Chapter 3 – The Conqueror's Sensei

I can’t feel any pain at all… Such thoughts are immediately dispelled as I move around, gentle spines prickling me throughout. I feel exhausted. I probably shouldn’t force myself.

My stirring body feels… wrong. Heavy, hot, and tingly, like a fever that’s not quite breaking. My limbs won’t move the way I want them to, and the second I try, a sharp pain shoots from my side.

“You might not want to do that.”

The approach is soft but secure, playful and sweet. My eyes snap open, and there she is -- leaning on her elbow, head propped on her hand, lying in bed with me. Her shoulder-length blonde hair fans on the pillow, and her red eyes gleam in the morning light.

She wears a perfectly pressed white outfit and hasn’t bothered slipping off her thigh-high boots. She doesn’t appear to have any makeup on, but her lips are strangely alluring.

My brain, which has been punctured by visual information alone, is about to explode when it understands what’s going on. Waking up next to such a beautiful lady, it feels like I’ve been thrust into a different kind of battlefield.

“Wha--?!” I try to sit up, but she places an open hand on my chest, gently but firmly pushing me back down.

“What? Whaaat? Whaaaaaat-? Oh? Hmmm? Mmmmmmmmm?”

She confuses me more because she stealing the interjections right out of my mouth. Compared to my scowl of not knowing anything, her lips curve in a way that teases she knows everything. “Good mooorning, tiger! You’re moving, you’re moving like a fish returned to water! Ihihihi! This is hilarious! Poisoned, fractured rib, and yet! Oh, dearie me. You’re quite the masochist, aren’t you? After all, normal people wouldn’t be able to tolerate this pain! You’re lucky to be alive, so let’s not ruin your winning streak, okay?”

“What… what’s going on?! Why are we-- why am I--”

She smirks, amused by my panicked stammering. “Relax. It’s not what you think. You were poisoned badly, from the Bladeback’s tail. Nasty stuff. I administered an antidote and had to monitor how it worked. It’s standard protocol to keep the patient close, you know? For science.”

“For science?!” I squeak, still struggling against her hand.

“Don’t worry -- I was confident the serum would work. But I didn’t expect it to take so long, and, well…” She yawns peacefully. “I dozed off around hour three.”

“I’m sorry. It seems the wrong nurse has been assigned to me.”

“Ahh, kidding, kidding. It’s been a while since I've examined anyone from outside my clinic, so I wasn't sure how familiar to be with my new patient. I was thinking about what might suit you, and figured a frank greeting would be best, you know? And this isn't a hospital, it’s my room at this tavern inn.”

I notice that a chair has been pulled up and words catch in my throat. Has she been taking care of me? Her briefcase is sprawled on the table, I feel better, even my clothes have been washed. It embarrasses me endlessly to think someone, or rather, the breathtaking woman before me, had stripped me while I was unaware.

But if I’m right, this woman is my savior.

“What a horrible boy, fighting in my path, sharing my bed, making me miss proper sleep. Next time, I get to sleep in yours, okay? Kidnap me first.”

I stare at her, my brain scrambling to catch up with her nonchalant explanation.

She sits up and gestures broadly. “Anyway, good news! You’re alive. Bad news: you’ve got an extra line on your palms, and your ribs will ache for a while. But hey, could be worse.”

I blink at her, still processing. “Worse… I… I almost died.”

“And you didn’t, thanks to none other than me. Kokoro Kanazaki, at your service. Conqueror, scientist, occasional lifesaver.”

“C-Conqueror? Miss Kokoro…” I repeat in great honor, the name sticking awkwardly in my mouth. Yes! She really did save me! “Th-Thank you.”

Her arms flail in front of her, her smile difficult. “It’s fine, it’s fine. Why wouldn’t I help someone in front of me who needs it? You can call me Kokoro. What’s your name?”

“Brawler. My grandpa…” My delivery falls short, my thoughts going back to the Labyrinth. The herbs… my failure to find anything. But I regain what I’m meaning to say. “My grandpa didn’t give me a last name.”

“So he gave you a cool one, so you don’t need a second, so your name is Brawler. It’s a pleasure. Now, what was a tough young boy like you doing in the Labyrinth?”

Giving her a brief explanation, her curved lips gradually begin to turn into a frown. She doesn’t look impressed.

