20demayo Chapter 170
Chapter 170
I Want to Learn Self-Defense
It’s morning! I woke up to the sunlight streaming in through the window and sat up to stretch. I’m a relatively early riser, but seeing that no one was in the bed across from me, Ravi-san must be an even earlier riser. ...Even though she went to bed later than me, I wonder when she sleeps?
I looked around the room but Ravi-san was nowhere to be found. Maybe she went out somewhere? I thought, as I peeked out the window.
“Ah.”
“Hmm...? Oh, Meg. Good morning! You’re up, huh?”
Outside the window was the backyard of the inn. The area around the well was a bit more spacious, and Ravi-san was there, practicing sword swings and working up a sweat. She was already drenched in sweat, she must have been up early and training this whole time. Amazing.
“I’ll be done in a bit, so get changed and come out here. You’ll want to wash your face, right?”
“Yes! Okay!”
After responding, I pulled my head back into the room, my heart burning from seeing Ravi-san as an adventurer. Why, you ask?
Because it’s so cool! That’s all there is to it. Women who fight, women who train, they’re so cool!
That’s right, no one gets stronger without doing anything. If I just let myself be protected because I’m a little girl, without doing anything, I’ll end up being an adult who can’t do anything. Th-That’s not good. Having nature magic as my only redeeming quality, if I end up in a situation where I can’t use magic properly like now, I won’t be able to do anything.@@@@
Everyone in Ortus has their weaknesses. But I heard that everyone has something to make up for it. Even Saura-san, though physically weak, said she has a trump card to escape if it comes down to it.
So what about me? What can I do? I’ll probably just cry without being able to do anything. I don’t think I can be the next Demon King like that. I can’t keep being spoiled. I’m almost 50 years old. I need to start thinking and training!
With that in mind, I quickly chose yesterday’s clothes from my storage bracelet and changed in an instant. Grateful that they get washed just by storing them, I ran to where Ravi-san was.
“Please train me!”
I said that in front of Ravi-san while breathing heavily. It doesn’t work... I skipped the greeting and explanation and just said that, I really am a little girl. See, even Ravi-san’s eyes are wide. For now, I bowed my head and said good morning, as if I’d just remembered, and then Ravi-san finally burst out laughing. I’m sorry...
It makes perfect sense! I raised my arm straight and responded. She patted my head, saying I was a good girl. Hehe.
“Okay, next. What if you do encounter a dangerous situation? I’ll teach you some simple things you can do.”
Ravi-san gulped down her tomato soup and licked her lips with her tongue. It was kind of sexy.
“This is something I always do when I’m nervous. Deep breathing.”
“Deep breathing?”
“Yeah. When you think it’s dangerous, that’s when you need to stay calm. If you panic and do something strange, it’ll only make things worse, right?”
So, when you panic in the face of danger, take slow, deep breaths in and out, and repeat until you’re calm, Ravi-san says. Just doing that will help you calm down a lot, so you can think about things calmly.
It makes sense. It’s about getting oxygen to your brain. And deep breathing really does help you calm down, doesn’t it?
“Now then, here’s a question. Once you’ve calmed down with deep breathing, what do you think about? The dangerous situation hasn’t changed. So what do you do?”
Let’s see, a dangerous situation in front of me. If it were me, I’d somehow...
“Run away?”
“Oh, correct, Meg. Well done! That idiot over there answered he’d fight!”
“Ugh, don’t bring up the past, Ravi!”
I see, so Licht had already received this lecture! No, I’d fight too if I had the strength! I think I would have answered that, and I understand how Licht feels.
“The basic premise is to not get into dangerous situations, so it’s only natural to think about running away.”
Ravi-san said that with a laugh, her arms crossed. O-Oh, I’m glad I got it right...! I stuffed bread into my mouth as if to cover it up. Munch munch, delicious!