In the clearing, two figures were busy training.
Arthur stood calmly in place as Ethan dashed around him, disappearing in a blur and reappearing a short distance away. His speed wasn't quite on Arthur's level, so rather than creating the illusion of teleportation, it looked more like he was simply moving very fast from point to point.
But then, Ethan appeared in front of Arthur, stopping abruptly. Panting heavily, he bent over, hands on his knees.
Between ragged breaths, he gasped, "I… pant… I can't… do it… anymore…"
He tried to catch his breath, but his exhaustion got the better of him. "I'm all… pant… out…" And with that, he collapsed onto the ground, drained.
Shielding his eyes from the sun with one hand, Ethan let out a weary sigh. "I think that's enough for today, right?"
His stomach growled, making his next words inevitable. "Plus… I'm starving."
Arthur, watching him struggle, finally seed to take pity. He nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Training's over for today."
Ethan lifted his head slightly, his voice laced with disbelief. "Really?"
Arthur shrugged. "It's your first ti. We can't rush these things."
"Oh, thank God…" Ethan groaned, relieved.
Arthur smirked. "Besides, I'm a little hungry too. So yeah, for today, you're off the hook."
Ethan felt like a prisoner finally being released. He let out a deep sigh of relief before Arthur spoke again.
"So, you wanna eat?"
Ethan perked up. "You have sothing?"
Arthur nodded. "Yeah, my sister prepared lunch for ."
Ethan raised a curious brow. "Your sister can cook?"
Arthur gave him a look that clearly said, Obviously.
Realizing how dumb his question sounded, Ethan quickly backtracked. "I an, I just thought… never mind."
---
A little while later, Ethan and Arthur sat under the shade of a large tree. Arthur pulled out a mat from his storage pouch, spreading it over the ground before taking out a wooden box and placing it on top.
Ethan eyed the box curiously. "Hey, are you sure about sharing? I an, it's your lunch, right?"
Arthur waved off his concern with a smile. "Don't worry about it. My sister always packs more than I can eat. Every single ti."
Ethan smirked. "Why not just take the leftovers ho?"
Arthur sighed. "Because if I don't finish it, she'll think I didn't like it or sothing. So I always force myself to eat everything."
Then, a small smile curled on his lips as he looked at Ethan. "But this ti, I have you. We can finish it together."
Ethan's stomach growled in response, and he chuckled. "Alright, I won't say no to free food."
Arthur opened the wooden box, revealing several rolled-up flatbreads. Then, he pulled out a smaller wooden container from his pouch and handed one of the rolls to Ethan.
Ethan took it, the aroma of roasted chicken and spices making his mouth water.
Arthur opened the second box, revealing a creamy white sauce. "Alright, take a bite."
Ethan didn't need to be told twice. As he bit into the flatbread, an explosion of flavor hit his tongue—the rich, spicy at balanced perfectly by the slightly sweet sauce.
Arthur, watching him closely, asked, "So, how is it?"
"It's delicious," Ethan mumbled through a full mouth, already going in for another bite.
Arthur wore a proud, big-brother-like smile. "Of course it is. I knew it."
They ate with gusto, ti slipping away as they enjoyed the al.
After finishing up, Arthur pulled out a flask and poured sweet lemon juice into two wooden cups, handing one to Ethan. They took small sips, savoring the refreshing taste.
Ethan exhaled contentedly. "Your sister's a great cook. That was amazing."
Arthur nodded in confirmation, a pleased smile lingering on his face.
Ethan sighed. "Must be nice. Your sister makes you stuff. Mine just nags all the ti."
Arthur chuckled. "Oh, I get it."
"You do?"
"Yeah, my sister nags too."
Ethan raised a brow. "What? She also asks for money or sothing?"
Arthur shook his head. "No, she just nags because she thinks I'm too nice to everyone. Says I trust people too easily."
Ethan leaned back against the tree trunk, considering that. "Well… I kinda have to agree. You do trust people too easily. I an, look at us right now. We just t yesterday, and now you're teaching swordsmanship. Not everyone would do sothing like that."
Arthur nodded. "I know what you an. But I feel like… we should trust each other more. If we don't give people a chance to prove themselves, then nobody will ever beco anything."
Ethan let out a small laugh. "Not judging you or anything, but that sounds kinda naive."
Arthur smiled. "Yeah… maybe."
"I an, I get it. You probably want to trust people, but thinking everyone deserves it? That's a bad idea. And if you go on like that, I wouldn't be surprised if you get betrayed one day."
Arthur suddenly laughed, but there was sothing unreadable in his expression. A flicker of sothing deep, sothing bitter.
"You're not wrong," he said, his voice quieter this ti. "And trust … I already know what getting betrayed feels like. But still… I can't change. No matter how much I want to, I just can't."
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