The Hero’s Disciple Has Returned

“Kid.”
“Yes, Master.”
“I have nothing more to teach you.”
“No, I’m still lacking.”
“If I say there’s nothing, then there’s nothing.”

I knew. That my disciple was pretending to learn. Despite having already perfectly mastered everything with her body, she was pretending to learn because she had grown attached to her master. It was the same for me. I too had become deeply entangled with my disciple through affection. To the point where I thought, ‘Isn’t it enough if we can stay together a little longer like this?’ even though I knew she was pretending to learn.

But that can’t be.

“You’re at a very crucial time right now.”

It wasn’t for nothing that I endured that terrible pain to implant the Aura Heart in the kid. I too wish my disciple didn’t have to walk a dangerous path. But that’s not possible. Because in this irrational and unfair world, the law of equivalent exchange applies strictly when it comes to martial arts. You can’t become strong without trials. You can’t gain true strength without overcoming obstacles. Just as a sharp sword is forged through hammering, martial arts cannot shine without such a process.

So here, as a master, no matter how much the disciple doesn’t want to leave, I must firmly cut the ties and let her go. So here, I should…

“Then I’ll prepare.”
“Yes, you should get ready to… Huh?”

I could only stare blankly at the back of my disciple who was silently preparing to pack her things.

Wait, what?

This isn’t right.

♧♧♧

Wouldn’t it be better to just stay here even if the world ends?

She was confident that she would be sufficiently happy and satisfied if she could stay by her master’s side until the moment the world ended. After all, it was her sanctuary that she had found after such a long time.

Just as a castaway who has wandered in the desert for a long time sees an oasis as a sanctuary even if it’s teeming with harmful bacteria… For her, being by Jade’s side seemed more important than even the end of the world.

But she couldn’t do that.

Although it wasn’t a very long time, during that time, Jade had become a precious person to her. She couldn’t accept that this precious person’s future held only destruction and despair. She couldn’t accept it. She couldn’t just stay still knowing that. That’s why she was already mentally prepared.

While desperately hoping that the time would be delayed as much as possible.

Fortunately, Jade brought up the topic of leaving a little later than she had expected. On his face, Sera could easily sense that Jade really didn’t want her to leave. Her prediction must have been correct. At that timing, Jade must have thought, ‘It’s time to send the kid away now.’ But he didn’t like the farewell, so he dragged it out. Just for that, Sera could feel a warm comfort.

Even if it wasn’t as desperate as her own longing, if Jade also felt reluctance at their parting, that was sufficiently valuable to her.

Therefore

‘If there’s a reason to save this world……………………… I have one now.’

For her, this world was literally hell. She couldn’t feel any value in saving it at all. No matter how hard she tried, her efforts never paid off, and no matter how hard she gritted her teeth not to give up, only things that made her want to give up kept happening. There was no one who reached out to her when she was in despair. Trying to save the world felt foolish, and it felt like she was the only one trying to save the world. That’s why she gave up. She tried not to have any feelings anymore. She tried not to have any hope anymore. She tried not to have any will to save the world anymore.

That was how it had been.

Jade had instilled that will in her who was like that. He made her hold such hope in her heart.

This man named Jade had achieved the unique feat that had never happened during her countless regressions, that no one else had ever accomplished. It was truly a miracle, no, even more precious than a miracle.

An absolute existence

For her, Jade had already taken such a position in her heart.

So for this absolute existence, she must save the world.

This time, she must definitely defeat that monstrous Demon King who she could never defeat no matter what she tried. How many failures had she experienced against that monster? How many times had she been frustrated? How many times had she despaired?

But

Strangely, she wasn’t afraid at all.

The fear of losing her sanctuary because of the Demon King

was overwhelmingly greater than the fear of the Demon King itself.

Above all

‘I’m not alone.’

Because Jade’s Aura Heart was inside her. There was no reason to feel fear when she had the most reliable companion by her side.

