episode_0063

It rained for two days straight.

Downpours were frequent in Deseo.

So, even when the sky was clear, I couldn’t hang laundry outside.

When it rained, I couldn’t go out, so I stayed in the inn.

On the other hand, Fosao kept going out, claiming he was researching business goods.

Seeing him like this, he’s quite diligent, more than I thought.

The problem is… he finds self-care endlessly bothersome.

Today, too, I stopped him from going out with his clothes on backward, straightened them, and even fixed his hair.

When I was left alone at the inn, I cleaned and organized.

Washing and organizing the clothes Fosao threw around had become a normal routine.

The inn manager gladly provided cleaning supplies, saying I had reduced her troubles.

But perhaps I finished the work too quickly.

There was a lot of time left.

Since I was bored and wanted to get some fresh air, I borrowed a raincoat from the manager and went outside.

I walked around the streets and did some grocery shopping.

“Hmm, I wonder if this would be good?”

Until now, we’d either eaten inn food, dined at restaurants, or bought takeout.

It was convenient, but the downside was the cost.

And sometimes, I couldn’t eat what I wanted.

Therefore! Just for today, I wanted to get the ingredients myself and ‘cook’.

I even got permission from the innkeeper to use the kitchen.

“Hmm- hmm-♪”

I happily picked out vegetables as I wandered through the grocery store.

The menu was my specialty: vegetable egg stir-fry.

Even my picky Auntie Sherry admitted it was delicious, so Fosao would definitely like it.

I was on my way back to the inn, having bought ingredients cheaply for around 20 silver.

“Where are you running to!”

A chaotic noise came from the alleyway.

“……?”

It was hard to hear over the rain, but it sounded like someone was fighting.

There were so many vagrants in Deseo that it was a common occurrence.

Even the guards paid it no mind, so I tried to ignore it and pass by.

But.

“Die, you pig bastard!”

“How dare you touch our stuff?”

Why was it?

As soon as I heard those words, I turned my head towards the sound.

I saw it.

The person surrounded and being beaten by others was…

Fosao.

He was curled up, tightly clutching something to his chest.

He was being savagely kicked by the vagrants.

Thud.

I dropped the grocery basket I was holding.

“Ah…”

My blood rushed.

I don’t even know how I ran.

In an instant, I had dashed into the alleyway and raised my fist.

One of them turned around.

“Huh? What the…”

Thwack!

I punched him in the face.

The man’s head snapped back, and he collapsed to the ground.

“What the hell, you bitch?!”

“Damn it!”

Another man nearby rushed at me, but.

Whoosh-.

I quickly ducked to avoid it.

Then I threw my left fist upward, smashing him in the jaw.

Wham!

With a dull thud, the man fell backward.

As two men fell in an instant, the vagrants panicked and awkwardly backed away.

“Uh, uh…?”

“Her… I know her! It’s that girl! …The Swordsman Girl!”

“R-run away!”

The terrified guys quickly fled.

The rain poured down-.

In the pouring rain.

I helped Fosao, who was sprawled on the ground, to his feet.

“Fosao!”

He was trembling.

His clothes were torn from being stepped on, and his hands and face were covered in wounds.

Even so, he was smiling foolishly.

“I’m… f-fine…”

“You’re absolutely not fine!”

“M-more importantly, this…”

He pulled something out from his embrace.

“This is…”

It was the Rose Saber.

My lost mother’s keepsake.

I couldn’t believe it, so I rubbed my eyes repeatedly.

It was completely undamaged, retaining its original form.

It was in Fosao’s hands.

“How did you… find this?”

“I was w-walking around hardware stores… and found out these men h-had it…”

“You went out alone just to find this sword?”

“Yeah…”

I took the sword.

It was real.

The familiar feeling of it fitting perfectly in my hand belonged only to this short sword.

It really came back.

My eyes welled up.

Clang!

I dropped the sword to the ground.

“T-Tia?”

And then I hugged Fosao tightly by the shoulders, his face surprised.

“Don’t do this…”

“Huh-?”

“You don’t have to go this far… for me…”

I was happy to get the Rose Saber back.

I was so happy I could cry.

But.

I hated Fosao getting hurt more.

“Tia…”

I headed back to the inn with Fosao.

The rain poured down even harder-!!

The rain grew even heavier.

We entered the inn, completely drenched.

Despite Fosao’s insistent protests that he was fine, I asked the manager to call for a doctor.

The examination results showed, thankfully, no major injuries.

Just minor bruises. I breathed a sigh of relief.

“From now on, tell me where you’re going. Always.”

“Ah, alright…”

I created a ‘code of conduct’ and told Fosao about it.

One, when going somewhere, tell the other person the destination in detail.

Two, if possible, always move together.

Three, return to the inn immediately after finishing tasks.

Even with such detailed rules, my anxiety didn’t subside.

In the end, I decided to take drastic measures.

Shing!

I handed him the blunt-edged short sword I had used in the arena.

Fosao looked surprised.

“S-swing a sword…? Me?”

“Yes. Take it.”

He awkwardly held the sword.

With the large Fosao holding the short sword, it looked almost like a toy sword.

Considering his build, a bigger sword would be better, but.

Since he’s an untrained beginner, starting with a smaller one would be more effective.

And I wasn’t really going to teach him swordsmanship, just ‘self-defense’.

“Like this.”

