Chapter 129 Parent Worry
Alex made his way back toward his house at a relaxed pace, his shoulders loose after a long day. Just as he reached the edge of the yard, a sharp crack clack! of wood striking against wood rang out, cutting cleanly through the quiet air. His brows lifted slightly, and he tilted his head, listening more closely as the rhythmic sounds continued.
Curiosity flickered across his face. He adjusted his steps, slowing down as he quietly moved toward the source, boots pressing softly against the ground. As he rounded the side of the house, the scene in the backyard came into view and a faint, amused smile tugged at his lips.
There, Lucia stood with both hands gripping a wooden sword, her small frame tense yet determined. Her arms trembled slightly from exertion, but her eyes burned with focus as she faced Astrid. Across from her, Astrid moved with calm, controlled precision her posture relaxed, yet every motion sharp and deliberate, like a seasoned warrior guiding a novice. Lucia with all her strength, she swung her wooden sword toward Astrid, putting her whole body into the attack.
Clack!
Astrid's response was effortless.
With a subtle shift of her wrist and a small step to the side, she deflected the strike cleanly. The impact echoed, and Lucia's blade was knocked off course. Her balance broke instantly her feet scrambling to recover but it was too late. She stumbled backward, arms flailing slightly, before falling onto the ground with a soft thud, her chest heaving as she struggled to catch her breath.
"Agh, Mama! That's not fair! How am I supposed to knock you down when your physical strength is completely different from mine?" she complained, her voice filled with frustration.
Astrid couldn't help but laugh at that. "Hahaha… in a real battle, you don't get to point out the differences and complain to your enemy about it."
Lucia huffed, then quickly pushed herself back up to her feet, determination burning in her eyes. Without hesitation, she charged again and swung her wooden sword once more only for Astrid to deflect it just as effortlessly as before.
Watching the scene, Alex let out a soft chuckle. His presence didn't go unnoticed for long.
"Ah, Papa!!!"
Lucia immediately dropped her wooden sword and ran straight toward him, throwing herself into his side before looking up with a pout.
"Papa, look! Mama's cheating… boo…"
Alex only laughed, gently patting her head in comfort. "Hahaha… your mama just wants you to grow stronger, Lucia, that's why she acts like that. And what your mama said is true your enemies in battle won't listen to your complaints, so…"
Alex then looked straight into Lucia's eyes. "Observe your surroundings and check the terrain that benefit you and if your opponent is stronger than you, look for their weak points like the neck, eyes, armpits, groin, knees and joints… then the lower abdomen."
Lucia listened carefully, her attention fully focused.
Alex continued, his tone calm but firm. "Remember, the human body has its weak points. The same goes for non-humans like trolls, dragons, vampires, and many others. But for those, you'll need to study them more deeply if you want to understand their weaknesses."
Alex gently ruffled Lucia's hair again. "So the point is even if you're strong, you still need to read a lot and broaden your knowledge, alright?"
Astrid watched as Alex lectured Lucia, a proud look clearly visible on her face.
Lucia nodded firmly. "Okay!"
Then she turned back and returned to sparring with Astrid, gripping her wooden sword with renewed determination. "Alright, Mama… I won't give up!"
Astrid smiled as she watched Lucia return to spar with her after Alex's guidance. "Good… it seems you're not complaining anymore."
Lucia steadied herself, taking a proper stance.
Astrid nodded in approval. "Well done. The first step is to prepare your footing, and you've learned from your earlier mistake. Sometimes, your stance is everything at the start."
Lucia then carefully observed Astrid's entire body, her eyes scanning for any weak point she could exploit.
Lucia tightened her grip around the hilt of her wooden sword, her small fingers curling firmly despite the slight tremble from exhaustion. Her chest rose and fell with uneven breaths as she forced herself to calm down, eyes narrowing in concentration. She knew she couldn't win through strength alone not against Astrid.
Her gaze began to move slowly, carefully studying Astrid from head to toe. From her shoulders… to her arms… then down to her stance. (Think… think… Papa said to look for weak points…)
Then her eyes stopped.
Astrid's knee.
A faint spark of realization lit up Lucia's face, her lips pressing together in determination as she subtly adjusted her footing, lowering her center of gravity. But across from her, Astrid had already noticed. Her sharp eyes caught the slight pause… the fixed stare… the tension building in Lucia's posture.
Astrid simply let out a quiet breath and shook her head, a small, knowing smile forming as if she had already seen through everything.
Lucia, however, was too focused to notice. She took a deep breath, tightening her grip once more. (This time… I'll land it!)
With a small shout, she pushed off the ground and charged forward, her steps quick but heavy from fatigue. She raised her wooden sword high, then swung it downward with all her strength, aiming directly at Astrid's knee.
Clack!
The sound rang out sharply.
Astrid's response was immediate and effortless. With a slight turn of her wrist and a subtle shift of her body, she intercepted the strike, deflecting it cleanly to the side. The impact sent a jolt up Lucia's arms, her grip loosening for just a split second as her blade was knocked off course.
Before Lucia could even recover
Astrid moved.
