Chapter 7

One year time.

"Alright! Here we go, Paul!" The young girl rushed toward the man with a sword in hand. She swung downward aiming toward the man's hand. The young man reacts quickly as he pulls his hand away and shoots his leg backward gaining some distance between them.

But before he could rush in, the girl threw her sword aiming for his head. He deflected the sword away but failed to see her crawling up behind him.

She kicked aim straight at his back thigh to make him lose control but he bent his leg to the side to avoid the kick. He punched forward aiming at the girl's stomach but she received it with her hand and jumped lightly to use the momentum to send her backward.

She landed near her sword and picked it up before changing her stance. "Today I'm going to beat you up for sure!" The girl cried loudly as she prepared for the incoming attack.

"Then I need to go all out huh!" The man quickly tenses up his body before quickly charging toward the girl. He swung his sword toward the girl. When the two swords were about to hit, the girl slid to the side and bent down her sword to let the man's sword swing to the ground. She put all her strength into her leg as she kicked it toward the man's stomach.

Boom!

"Eh! What happened?!" Before the kick reached the man she stopped in her tracks and looked at where she heard the sound.

What she saw was a hole that appeared on the second floor of her house along with a rainbow accompanying the little water drop.

"Paul! The house blew up!" She said what she saw and ran inside the house. Paul was a step faster as he just sped up and left her in the dust.

When she finally inside the house she finally understood what was going on. There she saw Zenith and Paul hugging while Lilia was cleaning the floor. Rudeus is standing there stunned at what just happened.

She looked around and found her magic book near him. The page she sees is about intermediate magic. She sighs lightly before going back to the kitchen to get more towels. She is going to need more if she wants to dry that place.

………………..

I can't believe it has already been two years since I started thinking that Rudeus is a reincarnator. After that day I couldn't really talk to him face to face but I did think I got along with him pretty well.

Minus the pervert look he's been giving me and Zenith, Lilia. Lilia even thought that he got possessed or something. He was acting like a kid...or at least what he thought to be a normal kid.

But I think he is definitely older than fifteen. He may look mature for his age but sometimes he acts like a spoiled brat which I can understand.

The body is affecting our mind. Now that we have the body of a kid we start to think less and do more. Take my sparring match with Paul for example. When I rushed at him I didn't think of what to do after I landed a hit or failed too. My body responds on its own. Although I can still control it most of the time, sometimes it is best to rely on pure instinct.

But I never thought that he was so careless to the point of using intermediate spells inside the house. Well…Zenith is delighted that Rudeus is good at magic, although Paul is happy. He wants Rudeus to learn swordsmanship like me.

But what can we do anyway? Zenith is already on her way to Roa to post a notice for a mage tutor. And she will be back in a day or two. Ahhh...things are going to get hectic from now on...Goodbye, my peaceful life.

……………….

Roxy POV

Hm…So this is Buena Village. What can I say, it's kind of peaceful here. The villager does give me a bit of a curious look but it is not unpleasant, surprisingly. It's around morning right now so my hair should look kind of green but they only give me a curious look.

It's not like in a big city like Roa or Asura. Maybe I will have a good time here. Oh look at that, I'm here already. A beautiful house near a big tree on the hill. Hmm, It's a two-story house with glass windows so they are quite wealthy. The request is to teach their youngest child magic and if possible teach the oldest too. They never said how old their child is, So I need to think of the method on the spot.

Anyway, let's go meet them first.

………………

Knock knock…

Hm? Who is at the door? Let's go and see. "Please wait a minute!" I quickly ran toward the door and opened it and what I saw was…a little girl? "Hello, how can I help you?" I said but the girl is still not speaking.

She…Standing still for a while now. Paul is hunting the demon around the area, Zenith is still at the clinic, and Lilia is out for groceries. The only one in the house right now is Me and Rudeus.

"Hey, are you still there?" I said again as she was still not responding. So I just touch her lightly and she stumbles backward. her head was going to hit the floor so I quickly grabbed her. When I look at her face I know now why she has been standing still. She passed out while still standing.

"ha…So is this another effect of having Emerald green hair, huh. Anyway, let's put her on the bed first." I mutter to myself as I carry the unknown girl toward the guest bedroom.

………………

Roxy POV

"Wah!... I feel like I just have a nightmare…But there is no way a Superd tribe would be here right? I just imagine things." huu...I sigh to myself for making such a blunder and get up. But how did I get here anyway?

