Chapter 6

Released:

No, no, this crazy old man, seriously.

“Hello! My name is Estelle!”

When Duncan said he’d bring someone skilled in magic, it sounded so absurd that Theo couldn’t help but wonder who he’d call for something like this, but then out of nowhere, he really brought in Saintess Estelle herself.

“Uh, um… yes, I’m Theo.”

“Mr. Theo?”

“No, just Theo.”

“Oh.”

Usually, Saintesses were depicted with golden hair, but what stuck out most in the game was how this Saintess had blue hair.

And whether it was a Saintess or a Saint, she was the type who was very straightforward and inconsiderate of others, got hurt a lot, and made a lot of enemies.

Still, the Saintess was definitely easier on the eyes, especially when she wore those pure white Saintess robes. Her chest…uh, no. Ahem. But hey, I’m a guy, right? It’s only natural for my eyes to go there first… isn’t it?!

“Just now, Theo, your expression was totally perverted.”

“…It wasn’t.”

“Yes, it was.”

“Well, anyway, all men are like that in front of a pretty woman, so let’s move on. You’re not busy these days, right?”

“Nope, not busy at all. Just on standby.”

Wait, she’s the Saintess, right? The Saintess. How could she not be busy?

Shouldn’t she be out there healing people like crazy?

…Then again, in the game, it’s not like there were ever any scenes of her doing that either.

If her own people or the Crown Prince(ss) were hurt, she would use her immense divine power to heal them, but she wasn’t the kind of person to generously share her divine power with ordinary people for free.

“Then teach this brat some magic.”

But wait, wasn’t divine power the Saintess’s main specialty?

Was there ever any lore about her being good at magic too?

I had played the game countless times, but I couldn’t recall seeing anything like that, so I was still mulling it over when—

“Hmph, old man. I don’t move unless there’s money involved.”

The Saintess’s voice rang out. It was as blunt and shameless as ever.

“Of course, I’ll pay. How about this much per hour?”

“That’s all I’m worth?”

“Hey, I’m just a butcher from the local meat shop. Cut me some slack.”

“Hmph… fine. Then make sure I get an invite to your next pork feast.”

“…Ugh, fine. Deal.”

I couldn’t understand why he was so intent on making me learn magic too. I was just an ordinary villager…. well, maybe an amazing villager, but still just a villager. Even if I poured all my efforts into swordsmanship, I’d barely have a shot at passing the academy!

Yet here I was, forced to waste my time on something like magic. Sure, aside from practicing swordsmanship, all I really did was farm work, but still…!

“Well then, Mr. Theo, shall we give it a try?”

“Sounds like the negotiations are all wrapped up.”

“Yes, and I managed to get something I’m quite happy with.”

She smiled at me, and for some reason, my heart skipped a beat. Even with her less-than-stellar personality, Saintess Estelle was an incredibly beautiful woman. She was a breathtaking beauty who could easily rank among the main characters.

“Hmm, Mr. Theo, your magical power pool is enormous.”

“Huh? My magical power pool? Mine?”

“Yes, but the magical power inside is barely a speck. It’s no wonder you can’t sense anything.”

There are people who can say the same thing in a pleasant way and those who manage to make it sound utterly irritating.

Estelle was definitely in the latter category.

Even if her words were neutral, she always had a way of delivering them that made her come across as infuriatingly smug.

“You’re going to need to fill up your magical power. Do you know how to do mana breathing? No? That’s why he asked me to teach you, isn’t it?”

“No, I don’t know how.”

As usual, I chose to play dumb.

If someone treated me rudely, I’d respond in kind.

Well, to be fair, calling Estelle a rude person might be… a bit of an overstatement.

In any case, since she acted casually, I decided not to take every little comment to heart and just filter out the unnecessary parts.

If I didn’t, dealing with Estelle would be truly exhausting and downright frustrating.

“Now, look. Try taking this stance for starters.”

See? She wasn’t someone who made picking fights her life’s mission.

That’s just how she talked.

Maybe it was because I had taken so much emotional damage playing this game early on.

It was a little surprising, even to me, how I no longer let Estelle get under my skin.

“Like this?”

“No, not that ugly posture.”

“Posture can be ugly?”

“Of course.”

***

What a curious person.

Estelle quietly reflected as she watched Theo in front of her, diligently practicing mana breathing.

He didn’t look hurt at all.

Estelle was well aware of her personality and the impressions it left on others.

Her blunt tone and straightforward nature often earned her plenty of dislike. People almost always felt offended or hurt after talking to her for the first time.

Even that imperial princess from before… She looked deeply offended too.

When she had met the Crown Princess long ago during a goodwill exchange between empires, there hadn’t been much of a difference.

The emperor, being such an old and cunning man, never let his expression change no matter what was said to him. But the Crown Princess had been different.

