Oh Master, My Master (1)

I admit it, my master—my master.

Until now, I'd rated myself highly for handling sudden situations and unexpected events. My prior knowledge of this dark fantasy game world had been a huge help in surviving it. But life with people isn't something you can predict just because you know a lot or act quickly. My own life was the same. I can't even count how many times I nearly lost it on the way to achieving my dream and becoming the director of this orphanage. I can talk about it casually now because it's in the past and has become a fond memory. But I survived. I made maximum use of the knowledge from my previous life. I got in touch early with people who would be helpful later on. I collected treasures and artifacts that were hard to find without inside info. I even discovered the talents of "Aren Parates" and worked diligently to awaken them.

Whether it was the butterfly effect from all that or not, incidents that never even hinted at existing in the original story kept popping up one after another. And at the peak of it all, the war with the Demon King broke out way earlier than in the original. They gave me headaches, sure, but they didn't block my path.

"Please, take me with you, sis!"

But Gia threw herself in front of me with all her might, blocking my way.

"Or I might not do any more work from now on!"

I can boldly say it: leaving Gia lying there without convincing her would be harder than the Demon King's castle siege.

Is this... what it feels like for a mother dealing with a teenager entering puberty?

If ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠it had been Camella or Epia or one of the other kids, I wouldn't have been this rattled. But Gia was different. This was the first time she'd ever shown even a hint of this, so the shock hit me hard.

Ah... Mom, is this the kind of shock you lived with? I ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠get it now, that headache you got every time I caused trouble like a chihuahua.

I don't regret it, though.

"Gia. Let me ask you something. Do you even know where your sis is headed today?"

Please, just say you're throwing a tantrum without knowing. That would make it easy to persuade you.

"I know! You're going to see your master, right?"

No, I hadn't even mentioned it. How does she know?

"...I didn't say anything this time. How did you figure it out?"

When I asked, Gia opened her eyes wide and said proudly,

"I noticed your outfit and the stuff you're packing are exactly the same as half a year ago when you went to see your master!"

"You noticed that?"

"Well, that too, but yesterday when you came back, I overheard you muttering that you had to go see your master. I knew it right then."

Damn. Such a clever kid.

Still, that's just her good memory, not my slip-up. How could I have predicted Gia would suddenly flop down and demand to go see my master?

"Okay, let me ask differently. Why do you want to come along?"

Until now, Gia never reacted when I said I was going to see my master, so her insisting now...

"You want to meet my master, right?"

"...Yes."

Her bold eyes dimmed a little, her voice losing some strength. And with that, I vaguely understood the reason.

"...You really meant it when you said you wanted to get stronger."

After rescuing her, I'd heard similar words from Gia several times. Each time, I told her she didn't need to get stronger. Even though the current Gia was light-years away from the final boss Shapina in the original story and a good kid through and through.

No matter how noble the reason for wanting strength.

Even if the opponent to suppress and kill was an absolute villain.

I didn't want Gia in a situation where she had to kill someone.

What if she got a taste for taking lives?

I trust her. I trust the Gia I've seen since rescuing her from the facility. The Demon King Shapina I knew from my past life and her past self are like completely different people. But even knowing that, I couldn't entirely dismiss the "what ifs." I worried something might trigger her back onto Shapina's path.

Sigh... Am I overthinking this?

If I'm thinking this way, couldn't I think the opposite? She's not doing this for no reason—it's for me and the other kids.

What if, during that kidnapping incident, I hadn't found Gia? What if those bastards had taken her all the way south? She'd be sold as a slave again. If her new "master" got handsy quick, she might lose the purity we've protected so well. I'd have tracked her and rescued her, of course. Made the buyer die horribly. But Gia's heart wouldn't have recovered like before.

Right.

Time to decide. Don't our precious orphanage kids deserve enough strength to protect themselves?

Camella, already with her innately tough body and genius assassination skills. Chloe, who inflicts plagues on anyone harboring malice, hostility, or killing intent who gets too close. Epia and Serelda aren't quite on their level, but thanks to their innate existential strength, they're way tougher and stronger than most adults. I'm not stopping the other kids from using their powers. Being strict only with Gia is a problem too.

"Gia. Got it. As director, I've made my decision."

I reached out to Gia, still stubbornly blocking my path.

"Maybe I've been treating you too much like a fairy in a glass bottle. How could I ignore you going this far?"

"Director..."

Gia grabbed my hand, her eyes sparkling as she stood. She'd switched back to "Director" reading the mood.

"Alright. Let's go, Gia. Deep down, I wanted to show you and the other kids to my master anyway."

Master would know right away if Gia had talent. She saw through mine instantly.

"Yay!"

Gia smiled with her eyes, clasping her hands at her chest in delight. So cute. Must be that great, huh?

"But remember one thing, Gia."

As she dashed to her room to prepare, I warned her.

"Remember? The path to Master's is pretty rough."

"Huh? Oh, yeah..."

I let out a small sigh. "Pretty rough" was an understatement for Gia.

"You'd better brace yourself."

I smiled with narrowed eyes, meaningfully.

