8. Well-Prepared Means No Worries?
8. Well-Prepared Means No Worries?
The next day.
“Good morning, Madam.”
“...? Good morning? Huh, is it time to wake up already?”
Dahlia had come to get me. Normally, I would already be awake by the time she showed up, but this time I’d been sleeping so soundly that I hadn’t even noticed her come in.
“No, this is much earlier than usual.”
“Hmmm, really? What’s up? Do I need to go see Mr. Fisalis off?”
“No, that’s not why.”
I got out of bed, having a big stretch while Dahlia put a shawl around my shoulders.
“Is he gone already, then?”
“Yes, just a while ago.”
“That’s so early!”
I had opened the curtains when I was getting up, and it was still slightly dark outside. If I was gonna be woken up early, I would’ve preferred that it be early enough to say goodbye. Though that would be a matter of me getting up by myself. Sorry. But if it wasn’t to see him off, then why was I being woken up now?
“Is there something I need to do this early?”
“I’d like to show you something. It’s still a bit chilly outside, so we’ll get you dressed first,” Dahlia said, moving to my closet and pulling out my usual clothes.
I see—so we’re going outside. And since I still wasn’t allowed to leave the grounds, it must be somewhere on the estate.
After getting myself dressed, I obediently followed Dahlia as she led me through the manor. We went downstairs and past the servant’s dining room, so we were probably headed to the little corner of the garden that servants tended to use on their breaks. There, I saw the maids waiting for us. There were fifteen in total, so they were all here! Mimosa was still off duty and Stellaria was there in her place, so the total hadn’t changed.
Though it was still cold enough that you’d end up shivering if you stayed still, the maids were all waiting quietly, clutching their brooms, rakes, and mops. They were only dressed in their usual uniforms, but they must’ve been concentrating really hard, since none of them seemed to notice the cold. When they saw me, they all gave a bow before standing back at attention.
Were they gonna be taking care of the gardens...? No, they wouldn’t need mops for that! I quipped back at myself, wondering what was going on, when...
“Begin your drills!”
After Dahlia’s dignified shout echoed through the garden, the maids all started to duel each other with their cleaning implements! Stellaria had a broom, while Rosa fought with a mop.
What was this?! Had the maids always trained this way so early in the morning?! I had no idea! All I could do was watch their practice in mute amazement. The satisfying clacking ringing through the gardens wasn’t from wooden swords, but everyday cleaning tools.
“You’re leaving your side wide open!”
“No problem at all!”
A maid with a broom and one with a rake were having a suspenseful close-combat battle... With cleaning implements. Rake Maid, who had seemed to be in a bad position, had dodged Broom Maid’s finishing blow, quickly changing stances and regaining her strength.
Whoa... That’s so cool...! Morning exercises... Or rather, warm-up duels!
The maids were in groups of two or three, practicing battling with their cleaning tools/weapons. I had completely forgotten about the cold, watching them on the edge of my seat.
“Do you guys do this every morning?”
“Yes.”
“But everyone should have concealed weapons, shouldn’t they? Why not use them instead?”
“We do train with them some days, but today just happened to be one where we trained with whatever we might have on hand,” Dahlia explained as we watched.
That’s right. During my training, I’d been taught to use whatever I could find as a weapon. I get it—so this was a demonstration!
“Drills, over!”
With another brisk shout from Dahlia, they all stopped at once, straightening their uniforms and calming their breathing. Then...
“Let’s all do our best today. Everyone, to your stations.”
“Understood!”
And with that, they scattered to their usual workstations.
“By training like this every morning, we’re able to be ready to protect you if anything happens, Madam. Regular practice is key.”
“Ahhh, thank youuuu~!”
Oh my! So I wasn’t the only one training after all! All of the servants did daily drills to keep their skills sharp. I need to stop whining and take my training more seriously!
“...Hm?”
“Is something the matter?”
Just as I had decided to work harder during practice after seeing the maids at their drills, I glimpsed three familiar backs heading towards the main gardens.
“Dahlia, that’s Rohtas, Cartham, and Bellis, right?
“Yes, it is.”
“What are they holding?”
“Rohtas has a longsword, and Bellis has an ax.”
I couldn’t see what Cartham was carrying, but where were they going with all that dangerous stuff?
“Are they training too?”
“I don’t know,” Dahlia answered, seemingly confused.
“Can I go see?”
“If you wish. I’ll accompany you.”
With that, we chased after the three men, finding them stopped under a big old camellia tree.
“Rohtas! What are you guys doing over here?”
“Ah, Madam. Good morning. We were just about to cut down this old tree.”
“Really? Isn’t that just Bellis’s job?”
“We’re using it as an opportunity to practice a bit ourselves. Please step back, Madam. It’s dangerous to be so close.”
