Myriad Dreams dragged her fishing gear back to the dormitory, only to see Yaeno Muteki already waiting in the corridor before she even reached her door.
"Myriad, I've thought it over. When it comes to teaching the Kongō Yaegaki Style, the sooner, the better."
Muteki stood perfectly straight, her tone firm.
"Please come to my grandfather's dojo tomorrow to begin your training."
Myriad Dreams' heart tightened.
Her eyes darted around, and her fingers unconsciously twisted together. "Um... could we maybe wait a few more days?"
"As one who practices martial arts, how can you dally or be slack?" Muteki's response was decisive.
Seeing that there was truly no way out of it, Myriad Dreams had no choice but to brace herself and agree.
The following day, inside the Yaeno Dojo.
"Art thou the one who seeketh to study the Kongō Yaegaki Style?"
A sonorous voice echoed through the hall.
Myriad Dreams quietly observed the energetic old man before her, unable to help murmuring in her head: 'This grandpa's way of speaking is seriously old-fashioned.'
Thud!
A wooden sword struck the floor heavily, making Myriad Dreams flinch.
"Hah! A practitioner must not be distracted! Focus thy mind!"
"Yes, sir!" Myriad Dreams immediately straightened her back and cleared her mind of stray thoughts.
At first, her movements were stiff and clumsy, but with the auxiliary analysis of her system, she soon mastered the basic essentials.
A look of approval gradually appeared on the grandfather's stern face. It seemed this disciple was indeed exceptionally talented.
After several hours of grueling practice, Myriad Dreams was finally allowed to rest.
She collapsed onto the dojo steps, letting out a soft sigh.
"Martial arts is definitely harder than I imagined."
As she was rubbing her aching arms, Yaeno Muteki quietly approached with a tea tray.
"Good work, Myriad."
Her voice was as soft as water.
Muteki carefully handed the tea and sweets to Myriad Dreams, her gaze full of concern and tenderness.
Myriad Dreams took a bite of a pastry, and her eyes instantly lit up.
"This is delicious! Muteki, where did you buy these?"
"I made them myself," Yaeno Muteki replied with a faint smile. "If you like them, I can make them for you often from now on."
"Really? That's great!" Myriad Dreams nodded happily.
For a foodie like her, being able to frequently taste such delicious treats made even the most grueling training worth it.
Watching Myriad Dreams' joyful expression, the corners of Yaeno Muteki's mouth curved into a gentle arc, her eyes softening as she watched her.
Of course, Myriad Dreams didn't pay any attention to that, she only cared that she would have delicious pastries to eat regularly in the future.
By evening.
After finishing her training, Myriad Dreams waved goodbye to Yaeno Muteki.
Only after Myriad Dreams had left did Yaeno Muteki return to the kitchen.
The kitchen was a complete mess— this was, after all, one of the few times Yaeno Muteki had ever cooked.
In the past, she had focused entirely on studying the Kongō Yaegaki Style.
To make delicious pastries, she had practiced for a long time and failed several times before finally succeeding.
Yaeno Muteki wiped down every corner of the kitchen with a cloth and emptied the failed attempts into the trash.
As she cleaned the utensils, she reflected on how troublesome making pastries was for someone unaccustomed to the kitchen.
She had been absent the entire morning just to produce a single plate of sweets.
But when Yaeno Muteki thought of the happy smile and satisfied look on Myriad Dreams' face while eating, a small smile played on her own lips.
"It seems I'll have to spend more time in the kitchen from now on."
With that, Yaeno Muteki continued tidying up the dishes.