Chapter 5
Chapter 5
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 5
Chapter Title: What Do You Mean?
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"What do you mean by that?"
Nameless, who had just turned sixteen this year, had grown tremendously compared to three years ago—to the point where it wasn't even worth comparing.
Not only had he shot up in height, but his physique could now hold its own against anyone else's.
Until now, I'd only trained him to build his foundation and taught him the basics of Internal Energy Circulation—the Mana Breathing Method.
I hadn't taught him any swordsmanship yet, so maybe it was time to start.
As always, he'd scaled the mountain peak at dawn and come back down.
Now shirtless, he turned to wipe away his sweat.
I narrowed my eyes and stared intently at Nameless's back.
'With his current physical condition.'
He should be able to mimic my forms, even if clumsily.
Had I stared too openly? Nameless seemed to notice my gaze.
He flinched, his body trembling as he turned only his head toward me and spoke.
'What's with that maiden-like reaction from a grown man?'
His response made me feel like I'd done something wicked, leaving me a bit flustered.
"Master? Why are you staring like that?"
Nameless's mouth flapped open and shut for a moment before he finally spoke, his voice oddly soft.
"Hm? Is there a problem?"
I started feeling unjustly accused for no reason.
'A master should be able to inspect her disciple's body.'
Nameless was just overreacting, as usual.
"...Phew, it's nothing."
As he answered, his ears seemed to flush red.
'Why's he acting like that?'
I just couldn't fathom how his mind worked.
I picked up my interrupted train of thought, sparked by his voice.
My decision to teach him swordsmanship wasn't based solely on his physical growth.
Of course, he'd developed impressively on the outside too, but I believed his inner self had grown just as much.
Three years ago, Nameless had thrown himself into training as if fleeing from something, fueled by raw anger.
I'd put off teaching him the sword, making excuses left and right.
For some reason, I'd felt an inexplicable unease about instructing him back then.
Even to me, an outsider in such matters, his mental state had seemed terribly unstable.
Looking back, it was the right call.
With his mindset at the time, he wouldn't have learned properly.
Judging by his backstory, he might have turned into a madman obsessed only with revenge.
He used to scream in his sleep from nightmares of the past, even when we shared a bed.
But after nursing him with utmost care, I hadn't seen that in a while.
His mind seemed clearer now too.
'Though lately, he's been avoiding sleeping together for some reason.'
Puberty, maybe? He was at that age, so he probably needed some time alone.
I couldn't remember my own youth clearly, but I'd been a man once, so I could understand.
Still, we'd always slept together until now, so it felt a little lonely that he seemed uncomfortable around me.
'Hm. Speaking of puberty.'
I recalled that the adult age here was sixteen.
Because of that, before fleeing to the mountains, the village chief had tried to marry me off to his son.
A chill ran down my spine, and I shuddered involuntarily.
Just thinking about it still made my head spin. Hadn't that incident played a big part in my escape to the mountains?
I consciously steered my wandering thoughts back on track.
'Anyway, doesn't that make Nameless, who just turned sixteen, an adult now?'
I remembered the village buzzing about a new Academy right before I entered the mountains.
And I knew that Academy allowed anyone who reached adulthood—regardless of status—to take the entrance exam.
If this novel had an Academy tag, didn't that mean the main story was about to begin?
'Wait. Have I been holding him back and messing everything up?'
Cold sweat broke out as I realized I'd potentially caused a major blunder.
Suddenly anxious, I called out to Nameless, who was still dressing with his ears red.
"Nameless."
"Yes, Master."
He paused while tying his sash and turned his head, answering softly.
"You're an adult now. Don't you want to go to the Academy?"
"Pardon? What do you mean?"
What? Did this country bumpkin not even know about the Academy?
I knew about it despite being holed up in the mountains, so knowing more than him puffed up my ego a bit.
I grinned and asked,
"What, you don't know about the Academy?"
"Of course I know about the Academy, but..."
What? He did know?
My puffed-up shoulders deflated back to normal.
'Why phrase it so confusingly?'
