Legal Little Shota

"Mm, get yourself ready. We'll start training in a few days."

Zoldat smiled faintly and waved his hand, pulling out a wooden practice sword from a nearby snowdrift as he looked at Cain.

"No need, no need. From what you said earlier, fighting can increase battle aura, right? I feel like I'm already getting the hang of it!"

Cain smiled helplessly, gently placing his hand on the hilt of his wooden sword.

"Want to try?"

"Of course!"

Bang! Bang! Bang! Five minutes later, Zoldat sat on the stone steps with his bruised and swollen face covered by his hands, speechless...

Cain stood beside him, casting healing magic on Zoldat's battered face, and could not help nodding slightly.

"Not bad. You actually managed to withstand my attacks for so long while staying on your feet. Zoldat, you've got talent."

Was I withstanding them? You clearly hit me so hard I couldn't even fall down, okay?!

Zoldat covered his red, swollen face, utterly speechless. He was way too damn fast—Zoldat could not even see when Cain swung his sword.

When their sparring had first begun, Zoldat had only felt as if some enormous object had slammed into him and sent him flying. His vision went black, and he lost consciousness. When he woke up, he had fallen from midair into a snowdrift.

Only afterward did he learn that Cain had relentlessly comboed him for five whole minutes, leaving him in this miserable state. That really felt like a personal grudge.

Five minutes! Did Cain know how he had spent those five minutes?!

But...

Pure and powerful.

Was the world really this far away...

Zoldat stared at the dazzling sea of stars in the night sky, his expression somewhat lost.

But when he remembered that the guy in front of him, who could cast Intermediate Healing Magic, was a Sword God, he suddenly felt much better.

He was a Sword God. What ordinary swordsman could possibly beat him? Zoldat had used his body to keep Cain's sword under control for five minutes. That was already pretty impressive, wasn't it?

"Intermediate Healing Magic."

Cain cast Intermediate Healing Magic once more, and the bruises on Zoldat's body quickly returned to normal.

Intermediate Healing Magic was different from the advanced Super-Speed Healing. It healed more slowly, and serious wounds required continuous casting.

"How amazing. As a Sword God, you can even use such advanced healing magic—and without chanting."

Zoldat looked at his palms, then touched his fully recovered body in amazement.

"Honestly, it looks like Mia and Rina are going to get jealous."

Cain pursed his lips.

"I'm just a swordsman. Unless absolutely necessary, I won't take on the role of a mage or support priest. Please don't assign me extra work."

Cain had no intention of doing two jobs for one salary. Unless they paid him two people's wages, it was out of the question.

"Is that so? Then I can rest easy. Let's head back, Cain."

Cain nodded slightly. Strictly speaking, he was still an apprentice mage; Master Roxy had not acknowledged his graduation yet. Besides, Cain did not want to offend people by taking away their livelihood.

"By the way, why would a Sword King of the North God Style want to kill Roxy?" Zoldat asked in confusion as Cain helped him to his feet.

Cain supported Zoldat's body, frowning slightly at the question. He thought for a moment, but had no clue whatsoever.

"Mm, I don't know either. I asked Master Roxy, but she doesn't know either. No matter what, though, I absolutely won't let them succeed."

"Is that so? If things get too difficult, you can go to the Asura Kingdom, or hide out for a while in the Neris Duchy or the Bashirant Duchy, two of the other three great nations."

"Or you could go to the Shirone Kingdom in the central region of the Central Continent. I hear their capital, Ratikia, is also rather short on adventurers."

Cain pressed his lips together slightly.

"Is that so? But I don't plan to remain an adventurer forever. I wanted to study magic because I wanted to grow stronger. After that, I might travel through different regions and learn the swordsmanship of every style, until I surpass those legendary gods..."

"That's such a childish thing to say. Still, Roxy seems to really want to become an adventurer. Before you arrived, she kept trying to find people to form a party with, but they all refused her. You should be the first adventurer willing to form a party with her. Looking at her now, she probably really wants you to stay with her."

Cain's face reddened slightly. He supported Zoldat, who wore an obvious gossiping expression, and said nothing.

If Master wants me to stay with her, what should I do? Choose my dream, or choose Master?

Cain thought for a moment, then smiled faintly in relief. He had to fulfill his dream; that was why he had started down this path. Of course, if Master wanted to adventure with him, that would be even better. He only hoped that the day they parted would come a little later.

Master Roxy really seemed to love exploring dungeons. Cain could tell that she had a heart that loved adventure, and whenever she mentioned dungeons, she always looked incredibly excited. Master had her own adventures.

And he was destined to leave this place. He respected Master deeply. Once he gained the strength he desired and fulfilled his wish, he would definitely go find Roxy. Though that would probably be many years from now...

"By the way, Zoldat, do your legs really need to shake this badly?"

Zoldat's gossipy expression immediately darkened.

"Don't think so highly of me, you bastard. Just now, I almost thought you were going to chop me to death. I've already made a tremendous effort not to collapse on the ground in fear."

Could this guy really become a King-class Swordsman...

Cain looked at Zoldat, who was so frightened he could only lean on Cain for support, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

After returning to the inn, Cain took Zoldat back to his room on the first floor before heading upstairs himself. Just as he opened his door, he heard a creak behind him.

When he turned around, he saw Master Roxy emerge while hugging a large pillow, her face red. Unlike usual, she wore a blue nightgown the same color as her hair. She looked like a kitten that had just woken up, rubbing her eyes with a dazed expression.

Mm, Master Roxy is cute even in sleepwear...

No, Master Roxy is the loli type, isn't she? In the world before I transmigrated, I'd probably get electrocuted for this...

As soon as Roxy stepped outside, she saw Cain standing opposite her, staring blankly at her. Her dazed azure eyes widened, her face turned bright red, and with a slam, she shut the door and retreated into the room while hugging her pillow in embarrassment.

The corner of Cain's mouth twitched. Was Master embarrassed? But he had not seen anything. Roxy's sleepwear was perfectly neat.

How strange. I only went outside to see what was making so much noise. How did I end up seeing my stupid disciple the moment I stepped out?!

Roxy lay on her bed hugging the large pillow, and Cain's gentle smiling face appeared in her mind again. She pressed her lips together.

What is wrong with me? Why do I dream about him, and why do I see him whenever I step outside? Why is my stupid disciple everywhere...

Shaking her head, Roxy shook Cain's image out of her mind—the image of him seriously swinging his sword—then lay on her back and stared at the ceiling with a sigh. Humans were considered adults at fifteen, and Cain was from the Devil Race. Given the Devil Race's extremely high mortality rate, twelve-year-old Cain was already considered an adult, wasn't he?

Legal little shota.

"No, honestly, what on earth am I thinking..."