ALL NOVEL Chapter 138
“…Why did you name it like that?”
“Well, I don’t really know.”
Leona answered shortly and gently touched the book cover.
“I couldn’t understand what went on in that person’s head. Besides, I couldn’t just ask directly.”
“Why not just ask? What do you mean you couldn’t?”
Zing – Leona shot me a glare.
“I didn’t ask because I was afraid I’d get punched, you foolish disciple. You’re really lucky to have a master. If it were my master, you’d already be dead from a beating.”
“Was he really that scary?”
“Emotionally exposed? It was so rare it could be counted on one hand. If you got too close, you’d feel like he’d kill you.”
“Hm…”
That Arisa? Excluding battle time, her constant smiling was an advantage, but she had a blank face?
I really can’t imagine it.
Well, I could, but it wouldn’t come off as natural.
Right, Flora said the same.
After sealing the Demon King and returning alone, Arisa was very quiet and blunt.
Still, I’m mad she named it like this.
What a nonsense title!
I mean, why name it something that sounds like it was made by someone who’s about to die?
Like something regular such as “How to create a fist harder than an ethereal sword” or “How to not be mocked as a chimpanzee” or “How to deliver a super strong kick.”
Who else but a total idiot would name it like that?
“Tsk.”
“What’s with your expression?”
“What’s wrong with it?”
“It looks like you’ve bitten into a bug.”
“I enjoy eating bugs.”
“Your arrogance…”
“I’m serious.”
I cautiously flipped through the cover of the book.
Was there really a need to make thirty volumes? I thought it was excessive before opening it, but now… it seems like thirty volumes packed quite well.
Details about the body, both external and internal. Even her own experiences were meticulously documented.
And not just that. Monsters, Mages, Dark Mages, Demon Race.
There were even methods to easily kill them as a Martial Artist.
Of course, I didn’t need Arisa’s experiences.
I didn’t need to know what triggered her experiences either.
Even without that, I could… manage.
But is it completely useless?
That’s a no.
There are ways to compensate for the problems I’ve felt.
However… looking through it quickly, it seems like I can’t enhance anything right now. It says I need to reach the 7th Rank to be a proper person.
That’s based on Arisa’s standards.
No, it’s based on our standards.
For us to be considered proper people, we’d need to be able to kill a high-ranking demon alone.
“So, why are you giving this to me now?”
“I thought you wouldn’t be able to learn from it before. Like I said… I underestimated you.”
“And what about now?”
“I can’t gauge.”
“You can’t gauge a genius.”
Leona fell silent for a moment and stared at me.
“Do you know what I thought when I hit you earlier?”
“Do you want to hit me harder?”
“I did think that later, but right now—first, I thought you were the reincarnation of Ronan.”
“…Hmm.”
Did I manage to control my expression well? Did I not get caught?
What face am I making?
But Ronan?
Why don’t I add “sir” when referring to him as my master?
“But that can’t be true. Rebirth is impossible, and…”
“And what?”
“That Ronan, that crazy, ominous Ronan, becoming a cute, petite pretty girl and enrolling in the Academy, making pretty friends, wearing a neat uniform, and occasionally showing cute panties with powerful kicks? That’s absurd?”
“Cute… panties…? What? When did I show them? It’s just that the Vice Headmaster saw them without permission.”
What does ‘that Ronan’ even mean, and what about ‘crazy’ and ‘ominous’? I don’t have black skin; mine is bronze.
What’s with the backtalk?
“And also… what do you mean crazy? Do you know Mister Ronan?”
“Yeah.”
Leona chuckled softly.
Not in her usual nya haha laugh or a kikik giggle; it was an adult-like laugh.
“I know. But it might just be one-sided. So, I’m not sure. Given Ronan’s personality, the chance of not remembering is high.”
What? What’s this? What’s going on?
Do you remember me? But I don’t remember!
What the heck?
Did we meet before?
Beastman. Lion Beastman. Golden eyes.
…I did save some beastmen just before they were exterminated. The ones I barely saved ended up as slaves to nobles in the system.
I never expected that.
When we returned to sanity, we beheaded the nobles who enslaved the beastmen.
