The Elf Teaches the Heavenly Slaughter Star
It had already been a week since Enoch first came to live in Rionne’s house. The boy adapted to his new environment with startling speed. These days he even trailed after Rionne like a little shadow, and the elf couldn’t have been more delighted.
“Undine! Look at this! Isn’t he just adorable?”
Crackle—! The moment Enoch’s eyes met Undine’s, purple sparks of electricity burst from his gaze. A low growl rumbled in his throat as he bared his teeth, but—
“Now, now.” Rionne gave his head a gentle tap. Enoch immediately settled, accepting the touch with an innocent expression that said he had no idea what she was talking about.
Leaving the grumbling water spirit behind, Rionne straightened her back. Now that Enoch had grown somewhat accustomed to his new life, it was time to begin his real education.
“All right, Enoch. Starting today, we’re going to begin your studies.”
“Studies?”
“Yes, studies. There are things you absolutely must learn if you want to live comfortably in this world.”
Rionne stroked the hair of the boy who was staring up at her with wide, uncomprehending eyes.
“Sometimes you get suddenly angry, right?”
“Uh-huh?”
“And electricity shoots out of your body and things like that.”
“Uh-huh.”
“If you can’t control it properly, something very bad could happen.”
Whoosh—! Rionne spread both hands wide, trying to startle him. But Enoch simply gazed at her calmly.
“Ahem. Anyway, just remember that we’re starting your lessons now.”
“Okay!”
Enoch had no particular thoughts on the matter. Rionne was a good person. Anything she did had to be a good thing. Watching him, Rionne smiled with deep satisfaction.
I suppose it’s best to start by creating his dantian.
There was only one way to overcome the fate of the Heavenly Slaughter Star: to conquer it himself. And for that to be possible, Enoch would have to surpass the limits of what it meant to be human.
“Enoch, what did I tell you yesterday about the Heavenly Slaughter Star?”
The boy thought hard before answering.
“Bad thing?”
“That’s right! It’s a wicked thing, just like those greedy dwarves.”
The Heavenly Slaughter Star, which thrived on chaos, bestowed its blessing only upon humans. That blessing granted talent far beyond what any human should possess, but in exchange it constantly lurked, waiting for a chance to erode their sanity and drive them to massacre. According to ancient records even Rionne had never witnessed, it had once nearly wiped out every living being on the continent. Yet there were also those who had overcome the star’s curse and reached the highest realms. The fact that humans now held considerable territory across the continent was largely thanks to one such person.
Hmm…
Rionne’s face briefly clouded as she recalled him.
“Rionne?”
“Yes?”
“Hurting?”
“Hehe, it’s nothing.”
She ruffled Enoch’s hair vigorously and declared, “Then shall we begin?”
Rionne sat Enoch down in the middle of the training yard and stood behind him. What she was about to teach him was the foundational mental technique of the Estor family. Even though it was only the basics, it was still a closely guarded secret that should never be shared with outsiders…
Well, who cares?
Rionne gave a little snort and spoke to the boy in a gentle voice.
“Can you follow along properly?”
“Yes.”
After giving him a brief explanation, she placed her hand on his back. Inside the child’s body, quite a dense amount of mana was already scattered wildly. He was using mana even now, but its stability was clearly lacking. Rionne recited the incantation softly, the way one might tell an old bedtime story.
“Flowing mana is like water; become a great tree and bloom flowers. Take root in the nutrient-rich soil…”
She repeated the formula several times, guiding his mana, until at some point the boy began to lead it on his own.
“Hehe.”
Rionne smiled in satisfaction. It was only natural given his Heavenly Slaughter Star, but Enoch’s talent was truly exceptional. Even though they had only known each other for a week, she already felt as proud of him as if he were her own child.
“Good. Just like that—gather the mana below your navel, in your dantian.”
Enoch obeyed. He seized the mana by the scruff and locked it in his dantian, then drew out a thread and began circulating it slowly along the paths Rionne had shown him.
Huh?
Then, suddenly, lightning began to dwell within the mana. Rumble—! The mana, now circulating at frightening speed, urged him onward. I can go further. Let’s climb even higher.
Enoch smacked the mana down, silencing it, and glanced at Rionne. She was simply smiling warmly without saying a word.
Okay.
It seemed he was allowed to continue. Enoch immediately released the reins on his mana.
BOOM—!