"Yo! You awake?" A little girl's voice is on my right side so I turn toward her. " You know passing out in front of someone is really rude." It was a girl with Emerald green hair…

"IT'S NOT A DREAM!!!" I quickly put my arm up and prepare to fire an Icicle edge at her but she grabs my hand first.

"Hey…Is that an attitude toward the one you are supposed to teach?"

Eh? The one I'm supposed to teach? AH! That's right I was in front of the house knocking on the door before I passed out. So this is their youngest child? Wait, that's not the time I need to apologize first! " Ah! I'm sorry about this!" with my head bowed down toward the girl I just keep my head low.

"Meh, It's fine though that was the first time I got that kind of reaction. Well, I guess there's a first time for everything." She said as she gave me a smile while holding her hand out. "I'm Lucelia, or you can call me Lucy."

I shook her hand as I looked into her eyes. "Roxy Migurdia, I will be your teacher from now on."

"Well, you are mainly going to teach my little brother but nice to meet you," she said as she took her hand away and sat on the chair. Eh? little brother?

"M-may I ask how old he is?"

"hmm…Around three years old now I think. cus I just turned six this spring too."

"...Three years old… I will teach a three years old child? It's normal huh. The parent who thinks their child is special just because he learns a bit faster." I didn't know at that time but my silent muttering was heard by the whole family.

…………………

It's already been a few weeks since Roxy came to our house. She has been adjusting well. Though she would jump a bit when she saw me in the morning. other than that life has been normal. Roxy accepts Rudeus as her disciple after he shows her silence casting. When I ask to show off my magic too I just fire a water ball without casting too. Both Rudeus and Roxy were very surprised. Rudeus said he never saw me practice magic but that was oblivious. Who would practice magic that can destroy a whole house inside?

Because he never left the house for some reason he never saw me do it. Roxy said she never heard or saw someone casting a spell without Casting it.

She said that she only knows of a truncated spell casting. and she can do it too. Anyway, our life is going well. I thought that if a tutor came the house would become hectic but it seems just to be my imagination.

Today I'm out hunting with Paul. He occasionally takes me to hunt with him to give me more experience. I just want to say that terminator boar is really delicious. With that in my mind, I just walk after Paul right now.

"Lucy you see this?" Paul said as he pointed to the ground. There is a footprint of large animals. " It's still fresh, so around ten or so minutes. That means if we follow it carefully we will get meat on our dinner plate tonight." Paul said as he walked forward again.

"This time I will let you hunt it. You should be strong enough to handle a pack of Assault Dogs or a Terminator Boar now. Don't worry I will be right behind you." Paul said as he held his hand up into a fist. I smile lightly and fist-bump him.

"Today's dinner on me," I said as I ran off following the trail of the Terminator Boar.

………………

"hm…I've been running for around five minutes now. The trail is still there but I don't see any Boar. I should've seen it by now." hm… It should've been around here.

Roar!!!

"Eh?! Behind me! how?!" I look behind as the Boar which should be around two meters tall stares down at me. Paul is behind that boar holding his laugh. That damn Bastard! He either fakes the Footprint or Guides the boar behind me.

Shit! No time to think it already charges at me!

I quickly dodge to the side and thankfully I fully dodge that one. Fuh…Calm down Lucy… you already defeat a monster that is more dangerous than this. Let's analyze this first.

The boar is around Two meters tall. A huge leg that is full of muscle but if I cut around the joint it should be ok. But the dangerous thing is that this thing doesn't care if it is painful it will charge straight at me again. Think Lucy what should you do in this situation.

Alright…I got this. Just as I finish thinking the boar charged at me again. Good keep going…Just as the distance between us is just a few meters apart I pull my Sword and swing it upward toward the front leg.

Shit! It hit the bone! I quickly put more power into my arm and successfully cut the leg off. But as a price, I got hit by one of its tusks. It gazes at my side and I can feel that this is a big wound. I quickly put my hand on the ground and created an Ice lance to stab its stomach. It hit!

The boar let out its last roar before it bled out. I quickly heal myself with X-heal and Paul who watches from the side clap his hand. "Not bad! You already hunt the first monster when you are six! I only hunted it when I was twelve!" Paul said as he laughed loudly.