We probably killed just over a hundred humans then.
Anyway, I helped beastmen only twice.
Of those two times… does that mean Leona was there?
Or maybe we met on the battlefield?
Leona, Leona. Leona Meganberta.
The name Meganberta and Leona are both new to me.
Was she just a soldier?
No, even as a simple soldier, a smaller-framed soldier like Leona should have remained in memory. But I don’t remember.
“Sounds like… it was quite an intense encounter.”
“It was intense enough that, no matter how I lock away my memories, the scene still pops up in my mind.”
Wow. When was that?
Who was it? How did they know me?
Scratching my head, I looked at Leona.
I don’t think about myself being Ronan, even a smidgeon.
Neither does Flame Sovereign.
It’s unavoidable.
Those who know a lot about this world understand that rebirth is impossible.
Unless it’s a being like Flora, who can recognize my past self and read my soul form, it’s normal to not recognize me.
For now… no matter how much I think about it, I’ll leave my unknown encounter with Leona behind and pick up Volume 1.
“Anyway, now I feel like you finally see me properly. Since you even showed me this.”
“I’ve always been seeing you properly and teaching you diligently.”
“I was beginning to think the Vice Headmaster had no teaching talent at all. I just followed along because I’m a genius. If it were someone else, they’d have given up and run away long ago.”
“If it were someone else, I wouldn’t have thought of taking them as a disciple.”
“…Oh. If you were trying to win my feelings with that line, well. I think you succeeded.”
Leona chuckled.
“Still… yeah, you’re right. I’ve been a bit… lenient in my teaching. Mostly focusing on practical skills. But now, I think I no longer need to do that. Using a deity means your ability to regulate mana is monstrous.”
“Can’t you use a deity, Vice Headmaster?”
“I know the theory. So I tried it. My hip twisted, and my arm came off. Since then, I haven’t even thought about it. I can’t. It’s a technique not permitted to humans.”
While scolding me earlier, now she’s praising me.
Of course, both aspects mentioned it without realizing I’m Ronan, but either way, the carrot and stick approach is balanced.
That arm that came off was probably the left one.
Rubbing my left shoulder, I leaned back in the chair, while Leona stared at me.
I met her golden eyes.
“Now, can you tell me where you learned this?”
“No.”
Nya haha, Leona shook her head.
“Any inquiry now would be pointless.”
“Then what should I answer?”
“What I asked you before.”
“Before?”
“Do you want to kill the Demon King?”
“I remember answering that it sounded like a very dangerous statement.”
“And I replied it was okay to be honest with me.”
With a peculiar smile, Leona seemed to know exactly what answer I’d give.
“So, what’s the verdict? Has your heart changed since then?”
“Yes.”
“What’s that answer in reply to which question?”
I don’t know why she wants a definitive answer, but I opened my mouth according to Leona’s desire.
“Someday, I will kill the Demon King.”
“You’re not just wanting to kill him; you’re declaring you will kill him… heh heh. Arrogant and cocky as always. But… yes. I like that answer.”
Leona smiled brightly and nodded.
“Then I should teach you even harder so you can get stronger even faster.”
Then she raised her right hand and pointed her nails.
“Before that, I need to tell you something.”
“What is it?”
“I heard you were looking for information about heroes in the Forbidden Library.”
“Ha…”
A sigh escaped effortlessly.
I rubbed my face and muttered,
“…Balamir said no one other than the Emperor should know that.”
“My fist sometimes has the ability to glimpse the past and future.”
“Is it okay to beat up the leader of the Royal Guard like that?”
“If a kid doesn’t listen to adults, they should get scolded, right?”
“Just because of that… that guy, he just spilled it after being hit a bit. What a funny chap.”
“What? It seems like your true thoughts just slipped out?”
“I said it intentionally. Even if Lord Balamir was in front of me, I would’ve done the same. After all, since the Vice Headmaster is my teacher, he wouldn’t have dared to touch me, right?”
“You’re really irritating.”
As she waved her finger with sharpened nails, Leona muttered, “But it would’ve been interesting to see your reaction if that had actually happened.”