Making my way through the familiar cavern of light-green rock walls, my face forms a frown as I mumble under my breath, "Where is that kid?"
I had already searched down to the fourth floor. The deepest floor that Bell was supposed to explore.
And that was when he had Lili watching his back!
Did that idiot go deeper?
Oh, who am I kidding? He definitely went deeper.
Shit. This is exactly why I was feeling worried despite Lili's reassurances.
The 5th floor was serious business, as that's when the first 'hurdle' of an adventurer appeared. The War Shadow.
Even after I went through rigorous training with Kaguya, it still took a while to reach this point, and Bell didn't have that training.
I swear, if he gets hurt just because he went all the way to the 5th floor and Stella gets angry at me, I'm going to be an unhappy man.
Hmm... maybe he split off from the main path-?
GROAAH!
...What the fuck?
Was that... a Minotaur?
All the way up here?
How the-?
No, it doesn't matter.
Sprinting toward the source of the noise, I quickly see a horde of Minotaurs rushing across the floor, being chased by some of the Loki Familia.
What a coincidence to see them here... I'll ask what the hell was going on later.
Coating my body and sword with stellar magic, I make my way through the monsters, each slash of my sword leaving a cloud of ash in its wake.
Eventually, after taking out a few of the rampaging monsters, I notice a familiar figure dash through the cavern with a Minotaur hot on his tail.
...Really?
Hmm... for some reason, even though he was in quite the predicament, my instincts told me to let this play out, and my mind was telling me the same thing.
Giving the boy a taste of hardship will be an experience he could grow from.
It would also serve as a good warning to not go deeper than he's allowed in the dungeon.
I just hope this doesn't turn into some sort of fear of combat or monsters or something, but if he was the protagonist like I assumed, he should be fine.
And if he wasn't... then Stella would be a very happy girl.
Besides... there was no reason for me to step in.
Just as Bell is backed into a corner, the Minotaur that was bearing down on him is vertically bisected, sending a spray of blood over the boy as Ais looks down curiously at him.
"...Are you okay?" she asks.
Bell's eyes grow wide in response, and struggling to find an answer, he opts to-
"Aaaah!"
...Run away.
I don't know whether it was out of fear or embarrassment, but either way, I felt quite bad for my old student.
"Thanks for helping him, Ais," I say, walking up to the girl.
Surprised, she faces me, "No... it was our fault anyway. But... why did he run away?"
Huh. Weird.
I would understand if she was a bit confused about Bell's response, but I didn't think it would shake her this much.
"He's probably just embarrassed or something. Nothing for you to worry about," I respond lightly.
"Still... I should apologize. Is he from your Familia?" she asks.
"Nah. But I am looking out for the kid for... reasons."
"Then why didn't you kill the Minotaur that was chasing after him?"
Hearing the new voice, I turn to see the familiar face of Lefiya.
A familiar face, yes, but... her hair, that used to reach down to her waist, was now cut to her shoulders.
"...Just a feeling, I guess. Everyone has their own adventure to overcome and all that. But more importantly... what's with the new look?" I ask.
Lefiya's eyes widen before she quickly turns her head to avoid my gaze, "I just... wanted to change things up, I guess? Besides, short hair like this is better for combat, right?"
Uhh... I guess?
"A-Anyways! What was with that boy? Did you have another kid in secret or something?" she asks.
"What? No. Just because we both have similarly coloured hair doesn't mean I'm his dad."
I would have to have been, what, six when he was born? Gross.
"Anyway... why exactly were there Minotaurs running up to the fifth floor?" I ask.
"That was, umm... our fault. We kinda... scared them off. Or at least Bete did," Lefiya says bashfully.
'Scared them off'?
Ah, well... if it was that bundle of joy, then I guess I could see it happening.
"But... shouldn't it have been easy for you guys to kill them? I mean, I know you were coming back from an expedition, but still..."
"That's... well, our weapons kinda..."
Lefiya then pulls out Twilight's Requiem . The swordstaff I had gotten her.