“Sounds like you have nobody to take care of you. I’ll scold you in their place. What you did was beyond foolish. A mistake that cannot be taken back. I want you to think about what you’ve done.” She doesn’t lay a finger on me, but her words jut at my heart.

“Yes. I’m… sorry.” Tears nearly begin welling up in my eyes.

“That said. You are quite the fighter. Did your grandfather pass on his training to you?”

“Yeah. I’m so happy it worked.”

Her smile softens, just a little. “Ah. The noble idiot routine. And what’s your plan now, huh? Run back and hope they give you a medal?”

“I’m not going back,” I say firmly, sitting up despite the pain.

She raises an eyebrow. “Oh? And why’s that?”

“I… I don’t know,” I admit, my voice faltering. “I just can’t.”

For the first time, she looks at me seriously, her ruby eyes narrowing as if she’s trying to read my soul. “Kid, you can’t just wander around the Labyrinth without a plan. That’s how you end up as monster chow. What’s really keeping you here?”

I don’t answer.

She sighs, “Fine. Be mysterious. But let me give you some advice: running away doesn’t solve anything.”

Her words hit harder than I expect, but before I can respond, she stretches, her back arching. “Alright, I’ve done my good deed for the day. Let’s get you back to civilization before you do something stupid.”

No. I don’t have anything to return to. “I’m not going back,” I repeat, more forcefully this time.

“What’s your plan, then? Stay here and mope?”

I don’t answer. Instead, I swing my legs off the bed, wincing as my feet touch the floorboards.

“Brawler…”

But I don’t listen. I bolt for the door, ignoring the searing pain in my chest and the protests of my battered body.

Why am I running?

It’s like I’m still trapped in the Labyrinth before I fought the Beast. Here, at least it felt like I might have something. So please, don’t let me leave. Please don’t let me be alone.

The tavern is bustling as I stumble down the stairs, my breaths ragged and uneven. The smell of food and ale hits me like a wave, but I push through the crowd, ignoring the curious stares of the patrons.

Behind me, I hear her sharp and exasperated cry. “Hey, wait!”

I don’t stop. I shove past a man carrying a tray of mugs, ignoring his curses as beer sloshes onto his shirt.

“Sorry!” I yell over my shoulder, but I don’t look back.

The moment I burst through the tavern doors, the cool morning air hits me, and I run. My eyes dart around for a hiding spot. The ally.

“There he is,” a young voice exclaims -- almost spirited, and it freezes me in my tracks.

I whip around to find the source, but all I see are the dim corners of the tavern, the flicker of lanterns casting shadows against the walls.

“Who’s there?” But no one answers me.

I duck inside a wooden barrel, crouching low. For a moment, all I hear is the noise of the tavern nearby.

And then--

“Here,” the girl’s voice says again, this time right above me. I recoil at the unfamiliar face peering into my hideout. She’s tiny -- barely taller than me -- but her presence is anything but small. Her drill-like hair falls at her sides and her lips curl into a sly smile. “You’re not very good at hiding, are you?”

She disappears from view, followed by a sound resembling glasses being clung, and Kokoro takes her place. “Found you.”

“You’re fast for half-dead, I’ll give you that.” Smug and triumphant, her arms are crossed, her grin into my barrel is infuriatingly casual. “Next time, maybe don’t leave a trail of apologizing to tavern patrons in your wake.”

I don’t respond, crossing my arms and sinking deeper into my makeshift hiding spot.

Kokoro sighs. “You can get scared. You can get mad. But running off like that? Not your smartest move. Where exactly do you plan to go?”

“Anywhere but with you,” I snap.

She chuckles. “You’ve got guts. I’ll give you that. I’m sorry for laughing when you woke up. I couldn’t contain myself. I’ve always been a vagabond, like a feather loose from the wings of women, carried wherever the wind fancies. But then fate brought me to you. After seeing your fight, I knew there was something special about you. A kid, barely holding on, fighting because his life depended on it. It reminded me of when I first set off on my journey. You probably don’t remember much, but you were in a coma for a while. A sorry sight, if I’m honest. I hated seeing you like that. So still, so small. It didn’t sit with me. So when you woke up, looking all confused and alive, I couldn’t hold it in. I couldn’t be happier about seeing you all healthy. So give me another chance, will you?”

She sounds so happy, and so lost, like she’s holding onto a last chance to meet up with a lifelong friend. My resolve wavers… isn’t quite the right way to put it. It’s more like… I open my eyes a bit more and see the world more vividly, her features more vividly.

