TERNLF Vol. 2 Prologue

Full title: The Exiled Reincarnated Noble Lives Freely

Note: If you found any typos/mistakes, pls write them in the comment. Thanks.

Translator: Canon

Note 2: A super long prologue

____________________________________________

◆Prologue◆

I—Toa Yamazaki—was reincarnated one day into another world, as the second son of a noble family in the Kingdom of Preasole, known as Toa Kashit.

I thought being born a noble would guarantee a life of leisure, but at the age of eight, I was branded a failure, inferior to my talented elder brother in both swordsmanship and magic. Under the pretext of “training,” I was sent to a remote fortress on the kingdom’s frontier.

There, in a harsh land constantly besieged by monsters from the neighboring forest, I survived day after day through sheer will, beaten and hardened by the veterans who trained me.

Ten years later, at eighteen, I was summoned back to the royal capital following my father’s death. But the brother who had inherited the family title, Glaas, declared my disownment upon my return.

Stripped of my noble status, I became an adventurer. It was then that I met two young women: Nikka and Grassa, who had just started their own journeys as adventurers, and began traveling with them.

Before long, we were caught up in an incident where a corrupt merchant named Lakkra attempted to kidnap Grassa.

During that ordeal, I learned that both Nikka and Grassa possessed special powers; abilities beyond ordinary magic. It was those powers that Lakkra had been after.

With help from my brother Glaas, we succeeded in resolving the case, but because of it, I knew others would soon covet their gifts. To prevent anyone from targeting them again, the three of us—Nikka, Grassa, and I—decided to flee the capital and head toward the frontier fortress where I once trained.

After switching between several carriages and putting enough distance behind us to be free of pursuit, I was finally able to relax and speak freely again.

—

“...‘The Myth of the Star’s Genesis’, huh.”

Inside the carriage bound for the frontier fortress, I murmured as I looked at the worn, frayed book Nikka held gently against her chest.

“Yes. I’ve loved this book since I was little; I’ve read it so many times.”

“Ah, I knew it. Toa, you’ve noticed it too, right? Nikka’s always carrying that thing around, reading it even at times like this.”

Nikka nodded happily, while Grassa smiled wryly beside her.

“Toa, you’ve read it before too, haven’t you?”

“I think I did when I was a kid, but it’s been so long that I barely remember the story.”

“In that case, please listen, let me tell it to you now.”

With a bright smile, Nikka began to passionately recount the tale.

It went like this—

—

Long, long ago—before life existed in this world—a goddess descended from the heavens, carrying a cradle in her arms.

She reshaped the barren world so that life could take root.

Then she bore ten children, and entrusted them with her wish—to fill the world with life—before falling into a deep, eternal slumber.

Those children, later known as the Ten Gods, used the wisdom granted by their mother and the seeds of life that had slept within the cradle to journey across the world, giving birth to countless forms of life.

Ages passed.

Over countless eons, the world blossomed into a land overflowing with humans, beasts, fish, insects, and plants.

When the goddess finally awoke from her long sleep, she rejoiced to see the world thriving with life just as she had wished, but her joy did not last.

For she soon discovered that the world she had envisioned contained many things she called “aberrations.”

Grief turned to sorrow, and sorrow to rage.

The Ten Gods were bewildered by their mother’s fury.

They had only done what she had asked: bringing forth life to fill the world.

To them, even the so-called “aberrant” beings were beautiful, beloved lives.

Why, then, would the goddess reject them?

They tried to reason with her, to persuade her of the world’s beauty and diversity.

But she refused to accept it.

In the end, she decided to reset everything, to remake the world in her ideal image.

That choice meant annihilating all life born upon the star.

The Ten Gods could not defy their creator. Her command was absolute.

And so, they faced the unbearable truth: they would have to destroy the very lives they had nurtured with their own hands.

Fortunately, she had not yet given them the final order.

Before she could act, the goddess returned to her cradle to prepare for the world’s rebirth.

