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Originally, watching fights is the most entertaining way. (6)
Huff, huff, huff.
There was no sign of the figure that had just knocked out the village leaders.
They sipped their drinks slowly, as if saving the very expensive drink drop by drop.
“You can have more if you want.”
“Oh, no! I had a lot earlier, so I’m fine.”
I nodded in surprise at Ria, who sipped her drink hesitantly.
“Yeah. Binge drinking isn’t good.”
At my words, Ria teared up and continued to sip her drink.
“Yes. Binge drinking is not good, very…”
She seemed to alternate between drinking alcohol and tears to the point where it was unclear whether she was drinking tears or alcohol.
“So, shall we…”
“Um… I still have a little bit of alcohol left…”
She showed me her glass, which seemed to be half full.
A while ago, it would have been hard to believe that this was the same person who had emptied her glass in one shot and knocked out the village leaders.
Well, it couldn’t be helped.
There might be times when she wanted to enjoy a drink in peace.
As a mentor, I should wait patiently.
-Master? From what I can see, it seems like she’s deliberately stalling for time, right?”
Hmm… You could say that.
– “Isn’t she being too placent? What if scary sisters show up because of this?”
– “That won’t happen.”
If she was deliberately acting normal to buy time, you might think someone was acting as bait in a trap.
But look at her now.
Although she was raising her glass, her pupils were rolling around, and there was a slight tremor in her hand as she raised her glass.
Her body was slightly turned away from me.
This posture was to get out of the way as quickly as possible.
It meant that she was full of escape thoughts.
Of course, after being the bait, someone else could step in when the trap was set.
But my instincts were telling me something. There was a subtle difference in Ria’s actions now.
I couldn’t explain it, but I was sure that those slightly trembling pupils weren’t from acting, they were genuinely surprised!
– “Well, if Master says so, then that’s probably it. It’s not like I have anything to lose if I’m wrong, except for Master’s life.”
That was Iron Bat’s answer.
Even though he claimed to be soul mates, connected by souls when needed, and pared it to the relationship between a goddess and her disciple, he gave such irresponsible answers.
– Every time I say that, you deny it, don’t you? Master only es to me when she needs something.”
It was a slightly petulant tone, but since it was a mon occurrence, I let it slide. After all, when the opportunity es to drop a person, everything will e out.
For now, this was more important.
“Ria.”
“Yes, um…”
When I called out to her, Ria, who was sipping her drink, turned her head in surprise.
“Why are you…?”
Why are you so surprised? Anyone would think I was going to eat her.
-Break?
-It’s loud. No, even before that, she’s an adult now.
Although Ria was one year younger than the heroine Mirana, who was in her mid-twenties last year, she was still in her mid-twenties herself.
At present, it’s a very late development, but still, at the age of 15, she was a member of a noble family where marriage was mon.
At that point, it wouldn’t be out of place to call this boy an old maid.
Besides, as someone who had spent a few years in the Imperial Palace, it seemed highly unlikely that Ria would enter into a romantic marriage.
For Ria to marry, she would either have to be pressured by the power of her household, the power of the Magic Tower, or she would have to forge ahead on her own.
-“Master? Isn’t that last part a crime?”
-“It’s considered a crime if you get caught, but it’s not a crime if you don’t.”
As my disciple, she would surely have the ability to secretly protect the man she likes.
-“Even if you believe that, Master, an apprentice wouldn’t approve.”
-“It’s not my life, so it doesn’t matter.”
Since I had more problems regarding romance, I couldn’t pay attention to other people’s problems.
-“Well…”
Even the mighty Iron Bat was at a loss when it came to matters of love.
-“You’ve never… had one?”
-“Cough.”
Th-that boy…! I told him to e in with the lights on!
“…Professor?”
Sare’s voice suddenly rang out, causing me to swallow the drink in one go.
“Why, why are you…?”
Seeing her like that, trembling like a small animal, Ria looked up at me with a pitiful face.
It seemed to be the kind of face that would be popular with men.
Should I reconsider my judgment?
-You saw it when you were drinking, didn’t you? That’s her true nature.”
-“I’m doomed.”
Although the world is vast and there are many strange people, noble men who like such appearances are rare.
It can’t be helped. As a teacher, the only thing I can do is to help my disciples raise a good family.
