The Disciples Who Left Have Returned, Each Holding a Child
It was because of the kids, wasn’t it…?
“So… Jade’s memories are flickering in and out, and Mila and Lucy have literally turned into actual young children?”
“That’s correct. Normally we would have tried to handle it ourselves, following the methods you taught us, Master. But while we were dealing with that, we got tangled up with the Order’s people.”
“The Order…?”
If my memory served me right, there were only two organizations on this continent that could properly call themselves an Order. And since Carnea had mentioned trying to heal her companions with holy power, that could only mean one thing.
The way she spat out “those Order bastards” suggested they had gotten involved with the worst faction on the continent—the one known as the Divine Spirit Order, or simply the Order of the Holy Spirits.
‘This is starting to sound like a much bigger mess than I thought…’
While I was lost in those grim thoughts for a moment, Carnea, who had been quietly stroking Mila’s hair, looked straight at my face. As if she could read exactly what was going on inside my head, she spoke in a detached tone.
“There’s no need to make such a frightening expression. I simply cut down a few of them after they stubbornly kept following us through the forest.”
“…Huh?”
“They were incredibly persistent. We had to cross a valley thick with poisonous fog, and we spent three full days and nights fleeing without sleep because of the assassins lying in ambush. Thanks to that, we had to run for our lives without even properly packing, so everything’s a complete mess.”
“……”
That horrific journey—crossing the threshold of death dozens of times—she described it as casually as if she had simply taken a neighborhood stroll last night because she felt like breathing some fresh evening air. Her relaxed attitude, as though she were recounting a rather boring old story, left me utterly speechless when I had been trying to take the situation seriously.
…Still, at least all the distracting thoughts flew right out of my head.
“Anyway, that’s why we fled all the way to this barren land. The southernmost edge of the continent—a forsaken frontier that’s only a kingdom in name. Even the Empire and the Order don’t bother sparing it a glance because it’s so useless.”
“Exactly. And while we were at it, we figured we might as well come see your face, Master. There’s no better place to hide while pretending to be incompetent, is there?”
Carnea gave a tiny shrug, the corner of her mouth lifting in a smile so faint you’d miss it unless you were watching closely. Facing that brazenly calm expression, I was the one left stunned. Yet beneath that mask of serenity and composure, I didn’t miss the exhaustion hidden underneath.
‘I don’t even need to see it to know how much they must have suffered…’
She always seemed completely indifferent and heartless toward others, yet she secretly paid more attention to people than anyone. At any rate, I now roughly understood what kind of trouble the kids had gotten into and why they had rushed all the way to this remote countryside.
“Alright, I understand the situation. So… what exactly do you want from me?”
At my direct question, Carnea’s hand paused mid-stroke on Mila’s hair. She glanced at me for a moment, then sneaked a look at Renien, who was sitting beside her and wolfing down her food. For someone who had just been acting so carefree, as if none of this was a big deal, her sudden hesitation was oddly telling.
The two of them exchanged glances, reading each other’s expressions. Then Renien, still chewing a huge mouthful of food, swallowed with an audible gulp, clenched both fists, and shouted in a bright, energetic voice.
“We’re going to stay at Master’s academy for a while and reorganize first! And please help our kids break free from this curse and return to their original forms! When you think about it, Sir Airent, you’re practically a parent to us!”
“…What?”
The way Renien declared it so boldly—like it was the most natural thing in the world—almost made me spit out the water I was drinking. At the same time, even though the age gap wasn’t that huge, her shameless audacity in calling me a parent made a helpless chuckle slip out of me.
But when I saw Renien’s red eyes sparkling with pure expectation, and Carnea holding her breath while pretending not to care as she waited for my answer, I couldn’t bring myself to refuse outright.
“I’m not sure about the parent part… but you’re saying you plan to stay here for the time being, right? I’m not heartless enough to kick you out without a plan, so I’ll give you rooms.”
I tried to look as stern as possible as I added,
“However, whether or not I’ll help you break the curse… I’ll give you my answer on the day you have to leave. I don’t have a family I’m responsible for, but I still have disciples I need to take care of.”
“That’s more than enough! Thank you!”
Renien’s face brightened noticeably at those words. Carnea let out a small sigh of relief and began gently stroking Mila’s hair once again.
“Alright, let’s put the headache-inducing serious talk aside for now.”
I stood up and took out the bottle of ale I had carefully stored away in the corner of the cupboard. It had been an emergency stash in case I suddenly craved beer, but… there was nothing better for welcoming these kids who had come after such a long time. Besides, they were all old enough now that I could comfortably offer them drinks.
“Since it’s already happened, worrying about it right this second won’t solve anything. Why don’t you tell me what you’ve all been up to out there?”
The cheerful pop of the ale bottle cap instantly shattered the lingering tension in the air. Steaming stew was brought to the table, and we lightly clinked our glasses together.
“Seriously! You won’t believe it! Do you know what kind of mess Jade caused while we were staying in the Empire’s capital?”