Like a lightning bolt striking upward, the mana surged from his dantian toward his heart. Rionne’s heart nearly stopped.
“E-Enoch…!”
It was far too early for him to open his middle dantian. If a child who had only just formed his lower dantian tried to force it open, his entire body could explode.
“Undine…! Hurry!”
The elf called for her friend’s help. Though Undine didn’t particularly like Enoch, she had no desire to watch him burst into pieces either, so she rushed over immediately.
Undine summoned water with her authority. Healing water enveloped Enoch while Rionne broke into a cold sweat, desperately trying to soothe the rampaging mana.
“Enoch! You mustn’t overdo it!”
Rionne could have forcibly stopped his mana, but doing so risked inflicting irreversible damage. He had to control it himself.
Ah…
Enoch realized something had gone wrong. Honestly, it didn’t feel that dangerous, but if he kept this up Rionne might get angry. In his panic, he struck the mana hard. If it didn’t listen, he would be the one Rionne hated.
Rumble—!
But the mana, now fully aroused, refused to obey. The lightning that had been swirling in his dantian finally shot toward the sky. Flash———!! It tore open the path from his lower dantian to his heart.
Th-this is bad…
Cold sweat poured down Enoch’s face. Everything was over and he could open his eyes, but if he did now, Rionne would definitely scold him. The boy squeezed his eyes shut and desperately pretended nothing had happened.
But Rionne was Rionne. The incomparably capable elf noticed his condition immediately.
“Haah… I really thought something terrible had happened.”
It was unprecedented. He didn’t seem to have undergone bodily reconstruction yet due to insufficient enlightenment, but for such a young child to open his middle dantian was the kind of nonsense no one would believe even as a joke. It wasn’t as if he were a dragon, after all.
Having calmed her startled heart, Rionne gave Enoch a light flick on the forehead.
“Ow…”
Startled, Enoch’s eyes flew open. They were trembling violently, as if an earthquake had struck. Instead of scolding him, Rionne simply pulled the boy into a tight embrace.
“You mustn’t rush like that next time, okay? I was so worried.”
“…Yes.”
Enoch’s sharp gaze stabbed toward Undine.
Undine growled right back.
“Undine. How can you act like that toward a child? Are you the child here?”
Undine flew off, scattering tears of betrayal. Rionne let out a small sigh. She would be back in about five minutes anyway.
“Well then, Enoch. You worked hard today, so shall we eat something delicious?”
“Yes!”
“Hehe, let’s go inside.”
Undine, who had returned the moment the meal was set, pointed accusingly at Enoch.
“Hmm?”
The instant Rionne turned around, Enoch’s eyes became perfectly innocent. Round and sparkling, they were the very picture of a pure-hearted child.
Leaving the rampaging spirit behind, Enoch and Rionne finished their meal. It was finally lunchtime. Instead of heading to the training yard, Rionne sat Enoch down in the study.
“Enoch, can you read at all?”
“Mmm…”
He shook his head. It was only to be expected, so Rionne smiled brightly.
“Then shall we start with reading?”
Rionne laid out the books she had secretly bought in the nearby city the night before, hood pulled low. Most of them were picture books for children.
“This is read as ‘apple.’ Do you know what an apple is?”
“Yes…”
Rionne pointed back and forth between the picture and the letters. Enoch nodded. Or rather—
“Oh? Hehe, are you sleepy?”
It wasn’t a nod; he was dozing off, head bobbing. They had hit a snag at the very first word, but Rionne didn’t mind.
“You must be tired. Shall we take a nap?”
“…Yes.”
Enoch stretched out both arms. Rionne lifted him with practiced ease and carried him to bed.
“We’ll study again after you wake up, okay?”
“Zzz…”
Enoch hated studying.
Rionne took special measures. After Enoch woke from his nap, she pulled him into her arms, sat on the bed, and opened the picture book.
“Now, Enoch. What’s this?”
“…Apple.”
“And this?”
“…Rabbit.”
Enoch was clever. Though he clearly disliked studying letters, once something was taught he memorized it instantly and made it his own. Seeing the boy’s pout, Rionne’s heart softened and she closed the book.
“Shall we stop here for today?”
“Yes!”
Ten words. That was plenty. They still had a hundred and fifty years ahead of them, so there was no need to rush.
The next day, Rionne began teaching Enoch martial techniques.
Rumble—!
“Ah, no…!!!”