Welp, the novelty was short-lived.

Stella had to sit her ass on the grass the entire morning! Thankfully, the old coot allowed her to meditate under the comforting shadow of the pego tree. Who knew if this guy would force her to cycle her Saniya surrounded by a pool of lava or some other hardcore shit.

The bad news was that this was only HALF her daily training regimen. However, the bright side was her teacher through this afternoon.

"Greetings, Stella!" The Silver Knight awaited her in a clearing a few miles from the village. "Are you ready to go through an intense, arduous, bone-shattering training program?! Be careful, as I have high standards for a sidekick!" He dramatically lifted his fist to the sky. "Justice demands nothing but our best! For the-"

"Dude! It's just the two of us here!" Stella frowned. "Who are you making this show for?!"

Asra groaned. "You don't understand, Stella!" He turned back to his regular voice. "The Silver Knight's shining attitude doesn't vanish once no eyes are on him!" He posed theatrically, with closed "eyes" and his palm on his chest. "It's not about performing! It's about authenticity! I must be the hero once the armor is on, no matter the situation!"

Stella rolled her eyes, letting out a quiet sigh. "Sorry." She rested her hands on her hips and straightened her posture. "I'm ready for whatever you throw at me, Knight! Do your worst!"

The emoticon on his visor reflected her confidence as his voice reverted to his heroic tone. "Is that right?! Then feast your eyes on this!" He sidestepped, pointing at the gigantic rock behind him. It was roughly ten times her size. But what was so special about this boulder?

"I don't get it." Stella stared at him, puzzled.

The hero tapped the towering mineral formation. "Call this the end goal for your training here! Tell me, how are you feeling after hours of meditation and Saniya cycling?"

Stella glanced at her hands, which were slightly vibrating involuntarily. "Agitated. I don't think I can sleep tonight if this keeps up." Her legs shook with the urge to release the excess energy away.

The guard nodded. "As expected, your body demands to adapt to your growing Saniya pool. That's why we must train it. You must use the energy that binds your existence to push your physical attributes past their limits!" He points at the rock. "And THIS is our way to measure your progress!"

Stella was (mostly) following his words. "Do you want me to climb it, then?"

The hero laughed. "No, my dear! You. Will. LIFT THIS ROCKY BEHEMOTH OVER YOUR HEAD!!!" His visor produced two sparkling stars.

The girl's mouth was agape. Her eyes begged for a crumb of rationality. "Excuse me?! You want me to lift THAT THING?!" She frantically poked the air in the boulder's direction. "Sure, let me just do ten push-ups, then-"

Stella's words had lost momentum when the hero effortlessly raised the miniature mountain above his head. Then, as the cherry on top, he started holding the rock with only one hand without ever showing much effort!

"Gee, no need to flex like that."

The Knight put the stone back into place with a chipper emote. "Well? Do you want to test your might already?"

The girl slumped her shoulders, murmuring. "I want to try my luck sleeping."

He raised a fake eyebrow. "Did you say something?"

Stella huffed, then forced an enthusiastic smile. "Teach me your ways, coach!"

The hero used his speed to run into the deep woods in a flash of light. Before the girl could question, he popped back to her side in a split second, making her recoil.

"Ta-dah!" He was holding... pieces of armor? "This will be your training equipment!"

Stella blinked twice. "Uh. Is this my sidekick uniform...?"

He snickered. "Not exactly. I've spent the whole night commissioning this beauty for you! A smaller replica for my Silver Suit™!"

So that's what he was doing all night. But why would he sacrifice sleep for irrelevant cosmetics?

----------------------------------------

That motherfucker.

"How are those muscles feeling, now?!" The Knight asked.

The "uniform" was, in reality, weighted armor covering everything except her feet and head. The design was identical to that of The Silver Knight.

"Burning," Stella growled. "Is this training or torture?"

The guard shook his head. "To increase your strength, you must make your muscles battle against an overwhelming force every day!" He crossed his arms. "I won't lie. Pain will follow you every step of the way." Then, he pointed a finger at his student. "However, your sore body shall recover mightier than before!"

Stella took a few steps, feeling what seemed like the weight of the world dragging her down. Maybe the metaphor was the idea Asra wanted to drill into her. It would be on brand.

Her bones ached for help. Her muscles throbbed with the excruciating effort of simple movements, fueled by her not-so-unwavering determination. Thanks to the metal armor in broad daylight, her skin was producing a waterfall of sweat.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author's consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

"That's it! Keep going!" The Knight cheered louder with each successful step. "Great things await you!"

She sincerely doubted that. However, she had to silently admit her surprising progress was gratifying. After an hour, she had walked a whole mile on bare feet. All that energy gathered from meditation was gone, leaving her body and mind numb and reducing her to a shell of her former self.

"Congratulations, Stella! Your progress has far exceeded my expectations!"

She must attribute that to her violent Saniya awakening. It made sense how she swung that oar like a baseball bat now. However, how far would she go if she never drank that jam in the first place?

Stella's words barely came out between her heavy breathing. "Is it... over...?"

Asra nodded. "I suppose we can call it a day for physical training. The Saniya you gathered must have infiltrated your damaged muscles by now."

Oh. Never mind about the energy remark.

The hero gently removed her weighted armor, piece by piece. After her body was freed from her bindings, the girl surrendered herself to gravity, allowing the blades of grass to caress her back.