“L-like this?”

“No. Raise your arm higher, higher.”

“Ughh…”

He groaned painfully, as if the posture was uncomfortable.

He seemed to struggle more than others due to a lack of arm strength.

“Huff- huff- I- I’m tired…”

He had only swung the sword a few times, but he collapsed powerlessly.

I sighed.

…Well, I guess it can’t be helped.

“Alright, Fosao. Then just learn this one thing. Only learn this and use it.”

“Huh?”

“It’s called the ‘Counter’! It’s one of the techniques for countering an opponent’s attack. It allows you to effectively subdue them with the least amount of effort.”

First, I demonstrated.

With the sword held forward, the moment an enemy’s attack comes in.

You entangle the blades, entering a deadlock.

Then, you quickly trip the opponent, making them lose their balance.

Once the enemy falls to the ground, you pounce and subdue them.

It was a simple swordsmanship technique that used the opponent’s strength against them to counterattack.

Of course, there are many techniques derived from this, but for Fosao, this much seemed just right—no more, no less.

Since he’s heavy, it would be easy to subdue an opponent.

“Now, get up. Don’t even think until you can do it perfectly.”

“Ughhh…”

Intensive practice began in the inn.

I sat on the bed giving instructions, while Fosao clumsily swung the sword around.

The more I watched, the more I felt that he had no aptitude for swordsmanship.

Fundamentally, one needs to be agile to defeat an opponent, but his movements were so slow it was like he was performing an incomprehensible dance.

Still, if he could just learn this one technique, somehow.

He’d be able to handle the lowlifes in the alleyway on his own, easily.

I was determined to… make it happen.

“You’re too slow. Once more!”

“Ughhh-!”

The training continued all night.

***

I opened my eyes to the warm sunlight.

It was already midday.

“Ughh…”

When I came to my senses, what a sight it was.

I was lying on the bed fully clothed, and Fosao was sprawled on the floor, limbs outstretched like a wet rag.

Seeing the practice sword leaning against the wall, I remembered.

That’s right. I had taught Fosao swordsmanship late into the night yesterday.

I kept pushing him without letting him sleep, but it seemed I was the one who got exhausted first and fell asleep.

Honestly. I’ve never met anyone so talentless.

His talent was so terrible that anyone else would have given up long ago, but.

…Because it was Fosao, I couldn’t give up.

Later, when I return to Brisdon, Fosao will be alone again.

I had no assurance that he wouldn’t get beaten up by hoodlums again and die alone in a strange place.

So, training starts again!

I woke up Fosao, who was sprawled on the floor.

“Fosao. Get up. We need to train.”

After shaking him roughly a few times, he soon opened his eyes.

But he seemed to have no energy to reply and let his arms droop again.

A soft snore sounded.

It was no use.

He fell back asleep as soon as I woke him.

Perhaps it was because of the sudden intense training. He just couldn’t seem to wake up properly.

Ugh- maybe I should have given him a little more leeway?

What could I do to revive him?

Since he trained hard all night, a suitable reward would be…

“Cooking?”

I immediately borrowed the inn’s kitchen and started cooking.

It was fun cooking after a long time.

Skillfully drizzling oil, sprinkling a little pepper on the vegetables, and gently cooking the eggs… done!

Even the staff smelled it and salivated, saying they’d never smelled such an egg stir-fry before.

Carrying the finished vegetable egg stir-fry, I returned to the room.

“Fosao. How long are you going to lie there?”

“Ughhh…”

“You need to eat something. Get up quickly.”

I firmly grabbed his leg to force him up.

But then.

“……?”

Fosao’s crotch area was bulging.

It wasn’t because his pants were folded.

It was as if a thick rod had been placed between his legs.

Something alien was pushing his pants up prominently.

Wait. This, surely…?

“Ughh-.”

Fosao, regaining his senses, barely managed to sit up.

“……!”

I quickly turned my head away.

My heart pounded rapidly.

The sight I had just seen was etched into my mind, refusing to disappear.

I had seen it once before in Rottenbahn.

When Fosao had jumped out of the bathtub naked, that hideous thing dangling between his legs.

At that time, I was too flustered to even be shocked.

I didn’t particularly want to remember it, so I quickly forgot it.

But now.

The moment I saw that shape rising between his pants, the hazy memory from back then came back vividly.

…I can’t believe it.

That’s… a man’s ‘genitals’?

The genitals I saw on Fosao in Rottenbahn were shriveled like a burst water balloon, hanging limply.

But just now, it had swollen to an incredible size, threatening to burst through his pants.

Can genitals really get that big?

Although I was young at the time, I don’t remember it being this big when I bathed with Ritsu…

‘That’ thing was almost… comparable to a pig’s reproductive organ?

“T-Tia?”

“Y-yes?!”

Startled, I involuntarily flinched my shoulders.

Fosao was eating my food and smiling brightly.

“This is really d-delicious… Heheheh.”

“Ahaha… I’m glad you like it.”

“It’s the best. Tia, you’re good at c-cooking too-.”

Watching Fosao eat ravenously, I subtly glanced down again.

Fosao’s large pants had returned to normal as if nothing had happened.

“…….”

I shook my head.

Why am I doing this!

“Ah, I get it, so just eat quickly! We have to train!”

“Ughhh-?!”

Fosao, not knowing why, hurriedly emptied his plate.