Many years ago,
in old hut somewhere in the ancient Mican mountains…“Wha--!? How come you are not going to teach me? Didn’t you say--” Chiyuri said in a shocked voice once last traces of the past winter disappeared and she was able to make it to the derelict house of the man who agreed to be her swordsmanship master a few months ago.
“Things change, girl. You gotta learn that; the only thing you can expect in this life is disappointment,” the old, haggard-looking samurai said as he reached for an old earthenware pitcher that reeked of booze, not even caring to look Chiyuri in the eyes.
“Why is that, then?” she asked again, stomping the ground like a pouting child -- which she pretty much was.
“You agreed to teach me if I could make it here on my own. Why is it that you aren’t going to do it?”“Yeah, but I didn’t say that you could take four months to do it, kid. If you want to be a warrior, you gotta have more resolve than that,” he replied, chugging down more of his questionable alcohol. “But.. I may be inclined to change my mind if you can show me your determination,” he added, flashing a thughish grin.
“Wha-- what’s it that you want now?” Chiyuri asked. The dark-haired girl recoiled a bit unwittingly, in anticipation to anything obscene that the man might say.
“Calm down, kid. I don’t know what’s in your mind now, but I can say that you are at least ten years too young for my tastes. I just wanted to see what you were gonna do,” the old samurai laughed heartily, after Chiyuri fell to his tricks like the child she were. “Anyway, I’ve had my fill for today. Come back tomorrow and I’ll begin teaching you about something that you gotta learn before you you can even touch a blade. And by that, I mean how to deal with these wits of yours,” he said as he walked back inside his hut, leaving behind a dumbfounded -- and much aggravated -- Chiyuri.
“Oh, and don’t forget to bring some food, ‘cause you’re gonna be doing the cooking and all the chores as your tuition fee. If there’s one thing a lone wolf like myself could use, that’s a maid, hahaha!” he shouted in an ever drunkier voice from inside his home.
And the rest is history...