Chapter 3
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 3
Chapter Title: The Shaman's New Disciple
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Ajuh Libreia.
The great shaman who had inherited the winds and earth's mana of the plains. Now seventy-seven years old, she silently gazed at the young man before her.
'Warrior Ullan.'
Ajuh remembered the day Ullan was born.
Among all the children born that year, he alone hadn't cried out. From the moment of his birth, he had been no ordinary child.
As if to prove his extraordinary nature, Ullan achieved feat after feat. He earned the rank of warrior at the youngest age ever, and eventually passed the Hero's Trial.
'A true blessing from the gods.'
A smile formed at the corners of her bright red lips.
And it was well deserved.
The birth of such a powerful warrior meant a bright future for the tribe.
'However...'
There was one problem with Ullan.
Not his health or anything like that. Just that his head wasn't quite right.
'...No, not just "quite".'
Correction: it was terribly not right.
If you asked who had the thickest skull in the tribe, everyone would point to Ullan.
But what did that matter?
Ullan possessed a blessed body and exceptional combat talent that more than compensated for his thick-headedness.
So she hadn't considered it a big issue.
Not until Ullan opened his mouth.
"I seek knowledge."
"Yes, knowledge...! What?"
Ajuh blinked her wide-open eyes.
Did I hear that wrong?
What did he just say?
"Shaman Ajuh."
Ullan looked at her with a serious expression.
He slowly bowed his head.
"Teach me."
"......"
Ajuh stared at Ullan in a daze.
Her mouth slightly agape.
A moment later, she gradually came to her senses.
'What did he just say...?'
Seeking knowledge? Asking for teachings?
The tribe's thickest skull?
Ajuh's face flushed with confusion.
'Did he hit his head during the trial?'
It was a reasonable guess.
Ullan's words were that absurd. Meanwhile, as she struggled to shake off her bewilderment,
"Ajuh."
A deep, low voice tickled her ear.
Not Ullan's voice. Turning her head, she saw a tall young man looking her way.
"Hero Ullan awaits your answer."
Alk Bator.
The chieftain's son and Ullan's brother.
Only then did Ajuh pull herself together. Clearing her throat, she looked back at Ullan.
"......I'll ask again, Hero Ullan."
To confirm she hadn't misheard.
Ajuh's question followed.
"What did you just say?"
"I asked you to teach me."
Damn, I didn't mishear!
Ajuh's brow twitched.
Her lips trembled. Clenching her fists, she asked once more.
"Is that truly your wish?"
"Yes. I seek knowledge."
"For real?"
"Absolutely."
Ah, why are you so serious about it!
She wanted to shout that.
That he was a thick-skulled idiot.
That honing himself as a warrior with his natural body and talent would be far more efficient.
But she couldn't.
Ullan's eyes were deadly serious.
"I wish to become your disciple."
And now he was going even further, wanting to be her disciple.
Ajuh felt like crying.
"I'd appreciate your answer."
"Uh, I, well......"
Deep down, she wanted to refuse outright.
There were two reasons.
One was that Ullan was a thick-skulled idiot, and the other was the burden. The burden of taking as a disciple not just any warrior, but one who had passed the Hero's Trial.
'But...'
She couldn't bring herself to refuse.
There were too many eyes watching. And if she refused for some trivial reason, they might accuse her of tarnishing the hero's honor and fly into a rage.
So she decided.
"......Very well. I will teach you."
First, get out of this situation.
Then persuade him later.
That was Ajuh's judgment.
Meanwhile, oblivious to this, Ullan bowed his head with a joyful face.
"I look forward to your guidance, Ajuh."
"Mm. Y-Yes."
Ajuh wore a reluctant expression.
She had wandered the continent and returned home for a peaceful retirement, only to suddenly take on a disciple.
And one she could barely handle at that.
4.
The first duty of a shaman's disciple is to attend to the master's needs.
Starting with cleaning, laundry, and cooking.
Then, preparing firewood in advance for winter, or hunting plains beasts to offer food to the master.
After repeating this life through three winters on the plains, one is finally recognized as a formal disciple.
That's the usual way.
'But...'
Not this time.
Ullan was a tribal warrior and a heavyweight who had passed the Hero's Trial.
Ordering him to do cleaning and laundry?
'He'd surely say I'm insulting him and try to tear my head from my body.'
Warriors were notoriously obsessed with honor and face, with tempers like wildfire.
Ajuh shuddered.
'......I'll just go along with it moderately.'
His sudden request for knowledge was surely just a whim. Pretend to teach him and send him on his way.
But her expectations were off the mark.
Knock knock!
Early morning, before dawn broke.
Someone knocked on the door.
Ajuh, groggy as she opened it, was startled awake.
"......!"
Ullan had come.
And in one hand, he held a sharply honed axe. Her drowsiness vanished, her senses sharpening.
