I Will Personally Guide My Disciple's Deviated Ideals Back to the Right Path

Just as Guter's mood was improving, suddenly, a familiar magical reaction rapidly approached him.

"This is... that magic user my detection swept over."

Guter looked toward the direction of the magical reaction—they really had come looking for him.

But this magic user had decent timing. If they had come a bit earlier, running into Guter right after Serie's "cold treatment," then the charged punch meant to beat them up might not have even needed charging—an uppercut alone would have sent them flying on the spot.

Now, with his mood somewhat lightened, Guter was willing to hear them out. If they spoke politely, he might just spare them the liftoff.

Guter reached out and tugged at his teacher, planning to wait right there, deal with this magic user's matter first, and then continue shopping.

Pulled to a stop, Serie was a bit puzzled at first, but after sensing the magical source rapidly heading toward Guter, she roughly understood the reason and simply stood by her disciple, waiting.

If her disciple was being troubled, she as his teacher ought to show some face.

Though, based on the feedback from that magical source, it shouldn't pose any threat to her disciple at all.

Master and disciple stood there, ready to receive the visitor. Guter even rolled up one sleeve and flexed his fist.

However, when that magical source actually emerged through the crowd and appeared before them, both of them froze mid-motion.

Serie couldn't help but laugh, while Guter silently rolled his sleeve back down.

Because standing before them was a little girl no more than eight or nine years old, shorter than an ordinary magic user's staff.

After finding this spot, the little girl closed her eyes and silently sensed again, finally locking onto the earlier magical source—it was the big brother standing nearby.

Guter watched with a complicated expression as the little girl walked up, gently tugged at the hem of his clothes, and said to him.

"Big brother, our teacher said that magic users aren't allowed to casually release magical detection in public places like this."

"Otherwise, other magic users might see it as a provocation."

"Did you know that, big brother?"

Looking at this little girl who had traveled across half the market just to kindly remind him, Guter sighed helplessly, obediently stood up straight, accepted the lesson from this "little teacher," and even bought a string of candy from a nearby stall for this little sister.

"Tch, this wasn't supposed to be how it went."

Having been both "scolded" and "bled dry," Guter had thought the faint magical source would belong to a young person, but he never imagined it would be this "young."

Watching the little girl still eating her candy, Guter felt more and more like he'd come out on the losing end.

So, Guter lightly elbowed her!

He swung his hand onto this little sister's head and gently rubbed it a few times.

"Mhm! Mhm!"

The little sister nodded happily, not resisting Guter's touch at all. Instead, her eyes curved into crescents, making her even cuter, to the point where Guter was tempted to pocket her and take her home.

"Little sister, did you come to the market alone? It's dangerous to go out without an adult—what if you run into a bad person?"

"I didn't come alone."

The little girl shook her head, candy still in her mouth. "I came with my grandma. She should be here soon, I think."

"I see."

From the side, his teacher Serie spoke, her gaze fixed on a direction in the crowd. "That magical source—it's your grandmother, isn't it?"

"Huh?"

Guter was startled. He had covered nearly half the market with his magical detection just now, and he'd still missed a magical source?

Seeming to sense her disciple's confusion, Serie spoke up. "It's normal that you didn't detect her. She's hiding her magic, and her technique is pretty good."

"Right, old woman?"

Serie looked toward an elderly woman walking toward them from the crowd and said.

Guter was shocked. She had already gotten this close, and he hadn't sensed a thing.

But when Guter saw the old woman's face, the shock in his heart surged to its peak.

"Kind young man, we meet again."

The old woman spoke to Guter first, while Guter's expression turned somewhat grim.

He remembered this old woman. It was the beggar he had encountered on the street shortly after arriving in Oysaster.

Last time, he had only sensed the magic on her at extremely close range and guessed that she was likely a member of the Empire's Magic Special Operations Unit or the Warrior in the Shadows.

Now, after he and his teacher had left Oysaster, they met again in this border town.

Guter found it hard to believe there was no scheme behind this.

"No need to be tense. This is just a chance encounter," the old woman explained in a hoarse voice, seeing Guter's expression change.

"Rest assured, under normal circumstances, I don't bring my family along on missions."

After saying these words, knowing her presence wasn't welcome, she patted her granddaughter, who was still sucking on candy, to say goodbye to Guter and the others, then left with her.

Watching the two figures disappear into the vast crowd, Guter turned to Serie and asked.

"Teacher, do you think their appearance was truly a coincidence, or was there some design behind it?"

"It doesn't matter. There's no need to dwell on it."

Serie waved her hand and said, "The humans of the [Empire] are not in a hostile relationship with us. When I decided to show myself before the world, I had already prepared for the possibility of being followed."

"Teacher..."

Guter's tone was somewhat subdued. After hesitating for a long while, he finally spoke to Serie.

"What if, one day, these human mages of the [Empire] stood against you and declared war? What would you do?"

"Oh?"

Serie turned back to look at Guter with keen interest. "An intriguing thought. An interesting hypothesis."

"If that day truly comes, I think I would be happy to face it head-on."

"To stand in for a disciple from a thousand years ago and examine the homework she left written across this world—such an opportunity is far too rare, don't you think?"

Guter gave a noncommittal nod.

"I imagine that my senior disciple sister, who wished for everyone to use magic, did not include 'her teacher being besieged by human mages who gained wisdom from her' in her ideal."

"Frieren?"

Guter's words made Serie fall silent for a moment. The usual calm on her face faded, replaced by a hint of seriousness.

"Having witnessed history firsthand, some things do not surprise me."

"Because of the needs of rulers, because of the passage of time, certain things become endlessly distorted."

"First their deeds, then their conduct, and finally their ideals."

"But Frieren has passed on, while her teacher still lives."

"If, as you say, Guter, that day ever comes..."

"I will personally wrench my disciple's distorted ideals back onto the right track."