The Martial Unity

"Huff... This should be enough." Rui wiped sweat from his forehead. He glanced at the firewood in front of him, making a few mental calculations. He had spent the previous day and today assisting with the winter firewood stockpile of the Orphanage. Making several round trips to bring back a large cloth bag of firewood.

"This should be my last round..." Rui estimated. He sat down a for a bit, taking some rest. He had been using Helical Breathing continuously, but the Apprentice-level technique was not limitless, even he had begun to feel exhaustion and fatigue creeping into his muscles and bones.

"It's a shame I don't have any rejuvenation potions..." Rui muttered to himself. "Those things were incredibly convenient." Rui had pretty much abused their use since joining the Academy. Only after having left the Academy had he realized how incredibly useful the rejuvenation potions were.

"Once I leave the Academy, I'm going to have purchase these potions myself." Rui sighed, partially depressed. First, he needed to pay back his debt, until then, he wouldn't be able to splurge of rejuvenation potions the way he splurged on them in the Academy. He wasn't even sure he would be able to buy them until his debt was repaid.

He shook his head, putting away such thoughts. That was still quite some time away, no point in thinking about it too deeply.

He gathered his firewood and tied it up into his cloth, before tying it to himself.

"Alright, time to head back." He said before using Parallel Walk, Balance Direction and Helical Breathing. He moved incredibly fast despite his heavy load.

Within a short period of time, he had already reached home.

"You really gathered all the firewood we needed all by yourself..." Lashara murmured, dumbfounded as Rui unloaded the firewood.

"This should be the final pile..." Rui informed, wiping away his sweat.

"Unbelievable" Farion muttered. "You're so incredibly strong! So this is what a Martial Apprentice is capable of."

Rui chuckled, before heading inside. "I'm off to wipe myself down."

During winters, warm baths were far too much of a luxury. Especially for an Orphanage. During winters, the Orphanage members would heat a small bucket of water with some fragrant herbs. It was a bit of a scale-down from Rui who enjoyed hot water perpetually at the Academy.

"Be sure to finish quickly." Lashara called out. "We have a festival to get in time to."

"Yes mom. I'll be out quickly." He replied.

and scrubbing himself down. He knew

his chiseled abs when he got out. "Someone must

in the Academy." He said before heading back to his bed to put on

you look after the kids for a while?" Alice called out to

"Sure thing." He obliged.

excitement as everyone prepared for the festival. Too many children were too young to make the trip and it was impossible to take the entire orphanage to the outer districts in the middle of

"Big brother Rui!"

show us how to

brother is

"Show us some moves!"

him, pestering

alright." Rui laughed mirthfully. "One

children obediently listened

Art moves. Most of them looked incredibly impressive and bombastic, but weren't moves he would

"OOOOH!"

"WOOAH"

"That's so cool!"

moved. He laughed at their exaggerated reactions, but felt a small sense of pride well up in his chest. Showing off to his family was more validating than he'd

time to leave, the adults had cleaned up and the

Mica announced. "That

to ourselves." Julian chided. "No

the carriage, squeezing in as much as they could within a single carriage. They could bare afford a horse-drawn carriage, and that too was a luxury that could be afforded only once in a while,

a span of twenty of minutes they made it to their location, and boarded

she saw the festival fair of the

pleasant, after all." Julian explained.

lamps and sparkling ornaments colouring the entire fare. The infrastructure of the entire fare itself was a temporary makeshift, that could be put together quickly and could be dismantled pretty quickly as well. What was otherwise a large open field

stalls of various sorts, selling seasonal Kandrian dishes that were customary to the Winter Festival. Shops selling festive clothing articles, ornaments, jewelry, toys and firecrackers were littered around. Many challenge