We Really Are Just Master and Disciple!

"Is that staff heavy, Master Roxy?"

"No, I'll carry this myself."

Roxy pursed her lips, still somewhat unaccustomed to the change in her status.

Cain nodded slightly, glanced at his clenched fist, and the corners of his mouth rose faintly.

Magic! Great! Was he going to have a magic teacher now!? If he got drunk in the future, he could use Detoxification Magic! He would finally never have to worry about hangovers again, oh yeah!

Roxy held her forehead and took a moment to recover. Her mind was a mess. She was still only a student at the Magic University, yet she had taken a Sword God of the Sword God Style as her disciple...

No one would believe it if word got out.

Looking at the young man extending his hand to her with a faint smile on his face, Roxy pursed her lips, sighed, and grasped his hand tightly, using his support to stand.

His hand was rather rough. Roxy could feel a layer of calluses on it, likely worn from sword practice. He was so diligent. She just didn't know whether he had any talent for magic.

Roxy's lips curved slightly as she looked at the clearly excited Cain.

She wondered whether he would be disappointed if he learned he had no talent for magic. After all, the talent to become a magician was one in ten thousand.

"We're on the same adventurer team, so would one silver coin a month be acceptable? Of course, the condition is that you remain part of my adventurer team. If you agree, then I'll..."

"No problem!"

"Ah, you agreed so readily..."

Roxy brushed aside the loose bangs on her forehead, pursed her lips, and blinked her azure eyes as she studied Cain for a moment. After thinking it over, she nodded slightly.

"All right, then. A pleasure working with you."

One silver coin was already quite a low price, but being able to remain on an adventurer team with the Second Sword God, someone at the pinnacle of swordsmanship—there was no need to think about it. She was getting an incredible bargain.

A reliable and powerful teammate was hard to come by when completing adventure quests. It would definitely be far safer and faster than tackling dungeons alone.

Roxy nodded faintly, determination glimmering in her azure eyes. She had decided! She needed to build a good relationship with Cain!

"Since we've reached an agreement, all right. I agree to become your magic teacher. I look forward to your guidance in the future, Cain Brand Reiback."

Roxy smiled lightly, removed her mage's hat, and gave a small bow.

Seeing Roxy's adorable smile, Cain's eyes brightened slightly. She had used his full name. Master Roxy respected him. He was happy.

"Ahem, um... I don't want to interrupt you two, but could you spare us some Mud Dragon Beast tails..."

"Hmm?!"

Roxy and Cain turned around to look at Soldat, who approached with two rows of white teeth showing, scratching his cheek with an embarrassed expression.

"My name is Soldat Heckler."

He was the adventurer who had looked at him with that troublesome expression.

Thinking this, Cain placed his hand on the hilt of the stone sword on his back, shifting a little closer to Roxy as he turned to look at her.

"Master, what should we do?"

"Huh? You're asking me about this?! I mean, can I really decide?!"

The corner of Roxy's mouth twitched. Most of the Mud Dragon Beast corpses scattered across the ground had been cut down by Cain. She had hardly contributed anything. Did she truly have the right to decide what to do with the loot from these Mud Dragon Beasts?!

"Of course you can. We're companions, aren't we? And you're still my master. Naturally, we decide matters like loot together. I have no objections."

But you look like you're completely leaving it up to me...

The corner of Roxy's lips twitched. For some reason, she felt a weight settle in her heart, along with some gratitude. Cain's serious expression didn't look like a joke. He seemed genuinely willing to listen to her opinion.

"Th-then! Um, wait a moment! Second Sword God Cain, you're called Cain, right? We're not enemies, so please don't keep your hand on your sword hilt. It's very, very dangerous."

This guy was a lolicon...

Soldat swallowed. Why was Cain so wary of him? He clearly had no interest whatsoever in women with the bodies of little girls. He wasn't going to compete with him for her.

Soldat had just seen Cain perform that knightly salute, the kind used for proposals, toward Roxy.

