Ask Lupin to teach me

"Lupin, I know you're busy, but could you teach me?" I ask.

"Me? Certainly. I'll teach you how to become an upstanding thief." Lupin says.

"I don't know about being a thief."

"Hm... Not a bad choice. Fleeing often proves to be the best option in a number of different situations." Van Helsing says.

"Yes, I'm confident that Lupin will do a good job in instructing him." Victoria says.

"Thanks, Lupin." I say.

"But of course." Lupin says.

Lupin takes me through the forest a little ways from the mansion.

The sun is shining beautifully through the leaves when we stop.

"All right, I'm going to teach you an escape method that even an amateur can easily pick up. Are you ready? And call me 'Mistress'!" Lupin says.

"Yes, Mistress Lupin." I say.

"Uh... I wasn't serious about that. In any case... Now first of all, do you know what the most important thing about running away is?"

"Um... How fast you can run, or how well you can conceal yourself?"

"Those are good answers, but not quite. It's to make sure you pick the right time to flee."

"The essence of fleeing is timing."

"Yes. You need to be aware of the situation and run when your opponent least expects it, before they can prepare for your escape." Lupin says. "If you can't do that, they'll block your escape before you start running."

"I see."

"The first trait you'll need to make sure you don't miss that timing is cowardice. A coward is always sensitive to danger." Lupin says. "Me, I'm such a coward that I don't even carry weapons. Every device I have is basically used to escape from danger."

"But then you won't be able to fight when the time comes."

"And why should that time ever come?"

"Huh?"

"There is a famous book about military tactics from Asia called 'The Thirty-Six Stratagems', and it's about how to win battles." Lupin says. "There is also a saying there, translated as 'the best strategy is to run away'. You can never defeat an enemy that isn't there. If a fight is inevitable, you've already taken a wrong step somewhere."

"I see. So you're going to teach me how to avoid taking the wrong step."

Lupin nods, satisfied. "Exactly. Now, based on what we just discussed, I have some questions. What do you do if Progenitor finds you?"

"Run."

"What if some hooligans bother you?"

"Run!"

"If some hooligans are bothering you and an ally comes to the rescue?"

"Run!"

"Exactly right." Lupin says.

"But it will be hard to abandon a friend, especially one who has come to my aid." I say.

"Nobody's saying anything about abandoning them. First, you make sure you're safe. Then you counterattack at the right moment." Lupin says. "It's much better than simply standing by and cheering your friend on, isn't it? You must always seize every opportunity."

"So. You're saying that the important thing is to always think about how to take advantage of every situation?"

"You're a quick study. Keep this up, and you'll be a master thief in no time."

"I don't want to be a thief."

For a while, Lupin teaches me everything there is to know about fleeing.

It begins with lectures, then moves to running an obstacle course in the forest.

She told me to run this course every day. She says that training for speed, rather than strength, will help me increase my ability to escape dramatically.

Time goes by. Dusk settles in the forest.

"I suppose that's good for today." Lupin says.

"All right." I say.

"Hmmm..." For some reason Lupin is staring at me.

"What is it, Lupin?"

"I was just thinking that you're doing much better than I expected. You learn quickly, and never tire. You'll make a fine thief."

"I still don't want to be a thief, Lupin!"

"What a shame." She's probably joking. Lupin doesn't look sad at all, and laughs. "That's it for today's lesson. Let's head back."

"Thank you, Mistress Lupin."

"Uh... You don't have to call me that anymore, all right? It's a little embarrassing." With that, Lupin starts to walk way.

I watch her go for a while, then start jogging to catch up with her.