Standing up, he clapped his hands in the direction not far ahead where Leon was.
"It’s just about ti, let’s call it a day for now."
The young boy, however, seed to cherish this rare and precious opportunity.
Holding "the best sword in the village" tightly in his hand, he gasped for breath, his face carrying a hint of pleading:
"Mr. Xia Nan, I’m not tired!"
"I can keep going!"
Xia Nan didn’t imdiately reply but glanced at his opponent’s trembling arms and hair clumped from sweat on his forehead.
He then slowly spoke:
"Managing and controlling your stamina is also sothing every adventurer must learn as part of the First Ring."
"Even in the safety of a town, you must be prepared ntally for combat at any mont."
"So, unless absolutely necessary, don’t allow yourself to be in an exhausted state."
Kids who grow up in hardship and poverty always mature early. The so-called rebelliousness of adolescence wasn’t visible at all in the young boy before him.
Not a word of defiance, Leon nodded obediently:
"Alright, I understand!"
"Thank you, Mr. Xia Nan!"
Then he neatly packed up his belongings and left.
Their spot wasn’t far from the village; after wandering through the forest for about twenty minutes, a small, peaceful village nestled deep in the dense woods appeared before them.
Smoke lazily rose into the sky, painting the simple natural wooden houses and the outlines of distant buildings against the colorful sunset, accompanied by the sounds of villagers shouting amid the refreshing breeze.
Footsteps ca from behind, belonging to the farr who had just finished a day’s work and returned from the fields.
A middle-aged man, around his forties.
Wasn’t he called... Mike?
Xia Nan’s mory was quite good, and he had so impression of him.
"Mr. Xia Nan," the middle-aged man first greeted Xia Nan respectfully, his expression a mix of reverence and lingering fear—from the night when he had a part in cleaning up the battlefield, where everyone was frightened by the grueso goblin corpses.
Then, he looked at Leon behind Xia Nan, his tone full of undisguised envy:
"Little Leon, it’s a once-in-a-lifeti opportunity, learn well from the master, don’t slack off even for these few days."
Normally, young lads of his age, being lectured in front of soone involved, would at least show defiance, if not outright rebuttal.
But here, Leon only nodded solemnly:
"I will certainly be earnest, Uncle Mike."
Perhaps spooked by the battlefield’s shadow, Mike only exchanged a few pleasantries with the two and cautiously invited Xia Nan to dine at his place tonight. After being politely declined, he departed without further disturbance.
Collectively, although Xia Nan had only been in the village for three days, he clearly felt the villagers’ attitude toward him change.
Initially, they were grateful for his help in resolving the goblin threat but simultaneously feared the powerful adventurer.
Then, when they discovered Xia Nan’s friendly deanor toward villagers, without using his power to oppress or humiliate, they increasingly began to make contact, growing more enthusiastic;
Until now, even those kids who once could only dare peek from behind walls far away ventured close stealthily when their parents weren’t paying attention or asked Leon about training details in his absence.
Xia Nan even overheard from afar a woman washing clothes by the stream bragging to others:
"Oh my, when seeing Mr. Xia Nan this morning, he actually gave way to !"
As she spoke, the woman’s eyebrows nearly lifted to the skies.
To this, he felt a unique emotion sprout within him.
Understanding the villagers’ behavior, naturally.
After all, for ordinary civilians, especially farrs living in secluded villages far from major towns, adventurers are often more terrifying than the lords in the castle.
Soone like him, who resolved village troubles without demanding repaynt, viewing villagers as "humans," was indeed rare.
Xia Nan stayed at Leon’s ho.
This fifteen-year-old young lad had lost both parents six years ago to a goblin attack, leaving only an elder sister who had taken vows, living next door.
Thus, he usually settled his als at his sister and brother-in-law’s house, returning to the empty wooden house left for him only at night.
After three consecutive days of training, though supervised adjustnts to training intensity were made, the strain on a partially developed body was still excessive, causing them to return earlier than previous days.
At the door, they coincidentally t Leon’s sister "Janice," returning with Janice’s eldest daughter, "Lily," aged nine.
Lily was visibly delighted to see Xia Nan.
If not for holding a basket, she might have jumped right into his arms.
This naturally lively and lovely little girl quickly adapted to Xia Nan’s presence, a stranger in the village, due to Leon’s connection.
By the second day, she was already clutching his coat, calling out "Brother, Brother."
Seeing Xia Nan now, she imdiately ran over with her little steps.
Half uncovering the coarse cloth covering the basket, revealing the brown-white inside.
"Brother Xia Nan, look! They’re the best and freshest mushrooms!"
"Lily and mom picked them in the forest all afternoon; tonight we’ll have delicious mushroom soup for dinner!"
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