Chapter 23
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ace
Chapter: 23
Chapter Title: Aspiring Home Tutor
-----------------------------------------------------------------
23.
...
...
Silver Fang stopped rubbing his face against hers and looked up at Eirana.
Black Fang, who had been sitting silently on her left shoulder, also turned his gaze toward her without a word.
Eirana responded flatly to the reaction of the two sword spirits.
"Why?"
Black Fang, who had stayed quiet until then, spoke up.
- As far as my knowledge goes, a home tutor is someone who teaches others.
"Yeah. So?"
- Is the master saying she wants to teach someone with her own mouth?
"Got a problem with that?"
Eirana asked back with a puzzled look.
Black Fang let out a sigh at her words, while Silver Fang shook his head.
Eirana furrowed her brow at their reactions, picked Black Fang off her shoulder, set him down next to Silver Fang, and crossed her arms.
"Your reactions are weird."
- I think it's something that doesn't suit the master.
- Yeah. It doesn't fit the master at all.
Silver Fang unusually chimed in agreement with Black Fang.
For Eirana, who was seeing the two swords—born together—united like this for the first time, her face naturally crumpled.
"You think I don't suit teaching someone?"
- Of course.
- Yeah.
The two sword spirits nodded in unison.
- Besides, aren't home tutors usually for teaching younger humans?
"Probably."
- Human kids don't listen well, do they?
"Right."
- Can the master handle kids like that?
Silver Fang raised a perfectly reasonable doubt.
Eirana had a foul temper.
Silver Fang and Black Fang, who had taken her as their master, knew that better than anyone.
Could she suppress that nasty temper and teach someone?
In response to Silver Fang, Eirana spoke as if to ask what the issue was.
"Do I need to handle them?"
- Then what?
"If they don't listen, just beat them."
...
Her head was already filled with thoughts of becoming a violent tutor.
The two sword spirits stared at Eirana, whose common sense ran on a completely different track from that of a normal home tutor, and were at a loss for words.
"I'm kidding."
It didn't sound like a joke at all, but that was definitely not the two sword spirits' imagination.
The next day, Eirana really started looking into home tutor jobs, hitting the streets.
Her first move was to post an ad on a roadside bulletin board.
Posting on the board was simple.
Pay a certain amount to the government office managing that district, rent a spot on the board, and that was it.
Of course, since it was on a busy street, the fee was quite high, but Eirana the dragon had plenty of money.
She genuinely wanted to try teaching someone; she wasn't scouting for a tutoring gig to make money.
But even after a week passed, no one who had seen the ad came to the inn where Eirana was staying.
Feeling that things weren't going well, Eirana clicked her tongue softly.
"Hey."
Eirana, sitting in the inn's first-floor dining hall eating lunch, called out to someone.
It was Rine, the waitress who had grown quite friendly with Eirana over the week of her stay.
Rine, who had been wiping down the table with a rag, hurried over at Eirana's call.
"What can I do for you, miss?"
"Are there not many people in the capital hiring home tutors?"
"No, there are plenty. Not just nobles—even commoners like me with some means seek them out a lot."
Eirana nodded as Rine spoke with a kind smile.
There was demand. That meant her approach was wrong.
Or maybe no one would hire Eirana, who had no track record.
'Either way, landing a tutoring spot right now might be pushing it.'
Eirana rested her chin on her hand.
"Why the sudden interest in home tutors?"
When Rine asked curiously, Eirana replied with a nonchalant expression, as if it were no big deal.
"Thinking of becoming one."
"Wow!"
Rine let out an exclamation of admiration.
To be a home tutor in the capital, one needed to be top-tier in their field, literally.
Of course, Eirana didn't know that and hadn't looked into it.
If she had, she wouldn't have gone with such a haphazard ad.
Not that Eirana's qualifications were lacking, of course.
The popular subjects in the capital right now were three: academics, magic, and martial arts.
Eirana could handle any of them.
Academics? She'd read books for 500 years.
Magic? Dragon.
Martial arts? Past life in the martial world. A top expert, no less.
No weak points.
The issue was whether she could teach them well.
She claimed it was a joke, but she'd already declared she'd beat any uncooperative kids.
Rine, mid-exclamation, suddenly said,
"Oh, right—today's the night market."
"Night market?"
"Yeah. You should check it out. Lots of interesting stuff."
Eirana nodded, a hint of interest crossing her face as she watched Rine smile kindly.
That night, at Rine's recommendation, Eirana strolled through the night market.
Wandering the bustling night market streets was quite enjoyable.
Merchants hawking their wares loudly.
People drawn in by the calls, browsing goods.
The architecture and appearances differed, but it was unmistakably human life as Eirana knew it.
As she toured the market, capital patrol guards stopped Eirana several times for checks.
- They're annoying.
Black Fang grumbled softly at the departing guards, and Eirana chuckled.
"Can't be helped."
Silver Fang spoke up in surprise at her response.
- I figured the master's temper would cause a scene.
"Does my temper seem that bad?"
- Yeah.
As Eirana seriously pondered punishing Silver Fang for his immediate reply—
Ching—
A sharp sound faintly reached her ears.