A bit annoyed, I pouted and pressed him.
"Then why the reaction?"
Nameless looked at me, his face shifting through subtle expressions before settling into one of mild shock, as if guessing something.
He spoke.
"Master, do you know my age?"
"Yeah, sixteen this year, right?"
"Yes... that's correct..."
What was the problem? Our conversation wasn't meshing, so I frowned and urged him on.
"Don't tease me frustratingly. Spit it out."
To emphasize my irritation, I clenched my fist and thumped my modest chest.
But his response was bizarre.
"Master, the age for entering the Academy is twenty."
"What...?"
Twenty? Not sixteen? No way.
Dozens of questions swirled inside me, but thinking alone wouldn't solve anything, so I asked quickly.
"Then what do people do for four years after becoming adults?"
I wondered if it was for noble marriages or social experiences before the Academy, but actually, the Academy was for learning societal matters.
I mulled it over, but the answer that came was more shocking than I'd imagined.
"...Master, in the current Empire, the age of adulthood is twenty."
"What...?"
How much time had passed for the adult age to change like that?
'Is he pranking me because I've been stuck in the mountains?'
Absurd...
'Wait.'
A dizzying realization flashed through my mind.
No way.
"Nameless, do you know how long it's been since the Academy was founded?"
"Yes, it'll be the 300th year when I turn twenty, so right now it's 296."
What.
"What do you mean, disciple?"
Nameless's face as he looked at me was indescribably bizarre, and mine must have been comically distorted too, my whole body trembling.
"Sixteen as an adult? Then what's Master's age—no, how old are you?"
His words left my mind blank.
'Wait, wait, wait.'
Something was off.
If everything he said was true,
Then since this body was sixteen before entering the mountains...
'Am I over three hundred now...?'
I fainted on the spot.
Not long after, I jolted upright from where I'd collapsed.
"Huaaaah—!"
It felt like I'd blacked out from some massive shock—what had happened?
"Master, are you alright?"
Nameless asked casually from beside me, as if nothing was wrong.
"Phew... Yeah, must've had a terrible nightmare."
"Is that so?"
He acted like it was no big deal and settled down next to me.
'He plans to just let it slide, huh?'
I gave a small smile and met his gaze.
For all his usual demeanor, this guy really had a kind heart—
"So, how old is Master exactly?"
Scratch that. The damn disciple asked again, zero tact.
But seeing his earnestly serious face, calling him tactless felt a tad unfair.
He knew I didn't want to say it, yet he asked anyway.
Nameless sometimes teased me, but if I showed I disliked it, he'd stop immediately—except this time.
'Is my age that important to him?'
Honestly, I'd prefer to gloss over it.
Who'd proudly boast about being old?
More money is always better. Younger age is always better.
An unchanging truth.
I racked my brain for a solution in an instant
and reached a conclusion just as fast.
'Run away.'
If I kept dodging, he'd give up eventually, right?
'He can't catch me if I'm serious about escaping.'
With that quick plan, I sneaked glances at him, inching to slip away.
But he had no intention of letting me go.
To block my escape, he placed his hand over mine on the ground and spoke.
However, what came from Nameless's mouth was a bit different from what I'd expected.
"Master, if you don't want to say it, you don't have to."
He looked forlorn and gripped my hand tighter.
"It seems like you're still hiding a lot from me."
Then he even wiped at his eye with his other hand.
"It's probably because I, your disciple, haven't earned your full trust."
You rascal! How could I hide it after that?
After a brief silence, I let out a deep sigh and spoke.
"Why go that far..."
It was just stating my age, but I blushed anyway.
"...A little over three hundred this year, I think."
I turned to gauge his reaction, and there was Nameless, grinning from ear to ear.
I'd been had!
"Eek! Nameless, you!"
Filled with unbelievable betrayal, I immediately punched him in the solar plexus.
"Guhk—!"
Still, for someone who'd lived far longer than even I could believe—long enough to shock me into fainting—
it was a little touching that he looked at me unchanged and even played pranks.