She had given off the impression of someone around Estelle’s age who would be entertaining to torment.

However, someone even more interesting than the Crown Princess had appeared.

“Hmm, like this…?”

It was the man named Theo, whom Duncan had introduced.

Should I stick to this side instead of those predictable people?

Estelle laughed softly, then gave Theo a light tap on the shoulder.

“Relax your shoulders. You’re tensing up.”

“Oh, yes.”

Despite claiming to know nothing about mana breathing, Theo was managing to execute it after only being taught the theory.

She began to understand why Duncan had made such a fuss about teaching him.

That Duncan, of all people…

It had been about ten years since Estelle had first met Duncan.

Back when Estelle was only ten years old.

At that time, she was still a saintess, but all she wanted was to cast off the heavy burdens that came with her position and everything else tied to it.

An early arrival of adolescence led her down the tempting path of running away.

Though she ran away and discovered the existence of the adventurer job, no place would accept a ten-year-old without an adventurer’s license.

– Hey, little miss. First, you need to register as an adventurer.

– Huh? Really? Thank you, old man.

– Call me big brother.

– Old man.

– .….

Among the adults who told her nothing, he was the only one who showed her how to begin and even brought her into his party.

To Estelle, he was the epitome of an adult. He was a guide who kept her from straying down twisted or dangerous paths.

That was why she trusted him this time as well and came to teach Theo on his recommendation.

Seriously, he has an uncanny eye for people. That old man.

If word got out that someone of Theo’s caliber existed among commoners, even the Emperor of the Empire would surely covet him.

That was how extraordinary the magical power pool Theo possessed within him was.

“How is it? Can you sense magical power now?”

Mana breathing in a forest brimming with rich magical power.

However, even so, the speed at which he absorbed magical power was on a completely different level.

Estelle, who confirmed that the amount of magical power he accumulated was what others would take days to sense, asked him curiously.

“Hmm, it feels like refreshing water is filling me up… It’s a strange sensation.”

“You’ve identified it exactly. That’s magical power you’re feeling.”

Once someone started perceiving magical power, the process became much easier after that.

All that was left was to learn a spell and draw the magical power out.

“By the way, aren’t you a saintess?”

“Oh? You knew who I was?”

“Were you even trying to hide it…?”

She had openly introduced herself as Estelle, left her usual disguise of altered hair and eye colors the same, and even kept the starlight embedded on her forehead visible. It seemed as if she had no intention of hiding anything at all.

“Well, I guess you could say I wasn’t really trying to hide.”

“That figures. If that’s what you call hiding, it doesn’t make much sense.”

If she had even a slight intention to hide her identity, Theo thought, she would have at least concealed the starlight on her forehead.

“Well, anyway, so what about it?”

“It’s surprising that, as a saintess, you seem to handle magical power so well in addition to divine power.”

“Yes, I’m a magic genius.”

“Oh… I didn’t see that coming.”

“Of course not. Other than Duncan and a few others, no one knows.”

Even now, Theo still found it puzzling.

Theo couldn’t help but wonder when on earth this young woman had started carrying around the cheat title of “magic genius”.

“When did you become a magic genius?”

“Since I was born.”

Estelle brushed off the question as if it were ridiculous to even ask.

She lightly patted his shoulders and continued,

“Anyway, what’s with that posture? It’s a complete mess. Are you even planning to learn anything, student? Should I just leave?”

“No, no, not at all. Ahem.”

The whole situation was riddled with questions, but he didn’t have the luxury to dwell on them. The strict teacher in front of him left no room for such distractions.

Estelle’s stance, as if she might actually walk away, jolted Theo into action. He resumed his mana breathing exercises in a hurry.

How strange. I never thought I’d actually be able to use magical power.

He could feel a refreshing energy filling him, like clear water steadily rising inside his body.

But is this really enough to say I have a large magical power pool? Isn’t this just average?

The magical power pool was filling up faster than expected, but to Theo, it simply felt normal.

Is he crazy? How is he replenishing magical power that quickly? He might be even more talented than me.

Estelle was utterly flabbergasted.

3 responses to “Chapter 6”

  1. BigGreaser Avatar
    BigGreaser

    I just wish the meeting wasn’t this shoehorned, “oh suddenly this butcher is a hidden powerful figure that also happens to have connections with one of the most influential people in the world?” I think having them meet in the academy would’ve been more interesting and let the bond form there not through some convenient side character.

    1. Droopytree Avatar
      Droopytree

      yeah someone in the first chapter or 2nd chp said thankfully he won’t be op right from the start lmfao and then he suddenly gets two of the greatest teachers by just staying in his village?

  2. Droopytree Avatar
    Droopytree

    Honestly MC looked more mature and smart on the novel cover but here he is blushing and acting like a teenager who’s never touched a woman’s hand.

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