Headquarters (1)

Since staying any longer in Viscount Leze’s domain could lead to a repeat of similar incidents, we decided to depart early in the morning to continue our journey.

As expected, only Sir Rectus came out to see us off.

We exchanged light greetings and well-wishes with him, creating a moment of memories with promises of reunion with no set date.

And so, three days into our journey.

That’s how long it took for Claire to adapt to her newly changed physical abilities.

It was a process of correcting the mistakes that arose during everyday activities, and after numerous errors, Claire learned how to control her strength.

“I think I’ve got it now. This powerful strength is completely under my control.”

“…Sure.”

I didn’t point out that her word choice was exactly what you’d expect from someone going through puberty.

Overflowing satisfaction. Though she seemed to be trying to hide it, she couldn’t suppress the corners of her mouth turning upward.

In some sense, this might be the most human-like appearance she’s shown so far. Still, adjustments would be necessary to prevent negative influences.

Making her do some difficult tasks should naturally teach her humility.

“Then we should move on to practical application. Want to try facing an Oily Boar first?”

“Let’s do it.”

“Titan, find one of those wild boars like the one you caught before and drive it over here.”

“A trial for a warrior! Good!”

Claire, whose ego had recently become inflated, accepted the proposal as if it were only natural. She was confident.

After all, she had already taken down a demon, and not just any demon, but one of Belial’s Seven Blades, the elite of the elite.

It’s certainly a time when her confidence would be soaring to unprecedented heights.

But what would be the result?

“Eek?!”

Claire, who had jumped high and attempted a kick, got sent flying by the Oily Boar’s charge.

I expected as much.

Without being able to properly utilize a weapon yet, the only thing she could use would be martial arts techniques.

She seemed to be trying to use the Templar method as I had described to her, but…

“To think you’d fall victim to such a sluggish kick thrown without proper footing.”

No matter how good her strength might be, actually utilizing it properly is a separate issue.

Considering the size difference between her and the Oily Boar, this was inevitable.

This is something she could have realized with just a little thought.

Yet the reason Claire launched that kick without any doubt was none other than.

“…But Lilia-unnie did it like this.”

“Lilia can adjust her own weight. Her true form is probably a monster to begin with. And as someone who can transform her body into mist, such adjustments are only natural, right?”

“Right. I forgot that she’s a monster.”

It’s not just the kick. No matter how high your strength is, if you don’t know how to properly throw a punch, there’s no way it would be effective. Power comes from the right combination of weight and speed.

But what about Claire?

“You only have strength. No weight, no speed, and no technique to overcome that. What makes you think you can just charge in?”

“…”

Claire briefly glared at me after my criticism, but then dashed at the Oily Boar again. She had clearly taken my feedback, though.

Instead of punching or kicking, she seemed to be trying to grab the Oily Boar itself and pin it down with her strength.

Of course…

“Uh…?”

As I’ve mentioned before, the Oily Boar is a wild pig whose body consists mostly of oil and fat.

In other words, grabbing it is challenging from the start.

Claire tried to grab onto the Oily Boar’s fur as if she would pull it out, but as she applied force, the greasy fur slipped through her fingers.

“Gack?!”

And with the subsequent body slam, Claire was once again sent rolling across the ground.

Having a sturdy body is truly a good thing.

A normal person would have died twice by now, but she doesn’t even have a scratch?

“If it were me, I would have gone for the tusks even if it was risky. The Oily Boar has the shape of a wild pig, so it’s defenseless against attacks from the side – with just that basic knowledge, you should have aimed at its flank. I’m disappointed.”

It’s called an Oily Boar, for crying out loud.

Why couldn’t she think that it would be slippery from head to toe?

It’s all because her inflated ego is preventing her from thinking rationally.

“…Lost, could you please shut up?”

“Oh my, look at that glare. What? Are you going to hit me?”

Grind!

Claire gritted her teeth. Being able to grit her teeth like that is also a sign of growth.

It seems she’s adapting well to her increasingly healthier body, which is quite moving.

