S-Rank Commission

Cain composed himself and turned back with a smile, only to see Roxy blushing as she fumbled for something inside her robes.

His teacher nervously opened a small blue cloth pouch and rummaged through a pile of Asura copper coins for a long time before finding four silver coins.

"Th-these are for you. This time, it was my fault. I'm sorry, Cain..."

Roxy pressed her lips together and lowered her head. She really was a failure, dragging her own student into this and relying on Cain to solve everything from start to finish.

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 had taken on a foolish teacher. He had destroyed a tree too, hadn't he? Roxy was already this poor, so could she please stop forcing herself to put on a brave face?

Still, he had confirmed one thing. Teacher Roxy was reliable and responsible. She cared deeply about money, and she needed it more than he did, yet she still stubbornly wanted to cover all the expenses herself.

His teacher was kind and generous. She had not even held that man's behavior against him. If it had been Cain, he would have beaten that guy into a pulp.

"I can't take this."

Cain shook his head faintly. He placed two silver coins into Roxy's soft little palm, where the other four coins rested, then gently closed her hand.

Cain gave Roxy a bright smile, then turned away and rested both hands behind his head as he looked at the glittering stars overhead. He spoke with a hint of regret.

"Ah, what a shame. Those silver coins were supposed to be an advance on my teacher's salary, but now they're all gone~"

Cain turned back with a faint smile and looked at Roxy, who stood frozen in place, staring at him without blinking. Her face was a little red.

"But how about this? Use two silver coins to buy me as your student for half a year. Consider it a discount. What do you say?"

Roxy blankly stared at her foolish student, who was smiling like an idiot. There were now two silver coins in her palm, still carrying the faint warmth of her foolish student's body. Yet they made her heart feel so warm that her eyes began to redden.

His smile reminded Roxy of many people—her dependable captain from long ago, who had been willing to help her just like Cain, as well as her close friends. But they were all dead...

And now, this fool had suddenly barged into her life. Of course, Cain had actually been pulled into it by Roxy through a fortunate coincidence.

What exactly was this fool doing it for? What about her had attracted him? Did he not see her as a child? Even though... even though no one on this continent had ever truly cared about how she felt...

That silent heart of hers trembled ever so slightly.

This... foolish student~

"Mm, since you put it that way..."

"I'm willing..."

"I'm willing to accept your request."

Roxy sniffled and repeatedly wiped away the burning tears gathering in the corners of her eyes. Overwhelmed with joy, she could not help but laugh.

Under the silvery moonlight, the smile on Roxy's face was breathtakingly beautiful.

A tearful, captivating smile bloomed across Roxy's adorable face—the exclusive CG of Teacher Roxy.

Cain's pupils trembled slightly, and 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. How about I drag that guy back here so you can beat him up and vent your anger?"

Cain looked utterly at a loss. What he was worst at dealing with was girls crying in front of him, especially the mage teacher he had only just managed to take on today.

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

Roxy sniffled, turned away to compose herself, wiped the remaining tears from her eyes, and broke into a happy smile.

This was the first time she had felt so happy on the Central Continent, where the Demon Race was discriminated against.

Teacher really was emotional. Cain let out a sigh of relief. Fortunately, she had not burst into tears, or he truly would not have known what to do. Comforting people was not his strong suit.

The two exchanged smiles, and Roxy decided to treat Cain to a meal. After all, her foolish Sword God student had helped her tremendously.

Roxy and Cain strolled through the streets of Ranoa Magic City. At this hour, there were hardly any pedestrians left, and the streets were nearly empty.

"Cain, are you Human Race?"

Roxy held her magic staff and breathed warm air into her palms as she curiously looked at Cain beside her, who was humming a tune and seemed to be in quite a good mood.

As his teacher, it was necessary for her to know more about her student—or at least, that was what Roxy thought. She wanted to understand Cain better.

"Teacher, have you always thought I was Human Race?"

"Huh?! Aren't you?"

"Actually, I'm Demon Race like you. It's just that half of my bloodline comes from Human Race, so I look a lot like one. I'm mixed-blood."

"Huh?!"