"Ah..." Stella reveled in the wind greeting her skin. "Free at last..."

The Knight blocked the Sun, handing her a canteen of water. Surprisingly, it wasn't themed after the superhero. "Rest while you can! My teachings aren't over just yet!"

Her eyes narrowed as she gulped the flask down in mere moments. "What do you mean?"

His snickering, again! What unimaginable horrors did he prepare?!

----------------------------------------

"A book?"

They were sitting on a table Asra brought while the girl was training with Hōkō, where a children's book lay. Its cover showed a smiling Wolf pup carrying a pencil in one paw and a knife and fork in the other. The title read "Your Pup's Basic Education."

Stella's eye twitched. "Asra? What's your angle?"

Inside their hut, the hero had long since discarded his helmet. The girl appreciated speaking with another Human face-to-face, even if he looked like a sleep-deprived zombie.

He explained. "Training your body and Saniya prowess is important, sure. But I can't leave you without training your mind as well." They had to whisper as long as they were on Pantsti since the locals are known for their acute hearing.

"Is this about me not being able to read?" She huffed. "I told you, it's not a big deal!"

"It absolutely is, Stella." Asra's eyes carried a firmness she hadn't seen from him before. "You can't squander your potential by refusing your chance at an education!"

She pouted, her gaze refusing to meet his. "You're giving me way too much credit. Besides, if I haven't learned basic stuff like this at the right age, what makes you think I can now?"

After a few seconds of quietness, his tone softened. "Stella. Nobody's too old to learn anything. I cannot pretend to know what you must've gone through during your childhood, but I can help you achieve what was denied of you."

His words rang through Stella's mind. Nothing he said made a lick of sense. He was willing to waste his time teaching a stupid tween who couldn't write her name. Any person with a functional notion of reality would see her as she really was, a waste of space in society, doomed since birth.

So why? He was not related to her. She did nothing but make his job harder with the Ogres. In fact, he almost DIED because of her recklessness.

Why couldn't he see that she's not... worth the effort?

A piece of her wanted to scream at him, make him see how much of a mess she was. It would make things so much easier in the long run. An effective manner of setting her boundaries.

...

But that thought was a load of bullshit, she knew. Asra deserved better than that.

Her hands gripped the table's edge while she held back the tears. How long would this deafening silence last? Why wasn't he saying anything?

Finally, his voice broke through, betraying his apprehension.

"Do you..." He cleared his throat. "Do you want some tea?"

She hated tea. But anything to escape this heart-wenching agony.

"S-Sure." Her tears almost escaped their confinement. No amount of deep breaths would calm her down. Her heart threatened to hammer until it ceased functioning.

As the hero went for the hearth, Stella's eyes were transfixed on the book. The smiling pup reminded her of Lien.

Her warm, soft, messy fur. Her sweet voice, her tight, earnest hug...

She might have been the only one who could've comforted the girl.

"There you go! It's chamomile." Asra brushed the book aside to put Stella's teacup. Its smell would be much more pleasant than the taste, she assumed.

Well, what would you know? The taste wasn't half-bad. Better than Locci's, for sure. Her nerves were clearly feeling the intended effects, to top it all off.

"Feeling better?"

She nodded, finding the courage to look him straight in the eye. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He slowly waved his hand. "I shouldn't be so pushy. If you want the time to think this out, I completely understand."

"No, it's-" She sighed, then sipped from her tea. "I need to apologize about something else."

He cocked an eyebrow. "What else are you apologizing for? If it's about the Ogres-"

"It's about our talk in the riverhouse. I ruined your whole surprise and cried like a little kid at the end. It was pathetic, I know."

He snorted. "What?! No! You weren't pathetic at all!"

The girl was about to go for another sip. "You don't have to lie to make me feel better."

The guard chuckled as if he heard the silliest thing coming from her lips. Her cheeks acquired a reddish shade.

"I'm serious! If anything, I should be the one to apologize!" He cleared his throat and recomposed himself. "I shouldn't have touched your shoulder. Physical contact is not for everyone, especially coming from a stranger."

Stella couldn't think of a reply, so she only nodded and enjoyed the moment with the guard. The tea even started to taste a little sweeter than before.

Still, there was a nagging question that stuck in her mind.

"Knight?"

"Hm?"

"I understand training, but teaching me to read? Why do you bother?"

He stared at her unblinkingly for a few seconds. "I don't follow."

"You don't NEED to go such lengths. You have so much responsibility. You must be wasting your precious time with me."

The Knight shook his head. "Honestly, everything you said is technically correct. However, I wouldn't forgive myself if I left someone young like you adrift. You deserve so much better than Namadi has given you."

No more words. Stella had to process all of this after a long slumber. Her joints were starting to feel the strain.

However, there was something she could do right here, right now.

"Knight?" She grabbed the book. "Are you... still willing?"

His eyes sparkled. "Of course!" He quickly gulped down his tea and pulled his chair close to Stella. He searched through the pages until he found the chapter about the alphabet. "How many letters do you know?"

"A few." She answered.

"It's okay." His voice carried a warmth that resonated within the girl's heart. "We'll go through these, one by one."

Stella still didn't understand the guard. No one was THAT selfless!

...Right?

...

Regardless, she should just let him have his way. If he insisted so much, so be it. It was not like this would harm her.

Maybe there was hope even for her.

Only time would tell.