I see. She must be one of those inner-beauty types of girls -- the longer I talk to her the more beautiful she looks. But that’s bad, because her baseline is already higher than anyone else.

“Besides,” she continues, her grin returning, “you’re not exactly in fighting shape right now. You think you’re gonna fend off another Bladeback like that?”

Forget it. She’s the ugliest girl ever. The world darkens again. I grimace as my hands curl into fists, the sting of my wounds a harsh reminder. “I can fight on my own, you know?”

“I didn’t think so,” Kokoro says, standing up. “Even so, I’m impressed. You stood your own ground and everything.”

Her grin fades, replaced by something quieter, more thoughtful. She steps closer, her manner softer. “Look, I get it. Whatever you’re running from, it’s big. But you can’t take on the world alone. You’ve gotta start somewhere. And right now? You’re lucky someone is offering a warm meal and a bed that isn’t covered in blood.”

Her chiding cuts through my defenses, and I feel the tears welling up before I can stop them. I sniffle, wiping my eyes with my bandaged hands.

“Come on,” she says, offering me her hand. “Let’s go back. I’ll treat you to breakfast, I promise.”

Hesitating for only a moment, I take her hand. It feels so warm. And so grounded… A tethering point for the reality I was ready to throw away. “That’s more like it. Let’s go!”

It’s now that I fully I pop out of the barrel, that I only find Kokoro. Who, where is she? Where did she go? I wonder to myself.

But Kokoro glances at nothing but me.

The tavern is lively, filled with the clatter of plates and the hum of conversation. The smell of roasting meat, fresh bread, and spiced ale fills the air, making my stomach growl despite everything I’ve been through. I sit at the table Kokoro dragged me to, a little stiff from her earlier scolding but too hungry to care.

She’s across from me, tapping a finger against her temple as she skims the menu. Her spotless white uniform stands out in the rough-and-tumble tavern crowd, her blonde hair catching the morning light. It’s hard to believe this woman -- the same one who saved my life and then scolded me to tears -- is so… strange.

“I’ll take the breakfast platter. Oh, and add extra sausage,” she says, handing the menu to the passing waitress with a smile. “Brawler-chan, what about you? Boys can’t fight on an empty stomach.”

“Uh… the same,” I mumble.

“Good choice,” she says, leaning back in her chair with a grin.

The waitress disappears, and I fidget in my seat, trying to avoid her sharp red gaze.

“You’ve been quiet,” she says, propping her chin on her hand. “Still embarrassed about earlier?”

Heat rushes to my face. “N-no! I was just thinking… that girl from before. Where’d she go? Is she joining us?”

“You mean Demeter?”

“Is Demeter around? What a cool name, like the old goddess.”

“Yep, that’s her. Demeter herself. She’s not happy you called her old.”

“What do you mean?”

“She’s here right now. Somewhere anyhow. Likely in my shadow.”

I freeze, my eyes darting to the floor. Her shadow stretches long and thin across the tavern floorboards floor, moving with the morning light. It looks normal.

“Relax, she’s harmless. Mostly.”

“You’re messing with me.”

“Maybe,” Kokoro grins. “You’ve got a lot to learn. Your clothes told me you came from Rosebell before you even said anything but… At one point you’re gonna have to jump out of the frying pan and into the fryer.”

Her words go in my ear and out the other. What she’s saying doesn’t make sense. “I don’t believe you.”

“Oh, you’re quite untrusting for a kid. Right now, you’re better off being a country bumpkin who thinks clock towers are magic.”

“I only don’t trust you. You’re a bad Sensei.”

“Have I said anything worthy of losing your trust?”

“Not really.”

“Then it really is Demeter.” She proceeds to talk about the Deities but I don’t get it at all. She stops once she notices this. “It’s like Rosebell has been ingrained in your mind. I’m glad you got out while you’re still young. Perhaps I should train you properly before someone less kind decides to take a bite. Will you have to see it to believe it?”

“Yes. Show me!”

“I like that spirit. But I don’t think you’re ready. You must try opening your eyes a little first. You can’t believe the things you’ll miss when you keep them closed. How much do you know about the Conquerors really?”

How much do I know? I know that they form factions with each other. I know x, I know y, I know mafias, I know xx, yy. I explain this to Kokoro, her head bobbing all the while. “But my Grandpa never explained anything about gods.”