In one smooth, fluid motion, she stepped in, closing the distance. Her wooden sword rose and stopped just a breath away from Lucia's neck. The tip hovered there, steady and unshaking.
Lucia froze.
Her eyes widened slightly, her body going stiff as she realized how completely she had been countered.
Astrid looked at her calmly, though there was a faint hint of amusement in her eyes. "And once again… your eyes clearly revealed where you were going to strike, Lucia."
Lucia's shoulders slumped a little, her grip loosening as the tension drained from her body.
After a brief pause, Astrid lowered her sword and took a step back, her posture relaxing. "Alright," she said, exhaling softly, "that's enough training for today."
Lucia immediately bent forward, placing her hands on her knees as she struggled to catch her breath. "Haa… haa…" Her entire body felt heavy, sweat dripping from her chin onto the ground below.
In contrast, Astrid stood upright, completely composed. Not a single drop of sweat marked her skin, her breathing steady as if the entire session had barely been a warm-up.
Alex then pulled out some drinks from his system inventory. "Hey, I've got some orange juice for you both."
As he watched them, Alex fell into thought. (Hah… I've been so busy running around with everything lately that I haven't really paid attention to Lucia… I wonder what she wants to become when she grows up?)
Lucia then drank the orange juice Alex had given her. "Fuah… this is so good so refreshing!"
Astrid also seemed pleased with the drink. "Yes, it really is. This is perfect to have after training, Lucia."
Then Alex looked at Lucia and asked, "Lucia… what do you want to become when you grow up?"
Lucia paused for a moment, deep in thought. All this time, what she had always dreamed of was having a family.
"Hmm… I want to keep being part of this family, Papa! Mama!"
Alex and Astrid were both happy to hear that, though it wasn't quite the answer Alex had expected. He smiled gently and asked again, "Of course, we'll always be a family… but that's not what I meant. When you grow up, what path do you want to take?"
Lucia looked confused by Alex's question. "Hmm… I'm still not sure what I want to become. Is that a problem?"
Alex quickly shook his head. "Ah, no no, that's not it. Papa just wants you to become whatever you've dreamed of since you were little, because Papa will support you."
Astrid nodded in agreement. "That's right. We'll support you."
Lucia's face lit up with happiness at their words. "Thank you, Papa! Mama!"
She hugged them both tightly before pulling back with a bright smile. "Alright, I'm going to play at the market again!"
With that, Lucia ran off.
Alex's gaze followed her.
The smile on his face slowly softened… then faded, replaced by something quieter something heavier. His eyes lingered on the empty path she had taken, as if trying to hold onto that fleeting innocence just a little longer.
After a brief silence, he exhaled and turned toward Astrid, his expression more serious now. "Honestly…" he began, his voice lower, weighed down by unspoken worries, "I want Lucia to live as an ordinary girl… not become like us hunting dragons, fighting monsters…"
His jaw tightened slightly, and his eyes drifted away for a moment, as if picturing something he didn't want to see. "And with the war that's coming…" he continued, more quietly, "I'm afraid her future will be filled with blood."
He let out a long, heavy sigh, his shoulders sinking just a little. "I don't want her to walk down that path."
Astrid watched him in silence for a moment, her expression calm but thoughtful and understanding. her gaze steady as she answered, "But the world isn't that peaceful… at least, not yet."
Then Her tone was gentle. "Lucia still needs to learn how to defend herself. If something dangerous happens, she has to be able to protect herself."
Alex ran a hand through his hair, fingers lingering for a moment as he let out another quiet sigh. His eyes lowered, conflicted.
"Yeah… I know…" he muttered, almost to himself.
There was a pause heavy, unresolved.
"But still…"
Alex then looked at Astrid as he stored the orange juice back into his system inventory. "Balgruuf wants to help us persuade Ulfric. He said that Ulfric was his childhood friend, so he might be able to convince him. And it seems Ulfric still respects him."
Astrid picked up her wooden sword again and gave it a light swing continue her training "That's good. Let's hope Ulfric can open his mind and see the bigger picture."
Alex then watched Astrid's movements as she continued to swing her wooden sword, and he found himself thinking,
(Hmm… how long has it been since I last sparred with Astrid…? I need to improve my swordsmanship and my One-Handed skill so I can become even stronger.)
Alex then took a wooden sword from his system inventory and walked over, stopping right in front of Astrid. He raised the blade, pointing it toward her.
"It's been a while since we last sparred, Astrid."
Astrid replied with a teasing smile, "Are you sure? I've gotten stronger, you know."
Alex answered in a calm, easy tone, "So have I. But this isn't a real fight it's just sparring, so there's no need to take it too seriously, right?"
Astrid let out a small sigh. "Ah, I see… that's what you meant."
Alex felt slightly provoked and shot back with a faint smirk, "But don't lower your guard either, Astrid. And I want this to be pure physical combat I need to train my body. Besides, our heights are almost the same, so this is a good chance to spar with you again, isn't it?"
Astrid's smile widened, a spark of excitement in her eyes. "Then I won't use my Thu'um either… so get ready."
if you want to support me and read more chapter visit my Pat_reon.com/frz10