Chapter 1

"Beru, are you going to show me the face of your grandchild or not?"

"Old man, what do you expect in such a backwater village..."

The morning at the rural swordsmanship dojo began with the old man's incomprehensible mutterings.

I am Beru Gardnant. I'm an old man.

To spare the details, I'm the master of a swordsmanship dojo that has been passed down through generations in a remote area.

You might think I'm being too vague, but I have no other information to offer, so there's nothing I can do about it.

I'm an old man who has reached a certain age, and I'm the master of a rural swordsmanship dojo. That's all there is to it, no more, no less.

"Trying to unify your spirit on a morning off, of course you won't meet anyone."

"Wasn't it you who taught me that kind of education?"

Ever since he retired and handed over the master's position to me, he's been spouting such nonsense.

I'd like to meet someone if I could, damn it.

Because of the family, I've been playing with wooden swords since I was old enough to understand things.

My parents raised me as a healthy boy, but it seems I didn't inherit the excellent sword talent that the old man had.

Of course, I did put in the effort.

I didn't hate swords, and in such a remote area, there wasn't much else to be passionate about.

In my curious childhood.

In my teenage years, the peak of my life.

In my twenties, when my body and mind matured and I felt fulfilled.

In my thirties, when I continued to hone my skills amidst that fulfillment.

And even in my forties, when my accumulated experience began to show, I spent a considerable amount of time training.

However, the result was only slightly better sword skills than the average person.

A physique that barely qualified me as a swordsman.

A sharp reaction speed for my age. That's about it.

If you ask me if I'm satisfied, the answer is no. But I wasn't really dissatisfied either.

I had a strange sense of acceptance that this was my limit. The fact that the old man didn't place excessive expectations on me and let me grow freely was a big factor.

"Can't you at least have a good girl as a disciple?"

"Old man, a swordsmanship dojo isn't a place to meet people."

I cut off the old man's nonsense.

Maybe it's because he's talking to his own son, but he's really lacking in tact.

I don't know if the old man is considering his age, but there's a new realization I had after he handed over the dojo's sign to me.

Although my sword skills only reached a mediocre level, it seems I had a talent for teaching swords.

Even though the country provides protection, there are still many dangers in such a remote area.

Step outside the village's fence, and you're in the wild. There are fierce animals and dangerous monsters. While it's rare for monsters to come close to the village, it's still not a safe world.

In the cities and the capital, there are grand walls and patrols by knights and guards.

But in a place like this, there are only people like me who make a living from it, and at most, hunters who hunt wild animals. Mercenaries and adventurers who don't stay in one place sometimes stop by, but that's about it.

So, even in such a remote area, there is a certain demand for swordsmanship as a means of self-defense and advancement.

Unfortunately, I'm completely hopeless with magic. I don't even know the basics. I've only ever wielded wooden and real swords.

Magicians who can use magic are rare in the world. The capital apparently has a group of employed magicians, but their total number is extremely small.

Ah.

Speaking of disciples, there was a girl who once said with a serious face, "When I grow up, I want to marry you, teacher." I was too old to take it seriously, so I just brushed it off. She had beautiful silver hair that sparkled.

I digress.

The point is, I had a bit of talent for teaching swordsmanship.

Thanks to the balance of supply and demand, my dojo has a fair number of students despite its remote location.

From the neighborhood troublemakers to the village chief's daughter, and even the children of nobles from the city.

While I can't deny that there are plenty of other swordsmanship dojos, the number of students directly affects my and my parents' standard of living. We can't run a charity, after all.

"Well, why don't you do something nice for your parents?"

"I'm already running this dojo, and the number of students and income have increased. What else could be considered filial piety?"

"Just a little more."

"Old man..."

Really, the old man is energetic from the morning.

So,

I've been a master for quite a while, and among those I've taught, some have become high-ranking adventurers or members of the national knight corps.

Some of them even come back to report or send letters.

While I appreciate their concern and it warms my heart, I can't help but think that they don't need to go so far for a mere old man from the countryside.

After all, I receive letters from the head of the national knight corps.

You must have more important things and people to deal with, I think.

The fact that I receive letters from such big names and that I have students who have achieved so much makes my heart restless.

If I had a bit more talent with swords.

Maybe I could have left this village.

"Well, you could at least give me a little hope."

"Sure, sure, if the opportunity arises."

But, that's just a dream. I know my limits, and at my age, I have enough sense to understand that.

"...Sigh"

Alone in the dojo the old man left, I feel the clear morning air on my skin.

It's not a bad morning for mental unification.

"---Excuse me."

While I was slowly facing my own spirit, a voice that seemed to be a visitor.

Hmm, who could it be? It's a day off, so it's unlikely to be one of my students. Besides, most of the current students are children who would barge in without even saying hello.

"Sure, sure, who is it?"

I got up, my aging body a bit heavier, and opened the dojo door.

Sure enough, there stood a beautiful woman with long silver hair that reached her waist, flowing behind her, and a dignified and striking face.

"Teacher, it's been a while."

"...Uh, could it be... Alyushia?"

"Yes, teacher. It's been a while."

She smiled gently in response.

Yeah.

Why is the head of the national knight corps in such a remote village? Why?