The Villains I Taught Became Heroes

41 – Ruin Exploration – 3

It’s an old story.

While immersed in various bugs and gaining this and that in the game, there was a time when I had to obtain something in the capital of the empire.

At that time, I was in the midst of exploring ruins to obtain what I needed, and those ruins were related to the Imperial Crown Prince.

In the game, I had learned that it was related to the madness of Termaio Yggdrasil, known as the insane emperor.

I could have just passed by, but among the events related to the insane emperor, there were many forced events that were not only bothersome but also miserably rewarding. As someone trying to breeze through the academy, teaching the kids and swiftly progressing through the main story for a quick ending route, I found it annoying.

I thought that if I first resolved the event related to the madness of Termaio, known as the insane emperor, I might not need to deal with the related forced events.

So, after conquering the ruins and curing Termaio’s madness based on the information obtained there, a demon appeared to stop it.

In the end, I fought against the demon with the wizards of Termaio’s aquatic Ivory Tower and was recognized for my skill, becoming an official wizard of the Ivory Tower.

…It’s a rather trivial story.

I shared only the parts that were worth telling with Lena.

Listening with her eyes sparkling, Lena clapped her hands and exclaimed, “Ah, indeed! M-Master is amazing!”

She then tilted her head in a moment of confusion. “B-But why are you traveling like this?”

“Hmm?”

“Master… You should be receiving noble treatment, right?”

As Oscar had said, the position of an official high-ranking wizard in the Ivory Tower is basically equivalent to that of a marquis. In addition, I gained the rank of a viscount from the empire for saving the Crown Prince.

But what does that mean?

“What nonsense. Being with you is more important than all that.”

Living in a country with noble qualifications would only get me entangled in useless matters. Instead of wasting time on such things, it’s better to focus on teaching the kids and obtaining the title of a sage.

“Ho, hooo!!”

Lena seemed unsure whether she was embarrassed, surprised, or pleased, and Oscar, who was beside us, lightly applauded.

“Your love for your disciple is impressive.”

“Of course, I have to love you, right? Hahaha.”

Living with a lack of confidence as it is, I have to give affection like water to nurture that confidence.

As I continued to pat Lena’s head, she smiled shyly, melting away.

So, grow up well, Lena.

When night fell, Yi Hyun skillfully prepared the sleeping arrangements.

Normally, as a disciple, it would be right for her to prepare her master’s sleeping space, but Yi Hyun had told her to memorize spells or practice more if she had time, so she continued with her magical training.

However, she couldn’t concentrate.

– What nonsense. Being with you is more important than anything else.

‘Me, is it really so nice to be with me?’

There was no hint of falsehood in Yi Hyun’s face, as seen from the carriage. That must be how sincere he was.

– Thump.

Her heart beat strongly.

Her lips kept curling up, and her face felt warm.

Lena glanced at Yi Hyun gently.

She could see him setting up his place and sipping alcohol with Oscar.

Whenever the fire flickered, she couldn’t take her eyes off his face.

“Oh! Unni! Mr. Yi Hyun is looking at you!”

“Oh my goodness! Unni~ likes~ Mr. Yi Hyun~”

“Hehe, hehe? No, no, it’s not like that…”

“Huh? Does unni hate Mr. Yi Hyun, then?”

Hate him?

How could that be?

He took in a frustrated and unattractive girl like herself as a disciple, and he devotedly taught her many things.

How could anyone dislike such a person?

Maybe like him.

“…Ugh.”

Once again, her heart fluttered.

As Lena put her hand on her chest, the two girls giggled at Lena’s reaction.

“Even though unni’s chest is small, why touch the chest?”

“It’s not as big as our mom’s, right?”

“That, um. It’s a growth phase. It will, um, grow bigger, right?”

Flustered, Lena hastily explained. Meanwhile, Yi Hyun, seemingly done talking with Oscar, started approaching them.

Once again, her heart fluttered.

“This guy. Did I tell him to train, or is he just playing around?”

Lee Hyun, with the scent of alcohol lingering, wore a softer smile than usual as he ruffled Lena’s hair.

Despite the rough touch, Lena could sense the affection in his hands.

“You guys too. Don’t disturb Unni while she’s training, come over here. Uncle has something tasty for you.”

“Wow!”

“Cookies!”

The children, receiving cookies from Lee Hyun, cheered and ran towards Oscar.

As they moved away, Lee Hyun crouched in front of Lena, smiling gently.

“Is your training going well?”

“Yes, y-yes!”

