S-Rank Commission

Cain composed himself and turned back with a smile, only to see Roxy, her face red, rummaging around in her clothes.

Looking a little flustered, his teacher opened a small blue cloth pouch. She searched through a pile of Asura Large Copper Coins for ages before finding four silver coins.

"H-here, take these. This was my fault. I'm sorry, Cain..."

Roxy lowered her head and pressed her lips together. She felt like such a failure. She had dragged her apprentice into trouble, then relied on him to handle everything.

Teacher Roxy, your thoughts are written all over your face...

Cain looked at the dejected Roxy, unsure whether to comfort her or laugh. It seemed he'd taken a fool for a teacher. He'd destroyed a tree himself, after all. Could she stop putting on a brave front when she was this poor?

He had confirmed one thing, though: Roxy was dependable and responsible. Money mattered to her, and she needed it more than he did, yet she still insisted on covering the entire cost.

She was kind and forgiving, too. She hadn't even held that man's behavior against him. If it had been Cain, he would have beaten the guy to a pulp.

"I can't take these."

Cain shook his head. He placed two more silver coins alongside the four in Roxy's outstretched palm, then gently closed her hand around them.

He flashed Roxy a bright smile, turned away, and clasped his hands behind his head. Looking up at the brilliant stars, he spoke with a touch of regret.

"Ah, what a shame. I was going to give those silver coins to my teacher as an advance on her pay, but now they're all gone~"

Cain glanced back with a faint smile. Roxy stood rooted to the spot, staring at him without blinking. Her cheeks were a little red.

"How about this, then? Two silver coins to have me as your apprentice for six months. Consider it a discount. What do you say?"

Roxy gazed at her foolish apprentice and his silly grin. There were two extra silver coins in her palm, still faintly warm from his hand. Somehow, they warmed her heart. Her eyes grew damp.

His smile reminded Roxy of so many people: the dependable captain who had once helped her, just as Cain had, and her dear friends. But they were all dead now...

Then this fool had suddenly come into her life. Though, to be fair, Roxy had been the one to take him in as her apprentice by chance.

Why was this fool doing all this? What did he see in me? Did he not think of me as a child? When... when no one on this continent had ever truly cared how I felt...

Her long-quiet heart gave a small tremor.

That... foolish apprentice of mine~

"Well, if you put it that way..."

"I'm willing..."

"I'm willing to accept your offer."

Roxy sniffled and kept wiping the hot tears from the corners of her eyes. Then she laughed, crying tears of joy.

Under the silvery moonlight, Roxy's smile was breathtaking.

A radiant smile shone through the tears on Roxy's cute face. It was a moment that belonged to Teacher Roxy alone.

Cain's pupils trembled slightly. For a moment, he was dazed.

"Huh?! Wait, Teacher Roxy, d-don't cry! Did I say something wrong? Tell me and I'll fix it. Or how about I bring that guy back so you can beat him up and let off some steam?"

Cain looked completely at a loss. He had never known what to do when a girl cried in front of him, especially the magic teacher he had only just found today.

"I-I'm fine. Your teacher isn't some crybaby."

Roxy sniffled and turned away to collect herself. She wiped the remaining tears from her eyes and smiled happily.

It was the first time she had felt so happy on the Central Continent, where the Demon Race faced such prejudice.

Teacher really is emotional. Cain breathed a sigh of relief. Thank goodness she hadn't broken down sobbing. He truly wouldn't have known what to do. Comforting people wasn't his strong suit.

They exchanged smiles, and Roxy decided to treat Cain to dinner. Her foolish Sword God apprentice had done her a huge favor, after all.

Roxy and Cain wandered the streets of Ranoa Magic City. At this hour, hardly anyone was out, and the streets were nearly empty.

"Cain, are you a member of the Human Race?"

Roxy gripped her magic staff and breathed warm air into her hands. She looked curiously at Cain, who was humming beside her in a cheerful mood.

As his teacher, she ought to learn more about her apprentice. At least, that was how Roxy saw it. She wanted to know him better.

"Did you think I was human all this time, Teacher?"

"Hmm?! Aren't you?"

"Actually, I'm a member of the Demon Race too, just like you. Half my blood comes from the Human Race, so I look human, but I'm mixed."

