"Staaare—!"
Ais stared straight at Cid, her eyes brimming with curiosity—and with an emotion she couldn't quite name.
Before they set out, Riveria had told her that an unfamiliar "big brother" would be training alongside her from now on.
Raul and Ankie were just there as a bonus.
That wasn't the point.
The point was that Riveria told her to listen to this big brother.
She'd said he was probably far more mature than Ais, and that Ais should behave—let him take care of her.
Ais didn't talk much. She did whatever she wanted, acted on impulse, and often caused Riveria trouble.
But this was the first time Ais had ever heard Riveria praise someone else in front of her.
And it was also Ais's first time being a child. She rarely interacted with others in the first place.
On top of that, she was talented enough that hardly anyone could be held up as a comparison.
So this was the first time she'd run into a being she absolutely couldn't beat as a child—
Someone else's kid.
That was why Ais didn't realize the strange feeling in her chest was… sulking.
"What is it, Miss Ais?" Cid asked cautiously.
He'd heard this blonde girl's name long ago—no, it was practically thunderous in reputation.
Ais Wallenstein. Loki Familia's Sword Princess.
She'd joined Loki Familia at seven, reached Level 2 at eight, and shattered Orario's speed record.
Now, at nine, Ais was already Level 3.
Even fourteen-year-old Raul Nord treated her with deep respect—because the gap in power was simply that vast.
So why was this historically gifted girl staring at him like that?
Cid was certain he'd never met Ais before. They hadn't even crossed paths.
And he'd washed his face this morning, too.
"Cid… very strong?" Ais blinked, unsure.
From what she could sense of his physique, he did seem strong.
But how strong, she couldn't tell.
Maybe he was just a close-combat Level 2.
Or maybe he was far stronger than she was.
"Why do you ask?" Cid's heart skipped.
Don't tell me… she saw through my identity as Shadow?
Hmph. As expected of a once-in-history prodigy.
Maybe she was the world's original protagonist.
By the usual rules, she probably had some bizarre hidden origin story, too.
Considering the final boss was the Black Dragon, this kid was either the Black Dragon's child… or the Black Dragon's sworn enemy.
Once she grew up, she'd either become the face of the adventurers—
Or she'd lead the monsters and crush humanity entirely.
Either way, she was destined to become Shadow's opponent!
With that thought, the look in Cid's eyes changed.
A thousand years from now, their encounter today might be the sort of event written into history books.
"Cid… should be very strong?" Ais repeated.
Someone Riveria praised specifically had to be stronger than Ais, right?
Ais wanted to know where Cid's strength came from.
And once she knew, she wanted to learn it.
Hearing that, Cid smoothly launched into a performance.
"You've discovered me. That's right—I am the mage said to possess the ultimate secret of dragon-slaying magic. Once mastered, it grants the power to slaughter a magic dragon in a single strike. Those who know my ability call me the Jet-Black Flame Wielder!"
Cid made it up on the spot, watching Ais's reaction.
To an adult, this level of theatrics was mortifying.
To a child, it was perfect.
"Dragon-slaying magic? Can you teach me? I want to learn!"
Ais rushed forward and grabbed Cid's sleeve.
In that instant, she threw her sulky feelings out the window.
Even if she hadn't seen its actual power yet, just the name alone was exactly the kind of magic she wanted!
"Want to learn it? Then we'll see if you've got the talent," Cid said, covering his face as he laughed.
This girl was definitely in the "I hate the Black Dragon" camp.
The moment she heard "dragon-slaying," her eyes lit up like stars.
What an incautious opponent—revealing her hand so easily.
"Could you not laugh like that? It's kind of creepy," Ankie couldn't help complaining.
She knew Cid was just teasing a kid, but did he really have to cackle like some villain?
It was… weird.
"Oh. Then I'll keep it down," Cid immediately behaved.
"Don't be so dramatic. I'm just making a suggestion," Ankie said, and now she looked a little embarrassed instead.
Compared to Cid, had she come off too harsh?
"Haha… that's so like you, Cid," Raul said, unsure whether he should be impressed.
To him, Cid usually felt like another version of himself.
Decent talent, nothing especially outstanding—mostly they got along because their personalities matched.
If you had to compare it to a Stand, their similarity was like Star Platinum and The World.
But every so often, Cid would show a bizarre side, babbling nonsense like this.
Raul had heard that among Freya Familia's first-tier adventurers, there was someone who acted about as unhinged when he snapped.
We're both mobs, so why are you the one with such a vivid personality?
Raul felt envy… but not exactly.
If the cost of standing out was talking like Cid, then maybe being "Ordinary Man" wasn't so bad.
"Don't worry about it," Cid said with a friendly grin, scratching the back of his head—harmless as could be.
"Cid, teach me!" Ais protested when she saw his attention drifting to the others.
She wanted to learn dragon-slaying magic!
With Cid's actual level, he could teach Ais.
But the "public" Cid didn't have that kind of ability—at least, he wasn't supposed to.
Truth be told, Cid actually wanted to teach her.
Raising your own strongest enemy with your own hands—wasn't that romantic?
If he couldn't teach her openly… he could teach her in secret.
"Dragon-slaying magic is extremely special. You can't see it under normal conditions—you have to enter a special state before you can use it. When I enter that state, I'll teach you."
Cid lied with a perfectly straight face.
"Mhm! I'll be good from now on," Ais said, looking at him with pure admiration, convinced that obedience was the price for his instruction.
Whenever she asked Riveria to teach her magic, Riveria's condition was also the same: behave.
So being good had to be the right answer!
"Exactly. Don't bother me normally. When I enter the state, I'll come find you myself," Cid said, nodding in satisfaction at how obedient she was.
They'd only just met, but he already saw through her personality.
In short: she was too pure—she only cared about getting stronger and slaying dragons.
Cid felt that if he told her not to tell anyone about the secret lessons, she would obediently comply.
He could cultivate an opponent without exposing his own strength.
Perfect.
"Okay! I understand!" Ais said brightly.
She desperately wanted him to teach her right now.
But since Cid had said so, she believed him—and quietly began to anticipate the moment he would enter his Jet-Black Flame Wielder form.
At the front, Riveria had been listening to the commotion behind them.
For a first-tier adventurer, sharp hearing and keen senses were basic.
She also knew she shouldn't interrupt young people's interactions, so she pretended she hadn't heard a thing.
Even when Cid said he was nervous around her, Riveria didn't react.
But now—hearing Ais being this obedient—Riveria finally couldn't hold it in.
"…You can do it like that?"
....
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