Chapter 31: Teacher(3)

“Hans, that was an excellent attack.”
“Really?” Hans asked, his face brightening at Arsene’s praise.

“Yes. Did you think that through?”
“Yes. Since I’m strong now, I thought if I maintained my center of gravity so I could charge forward immediately after blocking your attack, it might work.”
“Well done. But… remember, that only works when you know your opponent well. If you underestimate the strength of an unfamiliar opponent, your stance could crumble with the first attack, and you could die. It’s good to utilize your strengths, but don’t be reckless and use them without a solid foundation.”

Arsene’s tone was still strict, but a hint of satisfaction could be seen in his expression.

“Yes, sir!”
“Shall we take a break?”
“Already?”
“I’m tired.”

Even by a conservative estimate, Hans’s strength was several times greater than that of an average adult. Sparring with such a powerhouse was tiring for Arsene.

‘…I’m glad the winter preparations finished early.’

Thanks to the money Kyle had provided, they had been able to purchase plenty of supplies. And with Hans’s unexpected strength, the work that he had anticipated would be a headache had finished quickly. Thanks to the payment from the magic stone Lucy sold, Asha Village’s finances were healthier than ever.

Most importantly, the demonic beasts had vanished. The occasional injuries and deaths among the villagers had ceased completely. Although they were still subconsciously cautious, hope, not fear, now filled the villagers’ eyes.

Come spring, they could finally start cultivating the surrounding land and preparing for the future.

“Time for snacks, Hans!”

Avalli, the catalyst for all these changes, appeared carrying a basket filled with snacks. Beside her stood Lucy, the red-haired mage who was staying in Asha Village for various reasons, a disgruntled look on her face.

“It’s freezing; do you really need to come out here every day?”
“It’s fun. And I get bored staying inside all the time.”
“Wouldn’t it be better to continue our magic lessons? You could just pack snacks and lunch beforehand.”
“Come on, Teacher. That would hurt the Chief and Hans’s feelings. You don’t like eating cold food either, do you?”
“…That’s true, but…”

Lucy’s grumbling stemmed from a simple reason. She didn’t want to share her time with her first student.

Of course, from Hans and Arsene’s perspective, Lucy was the outsider… but mages were generally self-centered. The fact that Lucy was merely grumbling, rather than acting on her displeasure, spoke volumes about her relatively kind nature compared to the average mage.

“Need more water? I brought some.”

Avalli sat down next to Hans and started unpacking the basket.

“I still have some left.”
“It’s ice cold! You’ll get sick drinking that in this weather.”
“…I like it cold.”
“Warm water is better for you— Pfft.”

Avalli suddenly giggled. Hans frowned, thinking she was teasing him again, but she waved her hand dismissively.

“No, I wasn’t making fun of you. I just… I can’t believe I’m saying this.”
“…What do you mean?”
“It’s… complicated.”

She hadn’t understood why she had been so insistent on Hans drinking warm water before—

‘Now I’m the one saying these things.’

Avalli swallowed the sudden surge of memories from her past life and poured warm water into the cups she had brought. She had warmed the water with her magic on her way to the training grounds.

“Would you like some too, Teacher Lucy?”
“Yes, please.”

Four cups in total. She added the dried flower petals Envel had packed separately. A pleasant aroma filled the air as Avalli retrieved the snacks from the basket.

Today’s snack was honey-glazed bread. Lightly spiced with cinnamon, it was crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, absolutely delicious.

“Envel is a great cook. Arsene’s a lucky man.”
“Indeed. Marrying her was the best decision of my life. Not just because of her cooking, of course.”
“…Oh my.”

Arsene’s words seemed to have struck Lucy as particularly romantic, a faint blush coloring her cheeks.

‘You’re being too much, Chief,’ Avalli thought, a small smile playing on her lips. Only Hans, still a child at heart, missed the undertones of the conversation, silently eating his snack.

After their pleasant snack time, Avalli packed the dishes back into the basket.

“Snow doesn’t melt easily once it settles, does it?”
“It’s different from the city. We’d like to clear the paths to the neighboring villages, but…”

“Should I help? It’s kind of my specialty.”
“We would be grateful. What about payment—”
“Don’t worry about it. Oh, could you ask Envel if I could have that venison stew again—?”

