Chapter 55

The next day, both father and mother seemed busy from the morning.

"Nonna, your parents have to study medicine. Can you spend time with Mao? You can play with that boy, but please don't do any roundhouse kicks or knee strikes."

"Okay. But, Mom, that boy calls me 'chick.' What should I do if he calls me 'chick' again?"

Mother, looking a bit surprised, cupped Nonna's face in her hands and looked her in the eye before speaking.

"Maybe he just wants to get your attention. If he's not being truly mean, you don't have to worry about it. Maybe you can become friends?"

"Hmm."

Nonna wondered if she could become friends with someone who called her 'chick' the first time they met. Breakfast was a flat, bread-like item made from kneaded flour, and they ate it by wrapping it around various side dishes. Nonna loved the soft, sweet cooked berries and ate several of them. Mao explained something, and Mother translated for her.

"Mulberries are delicious, but steamed chicken dipped in sauce is also very tasty."

Following the advice, Nonna tried the chicken. It was the softest bird meat she had ever tasted in Ashbury, and the sauce with chopped herbs was sweet and tangy. Wrapped in the bread-like item, it was so delicious that she could eat it all day.

"Anna, you've really mastered Sheng language."

"Thank you, Jeff. But I think it will be difficult to remember the names of the medicines."

"Your notes on the words have been a huge help."

"I'm thinking of making a Sheng-Ashbury dictionary. It would make it easier for exchange students from both Sheng and Ashbury."

Father's eyes showed surprise and admiration as he looked at Mother. It made Nonna very happy to see her beloved parents getting along so well.

After the parents left for work, Nonna and Mao went out to the garden. She ran to the pond she had seen the day before and peered into it. Fat fish in black, red, and gold swam up, splashing and begging for food. Since living by the sea in the Kingdom of Randall, Nonna had loved fish.

(These look delicious.)

Even though she was full, she felt her mouth watering as she watched the fish. Deciding to explore the garden without Il today, she stood up and heard a shout from a distance.

"Hah! Yah! Hah!"

It was the voices of several adult men. Curious, she quickened her pace and followed the sound until she reached a training ground at the edge of the property. About twenty men, dressed in loose matching blue outfits, were training.

"Wow!"

With sparkling eyes, Nonna ran forward, and Mao hurried to follow her. Nonna decided to stand in a place where she wouldn't be in the way. The men, all with short hair or long black hair tied back, were imitating the movements of an elderly instructor standing in front of them.

They punched with blinding speed, pulling back each time, creating a loud "whoosh" as they cut through the air. They kicked, punched, and performed roundhouse kicks. The movements were a bit different from what Mother had taught her, but they were familiar.

During the two-month sea voyage, Father and Mother had taught Nonna various things. Mother mainly taught her martial arts, and Father taught her swordsmanship. This became a topic of conversation among the crew, and when the Asher family's training time came, the crew members who were free would gather on the deck to watch.

Some of the crew members were skilled, and when one of them challenged Mother to a martial arts practice, the deck erupted in whistles and cheers, even drawing the captain's attention. Mother, with her shining sweat and disheveled hair, was beautiful, and Father and she watched in admiration. Father was very disappointed that there were no swordsmen among the Sheng crew.

Lost in these memories, Nonna noticed the men had stopped and were looking at her.

(Did I do something wrong?) she wondered, a bit flustered, but then she noticed the elderly instructor gesturing for her to come over.

(Me?) she pointed to herself, and he nodded with a smile. Unfazed, Nonna took off her shoes and ran over. The men were all barefoot.

"Nonna!"

"Hmm?"

Stopping mid-run, she turned to see Mao looking troubled. But Nonna, who didn't have the words to explain, bowed politely to Mao and said, "This is fine," before turning and running to the instructor who had gestured to her.

"Hello, I'm Nonna Asher."

The instructor and the students were surprised by the golden-haired girl's Sheng language and then laughed happily.

"I am Kan."

"Nonna, I like this."

She demonstrated the punches, kicks, and roundhouse kicks she had just seen. The young men, who had been laughing, suddenly stopped. Instructor Kan looked impressed.

"Do you want to train with us?"

"Sure, that's great."

Instructor Kan called out, "Mao!" and gave some instructions. Mao ran off and quickly returned with a blue training outfit.

"Can I wear this?"

"Yes, of course."

Mao helped her change quickly in the shade, and Nonna returned to the men. Amid warm and curious gazes, she was invited to stand in the third row from the front. The training resumed.

"Hah! Yah!"

Nonna followed the movements of the men and Instructor Kan, punching quickly, kicking, and performing roundhouse and flying kicks. It was so much fun that she had to be careful not to let her face show it. After some practice, two men chosen by Instructor Kan faced off in a martial arts match. The others watched. The movements were incredibly fast, even faster than Mother's.

Nonna watched intently, not wanting to miss a single move. After the skilled student's demonstration, everyone paired up with a nearby partner for one-on-one practice. Nonna thought she would just watch, but Instructor Kan gestured for her to join him.

"Can we go all out?"

She asked in Ashbury, but the instructor nodded with a smile.

(Since he's the instructor, it's okay to go all out.) Nonna took the stance Mother had taught her.

Of course, she couldn't match the instructor. He moved slowly, dodging all of Nonna's attacks while observing her movements. Nonna, agile like a young rabbit, jumped and kicked from various directions. Sometimes she clung to Kan's neck from behind, unsure of what to do next. Mother, Anna, had never taught her techniques that could harm someone's life.

"Hahaha. You haven't learned that part yet."

"Mom didn't teach me that."

"Indeed. That's for the best. Those techniques would shorten your life with such a small body."

By then, all the students had stopped to watch Nonna and Instructor Kan's sparring.

That night, in the annex given to the Asher family, Nonna excitedly told Anna about her experience with Instructor Kan and the students.

"Really? That's a good experience."

"Mom, I want to train with them again."

"What do you think, Jeff?"

"It's fine. There's no harm in it."

Nonna's face lit up at her father's response.