"That's because you only leave your home when you are twelve! But that aside, what was that! Are you trying to kill me or something? If that thing just charged at me I would be dead!"

I kick Paul in the leg as he is still laughing. "I'm going to tell Zenith about this!" Paul immediately turned pale. He knows what is going to happen to him.

"Y-you wouldn't dare!" Paul said his face is still pale but seeing my smirk must seal it for him. He quickly bowed down and apologized to me. He said he will even teach me about the dungeon he goes to before meeting me. I accepted his apologies on the condition that he will take me to hunt everytime or when he patrols the area.

I want to learn more about this place. The only monster I saw is either an assault dog, a lesser Trent or terminator boar. Maybe there are more monsters hidden in this place.

Anyway, tonight's dinner was boar soup and it was delicious.

……………

It's been a year since Roxy came to our house. Everything is going well, Rudeus already masters almost all the advanced magic that Roxy teaches him. I can now use fire magic without incantation. And roxy now can use silent-chant magic. Although she can only use some beginner spells, it is an improvement.

Now then let's talk about my sword training. It...going well I think? Right now I'm seven years old. It is an age where my bones start to stabilize and in two years time I will start to experience my growth sprout. I'm a girl so my growth sprout phases will come before boys.

God does this mean I will hit puberty again?! I don't really want to go through that again. The period is going to be annoying… AHHH! CHANGE SUBJECT! FAST!

That's right , my swordsmanship! Paul has been training me everyday and now I can finally say that I Lucelia, have reached an advanced rank in water god style!

It seems my talent lies with this school of sword. As i just reached intermediate rank in sword god style and north god style. Now Paul can't teach anything about water god style to me anymore. But he seems to think about sending me to someone he knows.

He said he met her when he was just a kid and said that she is an old hag that always bothers him. He met her in asura.

Well, I will know when he sends me but he didn't want me to go before I turned twelve. Because he left the house when he was twelve. But an old woman who lives in asura? If I remember right that should be where the water god style dojo is base.

Meh… he wouldn't have met water god. I mean who would take him as a disciples? Sure he has talent but he is such a pervert to the point that he would go into someone's skirt without their consent… he wouldn't do that right...

Let's...forget this and focus on other matters.

Right...today I'm out here looking after the clinic for Zenith. She has been very busy this week because it is starting to turn into winter. The old people of this village start to get sick alot and they can't walk over to the clinic due to their frail body so Zenith has been visiting their house to give them regular check ups and some herbs to help them recover.

I should've gone home by now but the snowstorm prevented me from going back. It comes suddenly when Zenith is out with the herb and she still hasn't come back. I don't worry about her because she has been in a harsher environment than this. I just worry that the herb will freeze and it will lose some of its quality.

I just trained my magic control by making some ice statues when the door opened up. "Welcome! Are you looking for herbs or want to get some wounds healed?" I said looking at the young man in front of me.

He was panting heavily. His body is covered in snow and he's holding onto something. "M-my daughter! She got a really high temperature!" He said as he laid down the little girl in front of me.

I hurried to his side and began to inspect his daughter. She is a small girl around the age of Rudeus and what surprises me is that her hair is like mine. Emerald green. But that is not the point right now. I check her temperature. Her body is so hot. Should be around forty or more. And it is still rising!

"Pick her up and go into the back! Put her in bed and cover her with a blanket. I need to prepare some herbs but before that did she eat anything strange or has she been doing anything lately?" I ask him as my hand moves toward the shelf picking up a jar of herb. This is Worm lily. It is normally found in Shirone but it can be planted in a warm climate. It should help her a bit but I need something stronger.

"She was coming home soaking wet and when she came to give me lunch I sometimes saw her covered in mud…" he said grimly as he put her on the bed and covered her with a blanket.

"Did she tell you why she was covered with mud or soaking wet?" I ask as I start to boil water.

"...no. I tried asking her but she didn't say anything." He said.

"Hmm...did she have a slight fever or something before this?" I ask as the water finishes boiling.

"Yes, but she recovered just the next day." He said.

I grind the Worm lily into paste and slowly add boiling water into it. I use water created by magic so there is no risk of other bad bacteria.

So she got a slight fever before this...If i think it is right then...she probably got some mud in her mouth and bacteria entered her body. Her body was able to resist it but due to cold temperature her body function not working properly the bacteria got her.

