CH 21

21 The pupil in the village

In the forest that is at the core of the demon continent of all the forests in the continent, a certain village was assaulted by a threat.

“――――Ugh! Substitute with me!”

“Got it!”

“Guryaaaaa!”

His body clad in armour, the sturdy man moved to the back at the same time the instruction was given. Another soldier squatting there plunged in and stopped the sword of the grotesque figure that was screaming in front of his eyes. The hit that was swung down was heavy and the soldier reflexively bent his knee.

Behind the grotesque figure, similarly grotesque looking figures formed a line. Those figures are called <Lizardman>―――――― B rank monsters known as the guards of the dragon’s cave. Their height appears to be 2 and half meters, their arms extending from the scale-covered body is thick and in that hand, a curved sword is grasped. The shape of their head is no doubt that of a dragon and drool is spilling out between those sharp teeth.

The Lizardmen are currently attacking a certain village. However, due to the swift response done from the directions of the A class adventurer who is residing in the village, they were unable to attack from front of the village.

This so-called swift response are measures such as narrowing down the entrance for the attack with the use of earth magic. The village is identical to the village Setsu and co visited a few days ago. Its surroundings are covered with a wall. Regardless of whether the residents are excellent or not, there was nothing to criticize about their strength. The entrance for passing through the wall is nothing more than the front gate of the village. In other words, as long as they control the gate, they can protect the village.

“Ramell, stay still just like that!”(ラーメル;raameru)

“Ugh! Miss Alize!”

The lizardman’s blow continues its pressure on the youth called Ramell, despite him being on his knees. Standing behind him, woman preparing her rapier called out to him. Just as he was told to, he stopped moving and the rapier wielding woman called Alize, while raising magic power within her, began chanting.

“With the savage and wrathful hellfire, burn my adversaries! <Flame Lance>!”

The flame lance that was fired from the hand that was stuck out, flew over Ramell, bore through the head of the lizardman and subsequently pierced through the similarly built beings behind it in one hit.

“That was great miss Alize!”

“I’m happy of your praise, but now is not the time! I’m entrusting my back to you!”

“Okay!”

Alize deals with the lizardmen by using the shining silver rapier she holds. Occasionally she makes use of magic to fires flames, decreasing an amount of invading lizardmen.

For certain, she is this village’s sole rank A adventurer and exclusive soldier Alize Ifrille. (アリゼ・イフリール;arize ifuriiru) The moment she comes out is the moment of despair as far as the lizardmen are concerned.

◇　◇　◇

“Teya!”

“Gii!”

Amelle’s dagger catches the temple of the E rank monster Goblin, ending its life. As a C rank adventurer, her movement is relatively light. Her use of that short sword stands out and watching her movement feels good too.

“Your dagger skills are great”

“*exhales* …… Thanks.”

I call out to Amelle who took a breath. Two days has passed since we left the town and this girl has surprisingly already opened up to us. Stopping with that unreasonable use of polite speech and talking with general speech is the proof of that.

Right now we are advancing inside a dense forest. A one way trip to Amelle’s village takes three days and if we raise our pace we could arrive there in a little over two days. Luckily, the monsters aren’t very strong, so it’s enough with just Amelle.

Thus, since we advanced well, the place of destination will soon be in front of our eyes she says.

“Just you wait honey liquor, I’ll save you right away”

“That’s all you’ve been saying the whole time……”

Don’t be so disgusted, Levia okay? Because you too will become addicted to it for sure once you drink it.

“The village…… it would be nice if they’re safe……”

“It should be fine, with the way they’re defending it.”

According to Amelle, the village is surrounded with a wall like the last village she visited; one entrance in the front of the village. That entrance is made thin using earth magic, to the point a single lizardman can squeeze through. Their intelligence isn’t a big deal; if there is a hole that even a single one of them can fit in, they won’t break the nearby wall. Conversely, if the village is completely surrounded with a wall, they will destroy it in order to go inside. It seems that the village’s sole former A rank adventurer Alize or something came up with this plan, that’s quite an excellent plan.

But that name Alize…… where have I heard of that one before……

“Say that Alize, what kind of person is she?”

“Eh? Uhm, she’s a beautiful woman with bright red hair and she’s a rapier user…… fire attribute magic is her forte……”

――――――She somewhat resembles an acquaintance of mine doesn’t she……

“And she’s very gentle…… and she’s cool, she’s gallant, she’s modest…… I admire her very much”

――――――Hm? It doesn’t seem like it’s my acquaintance after all. The Alize fellow I know of is a ferocious and conceited young girl after all, moreover she doesn’t have the strength of an A rank adventurer either. I hope she’s doing fine.

“Oh hey…… We can already see it, you two, that’s my village.”

What we see inside the forest is a wall made of earth. Wherever they are, villages in the demon continent all have a wall with a certain typical shape. We follow Amelle with a naturally high pace and face the front of the village.

When we get closer to the front, we could see the figures of the monsters attacking the village.

“Squirming disgustingly like ants aren’t they…… well, first of all, let’s go and ensure the village’s safety, shall we?”