Seeing their chance, the Ten Gods gathered in secret.

They knew there was only one way to stop her: to return the goddess to sleep once more.

They knew how, because long ago, when the goddess first slumbered, it was they who had sung her to rest.

Acting together, the Ten Gods struck in the brief moment of the goddess’s repose and succeeded in placing her into an eternal sleep once again.

And even now, the Ten Gods are said to remain, watching over the goddess as she continues to dream—

—

Though she was usually quiet and reserved, Nikka spoke with rare animation, gesturing as she told the story: a myth about the world’s creation.

I’d read the same myth as a child to learn about this world.

But the version kept in the Kashit family library had been slightly different; it ended gently, saying that the awakened goddess still watches over the world even now.

What Nikka recited, however, was not so peaceful.

In her tale, the goddess did not watch over the world; she tried to destroy it.

Far from a creator deity, she sounded more like an evil god, or rather, a god of destruction.

Still, I couldn’t help wondering. Why is it that gods, both in my past life and this one, are so eager to wipe out the very people and worlds they’ve created?

Even if they’re said to be all-knowing and all-powerful, are they truly unable to foresee the futures that lead to ruin?

No, perhaps humans themselves are beings so unpredictable that even omniscient gods cannot read them.

Maybe that’s why the gods choose to destroy the world and start anew.

While thinking such things, I shared with Nikka how the story she told differed from the version I had once read as a child.

“...That story was fabricated by the Church of the Goddess.”

Nikka’s voice came out sharper than I expected, her tone unusually firm.

“The Church of the Goddess?”

“Yes. According to their doctrine, it was not the goddess who sought to destroy the world, but the Ten Gods themselves.”

I didn’t recall hearing the name Church of the Goddess before, but what she described sounded familiar.

I’d fought people shouting “Free the goddess!” countless times during my years at the frontier fortress.

I wasn’t sure if they were part of this church Nikka mentioned, but if so, why were they trying to destroy the fortress? Beyond it lay nothing but the cursed forest, crawling with monsters.

“Toa?”

“Hm?”

“Could it be... you believe in the Church of the Goddess?”

Seeing the unease on her face, I quickly shook my head.

“Of course not. I was only talking about the book my family kept. It was never treated like something sacred, and the Kashit family never showed any sign of following that religion.”

“I see. I’m glad... But that means you believe this version, the true Myth of the Star’s Genesis, right?”

Clutching the book tightly to her chest, Nikka spoke with conviction.

I could only smile wryly. “So if that’s true, then if the goddess ever wakes up again... this world will end?”

“That’s why the Ten Gods continue to watch over the cradle where she sleeps, to make sure that never happens. But those people...”

Nikka’s voice trembled with rare disgust as she hugged her book even tighter.

I sensed that this wasn’t a topic we should keep pushing.

Pretending not to notice the tension, I smoothly changed the subject.

“Anyway, are you sure about this?”

I looked at Nikka and Grassa sitting across from me.

“Sure about what?”

“What do you mean?”

Both tilted their heads—Grassa curious, Nikka looking puzzled—so I rephrased my vague question.

“I mean... are you certain you want to head for the frontier fortress?”

I was the one who had suggested it, yet I couldn’t shake my doubts. Even now, the fortress constantly battles not only monsters but also the sabotage attempts of various groups.

To the outside world, going there was tantamount to marching to one’s death.

...Though in truth, its walls are strong, and as long as you avoid the front lines, it’s far safer than people think.

Still, was it really right to take two young women—rookie adventurers, even if they had rare powers—into such a dangerous place?

The thought had lingered at the back of my mind ever since we left the capital.

If they’d agreed to come just to spare my feelings, I’d feel terrible.

“Is that what you’ve been worrying about?”

Grassa’s response came with a sigh of mild exasperation.

“Do we look like we’re following you unwillingly?”

Nikka, on the other hand, pouted faintly, knitting her brows as she looked straight into my eyes.