Its edge which usually looked sharp enough to cut steel was now melted and dulled.
At least the wooden frame of the sword looked fine though.
"...What the hell happened down there?" I ask.
"A new monster. One that can spit acid that melts anything but a Durandal-enhanced weapon," she answers.
Huh? Really?
"Damn. I wouldn't expect something like that from a glacial biome," I say.
Ais and Lefiya both shake their heads, "No... we ran into them on the 51st floor."
...What?
"...Well, I'm sure you guys need some rest, but we should have a meeting after this," I say.
If something was going on in the dungeon too... alongside this Evilus bullshit... I was going to be a very busy man.
"But Sirius," Ais says, looking down at her hand. "Am I... that scary?"
...What?
"The hell are you talking about?" I ask.
"That rookie... he ran away from my hand..."
"I already told you it was because he was embarrassed. A man coming in to save the princess and sweep her off her feet is the usual story, right? I bet it was a bit shameful to have it done in reverse."
Speaking of... I should probably chase after the kid before he hurts himself. And also to discipline him a bit for being so stupid.
"Well... just tell Finn to meet me after you guys get settled. If there's something wrong in the dungeon, we should investigate it as soon as possible. And he wouldn't need to worry about expenses," I say.
"...Okay. Maybe I can offer him some training as compensation," Ais says.
Uhh... no, I don't think that's a good idea.
But the thought was nice.
----- Bell POV -----
"E-E-Eina! I need your help!"
Stumbling into the guild, I quickly made my way over to my trusted advisor, Eina.
"Hm? Bell? What is it-? Bell!?" she exclaims.
"Huh? What is it?" I ask.
"Y-You're covered in blood!"
"Oh!" looking down at my armour, it was indeed covered in blood. And the smell... I would definitely need to shower once I got to my Goddess.
"Don't worry! It's not mine!"
"W-Whose is it then?" she asks, a little calmer now.
"A Minotaur's!" I explain.
"A what !?"
Oh, she wasn't calm anymore.
"Bell Cranel, just where did you encounter a Minotaur? You do know that you are not meant to go past the fourth floor, right?" she says poking my chest accusingly.
"I-It's not like I went to the 15th floor or anything! I just... went to the fifth?" I say sheepishly.
"That's still not good!" she shouts.
"You're right it isn't."
Hearing the familiar voice from behind me, I turn my head to see Sirius, the Celestial Sword King .
He's also the one who got me started on adventuring, and along with his daughter, Stella, made sure to check up on me nearly every day.
Suffice it to say, I owed the man a lot... and I didn't exactly want to tell him that I went against all his advice for being cautious.
"Don't worry, I saw what happened first hand, Mr. fifth floor," he says teasingly.
Oh well, there goes that idea.
Ruffling my hair, he continues, "It's not like I'm mad or anything. Just a bit worried, is all."
"Ah... thank you... Sir."
"I said to call me Sirius."
Eina, who was surprised at Sirius' intervention, recollects herself, "And the same goes for me. I don't want another young adventurer I look after dying, after all... Anyway, you said you needed my help with something?"
Remembering why I rushed here in the first place, I respond, "Ah, yeah! A-A girl... the girl that saved me. I wanted to know her name! S-She had long blonde hair and used a sword."
Taking a moment, Eina quickly answers, "If I'm not mistaken, you're talking about the Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein."
A princess... that was a good description for her, huh?
"In that case, you would be better off talking to him about her. As he was her teacher, as far as I know," she says, motioning to Sirius.
I turn my head to see Sirius nodding in affirmation.
"Yep. Here, you definitely need to get cleaned up, and it looks like you broke a sword of yours too, so let's walk and talk"
He then begins walking out of the guild, to which I quickly fall behind.
"Well, first, you should try to apologize to Ais for running off like that," he says.
"Oh... yeah. I guess that was a little rude, huh?" I say abashed.
"A little. But she's a nice girl, so you should be able to clear up any misunderstanding."
I can't help but smile at his words, after all, not only was she nice but, "...She's pretty too."
