Roxy Church

"Alright, but even if you hadn't said so, I would've helped you. You helped us out a great deal this time, after all. Come on, cheers!"

Cain pursed his lips, clinked glasses with the heartily laughing Zoldat, and gulped down a cup.

"Ah, but I feel like asking us to protect Roxy is a bit much. We're not some particularly famous adventurer party, and our strength is only slightly above average."

"Mm, that's the second thing I wanted to mention. Please spread the word to every corner of this country that Teacher Roxy is the Second Sword God's master. That should deter anyone lurking in the shadows."

However, Zoldat merely smiled faintly and shook his head.

"No, no. I think that would only have the opposite effect."

"Why?"

Seeing Cain's confusion, Zoldat gave him the knowing smile of an experienced senior, filled Cain's cup, then filled his own.

The two clinked glasses and drained them in one go.

"Ahh, that hit the spot. Didn't expect you to hold your liquor so well."

Cain looked at him somewhat sternly, while Zoldat smiled lightly, spread his hands, and continued.

"Well, Cain, did you forget? You saw it when you first arrived, didn't you? The moment your identity as the Sword God was exposed, reckless adventurers started challenging you. If word gets out that Roxy is your master, I'm afraid it'll have the same effect."

Zoldat watched Cain purse his lips and nod slightly, thought for a moment, then continued.

"Still, since you've put it that way, I can help spread the word. But it'll definitely be with a different story. Of course, it'll satisfy you... but..."

Cain nodded slightly, his gaze turning resolute.

"You want Aras Gold Coins? I understand. Any amount is fine."

Seeing Cain seriously take out a bulging money pouch and grab a large handful of Aras Gold Coins from it, Zoldat gave a faint laugh, folded his arms, and nodded slightly.

Of course, he still intended to take some payment for the commission, but more importantly, he had confirmed Cain's sincerity.

"Ah, is Roxy someone important to Cain?"

"Mm... yes. Very important!"

Cain nodded and answered seriously, almost without hesitation.

But after saying that, Cain felt Zoldat's gaze on him was somewhat... smug... Still, this was no time to worry about such trivial things.

From the large handful of Asura Gold Coins in Cain's hand, Zoldat took one.

"Don't think I'm asking for too much. This is payment for risking my life. One Asura Gold Coin isn't too much, right?"

Cain pursed his lips.

"Don't worry. I'll give it everything I've got. We accept this commission."

Zoldat smiled faintly, his expression turning somewhat serious.

"Thank you..." Cain said gratefully, nodding slightly.

The Adventurers' Guild celebration continued until late at night. As the overall commander of the successful Red Dragon subjugation, Zoldat announced something at the height of the banquet.

He exaggerated Cain's feat of slaying three Red Dragons and attributed the credit to the protective magic bestowed upon him by his teacher, Roxy.

Furthermore, he told the gathered adventurers, who firmly believed that praying to the gods would bring rewards, that as long as they silently recited Roxy's name and sincerely worshipped and revered her, they could receive her protection.

With Cain, who had slain three Red Dragons, serving as proof, none of the adventurers doubted it. The response was overwhelming. From that day onward, the Roxy Church was established—a church that would later sweep through the Three Magic Nations and even all the countries of the Central Continent.

"So why did you have to establish some church-like organization... Roxy Church? That's so weird! Why did you have to use my name for the church's name?!"

Cain, whom Zoldat had declared to be the archbishop, happily held the thick spellbook in his hands and gave Roxy, who was staring at him with a red-faced, embarrassed glare, a helpless smile.

"I never expected that guy Zoldat to come up with an idea like that." Cain spread his hands, though he could barely suppress the corners of his mouth.

"What are you laughing at...?"

"Ahem. I just remembered something happy."

"Idiot Cain..."

Roxy took a deep breath and pursed her lips slightly. She understood that Cain must have asked Zoldat to do this.

She was truly grateful for his desire to protect her. Roxy was happy that Cain would go this far for her, but it also meant she would find it increasingly impossible to repay this debt.

"But I don't know any protective magic. Even if they pray to me, they won't receive any protection..."

Roxy gripped her staff tightly and pursed her lips slightly.

Cain smiled faintly and looked at Roxy gently.

"It's fine. As long as this church exists, they'll have a spiritual faith. That faith will give them the courage to risk their lives when they're at the end of the road. Sometimes, it's more useful than any protection."

And if they sincerely revered and prayed to Teacher Roxy, they would unconsciously sanctify her. That would protect her more effectively than any deliberate effort. Killing two birds with one stone. Hmm, could Zoldat be a genius too?

Cain thought as he comforted Roxy. Of course, when they truly faced desperate circumstances, the power of such faith would only appear in a scattered few. Most people would still be swallowed by harsh reality.

But carving out a one-percent chance of survival from a situation that was certain death—that kind of miracle was the doctrine of the Roxy Church: the spirit of never giving up.

"So, Teacher Roxy, please don't refuse this goodwill."

Roxy secretly looked at Cain's smiling profile, suddenly at a loss for what to do. She understood the reasoning, but wasn't a church taking things too far...?

