He looked at the Nameless with a pitying expression.
“Tsk, how did you end up with such a taste…”
“…Master, I don’t know what you’re thinking, but absolutely—”
“It’s settled, tsk, I didn’t expect my only disciple to be like this…”
A sigh escapes me in this current situation.
No… logically speaking.
Where on earth can I find a woman who’s two spans shorter than Nameless?
What’s so great about a woman with such a small stature…
Isn’t it said that a woman should have a kind heart and wide hips?
The reason Nameless has such a preference, in my view, is simply because he’s still young.
Once he gets a bit older, he’ll definitely regret mentioning such tastes.
As I continued to think for some time.
Did Nameless witness my expression freezing in real time? He made a somewhat unjust expression.
“No, Master… Surely there are women of that height out there?”
“…”
Well, yes, there must be some.
After all, I myself don’t fall short in height, do I?
Wait a minute.
Me?
My eyes widened for a moment before I quickly shook my head wildly.
No, I’m excluded.
There’s no way Nameless could see me as an object of romantic interest after all the terrible things I’ve shown him.
…Not to mention, there’s quite an age difference.
Besides, isn’t it absurd for a disciple to view their master that way?
“…”
It was just a fleeting thought, but the very fact that I entertained such a notion made me feel embarrassed, and I wiped my heated face.
Yeah… it can’t be.
Though something felt amiss, I nodded.
Moments later, Elia, who had been lost in thought, tilted her head at our conversation.
“What are you two talking about?”
Hmm, what is there to explain…
How can I tell the involved party what I’ve been thinking?
“Uh, it’s fine if you don’t know.”
I shook my head with an awkward smile.
Elia regarded me with a suspicious gaze, but I only stared out of the window.
“…”
Suddenly, the conversation inside the carriage came to a halt.
Lucius had a serious look, deep in thought, while Elia kept glancing at him.
Nameless seemed either uninterested in them or needed some time to process our earlier conversation, leaning his head against the carriage wall with his eyes closed.
If we continue down this path, we might face a repeat of yesterday.
Of course, I too could force myself to sleep to escape this situation, but…
For some reason, it felt uncomfortable to lean on Nameless’s shoulder.
And going on like this in such an awkward state…
“Um.”
I pouted my lips.
Having to spend several hours in silence with people I don’t know all that well is more exhausting than I thought.
Maybe that’s why I ended up doing something I’d never usually do.
“Um, ahem.”
I coughed loudly to gather everyone’s attention in the carriage.
With everyone’s eyes now fixed on me, I felt a mix of nervousness and determination as I turned to face Lucius.
“Lucius, didn’t you say you had something to say to me?”
“…What do you mean, Master?”
“Lucius?”
For some reason, I only heard the responses of those other than Lucius.
Cold sweat trickled down my back.
Did Lucius not see this coming? He wore a blank expression for a moment before quickly becoming serious.
“Are you ready to hear what I have to say already?”
“…Master?”
Ah, I did tell him earlier that it was awkward and asked him to leave, didn’t I?
But, well.
Isn’t it better than the awkward silence?
I felt stifled for a while and needed to relieve it somehow, though I certainly wouldn’t vocalize that.
“Right now, it’s fine. Besides, hiding something from Nameless doesn’t sit right with me.”
It’s all about maintaining a believable facade.
How could I ruin the image I built as an admirable master in front of Nameless?
…Though, I’m not too sure if he thinks that way, I’m certain he does.
Probably.
Nameless whispered, “Master…” softly, nodding his head.
It seems things are going according to plan.
I barely held back a sigh of relief as I met Lucius’s gaze.
Lucius, understanding what I said, nodded once before bowing deeply with a serious look in his eyes.
“If possible, could you offer me some small instruction?”
“Instruction?”
Lucius nodded earnestly.
I guess he’s not mishearing anything, but what about ‘instruction’…
I casually glanced at Nameless.
As expected.
The expression on Nameless’s face, which was previously soft, became strained.
Hmm, honestly, I can understand Nameless’s feelings.
If one day, he suddenly brought a strange woman and introduced her as his new master, I’d probably burst into tears at that moment.
How could he possibly overwrite everything I’ve taught him in one fell swoop?
Nameless probably wore such a face for a similar reason.
Yeah, I understand it all.
Moreover, I’m not just his master, but I’ve filled a parental role, making it feel like he’s being robbed of his mother.
After letting those thoughts swirl, I felt a peculiar unease.
Mother? Hmm, let’s just say father.
I nodded.
As I collected my thoughts briefly, I frowned and resolved to answer Lucius.
“I’m sorry, but I have no intention of taking you on as a disciple.”
“Ah.”
Lucius widened his eyes at my abrupt response before breaking into a sheepish smile.
“I must have misspoken.”
“Hmm.”
“What I meant was, could you engage in a spar with me?”
…He wanted to have a spar?
Not that he wanted a master’s instruction, huh?
I hadn’t even considered that this was on the table; I had jumped to conclusions.
I pressed my forehead and let out a tiny sigh.
Well… It’s a bit bothersome, but given my stiff body, I wouldn’t mind having a little spar.
Just as I was about to nod in agreement.
Suddenly, a thought crossed my mind.
…Could this be a chance for Nameless to gain valuable experience?
While he has fought in poor districts, he’s only faced off against high-level wannabes who didn’t lay a finger on him due to his superior strength.
Hasn’t he won easily even when facing multiple opponents due to a sheer skill gap?
Of course, he’s been a bit careless…
I squinted at Lucius.
Gradually, I began to perceive the white energy swirling within him.
Hmm, this is…
I do feel a bit sorry for Nameless, but…
Lucius definitely possesses a level of skill above Nameless.
Not just a level above; he might be on another tier entirely.
Perhaps this time, Nameless won’t land a single hit.
How this young man amassed such energy is beyond me, but when considering he’s a Hero, it does make some sense.
Tsk, favorites always get the best cards.
Anyway.
This is indeed a shortcoming of mine as the master.
However, until now, Nameless has never fought a worthy opponent beyond me.
If Lucius accepts my proposal, it could provide Nameless with invaluable sparring experience.
In other words, this is an opportunity to somewhat compensate for my inadequacies as a master.
I raised the corners of my mouth and opened my mouth.
“Alright, but—”
No matter how strong he is, if he’s not going all out, a spar becomes meaningless.
“Fight Nameless first.”
Seeing that Nameless should benefit from the experience, it’s better that Lucius fights with his true strength.
Even if Nameless suffers a significant defeat, that would only serve as a catalyst for his growth; it’s not a problem at all.
After all, growth comes from sweat and blood!
Of course, since this is a mutual agreement, there’s no chance of shedding blood.
“You need to let me gauge your level so that I can adjust my strength accordingly, don’t you think?”
In order to provoke Lucius into exposing his strength, I deliberately pulled one corner of my mouth up in a snark.
His brows furrowed in response.
“Um… what’s with the sudden atmosphere? We’re sparring, right…?”
Elia flinched, startled by the change in Lucius’s demeanor and waved her arms, but Nameless remained silent, standing his ground as if he had no issues with my intentions, and Lucius nodded at Nameless.
“If Cheon Ha-rang says so… I understand.”
“Great! Then, when the carriage halts, we’ll proceed immediately!”
I leapt up from my seated position, arms spread wide.
“Oh, the spar will take place once we arrive at Ellen.”
“Wait.”
The carriage jolted violently, as if it had hit a big rock, throwing me off balance.
…
The chill of the wind prickled my cheeks.
Outside the window, a snow-covered landscape unfurled.
“Hmm, we’ve arrived.”
We made it to Ellen in the North.
