Lokkishi's Standard for Choosing a Partner

Lokkishi turned to look at Allen.

The latter held the sword with both hands, making an incredibly slow arc through the air, finally resting the tip against the ground.

She wondered if it was just an optical illusion.

Lokkishi felt, for a moment, as if the blade had blurred into a double image.

As the double image shimmered, a few leaves drifting in front of Allen slowly fell to the ground.

Then they split apart.

"126!"

Under Sylphy's soft voice, Lokkishi blinked, staring at the sword tip.

"...Can such a slow cut really slice through leaves floating in the air?"

Rudy, seeing Lokkishi's expression, scratched his head in exasperation, a helpless look on his face.

"...Teacher, look again, really look, but don't look at the sword."

As Rudy spoke, Allen had already raised the blade above his head again, slowly chopping down along the same path he had just taken, without the slightest deviation.

From above his head, down to shoulder level, then to his abdomen, finally hovering steadily over a blade of grass dancing in the wind.

Rudy's words fell.

"...Look at his arm."

The blade once again intertwined with the light and shadow.

Lokkishi shifted her gaze from the blade, along the hilt, to Allen's arm.

As the sword's double image shimmered, Allen's arm also trembled slightly. His sleeve seemed to be tugged sharply by an invisible hand, snapping up suddenly before gently falling back onto his skin.

Lokkishi's eyebrows rose, a look of surprise on her face.

"...Could it be... when the sword tip touched the ground just now... Allen had already made another swing? How impressive."

No sooner had she finished speaking than the impressive Allen let out a heavy breath, his face instantly turning pale. He stumbled towards Rudy and said, "Got any more? One more."

Rudy: ...

Lokkishi: ...

After an incredibly quick incantation, the light of a Healing Spell shone again. Allen immediately jolted upright, as if brought back from the dead, picked up his sword, and began swinging it in the air once more.

Rudy sighed, rubbing his forehead, and turned to look at the somewhat stunned Lokkishi, who then said blankly, "...I feel like Allen has the strength of a top-tier adventurer..."

"Uh, wasn't Allen already an adventurer?"

Lokkishi blinked, then realized that Allen had told her during their alibi coordination that currently only Paul and Zenith of the Greyrat Family should know his true identity.

Thinking this, Lokkishi subconsciously tugged at the hair over her forehead, her eyes darting back and forth.

"Ah, I meant an S-rank adventurer. Allen's strength is much higher than his adventurer rank..."

Rudy, seeing Lokkishi like this, felt his mind wander a bit. He quickly glanced at Allen, who was diligently practicing Swordsmanship, and suppressed a lecherous grin as he said to Lokkishi, "Speaking of which, Teacher, you used to be an adventurer too, right? Did you ever meet... a boy you liked?"

Lokkishi's face froze. She scratched her cheek, a little flustered, and replied, "Well, when I was in Millish, my hair color made me quite an outcast, to the point where I didn't have any money at all. Fortunately, a fellow townsman took me in, and I went to work at a tavern. Later... I fell for him, and I even formed an adventurer team with another lady who had a nice figure..."

Rudy's face stiffened.

"Ah, what happened after that?"

Lokkishi scratched her ear and cheek awkwardly, hesitating for a moment before saying quietly, "Then they got together."

'Excellent! A goddess who's never been in love!'

Lokkishi looked at Rudy, who had suddenly stood up beside her, her expression even more embarrassed.

"...As expected, no one would like my figure... I look like a child..."

Rudy, however, was perfectly serious.

"I actually think that's precisely what makes Teacher even more endearing, you know~"

Lokkishi's mouth twitched at his words.

"I told you, it'll be more convincing to say that in ten years, you know. But... you might be interested in my figure now, but in the future, that might change..."

Rudy vowed confidently, "Impossible! I only like Teacher's type!"

'Half-lidded eyes, loli, poker face. A perfect goddess!'

"Liar."

Lokkishi, who had been saying deceptive things, clearly showed a hint of uncontainable happiness.

Rudy was just about to speak when Allen suddenly approached again, his face pale.

