"Ah, right! That's true... But you really were listening?"
"You were the one who didn't believe me."
"A-anyway! We should still...", Looking both surprised and a little embarrassed, Roxy tried to change the subject and get back on track, but Ash interrupted with an exaggerated look of regret.
"If it had been one of my old teachers, they definitely would've apologized to me by now. Ahh~ I guess teachers really are different from one another."
"Ugh... I-I'm sorry... I should've trusted you more..."
Though she looked completely unwilling, Roxy wanted to become a good teacher and didn't want to lose to his former teachers. In the end, she pursed her lips, hugged his book, and quietly apologized.
Ash couldn't help smiling as he patted the girl's head.
"Alright~ I forgive you. Being willing to admit your mistakes and change is what makes a good kid."
"One day, I'll definitely turn this situation around..."
Although she always instinctively complained and scolded him whenever he patted her head, this time she only looked up at the disciple who seemed more like a master than she did herself, her eyes full of frustration.
———
Over the following days, Roxy seemed determined to improve herself and worked hard to get Ash to do all kinds of housework.
As his teacher, though, she naturally couldn't interrupt his studies, so she always waited until he was taking a break before trying to teach him, hoping to guide him back onto the "right path," fix his strange views on money, and teach him how to live independently.
The only problem was that if she looked away for even a moment... Ash would already have another book in his hands.
After trying for about a week, Roxy finally decided to put the housework aside for the time being and instead teach him how to cook, hoping he'd experience the satisfaction of making his own meals.
However...
On that day, the girl came face to face with despair.
Staring at the object in the pan, which had followed her instructions exactly, yet had somehow turned into an unidentifiable lump of charcoal at an astonishing speed, Roxy's face turned pale as she pointed at what had once been meat.
"W-What... what is this thing? Why did it turn into this in the blink of an eye?"
"Honestly, that's been bothering me too."
In truth, worried that being too good at cooking would make people expect him to cook, Ash had secretly sprinkled a little something into it at a speed invisible to the naked eye. Even so, he wore an equally puzzled expression.
A moment later, though, he smiled, cut off a piece with a knife and fork, and held it out to the girl.
"Here, have a taste. You said that as long as I made it, you'd definitely eat it, right?"
"B-but! That was assuming it was a normal—"
"I see. So you were lying to me. I understand now. That's what teachers are like~ Since you're an elder, you can just rely on your status and go back on your word."
Ash lowered his head dejectedly and put on a disappointed expression.
Startled, Roxy hurriedly waved both hands.
"N-no! N-not at all! I'm actually really looking forward to it!"
"Really?"
"R-really!"
Faced with his expectant gaze, Roxy forced a smile, despite feeling like she had dug her own grave.
"Then, please."
"Th-this... really?"
Even as she spoke, she couldn't help swallowing nervously as she stared at the slightly green lump of charcoal. She simply couldn't bring herself to take a bite.
"Master, are you actually looking down on me after all?"
"N-not at all!"
"Then, please."
He pushed the fork a little closer.
Roxy's face turned deathly pale. After a long while, she suddenly seemed to think of something.
"T-then at a time like this... shouldn't I write a letter home first?"
"You can write it after you eat."
"It'll be too late!"
'Who writes their last letter after they're already dead?'
Roxy deeply regretted ever trying to teach him cooking.
In the end, after Ash kept urging her on, she had no choice but to take a bite.
After that...
There wasn't really an "after that."
She lost her memory.
Or rather, the memory was so terrifying that her brain refused to recall it.
The only thing she clearly remembered was forcing herself to swallow it before throwing up violently... and then being saved by Ash.
Saved with Detoxification Magic.
No matter how hard she thought about it, she couldn't understand how eating a single bite of food had ended with her like that. Somehow, while suffering, she'd even agreed to his request for a raise.
Ash, meanwhile, felt he'd accidentally gone a little too far with his teasing.
He decided that when it was time for him to leave, he'd give her a bigger bonus and help improve her strength while he was at it.
———
The days that followed were peaceful and uneventful.
Even Roxy herself couldn't understand how she'd come here as a tutor, only to somehow end up taking responsibility for practically every aspect of Ash's daily life.
Although she was earning one gold coin a month, equivalent to twelve and a half silver coins, she couldn't shake the feeling that her conscience bothered her, and her pride as a teacher had taken a hit.
As time passed, however, that wound didn't heal.
Instead... it only grew worse.
She discovered that Ash learned even faster than she'd imagined. While she practiced, he'd study for a short while and gradually begin offering suggestions for improvement, often helping her make breakthroughs.
Although he didn't seem to understand attack magic very well, somehow he could still guide her.
When she reached Saint-rank, she'd believed she could never improve any further.
But after teaching Ash, she realized that if he kept teaching her in return, let alone reaching King-rank... she might even have a chance to reach Emperor-rank.
After dinner, while teaching Ghislaine arithmetic, Roxy looked at Ash's back as he sat in the courtyard reading a book written in an unfamiliar language by the light of an oil lamp.
"This kid is definitely a genius..."
"He really is. His learning speed is frightening."
Ghislaine frowned at the paper in front of her before unconsciously glancing up at Ash.
She wasn't particularly surprised.
Even though she no longer sensed any danger from him now, she still couldn't forget the overwhelming feeling of certain death she'd experienced when they first met.
She couldn't understand why Ash was studying things he should have learned long ago.
No...
It actually seemed like he really didn't know these things.
That only made her understand even less.
If he didn't know them... then why was he so strong?
Still, she'd never been good at thinking, and simple addition and subtraction within ten already gave her headaches, so she decided not to dwell on it.
"By the way, Miss Ghislaine, I heard Ash was abandoned right after he was born. Why would his parents abandon him? He's obviously so talented."
"I don't know."
"Aren't you two friends?", Roxy asked in surprise.
"He only came here recently. Same as me."
"Recently? Wait... then how did he borrow money from his friends? Was it from you?"
"I don't have any money. But..."
Ghislaine suddenly remembered something Ash had said some time ago.
To her, it had sounded like the ultimate truth.
She'd found herself unconsciously repeating it over and over in her heart these past days. Now she cleared her throat, smiled faintly, and said,
"You should know this, there are no strangers in this world. There are only friends you haven't met yet."
"W-wow... You can actually say something so profound?"
"Ash said it. I thought it made a lot of sense too, so I remembered it without realizing."
Being praised for her eloquence for once made Ghislaine's smile noticeably brighter.
"But would someone you just met really lend you that much money?"
"I don't know."
Ghislaine scratched her head blankly.
"Then is there anything you do know?"
"Seven minus four equals four!"
"Really? Let's just start over."
Roxy's body stiffened slightly.
A pained expression appeared on her face, as though that answer had struck her head-on.
Even so, she endured the throbbing headache and silently took out her teaching aid from her pocket, ten small stones.
[🎉 Shoutout to Someone's_Nobody, MahSty and Shinto for joining p@treon. Your support will help me bring better stories to you. Thank you very much.🤗]