“Well if you know that much and he didn’t say anything else about the Labyrinth or Deities, that can only mean one thing. He was probably trying to keep you safe. Alienating you from the world by having you raised in the most alienated place in the whole world is probably what he wanted. Your mother and father, what about them?”

“I don’t have any memories of them.”

“A solo traveler, like Sensei. Then could it be… And your Grandpa was a Conqueror. No, forget it, I’m letting my imagination run wild. But one thing’s for sure. You’re a very bad and good boy, Brawler. Running into the Labyrinth to save your Grandpa even though he probably didn’t want you to be a Conqueror in the first place. But I know, I know as well as you do there’s a fire that can’t stop the mothy adventurers. You think the Nation Elite are awesome right?”

“Hell no!”

“You think Conquerors are awesome right?!”

“Hell yeah!”

“Then you have to aim even higher -- There’s something even more awesome! The Deities! Ones traversed the world and pierced the stars! They’re the Heavens above Heaven, the ones who clutch the Sun in their hands and throw it even higher! The embodiments of tales, the embodiments of Gods, the embodiments of everything our world, our universe, has in store! Those are the Deities!”

“Wow, no way!”

Drinking in Brawler’s pure impressionability, she was itching to tell him more. “But what’s this? A world without Deity fans? That won’t do. That would mean not only am I dead, but worse -- I’ve failed. Failed to spread the good word, failed to pass down the appreciation to fellow Conquerors.”

A gruff voice cuts through the dim light. “Well, well, what do we have here?”

A trio of adventurers approach, their armor clinking as they swagger to our table. Their leader -- a burly man with a scruffy beard -- clutches the backrest of Kokoro’s chair like it’s his property, leering down at her.

“A Conqueror, huh? Don’t see many of your kind around here.”

Kokoro doesn’t even look at him. “That’s because I’m smarter than most.”

His grin falters, but he recovers quickly. “Smart enough to know a pretty lady like you shouldn’t be drinking alone. You know, this is Karma’s territory. I wouldn’t mind a looker like you showing your respects.”

“Thanks, but I’m busy.”

“With what? Babysitting?” He glances at me, and I shrink under his gaze.

“A little respect does go a long way, true. If you wanna vie for me, I’ve already selected my wining side.”

“You head the woman, kid. Go build some fucking sandcastles and scram.”

Kokoro’s smile sharpens, her eyes gleaming dangerously. “Careful. I don’t take kindly to people insulting my students.”

“Student, huh?” He chortles. “So, what’re you teaching? How to run away from monsters?”

Before I can protest, Kokoro rises from her chair, her boots clopping against the wooden floor as she steps around the table. She’s still smiling, but there’s an edge to it now, like a blade hidden behind silk.

“You want to know what I teach?” she asks sweetly.

The man doesn’t answer, too distracted by her sudden proximity.

“I teach idiots they shouldn’t pick fights they can’t win. Uoooh! Impenetrable fortress punch!”

Her body moves so fast I barely see it. The next thing I know, the adventurer flies in an arch across the room and sprawls on the floor, clutching his gut and wheezing. His partners prepare to retaliate, but ultimately fall back at Kokoro’s stance. The entire tavern goes silent, all eyes on Kokoro as she dusts off her hands and returns to her seat. The music continues as if nothing happened, even bouncier than before.

“Sorry about that.” She picks up her drink, taking a casual sip. “Where were we?”

I stare at her, my mouth hanging open. “What… what was that?!”

She shrugs. “A little lesson in manners. If he’s allied with Karma, he got what was coming. Now eat before your food gets cold.”

After this breakfast, what happens then? I don’t feel like running, but I still feel hesitation, like I should be slow about this. I had promised Grandpa I would at least try to get into a good middle school.

Even so… Being granted this chance to eat together… It feels like I’m drowning again.

I don’t want to go back.

“I… don’t want to go back,” I mutter, barely hearing the words myself.

Her brows knit, and for a moment, I feel like I’m being judged, like she can see straight through me. But instead of anger, her gaze unstiffens, a hint of something almost… tender. She doesn’t dismiss what I say just because I’m a child. “There are two types of running -- away and towards something. Which kind are you doing? Which kind do you want to do? Think about it carefully before answering my next question. Do you want to stay with me a while longer?”

I freeze. My heart starts pounding in my chest.

Stay with her? The words are almost too much to comprehend. I want to say yes. I want to stay with her, to keep fighting, to learn from her. But I don’t have the words.