"Hmm? Yeah, I suppose so... What, do you have a crush or something?" he asks.
Feeling my chest clench, I quickly avert my eyes, finding the passing scenery much more interesting, "W-What? N-No! No way! I-Isn't she really strong, anyway?"
"Yep. She's a level 6. And a strong one at that. She could easily beat a level 7 monster in the right conditions... but just because she's stronger doesn't mean you can't like her," Sirius says.
Level 6... that was... much stronger than me.
"I see..."
Sirius then nudges my shoulder, "What's with the gloomy look?"
Letting my mind wander, I try to put what I am feeling into the right words.
"I... don't want to be weak and pathetic. I want to be stronger! I... want to be able to stand at her side as an equal!"
"...So you do like her then."
I simply scratch my cheek in response.
"Holy shit, you fell for her quite hard, huh? You haven't even spoken to her yet."
His words cut deep, causing me to bury my face in my hands in embarrassment.
"Well... if you're so sure about getting stronger, I guess I can give you a little help. Go to your Goddess and wash yourself off and then come back to the Stardust Garden."
I peek through my fingers, only to see Sirius' face wearing a slight grimace.
"I'll train you. Seriously this time."
----- Sirius POV - 1 Hour Later -----
Ahh! What the fuck am I doing!?
I'll train him? Seriously?
Right after promising less than a month before that I'd let his progress play out naturally?
Haa... but I suppose this was okay too.
After all, if I did this Stella would be quite pleased with me, and it's not like I would be able to do it every day like I did with Ais and Lefiya.
I could just... give him some tips, is all.
Besides, if he was the destined comrade of mine to slay the Black Dragon and whatever other shit the world throws at us, then I would like for him to be skilled and competent, not a walking ball of uncontrolled might.
And there was also his mental state too.
Going to the fifth floor... yeah, I'd need to talk some sense into the kid.
"H-Hello? Sirius?"
Speak of the devil.
"Over here! No need to go through the house," I say.
As I pick up a pair of wooden short swords, I watch as Bell makes his way over to the training ground, his hair and clothes still tinted red.
Well... I suppose he would be getting dirty during this training session anyway, so it didn't matter too much.
I toss him the two short swords.
"Take a few swings with those to get used to them."
"A-Ah! Okay!"
Watching as he began swinging, I couldn't help but notice the difference from when I taught him how to hold a sword.
His form was still sloppy, sure, but it also held a certain confidence when he swiped his blade through the air.
I guess experience is a hell of a thing, huh?
"Alright, before we start, there's a couple of things we need to go over," Bell stops swinging as he looks toward me, "First, a schedule. You'll be training with me from sunrise to lunchtime, and after that is a mandatory rest period until the afternoon. Once that is done, you're free to do what you want, but I'm guessing you'll use that time to head into the dungeon?"
He scratches his cheek with a nod.
Figured.
"Well, even when you do, I'll be having Lili and Sophie be with you. Unlike before, when Lili only watched over you, now you'll be working as a team," I explain further.
I had already talked to the two about this, and they both readily agreed, with Lili agreeing before I even mentioned my reasons.
Haa... that girl got it bad.
Anyway, for Sophie, since it looked like Alise would have to start acting seriously as the captain of the Familia, there would be no time for her to watch over her pupil. Besides, Sophie lacked practical experience, and while more trained, she was at the same level as Bell.
Lili, on the other hand, was there to make sure the two didn't do anything stupid, while also giving her a chance to grow out of the shadow of Lyra.
With us, she would only ever amount to 'Lyra's assistant', no matter how much she grew. But with Bell... well, her talent for strategy and level-headed leadership would be a perfect compliment to this kid.
He nods his head excitedly at the news, "Okay! But... won't I slow them down?"
I shake my head, "Not after this training, you won't. Besides, with Sophie acting as a magic swordsman, and Lili as an archer, even if you're less skilled, you're still a good addition to the team."
He nods his head in understanding.
"Now," I say, "I have to ask again, but why do you want to get stronger?"