Indeed, neither of them had shown even a hint of fear since we left the capital.

If anything, they’d been asking me all sorts of questions about the fortress; brimming with curiosity rather than anxiety.

I had completely misread their enthusiasm as forced courage.

“I see... That’s good to know.”

Relieved, I leaned back against the side of the carriage.

“But... I do have one complaint.”

“Huh?”

I blinked at Nikka’s sudden remark.

“We’ve changed carriages about three times now, right? And every one of them’s been meant for cargo, not passengers. My backside hurts so much.”

“Oh, I get that! Every bump goes straight through the seat!”

The two began rubbing their sore backsides with a groan, and I hastily averted my eyes.

It was true, we’d been avoiding public stagecoaches to leave as few traces as possible, traveling instead with independent merchants.

In exchange for serving as guards, we were allowed to ride along in their wagons.

And since most merchant wagons were built for hauling goods rather than people, comfort wasn’t exactly a priority.

“Now that you mention it, Toa, you don’t seem to be in pain.”

“I’m used to it.”

Back at the fortress, I had often made round trips between the fort and the nearby town, hauling supplies on wagons just like this one.

Thanks to that, I’d grown completely accustomed to the jolting.

“Sorry, I should’ve realized sooner.”

“Toa, that’s so like you.”

“‘So like me’? What’s that supposed to mean?”

Grassa grinned mischievously.

“It means you’re a total blockhead.”

“Block—hey, I’m not that bad, am I?”

“Come to think of it, I’ve never seen you smile, Toa,” Nikka added softly.

“Really? I feel like I do smile sometimes.”

I tried to recall the last time I’d genuinely laughed.

“Well, you do grin when you’re scheming something.”

“...Ouch.”

Now that she mentioned it, the only times I could remember smiling were when I was punishing some scoundrel or getting revenge.

But could that really be called smiling?

“...I’ll work on it.”

I pressed my fingers to the corners of my mouth and forced them upward.

“Ahaha, what’s that supposed to be?”

“Fufu, that doesn’t count as a smile.”

Both of them burst out laughing.

“Yeah... guess that didn’t work.”

Yet seeing their laughter made me relax, and before I realized it, I was smiling for real.

“That’s it! That face right there!” Grassa exclaimed.

“I think that’s the first time I’ve seen you smile, Toa,” Nikka said warmly.

Inside the rattling wagon, surrounded by piles of cargo, the three of us continued our journey toward the frontier fortress.

Until now, I’d been so focused on avoiding pursuers that I hadn’t thought much about their comfort.

I’d have to change that.

I made a mental note to buy them some soft seat cushions at the next town we passed through.

—

“...Can’t believe we got stuck here of all places.”

After several carriage transfers since leaving the capital, we had finally reached the outskirts of Loch—the largest city along the road to the frontier fortress.

Yet just before the city came into view, we were forced to camp outdoors for the night.

The reason was simple: the wheel of our carriage had gotten caught in a rut on the road and broke.

It happened around midday on the tenth day since we departed from the capital.

A convoy of merchant wagons had appeared from the direction of Loch—our destination—and that was where the trouble began.

Loch sat at the crossroads of major trade routes connecting the northern towns and villages of the kingdom to the royal capital.

Naturally, the road toward the capital was always crowded with carriages laden with goods.

Our carriage was one of many that traveled this route, run by a small-time merchant who made his living going back and forth between Loch and the capital.

He was the only one besides us riding the wagon, clearly not a wealthy trader if he was hiring rookie adventurers like us as guards.

During the journey, he had told us that his family lived in Loch, and that he was saving up to open his own shop there someday.

Anyway, the problem started when we moved our wagon to the roadside to avoid that oncoming convoy—no, that parade of carriages.

According to the merchant, those belonged to one of the most powerful trading houses in the entire kingdom. Getting on their bad side could ruin his livelihood.

So, as was customary, small merchants like him had to pull over and wait until the larger caravans passed by.

