Chapter 18: CH 18

18 - The Old Man From The Countryside Pulls Out His Sword

“You have time, don’t you?” Lucy asked.

“No, well… I suppose I don’t have a choice,” I said.

I was suddenly asked to lend my time.

It seems I’ve got no right to refuse. Even though this kid was so small, she’s so arrogant and pushy. What kind of education did her parents give her?

“If you’re directly summoned by the Head of the Magic Division, you should be more grateful than that,” Lucy said.

“Hahaha, let’s put it that way, then,” I said.

Oh, whatever. I didn’t head out with a clear plan anyway.

Sightseeing in the capital with Lucy wasn’t a bad idea. I don’t know where she’s going to take me.

And that’s how the duo of an old man over 40 and a little girl about 10 came to be wandering around the capital, early in the morning.

Well, I went with her momentum and agreed, but doesn’t this seem quite suspicious to passersby? I’d like to avoid getting the military police called on me and sent to the garrison as much as possible.

“And don’t treat me like a child,” Lucy huffed. “I’m probably older than you.”

“Huh?” I asked.

Yet another joke.

Lucy was a little girl no matter how you looked at her.

Of course, she’s got a face incomparable to a rural town girl, and I understand that if she grows up as she was, she’d become a beautiful woman.

The material quality of her clothes is outstandingly good. She’s a different personality from Alexia but I feel it wouldn’t be a problem for her husband in the future.

But she says she’s older than me.

I’ll be 45 this year, won’t I?

“Sir, you don’t believe me, do you?” Lucy asked. “Well, if it looks that way, fine.”

“No, no, you can’t possibly expect me to believe that,” I said.

The face of that girl with gorgeous blonde hair is more like a grimace than dissatisfaction.

If you looked closely, it seemed that her behavior and aura were not something that young people would have.

The impression I got from her appearance was so strong, I only became aware of that after she told me otherwise.

There was also the spell she showed off earlier, so do I have to accept that she’s not a normal person for the moment? I didn’t even want to cause trouble. It’s the same even if my opponent is a young girl.

“Well, let’s forget about that matter,” Lucy said. “As I said earlier, I heard about you from Thyss.”

“Would that be Thyssel?” I asked.

“That would be her,” Lucy replied.

Everyone calls Thyssel “Thyss”, even Kuruni.

I don’t usually call people by nicknames, so it’s kind of new.

Thyssel was also one of my most important disciples, but on the other hand, from the perspective of a Master, I couldn’t treat my disciples differently from the start. That’s why I called everyone as their names were.

“Thyss seemed to have had a lot of fun, probably after meeting you, Sir,” Lucy muttered.

“… Is that so?” I said. “If that’s true, I’m happy to hear that, too.”

As I looked at Lucy in profile, it’s becoming more clear that she wasn’t a young girl even if I made the mistake earlier.

Whatever was true aside, it’s becoming a little more true that she’s not as young as she appears to be.

“It seems you were also Thyss’s master, Sir,” Lucy said.

“Yeah, that’s right,” I said. “But I’m not much of a mage myself.”

This old man and the young girl walk forward while exchanging casual conversation.

I haven’t been able to ask where we’re going, but so far as I can see, it seems that Lucy knows exactly where.

“Thyss’s Sword Magic is excellent,” Lucy said. “Obviously, she has a great magical aptitude, but her swordsmanship is also considerable. I believe you’re a very good teacher.”

“It’s not that big of a deal,” I said. “It’s the result of Thyssel’s efforts.”

It’s a gentle denial of Lucy’s claim.

I’m not saying that my teachings hadn’t helped at all but this is still mostly due to Thyssel’s personal talent and effort. I didn’t want to claim that all her strength was because of me.

“Well, this place should be fine,” Lucy said.

“…? But there’s nothing around here?” I asked.

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How long have we been walking like this?

Our destination was a very quiet place for the Central District, where there’s some buildings scattered around, so short for being in the capital. It’s been a while since I turned to the horizon, but I can’t see the shadow of any people around here.

Probably because of the time of day, this place is almost completely silent.

Even in the middle of the capital city, there are places like this.

“… I love magic,” Lucy said. “Every day, all my life, I’ve been studying it and conducting research.”

“Yeah, I know that feeling,” I said. “I practice my swordsmanship every day.”

Lucy stopped and turned around, I couldn’t make out her expression.

She looks both happy and pained. It’s a bewildering expression that someone who looked that young shouldn’t have been able to show.

In swordsmanship, you cannot improve your skill just by swinging it wildly.

This is the truth of swordplay. With magic, even more so. After acquiring a huge amount of knowledge and a gigantic amount of trial and error, the wisdom of our predecessors included, we must be sure to continue to grow.

“I guess it’s just our nature,” Lucy said. “I want to get a sense of growth, I want to test the results of my research. I think it’s just something like that.”

“It’s the same with swordsmanship. It’s important to get a sense of your improvement.”

Then, fwoom.

A small flame ignited on the palm of Lucy’s right hand.

It’s less than the size of a fist, not the powerful flame she showed when we first met.

“I want to test it—against a powerful man,” Lucy said with a murderous smile.

“–!”

Was it my instincts as a swordsman or as a human being?

As I jumped away, the flame exploded at my feet.

“Hmm, your reaction speed is incredible,” Lucy said, holding out her right hand. “As expected of Thyssel’s master.”

“… I don’t think this is funny…!” I said.

She moved her hand, several flames appeared with them.

What do I do?

Do I pull out my sword?

If I take her words at face value, I think “I’m trying to test your skill.” is the closest meaning.

It’s unclear to me what kind of conversation she’d had with Thyssel, but it seemed to be enough to pique Lucy’s interest, that a swordsman became part of the Magic Division and then a Magic Swordsman.

But what I have right now isn’t a wooden sword.

It’s sharp enough to cut you if you touch it.

I’m certain she’s not just playfully throwing flames at me, I can sense the killing intent.

That said, I couldn’t measure how serious she was being.

“What’s wrong?” Lucy asked. “Don’t hesitate to come closer.”

“I’m not really up for it, though…!”

Did she blow it aside or refuse to accept it?

She sounds calm but I saw she was smiling uncontrollably. The gap between her ecstatic appearance and her youthful appearance makes her seem even more sensational.

For goodness’ sake, it’s been nonstop surprises since I came to the capital, Baltrain.

Alexa is in a good place, Selena is in a good place, and Lucy is in a good place. Why should I get tangled up with such strong people in such respected positions?

“I’m not as strong as they say…” I said.

“Yet another joke you keep telling,” Lucy said.

After a brief moment of hesitation, I choose to draw my sword.

I’ve just told her I’m not strong but the trend seems to be that people don’t listen. What’s so funny about this? I’m not lying.

“Now then,” Lucy said, “let’s begin!”

“I don’t even want to begin!” I said.

Yeah, I have to get serious!

I kicked off the ground, complaining as much as I could.

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