"By the way, Teacher Roxy, can you take me back?"

"Mm... alright..."

That night, Roxy led Cain back to the inn's backyard.

"So Cain actually isn't very good with directions?"

In the inn's backyard, Cain, who stood straight while practicing sword swings, suddenly froze. He turned and gave Roxy, who was reading a spellbook, a slightly awkward smile.

Was he not good with directions? He was the type who could get hopelessly lost even with only one road in front of him, as though he had been cursed.

But he was the archbishop, after all. He absolutely could not lie to the god of his own church.

"If I tell you the truth, Teacher Roxy will keep it secret, right? You'll definitely keep it secret, won't you?!"

Cain let out a breath, walked over to Roxy, stood beside her with a serious expression, and looked at her.

Why had he suddenly gotten so serious...? And don't suddenly come so close! Roxy complained inwardly.

"O-of course..." Seeing Cain's extremely serious expression, Roxy scratched her slightly flushed cheek, somewhat curious.

"Th-then, Teacher Roxy, you can't laugh when I tell you."

"Mm, I absolutely won't laugh."

Cain sighed in relief. If it was Teacher Roxy, then it should be fine to tell her.

"Actually..."

"Pfft, ahem... C-Cain, are you saying that you set out from the Sword God's Holy Land, got lost and ended up back at the Sword God's Holy Land, and then, while planning to go to the Asura Kingdom, got lost again and somehow arrived in the Ranoa Kingdom?"

Teacher, didn't you say you wouldn't laugh...? Please don't talk to me while trying to hold back laughter...

Cain watched Teacher Roxy's face turn red as she tried so hard not to laugh that she looked like she might suffer internal injuries, then blushed and complained with pursed lips.

"N-no, it's just too strange, isn't it? They're obviously so close together, and Cain is supposed to be the Sword God."

"Yeah, I deeply apologize for being a Sword God who gets lost..."

"Hahahaha!"

Roxy wiped tears from the corners of her eyes. Cain's words, "a Sword God who gets lost," were the last straw, and she finally burst out laughing, wiping tears from her eyes as she laughed.

Cain pouted and puffed out his cheeks. Why was he a little angry? Well, because his foolish teacher had broken her promise to him.

"S-sorry, I-I didn't mean to."

"Then you did it on purpose?"

The archbishop, betrayed by his god, puffed out his cheeks.

Seeing Cain puff out his cheeks with his arms folded, looking a little cute despite still being angry, Roxy felt somewhat guilty after laughing enough. She had said she would not laugh, but a Sword God who got lost... Really, she just could not hold it in!

"H-how about I teach Cain healing magic and detoxification magic as compensation?"

Wiping away the tears she had laughed out, Roxy tried to earn the forgiveness of her little fool of a student who loved getting lost.

Cain pursed his lips, put on a very angry expression, and looked at Roxy as she wiped away her tears.

"Didn't you already teach me Intermediate Healing Magic and Intermediate Detoxification Magic tonight, Teacher?"

As Cain spoke, he took a small knife from his waist and lightly cut his hand.

"Intermediate Healing Magic."

Cain placed his hand over the wound. Green light flashed as he activated the spell without chanting, and the small cut on the back of his hand rapidly healed.

"That's amazing."

"Please don't change the subject, Teacher Roxy. Even if you praise me, I won't be happy."

Roxy pursed her lips and revealed a somewhat forced smile. Her student had seen through her. There was nothing she could do now.

"Ahem, fine. Then what kind of magic does Cain want to learn? As long as your teacher knows it, I can teach it to you as compensation."

Well, that certainly sounded tempting, but Cain did not want to use this good opportunity to learn magic tonight. Magic's power was indeed alluring, but with Teacher Roxy's spellbook, he would be able to master those spells sooner or later.

Seeing Cain blush, open his arms, and turn his gaze slightly away, Roxy pursed her lips and tilted her head in confusion.

"T-Teacher, can I hug you...?"

"Huh!? W-why...?"

Cain pursed his lips and said nothing, merely looking at Roxy shyly.

"O-okay."

Roxy smiled helplessly. If just a hug could make her cute student stop being angry, then it was not impossible...

When she came back to herself, Roxy stared blankly, her entire body stiffening slightly as though struck by lightning, because Cain had already wrapped her in a tight embrace.

"U-um, Cain, you can't do anything else strange to your teacher, okay?"

Roxy said with a bright red face. Of course, she did not believe that besides being terribly directionally challenged, her student was also a lolicon lusting after her body. Besides, she felt that her somewhat thin body probably held no attraction for him.

"Could you not say things that ruin the mood, Teacher Roxy...?"

"O-okay." Roxy smiled helplessly and gently patted Cain's slightly trembling back.

Cain pursed his lips, his eyes carrying a trace of relief and... lingering fear.

"I'm so glad Teacher Roxy wasn't killed..."

"Huh? I-is that so? But I didn't even see the person who attacked me..."

Roxy blinked and spoke lightly, but hearing the despondent tone in Cain's voice, as though he was afraid of losing her, made her a little happy instead. It seemed her foolish student was worried about the safety of his teacher.