Top-notch Tutor Aris (1)

The evening of the final showdown with the Saintess’ group.

Now, the farewell banquet marking the end of the training camp had begun.

– Chatter chatter!

– Haha! Hahaha!

Although the Sword Dragon Hall trainees and trainee Holy knight had basically trained in a competitive atmosphere, having lived together, they had helped each other a lot and grown fond of one another.

The mood was completely different from the first banquet half a year ago.

It was warm and lively, with laughter and tears flowing everywhere.

Everyone was spending the last moments of the camp, trying to soothe the sorrow of farewell.

“Uuu… Young master Ian…”

Seraphina, the Saintess, approached Ian, who was munching on snacks off to the side.

“…?”

Her eyes were swollen, as if she had been stung by a bee.

“Saintess, what happened to your eyes?”

“Uuu… I cried… Because I’m sad…”

– Sniffle!

Seraphina sniffled.

“I came to give you the Holy Sword, Heliodin… Sniff! As promised…”

“Oh.”

Seraphina, her eyes puffed up, glanced to the side and nodded.

Then.

– Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Four active holy knights came carrying an enormous, coffin-like long chest.

“Oh, oooh!”

“Th-that! No way!”

As the burly holy knights crossed the banquet hall, they drew everyone’s attention.

Since the bet between the Saintess and Ian had become public knowledge, everyone had been hoping for a chance to glimpse the legendary Holy Sword at this banquet.

“Hoo…”

Ian also gazed down at the white coffin and murmured in admiration.

A sarcophagus of pure white marble.

Tied and wrapped neatly with sacred cloth.

“Sniff! You can open it right now!”

Ian glanced around at the expectant gazes.

It was clear everyone had been waiting for this moment as much as he had.

With nothing to hesitate about, Ian untied the sacred ribbon and carefully opened the sarcophagus.

– Fwoooosh!

The moment he opened it, a radiant light, as bright as the sun, shot upwards.

The dimly-lit evening banquet was instantly as bright as daybreak.

Inside the sarcophagus, the Holy Sword Heliodin was shining of its own accord.

“Heh, hmm! Please try lifting it, young master Ian.”

“Then, I won’t decline.”

Nodding, Ian gripped Heliodin’s hilt firmly with both hands.

Then, he slowly drew it out and raised it above his head.

– Fwooooooooosh!!

Heliodin shone even more fiercely than it had in the coffin.

It was as if the noonday sun had risen once more.

“Wow, whoaaa!”

“It truly… deserves to be called a divine relic! Such divinity!”

“What a warm light…!”

“Doesn’t the young master look just like a hero? Hoho.”

“Waaah…”

Even Seraphina, the Saintess, murmured in awe.

“It’s the first time I’ve seen Heliodin shine so brightly. Sniff! Ah, my eyes!”

“… It doesn’t usually shine like this?”

“It glows, yes, but not this intensely. I think Heliodin is truly happy to meet you, young master.”

– Clap, clap, clap, clap, clap!

Everyone applauded in celebration and admiration.

Ian bashfully thanked everyone and returned Heliodin to the sarcophagus.

Thankfully, the dazzling light quickly dimmed to a moderate level.

If it had kept shining like that, everyone nearby would’ve gone blind for a while.

– Sniff! Sniff! Sniffle!

Seraphina wiped her tears and nose with a handkerchief before continuing.

“Seeing how much Heliodin likes you… Sniff! It’s clear that you have the best aptitude as a holy knight, young master. His Holiness must have realized this through a revelation and sent you the Holy Sword, asking to bring you to the Holy Kingdom if possible…”

“…”

“… Uuu! But now it seems I can’t go with you, young master… This servant’s ambition has crumbled… It’s all my fault… I wasn’t good enough…! Sniff! It’s so sad, uuu… sniff sniff!”

“… Saintess.”

Ian couldn’t help but feel sorry for her.

“Please don’t be too heartbroken. I may not become a holy knight, but aren’t we already good friends?”

