Chapter 177: Just stay put.

Chapter 177: Chapter 177: Just stay put.

Chapter 177: Just stay put.

He recalled how she had addressed him as Master and the way she had shown interest in his Aura cultivation the previous evening, although he hadn’t expected her to take things this far.

He had only asked her to keep an open mind and follow his guidance, but that didn’t necessarily mean he intended to become her personal instructor in every possible field.

There were already enough things demanding his attention, and adding another responsibility to his daily routine wasn’t particularly appealing.

"Might I ask why?"

"No reason..."

Sasha blurted out, although on sensing his lingering gaze, she realised she couldn’t simply brush it off.

She lowered her head slightly, looking at the food in her hands before letting out a small sigh.

"Fine~, I just got curious last night seeing you train and wanted to do the same..."

She admitted, her voice becoming a little quieter towards the end.

Osborne remained silent, waiting to see whether she had anything else to say, and Sasha eventually found herself looking down at her hands as she continued thinking about the reason behind her request.

’You’ve done so much for me that I feel guilty seeing you work so hard while all I do is laze about~’

She thought to herself, recalling how Osborne had spent the previous evening preparing their shelter, finding food and making sure they had everything they needed before settling down to cultivate throughout the night.

Even after spending the entire night training, he had woken up early enough to find them something to eat, and when she had suggested that he rest, he had simply brushed her concerns aside.

’Not only are you protecting me, but you feed me too and made this shelter all on your own. I don’t want someone to always help me with every little thing.’

Sasha couldn’t help feeling uncomfortable whenever she thought about how little she was contributing to their journey.

She understood that Osborne was more than capable of taking care of himself, but that didn’t change the fact that she was constantly relying on him for almost everything, from finding food to choosing where they would rest.

Even when they encountered something dangerous, she could only stand behind him and wait for him to deal with the situation, leaving her feeling just as helpless as she had been when the traffickers captured her.

She didn’t want to remain that way forever.

’If someday you decide to leave, I want to be able to stand on my own two feet rather than feel helpless again.’

Sasha thought, recalling the fear she had experienced while being held captive, as well as the uncertainty she had felt when Osborne left her alone in the forest during their escape.

Although she was grateful that he had rescued her, she didn’t want to spend the rest of her life depending on someone else to protect her, especially when she had no idea how long he intended to remain by her side.

She had already lost her mother, and the years she had spent moving from one place to another had taught her that she couldn’t always rely on other people to be there when she needed them.

If she was truly going to return to her father’s household and pursue the position of successor, then she couldn’t afford to remain someone who needed protection from every little difficulty.

There would undoubtedly be people who opposed her, and considering what she had heard about her stepmother and half-siblings, she couldn’t expect them to simply accept her presence without putting up a fight.

She needed to become stronger, even if it was only enough to protect herself from ordinary threats.

Sasha bit her lower lip as she looked at Osborne, awaiting his reply, although the longer he remained silent, the more uncertain she became about whether he would agree.

’I don’t have time to fuel your curiosity, kid...’

Osborne said inwardly, finding her request rather troublesome.

He understood that she might have been inspired by watching him cultivate the previous night, but learning combat wasn’t something that could be accomplished simply because she had suddenly developed an interest in it.

It required time, effort and a considerable amount of patience, and considering their current circumstances, he didn’t see any reason to begin teaching her something that wouldn’t be immediately useful.

Besides, he had already made plans for their journey, and the last thing he needed was another responsibility slowing down their progress.

"This isn’t the time to be playing around. So please refrain from thinking such things from now on."

Osborne replied, his voice remaining calm as he returned his attention to the food in front of him.

"What? But why?"

Sasha’s expression faltered, clearly not expecting such a response after finally gathering the courage to make her request.

She had thought that he might at least consider her suggestion, especially since she wasn’t asking him to spend every waking moment teaching her, but his answer made it seem as though the idea itself was unreasonable.

"I’m more than capable of protecting you on my own."

Osborne continued, making his position clear without bothering to elaborate any further.

He didn’t see the need for Sasha to learn how to fight when he could easily deal with most ordinary threats they encountered, and considering the distance they still had to travel, there was little reason to spend time training her, now.

"Neither am I complaining about it. Just leave it to me and I’ll get you home soon enough."

His words were meant to reassure her, although he wasn’t particularly interested in discussing the matter any further.

From his perspective, Sasha’s safety was his responsibility for the time being, and as long as she followed his instructions, there was little reason for her to put herself in unnecessary danger.

He wasn’t taking her to Vonroth County so she could fight her way through every obstacle, and even if she eventually became the successor of the household, there would be plenty of opportunities for her to learn the things she needed after they arrived.