The metallic clash of weapons crossing—clearly the sound of fighting.
It didn't fit the lively night market vibe.
In fact, only Eirana heard it; those around continued enjoying the market brightly.
- Multiple people fighting.
- Master, let's go watch.
Black Fang analyzed the situation, while Silver Fang urged her excitedly.
Eirana nodded and slipped into the crowd.
A dimly lit alley with few people.
Armed figures tangled in fierce combat.
Even in the capital, not every spot was under guard watch.
In fact, in such a vast city, alleys away from high-class districts saw little foot traffic.
Eirana sat on the roof of a crumbling abandoned house on the verge of collapse and sighed lightly at the scene below.
- This place is filthy.
Silver Fang remarked curiously at the contrast to the vibrant night market, and Eirana replied,
"Anywhere people live has its bright and dark sides."
- You say that like you know.
Eirana curled her lip at Black Fang's point.
Still, she coolly assessed the situation.
'Not amateurs.'
Both attackers and defenders were no pushovers.
Amid it, the defenders thoroughly protected one person.
'A noble?'
Recalling the noble assaults she'd heard about at the inn, Eirana stroked her chin lightly.
The apparent escorts yelled to make noise, but in this deserted alley, it had little effect.
Not that there were zero people around.
But most here were homeless folk.
Rather than rallying help, they focused on avoiding trouble.
- What'll you do?
"Dunno."
Eirana muttered half-heartedly to Black Fang's question.
A thrill-seeking dragon might've jumped in gleefully.
After a moment's thought, she stretched her legs lightly.
"Eh, maybe I'll ask what the deal is."
Eirana was mildly curious about the capital's recent events too.
She leaped down lightly.
'They're attacking out in the open.'
The hooded figure frowned at the scene.
He knew about the shady incidents in the capital lately, but hadn't expected such brazen action.
It wasn't a sneak attack—it was absurdly overt.
Guessing who was behind it, he fiddled with the sword at his waist.
The attackers outnumbered the escorts and were pushing them back bit by bit.
Unlikely the guards would show, so he judged it time to join the fray—
Sensing presence behind him, he reflexively drew and swung his sword.
Chaeng—!
A sharp sound.
Eirana, blocking his blade, whistled lightly.
The man's swing was fast and sharp.
A precise strike aimed at her throat.
By now, the surrounding escorts had swords trained on her.
"One of them?"
"No."
'A woman?'
Eirana denied cleanly to Wencer, the man.
She pushed back the opposing blade lightly and said,
"Here to help."
"You bastard! How dare you spout nonsense... Gahk!"
One escort near Wencer barked and lunged, but Eirana neatly dropped him with a single punch.
As his comrades tensed with killing intent, Eirana gripped Silver Fang without flinching.
Wencer eyed her warily and asked,
"Help how?"
But before he finished, Eirana vanished from his sight.
She plunged into the melee center, yanking a defender from harm's way by the scruff, then mercilessly cut down attackers.
Her sudden appearance halted the fight's flow.
But only briefly—the regrouped attackers charged again, swords raised.
As escorts hesitated over the newcomer, Eirana moved.
Puk!
"Grk!"
Eirana stabbed the throat of a charging foe.
Spotting her opening, swords flew from both sides.
Using numbers for swarm tactics.
Eirana grabbed the face of one flanker with her free hand, slamming him into the ground.
With her recovered sword, she severed the arm of the one targeting her neck.
The momentum flipped in an instant.
Wcer's outnumbered escorts, bolstered by Eirana, began overwhelming the attackers.
Wencer, watching, eyed her movements keenly.
Her speed was hard to track—efficient, terrifying cuts.
"Not... an enemy."
The escort captain approached, relieved.
"Maybe a special guard from Sir Zedman or Sir Roth...?"
The captain cautiously suggested about the mysterious ally aiding them, but Wencer shook his head.
"Doubt it."
His closest aides wouldn't assign secret protection without his knowledge.
Stroking his chin, Wencer observed Eirana intently.
Meanwhile, having reversed the numbers, Eirana disarmed the last foe, grabbed his collar, and smashed him down.
"Gahk!"
The attacker gasped from the body-shaking impact.
But soon shuddered and went still.
Eirana scowled.
'Poison.'
He'd swallowed hidden poison.
Exhaling lightly, she glanced around.
The escorts now eyed her warily.
She'd helped, but she was still unknown.
As Eirana flicked blood from Silver Fang and narrowed her eyes—
"Looks like we owe you one."
Wencer emerged from the escorts, smiling.
Eirana sheathed Silver Fang and replied to him,
"Unintentionally."
"Mind your manners! This is..."
"Enough. No need for identities here."
As the escort captain standing by tried to rebuke her, Wencer raised a hand to stop him.
Eirana gave a bored reaction to the clichéd exchange.
"I'd like to express thanks... but could you share your identity?"
"Shouldn't you reveal yours first? Manners."
The captain bristled again, but Wencer chuckled lightly.
"Circumstances make that tricky."
He pondered.
Her calm probing suggested she wasn't ordinary.
"If stating your status now is inconvenient, at least tell us where you live. I'd like to repay today's aid."
Eirana eyed Wencer briefly, then named her inn.