We waited about half an hour before the road finally cleared. Then, as the merchant tried to pull the wagon back onto the road to make up for lost time—

The whole carriage lurched violently, accompanied by a horrible cracking sound.

“Oh no... not again...”

At the same time, the merchant’s groan reached us, and we hurriedly jumped down from the wagon bed.

“What happened?”

“We’re in trouble,” he muttered grimly, crouching beside the wheel to inspect it.

“The wheel’s stuck in a rut... and looks like the axle got bent, too.”

Apparently, there’d been a dip in the ground hidden by grass that he hadn’t seen from the driver’s seat.

The wheel had sunk right into it, causing that violent jolt earlier—and now, both wheel and axle were damaged.

I couldn’t help sighing inwardly. Just our luck.

“Can it be fixed?”

Nikka asked worriedly, glancing at the broken wheel.

If it couldn’t be repaired, we’d have to walk to Loch and call for help.

But the merchant answered in a surprisingly calm tone.

“Ah, don’t worry. This kind of thing happens all the time. I’ve got the tools and spare parts. Still, even with your help, it’ll take half a day or so.”

So for him, this sort of accident was practically routine.

“Half a day... that means we’ll be here till night,” Grassa murmured, gazing up at the sky.

Unlike my previous world, this one had no streetlights beyond city walls.

Once the sun set, everything would be swallowed by darkness.

We could light our way with magic, but even on maintained trade roads, there were still rocks and debris scattered about; traveling after dark was risky.

So, in situations like this, camping until sunrise was standard practice.

“Alright. You two handle setting up camp. I’ll stay here and help with the repairs.”

I gave my instructions briskly.

“Okay, understood.”

“Ugh... and here I was looking forward to sleeping in an inn for once,” Grassa grumbled, stretching her arms as she followed Nikka to unload the camping gear.

Watching them go, I joined the merchant, who had already started taking down his toolbox.

“I’ll help.”

“These parts are heavy, kid.”

“I’ll manage. I’m used to physical work.”

With that, we prepared tools and spare components, then began repairs.

Sure, I could have used magic to make the job easier, but since we were technically fugitives traveling incognito, it was best to avoid drawing attention.

By the time the crimson sky had faded into darkness, we finally finished the repairs and sat down to the dinner Nikka and Grassa had prepared.

To my surprise, Grassa turned out to be an excellent cook, far better than I’d expected.

Nikka, meanwhile, handled the prep work well but wasn’t very skilled with the actual cooking.

Apparently, they’d been cooking for themselves ever since leaving their village for the capital, and over time, they’d fallen into a natural division of roles.

Even the merchant seemed impressed.

“Thanks for the meal. That was delicious! Your cooking’s as good as my wife’s.”

“Uh... that’s supposed to be a compliment, right?”

“Of course! My wife’s cooking beats even Loch’s finest restaurants.”

“You’re laying it on a bit thick, don’t you think?”

They laughed and chatted over the meal, but I suddenly felt the air around us shift.

I rose to my feet. “Something’s out there.”

“Huh?”

The others immediately quieted as they noticed my change in tone.

“We’re surrounded. Ten... no, closer to twenty.”

“The only monsters around here that move in packs that large would be... Foldwolves, right?”

The merchant’s voice trembled, and I gave a small nod.

“Don’t worry. If it’s Foldwolves, we can handle it. Ready, Grassa?”

“Leave it to me!”

Grassa drew her short sword with a flash, the steel gleaming in the firelight.

“Nikka, take him into the wagon. Stay inside and keep your head down.”

“Okay. You two be careful.”

“Don’t worry, I won’t let anything hurt you.”

I gave her a reassuring smile—the kind I’d recently learned to manage—and watched until she got the merchant safely inside.

Then I turned to Grassa, who stood with her weapon raised, eyes scanning the darkness.

“You good to fight?”

“Of course. I’ll show you I can hold my own.”

