Another night, another campfire. I was on watch, as usual. But tonight, Takson wasn't sleeping. He had asked to see the holy book I had been studying. I had no use for it, so I tossed it to him.
He took the book, and as he held it, a memory surfaced. He remembered the old priest, standing against the demons, his hands glowing with holy light.
I remember... he did it like this...
And then, it happened.
My eyes snapped wide, my full attention fixed on the boy. He was staring in shock at his own hands. In them, he now held a spear made of pure, golden light.
My scanners flared. The spear was radiating the exact same energy signature as the divine magic that had sealed the cellar.
The boy had talent.
….
Several days later, we stood before the entrance to another labyrinth. But this time, I was not alone.
"T-teacher, are you serious?" Takson asked, his voice trembling. He clutched the holy book to his chest with one hand, and a small, golden battle-axe in the other. He stared at the dark, yawning maw of the labyrinth with undisguised fear.
The axe was my creation, a simple iron weapon I had materialized for him. The boy had the aptitude of a priest, yet he wanted to walk the path of a warrior. A battle cleric? I didn't understand his reasoning, but it was his choice. I would not interfere.
"Affirmative," I stated. "Practical application is the most efficient method of skill development."
I was no teacher. And the combat style of an Ex-Machina was not something a human could learn. This was the only way I could think of.
Yes, practical application. And this labyrinth would be his first lesson.
I had, in the end, decided to take Takson with me. The reason was simple: the boy possessed the "Blessing of the Goddess," the rare aptitude required to wield divine magic. In order to analyze and replicate that power, I needed a subject. He was it.
"A-alone? Are you serious?"
"Affirmative."
"But I'll die!"
"Negative. There will be no risk to your life."
"Huh?"
Takson had been hoping I was joking. But one look at my face told him I was completely serious. What kind of teacher throws their student into a labyrinth for their first lesson?! he thought, his mind reeling. Then again... maybe this is why she's so strong.
He took a deep breath, steeling himself. If his teacher said he wouldn't die, then he had to trust her.
I offered no further explanation. He glanced at me. I had dropped my human disguise, revealing the inorganic seams and components of my true face. Takson barely reacted. He didn't know what he was seeing, only that it wasn't a demon.
As he walked into the dark entrance of the labyrinth, I recalled the day I had made my decision.
….
After he had manifested the spear of light, I had decided on one final test. I had revealed my true form to him.
To my surprise, the boy had shown almost no fear.
"All I need to know is that you're not a demon, teacher," he had said, his eyes wide with a strange sort of awe. "And... you kind of look like an angel."
He was still unnerved by my emotionless, mechanical eyes, but his attention was fixed on the halo of light above my head, not the seams on my face. His hatred for the demons who had destroyed his life had become an all-consuming fire, leaving no room for fear of anything else. As long as I was not a demon, I was an ally.
….
I found a spot near the labyrinth entrance and sat down to wait.
….
Dusk—
"Ugh..."
A clone of myself emerged from a Vector Gate, carrying the bruised and battered body of Takson over its shoulder.
This was his fifteenth failure.
He now understood what I had meant by "no risk to your life." He remembered the first time, seeing a monster's claws tear through his chest, watching his own insides spill onto the stone floor. He had blacked out, certain he was dead. Then, he had woken up outside the labyrinth, with me standing over him.
That same scenario had repeated itself more than a dozen times. Each time, he had suffered a fatal wound, and each time, he had been saved.
Teacher, you're amazing! he thought, his admiration growing with each "death." You have to be an apostle of the Goddess.
I was aware of his developing misconception. I saw no reason to correct it.
"Haaack—!"
The moment he was healed, Takson was ready to go again. "I can still fight..." he mumbled, his first instinct upon waking to grab his axe and charge back into the labyrinth.
His teacher had given him a clear objective: clear this labyrinth in one day.
He was about to step back inside when I blocked his path.
"...Teacher...?" he said, his head bowed. He was afraid he had disappointed me. Even though he had never seen me display a single emotion in the month he had known me, the fear of failure was still there.
"Answer: Time is up," I stated.
Just as I spoke, a loud crash echoed from deep within the labyrinth. A few seconds later, a golden portal opened beside me, and a clone of myself stepped out, a book in its hand.
"Report: Mission complete. Target 'Grimoire' acquired."
I took the book and began my high-speed "reading," offering no explanation to Takson. He was used to this by now.
"Ah..." he sighed, a fresh wave of uselessness washing over him. His teacher could have cleared this place in an instant, yet she had waited all day for him.
"Announcement: Your physical body is still too weak. To reach the baseline of a 'warrior,' you require more training." My benchmark for a "warrior" was the demon, Zera. I had no data on the minimum physical requirements for a human of that class.
After recording the grimoire's contents, I tossed it into a small portal that opened and closed at my side.
"Teacher, next time I'll do be—"
"Warning: Overtraining yields no strategic benefits."
"Addendum: You are still a juvenile. Haste is an inefficient path to strength."
….
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