But before the wagon had gone very far, Ghislaine came running after it, one hand clutching her stomach.
Though her steps were unsteady, she forced herself to keep up while calling out, "P-Please! Don't leave me behind!"
She was still afraid of Ash.
But compared to being abandoned here and possibly dying, that fear meant very little.
By the time she caught up, she had collapsed to the ground in exhaustion, her forehead pressed against the earth, her eyes full of pleading.
Incidentally... she no longer seemed to be wearing any shorts.
'Did she use them to wipe herself?'
Ash honestly didn't know how to react.
And although Ghislaine had the physique of a powerful warrior...
Eating dung had clearly pushed her body past its limits.
"Ha... forget it."
Ash sighed helplessly, walked over, and raised a hand above her head.
A gentle green light shone from his palm.
The nausea, stomach pain, and diarrhea tormenting Ghislaine immediately began disappearing.
She stared at Ash in astonishment, "Th-That... was detoxification magic?"
"I guess."
"This is my first time seeing detoxification magic used for something like this."
"It was actually healing magic."
"B-But... healing magic can't cure poison or illness, can it?", Ghislaine sounded even less certain after hearing his casual answer.
"I was kidding."
Realizing he had said too much, Ash casually waved a hand.
It really had been healing magic.
It was simply that the healing magic he had learned through the system was far more versatile than the divine magic or healing magic of this world.
It could cure poison, treat disease, and heal injuries.
It was absurdly useful.
"Though I can't get sick or poisoned anyway, so those extra functions are useless to me."
Considering his own body, even after learning healing magic, Ash couldn't bring himself to feel particularly happy.
It simply had too many functions he couldn't use.
Although Ghislaine didn't really understand what he was saying, the way she looked at him was filled with envy.
After all, healing mages and detoxification mages could survive anywhere.
Outside the Millis Continent, healing magic was extremely valuable.
Meanwhile, Ash sighed gloomily before his gaze unconsciously drifted toward the beastgirl's butt.
It wasn't because he was being perverted.
Normally, a woman wearing a thong should have looked even sexier than being completely naked.
But for some reason, trying to feel any lust toward this beastgirl had become incredibly difficult.
Looking at her brown backside, Ash felt absolutely nothing erotic.
It simply attracted attention in an entirely different way.
Despite how revealing it was, her butt was completely covered in muscle.
The place where her tail connected to her body looked like something from a bodybuilding competition.
It was nothing but solid muscle.
Most people would probably have a hard time finding it sexy.
Noticing where he was looking, Ghislaine asked directly, "What's wrong? Do you like me?"
"N-No, what kind of nonsense is that? I'm not interested in muscular bros..."
"Muscular bros?"
"Never mind. But honestly, someone as strong as you... kind of makes me want to squeeze your butt."
"I understand. Go ahead."
Ghislaine nodded slightly.
Perhaps because Ash had saved her life, she turned around without hesitation and stuck her butt out toward him as though seriously waiting for him to do it.
She's the type who can't recognize a joke.
Looking at the rock-hard, iron-like muscular backside in front of him, the smile on Ash's face immediately stiffened.
Although he really was curious about how hard it felt...
She had just been suffering from diarrhea.
There was no way he could bring himself to touch it.
So he could only maintain an awkward but polite smile, hand her another piece of food, ask her to turn back around, and naturally steer the conversation toward Ghislaine's past.
Only then did he discover something surprising.
She was actually a direct disciple of the Sword God from the Holy Land of the Sword.
This time, she had accepted a request from a great noble.
On the way, she had impulsively decided to explore a labyrinth for fun.
She never expected to run into trouble and end up in such a miserable state.
More importantly... Ghislaine knew the ultimate technique of the Sword God Style.
It was called Sword of Light.
According to legend, anyone who mastered this technique perfectly could swing a blade at the speed of light.
As for whether it could truly reach light speed, not even the first Sword God had managed it.