Her voice was confident, but her legs were trembling slightly. Still, the determination in her eyes was real.

For her, this was the first time facing monsters since that nightmare encounter in the dungeon with the goblins and the Tauros.

Just standing her ground after that ordeal was praiseworthy.

In truth, it’d be safest to send her into the wagon and take care of everything myself.

But if I did that, an F-rank adventurer singlehandedly killing twenty Foldwolves would definitely raise suspicion.

Drawing attention was the last thing I wanted right now.

If only I’d asked Glaas to raise my adventurer rank when he made my card untraceable... well, too late for regrets.

Pushing the thought aside, I refocused and spoke to Grassa.

“Alright, we’ll fight together. But don’t overextend.”

“I know. I’m not letting what happened last time repeat itself.”

She braced herself, determination replacing her fear.

In a way, this ambush might be the perfect chance for her to overcome that trauma.

If I covered her properly, she could fight safely, and maybe shed her fear of monsters in the process.

For an adventurer, that was a hurdle she’d have to cross sooner or later.

“Don’t let a single one get near the wagon.”

“Got it!”

The moment our preparations were complete, the Foldwolves lurking in the darkness began to move; closing in all at once, as if they’d been waiting for that exact signal.

“Too fast!”

Grassa let out a frightened cry as a Foldwolf lunged at her, closing the distance in an instant.

“We can’t cover every direction with just the two of us. I’ll put up a wall on the wagon’s blind side!”

Since I didn’t want the merchant to realize my full strength, I had to limit how much magic I used.

So I decided to create walls only around the areas hidden from view inside the wagon.

“【Blessing Earth Wall】.”

With those powerful words, the soil surrounding the wagon rose silently and formed a wall, enclosing it like a protective shell.

Before the battle, I had already asked Nikka to make sure the merchant didn’t peek outside once things began.

By now, they were surely hiding together in the wagon’s cargo bed.

“All right, we’re ready.”

Now, unless the Foldwolves defeated us, they wouldn’t be able to approach the wagon easily.

“Let’s do this! If things get dangerous, I’ll back you up—fight without fear!”

“Okay! If Toa says so, I’ll go all out!”

Perhaps because she’d seen me fight before, Grassa nodded without hesitation.

Though a trace of fear flickered across her face, I could sense the trust behind it.

After casting a light enhancement spell on her—just enough for her to handle—I drew my sword and shield from storage and took my stance.

“Here they come!”

As if responding to my voice, the Foldwolves surged forward all at once.

“I can fight too!”

Grassa shouted to steel her nerves and charged at one of the wolves that came straight for us.

“Idiot! Don’t charge in alone!”

Probably out of panic, she rushed into the pack, forcing me to quickly release a spell.

“【Blessing Wind Wall】!”

A wall of wind rose between her and several Foldwolves.

Their strategy was to attack one prey with multiple bodies at once, but my magic cut them off, leaving only one to face Grassa directly.

“Waaaah!”

With a shout that seemed to drive away her fear, Grassa swung her short sword at the Foldwolf rushing toward her.

The beast tensed its limbs to dodge her straightforward strike, but—

“【Blessing Earth Bind】!”

“Gyawn!”

An instant earlier, my spell pinned its front legs to the ground, and Grassa’s blade cleaved its face open.

“I did it!”

“Don’t get cocky! It’s still moving!”

As she rejoiced at landing a hit, I shouted and cast 【Quick】 on myself.

“Kyaa!”

Tossing aside my sword, I darted toward her, grabbed her by the collar, and pulled her back, just as I stepped forward to block.

“Guh!”

A violent impact slammed into my shield, ringing in my ears.

The Foldwolf, though its front legs were bound and its face torn open, twisted its body to strike with its hind legs.

“Fall back!”

Thanks to the physical buffs I’d cast before the battle, I managed to withstand the heavy blow without being knocked away.

Deflecting its leg with my shield, I pulled Grassa with me and retreated a few steps.