Over half a year of training together, he had grown genuinely fond of Seraphina and come to know she was a good person.

She was responsible, righteous, self-sacrificing, and kind.

A bit spoiled, perhaps, but…

A lovable person, and later, a girl he absolutely had to protect for the coming battle against the demon grand dukes.

“Even if there’s no holy knight’s badge on my chest, as a swordsman, I can still protect you, Saintess Seraphina. If you ever need my help, don’t hesitate to call me. I’ll come running at once.”

“U-uuu…!”

Tears welled up again in Seraphina’s swollen eyes.

– Thump!

Suddenly, she threw her arms around Ian’s waist.

“H-huh!? Saintess!?”

“I really don’t want to just leaveeeee!!!”

“Y-yes!?”

“How about just coming with me!? Can’t you come, young master Ian!? I’ll really treat you well!!! Huaaang!!!”

“W-what!”

The Saintess started making a scene.

“W-wait! Saintess, calm down…! Argh!”

The Saintess clung to Ian so hard it felt like his waistband would tear off.

Her frame was small, but her strength was shocking.

– Rip!

“Gasp!”

Pretty sure something just tore.

“W-wait! Let go! Let go and let’s talk!!”

“I won’t! I’ll never let go until you say you’ll come!!!”

And so he wrestled with the Saintess for a while.

Thankfully, the holy knights helped; otherwise, Ian might really have been dragged all the way to the Holy Kingdom by force.

“…”

– Rustle, rustle.

Ian tidied up his disheveled clothes, a bitter expression on his face.

The Saintess had been dragged back to her quarters by the holy knights.

Once this farewell banquet ended, Seraphina and her group would immediately use the warp gate to return to the Holy Kingdom.

So this was probably the last time he’d see the Saintess for a while.

‘But…’

It wasn’t a permanent farewell.

‘I don’t know why His Holiness gave me the Holy Sword, but if it was really some divine revelation, then he must need me to use it for the Holy Kingdom’s sake.’

Perhaps the god of light, the deity of the Holy Kingdom, was asking Ian to protect not only Hisperion, but Selveris as well.

‘Of course, I’ll protect them.’

There were few allies as valuable as the Holy Kingdom in the war against the demons.

Even if His Holiness and the god of light hadn’t gifted him the Holy Sword, he had intended to protect them.

“….”

Seraphina had left, but the farewell banquet was not yet over.

Ian walked among the others.

He exchanged goodbyes actively with the holy knight candidates and apprentices.

Gaining Heliodin through this camp was a huge reward, but the greatest gift was making good friends in Selveris Holy Kingdom.

– Hahaha!

– Chatter chatter!

After spending such a warm time together, the farewell banquet night swiftly came to an end.

The guests from Selveris returned to the Holy Kingdom.

* * *

As soon as Ian returned to the Lunabreeze estate, he stored the Holy Sword Heliodin in his personal subspace.

He’d need to take it out at any time in an emergency.

Now that his cultivation had reached late-stage Swordmaster, and he possessed several top-class swords of monstrous performance, he felt that even if he fought among the world’s top 100, victory wouldn’t come easily at his expense.

If he just broke through a little more in cultivation and retrieved the famous swords he’d favored in his past life, he could confidently stand among the world’s top 100.

‘And I’ve only just passed my coming-of-age…’

But from now on, raising cultivation would not be easy.

So far, past-life enlightenment had allowed him to progress smoothly, but from Grandmaster onward, it was uncharted territory even for Ian.

He would need much research, new insights, and ideally, an excellent teacher’s guidance.

‘Looks like I’m lucky for once.’

This exam’s top reward: “A chance for personal tutoring, customized by Aris.”

It was a chance to ask and learn anything from a Grandmaster swordsman.

‘If only it weren’t Aris…’

That would be a truly great opportunity.

Could he really trust and learn from that sly woman?