“Okaaay.”
“Now, Madam. Let’s go,” Dahlia urged, and we walked a bit away from the men.
The three of them each had the weapon they were best versed in—a longsword for Rohtas, an ax for Bellis, and carving knives(!) for Cartham. Oh, so those kitchen knives of his double as weapons! I guess that’s not too strange—cutlery can hurt you pretty easily.
“This should be all right,” Rohtas checked with Bellis.
“Yes,” Bellis nodded back.
What exactly are they going to do to cut down the tree? I know an ax would work fine, but kitchen knives?
And then... Thunk! Bellis swung his ax hard into the tree trunk with a heavy thud, knocking down the camellia fruit that had been weighing down the branches.
“Wah! What a waste!”
“You can pick them up later, Madam.”
“You knew exactly what I was going to do!”
I’d almost dashed out to try to save the fruit, not wanting them to go to waste, but Dahlia had a comeback ready. And while Dahlia was holding me back, the other men began to attack the falling fruit.
Swish! Rohtas brandished his sword, swiping twice. Beside him...
Shushushu! Cartham was chucking carving knives, normal knives, and forks. Where the heck had he been hiding those?
After Bellis took another few swings with his ax, the old camellia tree fell down with a thud.
“That wasn’t as hard as I thought. I’d hoped it would present more of a challenge,” the three men said in unison as they straightened themselves up. At their feet were camellia fruit sliced right in two, or with knives and forks sticking out of them.
“Was this the only tree that you wanted to replant?” Rohtas asked, wiping down his sword with a handkerchief.
“Yes.” Bellis nodded again in reply.
“These should be enough to keep our cleaning stock up for a while. What do you think, Madam?”
“Why not use the fruit oil in a dessert? You love those, don’t you, Madame?”
“Madam, would you like to plant the new tree with me?”
All three of the men picked up the fruit and brought it over to me.
“Oh wow, this is great! We’ll do our best with cleaning! And dessert tastes great when you eat it after a good workout! I’ve never grown a camellia tree from a seed before, so I’m excited!”
Then, we all headed back inside the manor together.
It was still early morning, and I’d found out I wasn’t the only one who was training. I needed to suck it up and work hard without whining!
After having breakfast at our usual time, my special training started again, just like it had the day before. I was doing close combat today.
“Use anything close to you as a weapon, just like the servants you saw training this morning.”
“All right!”
“If there’s no cutlery close by, even your ring can be used as a weapon.”
“What?! My ring?!”
“Yes,” Rohtas replied, pointing to the shining ring on my left ring finger, which matched the one worn by Mr. Fisalis.
Oh yeah, it’s thick and set with heavy gems, so it’d probably hurt a lot if you punched someone with it, but... What if those delicately set stones came off...?
“It won’t be damaged easily. It was designed with this use in mind,” he quipped, seemingly having read my mind. Amazing, Rohtas!
“O-Okay!”
“Since it’s on your left hand, make sure to focus on attacking with your left. You’re right-handed, so your blows will be weaker if you don’t concentrate. Angle yourself like this, with your left side in front... Squeeze your fist closed tight and aim for the vitals.”
“Wha—? Where are the vitals? I don’t know that!”
“Hmm... The best target might be the solar plexus. Other ones are the chin, temples... If your opponent is a man, their Adam’s apple, or their most vital of vitals.”
“Okay, you don’t need to elaborate on that last bit!”
Rohtas gave me a rundown of the vital spots throughout the body. But I was nervous just about being asked to punch someone, especially with Bellis as my target!
“Don’t worry. I’ll dodge it right before your fist lands,” said Bellis, moving his face closer so I could hit it easier.
Gyaaaah! Even if I know he’s gonna dodge, I still can’t punch him! And wait, why should I practice a dodgeable attack anyway?
As I faltered in front of Bellis, Rohtas urged me on. “Practice makes perfect, Madam.”
“No, but...I can’t punch him!” I cried, on the verge of tears.
“Do your best!”
Normally, Rohtas would give up and stop the lesson, but today he was pushing me on! What’s up, Rohtas?! Are you in a bad mood?! You’re just bone-chillingly scary right now!
“Wahhh! I’m sorry, Bellis!” Since he was leaning down, I aimed a punch right at his temple! But, of course, he caught it before it hit.
“Too half-hearted,” Bellis said, still holding my fist.
“Faster! You aren’t putting enough strength into it,” Rohtas yelled encouragingly.
Wasn’t all of my martial arts training up until now self-defense? When did we start adding offense into the mix? Is it because offense is the best defense? Asking me to aim for someone’s vitals when I’ve never punched anyone before in my life is just too much!
Waaaah! I have to go to that party, and my training is super strict—everything is just so hard!