"Huh?!"

Roxy's eyes swept over Cain. He looked exactly like a human, and she could hardly believe it.

Cain raised his head toward the star-filled sky.

"I'm from the Demon Continent too. My master found me at the Sword Sanctum, though, and I've lived there ever since."

"I-I see. Thank you for telling me."

Cain was a member of the Demon Race too? That made her happy.

The corners of Roxy's mouth rose without her noticing. Having someone like herself for company among humans who shunned the Demon Race felt strangely comforting.

"Hey, no problem."

Cain smiled. He felt much the same way as Roxy.

Since it was nighttime, most restaurants had already closed. After walking around for a while, they ended up at the Adventurers' Guild tavern.

"Cain! Roxy!"

They had barely stepped inside when Zoldat ran toward them, arms spread wide and face alight with excitement!

Roxy was so startled that her mouth fell open. She froze on the spot.

That was a bit much. She watched Zoldat charge toward her and Cain as if they were his saviors. Her eye twitched, cold sweat beaded on her forehead, and she took half a step back.

She and Cain weren't that close to Zoldat, were they...?

Thud! Cain's mouth twitched as he drove an elbow into Zoldat's stomach. He needed to calm down this lolicon who was getting too close to his teacher. He didn't hit him very hard, though.

"Ugh!"

Zoldat grimaced and stopped, clutching his aching stomach. He stared in confusion at Cain, who stood with his arms folded and his face blank.

"Hey! What was that for? It hurt!"

"Calm down. You scared my teacher." Cain curled his lip.

"You really are a lolicon, aren't you? I told you I wouldn't try to steal Roxy from you."

"Huh? You're the last person who gets to call me that."

Huh? My apprentice is a lolicon? Should I be happy, or... No, that's a creepy thought...

Roxy blushed faintly and pressed her lips together. She cleared her throat twice, collected herself, and looked at Zoldat.

"Did you need something, Mr. Zoldat?"

"Of course! That's why I came looking for you! Cain, you're a Sword God, right?"

"Yeah, I guess so."

"Don't 'guess so'! Give me a straight answer! We've taken a commission from a nobleman!"

"A commission?!" Roxy and Cain exchanged glances, then looked back at the excited Zoldat.

Zoldat hurriedly pulled the commission notice from his coat, unfolded it, and held it up for them to see.

"Subjugate Red Dragons. An S-rank quest!"

"Absolutely not!!"

Roxy's refusal was surprisingly firm. She slapped the table and stood, putting herself between Zoldat and Cain. She fixed Zoldat with a resolute stare.

"I won't agree to let Cain fight Red Dragons. I mean, we won't be going after anything that dangerous. Please give up on the idea, Mr. Zoldat!"

"Huh?! You turned that down fast..."

Zoldat looked from Roxy's faintly flushed face to Cain behind her, then gave a slight smile.

Cain had more charm than Zoldat had expected.

"Look, they're only a few dragons that broke away from the group. Cain's the Second Sword God, so he should be able to handle them, right? And we won't be alone. Several A-rank adventuring parties will be giving it their all too!"

"B-but still, no! He's my apprentice. I'm responsible for his safety!"

Roxy pressed her lips together, still determined, but Cain gave her shoulder a gentle pat.

"Don't worry, Teacher Roxy. Have a little faith in your student. Let's hear him out first."

Roxy puffed out her cheeks, but obediently sat to one side with her staff in her arms. She knew Cain, as the Second Sword God, was formidable. He could slice through an A-rank Mud Dragon Beast and its hardened armor as if it were tofu.

But this was different. Red Dragons were extremely dangerous S-rank monsters. A whole group of them could even kill someone among the Seven Great Powers. And even a dragon separated from the group was a powerful monster at the very top of A-rank.

Teacher Roxy looked so cute like that. Red Dragons, though? They sounded worth cutting down. That was exciting.

"Could you explain the mission in detail, Zoldat? Of course, if Teacher Roxy still disagrees after hearing you out, I'll respect her decision."

Roxy puffed out her cheeks and gave a little huff, but she felt relieved. As Cain's senior and teacher, she would not let anything happen to him while he was still a novice adventurer! That was her responsibility as his teacher.