Clenching his fist, he takes a moment before responding, "Because... I don't want to be weak."
...That was quite simplistic of him.
"That's not what I'm asking. I mean, what exactly is 'weak'?" I ask, "Do you think I'm strong?"
Bell nods his head fervently, "Of course! You're one of the strongest people in the world!"
"Ah, but you see, I bet that the Black Dragon would disagree," I say.
He tilts his head in confusion.
"What I'm trying to say," I continue, "Is that being 'weak' is subjective. So your reason for getting stronger should be something concrete. I get stronger because I want to protect my family and the happy, comfortable life we get to live, so what's your reason?"
My words seem to resonate with the kid as his eyes shoot wide open in wonder.
"It doesn't have to be right now, just try to think of a reason. Now raise your swords."
And so, with my small speech hopefully doing something to help Bell with his goals, our training began.
----- 4 Hours Later -----
"Hoo! He's got determination, at least," I say with a stretch.
"As expected of my sweet baby! Isn't he just the cutest, most amazing boy!?" Stella exclaims.
I shake my head while patting her hair, "Calm down. He's still got a ways to go before he can be called anything close to 'amazing'."
"Then train him better!" she says with a pout.
Haa, so greedy.
"I'm already training him as best I can. He isn't talented in swordsmanship like Ais was, and he doesn't even have any magic to train," I say with a shrug.
"Then give him a grimoire! I know you have an extra one hanging around!"
"...That was meant for you or Alea to use once you gained some experience."
"I don't need it!"
...Was she really asking me to give a grimoire, something that was so valuable, that one could live comfortably off the money for their entire life, to a kid I had just begun training?
"He's your grandchild, isn't he? C'mon, give it to him!" she continues.
...She was.
But... I suppose having a magic to rely on wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Fine. But only after he improves his basic technique and skills," I tell her.
"Yahoo! Okay, Papa! I love you!" she says, hugging my waist.
Seriously, did she take lessons from Alea or something?
Those pleading eyes were dangerous.
Making my way through the familiar cavern of light-green rock walls, my face forms a frown as I mumble under my breath, "Where is that kid?"
I had already searched down to the fourth floor. The deepest floor that Bell was supposed to explore.
And that was when he had Lili watching his back!
Did that idiot go deeper?
Oh, who am I kidding? He definitely went deeper.
Shit. This is exactly why I was feeling worried despite Lili's reassurances.
The 5th floor was serious business, as that's when the first 'hurdle' of an adventurer appeared. The War Shadow.
Even after I went through rigorous training with Kaguya, it still took a while to reach this point, and Bell didn't have that training.
I swear, if he gets hurt just because he went all the way to the 5th floor and Stella gets angry at me, I'm going to be an unhappy man.
Hmm... maybe he split off from the main path-?
GROAAH!
...What the fuck?
Was that... a Minotaur?
All the way up here?
How the-?
No, it doesn't matter.
Sprinting toward the source of the noise, I quickly see a horde of Minotaurs rushing across the floor, being chased by some of the Loki Familia.
What a coincidence to see them here... I'll ask what the hell was going on later.
Coating my body and sword with stellar magic, I make my way through the monsters, each slash of my sword leaving a cloud of ash in its wake.
Eventually, after taking out a few of the rampaging monsters, I notice a familiar figure dash through the cavern with a Minotaur hot on his tail.
...Really?
Hmm... for some reason, even though he was in quite the predicament, my instincts told me to let this play out, and my mind was telling me the same thing.
Giving the boy a taste of hardship will be an experience he could grow from.
It would also serve as a good warning to not go deeper than he's allowed in the dungeon.
I just hope this doesn't turn into some sort of fear of combat or monsters or something, but if he was the protagonist like I assumed, he should be fine.
And if he wasn't... then Stella would be a very happy girl.
Besides... there was no reason for me to step in.
Just as Bell is backed into a corner, the Minotaur that was bearing down on him is vertically bisected, sending a spray of blood over the boy as Ais looks down curiously at him.
"...Are you okay?" she asks.