"One more shot, please."

A flash of green light appeared, and Allen perked up again. He thanked them while casually gossiping.

"Why are you so excited? I think I heard you say something like... you like this type? Are you two talking about romance?"

"No, Teacher Lokkishi is just insecure about her figure, and I was comforting her."

Upon hearing this, Lokkishi lowered her head and drew circles on the ground.

So it really was just comforting her, huh? T T

Allen glanced at Lokkishi.

"If she's insecure about her figure, then you shouldn't comfort her on that. Even if your feelings are genuine, she'll subconsciously think you're just placating her."

At this, Lokkishi looked up at Allen, her pupils slightly widened. Light filtered through the leaves, hitting her eyes and making the deep blue lake within them shimmer.

Allen's gaze lingered on Lokkishi's eyes for a moment before he turned and walked away, his unfinished words drifting into their ears.

"Her eye color is so beautiful, you could easily compliment her eyes."

It sounded perfectly reasonable.

The sound of blades vibrating through the air grew loud again, yet it only made the people present seem even quieter.

Rudy swallowed hard, reluctantly tearing his gaze from Allen and looking at Lokkishi beside him.

She was tugging at the wisps of hair on her forehead, muttering with a flushed face.

"What a smooth talker..."

Her voice hadn't even spread from in front of the two of them before it was scattered by the wind.

Rudy fell silent for a moment, then gritted his teeth and decided to change the subject directly.

"...By the way, if Teacher Lokkishi leaves in a few days, will you continue with the plan to adventure in the labyrinths near the Dragon King Mountain Range?"

Lokkishi glanced at Allen, who was swinging his blade with raised arms, then looked up at the sky.

"Yes... that's the plan."

Rudy cautiously asked.

"Then for the next ten years, will Teacher Lokkishi always be on the Central Continent? Or..."

Lokkishi pondered for a moment, then hesitated.

"Speaking of which, there aren't many adventurer commissions on the Central Continent to earn extra money. I'll probably travel and adventure to continue honing my Magic, while also looking for some tutoring jobs to make a living... Ten years is too long, I can't think that far ahead yet."

"I see... I think... Teacher Lokkishi could stay on the Central Continent. That way, maybe in the future, when I grow up, I could also become a member of your adventurer team."

"...But I suggest you, Rudy, first go to the Magic University for further study before considering becoming an adventurer."

Rudy's face broke into a smile.

"Then it's settled! I'll go to the Magic University first, and then we'll form an adventurer team together!"

"...Let's talk about that after you graduate from the Magic University."

Rudy chuckled.

"But why are you so set on being an adventurer and going into labyrinths, Teacher Lokkishi? I think you could easily teach at the Magic University. That way, maybe you'd still be teaching me Magic when I get there..."

Lokkishi blushed slightly and scuffed her foot on the grass.

"So set on being an adventurer... well, don't look at my figure, but I also dream of romance, you know... Perhaps one day... a young man, full of masculinity, tall, but with a naive expression, will rescue me deep within a labyrinth. And then... we'll become adventurers who rely on each other, gradually developing feelings, and then..."

Lokkishi suddenly paused mid-sentence, unconsciously turning to look at Allen beside her.

The blade swung down again.

"139!"

Not far away, Sylphy's elven ears had been listening to Rudy and Lokkishi's conversation. Now, her expression as she looked at Allen became serious.

Rudy, however, was completely stunned. He stiffly turned to look at Allen, seemingly on the verge of tears.

Full of masculinity, tall, with a naive expression, and a young adventurer... Look! Here's someone who perfectly fits Lokkishi's ideal partner criteria, freshly made! What a coincidence... Damn it! I really shouldn't have agreed to Paul making him my Swordsmanship teacher!

The surroundings fell silent, with only the blade and the wind intertwined.

Allen was about to continue swinging his blade when he suddenly felt everyone had gone quiet. He stopped and looked around at the three of them.

He found everyone was looking at him.

He paused, then asked, "?? Uh, what's wrong? Why are you all looking at me?"