The Sparring Match
"Teacher, this way! I've arranged the most comfortable and secure inn in all of Cavelon for you!"
Tiana led the way with evident pride as she guided Sian inside.
Thus they arrived at the Hero's Rest.
I never thought the day would come when I'd actually walk through these doors, Sian muttered to himself as he gazed up at the luxurious establishment.
It was a place he'd always assumed he had no business with.
Flanking the door, which bore an intricately engraved crest, stood guards whose very presence seemed to declare that just anyone would not be getting in.
They were on an entirely different level from the common soldiers who ran inspections outside the city gates.
The minimum requirement was apprentice knight, wasn't it?
He recalled seeing it written in a posting he'd happened to skim while browsing through requests long ago.
Adventurers without the qualifications to enter—let alone apply—had showered the place with abuse, grumbling that an inn had no business hiring its own private security.
Sniffing at customers like that, they'd sneered, the place wouldn't last long.
And yet it's done rather well for itself, hasn't it.
By all accounts, the general consensus was that you got your money's worth.
The service was one thing, but the inn maintained its own security force, which meant serious attention to safety—useful for conversations that demanded discretion, or for merchants who wanted their goods genuinely protected while staying in Cavelon.
With that kind of reliability, the wealthy had no reason not to use it.
"Welcome."
The guards recognized Tiana immediately and bowed their heads in greeting.
They stole a glance at Sian trailing behind her, and a flicker of confusion crossed their faces—but they smoothed their expressions almost instantly and bowed once more.
Presumably they were letting it slide simply because he was with Tiana.
The interior was, admittedly, every bit as luxurious as its reputation suggested.
A crimson carpet covered the floor, and an enormous chandelier overhead radiated the soft glow of mana-light.
Throughout the lobby, expensive-looking works of art were displayed on every side.
"It certainly is fancy," Sian remarked, sweeping the room once with his eyes before offering his brief assessment.
At that, Tiana spoke up, as if something had just clicked into place.
"So you… must be used to this sort of thing."
"…Huh?"
"It shames me to admit it, but the first time I came to the Hero's Rest, I couldn't close my mouth."
In the past, even after reaching S-rank, Tiana had visited Cavelon without ever once setting foot in the Hero's Rest.
So what if the inn is fancy? she'd thought.
To a commoner like Tiana, the very idea that a single night's stay cost what an ordinary family could live on for months was simply beyond comprehension.
Then, on her first visit—recommended by another S-rank—she'd been struck speechless by the splendor spread out before her.
She'd genuinely wondered, for a moment, whether she'd stepped into another world entirely.
But her teacher—
He didn't seem the least bit surprised.
Far from it; he'd even commented that the place wasn't half bad.
It wasn't indifference to luxury. It was familiarity.
Could Teacher perhaps be a noble concealing his name?
And so Tiana began speculating about Sian's identity in an entirely wrong direction.
The real reason Sian showed no more reaction than that, of course, was simple.
I've seen plenty of these on the internet.
However well-appointed the Hero's Rest was, it was still only medieval in standard.
Compared to the modern world, where science had advanced to the point of manufacturing gemstones, it couldn't help but fall short on spectacle.
If they'd decked the place out with illusion magic, maybe then Sian would have been impressed.
Come to think of it…
He couldn't quite put his finger on why, but it felt like people were staring.
He could see the gazes of the guests chatting on the lounge sofas turning toward them.
"That person is…"
"The famous one?"
"The teacher of the S-rank…"
"Should we ask him to serve as an instructor for our knight order?"
Thanks to Tiana diligently spreading the word wherever she went, Sian was already practically a celebrity.
Everyone seemed to be watching their footing, wondering when they might pay their respects.
A few of them looked puzzled, though.
"Hmm, he looks rather ordinary, doesn't he?"
"Could an ordinary man have trained an S-rank?"
"He didn't teach her from childhood either—Tiana was already S-rank when she went to receive his instruction."
"Ah, that must be it."
"Tsk tsk, this one has no eye for people."
Even the doubters, hearing what came next, nodded along as if satisfied that there had to be something more to him.
Of course, all of this was whispered, so none of it reached Sian's ears—he only felt the weight of their stares.
"Teacher, please wait here a moment. I'll go check us in."
Tiana strode toward the front desk with practiced ease, and the staff bent at the waist and scrambled about the moment she appeared.
And then—
"Teacher! It is humble, but I've secured the top-floor suite!"
"……"
A top-floor suite—something even among nobles, only those of considerable standing or significant fame could hope to book at all.
Sian found himself realizing, yet again, just how extraordinary a person Tiana truly was.