"It'll be rougher than the old days when I traveled with Master."

"KyaAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

Gia's scream from my back echoed along the ridgeline. I could feel her terror through my back.

"See that cliff ahead?"

"D-Director, you don't mean..."

But what can you ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠do? The path to Master is this rough.

"One more drop!"

"KyaAAAAAAAAAAH!!!"

I jumped straight off the cliff in front of me. Looking down, I spotted a small puddle and a rock on the right that looked bitten into. First time on the central mountain path, so I noted the landmarks. Necessary since it was straight from the orphanage to Master's cave.

"Hup!"

Just before hitting the ground tens of meters below, I lightly released the aura enveloping my body outward to cushion the fall and kept bounding forward.

"Ughhh... You didn't say the path was this rough..."

Gia, clinging to my back like she'd never let go, grumbled gloomily.

"Figured experiencing it firsthand would stop you from asking to come again?"

"That's too mean... Is your master really here?"

"Still far. Two more hours toward the county from here?"

"T-Two hours...? Ughhh..."

Gia let out an incredulous groan.

"Don't worry. I won't let you get hurt."

Even now, I was strengthening my body with Internal Aura Technique while emitting aura externally to wrap Gia on my back in a thin protective membrane. Without it, current Gia couldn't handle even my jumps' acceleration.

"So even if it feels too rough, trust me, okay?"

It's not just the distance. This deep in the mountains isn't undeveloped only because of the terrain.

"――GRRRRAAAAAHHH!!"

Soon, the first monster we met. Twenty meters ahead, between dense trees. A hulking brute about five meters tall with one eye. The cyclops spotted us and roared.

I could dodge, but I can't show Gia ignoring trash like that.

I grabbed a nearby branch. Kicked off hard and jumped, tossing Gia high into the air while extending two silver threads from the branch tip.

"Grrah?!"

"Cut."

A light slash as I passed. The cyclops, about to swing a shiny log at me, widened its eye. Then the silver threads sliced its neck and chest, splitting it into three pieces as it collapsed.

"――KyaAAAAAAAAAAH!!"

"Catch the falling Gia... perfect!"

"Not perfect! Ugh..."

"Ah."

Gia, snug in my arms, barely held back from puking.

"Director... slower, please... don't toss me like that again..."

With teary eyes begging instead of resentment, how could I refuse? No choice but to compromise, slowing a bit. When monsters blocked us, I only set Gia down and cleared them if they were annoying.

About two hours and forty minutes later.

"Gia. We're here. This is Master's cave."

I stopped before the familiar massive cave, like a dragon's open maw.

"Ugh... finally..."

I set down the dying Gia. She took deep breaths to steady herself.

"Having to go back the same way... Can't believe anyone lives here."

"Haha, I get it. It was hell before I got used to the path..."

As I chuckled recalling the past, Gia asked,

"How old were you your first time?"

"Fourteen. Around your age now, I think?"

"Fourteen?!"

Gia was shocked. I said something like "yep, back then~" and stepped forward a few paces.

"Master! Your disciple has arrived!"

I shouted into the depths. A metallic clang echoed from ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠deep inside.

"???"

A innocent girl's voice rang in my head. It echoed in Gia's too, judging by her wide-eyed "What is this?" look at me.

"Right? Master. This is the eldest from the orphanage I mentioned a few times."

I took Gia's hesitant hand and went inside. The huge cave was eerily empty. I'd visited since childhood, but the emptiness near the entrance never got familiar. After about ten minutes, we reached a chamber with the ceiling open to the sky above.

Master was here.

"...A rusty old sword."

A single battered sword so rusted it might crumble if touched. Half the blade below the hilt was stuck in rock, lit by light from above.

"Try grabbing it, Gia. Like this."

Seeing is believing, so I gripped Gia's hand over mine on the hilt.

"――Huh?"

And the world shifted. So naturally, it felt like we'd been here all along. A colorless, endless white void with nothing greeted us.

"Where... is this...?"

Gia, bewildered unlike my familiarity, looked around.

"――Down here!"

"Whoa?!"

A small figure popped under Gia, waving.

"Hi!"

Pale white hair down to her legs, frayed-looking. Red slit pupils like a reptile's. Slender build. A girl who looked Epia or Serelda's age greeted us cheerfully like Camella.

Gia blinked wide-eyed a few times before cautiously asking,

"Are you... Director's—Aren's master?"

"Yep! Good guess, sharp eyes!"

The girl grinned with arms crossed and eye-smile. She glanced back at me with "This is her, right?" eyes. I nodded and stood slowly behind Master.

"Yeah, Gia. This is the master I've served since I was fourteen."

Like that famous Lion King scene.

"Her name is Cardia."

I grabbed my beaming, arms-crossed master's waist and hoisted her up triumphantly.

"The legendary Dragon Slayer who killed the most dragons as a human during the ancient Human-Dragon War."

"Note: her body's a kid, but she was twenty-two when sealed here."

"......"

Gia wore an expression like she didn't know how to react. Knew she'd do that. So cute.