"Alright, but who is it?" Mav asked, raising an eyebrow.

"You’ll see. Just wait a bit. She comes here around the same time every day to buy potions. She should be here any minute now," Ana replied with a knowing smile.

Mav nodded but frowned slightly. "Alright, but should I tell her my real identity?"

Ana shrugged. "That’s up to you. She’s definitely trustworthy though. In fact, she’s so straightforward, I don’t think she’d care. She's a bit of a musclehead, you see? All she really focuses on is fighting, especially martial arts."

Mav’s eyes widened in surprise. "Martial... what?"

Ana chuckled softly. "Martial arts. Haven’t you heard of it?"

"What? They have martial arts here? How?" Mav thought.

Ana sighed, shaking her head. "You really don’t know much about the world, do you, Mav? But I suppose I can’t blame you. You probably haven’t been anywhere outside your village much. Let me explain. The girl you’re about to meet comes from the Lee Clan. Their founder is said to have introduced martial arts to our world. It’s a fighting style known for its effectiveness in close combat, specially when combined with the Yellow Flame. No one knows how or where the founder learned it, though."

Mav’s thoughts raced as he stared at her in disbelief. "There’s no way… it’s that Lee, right?"

"Interesting," he said, trying to mask his surprise. "And this girl, you said she’s from that clan? Do you think she’d be willing to teach me this martial arts?"

Ana burst into laughter. "What? You? Why would you need to learn that? Aren’t you content being the best healer around? Do you want to fight too?"

Mav’s thoughts flashed back to his battle with Kastanos. He remembered how easily Kastanos dodged all his attacks, despite his enhanced speed. He hadn’t even forced him to move from one spot until the final barrage of strikes.

"If I’d known martial arts, how differently would that fight have gone?" he mused silently. "Swinging wildly won’t help me next time. I got lucky. I need to learn how to properly fight."

His voice grew firm as he looked at Ana. "I’m serious. Do you think she’d be willing to teach me?"

Ana studied his expression for a moment. The seriousness in his tone was clear, even with his face covered. "I think so. You’ll have to ask her yourself, but I don’t think she’d turn you down. Someone who’s as passionate about martial arts as she is would jump at the chance to teach someone with your kind of determination."

Mav felt a spark of hope. "That’s reassuring. I’ll ask her when she gets here."

Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Just as Ana had predicted, a few minutes later the door swung open with a jingle, allowing a gust of warm air to sweep into the shop. Mav immediately sensed a powerful presence as the figure entered. She wore a yellow cape that fluttered with her movements, perfectly complementing her blonde hair, which was tightly braided down her back. Sunlight poured in from the open doorway, illuminating her like a radiant beacon. Her tanned skin hinted at long hours spent training under the sun, while the defined muscles on her forearms were evidence of rigorous physical conditioning.

Mav's eyes narrowed as recognition struck him. "Wait… I know her. She was the one I saw talking to master the other day."

"Ms. Ana, the usual, please! Oh, and do you still have any of those biscuits left? The ones you gave me the other day were so good," the girl asked brightly, her voice full of energy.

"Lia! Right on time, as always," Ana replied, grabbing two blue-colored bottles from a nearby shelf and handing them over. "About the biscuits, though, they’ve been out for a while, so they might not be as crunchy."

Lia waved it off with a grin. "No problem! As long as they still taste good." She plopped down in the seat Mav had just vacated and immediately snatched up the leftover biscuits on his plate, chomping away without hesitation.

"Whose tea is this?" she asked, pointing to Mav’s half-finished cup.

"It’s mine, but you can have it," Mav offered.

Lia glanced at him briefly, sizing him up. "Weird outfit you’ve got there, mister, but thanks!" She raised the cup and downed the rest in one swift motion.

"Lia, how many times do I have to tell you? You’re a girl; show some manners!" Ana scolded, though her voice carried an affectionate tone. She turned around, but before she could even brew a fresh cup, Lia had finished the tea.

Ana sighed, clearly exasperated. "What am I going to do with you?"

In less than five seconds, both the plate of biscuits and the cup were empty. Lia was already licking her fingers clean, her eyes sparkling with delight. "That was so good! Seriously, those biscuits are amazing."

"Here’s the payment for the mana potions," Lia said, placing a small bag of coins on the counter, "and some extra for the snacks!"

As she turned to leave, Ana called out, "Lia, wait!"

Lia paused, spinning on her heel. "What is it? Didn’t I tell you not to give away snacks for free? You’ll run out of business!"

Ana chuckled softly, glancing over at Mav before responding. "I doubt I’ll be running out of business anytime soon."

Mav smiled awkwardly, feeling the weight of her unspoken words.

"Anyway, I wanted to ask you for a favor," Ana continued.

Lia's eyes lit up with curiosity. "Sure, anything for you… and your homemade snacks!"

Mav’s mind whirled. "Homemade? She doesn’t even like doing chores, yet she makes homemade snacks? She’s more mysterious than I thought."

Ana smiled wryly. "I just need you to accompany my friend here. He’s heading to the slums, and I don’t think it’s safe for him to go alone."

"The slums? What’s he doing there?" Lia looked Mav up and down, her gaze lingering on his unusual attire. "He doesn’t really look like someone who belongs in a place like that. I mean, his clothes look pretty expensive, despite being… odd."

Ana shot Mav a questioning look, silently asking for permission to explain. Mav nodded in response.

"He’s trying to increase the level of his healing skill," Ana said. "But he can’t go to the front lines yet since he doesn’t have a guild. So, we thought it would be a good idea for him to help out in the slums. The people there could benefit from his healing too, especially since they can’t usually afford it."

Lia turned her gaze to Mav, her expression softening. "You’re doing this for free?"

Mav nodded. "Yes."

A grin spread across Lia’s face. "You’re a good guy, mister."

Mav extended his hand. "Thanks, but I think we’re around the same age. You don’t have to call me 'mister.' Just Mav is fine."

Ana shot him a glance, which only meant: "So you’re really revealing your identity to her, huh?"

Lia shook his hand firmly, a playful smirk on her face. "Nice to meet you, Mav. I’m Lia Lee."

"Ow!" Mav yelped, quickly withdrawing his hand.

Lia burst out laughing. "Sorry! It’s just a little trick I like to play when I shake hands. People’s reactions are always priceless."

As she wiped a tear from her eye, Mav sighed inwardly. "This girl is going to be a handful."