"All the bones in your body are broken. If this were a battlefield, it'd be an injury bad enough to force retirement."

Kryphi came in, shaking his head.

The moment he entered, Bella instantly pulled herself together and became vigilant.

"Bella. You look like you stayed up all night. Why don't you rest a bit?"

"No, young master. I'm fine."

"As long as I'm here, no one can lay a finger on Luca, so you don't need to worry."

Kryphi spoke in a relaxed tone, brought over a chair, and sat next to Luca.

But Bella was resolute.

"I simply can't trust the professors."

"My, I really should have gone as the supervising professor."

Kryphi smacked his lips in regret and put a prepared gift on the desk beside the bed.

"I brought some snacks you can chew on. I've never been there myself, but in my grandfather's homeland, they give these things to sick people."

"Thank you."

Kryphi's hometown, like that of other minorities, is on an island across the sea, modeled after the East.

From that island, they send seekers to the continent on a regular basis.

These people sharpen their skills through martial training on the continent, then return to the island after obtaining 'proof' of defeating a strong person.

Those who get injured or abandon their search for inner truth due to a change of heart sometimes remain on the continent, becoming part of the minority ethnic group.

The seekers supposedly call them "dropouts" and despise them.

'Some fanatics even hunt these dropouts... but that's not my problem.'

While Luca was thinking that, at some point Kryphi was already slicing fruit.

"I could have done that."

"It's fine. I haven't drunk any alcohol, so my hands are itching for something to do."

Come to think of it, there was no smell of alcohol.

Kryphi carved the apple into a pretty bunny shape and placed it on a plate.

"Here, have some. If you're worried it might be poisoned, I'll eat some first."

"......"

Here it was again—Kryphi's innate talent for rubbing people the wrong way.

Bella's face was expressionless, but there was a slight hint of murderous intent.

Luca gave an awkward cough.

"I'll eat it gratefully."

"Are you sure? I really think you should check if it's poisoned."

"... That's enough, master."

Luca stopped him, thinking Bella wouldn't be able to remain calm any longer.

Kryphi chuckled and set the plate down next to Luca.

"Hearing that my first-ever student was in danger made me angrier than I thought."

"It was dangerous, but I made it through. Isn't that enough?"

At Luca's words, Kryphi shrugged.

"What nonsense. We should analyze why something like this happened in the first place."

"......?"

Luca looked displeased at the unexpected response.

"I survived for over ten years on the battlefield, even when I was ignorant. I know exactly what it takes to survive."

Kryphi spoke, slightly opening his eyes.

"There must be a reason why so many extremely dangerous incidents keep happening around you, Luca."

"That's..."

"There must be something you haven't told me."

Luca was at a loss for words.

'Was he always like this?'

The difference between Kryphi as described in the original and Kryphi now was staggering.

He was more meticulous, cold, and sharp than expected.

Kryphi tapped the desk and spoke.

"Of course, just as I haven't told you all about my past, I understand that it's hard for you to tell me everything, too. Still, I hope you'll share everything, when it concerns your life."

"This time, it was really just a string of coincidences—there's nothing I could have told you that would have changed things."

"Who knows. If I'd forced my way into the role of supervising professor, would this have happened?"

Kryphi's slightly opened amber eyes glittered dangerously.

But Luca was unfazed.

"Even if you're my master, I'm not sure you'd have found that barrier without the 'moonlight' in the middle of the night."

Kryphi was silent for a moment at Luca's remark.

But soon, he nodded.

"Well, the others were with you on the training, so maybe nothing would have changed even if I'd been there."

"Of course, if you had been there, maybe some problems could've been preempted, but given the situation, I'm not sure it would've been easy."

"Is that so? I suppose there's nothing to be done."

Kryphi seemed convinced, and Luca let out an inward sigh before thinking it over.

'How much, and what, should I tell Kryphi?'

He'd come running as soon as he heard his student was hurt.

At the very least, Luca was sure of Kryphi's concern for him.

But that didn't mean he could say everything.

'I have no choice but to deceive him appropriately.'

Luca made up his mind.

"And you asked why so many strange incidents happen around me."

"The incident with the dead students, the case involving the 3rd prince, and now this. For an ordinary student, these are things you'd rarely encounter even in a lifetime—but you've experienced all three in just a month since enrolling. I can't chalk this up to chance."

"These three incidents are not completely related, but there's one thing they have in common."

Luca paused before speaking, as if spitting out the words.

"Devils."

"... Devils."

If you said "devil" to just anyone, they'd say you were talking nonsense.

But Kryphi, who'd already fought the Dust Devil, seemed to understand right away.

"It's a sudden question, but... Master, do you believe in gods?"

"Asking a soldier who's lived on the battlefield whether he believes in gods is tricky. If gods exist, people will ask why a battlefield exists. Still, when you're in danger, you end up praying to a god anyway."

Kryphi answered ambiguously, thinking it over, and eventually nodded.

"We can't deny they exist, with the clergy around, but as to following doctrine—I suppose, strictly, I don't believe."