Bell's eyes grow wide in response, and struggling to find an answer, he opts to-
"Aaaah!"
...Run away.
I don't know whether it was out of fear or embarrassment, but either way, I felt quite bad for my old student.
"Thanks for helping him, Ais," I say, walking up to the girl.
Surprised, she faces me, "No... it was our fault anyway. But... why did he run away?"
Huh. Weird.
I would understand if she was a bit confused about Bell's response, but I didn't think it would shake her this much.
"He's probably just embarrassed or something. Nothing for you to worry about," I respond lightly.
"Still... I should apologize. Is he from your Familia?" she asks.
"Nah. But I am looking out for the kid for... reasons."
"Then why didn't you kill the Minotaur that was chasing after him?"
Hearing the new voice, I turn to see the familiar face of Lefiya.
A familiar face, yes, but... her hair, that used to reach down to her waist, was now cut to her shoulders.
"...Just a feeling, I guess. Everyone has their own adventure to overcome and all that. But more importantly... what's with the new look?" I ask.
Lefiya's eyes widen before she quickly turns her head to avoid my gaze, "I just... wanted to change things up, I guess? Besides, short hair like this is better for combat, right?"
Uhh... I guess?
"A-Anyways! What was with that boy? Did you have another kid in secret or something?" she asks.
"What? No. Just because we both have similarly coloured hair doesn't mean I'm his dad."
I would have to have been, what, six when he was born? Gross.
"Anyway... why exactly were there Minotaurs running up to the fifth floor?" I ask.
"That was, umm... our fault. We kinda... scared them off. Or at least Bete did," Lefiya says bashfully.
'Scared them off'?
Ah, well... if it was that bundle of joy, then I guess I could see it happening.
"But... shouldn't it have been easy for you guys to kill them? I mean, I know you were coming back from an expedition, but still..."
"That's... well, our weapons kinda..."
Lefiya then pulls out Twilight's Requiem . The swordstaff I had gotten her.
Its edge which usually looked sharp enough to cut steel was now melted and dulled.
At least the wooden frame of the sword looked fine though.
"...What the hell happened down there?" I ask.
"A new monster. One that can spit acid that melts anything but a Durandal-enhanced weapon," she answers.
Huh? Really?
"Damn. I wouldn't expect something like that from a glacial biome," I say.
Ais and Lefiya both shake their heads, "No... we ran into them on the 51st floor."
...What?
"...Well, I'm sure you guys need some rest, but we should have a meeting after this," I say.
If something was going on in the dungeon too... alongside this Evilus bullshit... I was going to be a very busy man.
"But Sirius," Ais says, looking down at her hand. "Am I... that scary?"
...What?
"The hell are you talking about?" I ask.
"That rookie... he ran away from my hand..."
"I already told you it was because he was embarrassed. A man coming in to save the princess and sweep her off her feet is the usual story, right? I bet it was a bit shameful to have it done in reverse."
Speaking of... I should probably chase after the kid before he hurts himself. And also to discipline him a bit for being so stupid.
"Well... just tell Finn to meet me after you guys get settled. If there's something wrong in the dungeon, we should investigate it as soon as possible. And he wouldn't need to worry about expenses," I say.
"...Okay. Maybe I can offer him some training as compensation," Ais says.
Uhh... no, I don't think that's a good idea.
But the thought was nice.
----- Bell POV -----
"E-E-Eina! I need your help!"
Stumbling into the guild, I quickly made my way over to my trusted advisor, Eina.
"Hm? Bell? What is it-? Bell!?" she exclaims.
"Huh? What is it?" I ask.
"Y-You're covered in blood!"
"Oh!" looking down at my armour, it was indeed covered in blood. And the smell... I would definitely need to shower once I got to my Goddess.
"Don't worry! It's not mine!"
"W-Whose is it then?" she asks, a little calmer now.
"A Minotaur's!" I explain.
"A what !?"
Oh, she wasn't calm anymore.
