A Ten-Year Promise

Cain frowned slightly at her words.

"Teacher Roxy is outstanding!"

"Huh!?"

"Not only does she have a talent for magic, she can even handle extremely complex design blueprints like these. In that regard, I'll never surpass you, Teacher."

Naturally, he had to visit the Magic University for the magic armor Roxy had designed.

"Whoever gets to marry Teacher Roxy will definitely be very happy! So please have more confidence."

"N-No, don't say something so embarrassing with such a serious face—and so loudly, you foolish disciple!"

Roxy's face reddened slightly as she lightly tapped her foolish disciple on the head. Honestly, why had he suddenly said something like that? It felt as though Cain, standing before her with his arms folded and such a solemn expression, had overly high expectations of her as his teacher.

Roxy slowly let out a breath and looked at her foolish disciple beside her with slightly more serious eyes.

"Um, Cain..."

"What is it, Teacher Roxy?" Seeing Cain stare at her so intently, Roxy's cheeks reddened as she lightly pressed her lips together.

"Um, Cain, my blue hair looks green under sunlight."

"Mm, so?"

"Don't you think my hair color resembles that of the Superd Tribe?"

The Superd Tribe was rumored to be a terrifying race. The most widespread rumor was that the Superd Tribe ate children.

With his arms folded, Cain tilted his head slightly in confusion as he looked at Teacher Roxy, who held up both little hands like tiger claws in an attempt to scare him.

"So what? If someone from the Superd Tribe wants to hurt Teacher Roxy, I'll cut him down immediately. So please don't be too afraid, Teacher."

Cain said this seriously, arms folded and one eye narrowed. He did not look like he was joking at all.

So what if they were the Superd Tribe? Even if the legendary Demon King Laplace appeared, he would not be allowed to touch a single hair on his somewhat silly but adorable teacher's head.

Ah, she had forgotten that her disciple was the second Sword God, a god-ranked master of the Sword God Style. He really was reassuring—her reliable foolish disciple.

Roxy sighed helplessly. Her azure eyes flickered faintly as she gazed gently at Cain. Thinking of something, she glanced away, her face gradually flushing red.

"Um, Cain, you..." Before she could ask, Roxy hurriedly shook her little head.

Honestly, what was she even thinking?! No, no! How could she ask such an impolite question?!

Cain was only twelve. He would not understand those feelings. She could not do this—at the very least, she had to wait until he was ten years older. She could not ask him now, or perhaps even their relationship as teacher and disciple, and as companions, would no longer be able to continue!

Roxy was so embarrassed that she patted her small chest, gently shook her head, and took a deep breath to steady her emotions.

Seeing that expression, Cain smiled helplessly and breathed a small sigh of relief. Could Teacher Roxy not be so obvious? She had to be thinking of something embarrassing to say.

Did she want to learn swordsmanship? He would definitely teach her without holding anything back. Even if Teacher Roxy had no talent for swordsmanship, judging by her adorably flushed cheeks, it was probably something even more embarrassing...

Of course, he liked Teacher Roxy. He liked her in the sense of friendship between teacher and disciple. But even without that relationship, he would still like her as a pure friend.

Still, it would not do for his teacher to remain this embarrassed.

"Ah, right. Didn't Zoldat say he'd treat us to a banquet? We can collect our subjugation reward while we're at it. It's getting late, so we—"

Cain offered Teacher Roxy a way out.

The next second, Cain's words caught in his throat. Someone had tugged on the hem of his clothes as he stood. Roxy looked at him with those captivating azure eyes, light shimmering within them.

"Um, Cain, do you like a teacher like this... I mean, like between a teacher and disciple."

Seeing the faintly uneasy curve of Teacher Roxy's lips, Cain's eyes shifted, and he sighed somewhat helplessly.

Looking into those eyes that could not hide their faint flutter of emotion, Cain seemed to understand something. This was probably what Teacher Roxy truly meant—or rather, how she truly felt...

But Cain knew that he could not give Roxy any guarantees or promises right now, because he too had dreams that he wanted to realize no matter what. He wanted to obtain power that surpassed even the gods, grow stronger without end, and then...

"Of course I do! Teacher Roxy is truly outstanding, after all. I really like such a dependable Teacher Roxy."

"I-Is that so..."

Roxy blinked her sky-blue eyes as she looked at Cain's serious expression. She pressed her lips together slightly and tightened her grip on the fountain pen in her hand.

"I-If, ten years from now, Cain, you can still say the same thing to me, then perhaps your teacher will be very happy."

As Roxy said this, a weight lifted from her heart, and she quietly sighed in relief.

This should be enough, right? Her foolish disciple probably would not see through it, right? Swordsmen were all dense like that. She had already put it very subtly.

It would not hurt their feelings as teacher and disciple, and she could continue adventuring with Cain. Yet asking him something like that felt almost like tying him down. It felt a little despicable...

But when she thought of her outstanding disciple being snatched away by some bad woman from who knew where in the future, Roxy could not help feeling bitter.

She was clearly the one who came first. She did not want to yield him to some other girl! At the very least, it had to be someone who truly liked Cain!

Roxy thought this with a slightly flushed face, but her mood suddenly sank. With her foolish disciple's potential, he would likely become an incredibly important figure across the entire continent in ten years.

There would be many people pursuing him by then, right? If he truly found a beautiful girl with a good figure who loved him and started a family, she would probably only be able to quietly step away...

By then, he would probably forget his foolish teacher. After all, aside from having a somewhat cute face, she was a girl with an unremarkable figure and no particular charm.

Huh? Why had Teacher Roxy suddenly become so dejected?

It was not as though I said anything to reject her...

Cain pressed his lips together as he watched Teacher Roxy, her face full of worries as she tightly clutched the fountain pen in her hand. He smiled helplessly.

He would never forget Teacher Roxy, even if he risked being called a lolicon.

"I'll remember this promise. I swear it in the name of the Sword God."

Cain looked at Roxy seriously, his face filled with determination.

Roxy let out a relieved breath, narrowed one eye, and smiled gently. She lightly tapped Cain's nose with one finger and pressed her lips together.

"This is our little promise. If Cain forgets it when the time comes, your teacher will be very sad."

"How could I possibly forget? Teacher Roxy was my first teacher in magic."

"Mm. Let's hope so."

Cain rested his chin on his hand and looked helplessly at Teacher Roxy's suspicious expression. He felt that the reputation of his own teacher, Sword God Gall, was being challenged.

After packing up, Roxy and Cain left the inn and headed together down the street toward the Ranoa Adventurers' Guild.