The Hero’s Mentor is a Demon (King) Witch

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Morning had arrived.

Originally, I was supposed to help Lucius with his physical training this morning, but that wasn’t possible today.

“Lucius, pay attention. This is how to deal with an archer.”

“I understand, Master.”

Because there was an enemy to defeat.

“Are you ready, Rosmas?”

“Yes. I will definitely defeat you.”

Look at that arrogant Elf.

‘That stare is pretty terrifying.’

Back in the day, we used to call those who didn’t know their place “Kanf,” which fits perfectly here.

It’s obvious that this High Elf has just reached adulthood by their standards, yet they are trying to have the upper hand against me like a real “Kanf.”

“Hmm….”

High Elf.
Young.
Infatuated with a man.
Yet their skills are impressive.
From the looks of it, they’ve also practiced spirit magic.
Two Elves are nervously hovering around them.

‘Seems like they’re the daughter of some Elder.’

In human terms, they would be akin to a princess of a kingdom or an imperial duchess?

That’s probably about right.

“Master, um….”

“It’s okay, it’s okay.”

Lucius gave me a very worried glance.

I’m sure he’s concerned that I might run out of mana while facing Rosmas.

“I know my own body best. You don’t need to worry about my mana at all. This reckless Elf isn’t particularly mana-intensive to deal with….”

I lightly patted Lucius’s arm to encourage him.

“If my mana runs low, you’ll just fetch some magic stones, right? I can count on that?”

“…Yes, of course. I’ll bring you magic stones even if I have to rob the magic stone bank.”

“I’m grateful for that intent. You good kid.”

After receiving Lucius’s support, I stood in front of Rosmas.

“…….”

Rosmas glared at me with a deadpan look, radiating an aura as if they were about to kill me.

The two Elves following Rosmas were worriedly discussing among themselves, as if they feared I might lose.

‘Oh really?’

There’s a limit to how much confidence one can exude, and that’s downright arrogant.

“I said I’d test your strength.”

“Yes, that’s correct.”

“As you know, our journey won’t be an easy one. You can’t just wish to be comrades and expect anyone to join. You understand that, right?”

“Yes.”

Rosmas unleashed their mana and pulled out a silver bow.

“Therefore, I will prove it.”

“Alright. The rules are simple.”

A condition so simple that even Rosmas could understand.

“You just have to beat me in a fight. There are no rules. Use all means and methods available to defeat me. It’s really easy, right?”

This is an open space near the inn.

No trees or cover, which is disadvantageous for the Elf archer, but it’s the same for me as a sorceress.

“How does that sound?”

“…Can I use anything?”

“Of course.”

“…You won’t regret this? No take-backs?”

Rosmas bowed with a confident smile.

They looked ready to pull back the bowstring and shoot an arrow at any moment, so I tied up my hair in a way that made fighting easier.

“However, since just fighting is inconvenient, I’ll bring one weapon.”

“A weapon…?”

“Yes, this.”

I received a broom borrowed from the innkeeper, which I had gotten from Lucius.

“A witch’s broom…?”

“Just an inn’s broom. For cleaning the yard.”

The broom was as long as my current height.

I would have to pay for it if I broke it, so I left a silver coin as collateral when I borrowed my weapon.

“…Are you insulting me?”

“Whether it’s an insult or not, you’ll find out in the fight.”

This is how it always is.

I just took a weapon that suited the opponent’s level, yet they think it’s an insult to themselves.

‘This is why the naïve ones are like this.’

If they think that little of themselves, they should humbly accept it.

“I’ll leave the start of the duel to Lucius. The moment he claps his hands, we will begin the duel. Got it?”

“No games.”

“Really…. If that’s the case, then you two can synchronize with Lucius.”

“Master?”

In the center, Lucius was flustered, but Rosmas rushed toward Lucius and whispered in his ear.

I couldn’t hear it, but it didn’t really matter.

‘Go ahead and be sneaky, I dare you.’

A fair duel.
Those are either present or absent in the Demon King’s Army.

-One, two, three, and then shoot. Got it?
-One, two, shot!
-One, two, three, and then shoot. Got it?
-Three, shot!
-One-
-Shot!

Indeed, there were many demons.

Having defeated them all, I was confident that I could win no matter what tricks were used.

“Then….”

Lucius gave me a gesture, but I closed my eyes and held the broom firmly.

With the broom tip backward, and the hard end facing the ground.

My stance was slightly sideways, with my front knee bent a little.

“…….”

This is not a sorcerer’s stance.
If Rosmas can discern my intent from this stance, then Rosmas has already passed the first test.

“One.”

Lucius started the count.

“Two.”

At the same time, I felt a gust of wind brush against my neck and head toward Rosmas’s bow.

“Three—”

Are you telling me to know by sound? Lucius purposefully made a loud sound at three.

