Fater's corner

The world is wide and beautiful, so my brother says. Ever since my third birthday since I became old enough to think about my future, every time he visits me in my room I beg for him to tell me about his adventures. I know it’s selfish of me, but I was born as girl. I will never be able to leave my home without permission, that I will never get. My father adores me as his first daughter, he wants my life to be perfect in every sense. My wardrobe is full of astonishing dresses from far away lands and I have more jewelry than my dear first other who gave birth to me. However, my brother is the one who always kept me safe. I love him more than anything, his manly strength, his amazing stories and his love for his family.

 

The fine woven tales of training and fights that he always tell me are the most entertaining. After his sixth birthday father had employed strict instructors and for his sake the only command he gave them was: “Beat every knowledge you have into him, he has to know pain to be able to defend his loved ones.“

 

I know the truth, because I was hiding in a secret passage under them. I also saw the bruises and injuries he suffered but he never admitted it. He said a man has to be strong and never show a weakness. I can only smile thinking back to that conversation. This was two years ago, now I’m near my sixth birthday.

 

Were I born as a man, I would start my training about now. This won’t happen of course. I’m a lady who never has to leave her livespace for anything. I have five maids taking care of everything. My father thought it would be bad for me to get close to mere servants, so they were changed weekly. The only occasion I’m allowed to leave my room is to have a meal with my family or special occasions like welcoming a guest.

 

I’m not that unsatisfied with my treatment, I know how much father loves me and I have my brother so I’m not lonely. Even if he has little free time, he always spends it with me, I can see him every two week at least once.

 

At first I spent my free time sneaking around in the house, but it was hard to not get noticed. I was slow, but my small height helped me greatly. The mansion father has is enormous. No matter how far I went in this maze, I never found the end of it. The furthest I gone is about two kilometer away by my estimation, and that wasn’t the end! I got used to this labyrinth quickly and using the secret passages I found I can get anywhere without anyone noticing.

 

The first big discovery was the library. Hundreds of book of common knowledge that kept me entertained in these years filled my brain and I learned well. I heard that it’s hard to learn so many thing for others, but since I greatly enjoyed everything, I remember most of the contents.

 

This wasn’t the only place I visited, but not all of them were interesting. The small lake near second sister’s room, the stables, the guestrooms, the halls, I went everywhere to see them with my very eyes.

 

This was the limit for the distance, or I’d get noticed. I don’t want father to be angry nor sad, but I can’t forget the joy of adventuring. This little world around me is everything I have.

 

There was one thing, that was more important than everything else. The treasury. It was really hard to get into, since guards and traps were laid all around it. They were a pain to avoid, but it worth it. No, it wasn’t the riches, gold or jewelry I wanted. They are all I can have with a simple ask. I wanted the clan’s techniques. Women are not to learn any form of martial arts, is the world’s motto. Man has to be strong and protect them.

 

No matter how I beg father to let me train with my brother, he didn’t even let me learn about the techniques. I should be happy living a quiet and calm life, supporting my future husband and watching the house. I was crying at that time, but now I only laugh. It’s idiocy. Why is a woman weaker than a man? Why can’t we do anything? Why? Why?

 

My brother tried to cheer me up and when I told him my intentions that I want to keep my loved ones safe, he took my side. Sadly his world only meant even harsher training that consisted one sided beating for him.

 

I pretended to give up, but in the end I learn about everything. I memorized all the scrolls and everything that we had, but I found something else. Something that changed my whole life.

 

Behind a complex lock that can only be opened using a drop of our bloodlines blood and a codelock which opening number was my birthday, I found a large book that almost weights five kilogram. It was undoubtedly the records and findings of our ancestors techniques they used for their cultivation. One might say it should be impossible for me to enter this place, which is relatively true. Something valuable as this is what makes a clan strong and be able to defend themselves. However, I note that this place is near the middle of the labyrinth fortress joked as a mansion, surrounded by guards with high cultivation. The only reason why I can go unnoticed because of the size of my body and the secret passages even they don’t know about.

 

This family is at most a at the upper middle of the hierarchy, anyone stronger than us would never bother for stealing something weaker and anyone weaker would not dare get out of sight in this place. The walls often emit aura causing me to shiver from fright, one mistake with a trap could kill me a hundred times over.

But this book was worth it. It is worth it. I’m here to enter the world of cultivation as a woman, who is only a loved item in this god forsaken world. I refuse to give in, I will go out and experience life as much as I’m able to. I’ll head forward and cut myself a path if others won’t let me follow them. My path will be narrower, that is sure, but not a hair shorter.