“Charging into a pack of monsters alone is as good as suicide!”

While fending off the wolves pressing from both sides with suppressive magic, I scolded her sharply.

“Sorry…”

“Don’t rush. Do it just like we practiced—hit once, then get clear. Got it?”

The fighting style I taught her was the same one her former party, Windfang, used—hit-and-run tactics that took advantage of her agility.

Since her single blows didn’t deal much damage, she had to rely on volume.

During our travels, we’d trained repeatedly with me tanking the monsters while she struck from their blind spots.

“All right, let’s finish that one first.”

“Yeah! I won’t mess up this time!”

Starting with the wounded one, we struck it down using the same routine we’d practiced.

Then, through a deliberate gap in my 【Blessing Wind Wall】, we picked off the Foldwolves one by one as they tried to break through.

“...Wait, aren’t there more of them now?”

“Looks like they called for reinforcements. But as long as I’m here, it doesn’t matter how many come.”

“I’ll hold you to that! Hah!!”

“Count on me!”

By the time Grassa charged at the third wolf, the fear she’d shown earlier was gone from her face.

And so, our battle against the Foldwolf pack began in earnest.

Even though they numbered many, they were no match for my magic.

At first, I let Grassa fight to build her experience, but when fatigue began to show in her movements, I decided it was too dangerous and switched strategies.

Using Silent Casting, I started sniping the Foldwolves lurking in the darkness.

Thanks to 【Night Vision】, which sharpened my sight even in pitch blackness, their silhouettes were perfectly visible.

One after another, I silently unleashed 【Blessing Wind Cutter】, slicing off their heads in the dark.

Wind magic emitted no light, making it perfect for stealth kills like this.

Grassa, meanwhile, continued holding off nearby foes. By the time the number she’d felled neared double digits—

“WOOOOOOOOON!”

A thunderous howl shook the night, and the pack surrounding us scattered into the darkness.

“Haa… haa… Did we… win?”

“Probably.”

I answered Grassa, who was gasping for breath.

“Still, we shouldn’t let our guard down till dawn. Packs like these sometimes feign retreat, then ambush again when their prey relaxes.”

“So they might come back... but not right away, right?”

“Yeah. We’ve taken down plenty of them. Even if they regroup, it’ll take time.”

I glanced at the dozen or so Foldwolf corpses scattered around us.

“Good… I’m exhausted…”

She slumped to the ground, her face pale with fatigue, and understandably so.

After all, she’d only just begun her life as an adventurer. Her only real combat experience before this was goblin hunting alongside Edra’s party.

Goblins, like Foldwolves, attacked in groups, but they were slower and less coordinated; far below in rank.

She’d emerged unscathed from that fight, but now, after the Foldwolves battle, her body was covered in cuts.

“You should wipe off the blood first.”

The blood of monsters sometimes contained toxins harmful to humans.

Foldwolves shouldn’t have such traits, but to be safe, I decided to cast 【Cure】 as well.

“It’s sticky and gross anyway.”

Grassa flicked her hands to shake off the blood and smiled.

The fear she had shown before the battle was gone now.

Relieved, I took a towel from my storage, dampened it with 【Blessing Water】, and tossed it to her.

“Use this.”

“Thanks. Moments like this are when I’m glad you’re around, Toa.”

She caught the towel and began wiping the blood from her face and the exposed parts of her skin.

“People used to call me a handyman back at the fortress too.”

I replied with a wry smile to her teasing tone.

“Should I wash this before giving it back?”

“I’ll clean it with magic later, so don’t worry. Get it as dirty as you want.”

“Then I’ll take your word for it.”

Grassa laughed and started wiping her armor with the already filthy towel.

That was a bit too unreserved.

“Grassa, are you all right?”

Not long after, Nikka hurried down from the wagon, having realized the battle was over.

“Hold still, I’ll heal you.”

“It’s just a scratch.”

“No, even small cuts are still wounds. It’d be terrible if they left scars.”

