Seeing how dejected Roxy looked, Cui Ciyou felt an overwhelming surge of tenderness and heartache rise within him.
He lowered his head slightly and said earnestly to Roxy:
"It's all right. Even if you really said something like that to me, Roxy, I wouldn't be angry."
"Because I know that isn't who you truly are."
"My magic teacher is Roxy Migurdia, and my swordsmanship teacher is Ghislaine Dedoldia."
"Whether I say it aloud or call you my teacher, those facts will never change."
Cui Ciyou paused, his voice seeming to grow gentler and more distant.
"Before... back in my homeland, I had many, many 'teachers,' too."
"But to me, those people were merely doing a job called 'teaching.'"
"But you're different." Cui Ciyou gazed deeply into Roxy's eyes.
"In this world, there really aren't many people I hold dear, people I truly care about."
His tone shifted, his voice turning cold and sharp:
"So if, in the future, anyone... dares call you a 'lowly demon' or a 'country bumpkin' in front of me..."
"If they're a commoner, I won't mind playing the wicked noble who throws his weight around."
"After all, I do at least hold the status of a lower noble of the Asla Kingdom now. That much privilege is mine."
"If they're a noble, I'll cut them down."
"Even if... one day... the person who says it is that Sword God hailed as the 'strongest of the Humanfolk.'"
"Someday, I'll cut him down with my sword, too."
"Roxy..." Cui Ciyou's voice softened again.
"In my eyes, you're simply an ordinary, adorable girl who loves studying profound magic, enjoys trying all sorts of novel desserts, and has an incredibly gentle, kind heart."
"You're no 'lowly demon,' much less some uncouth 'country bumpkin.'"
"I promise you, Roxy. Wherever I am,