Actually, Lena hadn’t accomplished anything.

She quietly deceived herself, replaying what Lee Hyun had said earlier.

But she didn’t want to see the disappointed expression on his face, so Lena gently fooled herself.

“Yeah. I believe in you.”

“Ah…”

“I believe you’ll become a high-level mage soon.”

“…C-Can I really do that?”

A high-level mage.

It refers to a mage who has mastered a certain level of advanced magic.

She hadn’t even started intermediate magic yet, let alone advanced magic.

Daunting.

“Don’t worry. I’m here.”

“S-So, will you be by my side until I become a high-level mage…?”

“Yeah.”

“Hehehe. Then if I learn late…”

Would the master continue to stay by her side?

Perhaps for a lifetime?

“Well, I don’t really like those who don’t put in effort. Especially lazy ones with talent…”

“Gulp! I-I, I didn’t, um, think that way!”

“What are you thinking?”

“Ah…”

How do I say it?

Pretending to stay focused, indulging in daydreams, and casually practicing magic while entertaining the thought of a lifetime with the master.

Of course, Lee Hyun had already noticed, but Lena, frightened alone, hastily denied it.

“No! No!”

“Sure. It won’t be. I never thought Lena, my trusted disciple, would succumb to laziness.”

“Hehe, no, of course not, right?”

Lena quickly laughed, nodding vigorously.

Lee Hyun, who affectionately patted her, got up from his seat.

“It’s getting late. If you want to take the carriage tomorrow, it’s better to get some sleep now. Goodnight.”

“Yes, yes…”

And so, the first night of the journey passed.

The next day was uneventful, as was the day after.

Hired as a guard, riding the carriage, it was an unusually peaceful journey even without any incidents.

Finally, they arrived at a massive city.

“Is that… Greenhill?”

“Yes.”

“Wow…”

To see a metropolis she had only heard about in the village. Lena, wide-eyed, stared at the walls of Greenhill as Oscar, with a regretful expression, spoke.

“It was a fun journey. It’s a pity to part ways.”

Lee Hyun was a great travel companion.

Not only was the journey filled with interesting stories, making it not boring at all, but he also used fascinating magic to entertain Oscar’s lovely daughters.

Perhaps, thanks to Lee Hyun, unnecessary incidents didn’t occur, Oscar thought, reaching out his hand to him.

“I hope we meet again sometime.”

“Haha. If you ever crave delicious bread, feel free to visit. Lena. Let’s go now.”

It was time to get off the carriage. After bidding farewell to Oscar’s daughters with a hint of sadness, Lena, like Lee Hyun, jumped off the carriage.

After a brief farewell, as the carriage moved away, Lena looked at Lee Hyun.

“Th-the carriage, we just need to go into the ci-city when we ride it, right?”

“Oscar’s carriage is a cargo carriage. To enter Greenhill, we need to be inspected. It will take a long time if we ride that carriage.”

As if to prove it, Ih-yun pointed towards Greenhilld. The entrance for the luggage cart and the entrance for pedestrians were different.

The line at the entrance for pedestrians was rapidly decreasing.

From Noble mtl dot com

“Oh, I see. Is that so…”

“Well then, shall we go?”

Ih-yun took Lena and headed towards the entrance.

It was when they were standing in line, waiting their turn.

“Hmm? Isn’t that Ih-yun?”

It was a leisurely voice.

Surprised, Lena looked in that direction, and there was an old man in a robe, chuckling and looking at him.

The appearance of a stranger. Lena, who was shy, quietly moved behind Ih-yun.

“Mas… Master.”

“Huh? Bella, isn’t it?”

Ih-yun, who looked twice his age, casually used informal language to the person he was facing. Lena was taken aback.

Although he held a noble status, Ih-yun often showed respect to the villagers.

To see Ih-yun speaking so casually was unexpected.

Surprised, Lena looked at Ih-yun, and he pulled her forward.

“Greet him. Bella, the supervisor of the Ivory Tower and the Red Pavilion.”

“The supervisor of the Red Pavilion… what?”

Not knowing much about the Ivory Tower, Lena looked at him in confusion. Ih-yun chuckled and pointed to Bella.

“The old man known as a grand mage in the world.”

“Hehehe… More than that, Ih-yun.”

“Huh?”

“This child. Can you give her to me?”

With a gleam in his eyes, Ih-yun snorted at her, who was eyeing Lena.

“This one is mine.”

He embraced Lena from behind, and at that moment, Lena felt her heart flutter again.