Martial Arts Worlds

Swing~

Kiernan opened the cleaning closet, stuffed the broom back inside, and closed it silently without making a ruckus.

'Next in the order… I will be helping in the kitchen.'

Kiernan quickly checked his phone to see what his next job as a chore boy was, and this was his first time helping in the kitchen, which made him slightly excited.

He'd rather do that than just sweep the ground for the thousandth time—for some odd reason, they clearly cared about the wellbeing of their gravel yard.

When he slid his phone inside his pocket, he heard some soft footsteps approach him from the side, and when he slightly turned his head to look around, his eyes widened as he saw Aoi speed-walk towards him with urgency.

"Aoi. What's up?"

Kiernan asked.

When Aoi saw his face, her cheeks turned pink, and her stomach was filled with butterflies, and she couldn't help but smile widely.

"Hey… Kiernan."

She nervously rubbed her hands together and tried to find the right words to say.

"Is there… something you want to talk to me about?"

Kiernan asked, and as he saw her big smile, framed with pink cheeks, he felt his heart skip a beat.

"Uhm, yes… I think people know what we did!"

She said, almost shouted, her voice filled with anxiety.

"What do you mean? Nobody knows anything."

Kiernan said and looked around, quite relieved that they were speaking near the cleaning closet that was hidden from view mostly because it was located at the end of the hallway.

It would be very suspicious for them to talk, so he thought it was pretty reckless of her, but what she said also bothered her.

'Would some people really know? But how?'

"I heard some girls talk about the noises… of last night."

She bashfully said and twirled her black hair around her finger before continuing with anxiety seeping out of her voice.

"I also saw some people… looking at me. I think they know about us, and I don't know what to do!"

Kiernan let out a sigh of relief and then touched her shoulders, making her jump in surprise, and the pink hue spread across her cheeks.

"Nobody knows about us. I promise. Have they questioned you about how you regained your hearing and speaking yet?"

"I didn't tell anyone just yet… I don't want to tell them this close to last night."

Aoi said shyly, feeling his strong hands touching her, his touch sending shivers down her spine.

"You didn't? That's good then. If they heard some man and woman moaning or something, it couldn't possibly be you, as you're mute. You can keep that secret for a while and reveal the truth when you're ready.

"You're off the hook, but remember, don't get caught using your voice."

Kiernan said.

"Mm…"

Aoi zipped her mouth shut and nodded.

"Your grandfather must've found out about the fact that you advanced?"

Kiernan asked.

She nodded with a smile.

"He came asking me questions earlier this morning… I think he noticed that I am a Martial Master. While it might be suspicious that we advanced on the same day, he couldn't possibly know about the Dual Cultivation.

"Just to be safe, we shouldn't converse with each other for the time being. Let's just act like we don't know each other."

Kiernan said.

"What?"

Aoi said, looking confused.

"If we're somehow looking close all of a sudden, some people might have some wild imaginations about how we came this close, and since people already heard the noises last night, I don't want to give them any more reason to gossip."

Kiernan said.

"Oh…"

Aoi lowered her head, fidgeted with her fingers, and then asked softly.

"How long do we have to pretend then?"

"We will just have to wait and see."

Kiernan said, checked the time on his phone, and then said.

"I have a kitchen duty to go to. Good luck with your training."

Kiernan turned around and headed away, but then Aoi grabbed his shirt and showed him her phone.

"Can we share phone numbers, at least?"

She asked hopefully.

"Like… we can text, at least, right?"

"I don't think that would be wise, as it leaves traces. Your grandfather might check your phone and see our text messages. Not worth the risk."

Kiernan said, and then headed out quickly as he was already late for his kitchen shift.

"Oh…"

Aoi hung her head low, looked at her phone, and clutched the hem of her shirt nervously as she wished she had the courage to tell how she really felt about his suggestion.

…

"Hurry up, cut those carrots already!"

In the steaming hot kitchen with the sharp knife in his hand, Kiernan quickly sliced the carrots with expert precision.

It looked like he had dozens of years of experience with the knife and cooking in general.

Without waiting for instructors, he tossed the sliced carrots into the water-brimmed pot on the stove that was threatening to boil over.

"Good! Peel those potatoes next!"

The chef shouted from across the kitchen as he continued to oversee the chaos of the busy kitchen.

While his cooks had a thousand times more experience than Kiernan, he wasn't actually lagging behind even a little bit!

It impressed him greatly.

Kiernan quickly peeled off the potatoes, then handed them to another cook, and returned to the stove to continue working on the vegetable soup.

At that moment, as he moved the pot off of the burner, he heard an ear-itching sound, which only he was able to hear.

Ding! Ding!

[Job Quest Completed!]

[1,000 XP Acquired!]

"Huh?"

Kiernan halted in his steps, his heart pounding in his chest, and a long sigh of relief escaped his mouth.

This quest worried him to no end, as he didn't know what the completion requirement was, but apparently he only had to work for a few days.

'It's over, huh? So I have no reason to stay in Dusk Town anymore, and it is time to move on…'

Kiernan sighed and felt slightly bitter about that revelation as a certain face appeared in his mind that didn't seem to disappear.