And in this stage healing magic can't really help. If I know about advanced detoxification then I could cure it right away. But at intermediate level I can only help her a bit.

I handed him the medicine that i just make. He receives it and tries to feed his daughter. But she only spits it out.

She can't drink it? I cast detoxification on her and he tried to feed her again but she was still spitting it out. The medicine should not be that bitter. I add other herbs to make it more sweet too. Hm… is it her throat?

I open her mouth a little and boy her throat is swollen. I cast heal on her but she needs some time for her throat to go back to normal.

So it's pharyngitis… god I was worried for a second. Her throat will heal itself in a few days. Her fever is probably the result of her body weakening due to the cold.

I signal him to feed the medicine again and she isn't spitting it out now. Her throat probably hurt before that so she spit it out.

"She will be fine after resting for a week." I told him while picking up one jar and pulling out the mountain basil." Make some soup with this and her body will get better. Ah but make sure she didn't eat the leaves, just make the soup with it. The leaves are very bitter but the aroma and flavor it will give once you cook it properly is very delicious." I hand him a small bag made with cloth inside filled with dried mountain basil.

He took it while bowing to me." Thank you very much! ...h-how much does this all cost?"

"One large copper coin and one copper coin for all this." I said. He took out the coin from his pocket and handed it to me , still bowing. The total cost is up to one thousand and a hundred yen or eleven US dollars.

It's very cheap because most of the herbs are very easy to find and I don't take money for healing magic. Zenith doesn't take money for using magic too.

"Thanks for saving my daughter, I will remember this for the rest of my life." He said. His hand is holding onto the young girl whose breath became stable.

"It's not a big deal. You already pay me anyway. And it's not like your daughter is in danger, it's just that her body is a bit weak during the winter." I said to store the coin I received into my pocket. I got to give this to Zenith later. Ah now that i think about it I never saw this girl or him before.

"By the way, are you new here? I have never seen you before…" I ask.

He nodded as he continued to look after his daughter. "We just arrived at this village around a month ago so we are still adjusting to the new environment. That's why we still haven't met a lot of people."

"Hm...Ah! You, the new hunter. Paul talked about you before. Ummm...mister...Laws! Is it?" I said to him.

He nodded while giving me a curious look. When he looked at me properly he suddenly tense up and exchanged look between me and his daughter. It was quite funny to look at his panicked face.

"Y-you are mister Paul daughter?!" He yell out loud. Making the sleeping girl flinch lightly.

"Shh… you making her uncomfortable." I said quietly. "And yes I'm Paul's adoptive daughter or well...just a kid he picked up."

"Oh… well… as you know my name is Laws, and my daughter here is Sylphiette."

He said.

"Is...she a part of the demon tribe?" I ask him. I want to know if she is the same as me.

"No! She not part of them!" He said very aggressively before calming down a bit." I'm half elf half human and my wife has a little beastman blood in her. So she is definitely not a demon." He said, biting his lip.

I listen to him silently as we continue to watch over the girl. Sylphiette sometimes groans in her sleep which raises a concern with me. I put my hand on her and cast healing. After this she stops groaning in her sleep and continues to sleep peacefully until Zenith arrives.

I filled Zenith up on what happened and she said that they should sleep here tonight. Outside it is very cold right now and the snow storm continues to pour down and cover everything in snow.

Zenith took me home and I said goodbye to Laws. The snow is so thick that it reaches around my thighs. I really hope that it is warm enough inside the clinic.

After we got home Zenith told Paul everything and he just shrugged. Well it is not uncommon for people to sleep in our clinic. Because sometimes old people who came to take the treatment but it was already dark outside so they asked if they could stay for the night and we always said yes.

I mean it is a small town and if you steal something everybody is going to know that someone stole from a Knight. Oh yeah Paul got the title of a Knight. And his duty is protecting this town. It does not really suit him though.

Hm...If i say what suits him is probably...a meathead?

"Miss Lucy, please warm yourself up." Lilia's voice broke me away from my thoughts. She handed me a warm blanket. I thank her before warping myself in it and sitting in front of a fireplace.

In front of the warm fireplace I curling up in my blanket. Thinking about what happened today makes me realize how tired I feel.

Ah...today is one hell of a day… it's...make me feel...sleepy….

"Lucy?..." I felt a warm touch holding me up. The voice slowly became distant as I drift away into the dream land.