Lia's Thoughts

The two did not exchange any further words on the stairs.

After a day of running around, Galan felt unusually tired.

He also knew that Lia had been playing outside with Frog all day and must be very tired right now.

I didn't want to bring up any more topics that would only add to my weariness.

But just as he was yawning and about to push open the door, the sound of Lia's footsteps, which should have been heading into the depths of the corridor, suddenly stopped behind him.

This unusual behavior made Galan sense that something was amiss.

He turned his head in confusion, only to meet Lia's straightforward gaze.

The moment their eyes met, she inexplicably turned her head away, and her hands, clutching the new clothes she had just bought, tightened noticeably.

"Will Galan... feel happy?"

"Um?"

6

... About taking on apprentices...

So that's what you were thinking about. Come to think of it, it seems that Lia had been observing Amber on the way back.

He kept an eye on the two of them while he was talking to Amber.

That behavior of hiding and observing others like a kitten is something that will remain unchanged even now and in the future...

Do you care a lot?

"No... it's just that when I think about it, I get this strange feeling... but I can't quite put my finger on why."

Lia's explanation was rather vague, Galan couldn't make heads or tails of it at all.

But in any case, I know that the other party is somewhat bothered by my taking Amber as his apprentice. I can't say whether I'm happy or unhappy; it's just that under the circumstances, that approach was the best outcome for everyone.

Personally, I think having another person to help out isn't a bad thing. What do you think, Lia? You two might even become friends. It must be a bit lonely to always be alone."

Galan thought for a moment and gave a standard, conventional answer.

After all, for him, taking Amber as his apprentice was more out of "circumstances".

As for him personally, although Amber is indeed a beautiful woman, it's not enough to make Galan fall for her for such a superficial reason.

His feelings had been made clear from the very beginning; they had always belonged to Lia alone.

"I... um..."

After listening to Galan's account, Lia hesitated for a moment, but didn't say anything more. She seemed to have figured it out and ran back to her room with her head down.

"Has this guy... perhaps he's finally seen the light?"

Galan was somewhat surprised by this unusual behavior, but he didn't have the energy to think about it too much. He was really tired today, so much so that he fell into a deep sleep as soon as he collapsed onto the bed.

The city was very quiet at night, without the noise of teenagers blaring their lights or the disturbance of cars late at night, a stark contrast to modern cities.

At this moment, [Äußerst] resembled a secluded rural town. Lia hugged her knees, her golden hair cascading down like a waterfall, appearing exceptionally holy under the white moonlight, as if she were wearing a silver-white veil.

At this moment, her brows were furrowed, and her pretty face was filled with confusion and doubt.

Actually, she didn't know why she suddenly asked such a question. It was just an ordinary thing, but it made people care so much.

What kind of feeling is that?

It was an emotion I'd never felt before... When Galan declared he would take Amber as his apprentice, what was the source of that restless feeling within me...?

Lia collapsed onto the bed, burying her face in the pillow. A deep blush gradually spread across her cheeks; she couldn't tell if it was from feeling suffocated or something else. She couldn't figure out the reason, couldn't find any explanation for her unusual behavior. Or perhaps, was this the... love that Galan had spoken of...?

"Oh? You've come to see me so early."

"Sorry, I disturbed your rest."

"It's nothing, it's just that I didn't know what I could ask you to do since you came so early."

Early in the morning, Galan was woken up by the Inn the boss, who said that a young girl had come looking for him.

Galan had just been startled awake from his dream, was still in a daze and couldn't recall which little girl had come to find him.

It wasn't until he finished dressing and went downstairs, seeing Amber sitting in the lobby, that he belatedly remembered what had happened the night before.

Yes, I've already agreed to take him as my apprentice, so naturally I have to fulfill my responsibilities as his master.

But... what exactly does a master craftsman do?

If Duncan were here with me right now, I wouldn't be so troubled when it comes to teaching and nurturing students.

"Is it because Master doesn't have a training plan yet? After all, it was only recently decided that he would take me as his apprentice."

Amber seemed to notice Galan's predicament. She sat up straight on the small stool, her hands neatly placed on her thighs, looking like a student sitting upright and waiting for class.

Today she wore a simple light blue coat and tight-fitting shorts that were easy to exercise with. Although they were just ordinary styles, they accentuated Amber's shapely figure even more.

What struck Galan most were the prominent calluses on her hands, clearly the result of years of sword practice. It seemed she had quietly put in a lot of effort to get to where she was today.

What she hopes for now is to improve her strength again under his guidance. However, Galan still has doubts about his guidance abilities and doesn't know where to start. What he wants to do most right now is to spend time with Lia and familiarize himself with the [Blood Manipulation Magic].

"How about this?"

He thought about it and came up with a compromise.

"I'll take you to pick up some regular commissions from the association, but you'll mainly be completing them independently. I'll be there to protect you and also to observe your growth trajectory."

There was one more thing he didn't tell Amber: he would take Lia with him when he went out.

With me by his side anyway, and given that he personally oversees the difficulty of the assignments, the chances of encountering any trouble are extremely small.

Galan looked at Amber, wondering if she had any objections to his arrangements. After all, from Galan's perspective, actual combat was the best way to test strength and discover problems. If he didn't understand Amber's fighting style and habits at all, he really wouldn't know where to start.