Naturally, Ghislaine didn't know either.
But the moment Ash heard about such a sword technique, his interest was instantly piqued.
According to Ghislaine, the Sword God Style was considered the strongest sword school precisely because it possessed this technique.
The three major sword styles of this world were the Water God Style, Sword God Style, and North God Style.
Since the Sword God Style was the strongest, it naturally deserved to be his first destination.
To avoid underestimating the legendary Sword God in case he proved overwhelmingly powerful, learning as much as possible beforehand was necessary.
So... Ash decided to study under Ghislaine for the time being.
———
Under normal circumstances, no school would casually teach its ultimate techniques to an outsider.
But Ash was her benefactor.
Ghislaine decided not to worry about that little detail.
After all, the Sword God Style emphasized doing whatever one pleased.
Although Ash carried a katana at his waist and a greatsword on his back, making him look nothing like the physically weak mage he claimed to be, she could tell from the feel of them that they were genuine weapons.
Her head wasn't very sharp, but she also wasn't the type to pry into other people's secrets.
So she accepted his explanation for the time being.
She invited Ash to travel with her to the fortress city of Roa, saying she would properly teach him swordsmanship once they got there.
Of course, along the way, Ash would be responsible for her food and lodging.
Naturally, Ash had already secretly touched her and read the memories of this Amazon-style beastgirl.
Besides confirming that she really was hopelessly stupid, he also obtained the swordsmanship knowledge he wanted.
Still, possessing knowledge and actually being able to use it were two different things.
It was like obtaining a book.
Owning it didn't mean you could fully apply what it contained.
Shiraori had possessed knowledge of the system's magic, but after leaving the system's support, she still had to learn how to use it little by little herself.
When it came to a book, having someone teach you was always faster than studying alone.
Now that he had someone who was considered quite powerful in this world to teach him, Ash naturally couldn't let the opportunity slip away.
———
[Inside the Wagon]
Ash read a book.
Ghislaine stared blankly into space.
The two chatted idly as they traveled toward the fortress city of Roa.
The journey wasn't particularly long.
After about six days, they arrived at the largest human settlement in the region, Fortress City Roa.
The first thing that caught Ash's eye was the city wall.
It was only seven or eight meters tall, but looked quite sturdy.
The gate was crowded with wagons.
Passing through it, they saw rows of open-air stalls lining the streets.
Not far away were stables and inns, while armored warriors moved through the crowds.
Near the gate, there was even something resembling a bus stop, where several travelers carrying large luggage were waiting.
According to Ghislaine, it was where people waited for public wagons.
Adventurers usually traveled between towns on those wagons because they were relatively cheap.
They were basically this world's version of buses.
Once they passed through the outer district of the fortress, the atmosphere gradually changed.
First came rows of weapon shops and armor stores catering to adventurers.
Farther in, they gradually gave way to ordinary shops serving the townspeople.
Deeper still, both the buildings and stores became more and more luxurious, clearly intended for wealthy people and nobles.
It was obvious that the closer one got to the center of this fortress city, the greater the wealth and status represented.
At the very center stood a castle.
"That's the lord's residence. I've been here a few times before," Walking in front, Ghislaine pointed at the castle and explained, "It's said that four hundred years ago, this fortress city served as the final line of defense during the war against the demon race, so it was built on a large scale."
"But now there don't seem to be many soldiers. They don't even look properly trained."
"That's true. It's been peaceful here for a long time," Ghislaine nodded in agreement before looking back at him, "What are you going to do? Come with me to the lord's mansion?"
"No thanks. I still want to study magic on my own."
"Then where will you stay?"
"I'll earn some money and buy a house," After a moment, he added, "Oh, right... if possible, could you help me find a magic teacher? I'm actually not very good at any magic besides healing. And the stronger the teacher, the better."
[T/N: What the fack is even going on here? If not for you all, I would have dropped it.]
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