Clap—!

Clapping his hands at the exact timing of the count of four.

And the moment Lucius clapped, Rosmas drew back their bowstring.

It was an attack aimed precisely at my forehead.

The intent was weak, but it wasn’t to kill me.

With a blunt wind arrow, being hit by that would feel like getting punched in the face.

So.

‘I’m going to intercept it.’

Whoosh—

I lightly swung the broom.

“Eh…?”

And Rosmas’s wind arrow shattered into pieces.

“Is that all you’ve got?”

“Wha-What just…?”

“Can’t you keep your wits about you?”

I slowly walked forward.

Rosmas tried to hide their surprise, keeping a calm face and aiming the bow at me as they jumped back.

Whoosh!

Another wind arrow flew toward me.

Still, perhaps not completely unskilled, this wind arrow curved and didn’t fly straight.

In that case, I’ll simply swing the broom toward it.

Crack!

The lightly swung broom’s end precisely burst the wind arrow.

“How did you…?”

“Is dodging arrows really different just because an Elf is firing them? It’s just spear-fighting.”

“Spear fighting…?”

“Yup. Is it strange for a sorceress to use a spear?”

A sorcerer should be accustomed to a spear.

If the top of a staff gets broken, you’re left holding a long stick.

“Back in my day, sorcerers couldn’t even call themselves sorcerers if they couldn’t excel in close combat.”

That’s the truth.

500 years ago, sorcerers who faced the Demon King’s Army would run at them before casting spells and poke them with the spear’s tip.

The Sorceress of Crimson Lotus was the same.
Although the origins of the spear techniques differ, the basics remain the same.
Swing and thrust.
Very quickly.

‘Heist.’

Fast enough for the opponent not to notice!

Ta—ng!!

Rolling lightly on the ground, I accelerated forward.

I twirled the broom, bursting the wind arrow that surprised Rosmas, and aimed the end of the broom precisely at Rosmas’s chest.

“End.”

With the broom tip.
I lightly poked Rosmas’s solar plexus with the end of the broom made of straw.

“……”

Rosmas seemed unable to believe their defeat.

But with three of their arrows shattered and attacks gotten through.
If this were an actual battle rather than a duel?

The spear head would have lodged right into the solar plexus, and that would be that.

“Ah, this can’t be….”

Suddenly, Rosmas started to tear up.

“I can’t lose like this….”

“Pass.”

“…Huh?”

“I said pass.”

“Master!”

Lucius raised his voice and approached from behind.

“What do you mean, suddenly? Pass means you would take them along as a comrade, right?!”

“Yep.”

“Why?!”

“Because I see potential. When have I ever judged someone purely on skill?”

“Ugh….”

Lucius clamped his mouth shut.

“Honestly, looking objectively, Rosmas is stronger than you. If you were to fight Rosmas, you’d lose all ten times, right?”

“Is it really that much?”

“Yeah. After about a hundred fights, maybe you’ll win once at the end.”

Rosmas is strong and talented.

But Lucius is even more talented.

If the ratio is that he would lose 99 times because he’s behind, the 100th fight would be the catching up.

“Ahem. Rosmas.”

I extended my hand to Rosmas.

“Our journey ahead may be filled with hardships. There may be times when we have to sleep in the streets, times when we have to sleep in dungeons, and times when we might be so tired that we want to throw everything away. Are you okay with that?”

“……Yes.”

Rosmas was burning with determination.

“…I will become stronger. And someday, I will defeat you.”

“That’s good to hear.”

Rosmas took my hand.
It was a signal that she accepted her defeat, and I subtly appealed to the two who were glaring at me from behind.

In truth, I didn’t care about this duel at all.

It was merely an opportunity to shake off those bothersome Elves who hovered around her as if guarding her.

“Then can I act comfortably around you from now on?”

“…Yes.”

“Good. I look forward to your contribution.”

At the very least, there was no way I could keep speaking formally forever.

“So… tell me. How did you nullify my arrows?”

“Huh?”

“My wind arrows aren’t just ordinary arrows. How could you… with a broom?”

“Oh, this?”

It’s simple.

“I protected the impact point.”

“…Huh?”

“I blew mana into the spot where the wind arrow would hit to create a shield, and shaped that shield into a conical form.”

I rested my fingertip on the tip of the cone and folded my finger.

“You just spread the shield at an angle that disrupts the gathering force of the wind arrow. How’s that? Pretty easy, right?”

“But… the speed…”

“You saw it. How easy was it?”

I lifted the broom.

“You intercept by watching the flying arrow. Even the Goblins at the entrance of the Demon King’s Castle can do that much without breaking a sweat?”

Isn’t this basic?

“What’s wrong? Is that not doable?”

Honestly, I couldn’t understand.