Stepping inside, they were greeted by opulence that rivaled the lobby.
A spacious sitting room, high-end furniture, and what appeared to be an entirely separate bedroom.
Best for my peace of mind not to ask the price…
Honestly, he didn't want to know.
But if he let this slide with vague grumbling, it would be no different from freeloading off her.
In case this ever came to light later, it was important not to manufacture any of the sort of incidents that invited talk.
The one silver lining…
…was that he'd brought along a small stash of gemstones.
It would be a serious expense, but at this level he could still weather it.
With that thought, he looked at Tiana and asked,
"Come to think of it, I never paid you anything when I accepted the request. What's the fee?"
"Please don't speak of money! Serving as your host is simply a disciple's duty!"
No, since when had that become a duty?
As Sian grumbled inwardly, Tiana grew restless, as though she had something more to say—fidgeting with her fingers, opening her mouth and closing it again.
Finally, as if steeling her resolve, she spoke with great care.
"Um, Teacher. There is… one favor I would like to ask."
"What is it?"
"Please don't misunderstand—I am in no way suggesting I could purchase your teachings with money! What you have already given me is a debt a lifetime of repayment could never—"
Her words stretched on and on.
Even at a glance, she seemed to be building up to something deeply ominous, but there was no way not to ask.
"So. What exactly is this favor?"
At Sian's question, Tiana squeezed her eyes shut and blurted out her answer.
"Would you grant me a single sparring match?!"
"……"
Apparently, in exchange for the room, what Tiana wanted was Sian's head.
Then, after standing there in silence for a moment, Sian seemed to realize something—an exclamation point practically lit up over his head.
…This might be my chance.
What if he agreed to the spar here and then collapsed in a single blow?
Wouldn't that shatter her stubborn misunderstanding in one stroke?
They do say it's better to take your beating early.
Granted, since the misunderstanding wasn't his fault to begin with, even calling it a "beating" felt off—but still.
It'll hurt, sure, but I have potions…
It was a golden opportunity to clear things up before this snowballed any further.
"…Fine."
"R-really?!"
Perhaps she'd braced herself for rejection.
Tiana's face bloomed into a bright smile as she beamed with delight.
"You're my disciple. It's hardly something I could refuse."
Sian spoke as if he were doing her some grand favor.
After all, once he lost here, her misunderstanding would end for good—so he might as well play the benefactor to the hilt now.
"Thank you!"
Tiana bowed deeply at the waist, her expression radiating genuine gratitude at his permission.
"Though we can't spar here. Is there somewhere suitable?"
"The entire top floor is a single wing, so it has every facility—including a training hall!"
"……"
So that's why it's absurdly expensive.
Muttering that brief observation to himself, Sian headed for the training hall alongside Tiana.
An empty room.
"This room is specially reinforced with sturdy structural supports, so you may fight without any worry of damage."
"Ah… I don't think that'll be necessary."
His bones would shatter long before a single wall did.
No—if only one bone broke, that would count as lucky.
Tiana nodded along, but she seemed to have taken his words in a very different sense than he'd intended.
"Yes, of course. I am still far too lacking to cross blades with you properly, after all."
Sure. Keep believing that.
Not that it'll matter after today.
Once this spar was over, she would stop clinging to him, and their paths would never cross again.
Still, I'd better focus on defense.
If he tried to take even a single full-power strike from an S-rank—no, from an S-rank beyond all standards—he really might end up dead.
Pour everything into defense, take one hit, and collapse without dying.
That was Sian's goal.
Face off.
And so the two of them stood facing each other at the center of the training hall.
Sian took a deep breath and spoke.
"Let's use wooden swords, not real ones. No point taking unnecessary risks."
With a real blade, he wouldn't be withstanding anything—he might be cleaved clean in two.
No, he definitely would be.
If it's a wooden sword… if I pour all my mana into defense, it should stop at broken bones. Probably.
One hit would be fine.
It'll be… fine? …Right?
His policy had always been to avoid dangerous places, so he'd never even properly watched an A-rank fight, let alone an S-rank.
Sudden anxiety welled up—but having come this far, there was no turning back now.
While he was lost in such thoughts, Tiana was somehow looking at him with an expression of deep emotion.
"Thank you for your consideration!"
With those words of thanks, she immediately handed him a wooden sword.
At the sight of her, Sian took a deep breath and opened his mouth.
"…Come at me."
Please, whatever you do—don't make it hurt too much.
And in answer to Sian's silent prayer,
"Yes! I'm coming!"
Tiana responded with a resounding cry and pressed her two palms together in a formal bow.