"I'm not one to follow the church either, but I've been summoned by something that called itself a god."

"... What?"

Kryphi seemed rather surprised by this unexpected statement.

Not missing this timing, Luca continued in a serious tone.

"A god... Well, I'm not exactly sure if it was a god or not. That being told me the continent is being taken over by devils, and that I must stop it."

"What do you...?"

"It's hard to believe, but according to that being's guidance, I gained the power of the sky to combat the power of the devils."

At the mention of "the power of the sky", Kryphi seemed to regain his composure.

He could immediately deduce that "the power of the sky" meant lightning energy.

And he also knew that, when fighting the Dust Devil, it was Luca's lightning that weakened it at the very last moment.

"So you're saying... you were chosen by a god, like a hero destined to destroy devils?"

"Chosen is putting it too strongly. The god only told me that devils are after me, and explained the power of the sky so I could defend myself."

"Oh? The devils are after you, Luca...?"

Kryphi stroked his chin and glanced at Luca.

"......"

Luca didn't avoid his gaze at all.

'Doesn't seem like a lie.'

It sounded absurd, but Luca's eyes weren't telling a lie.

After all, it wasn't a complete lie.

'Interesting. To think the first student I took on has such a dramatic fate.'

A smile crept onto his face.

He'd suspected Luca wouldn't be an ordinary student, but to think he was someone targeted by a devil, sanctioned by heaven.

He couldn't be sure whether it was the truth, but everything he'd seen pointed toward it being so.

"I imagine things like this will keep happening. And there may come a time when your life is in danger as well, master."

"I understand."

"But it's too late now. The moment you agreed to become my master, there's no turning back. And you might already be marked by the 3rd prince, too."

Luca's tone was quite confident, but Kryphi just laughed good-naturedly, as if he'd already expected this.

"I know. I'd made up my mind back then."

"So, since things have turned out this way, you need to teach me swordsmanship soon. It's not just about beating my brother. Keeping myself alive is important, too."

"Haha, you can't train with that body yet. My training is harsh."

Kryphi said, standing up.

"My plan was originally to start your training right after the field test, but in that state, you wouldn't last, so I'll let you enjoy yourself until the festival. But after the festival—"

Kryphi's slightly open amber eyes flashed dangerously.

"You won't ever want to ask for training again."

A surge of intense determination poured out—far too much for a patient—but Luca's blue eyes didn't waver at all.

"I'll look forward to it."

Seeing that, Kryphi smiled as though he'd never looked threatening and stood up.

"Well then! I'll go prepare your training. With you as my student—the student I'll bet my future on—I'll make sure the preparations are perfect!"

As Kryphi departed after saying that, Luca muttered in a disinterested tone.

"That man isn't normal, either."

"... Young master. Was what you just said true?"

At that moment, Bella, who had quietly listened throughout, asked cautiously.Luca smacked his lips and leaned back against the pillow.

"About half."

"Heh..."

"The part about meeting a god was a dream. Maybe you could call it a precognitive dream. I saw my own future."

That wasn't a lie, either.

It was closer to the truth than what he'd told Kryphi.

"I asked you to fetch Whistle's egg because of what I saw in that dream."

"I see... I did think it was odd you suddenly asked for something like that."

Bella looked at him in wonder, then smiled brightly.

"As expected, you really are your mother's son."

"What do you mean?"

"Fufu, anyway, could you tell me more about those dreams? I'm curious."

Bella was deliberately changing the subject.

Normally she'd answer a direct question, so there must have been something she was forbidden to talk about.

Luca pouted his lips, then replied gruffly.

"I won't tell you."

"Aw, young master~ Don't be like that~."

"You wouldn't understand, even if I did."

Bella pouted and fussed a bit more, but Luca told her nothing further.

Just then, his friends arrived and ended the forbidden "lover's spat" between master and servant.

"Luca! You're awake! Are you all right?"

"Ts, that noisy guy is here."

Entering the hospital room, Ottbo immediately made a fuss.

Luca clicked his tongue, but he didn't really seem to mind.

Not just Ottbo—Moula and Hav also came in.

"We heard the story. You fought that weird guy to the end to save us, right?"

"It wasn't for you—I would've had to fight him no matter what."

"Don't be embarrassed. Here, this is a present."

Hav said that, holding out a neatly-wrapped set of medicines.

"This is..."

Luca looked down at the medicine set with a strange look.

"These are recovery potions made with my master's special recipe. They taste awful, but they really work! But their nickname is..."

"Water wrung from a rag."

At Luca's words, Hav nodded.

"Haha! Yeah, the nickname..."

Hav trailed off, looking puzzled.

"How do you know about that?"

At that question, Luca knocked back what he had gotten used to—rag water—gulped it down, stifled a retch, and answered.

"Hav. Your master's name is 'Bern Doyner', isn't it?"

"Y-yeah, that's right. How did you know?"

At that moment—

Wong-wong!

[You have met the conditions. A new hint has been added.]

You have found the student of the Eccentric alchemist Bern Doyner.

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