Chapter 12 The Instructor, Cries

The Instructor, Cries

After our introductions, we sat across from each other and began to talk.

“Well then, Veiss-sama, may I ask you a few questions?”

“I don’t mind, but how about we take turns asking each other questions?”

“That sounds good!”

She smiled brightly and unreservedly.

She looks so much younger when she smiles.

Her tone is… unstable, somehow… It’s a mixture of polite language and a young lady-like tone. She seems to be trying very hard to be polite.

She gives the impression of a girl trying to grow up, creating a gap between her appearance as a beautiful young woman and her demeanor as a mature beauty.

“Then I ask first.”

She’s really forward….

“How… How did you get here?”

She sits up straight and stares at me with crimson eyes.

Those eyes say interest.

She may seem cold because of her beautiful features, but she’s surprisingly expressive.

Even when she does eccentric and absurd things.

I thought for a moment about how to respond.

How did I get here?

How do I say it right?

I wonder if she’ll believe me.

I went to a mountain on a job, and there was a newborn demon king, so I defeated it, but it exploded, and I was blown away by an explosion and landed on a giant bird.

If it were me, I would be angry and say, “Don’t be ridiculous.”

But it’s the truth, and since she’s living on that bird, she should believe me, right?

So I told her just that.

“Are you making fun of me?”

That was a no.

“No matter how you look at it, you’ve skipped too much. The parts that explain how and why this happened are missing, which makes your explanation incomprehensible.”

Is that so? I wondered.

Leaning back with her elbow on the armrest, Arisu casually remarked….

"Fortunately, we have a lot of time, so let’s talk slowly. Your body doesn’t hurt anymore, does it?”

I was surprised.

Right, after being blown away and waking up, my whole body hurt.

Most of the damage should have been absorbed by the [Scape Doll], and I wasn’t even broken, so I wondered why I was in pain—

I patted my body.

“Eh… It doesn’t hurt….”

The severe pain from head to toe and the lethargy were gone.

Since when?

“I’m glad I made it in time. If you had stayed like that, you would have died tonight.”

Arisu says something incredible as she sips her tea.

I accidentally spit out the tea I was drinking.

“What!? Why!?”

“That’s rude….”

Arisu wiped her face with a handkerchief she had somehow taken out.

“You did a lot of reckless things before you came here, didn’t you? Your soul vessel (魂の器) was in bad shape.”

“Soul… vessel…?”

“A human vessel has a fixed size. Normally, you can only use the power within the range of that vessel.”

Arisu moistened her mouth with tea and continued.

“But your vessel was full of cracks, and some parts were even missing. In other words, you must have tried to use too much power. Many times.”

“…”

“You look like you know what I’m talking about. When I woke up and met you, I thought, ‘This man is going to die.’ I was surprised, you know, to meet a person with the mark of death on his face. Since it was the first time I’d met a human in a long time, I wanted to play a little more… I wanted to talk to you, so I repaired it without permission.”

Saying that Arisu smiled mischievously and touched her lips.

“W-what… repai… red…? Could that kiss….”

Unconsciously, I touched my lips.

So there was a meaning behind it… I was sorry that I had tried to pull away.

I wish she’d said it first, but there must have been a reason.

Well, she wouldn’t do something like that without a reason.

I understand.

“That kiss didn’t mean anything! I can repair it as long as I can touch you anywhere! But you know, princesses are supposed to wake up with a kiss, right?”

This woman…!

And that wasn’t a sweet kiss at all!

Arisu licked her lips teasingly, enjoying my reaction.

“Well, it’s just first aid. No big deal.”

She says it’s no big deal, but….

“No, it’s true that the pain is gone. I’m grateful for that alone. Thank you.”

I stood up and bowed my head.

I’m not sure how much of what she said was true, but I know she was trying to help me.

I am grateful for her kindness.

That’s how I live my life.

Embarrassed by my heartfelt thanks, Arisu looks away.

She has a sweet side, too.

“Then please tell me your story in return! That and the tea you gave me will be thanks enough.”

Arisu’s ears are a little red.

I don’t understand why she’s so embarrassed.

At her urging, I finally told her everything that had happened since I left the village.

Arisu is a surprisingly good listener, and I end up telling her all the good and bad things about being an adventurer.

She listens with such delight that I feel I’ve talked too much.

It looks like a beautiful older sister listening to me happily, so of course I would talk….

I even told her the unbearable story of how my childhood friend lover was stolen, and she got angry and blushed….

And the topic returns to the Demon King battle.

“So, I defeated the Demon King with a hero skill that was imitated as a trump card.”

“Ah, so that was it.”

Arisu, who was listening, pointed it out.

“What?”

“That was the final blow that destroyed your soul vessel.”

…I had a feeling that was the case.

Arisu says with a serious look on her face.

“I hate to say this but don’t try to force yourself to imitate the hero skills with your body. You probably won’t be able to stand it next time.”

“I see… I don’t want to use it recklessly anymore. But when it comes to protecting what I want to protect….”

Arisu gently lowers her eyes.

“That’s right, judging by your past stories, you will probably… no, you will definitely use it again.”

I laugh self-deprecatingly and say.

“Sorry, it’s just my nature. Go ahead and laugh at me for being naive.”

I understand that I don’t have to do everything myself.

I know people laugh at me for being naive.

But I can’t help it.

I can do it somehow.

If I think I can do something, I will always do it.

Because that’s how I’ve always lived.

No matter how much people laugh at me, I can’t change that.

Seeing me like this, Arisu sighed slightly.

And smiling, she looked into my eyes and said.

“There’s nothing wrong with being kind. Just let them say what they want.”

Arisu stood up quietly and walked over to me.

“I respect your attitude. I admire your noble will.”

She hugged me gently.

“Many people have been saved by your nature, so don’t belittle yourself so much.”

“You are not wrong.”

I cried.