"Bell Cranel, just where did you encounter a Minotaur? You do know that you are not meant to go past the fourth floor, right?" she says poking my chest accusingly.
"I-It's not like I went to the 15th floor or anything! I just... went to the fifth?" I say sheepishly.
"That's still not good!" she shouts.
"You're right it isn't."
Hearing the familiar voice from behind me, I turn my head to see Sirius, the Celestial Sword King .
He's also the one who got me started on adventuring, and along with his daughter, Stella, made sure to check up on me nearly every day.
Suffice it to say, I owed the man a lot... and I didn't exactly want to tell him that I went against all his advice for being cautious.
"Don't worry, I saw what happened first hand, Mr. fifth floor," he says teasingly.
Oh well, there goes that idea.
Ruffling my hair, he continues, "It's not like I'm mad or anything. Just a bit worried, is all."
"Ah... thank you... Sir."
"I said to call me Sirius."
Eina, who was surprised at Sirius' intervention, recollects herself, "And the same goes for me. I don't want another young adventurer I look after dying, after all... Anyway, you said you needed my help with something?"
Remembering why I rushed here in the first place, I respond, "Ah, yeah! A-A girl... the girl that saved me. I wanted to know her name! S-She had long blonde hair and used a sword."
Taking a moment, Eina quickly answers, "If I'm not mistaken, you're talking about the Sword Princess Ais Wallenstein."
A princess... that was a good description for her, huh?
"In that case, you would be better off talking to him about her. As he was her teacher, as far as I know," she says, motioning to Sirius.
I turn my head to see Sirius nodding in affirmation.
"Yep. Here, you definitely need to get cleaned up, and it looks like you broke a sword of yours too, so let's walk and talk"
He then begins walking out of the guild, to which I quickly fall behind.
"Well, first, you should try to apologize to Ais for running off like that," he says.
"Oh... yeah. I guess that was a little rude, huh?" I say abashed.
"A little. But she's a nice girl, so you should be able to clear up any misunderstanding."
I can't help but smile at his words, after all, not only was she nice but, "...She's pretty too."
"Hmm? Yeah, I suppose so... What, do you have a crush or something?" he asks.
Feeling my chest clench, I quickly avert my eyes, finding the passing scenery much more interesting, "W-What? N-No! No way! I-Isn't she really strong, anyway?"
"Yep. She's a level 6. And a strong one at that. She could easily beat a level 7 monster in the right conditions... but just because she's stronger doesn't mean you can't like her," Sirius says.
Level 6... that was... much stronger than me.
"I see..."
Sirius then nudges my shoulder, "What's with the gloomy look?"
Letting my mind wander, I try to put what I am feeling into the right words.
"I... don't want to be weak and pathetic. I want to be stronger! I... want to be able to stand at her side as an equal!"
"...So you do like her then."
I simply scratch my cheek in response.
"Holy shit, you fell for her quite hard, huh? You haven't even spoken to her yet."
His words cut deep, causing me to bury my face in my hands in embarrassment.
"Well... if you're so sure about getting stronger, I guess I can give you a little help. Go to your Goddess and wash yourself off and then come back to the Stardust Garden."
I peek through my fingers, only to see Sirius' face wearing a slight grimace.
"I'll train you. Seriously this time."
----- Sirius POV - 1 Hour Later -----
Ahh! What the fuck am I doing!?
I'll train him? Seriously?
Right after promising less than a month before that I'd let his progress play out naturally?
Haa... but I suppose this was okay too.
After all, if I did this Stella would be quite pleased with me, and it's not like I would be able to do it every day like I did with Ais and Lefiya.
I could just... give him some tips, is all.
Besides, if he was the destined comrade of mine to slay the Black Dragon and whatever other shit the world throws at us, then I would like for him to be skilled and competent, not a walking ball of uncontrolled might.
And there was also his mental state too.
Going to the fifth floor... yeah, I'd need to talk some sense into the kid.
"H-Hello? Sirius?"
Speak of the devil.
"Over here! No need to go through the house," I say.