This guy was definitely a lolicon! Had they just confirmed their relationship? He hadn't expected things to move so fast!

Cain narrowed his eyes as he looked at Soldat's somewhat flustered expression, slowly removing his hand from the hilt of his stone sword. However, a trace of vigilance remained in his eyes.

Without question, Roxy was now a very important person to Cain. She was the important master who could teach him the power of magic. But Master Roxy had no Battle Aura, which meant she lacked the means to protect herself.

The person approaching her now appeared to be a Sword Saint, judging by his Battle Aura. A Sword Saint was approaching his master, who could not use Battle Aura, out here in the wilderness. If he harbored ill intent, Master Roxy would be in great danger.

Cain remembered that Roxy seemed to have always been at the Adventurers' Guild, and no one had been willing to team up with her. That meant the people around her were somewhat prejudiced against her. Otherwise, someone as outstanding as Roxy could not possibly have failed to find teammates. So why had this Sword Saint suddenly approached her?

Though he did not know what the man intended, Cain was completely confident that if the other party made any move to harm his important master, he could knock him down head-on—or split him into neat left and right halves, like the Armored Earth Dragons on the ground.

Cain did not want to kill anyone, but if someone threatened the life of someone important to him, he would never hold back.

"I advise you not to make any dangerous moves, Sword Saint..."

"H-how could I? Don't be so tense, Sword God Cain. I don't mean any harm."

Soldat's mouth twitched violently. This counted as a warning, didn't it? Would Cain just attack him next time?

"You've completed your quest, right? The commission for ten Mud Dragon tails. There are still so many Mud Dragon corpses on the ground. Of course, we won't take them for free! Our adventurer team will pay you!"

"So, Second Sword God Cain, could you stop gripping that sword hilt? I really don't mean her any harm!"

Soldat looked like he was on the verge of tears. If Cain had not single-handedly killed off the Mud Dragon Beast pack, he never would have come over to negotiate. This damned lolicon! Didn't he understand what he meant? He had already said he wasn't going to steal his woman!

"No, you don't need to be so wary, Cain..."

Roxy's cheeks were slightly flushed as she pursed her lips. She blinked at Cain, who had moved close beside her with a stern gaze, softly called out to him, and tugged on his sleeve.

Being protected did feel very nice, but the man named Soldat before them had visibly gone pale. Even his calves seemed to be trembling, making him look as though he might flee at any moment.

"Mm, don't worry, Master. I won't let him pose a threat to you."

"That's not what I'm worried about..."

Roxy smiled helplessly. This was also her first time being protected by someone strong. It felt rather strange.

She looked at Soldat, who seemed close to breaking down and running away.

"Ahem, my name is Roxy Migurdia, and he is my... disciple, Cain Brand Reiback. Are you looking to purchase this loot?"

"Huh?! Disciple? Could you two be in a teacher-student romance?!"

The quick-tongued Soldat blurted out what he was thinking, then hurriedly covered his mouth and waved his hands repeatedly.

"S-sorry, that's not what I meant!"

Damn it, this stupid mouth! Why had he said what he was thinking? That Sword God wasn't going to cut him down, was he?

"Huh!?"

Roxy's little mouth fell open as a blush rapidly crept across her cheeks. Her mind instantly shut down, and the light vanished from her eyes.

What the hell was a teacher-student romance?!

"Huh? What are you talking about? Roxy is the master teaching me magic. We're companions and master and disciple, not a man and a woman in a relationship."

Cain folded his arms, utterly speechless. No wonder Soldat had been looking at him and Roxy strangely from the start. So that was what he had been thinking? How rude!

Though Master Roxy was very cute, he wasn't a lolicon. Well, probably not. In any case, he would never do anything disrespectful to Master Roxy.

"N-not that kind of relationship?! But I clearly saw you bow to her."

"That was a ceremony for becoming her disciple, taught to me by my Sword God master. It wasn't the kind of ritual used for marriage, you rude bastard!"