Lethal Cuteness
“Elia, what day is it today?”
“The day Master arrives!”
“What are you supposed to say when you first meet your master?”
“Please take good care of me from now on, Master!”
“That’s right.”
The morning fog had completely lifted, and the sun was climbing toward its zenith as afternoon began. I stood in front of the cottage, reviewing our final preparations with Elia while we waited for Zenle’s imminent arrival. Since the two of them were about to form a master-disciple relationship, it only made sense to begin their first meeting with a strong impression.
It was a proven fact that first impressions carried the greatest weight in any relationship, so I had already taught Elia a few basic courtesies. Greet properly. Always speak politely. And never rush the instructor to move on to the next lesson.
“You know you wouldn’t normally be allowed to learn this, right? But Mom gave her permission, so you have to follow everything Master tells you. Understand, sweetheart?”
“Yes! I’m confident.”
Zenle’s lessons would likely center on physical conditioning, which meant they had every chance of being tedious and dull. I’d planted those words ahead of time to keep Elia from throwing a tantrum. Yet she showed no sign of anticipating boredom. She simply swung the practice sword I’d given her, giggling with delight.
She won’t suddenly declare it’s not fun and refuse to continue, will she?
If that happened, it would be unfair to Zenle. I’d have to coax her somehow. As long as the training didn’t create outright aversion, building stamina could only be beneficial.
I was still watching my excited daughter when my senses caught something.
“…Ah. She’s here.”
“Master’s here? Where?!”
I turned toward the edge of my fully extended aura. A single figure was sprinting in our direction. Elia spun the same way and dashed a few steps forward, following my gaze.
Seconds later, atop the sun-drenched hill in the distance, a woman clad in armor appeared.
Bang. Bang. Baaang———!!!
Despite wearing full-plate armor that covered her from head to toe, she bounded forward with the light steps of someone in leather. Each kick against the earth carried her closer. With one final leap she launched herself across more than three hundred meters and landed squarely before us.
Thuuud———!!!
“Wooooow…!”
Elia’s mouth opened in a perfect triangle as she gasped in awe. Zenle grinned at the sight of the adorable girl staring up at her with sparkling eyes.
Looks like she prepared quite the entrance for their first meeting.
The performance practically screamed how much effort she had put into impressing her prospective disciple. Her skills had grown since I last saw her, yet she still somehow looked like the same little kid from years ago. Her body had grown, but her face still carried that youthful innocence. I couldn’t help but chuckle.
Zenle stood at attention where she had landed, placed a hand over her heart, and gave a crisp military salute.
Snap———!
“Your disciple greets you, Master.”
“Hah, what’s with the formal salute…? Still, it’s good to see you, Zenle. It’s been a long time.”
Five full years had passed. The reunion should have felt awkward after so long, yet it didn’t. I greeted her warmly.
Only after returning my greeting did Zenle finally turn her attention to Elia.
“So… you must be Lady Elia?”
“Yes, Master! Please take good care of me from now on!”
“Aha, how cute.”
Elia had delivered the greeting exactly as I’d taught her the moment Zenle looked her way. Even I had to admit it was adorable, and Zenle’s smile softened further.
But the smile vanished as quickly as it had appeared. Zenle cleared her throat, stepped forward, and knelt before Elia.
“I’d like to examine your body for a moment, young lady. Swordsmanship requires a solid foundation first and foremost. May I?”
“Yes, Master!”
Elia nodded and straightened her back proudly. Zenle began gently pressing and stroking the girl’s limbs and torso. I immediately understood what she was doing.
She’s giving the examination legitimacy.
Correct, Master.
When I raised an eyebrow in silent question, Zenle answered with the faintest nod. She had prepared far more than just a flashy entrance. It was clear she had thought deeply about how to teach a child. Perhaps she had experience instructing younger students before; every action was perfectly calibrated to a child’s perspective.
After a moment, Zenle withdrew her hands and let out a thoughtful hum.
“Hmm… You don’t have much muscle yet, young lady. At this rate, proper swordsmanship will be difficult.”
“Huh… really?”
Elia’s face fell instantly. She clearly hadn’t expected even her new master to say something so discouraging. A few more negative words and she might burst into tears just like she had with Luina.
Having anticipated exactly this reaction, Zenle continued smoothly.
“But don’t worry. I am the greatest swordswoman in the kingdom. Even if your body is weak now, I can train it until it’s strong enough for swordsmanship.”
“R-really?”
“However, the training will be extremely difficult. You might want to quit almost immediately. And if you stop halfway, it will be a very long time before you can begin learning swordsmanship again.”
“I’ll do it! I can do it!”
Zenle had even prepared a perfect countermeasure for the possibility that Elia might want to give up during the grueling conditioning. It was a flawless trap that took full advantage of a five-year-old’s childish pride. Elia swallowed the bait whole, clenching her fists with determination.
Zenle smiled brightly and rose from her kneeling position.
“Excellent. Then I will devote myself completely to turning you into a magnificent swordswoman, young lady. We begin immediately. Can you keep up?”
“Yes, Master!”
Both of them clenched their fists in matching determination. I watched them with a warm smile, then turned toward the house.
“I’ll prepare some snacks.”
Nothing tasted better than treats made by someone else while you were training.
She seems to be doing far better than I expected.
Watching Kael’s back disappear into the cottage, Zenle felt a wave of relief. The image of him from five years ago was still burned into her memory—eyes bloodshot, constantly on guard against everything around him. Sleep had come only in two-hour fits. The knowledge that so many of the disciples he had trained had died in the war left him staring blankly into space multiple times a day.
His condition had improved slightly right before retirement, but he had still been living like a recluse. Even while cleaning up the aftermath of the war, Zenle had worried constantly. What if something happened to him while he lived alone in the countryside?
Then, about a year later, Luina had stopped by the capital. She told Zenle that Kael was doing well and that she visited occasionally to check on him, so there was no need to worry. Since Kael and Luina had been the only ones on the battlefield who could truly trust each other with their backs, their bond ran deep. Zenle had believed her and let herself feel reassured.
Now that she had seen him with her own eyes, she understood. He wasn’t merely doing well—he looked happy. The relief she felt was genuine.
With such a cute daughter, maybe it’s only natural.
Zenle turned back to the girl and had to fight down another smile. Elia. A beautiful child with white hair and red eyes, completely unlike Kael’s black hair and golden gaze. Her silky white hair fell just past her shoulders, and her crimson eyes shone like the finest rubies melted into liquid. She was mostly expressionless by nature, yet the faint emotions that occasionally surfaced were devastatingly adorable.
Anyone with a daughter this cute would smile every single day. It was a lethally cute charm that made Kael’s recovery from his past trauma suddenly understandable.
Still, Zenle had come here as Elia’s master.
“Then, young lady, shall we begin training? We’ll start with the proper way to grip a sword.”
“Yes—I mean, yes, Master!”
Zenle spoke with steel in her voice to the girl who stared up at her while clutching the wooden practice sword. She would uphold her honor as Kael’s disciple and the reputation of Shardena Kingdom’s knight commander. She would raise Elia into the finest swordswoman the continent had ever seen.
“Very well. Follow me!”
The training regimen to forge Elia into the greatest swordswoman had been prepared long ago.