Meanwhile, Claire continued to struggle to catch the single Oily Boar, rolling here and there.

Of course, in the end, she used a drastic move by putting both hands inside its mouth and tearing it apart vertically.

A win is a win, regardless.

Though it’s a shame it was a victory filled with injuries, Claire’s first magical beast hunt ended successfully.

“Impressive, your strength is truly extraordinary.”

“…Hmph, of course.”

Just a bit of praise and she’s already grinning with satisfaction.

Such self-love isn’t bad.

That’s what I’d say if she were just an ordinary promising talent.

“If you had been like this from the start, you wouldn’t have had to go through all that suffering.”

“…”

“Of course, considering it’s your first hunt, it’s truly remarkable.”

“You think so?”

“Yes, considering this is a hunt, it’s remarkable how you managed to make the material completely unusable.”

“…”

This isn’t taming.

It’s education. Overconfidence will eventually ruin you. At times like this, even praise should leave something to be desired.

“But you can’t expect to fill your stomach on the first try. Even I, when I first started…”

“Lost? I think you should stop there. If you really get hit by Claire, your neck might snap before you can even treat it.”

“Hmm.”

At Línea’s comment, I looked at Claire, who was staring up at me with an utterly expressionless face.

It’s a look that reminds me of when she first encountered me.

It was a silent murderous intent.

“I think you’re right, Línea.”

“Right? Then I’ll add this to your tab as well, since I just saved your life.”

Línea smirked and gave a charming eye-smile. It’s an appealing smile.

It seems she’s started to appeal to me in this way recently.

But…

“Then while you’re at it, add this too. Go wash that thing off.”

“What?”

It seems Línea was trying to elevate her position by framing it as a debt, but I pay no mind to it.

I won’t be afraid of owing debts. Worst case, I’ll just go bankrupt.

“…This isn’t going as I expected. Lost should be feeling apologetic towards me…”

Well, what can I do? I don’t want our future relationship to become cold over a mere financial matter.

So no matter how much Línea adds to my tab, I’ll continue to act as usual. That’s for our own good.

“I do feel sorry. But I try to feel grateful first. Thank you, Línea. I have no one but you.”

“…I’ll let it slide this time.”

Línea has such a generous heart.

If Línea had dedicated herself to the Pantheon Temple, she would surely have become a high priest.

“If the chitchat is over, could you please do something about me? It feels disgusting to be all slippery…”

Claire, whose entire body is covered in oil from scuffling with the Oily Boar, stares at us with empty eyes.

It seems she’s either tired of harboring murderous intent towards me or she just wants to resolve her uncomfortable state first.

“Then I’ll go and wash her off.”

Línea gave a wry smile looking at Claire.

Claire might be able to wash herself now, but it would still be difficult to handle that situation alone.

*     *      *

Claire experienced numerous setbacks after that. Ones that I made her experience.

I put in quite some effort to break that arrogant pride of hers.

How much leg work did Titan and I do to find magical beasts that were hard to come by in the area?

Fortunately, Titan was also pleased, saying it was for Claire’s growth, that it was the process of creating a warrior.

That’s how much we’re thinking about Claire.

“Why…? Why are you doing this to me?”

“It was all for your sake.”

Seeing her start to say such things, it seems her inflated ego has returned to a more manageable size.

As a side effect, my previously smooth relationship with her has started to twist again, but that’s a minor issue.

“…Lost, your education is too harsh. Even so, there might have been better methods.”

“While looking for those better methods, Claire could die if she makes a mistake. Línea, I couldn’t compromise on this.”

It’s fortunate that no demons attacked us during this time, but if one of Belial’s Seven Blades had ambushed us, it would have been dangerous.

Especially considering that Claire is no longer the one who only receives protection as she used to be.

With her inflated ego, if the unpredictable Claire had charged at an enemy, what would have happened?

Teska was neither physically imposing nor was combat his specialty.

But the other Blades are different.

Jealousy and Deficiency, Chaos and Destruction.

