Recovery

"Cain, thank you for taking such good care of a teacher who hasn't amounted to much."

"That's not true. You're an excellent teacher, Roxy."

Cain pressed his lips together. Why did she always put herself down?

"Please let me finish, Cain."

Roxy cut him off with a faint smile, then sighed. Her expression turned helpless, and her blue eyes dimmed as she lowered her gaze...

"You're only twelve this year, Cain. You still have a long road ahead of you..."

"You're not that big yourself, are you? I mean your age, of course," Cain added quickly. He hated being called small, too.

Roxy's smile stiffened, and the corner of her mouth twitched. She was actually much older than Cain...

"Ahem. Let's change the subject. Cain, you really don't need to spend so much energy on me. Besides..."

Cain pressed his lips together and looked at Roxy's adorable, blushing smile. He nodded slightly, feeling helpless.

She really is a silly teacher. She's got the wrong idea again. I'd never force her into anything, and now isn't the time for that anyway...

He and Roxy each had their own dreams. Romance wasn't everything in life, nor was it what they should be pursuing right now.

Cain felt that what he and Roxy shared was more about trust and reliance. If he ever achieved that nearly impossible dream, he would come back for her.

Then... I'll confess to her...

But by then, she'll probably already have someone she loves. Maybe someone even better than me...

Cain gave a faint smile. So that's the one thing I can't make peace with...

After a sigh, Cain looked at Roxy's flushed cheeks.

"I understand what you mean, but we're companions, aren't we? Companions who trust and rely on each other enough to watch each other's backs. That means being considerate and close sometimes. We haven't known each other long, but there's still something I want to say."

"I trust you, Roxy."

Cain smiled happily and looked earnestly at Roxy, whose blue eyes had widened and whose cheeks were pink.

"I won't do anything that would make you uncomfortable, including confessing to you or proposing. You really are wonderful, but unfortunately, that doesn't fit with my goals right now."

That's right. I'm nowhere near strong enough to overcome everything and protect her yet.

Cain was grateful to Zoldat for that. His little lecture had helped a lot, even if the man had a disgusting smile.

You've already said plenty of things that make me uncomfortable...

The corner of Roxy's mouth twitched, and she sighed. For some reason, as her nervousness faded, she felt a little disappointed too. Her feelings were a mess.

Cain smiled, looking relieved, and turned to Roxy.

"Maybe you think I'm still too young, but please allow me to make a case for myself."

As he spoke with a faint smile, Cain picked up the thermos and dropped two white sugar cubes into the pot.

When Roxy had eaten her cake at the inn, Cain had guessed she might have a sweet tooth.

Roxy pressed her lips together and watched Cain bend over to pour sweetened water into her cup. She sighed and smiled helplessly. If Cain were ten years older, maybe I...

And he really does know how to take care of people...

"After all, I may not be much, but I'm the Second-Generation Sword God of the Sword Sanctum. I can handle myself, so please leave your safety to me."

Cain spoke with a faint smile, then shrugged and poured himself a cup of sweetened water. He looked at Roxy, who was pressing her lips together, and continued.

"And since I keep getting lost, I need you to guide me. We're just helping each other as companions. I admire you too, so please don't feel burdened or indebted. Being able to help you actually makes me feel fulfilled."

Because we're teacher and student, but we're companions too.

Cain let out a long, contented sigh. His eyes grew nostalgic, and a smile touched his lips as he looked at Roxy.

Having a companion I can trust beside me really is wonderful! Especially when it's a girl as cute as Roxy!

It was incomparably better than wandering aimlessly through the mountains, killing wild bears and monsters for food every day, and sleeping in trees with one eye open every night.

Seeing Cain's blissful expression, Roxy helplessly took a sip of the warm, sweet drink in her cup.

Just how hard was his life before this...?

But after hearing him out, Roxy smiled with relief. The last of the tension in her heart eased.

Cain had a maturity and steadiness beyond his years. Roxy couldn't say why, but she felt safe when he was there.

And in truth, those few words of his had dispelled much of her unease.

Roxy couldn't help smiling at Cain gently.

My silly student. He really did comfort me.

"Ahem. But Cain, you can't talk to your teacher like that."

"Sorry."

Roxy cradled her warm cup, pressed her lips together, closed her eyes, and raised her chin with a little huff. Then she opened one eye to peek at her silly student, trying to recover some of her authority as his teacher.

But to Cain, who blinked and tilted his head in confusion, Roxy looked anything but imposing. If anything, she was even cuter.

"Hmm. Cain, write 'I must respect my teacher' a hundred times."

"What?! Do I have to?" Cain's spirits sank.

"Yes, you do." Roxy smiled.

"Congratulations on your recovery, Roxy!"

Zoldat and the others looked at Roxy standing beside Cain and broke into smiling applause.

"Congratulations on your recovery, Roxy." Mia, Raffy, and Nina came over to her, smiling and applauding as they offered their well-wishes.

"N-no, it's my fault our progress through the labyrinth was delayed. I'm truly sorry."

Roxy bowed deeply to everyone, but Cain, smiling faintly beside her, gently lifted her by the shoulders.

What's she apologizing for?! Without Roxy, I wouldn't even be here. Given how difficult that labyrinth is, it would've been a miracle for Zoldat's team to clear floor twenty, let alone reach floor twenty-three.

Cain meant it. From what he had seen of Zoldat's adventuring party, they were no match for the mini-boss on floor twenty. Even if they somehow got past it, victory would come at a terrible cost. Some of them might die, or the whole party might be wiped out.

"And of course, we mustn't forget our star member, the knight at Roxy's side. He stayed with her the entire time she was unconscious."

Everyone wore knowing smiles.

Cain coughed twice, his face reddening slightly as he glanced at Zoldat's goofy grin.

Did he really have to emphasize that...?

Roxy pressed her lips together. Her face felt hot again for some reason. It wasn't a fever, of course; she just embarrassed easily. Yes, that was all...

Cain took a moment to compose himself. Deciding to give Zoldat some extra training, he cleared his throat and said seriously,

"I was only doing what any companion and student should do. There's no need to thank me. Tell us about the labyrinth, Zoldat."

They weren't here on vacation. They needed to clear the labyrinth quickly, earn more money, and make up for the supplies they had used.