Human relationships that are realized too late

The decision to take Timos as a student was not Loya’s own.

Recalling the initial few cycles, he hadn’t actually brought her into the team.

In the very beginning, the foundation of “Swan Lake” was Kalandria and Hanni, along with Loya himself,

forming a stable, classic three-person team.

The timing of encountering Timos was after his ninth rebirth; it was more of an accident than the initially known projected flow.

During an adventure, “Swan Lake” ventured deep into an uncharted forest.

It was there they coincidentally rescued the elf maiden Timos from a group of unknown evil spirits, who was on the verge of being sacrificed.

As per the usual procedure, she should have been sent back to the Adventurer’s Guild for proper placement.

However, Kalandria keenly recognized Timos’s hidden magical talent and her elven heritage.

Furthermore, at that time, considering the team’s occupational roles within “Swan Lake,”

with Hanni as the front-line magic warrior,

Kalandria as the main damage dealer, a magic bullet user,

and Loya, who was merely a blank slate unit in combat,

they were in dire need of a reliable mage.

Thus, Kalandria extended an olive branch to the elf maiden.

Initially, Loya did not pay much attention to Timos,

believing that her calling him “Teacher” was merely a form of polite deference due to him teaching her some common sense about the human world and some modern encyclopedic knowledge.

Loya had always treated her the same way he treated Hanni, with the same regard,

seeing her only as an ordinary teammate, an ordinary friend.

They did not possess the “Divine Blessing” necessary for saving the world.

Therefore, on Loya’s internal scales, their importance could not possibly compare to Kalandria’s.

Moreover, at that time, Kalandria was the pure, flawless white moonlight in his heart.

However, as their adventures deepened, Loya gradually discovered another facet of Timos’s talent, far beyond the natural affinity elves possessed for magic.

Her intuition regarding magical energy was astonishingly accurate.

Whether it was appraising mysterious magical artifacts or identifying hidden magical traps, her judgments were unique and efficient.

Her presence greatly improved the convenience of their adventures.

With Timos joining them, the progress of their adventures was smoother by more than just one level compared to before.

To put it metaphorically, it was like unexpectedly unlocking an extremely convenient support function while playing a game.

Although this convenience was not enough to allow him to easily crush the many difficulties of saving the world, many things would indeed become troublesome without her.

From then on, with each rebirth, Loya would precisely calculate the timing.

He would deliberately guide Kalandria to lead the team to that dense forest, rescuing Timos from the evil spirits.

Then, he would proactively suggest to Kalandria that they keep this uniquely talented elf maiden in the team.

This had almost become a fixed routine, like advancing the plot and unlocking necessary functional modules.

Furthermore, Timos was different from the other teammates Loya had encountered in previous restarts.

She was, apart from Loya himself, the only member who had remained with “Swan Lake” from beginning to end.

Perhaps it was because, whether Kalandria initially extended a helping hand or Loya later rescued her, “Swan Lake” had always been her benefactor.

Coupled with what he had unintentionally overheard in the tavern earlier, Loya had a general understanding.

Her reluctance to leave “Swan Lake” was, to a large extent, because she had come to regard it as a spiritual home.

However, all of this inertia was completely shattered in this current rebirth.

First, Loya himself chose to withdraw.

Then followed Hanni’s departure.

Now, even Timos had made a choice entirely different from the past.

Since she no longer intended to act as an adventurer or go out exploring, her convenient magical intuition was no longer a necessity for Loya.

Therefore, he hadn’t intended to have much further interaction with his student.

Moreover, his future plan was to continuously engage with those chosen prodigies who bore the “Divine Blessing.”

After all, stealing power, an act of gaining trust and then leaving,

would undoubtedly be more convenient if he were alone, minimizing connections.

But the current situation had deviated considerably from his expectations.

An opportunity to approach the Holy Sword family had suddenly presented itself.

The second young master of that family, Mossolen, didn’t seem particularly sharp-witted.

This could serve as a stepping stone.

Since Mossolen showed interest in Timos, it seemed logical to ask Timos for a small favor.

Besides, Timos’s future plan was to work in the Holy Sword family’s library.

Establishing some good relationships with the core members of the family wouldn’t be bad for her future development.

However, Loya knew his student’s temperament well.

Based on his understanding of Timos, she would never develop any good feelings towards those arrogant young nobles who thought highly of themselves.

Although she appeared gentle and soft, like an approachable elf little sister,

in reality, her bottom line was as hard as iron.

She would never feign politeness or approach those she disliked, not even an inch.

Yet, even if it was just for show, to use Mossolen as a channel to approach the Holy Sword family and ultimately connect with that legendary Knight King,

Loya had no choice but to brace himself and make a request to Timos.

“—I need your help.”

He deliberately set aside his teacher’s airs.

As he spoke these words, Loya had already prepared a full set of sincere rhetoric in his mind, striving for maximum sincerity in every word.

However, the result completely exceeded his expectations.

Timos agreed almost without hesitation, nodding immediately.

She didn’t ask for the reason.

She didn’t need any explanation.

She didn’t even inquire in detail about what she needed to do.

“—I will do as Teacher wishes.”

She simply smiled as always, leaving behind these words, soft yet firm.

She…

listened to him so much?

It was only at this moment that Loya suddenly realized this.

Was it because for a long time, he had never truly focused his attention on her, never truly regarded this student, that he was so slow to realize?

Or perhaps, he had already unconsciously taken her obedience and docility for granted.

Only now, when he needed to utilize this “taken-for-granted” quality, did he suddenly awaken to it?

After a temporary farewell, Loya still lingered in front of the tavern, his thoughts in a whirl.

The morning light was gentle and warm, yet it could not calm the turmoil in his heart.

He watched her twin golden ponytails sway with her steps, gradually disappearing into the shadows of the street corner.

He secretly took a deep breath,

(I’m sorry, Timos. I’ve put you in a difficult position this time. I will definitely repay this favor to you later.)