Lucy and Arsene were chatting amicably.

Lucy, having decided to stay in Asha Village as their mage until the issues surrounding the magic stone were resolved, seemed more relaxed and less concerned with profits than when she had been haggling with Bern. She was acting more like a member of the community.

‘Envel unnie seems a little jealous, though.’

Well, that was for the adults to figure out. For now, she was just an innocent little girl.

Avalli thought, turning her attention to Hans, who was both physically and mentally a boy his age.

“What?” he asked.
“Just wondering how your training went today.”
“…He said I did well. That I actually used my head for once.”
“Really? Amazing! Tell me everything!”

Avalli moved closer to Hans, eager to hear more. Although he was embarrassed to talk about himself, he couldn’t resist Avalli’s urging and recounted the day’s events in detail.

“Wow, that’s really impressive!”, “You actually pulled that off? You’re really strong, Hans.” ,“You almost beat the Chief? No way!”

Avalli had always been a good listener, even in her past life. She knew how to express just the right amount of enthusiasm. She’d once gotten a week’s worth of free meals from a friend who had just bought his first used car, simply by showering him with compliments.

‘I wonder how he’s doing?’

That friend was the one who had recommended this new ‘Sword and Magic’ game to her. He was probably worried, wondering where she had disappeared to.

But there was nothing she could do, now that she was a resident of this game world. And to be honest, she enjoyed her life in this small pioneer village. The first few weeks had been quite boring… but now, with Hans’s growth, Lucy’s arrival, and other events unfolding, every day was an adventure.

The incident with Contra, the mercenary disguised as a merchant, had been unsettling, but…

‘Things will work out somehow.’

After talking with Lucy, she had a better grasp of her own power, and she wasn’t as worried as before. She was confident she could handle most situations on her own.

“See you tomorrow, Hans!”
“Yeah, see you.”
“Avalli, ask Envel if she could make that venison stew again for dinner.”
“Okay, Chief!”

Another winter day in Asha Village came to an end. It was a peaceful existence, almost like living in a fairy tale—

But meanwhile, time in the outside world marched on.

The Holy Kingdom.

Ignoring the judgmental stares around him, Kyle silently prayed to the statues of the three Goddesses.

‘May this paper move according to your will.’

Naturally, none of the three Goddesses responded.

Selenoxia, the eldest, had remained silent for millennia. And even the more active younger goddesses, Lumia and Asteria, rarely intervened unless the fate of the world hung in the balance. Since the end of the Great War 700 years ago, the three Goddesses had only communicated their will through the angels residing in the Holy Kingdom.

Despite knowing this, Kyle knelt and continued his fervent prayer. After a long while, he finally stood up.

“What are you thinking, Kyle?”

A man—a white-haired old man, to be precise—who had been waiting patiently beside him, finally spoke in a deep voice. It was his mentor, the one who had strongly advised against him becoming an Insight Knight 20 years ago. Blinded by ambition back then, Kyle had ignored his mentor’s advice and, as a result, had been forced to leave the Holy Kingdom and begin his life of wandering.

“You can’t simply abandon the duties of an Insight Knight because you want to!”

Kyle’s mentor, Edgar Valderick, spoke with a mixture of anger and sorrow. He was saddened by the circumstances that forced him to treat his returning student this way. But banishing Kyle from the Holy Kingdom was the only way to protect him.

“Leave the Holy Kingdom immediately. Otherwise, I will personally—”

He was about to say he would punish him—

“There’s no need for that, Sir Valderick.”

Kyle, who had been silent, finally spoke. Contrary to Valderick’s expectations, his voice was calm… almost like an enlightened sage.

“I haven’t returned to abandon my duties as an Insight Knight.”

Quite the opposite.

“I wish to meet with the Archangel as soon as possible. Sir Valderick, no, Master, please help me.”
“…What are you talking about, Kyle?”

While Valderick looked bewildered, Kyle spoke with unwavering conviction.

“I have witnessed a miracle.”

To report a miracle, the first in 400 years—
—the Insight Knight had returned to the Holy Kingdom.