God of Knight

Chapter 13 - Fire Beneath the Skin

“Wait a minute! I think that pile of sacks just moved a little,” one guard said, staring at Kazan’s hiding place.

“I see nothing moving!” his partner objected.

“Let me look! If it’s a rat, I’ll cut it in half.” The guard reached out to lift a sack.

“Damn…!” Kazan thought.

His throat tightened. Without Ki, he could not fight his way out if that hand found him.

“Hey, you two! What are you doing in there?”

Just as the guard was about to lift the sack, someone called from outside. He abandoned the search, and both guards went out.

“Sorry, Senior! We heard a noise inside earlier, and after we checked, it turned out there was no one there!” said one of the student guards.

“Did you two see anyone go in?” asked the senior.

“N-no, Senior!” they replied, shaking their heads.

“It might have just been a rat! Close the door again and keep a close watch on this place!” said the senior, then left the two of them.

The door closed. Only a simple latch held it; the guards relied on their watch outside.

Kazan eased out from beneath the sacks and lifted the latch. Through the narrow gap, he saw both guards facing the yard.

He slipped through low to the ground, eased the door shut, and kept below their line of sight until he reached the corner. Only then did he hurry home.

***

Back in his room, Kazan laid the stolen roots and plants on the table. He put everything except one ginseng root out of sight.

The other two roots would have to last him. He wrapped them carefully and hid them away.

He chopped the Black Ginseng into small pieces so it would be easy to grind, then boiled it in plenty of water.

He stirred the powdered Rain Dew Pills into the pot, diluting all four in plenty of water, then let the mixture reduce.

Once the water had reduced to a concentrated decoction, Kazan took the pot off the heat and let it cool.

When night fell, Daigo came to Kazan’s house and stayed the night to keep Kazan company, as Kenzou had instructed.

They exchanged greetings and little else. Daigo had no idea what to say to a child, and Kazan could hardly discuss the training he was hiding.

Kazan waited a long time for Daigo to fall asleep before going to another room to drink the mixture of Rain Dew Pills and Black Ginseng.

“Less than half a cup. Then nothing more for a week.” He wanted to strengthen his blood and breathing first; without even one Circle of Ki, he could not use the pills in the ordinary way Koumei had described.

He measured less than half a bamboo cup, poured the remaining decoction into a jar, and hid it away.

Kazan sat cross-legged, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes before drinking the medicinal mixture.

Bitterness coated his tongue. Then the ginseng’s sharp heat spread through his mouth.

He sat still, following his breath. For a long while, the only sensation was the taste left on his tongue.

“Did I make a mistake in preparing it?”

He scratched his head. Aira’s disappointed face came to mind each time one of her mixtures had failed.

“It really does seem wrong!”

Kazan stood and started toward the jar he had hidden, but after only a few steps, he felt intense heat rising within his body.

He dropped back to the floor, crossed his legs, and forced his breath into a steady rhythm.

Sweat soaked his clothes. Heat rushed down his arms and legs, as though boiling water were moving beneath his skin.

His knees trembled. He kept breathing through the pain, afraid to let the heat gather in one place.

A blood vessel bursting inside this small body could kill him before Daigo even woke.

Smoke poured out of Kazan’s mouth, ears, and nose, and the veins on his forehead, neck, arms, and legs became visible.

The pressure eased. He opened and closed his hands; even lifting his arms felt lighter.

“Phew… I finally absorbed it!” Kazan said, breathing a sigh of relief.

Kazan walked to the backyard and sat cross-legged there alone. He took a deep breath until his lungs felt full, then exhaled slowly.

He rose without the old heaviness in his legs. “Still no Ki. But if this strength keeps growing, I may be able to lift three times my own weight.”

He repeated the breaths, correcting each one that came too quickly. Until he could form Ki again, this was strength he could build with his body alone.

Kazan didn’t sleep a wink all night, and early in the morning he was already in the yard.

“Good morning, Young Master!” said Daigo, yawning and rubbing his eyes.

“Good morning, Senior Daigo!” replied Kazan with a gentle smile.

“Young Master, I’m going to buy some food after I bathe, so wait here and don’t go anywhere!”

“Senior, why don’t you just cook for yourself? Besides, cooking your own food will save money, won’t it?”

Daigo looked at Kazan in surprise.

“Young Master, I know this is a waste, but the thing is, I can’t cook!” said Daigo.

“Senior! Father said money isn’t everything! As long as we’re able to do things ourselves, why should we waste it?” said Kazan, invoking Enjou’s advice to make his point.

“Young Master, what your father said is true—money isn’t everything. But everything still requires money! Without money, how can we live?” said Daigo.

“This kid still knows how to answer!” Kazan grumbled to himself.

“Do what you think best, Senior.” Kazan waved him on, giving up the argument.

“Kids these days…” He brought out his books before Takao arrived.

A month passed—the time Kenzou had expected the escort mission to take. He did not return.

Fifteen more days went by without him.

Kazan kept the same routine: lessons before noon, breathing practice afterward, and a carefully measured dose of the decoction each week.

His clothes began sitting higher on his wrists and ankles. He had gained a few centimeters and looked closer to six than five.

Takao continued the reading and writing lessons through those weeks.

Kazan still pretended to learn, allowing himself only the progress his teacher expected.

Takao not only taught Kazan to read and write but also taught him the philosophy behind several wise proverbs.

One proverb nearly broke that pretense.

“Flowers can bloom again, but humans cannot be young again.” Kazan looked down at his small hands and hid a smile.