Then Ullan spoke.
"Master. I've gathered firewood."
"What? Firewood?"
Why all of a sudden? I didn't ask for it?
Ajuh was bewildered.
"I looked into a shaman's disciple duties and learned firewood comes first."
"......"
At least he doesn't seem about to swing that axe. That's a relief. As she sighed in relief, Ullan continued.
"But I didn't know how much you'd need, so I felled every tree around."
"......What?"
All of them?
Ajuh stared blankly.
It made sense.
Her hut was in the forest near the plains. Meaning the area was full of trees.
No way he could fell them all in one night. She dismissed it as bravado.
Until she saw the view outside the hut.
'Wh-What madness is this!'
A desolate landscape greeted Ajuh.
Following Ullan to the backyard, she saw neatly stacked firewood piled like mountains.
He did this alone?
In just one night?
"If it's not enough, I'll chop more."
"N-No. It's fine. This is plenty."
She frantically waved her hands, face panicked.
If she said it was short, he'd probably clear the entire forest.
"And I've prepared breakfast too."
What? Breakfast too?
Ajuh's eyes widened.
"Made from a deer I caught last night. Simmered all dawn, so it should be nice and tender."
Ullan brought stew.
Stew brimming with root vegetables and venison, wafting a delicious aroma. More than enough to tempt Ajuh's empty, hungry stomach.
Slurp! Nom nom!
Tasting it, her eyebrows rose slightly.
It was surprisingly good, contrary to expectations.
"Next, I'll clean the room."
Ullan stood up.
Then a foreboding thought struck her.
"W-Wait a moment!"
Ullan was the strongest warrior in the tribe.
If he handled tools recklessly, they'd shatter. As she hurriedly tried to stop him,
"Don't worry."
A calm voice replied.
"I won't mishandle them."
I can tell what's important just by looking. With that, Ullan finished cleaning and laundry without any mishaps.
A short while later.
After all the chores were done.
Ajuh sat facing Ullan.
'I planned to just humor him roughly.'
Her mind had changed a bit.
The trigger was Ullan's attitude.
At just sixteen, after passing the Hero's Trial when he could have become arrogant, he diligently performed a shaman's disciple duties.
Seeing such earnestness, how could her heart not waver?
'So...'
First, let's ask this.
Ajuh's eyes sparkled.
"Hero Ullan."
Gazing into his bright red eyes.
She got to the point.
"Why do you seek knowledge?"
"Because there's something I want."
"Hm? What is it?"
"I can't tell you the details. You'd never believe me anyway."
He had crossed time to the past.
Even a wise shaman wouldn't believe it. Instead of the truth, Ullan shared his honest thoughts.
"But it's not just for me—it's for the entire tribe. To achieve it, I must enter Arsen Academy."
"What? Arsen Academy?"
"Yes. I'll enter there, gain the knowledge and power I seek. For the tribe, and for myself."
After his resolute answer.
Silence filled the room.
Meanwhile, Ajuh looked flustered. Partly because Arsen Academy came up out of nowhere, but more so because of Ullan's eyes.
'......Were his eyes always like this?'
Rational and cool-headed eyes.
So calm for a sixteen-year-old boy. Completely unlike the warriors who worshipped strength and craved battle.
Gazing into those unwavering, steadfast eyes.
Ajuh's lips curved slightly.
'I don't know what he realized in the Hero's Trial, but...'
It's interesting.
Her heart, dried up like old wood, pounded at the sight of this mighty oak sprouting new branches.
If a warrior with overwhelming power and skill also gained wisdom, how great could he become?
'Perhaps the day will come when our tribe leaves the plains and conquers the continent.'
Such thoughts arose.
Ajuh suppressed her surging emotions. Once her excitement settled, she spoke to Ullan again.
"Then let me ask you, Ullan."
Her tone noticeably changed.
She didn't call him "Hero." Just his name. Her speech shifted too.
Yet Ullan didn't get angry. Satisfied with his reaction? Ajuh smiled faintly and asked.
"What do you wish to learn from me?"
As soon as Ajuh's question ended.
Ullan answered without hesitation.
"Everything I don't know."
The knowledge needed for academy entrance.
From basic common sense to profound scholarship. Even shamanism or magic known only to the chosen.
Ullan was prepared to devour it all.
"It will take a long time."
"It doesn't matter. Knowledge is a tower built by honing time itself, or so I've heard."
Words from another hero, his comrade in his past life.
From the Star Witch. As he spoke them, a smile formed on Ajuh's wrinkled lips.
"Good! Then I'll share my knowledge with you."
Ajuh's eyes gleamed.
"But steel yourself. Building the tower of knowledge is never easy."
"That's exactly what I hoped for."
Ullan grinned broadly too.
Time flew by like an arrow after that.
And before long.
Half a year had passed.
Chapter 2. Towards the Academy