-How? Should the master follow her every time she’s in love?”
-That is an invasion of privacy.
I am a kind teacher who respects the privacy of my students. So I have to find another way.
-“What kind of way?”
-“Make her a hero. A hero recognized by the whole continent!
You say a hero is wanted by everyone, right?
Even if he’s unpopular, if he bees a hero, he’ll be able to get at least one girl!
“For now… look at this.”
When I showed Ria the paper I took out of my pocket, her face turned pale.
“T-this is ….”
“Um…. You know what to do, right?”
“Yes….”
-“Master? Won’t this child die?”
The clear eyes that shone through the messy hair and dirty face were now clouded.
What should I say?
Just a moment ago, those eyes were saying, “Ah, I’ll survive even in the tiger’s den if I keep my wits about me.
-Now they’re just saying, “Ah… life…”?
-“That’s right.”
Even the non-expert Iron Bat could see how desperate she was.
“Professor… this… what I know… this… darkness… it’s not, right?”
A drop rolled from her right eye and trickled down her cheek.
A drop.
A drop of water fell from her slim chin, making a sound as it hit the glass.
Wow, she hasn’t finished her drink yet.
Truly pitiful.
-“Master shouldn’t say that!”
“Is that so?”
“Yes…”
I knew she wanted to deny reality, but it was an inevitable fate.
A fate that couldn’t be escaped from the moment we met!
“Now read this carefully.”
As soon as I finished speaking, various emotions appeared on Ria’s face.
Regret, despair, disappointment, fear, anger, emptiness, denial, sadness….
Ria showed every negative expression a person could have, but one thing remained constant: every time her expression changed, she looked at the Iron Bat in my hand.
“Yes…”
At the last moment, after alternating between me and Iron Bat for a while, Ria muttered.
-“Phew…. I survived.”
-“In the end, I lost.”
The last expression Ria showed contained only one emotion.
Killing intent.
She wanted to kill me and undo everything.
But perhaps she couldn’t overe the trauma she had suffered since childhood and finally accepted her fate.
-I really almost died.
Since it was a magical area, it was enough to be fifty years old to still be active. No, it was an age where one could have both the skills and experience to be considered in one’s prime, as some call the 40s and 50s the best years.
But that’s if you have magic power.
Without magic power, like me, your strength and endurance diminish. Just holding a sword makes you tired.
Ria, on the other hand, with her powerful summoning, Surtr, had a style closer to a mage than a sorcerer, but in melee she was a monster that could rival a knight.
If Ria had decided to cast body enhancement magic and sacrifice Surtr, she could have easily blown my head off with just a few dodges of Iron Bat.
But Ria couldn’t get over her fear of Iron Bat.
This gave me a new advantage.
An important advantage that could cause a great stir among the Imperial Army, the Demon King, and the heroes.
So,
“Ah, can’t you take it?”
“No. You can’t.”
Hurry up and take the shot, Ria.
#8 Her Circumstances: Ria El Nermia’s Circumstances
Oh no… I’m lost.
Mother, please save me!
-Run! Run! You must run, Master! This is a contract with the devil!”
Surtr, who was more frightened than I was, cried tears.
Why did Surtr make a deal with me?
Besides, it wasn’t an ordinary contract, but a slave contract that had to obey my words.
It was because of that gear scroll right there.
A powerful contract that even the gods who manage the world after its creation cannot break.
I really don’t understand why the Creators made such useless things after creating the world and then disappearing.
-The Creators aren’t bad. It’s the Master who abuses the Gear Scroll!”
-“Indeed.
The creators probably didn’t intend for the Gear Scroll to be used this way.
It’s the Master… no, the Professor who’s misusing the Gear Scroll.
But I had no choice.
I considered killing them all and fleeing… but there was no way I could defeat the Iron Bat the Professor was holding.
“Didn’t Mirah tell you? Professor defeated over ten sword masters with just Iron Bat, and even defeated Her Highness, the princess.”
Even I couldn’t defeat ten sword masters. No, no ordinary person could. Not even the five who hold the title of Sword could acplish such a feat. Didn’t you see Iron Bat defeat even the most revered Sword Master?
So stop being stubborn and quietly sign the slave contract.
But the condition of the contract was very strange.
.
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