There was something uncomfortable about it, and since Aris had already laid hands on Ian before, being alone with her was a bit unsettling.

Even so, he didn’t intend to waste this opportunity.

If necessary, he at least had the strength to run away now.

And it wasn’t as if Aris didn’t have any advantages.

‘Aris already knows a lot about the power I’m hiding.’

Besides, even if she learned more, she’d likely keep the information to herself instead of spreading it.

If his hidden strength was exposed while being taught by her, it was unlikely to leak further.

‘I’ll take it. If it doesn’t suit me, I can quit then.’

After careful thought, Ian decided to take the lessons, and soon, the appointed day arrived.

“You’re here, young master Ian.”

Aris summoned Ian to her annex, heavenly Pavilion.

It was Aris’s personal training hall in the basement of the Heavenly Pavilion.

Though the Heavenly Pavilion was the center point of the Aris faction, crawling with eyes and ears, in this training hall it was only Aris and Ian—no one else.

Whether this was out of consideration to protect Ian’s secrets, or simply because Aris wanted to monopolize information about him, Ian couldn’t tell.

It was likely the latter.

Still, it worked out well for Ian.

Here, even if he revealed some of his hidden strength, it would only be to Aris, so there’d be no major issues.

“Now then.”

Gathering her hands demurely, Aris beamed as she spoke.

“What kind of guidance do you want, young master? You can ask anything. If it’s something I know, I’ll teach you anything at all.”

“…”

Ian gazed steadily at Aris before speaking.

He knew exactly what he needed to ask from the start.

“I want to know how to reach Grandmaster.”

Ian didn’t bother beating around the bush.

Indirect questioning wouldn’t get him clear, reliable instruction.

“… Grandmaster, you say?”

Aris’s eyebrows twitched slightly.

She’d been curious about what kind of lesson Ian would request.

But to think he’d ask—not about high-rank mastery, but how to reach Grandmaster rank.

Could he possibly have already reached late-stage Swordmaster?

With that boy’s body?

If so, this was really interesting.

– Sly smile.

Aris’s lips curled up silently.

“If you haven’t reached high-rank Master, young master… even if I teach you, it would be difficult for you to understand.”

“Didn’t you say I could ask anything? This is the only question I wish to ask the Sword Dragon Hall master.”

“… Is that so?”

Aris’s eyes curved slyly.

Had Ian really come up to high-rank Master?

Or did he have some hidden motive for asking this?

Whatever the reason, Ian’s question was certainly intriguing.

It made her imagination run wild.

“All right. Since you wish it, I, this girl, will teach you. But… the method to reach Grandmaster is by no means simple, nor can it be summarized easily.”

– Nods.

Ian nodded.

“So… our tutoring might end up being a bit long. At least six months? Maybe even until you graduate the Sword Dragon Hall? Is that fine?”

“…”

Ian’s expression stiffened a little.

He didn’t want to have to see Aris that often for so long.

But Aris likely wasn’t lying.

If anyone could reach Grandmaster in a few days or months, everyone would already be one.

He’d never thought it’d be an easy process anyway, and in a way, Aris was probably planning to teach him thoroughly, which was why she set such a long period.

Ian nodded slightly.

“If that’s what it takes, I have no choice. But.”

With a subdued gaze, Ian looked at Aris.

“If you try anything strange, or if I decide your lessons aren’t helpful, I’ll stop immediately.”

– Sly smile.

Aris smiled even more deeply.

Just her outward appearance made it hard to believe she could look so radiant.

Who knew what dark plot hid behind that smile.

“I know the young master is suspicious of me. But please believe this—I’m offering this to you as the top reward. I won’t do anything foolish. I’m sure this time will be beneficial for both of us.”

Beneficial for both of us, eh…

As Aris grinned sweetly, Ian silently swallowed.

It was a rather meaningful statement.

————-= Clacky’s Corner ————-=

Hmm, this witch is suspicious…

【(⩌‸⩌ )】

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