Persuading the reluctant Grassa, Nikka began casting 【Resurrection】 on her.

Watching the wounds slowly knit themselves shut, I followed up by using 【Cure】 to neutralize any toxins.

“You two are such worrywarts.”

Grassa chuckled as she was being healed by both of us.

“For an adventurer, post-battle recovery and sanitation are essential.”

“Right, that makes sense.”

It was far more rational to prevent sickness or infection beforehand than to deal with it later.

Unlike townsfolk, adventurers couldn’t always see a doctor immediately when symptoms appeared, especially if it happened deep in a dungeon.

In such cases, an untreated wound could easily turn fatal.

That’s why, ironically, adventurers tended to be more hygienic than most civilians.

When I was first sent to the frontier and started living among them, that fact had surprised me.

Those so-called roughnecks who gathered at the frontier fortress or in the cities near dangerous dungeons were often cleaner than the nobles in the royal capital.

Normally, adventurers learned this sort of thing through guild lectures, but Nikka and Grassa had missed that due to all the chaos back in the capital.

“Well, Grassa’s still a beginner adventurer. She’ll pick it up as she goes.”

“You’re a beginner too, Toa.”

“I’m a veteran beginner.”

“Haha, that doesn’t even make sense!”

I couldn’t help but smile back at her laughter.

While we talked, her wounds continued to close cleanly under Nikka’s spell.

“I wish I could’ve fought alongside you two.”

Nikka puffed her cheeks, clearly sulking that she hadn’t joined the battle.

But it wasn’t because I considered her useless.

I’d left her in the wagon because she had the crucial job of protecting the merchant and making sure he didn’t see too much of our fight, something only she could do.

Still, I could tell she felt left out despite knowing that.

“Then next time, you’ll be the one fighting, Nikka.”

That said, unlike Grassa, Nikka didn’t have the strength to fight on the front lines.

However, she possessed an extraordinary talent for support magic.

Though she’d trained only as a healer until now, the mental discipline and mana control she’d honed to continuously cast 【Resurrection】 since childhood were already near the level of a master.

When I realized that, I began teaching her other spells to test her affinities.

Eventually, I found that she was especially suited for support magic.

On the other hand, her gentle nature made it nearly impossible for her to cast offensive spells, so I decided to train her as a dedicated support mage.

“Yes! I’ll do my best to support you, Toa!”

By the time we finished talking, all of Grassa’s wounds had completely vanished.

“Thanks, Nikka.”

“No need to thank me. This is what I’m here for, and good practice too.”

When I’d first seen her use 【Resurrection】, I was shocked by how slow it was, but after all her training, its speed had improved drastically.

It still wasn’t quite on par with 【Low Heal】, the beginner-level recovery spell, but it was getting close.

“Nikka, your mana control might already be better than mine.”

“There’s no way I could surpass my mentor.”

“Ugh… how many times do I have to tell you—don’t call me ‘mentor’—”

Before I could finish, Grassa jumped in with a grin.

“Oh, come on. You train us, you just taught us how to fight monsters, and you even lecture us all the time. You are our mentor, Toa.”

True, during our journey I’d spent plenty of time giving them lessons so they could at least defend themselves.

But those were just basic drills, not the kind of intense training that warranted calling me “mentor.”

“Anyway, when we get to the frontier fortress, don’t call me that.”

“Why not?”

“Because if people there think I took on apprentices, my own mentors will tease me to death.”

Especially since both my “disciples” were girls.

In that place, where real entertainment was scarce, gossip about romance was the favorite pastime.

…Not that there was any romance between us, but that wouldn’t stop them from making jokes.

“Maybe I made the wrong choice bringing you two along…”

Regret tugged at me for a moment.

But it was too late to turn back now.

“Anyway, if either of you calls me ‘mentor’ again, I’m ending your training. Got it?!”

I declared with mock severity, then went over to report to the merchant, who was inspecting the wagon for damage.

Next→