Aboard the Mermaid,
The sky was clear, and the warm sea breeze carried a faint salty tang. It felt wonderfully comfortable against the skin.
The journey had been remarkably smooth lately. They had not even encountered bad weather.
The sailors and mercenaries aboard the Mermaid had all relaxed, enjoying this rare stretch of peaceful days.
People lay scattered across the deck, basking in the sun. A lazy atmosphere enveloped the ship, and Loren had no intention of stopping them.
After all, these people would become the backbone of the Milne Chamber of Commerce's expanded sea routes. They had fought fiercely against a pirate ship just days ago, so they truly needed some rest and relaxation.
Yet amid that relaxed atmosphere, there was one small figure who seemed rather out of place.
At the very front of the deck stood a petite, adorable figure. She held a longsword aloft, struggling to maintain her balance.
A closer look revealed beads of sweat covering her pale forehead. Her thin arms trembled slightly, clearly showing that she had held on for quite some time.
This small figure persevering through a basic stance was Helen, who had already become Li Si's disciple and was preparing to embark on the path of an Extraordinary Professional.
After Li Si had accepted Helen that day, he had not immediately begun teaching her warrior techniques or other skills. Instead, he taught her several stances and had her begin by training her body.
Helen's body was still far too weak. The suffering and torment she had endured before had left her development noticeably behind that of children her age. Though she had been properly nourished over this period, there were still shortcomings.
Rashly beginning warrior body-tempering methods and martial techniques would instead be detrimental to her growth.
First, she needed