alicia's legs began to tremble.
"Haa... haa..." Her knees were stinging. Her thigh muscles were screaming. Her arms felt heavier with every passing second.
'Why is just standing here so hard?' she thought. She couldn't understand it. She was just maintaining a posture, yet her whole body felt like it was on fire.
"Your stance is failing," Kyle noted. "Your left shoulder is drooping. Lift it."
"I know!" Alicia snapped, lifting her shoulder. But as she did, her other side collapsed.
"Your right knee is straightening."
"This is so annoying!" she yelled.
Kyle merely watched her with a blank expression.
One hour passed.
"You may stop now."
The moment the words left Kyle's mouth, Alicia slumped to the ground. "Haa... haa... haa..." Her body was drenched in sweat. Her legs felt like jelly.
"You did well," Kyle said, handing her some water. "It was decent for your first day."
"Decent?" Alicia wheezed. "I thought I was going to die."
"You will hold it for longer tomorrow."
"You're a monster," Alicia muttered. But she didn't say she was giving up.
The afternoon arrived. This time, it was practical defense.
"Block this," Kyle said, swinging his wooden stick slowly toward her.
Alicia hurriedly raised her stick to block.
A sharp crack echoed as the sticks collided.
"Ow!" The impact vibrated up her wrists. She almost dropped her stick.
"You are gripping it too tightly. Relax."
"If I relax, I'll drop it!"
"You need a proper balance. Again."
Crack! She blocked it again, but her stance broke.
"Your feet moved. Again."
Crack!
"Your shoulders are up. Again."
Crack!
"Too slow. Again."
Crack! Crack! Crack!
They repeated the motion dozens of times. Blisters began to form on Alicia's hands. Her arms were so sore she could barely lift them anymore.
"I can't do this!" she screamed, throwing the stick down. "This is too much! I'm not getting anywhere!"
Tears began to pour down her face. "No matter how hard I try, it doesn't work! I can't do it!"
Kyle watched her quietly. Alicia knelt on the ground and cried. It was a sob filled with frustration, anger, and exhaustion.
Kyle said nothing. He simply waited for her to stop crying.
After some time, Alicia's sobs subsided.
"Is it... is it over?" she sniveled.
"For today," Kyle replied. "We will do it again tomorrow."
"Again?"
"Yes. And the day after that. And the day after that. Until you can do it."
Alicia looked up at him. His expression was as indifferent as ever, but there was something in his eyes. It wasn't contempt, nor was it pity. It was an expectation.
"Why... why don't you give up on me?" Alicia asked. "I'm terrible at this. All I do is cry."
"You are allowed to cry," Kyle said softly. "All that matters is that you get back up after crying."
"..."
"You are strong, My Lady."
"What?" Alicia blinked.
"You simply do not know it yet. But I do." Kyle's voice was steady. "Even though you seem weak, there is strength inside you. You take after your mother."
"My mother?" Alicia's eyes wavered.
"The Countess was the same. She was gentle on the outside, but she possessed a will of iron. You are the same."
Alicia remained silent. Her mother. That warm smile. That soft touch. Was her mother was strong? She had never known that side of her mother, who always seemed so elegant and kind.
"I'll do it again tomorrow," Alicia whispered.
"What did you say?"
"I said I'll train tomorrow. And the day after. Until I get it right." She stood up. Her legs wobbled, but she didn't fall. "I can cry, right? As long as I get back up?"
"Yes."
"Then it's fine." Alicia wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "It's okay to cry, as long as I'm doing it."
Kyle blinked in surprise. Then, very faintly, the corners of his mouth turned up. "Indeed."
Night fell.
As soon as Alicia finished dinner, she fell into a deep sleep. She was so exhausted she didn't even dream.
Kyle looked down at her as she slept. Her small face was smudged with dirt. Her hands were blistered, and her muscles surely ached. But she hadn't given up. She had cried, and she had gotten back up.
Kyle took off his cloak and covered her with it. Then, he whispered. "One day, you will understand."
He knew why he had been so strict. He knew why he hadn't let her rest and why he had pushed her until she was in pain.
"It is all to keep you safe."
Moonlight spilled through the trees. Kyle stood guard under that light all through the night.
Just like always, he was there to protect her.