As I pick up a pair of wooden short swords, I watch as Bell makes his way over to the training ground, his hair and clothes still tinted red.
Well... I suppose he would be getting dirty during this training session anyway, so it didn't matter too much.
I toss him the two short swords.
"Take a few swings with those to get used to them."
"A-Ah! Okay!"
Watching as he began swinging, I couldn't help but notice the difference from when I taught him how to hold a sword.
His form was still sloppy, sure, but it also held a certain confidence when he swiped his blade through the air.
I guess experience is a hell of a thing, huh?
"Alright, before we start, there's a couple of things we need to go over," Bell stops swinging as he looks toward me, "First, a schedule. You'll be training with me from sunrise to lunchtime, and after that is a mandatory rest period until the afternoon. Once that is done, you're free to do what you want, but I'm guessing you'll use that time to head into the dungeon?"
He scratches his cheek with a nod.
Figured.
"Well, even when you do, I'll be having Lili and Sophie be with you. Unlike before, when Lili only watched over you, now you'll be working as a team," I explain further.
I had already talked to the two about this, and they both readily agreed, with Lili agreeing before I even mentioned my reasons.
Haa... that girl got it bad.
Anyway, for Sophie, since it looked like Alise would have to start acting seriously as the captain of the Familia, there would be no time for her to watch over her pupil. Besides, Sophie lacked practical experience, and while more trained, she was at the same level as Bell.
Lili, on the other hand, was there to make sure the two didn't do anything stupid, while also giving her a chance to grow out of the shadow of Lyra.
With us, she would only ever amount to 'Lyra's assistant', no matter how much she grew. But with Bell... well, her talent for strategy and level-headed leadership would be a perfect compliment to this kid.
He nods his head excitedly at the news, "Okay! But... won't I slow them down?"
I shake my head, "Not after this training, you won't. Besides, with Sophie acting as a magic swordsman, and Lili as an archer, even if you're less skilled, you're still a good addition to the team."
He nods his head in understanding.
"Now," I say, "I have to ask again, but why do you want to get stronger?"
Clenching his fist, he takes a moment before responding, "Because... I don't want to be weak."
...That was quite simplistic of him.
"That's not what I'm asking. I mean, what exactly is 'weak'?" I ask, "Do you think I'm strong?"
Bell nods his head fervently, "Of course! You're one of the strongest people in the world!"
"Ah, but you see, I bet that the Black Dragon would disagree," I say.
He tilts his head in confusion.
"What I'm trying to say," I continue, "Is that being 'weak' is subjective. So your reason for getting stronger should be something concrete. I get stronger because I want to protect my family and the happy, comfortable life we get to live, so what's your reason?"
My words seem to resonate with the kid as his eyes shoot wide open in wonder.
"It doesn't have to be right now, just try to think of a reason. Now raise your swords."
And so, with my small speech hopefully doing something to help Bell with his goals, our training began.
----- 4 Hours Later -----
"Hoo! He's got determination, at least," I say with a stretch.
"As expected of my sweet baby! Isn't he just the cutest, most amazing boy!?" Stella exclaims.
I shake my head while patting her hair, "Calm down. He's still got a ways to go before he can be called anything close to 'amazing'."
"Then train him better!" she says with a pout.
Haa, so greedy.
"I'm already training him as best I can. He isn't talented in swordsmanship like Ais was, and he doesn't even have any magic to train," I say with a shrug.
"Then give him a grimoire! I know you have an extra one hanging around!"
"...That was meant for you or Alea to use once you gained some experience."
"I don't need it!"
...Was she really asking me to give a grimoire, something that was so valuable, that one could live comfortably off the money for their entire life, to a kid I had just begun training?
"He's your grandchild, isn't he? C'mon, give it to him!" she continues.
...She was.
But... I suppose having a magic to rely on wouldn't be a bad thing.
"Fine. But only after he improves his basic technique and skills," I tell her.
"Yahoo! Okay, Papa! I love you!" she says, hugging my waist.
Seriously, did she take lessons from Alea or something?
Those pleading eyes were dangerous.