Renien took a big swig of ale, then dramatically acted out Jade’s part with exaggerated gestures.
“That clueless idiot somehow caught the eye of Her Highness the Imperial Princess. In the middle of the ball, the two of them were holding hands all lovey-dovey and trying to run away together. The entire Imperial Knight Order flipped out!”
“…That wasn’t Jade chasing after her. The princess was the one who clung to him one-sidedly. She probably thought he looked like an easy mark because he kept smiling like an idiot.”
Carnea rested her chin on one hand while pointing with the other toward the corner of the room. There, having filled his belly, lay eight-year-old Jade sprawled on the floor, fast asleep and snoring loudly with his nostrils flaring.
…The fact that this little brat snoring away like that had managed to captivate the Imperial Princess of the greatest empire was honestly pretty ridiculous.
“That guy seduced a princess… Kid, your swordsmanship hasn’t improved at all, but you sure picked up some weird skills.”
My silly joke made Renien burst into laughter so hard she could barely breathe, and even Carnea gave the faintest smile.
Outside the window, the lonely, chilly scenery typical of the frontier still stretched on. But inside the old academy, it was filled with the same warm, noisy, lively energy as if we had gone back six years.
Some time passed after that.
By the time a heavily drunk Renien had taken the three little ones to bed first, Carnea, who had helped me finish cleaning up the dining hall, was quietly staring at the faint dawn light slowly brightening beyond the eastern mountain range.
Then, out of nowhere, she spoke to me.
“…Master, you really haven’t changed at all. Not three years ago, and not now.”
“What’s there to change? Ever since I first came here, I’ve been nothing but a washed-up has-been who only teaches a few swordsmen.”
I tried to lighten the mood with a casual joke.
Because Carnea’s atmosphere was so markedly different from usual that it was sending chills down my spine.
“…?”
But contrary to my hopes, the eyes visible between strands of her blue-tinted white hair were curved into thin, elegant arcs.
Inside those eyes that had always been coldly indifferent, a heat was rising—the kind that made your body instinctively shrink back just from looking at it.
“Well, maybe. But I’ve changed quite a lot.”
Carnea, who had been facing forward, slowly turned her body to look directly at me.
Her shoulders were relaxed and drooping, her gaze languid.
Yet despite that leisurely attitude, the aura flowing from her was growing increasingly ominous.
“For the three years I’ve been away from your side, Master… I really didn’t rest a single day. I swung my sword without pause. I cut down the kingdom’s troublesome pests, took only the most dangerous subjugation missions in the Empire, and even cut back on sleep while refining my aura until I couldn’t breathe. But do you know what’s funny? The only thing that kept floating around in my head the entire time was one single thought.”
“No wonder you look so pale. You didn’t have to push yourself that hard…”
“I had to become stronger than you, Master. From the very first moment we met, that’s all I’ve ever thought about.”
“……”
Step.
Carnea approached me with an almost weightless gait.
Her scent, mixed with the cold dawn air, completely swallowed the woody smell of the academy.
“When I was fifteen and cast out of the ducal house, nearly devoured by magic beasts… after you picked me up, you always looked at me that way. With those soft eyes full of pity, as if I were some poor little thing that needed protecting. Wondering if a kid like me could ever become stronger than you.”
Carnea’s pale, slender fingers brushed against the cuff of my shirt sleeve and held on.
She was only grasping a thin piece of fabric, yet an overwhelming pressure crushed my entire body, as if my windpipe were being squeezed shut.
Her gaze slowly traveled over my old crutch planted on the floor, across my shoulders that had gone rigid with tension, and finally entangled itself with my eyes in a thick, sticky hold.
Then, at the corner of her lips—lips whose true intentions I could never read—a dangerous, bewitching smile bloomed that nearly took my breath away.
The moment I saw that smile, my instincts screamed that if I didn’t get out of here immediately, I would be devoured whole, bones and all.
But my feet refused to move.
“So I trained like a madwoman. Hoping that you would stop seeing me as a fledgling who needed protection… and look at me as a complete person. How about it? After rolling around in the dirt this much, don’t you think I might be able to defeat you now, Master?”
Her breath, drawn out at the end of her words, was so close it almost brushed against me.
“It’s been so long… Won’t you have a sparring match with me?”
“……”
At first, I tried hard to interpret it in the most positive way possible.
That it was simply her desire for her master’s recognition that had grown a little… twisted.
But in Carnea’s eyes as she looked up at me from that breathing distance, there wasn’t even a trace of a disciple’s pure respect.
That was the gaze of a predator that had starved for a very long time.
The eyes of a hunter who had finally finished preparing to sink her teeth into the nape of perfect prey.
I swallowed dryly, my throat moving with difficulty.
Cold sweat unconsciously seeped into the palm gripping the handle of my crutch.
If I lost in the spar…
The thought that it wouldn’t end with simply having my pride as a swordsman broken filled my head.
‘These kids… They really did come here because of the children, right?’