‘I will definitely kill him.’

And she

will return to this best sanctuary,

this sanctuary where she can feel her only peace.

She hopes for tomorrow and dreams of the future.

Sera had regained this sensation, this instinct that should be so natural for a human being.

It was the moment when the most important core of being human returned to the hands of the hero who had gained countless knowledge, experience, and strength through infinite regression, but had lost the most important thing as a human being.

♤♤♤

“Are you ready?”
“Yes.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes.”
“Haven’t forgotten anything?”
“No, I haven’t.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes, it is.”
“……”
“……”

I scratched the back of my head. Farewells are familiar. For a mercenary, partings and deaths are like everyday occurrences. But is it because she’s my first disciple? Or is it because of the guilt of having to entrust the fate of the world to such a young kid?

I did implant the Aura Heart in the kid to reduce that guilt even a little, but that doesn’t change the fact that I’ve made a kid live a harsh and cruel tomorrow by just slapping on the label of hero candidate. If I could, I’d want to fight in her place. But as her master, I know. That this kid will reach a higher realm than those with grand names like Sword Saint or whatever.

‘Maybe this kid is really the true protagonist of the oracle.’

I hope that’s the case.

If so, this child won’t lose her life on the battlefield.

In the end, all I can do is to be left behind like this. To send her off. There’s no other role I can take except to stay behind and watch over the back of my departing disciple.

It might even be an honor.

For someone as insignificant as myself

to be able to take on such a decent role.

“Take this with you.”
“…What is this?”
“It’s nothing much.”

It was something. I had to scrape together all my remaining assets. You might think you don’t need money for a secluded life, but that’s a misconception. It’s natural for humans to form groups, build societies, and live together. So how could it be easy to go against that and try to live alone peacefully? Of course, many inconveniences arise, and there’s no more certain means of easily resolving those inconveniences than money. And I’ve blown it all away because of my disciple.

I have no regrets.

It’s only natural for an adult to open their wallet for a child

I just did what was natural.

“Check it later.”

I never let my gifts be opened in front of me. Because I really hate seeing an expression of dissatisfaction. After all the thought I put into the gift, to see a face like ‘Huh? Just this?’…. It makes me sick just imagining it. So for my own sake, I don’t let the gift I prepared be unwrapped in front of me. It’s absolutely not because I find such an atmosphere embarrassing. If I say it’s not, then it’s not.

Anyway

Now it’s really time for farewell.

“Sera”
“……!”

The kid showed a surprised reaction. If she were an elf or a beastkin, would her ears have perked up? That’s how strong her reaction was.

“The path you must walk from now on will surely be full of adversity and hardship. It will surely be too hard, and you might want to curse someone because it’s so hard. When such a time comes, curse this incompetent master.”
“……”
“You lack nothing. If there’s anything lacking, it’s my inability to properly guide someone as exceptional as you. So if such a case arises, this inadequate me…”
“That won’t happen.”
“Huh?”
“That will absolutely never happen.”
“I-Is that so?”

How should I put it? Here, my battlefield-honed instincts screamed that something terrible would happen if I didn’t nod unconditionally, so I just nodded unconditionally first.

“Master is the best master. I’ll prove that from now on. So Master just needs to stay healthy. Understood?”
“…You’re the one going to fight, so you should worry about yourself more than… Yes. I’ll take care of my health as much as possible.”

I nodded my head so vigorously that it made a whooshing sound in response to Sera’s intense gaze. I thought she was just quiet, but to think there was such a burning passion inside this child. As a master, I couldn’t help but be surprised.

“I’ll be going now.”
“……”

‘I’ll be going’…

I see.

Have I become a home that this child needs to return to?

If so

The only answer I should give this child here

is just one.

“Have a safe trip, Sera.”
“Yes, I’ll be back safely.”

And so my disciple left my side.

I silently watched her retreating figure until the very end.
That’s my role as a master.