“Eh?”

When I say that, Amelle turned her face to me and showed a “why?” face. We probably wanted to go directly to the dragon’s nest, but something like the village being annihilated is possible while I’m fighting there after all. Then I won’t be able to drink honey liquor.

I unsheathed Kuromaru from the magic bag, passed by Amelle and threw myself into the lizardmen.

“It’s ant extermination time!”

I went and rapidly cut down the guys who noticed me. those dragon scales are lacking in front of Kuromaru and I cut down several heads off their bodies in one swing.

“Gugyao!”

Conversely, the lizardmen swung down their curved swords without hitting me, ruthlessly cutting down air. Then the next instant I end their lives by cutting through their waist. After such slaughter advanced for a little while, the figures of nearby monsters disappeared.

“――――――This, what is …… “

After completely dealing with the nearby lizardmen, a young man in the direction of the village walks while dumbfounded. Behind him is a woman with red wavy hair accompanying him.

“Big bro!”

“Uoh!? Ah. Amelle!?”

Amelle who finally caught up with me, jumps at the young man. The young man catches the girl while tottering a bit and looks at the girl with a surprised expression. It seems like they’re somehow siblings since she’s using Big bro. If I look closely, they do resemble each other.

“Are you the one who took down these lizardmen?”

“Yeah”

The red haired woman began talking with me.

――――――It really does feel like this woman is my acquaintance.

“I see, so you are the adventurer Amelle was looking for. If I look at the fight just now, you appear to have at least the strength of an S rank adventurer.”

“Yeah, something like that. By the way, are you――――――crybaby Alize?”

When I ask that, the woman’s face suddenly became red and she set up the rapier she’s holding.

“You, you bastard…… where have you heard of that naaaaaaame!”

“Wait!? Miss Alize!?”

The dignified atmosphere from some time ago completely changed and Alize’s hair floats from the anger…… or actually the shame and she stepped on and unleashed a lunge with everything she had.

“Woah there.”

I pinch that rapier with my left fingers and diverted it beside me. I swept Alize, who thrusted with the same amount of force, away from her feet and she falls on the ground. Then I sit on Alize, who got up on all fours.

“You bastard! If you think it will just end with me being exposed to such humiliating experience――――――”

“Since when have you been able to point your sword towards your master? You crybaby.”

“Kuh…… Again with that name…… hm? Master?”

“I remember back then you would wield a rapier randomly and annoy me. And then when I get angry you would immediately get teary eyed. And when I praise you instead, you would cry in joy…… good grief.”

“N-n-n-n-n-n-no way…… Could you possibly be…… Master Setsu?”

I stand up and stuck out and showed her Kuromaru without hesitation.

“I’m SSS rank adventurer Setsu. Please treat me well, okay? Miss A rank adventurer Alize.”

“P- please treat me well…… Master.”

The former pupil of mine, Alize Ifrille, forces a smile as much as she could to me who’s showing a boorish smile, as she calls out the name she used to call me while showing her tears, perhaps from the fear of thinking I’ll never show myself.

◇　◇　◇

It was when I was traveling to the demon continent with the three of us――――――

When we were searching for requests in order to raise funds at a certain adventurer’s guild, an extremely cheeky red haired little girl cut in front of us. Her long hair was gently wavy, the sorry looking armour attached to her was brand new and on the sword handle there’s only a few traces of being held.

That obviously novice adventurer looking girl cut in front of us and submitted an S rank request. Well, the reception desk naturally snapped, but in the end she threw a tantrum and shouted “I’m strong so I can do at least this much!” From that conceit, the thug like adventurers in this place are about to take their hands out and use force, so I approached the little girl and

“If you can win from me, I’ll let you take that S rank request, okay?”

is what I said.

The little girl who heard that stopped her tantrum, turned around and with a delightful looking smile shown on her face she accepted the match.

“I won’t lose to a weak guy like you!”

I felt a little bit angry to the girl who said those provoking words, so I completely beat her up――――――I mean, taught her the difference between our strength. My strength at that time was SS rank. Of course I adjusted my strength and punished her to the point she understood she’s being toyed with.

I gave her a vicious beating and used restoration magic on her as she was crying from the pain with hardly any voice coming out and threw her outside. The big incident of the day ended like that.

On the next day, she once again showed her face in the guild.

“I’m begging you! Let me be your pupil! No I mean, please let me be your pupil!”

We, who was there to report our achievement on our request, were amazed and it unsurprisingly sounded troublesome to me so I refused, but the little girl even so desperately requested it. While screaming something like wanting to become stronger in order to protect her village, she clung onto me. She was really annoying and troublesome, but she got the idea of continuing this troublesome act for as long as she’s not my pupil.

“Master Setsu, you should make her your pupil already!”

“Tha- that’s right!”

“I also think you should.”

The three attendants of mine gradually lost their patience and finally came to petition to me in desperation. Well, she even prostrate herself the whole night in front of the hotel room we’re staying in, you know……

And so, I got myself a pupil and the little girl accompanied us in our travels for a while.

――――――That is who is Alize Ifrille.