Among them, maybe except for the Blade of Chaos, the remaining three excel in personal combat prowess. And among those, if we had encountered the Blade of Destruction.

“If we had faced the Blade of Destruction, Rex, Claire’s head would have been severed before she could even try anything.”

“…”

We would have to prepare for total annihilation.

Among Belial’s Seven Blades, the one symbolizing force is simply beyond reach.

Even the heroes I know have died at his hands. He’s someone who can kill his opponents head-on without any schemes.

The so-called Lesser Demon.

He’s the closest to the demon Belial.

“Claire has become stronger. I think we’ve all become stronger. Still, we know how unfathomably powerful true powerhouses are.”

At the very least, Línea and Titan would understand. Though they might be considered ‘half-baked,’ they survived the battle with <Deus Ex Machina>.

Knowing how much beyond comprehension Pinocchio’s power was back then, they can avoid overestimating their own strength.

Claire, on the other hand, was different.

From her very first battle, she took down someone who could be considered a named figure from the opposing side: the Blade of Devastation, Teska.

It was an excessively good start. Enough to naturally lead to arrogance.

That’s why I had to rein her in.

I’ve been trying not to think about it until now, but with Claire’s full participation, this aspect needs to be made clear.

“There might be better methods. But this is the only one I know.”

They say one experience is worth a thousand words.

This was not only my teacher’s teaching but also emphasized by my master. It’s a rare consensus between two individuals with different tendencies.

That’s how certain this principle is.

We must never become arrogant.

Whether you’re a half-blood prince who’s counted among the top warriors of the Malachite Kingdom.

Or a girl with eyes that can immediately identify an opponent’s weakness.

Or a prodigy beloved by the god of light from birth.

Or me, chosen by the gods and trusted by the apostle to stand here.

“We can die at any moment. To prevent that, we need to firmly teach the importance of caution.”

Because there are countless monsters in the world stronger than us.

I’ve seen far too many people die miserably because they didn’t realize this.

*     *      *

Being the intelligent Claire she is, it didn’t take too long to teach her the proper mindset for combat.

Honestly, I’m not sure if her arrogant attitude has been broken, but I think she’s become a bit more cautious.

“Lost, how should I deal with that creature?”

First, her approach to unfamiliar opponents. If you don’t know, ask someone who does.

Claire had failed to do this basic thing until now, and she paid dearly for it.

The mindset of a hunter… no, rather, she’s become able to make the necessary preparations to defeat her opponents.

And since there might be magical beasts I’m unfamiliar with as well, she’s also learned how to act in such cases.

“…Its horn is twisted in a strange direction, why would that be? It doesn’t feel right, so it’s better to approach it cautiously, right?”

She’s started to properly observe her opponents.

She’s realized the method of examining opponents before combat.

It’s not that I didn’t teach her this.

She had completed this learning long ago, but it took time for her to draw on that experience.

Beyond her confidence in her newfound strength and her antipathy towards me, Claire has finally become a proper warrior.

This is something Titan has acknowledged, so it must be true.

“I think that’s enough now.”

I believe Claire’s combat education is complete. From here on, she’ll have to find her own path.

My method is too messy, and Titan’s method isn’t suited for humans.

Línea? Línea’s approach from the start maximizes the instincts and senses unique to beastkin, so there’s no need to even mention it.

There might also be techniques she’s learned from Shade, but an assassin’s skills wouldn’t suit Claire.

“Now what’s left are geometry and history, geography and physics, chemistry, and so on. Besides those, there’s etiquette, culture, law… you still have a long way to go.”

“…Is there an end to this path?”

“Learning inherently has no end.”

“…”

“Still, it’s a shame that what I can teach you is limited.”

“That’s a relief to hear.”

“When the time comes, I’ll somehow arrange for other teachers for you.”

“That’s truly a relief.”

“…”

Ah, it’s not that she dislikes learning; she dislikes me. I’ve reconfirmed it.

It seems I won’t be able to progress further with this one in the future.

We simply don’t mesh well together.