Roxy swept her gaze over Cain, who looked exactly like Human Race, unable to believe it.

Cain raised his head and looked at the star-filled sky.

"I'm actually from the Demon Continent too. My master found me and took me to the Sword God's Holy Land, and I've lived there ever since."

"I-is that so? Thank you for telling me."

Cain was Demon Race too? How wonderful.

The corners of Roxy's lips rose unconsciously. Having one of her own kind as a companion among Human Race, who rejected the Demon Race, gave her an oddly subtle feeling.

"Well, you're welcome."

Cain smiled faintly. His thoughts were much the same as Teacher Roxy's.

Since it was already nighttime, most restaurants had closed. After wandering around for a while, they eventually entered the tavern at the Adventurers' Guild.

"Cain! Roxy!"

The moment they entered, they saw Zoldat rushing toward them with his arms spread wide and an excited expression on his face!

Roxy was startled. Her small mouth fell open as she froze in place.

That enthusiasm was a little excessive. She watched Zoldat run toward her and Cain as though he had spotted his saviors. Her eye twitched slightly, cold sweat formed on her forehead, and she took half a step back.

She and Cain were not that familiar with Zoldat, were they...?

Bang! Cain's mouth twitched fiercely as he drove an elbow into Zoldat's stomach, helping this lolicon who wanted to make a move on his teacher calm down. Of course, he did not use much force.

"Urgh!"

Zoldat's mouth twitched violently. Clutching his throbbing stomach, he stopped in place and stared blankly at Cain, who had his arms folded and wore no expression.

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

"Please calm down. You scared my teacher." Cain curled his lips.

"You really are a lolicon, aren't you? I told you I'm not going to compete with you for Roxy."

"Hah? You're in no position to say that about me."

Huh? Was my student a lolicon? Should I be happy, or... no, that kind of thought was perverted...

Roxy's face reddened slightly. She pressed her lips together, coughed twice to steady herself, and looked at Zoldat.

"Is there something you need, Mr. Zoldat?"

"Ah, of course! That's exactly why I came looking for you two! Cain, you're the Sword God, right?"

"Mm, I guess so."

"Don't say 'I guess'! Give me a definite answer! We accepted a commission from a noble lord!"

"A commission?!" Roxy and Cain exchanged a glance, then looked at the excited Zoldat before them.

Zoldat hurriedly pulled out a sheet of paper containing the commission from his clothes, unfolded it, and placed it before them.

"Subjugation of Red Dragons, an S-rank mission!"

"No!!"

Roxy was unexpectedly resolute. She slapped the table and stood up, her expression serious as she placed herself between Zoldat and Cain. Her gaze was remarkably firm as she sternly refused Zoldat.

"I will not agree to let Cain subjugate Red Dragons. What I mean is, we will not be subjugating dangerous Red Dragons. I hope Mr. Zoldat gives up on this idea!"

"Huh?! That was a very decisive refusal..."

Zoldat's gaze traveled up and down between the slightly flushed Roxy and Cain behind her. After a moment, he smiled faintly.

Cain was unexpectedly charming.

"Anyway, they're only a few dragons that have left the group. As the Second Sword God, Cain should be able to handle them, right? And it won't just be us—several A-rank adventurer parties will be joining us, and we'll all give it everything we've got!"

"B-but no means no! He's my disciple, and I have to be responsible for his safety!"

Roxy pressed her lips together, still utterly determined, but Cain gently patted her shoulder.

"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 hugged her magic staff and sat down to the side. She knew Cain, the Second Sword God, was incredibly strong—strong enough to slice through an A-rank Mud Dragon Beast covered in hard armor as though it were tofu.

But this time was different. Red Dragons were extremely dangerous S-rank monsters. A group of Red Dragons could even kill figures among the Seven Great Powers. Even if they had separated from the group, they were still powerful monsters at the peak of A-rank.

Teacher Roxy really was adorable. Still, Red Dragons... they were creatures worth cutting down. How exciting.

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

Roxy puffed out her cheeks and gave a soft humph, though she felt slightly relieved inside. As both his senior and his teacher, she would not let Cain, a novice adventurer, come to any harm! That was her responsibility as his teacher.