Chapter 650: Future Plans
Chapter 650: Future Plans
The next morning rolled around, and the sun’s morning rays filled the dojo with a warm glow of the dawn.
While outside, the dojo had a slightly rundown building feeling, but inside, it was much better now with every nook and cranny tidied and cleaned.
At the bottom floor, the training hall was open and clean, with polished wooden floors and weapon racks along the walls.
A few banners of calligraphy hung above, and a small incense burner rested in a shrine-like alcove at the far end.
Paper lanterns hung from the ceiling. They weren’t lit.
Upstairs, the office held a low desk with neatly stacked scrolls, a bonsai tree by the window, and a single hanging scroll of a mountain landscape.
The two bedrooms were simple—one tidy with a folded futon, a vase of flowers, and a wind chime by the window.
The other was more lived-in, with two naked figures hugging underneath a blanket, an unrolled futon underneath them, a desk strewn with papers, and a stack of books in the corner.
“Mmh…”
Kiernan covered his eyes with his forearm, trying to block off the light coming from the window, and then turned his head to the side.
With her eyes closed, Aoi was hugging her sweaty bare body against his muscular body. She still had fluids from their lovemaking last night streaked across her chest.
Scratching his hair, Kiernan stood up—all of his clothes were strewn across the floor—and with bare feet while wearing nothing, he walked to the bathroom.
After turning on the shower’s hot water, he stepped in and let the water run down his body, washing away the remnants of their passion.
The steam filled the bathroom. It was warm, and he closed his eyes, the steam enveloping him in a comforting embrace.
A short while later, he stepped out of the shower, picked up a towel, and wrapped it around his waist while walking back to their room.
“Mmh~”
Aoi, with a soft moan escaping her lips, finally woke up and hugged the blanket against her breasts while watching Kiernan check what to wear from the wardrobe.
“What’s the plan today?”
She asked with a smile, hugging her legs to her chest.
“A few more trucks of furniture will be coming today in a few hours. They are mostly training equipment, and I plan on putting a tree in that yard.”
“At the yard, really? It’s really small already.”
Aoi said.
“Only at the corner. It won’t take up that much space, and I will hang a punching bag from one of its trees. It can be used as proper exercise equipment.
“I also bought some cauldrons.”
Kiernan said.
“Cauldrons? What for?”
Aoi asked.
From what she knew of alchemy, the cauldrons were used to mix together ingredients and brew potions.
It wasn’t actually used as martial arts training.
“I will fill the cauldrons with sand and have my students punch the sand. Iron Style is worthless without strong hand conditioning. Hands need to be as strong as iron!”
Kiernan said.
“Oh…”
Aoi let out a cute “oh,” and from what she knew of hand conditioning, it was cruel and painful exercise.
It wasn’t something that most students were willing to go through, especially knowing that by becoming a higher martial rank, their bodies would toughen up as well.
“I will need to start recruiting soon. It will be hard.”
Kiernan said.
“Really? You are very popular, so I am sure that getting a few students won’t be a problem at all!”
Aoi said.
“…I wish that would be the case, but I am barely older than the students I am about to teach, and I am sure they will think things such as, ‘He is barely older than me; how much more does he actually know?'”
Kiernan said.
“…Really?”
Aoi put her head on her knees and thought about what she would do if she were a couple of years younger and was studying in Montrael.
She would most likely seek one of the higher-starred dojos with an older dojo master to teach her.
She would trust someone who had been practicing martial arts for many decades more than someone who had only been doing it for a couple of years.
“I forgot that you are only nineteen years old!”
Aoi exclaimed.
“My reputation doesn’t mean anything in this case. The more talented students will be too prideful to join my dojo, as they are just a few years younger than me.
“I plan on recruiting students that haven’t even awakened yet and then having them participate in tournaments.
“When they start doing well in tournaments, I will naturally get more students as they realize that I know how to teach… If I know how to teach.”
Kiernan said with a wry smile.
It was really one of his first times actually teaching someone. Sure, he had taught little things to few people, but this was the first time he was teaching from scratch.
“You will do great! I know so!”
Aoi cheered him on with a big smile.
She believed that he could do everything that he put his mind to, and this was no different.
“First, I have to register my martial arts as official martial arts. When that is done, I can apply for master status. I only need to be Martial King, have a dojo, and have officially registered martial arts, so I only have that left to accomplish.”
Kiernan said.
“You sound like you have everything mapped out.”
Aoi said with a smile.
“I will then go recruit a couple of students. Passionate and motivated students. I don’t want to waste my time on students that will get discouraged and quit quickly.
“That would leave a bad stain on my reputation.
“After I think my students are somewhat decent enough, I will have them participate in tournaments.
“Luckily, there are pretty much tournaments every week in Montrael. There is no shortage of that in this city.”
Kiernan said.
Aoi listened to him with a cute smile. It was clear that he was taking this seriously. She wanted to support him in this endeavor.
“…What will you be doing?”
Kiernan asked as he turned to look at his fiancée and saw her warming herself with the thick blanket.
“I will help around in the dojo. Whatever you need to be done, I will do it!”
She said excitedly.