“Huff… This should be enough.” Rui wiped sweat from his forehead. He glanced at the firewood in front of him, making a few mental calculations. He had spent the previous day and today assisting with the winter firewood stockpile of the Orphanage. Making several round trips to bring back a large cloth bag of firewood.
“This should be my last round…” Rui estimated. He sat down a for a bit, taking some rest. He had been using Helical Breathing continuously, but the Apprentice-level technique was not limitless, even he had begun to feel exhaustion and fatigue creeping into his muscles and bones.
“It’s a shame I don’t have any rejuvenation potions…” Rui muttered to himself. “Those things were incredibly convenient.” Rui had pretty much abused their use since joining the Academy. Only after having left the Academy had he realized how incredibly useful the rejuvenation potions were.
“Once I leave the Academy, I’m going to have purchase these potions myself.” Rui sighed, partially depressed. First, he needed to pay back his debt, until then, he wouldn’t be able to splurge of rejuvenation potions the way he splurged on them in the Academy. He wasn’t even sure he would be able to buy them until his debt was repaid.
He shook his head, putting away such thoughts. That was still quite some time away, no point in thinking about it too deeply.
He gathered his firewood and tied it up into his cloth, before tying it to himself.
“Alright, time to head back.” He said before using Parallel Walk, Balance Direction and Helical Breathing. He moved incredibly fast despite his heavy load.
Within a short period of time, he had already reached home.
“You really gathered all the firewood we needed all by yourself…” Lashara murmured, dumbfounded as Rui unloaded the firewood.
“This should be the final pile…” Rui informed, wiping away his sweat.
“Unbelievable” Farion muttered. “You’re so incredibly strong! So this is what a Martial Apprentice is capable of.”
Rui chuckled, before heading inside. “I’m off to wipe myself down.”
During winters, warm baths were far too much of a luxury. Especially for an Orphanage. During winters, the Orphanage members would heat a small bucket of water with some fragrant herbs. It was a bit of a scale-down from Rui who enjoyed hot water perpetually at the Academy.
“Be sure to finish quickly.” Lashara called out. “We have a festival to get in time to.”
“Yes mom. I’ll be out quickly.” He replied.
Rui quickly gathered his clothes and towel heading in and scrubbing himself down. He knew there were many people who were waiting in line, so he ended up finishing quickly.
“Ooooo.” Nina chuckled as she playfully poked his chiseled abs when he got out. “Someone must be incredibly popular with the girls.”
Rui snorted. “As if. Everybody has abs in the Academy.” He said before heading back to his bed to put on a shirt, leaving her dumbfounded.
“Rui! Can you look after the kids for a while?” Alice called out to him.
“Sure thing.” He obliged.
The entire Orphanage was busy in chaotic excitement as everyone prepared for the festival. Too many children were too young to make the trip and it was impossible to take the entire orphanage to the outer districts in the middle of snowfall.
“Big brother Rui!”
“Can you show us how to fight?”
“Big brother is a Martial Apprentice!
“Show us some moves!”
The boys and girls crowded him, pestering him with questions and requests.
“Alright alright.” Rui laughed mirthfully. “One at a time, okay?”
The children obediently listened to him.
Over the next hour, Rui proceeded to show them some flashy Martial Art moves. Most of them looked incredibly impressive and bombastic, but weren’t moves he would use in a real fight.
“OOOOH!”
“WOOAH”
“That’s so cool!”
Their eyes sparkled as they cooed every time Rui moved. He laughed at their exaggerated reactions, but felt a small sense of pride well up in his chest. Showing off to his family was more validating than he’d expected.
Soon enough it was time to leave, the adults had cleaned up and the adolescents were ready as well.
“Ah, there’s the carriage.” Mica announced. “That idiot Farion is late.”
“We have the whole day to ourselves.” Julian chided. “No hurry.”
They boarded the carriage, squeezing in as much as they could within a single carriage. They could bare afford a horse-drawn carriage, and that too was a luxury that could be afforded only once in a while, Lashara did not allow Julian to fund the Orphanage any more than he already did out of guilt.
The outer districts of Hajin weren’t that far, and within a span of twenty of minutes they made it to their location, and boarded off quickly.
“Waaaah.” Alice cooed as she saw the festival fair of the district. “They’ve gone all out this year!”
“This year the temperature has been quite pleasant, after all.” Julian explained. “More opportunity for smaller businesses and shops.
There were lightings, lamps and sparkling ornaments colouring the entire fare. The infrastructure of the entire fare itself was a temporary makeshift, that could be put together quickly and could be dismantled pretty quickly as well. What was otherwise a large open field in the heart of the district was now the most populated and energetic part of the district.
There were food stalls of various sorts, selling seasonal Kandrian dishes that were customary to the Winter Festival. Shops selling festive clothing articles, ornaments, jewelry, toys and firecrackers were littered around. Many challenge game booths and stalls that offered various prizes for successful attempts in whatever events they had.
The Orphanage group toured the fare, getting drawn into the festive excitement. It was hard not to be infected by the compelling enthusiasm. They indulged in some spending, at Julian’s insistence, who leveraged the mood to get his way. Soon enough all the adolescents were scattered into the fare with greedy eyes, as they decided what to spend their allowance on.
“Here, have some.” Rui offered a roasted skewered fish. Seafood was incredibly popular in the Kandrian Empire. Bordering an extremely bountiful and eternally rich portion of the Namgung Ocean made the Kandrian Empire the eye of envy to the surrounding small and especially the large nations; such as the Republic of Gorteau, the Sekigahara Confederate and the Britannian Empire.
“I’m fine.” Julian refused.
“Have some.” Rui insisted. “What’s the point of coming to a festival if you’re not going to indulge yourself?”
Julian chuckled, accepting that rationale on the face. “Being able to facilitate the smiles on those children as well as out older brothers and sisters is good enough for me.” He said, before noticing something that caught his eye.
“Hm? What’s all that you have by your side?” Julian quizzed.
“Oh this?” Rui glanced at the many toys and other items he had in a bag beside him. “Just some stuff I won for the kids and adults back home.”
Julian threw a proud smile at him, before pausing. “Wait. Martial Artists are banned from participating.”
“It’ll be our secret.”
Julian burst out into laughter, he really did enjoy talking to Rui. The two of them ate in silence as they watched the boys and girls of the Orphanage running around playing cheerfully, without a care in the world.
For a moment, the two of them felt they didn’t need anything else in life.
“Part of my motivation to get a high-income job was so I can see this more often.” Julian gestured. “Do you feel the same way?”
Rui nodded in silence. He had already resolved to support the Orphanage when he began earning for himself. He was never a materialistic person, as long as his basic Martial Artists necessities were tended to. He had no qualms about giving away every coin he earned to the Orphanage.
“Big brother Julian! Big brother Rui!” One of the girls of the Orphanage called out. “Come play with us!”
Julian chuckled, getting up. “It’s been a while since I played with the kids like this.” He said before turning to Rui. “Come, you wouldn’t want to miss it for the world, would you?”
Rui smiled. “Not for this world, or any other world out there.”