novelDon't come to the hunting contest in the forest (1)
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Chapter 39: Chapter 39 Don't come to the hunting contest in the forest (1)
After yawning, she patted her neck as if it felt stiff. After she stretched a couple of times, she looked down at her feet again. She saw the golden shoe still on her right foot to her annoyance.
After slowing getting up, she rummaged through her drawer and found a small pair of scissors. Her eyes looked down at the shoe. Her eyes were glowing as if she was determined. Then, she cut it off without hesitation.
The handkerchief fell to the floor as if to ridicule Lard's meticulous efforts to tie it around her ankle the previous day. Strangely enough, she briefly felt empty when she cut it as if all the leaves had been removed from a tree branch.
Hiding her momentary emptiness, she found the other shoe and put them deep inside the shoe rack, then hurried to the bathroom.
She went out of the bedroom so quickly with a chilly look that even the pink petals of the 'Poison Teeth' hanging on the door frame swayed. When its peace was disturbed like now, the plant would typically expose its sharp teeth between its petals. She would usually cast a quick glance at the plant, but she quickly went straight to the bathroom this time.
What happened at the concert last night was meaningless to her. Neither Lard Schroder nor Dylan Lennox and Prince Isaac could affect her anyway. So, it was natural that she didn't care at all about the handkerchief tied around her ankle.
She took off her gown roughly as if she was trying to control her excited feelings and steeled herself to face any problem.
She believed that the swollen frog eggs floating by the pond had drifted away in the rain two years ago. She would never hear anything like the croaking of frogs even in her dreams. She didn't want to see the brilliant light of his sword again even in her memory.
She closed his eyes tightly as water dripped all over her body. The drops seemed to reflect her disturbed heart. She wrapped her face with her hands under the stream of water. The sun shining through the opening of the curtains was streaming in like a haze.
When she left of her house, she turned her head casually and noticed a dead ash tree on the street facing her house. It was still a small dry and scrubby little tree. It looked all the more so, surrounded by the green leaves of the trees on the streets.
'There's nothing I can do for you. '
She turned her eyes from it. Although she could grow new plants, she did not have the ability to bring back dead plants. She trudged along the street weakly.
"Ugh! Sister!"
She heard a familiar voice calling her while walking down the street. She saw her neighbor's boy, Benfork, squatting on the sidewalk and waving his hands at her. He was with three naughtly boys, all gathered at the same spot.
"Benfork, what the heck are you guys trying to do there? Dirty tricks again?"
He frowned at her cold response.
"Hey, sister, why are you so mean to me? Your harsh language doesn't go well with your beauty."
"Who is she, Benfork?" asked a guy on the side, tapping his shoulders, when Benfork grumbled. He was a pretty cute boy with big eyes.
"Oh, she's my sister living next door, " Benfork replied, spitting like his bad brothers in the neighborhood did.
"Oh, you mean that sister you were cursing all the time? Oops!"
As if embarrassed, Benfork urgently shut his mouth, and in the process his saliva got stuck on his chin.
She twisted her upper lip and looked at his dirty chin.
"Benfork, look at how dirty you are, drooling like a child! By the way, it seems you spoke ill of me behind my back a lot. I am your guys' gossip topic?"
"No, sister. This bastard mistook someone else for you. By the way, you were on your way to the flower shop, right? I'm sorry to have bothered you like this. Goodbye, sister!"
Benfork shook his hands, wiping his drooling mouth with his sleeves. He said goodbye urgently as if to send her off as soon as possible.
But one of Benfork's friends, ignoring Benfork's interference, said, "Well, I have heard a lot about you. I hear Benfork just bit his head off whenever he tried to put a trick on you. So, I have been wanting to meet you one of these days. I'm honored to see you like this!"
"Hey, stop talking and stay still, " said Benfork, hurriedly squeezing his neck while putting his arms around his shoulders.
"Oh, dang it! Why! I hear you were beaten hard by your dad last time because of that sister! Let go of me! I'm going to get even with her on your behalf today!"
Wendy stared at him as if he was ridiculous when he showed immature behavior.
"... That's right, Benfork. You shouldn't mess with your friends. By the way, I would like to hear what kind of revenge this guy is talking about. Can you tell me how you are going to get back at me?"
At that moment, the guy who threatened her coughed suddenly.
"I hear you have been training at the Carmail martial arts center for a long time. In fact, I've been training at the Jason martial arts center. How about a showdown with me here?"
The guy stretched his fist up and down, pretending to intimidate her. It looked like he had trained at the center for two or three months.
As it was not permitted for general citizens to possess swords under the imperial law, most of them went to the martial training centers to master self-defense skills. Although they didn't teach swordsmanship at the martial training centers, imperial soldiers or those who showed extraordinary martial talents were taught swordsmanship skills, too.
The Jason center was a very famous martial arts center like the Carmail in Wendy's neighborhood. It seemed Benfork's friends had some training at the Jason's.
"If I accept your suggestion and win the fight, what are the benefits for me?"
"Ah, I'll do whatever you want, " said he, holding his head high.
She laughed at him, making mock of his arrogance.
"Hey, you can't say that so easily, little boy. Are you serious?"
"I'm not a little boy! You can't say that if you look at my strong muscles. So, how about sparring with me?"
"What are you going to take from me when I am defeated?"
"I'm going to make you cry, " he bluffed her, lowering his voice. She wanted to punch him in the head right away as he was getting too cocky.
"You guys see eye to eye with him, right? I'm asking if you guys are in the same boat."
At her question he tapped his friends' shoulders to agree.
When they reluctantly nodded, she grinned at them.
"Good. Let me give you a special chance to make me cry. Follow me, guys. I don't want to make you look miserable here."
She led four boys to the Carmail martial arts center, changed into her training slacks and stood in front of the boy. Benfork was very nervous as if he was worried about her safety.
"Are you ready?"
Some trainees at the center who watched their showdown curiously stood round the two.
Fortunately, Yoda was not among them because the blacksmith's shop where he worked was busy at this time. She stood face to face with him with ease. As if he was conscious of those around him, he rolled his shoulders to warm-up. His stout build showed he had some experience in fighting.
"Okay, sock it to me, sister!"
She focused her eyes to look for his weakness. She was not foolish enough to attack him rashly. She always kept in mind her master's advice that it was more important to attack the other party's weak spots than fight face to face with him when he just relied on his strength alone.
When she didn't attack him quickly as he expected, he reached for her impatiently. She lowered her body further and kicked his shin as hard as she could when he tried to grab her by her neck.
As his body bent forward with a low moan, she hit his neck with the edge of her hand then grabbed and twisted his arm as he fell. Obviously, the boy was not formally trained at the center. She felt him struggling in her hold. She twisted his arm even more painfully.
"Ouch!" The boy screamed, exaggerating pain.
"If you cry loudly now, let me forgive you for your arrogance so far, " she said, challenging him.
"Ah, why should I cry?"
"Hum... then, are you going to admit your defeat?"
"... Yes! So, let go of me quickly!"
As he surrendered, she let go of him, but his friends felt bad at his poor performance and unexpected surrender.
"Ah, you idiot!"
When his friends charged at him and hit him, she just ignored them and quickly went into the fitting room of the center to change clothes. They would need some time to work out their their humiliating situation.
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