She raises an eyebrow, a slight smirk tugging at her lips. “Then say it clearly.”

I swallow hard. “S-Stay with you?” I even try to do my best to pretend to grimace at such an idea. But she doesn't give me time to answer. Instead, her face hardens, and she continues. “Right, unfortunately, I can’t allow it. The monsters I’ll be facing make the Bladeback look like small fry.”

I’m devastated. I feel my stomach sink. She’s right, isn’t she? I can’t keep up with that. Not yet. Not as I am now. But even so, my grandpa told me there comes a time when a man can’t back down!

“Sensei, rather.” I feel my face start to burn, “Sensei -- Do you want to stay with me a while longer? I’ll allow it.”

“You spoke clearly. That’s how a man’s man ought to be! Keep to that instead of running, idiot. But unfortunately, I still can’t allow it. However… If it’s okay, I’m happy to spend more time with you as I shepherd you home.”

“Please!”

…

Kokoro doesn’t talk much about herself. She seems much more interested in me. And I love that. Who doesn’t enjoy talking about themselves -- their ambitions, their frustrations, and all those little triumphs that make life feel worth living? Especially when the one you’re sharing with is someone you respect? Late into the night, I tell her everything about myself and Rosebell, my dreams, and even my doubts.

I tell her how I had no money after people in suits showed up and closed the house. How my adventures as a Conqueror already began in the alleyways of the east. How it makes me a bit nervous -- okay fine, way nervous -- to talk to large crowds with my new jobs, but how, more than stage fright, I love making other’s days. A Conqueror should make another person’s day rather than destroy it.

After being faced with the primordial concept of death, I had grown uncomfortable talking to people. I had forgotten how much I love having a friend. For the first time since my grandpa’s passing, I feel human again: No way I’m going to tell her this, so I do my best to hide it from Sensei.

“And then, and then--!” Sitting crisscross in our tent, I ramble on until early morning, but she listens intently. She leans back with that sly grin of hers, occasionally tossing in a teasing remark or a knowing nod, or best yet, her advice. Her care is the sun. It shines through previously clouded skies, guiding me where I once only saw shadows.

Eventually, I press her. I want to know more about Conquerors, about the Deities. I’m desperate to hear the secrets she surely knows. If Sensei says they’re just as, if not awesomer than the Conquerors, I have to hear more! “Sensei,” I insist, “what are the Deities really like? What do they want?”

“Oh, they’re picky little things. They only show up when we humans do something extraordinary -- feats that shake the world to its core. A blessing here, a miracle there, sprinkling fairy dust everywhere. Like that.”

I’m not unsatisfied with her answer, but it’s nothing new. “That’s it? That’s all you’re going to tell me?”

“Some mafias pledge their Family name to their god in reverence. An easy example is the Neptune Family -- there isn’t a trade port where you won’t catch at least one of their ships docked, the hull engraved with their Family emblem. The Neptune Family practically oversees a seafaring industry of its own. Essentially a franchise.”

“So why are there no Deities that I know? Why are there none in Rosebell?”

“Oh, there must be. Nonetheless, I wouldn’t be surprised by a nil number of them. Rosebell, for the most part, has been abandoned. The whole of Maltrex has. Don’t worry, the commoners aren’t to blame. Or perhaps everyone carries a bit of guilt. The responsibility falls with the ruling aristocracy and their totalitarian ways. Their hatred for the Nation Elite is exceptional, as terrible as their hatred for Conquerors. They nearly bared entrance to this Labyrinth for crying out loud, where it’s easier to connect not only higher beings but also your neighbors. Now then, this may be difficult for you to understand, but I’ll tell my relentless curious cat -- A truth is a truth only if you love it. In this same way, if you hate something, you can deny its truth. I’m not talking about Atheism. Not believing in any beings is multitudes fairer compared to the state of Rosebell. If there’s anything you should learn from this it’s that -- Nobody likes their existence being denied. While wild animals need to be respected, there has to be at least a baseline of respect for fellow humans too.”

Her hands shake and it seems as if her fingernails are about to rip through her gloves. It’s clear from her speed and non-hesitation that she’s saying what she’s really thinking. “Rosebell is a curse that grows with each passing year. I’d go as far as to say that it’d be better if the whole thing fell. …So? Did you understand?

“Yes.”

“Then summarize it for me.”

“I can, I can! I hate you, Sensei!”

“While it’s true that Maltrex has done something unacceptable, it doesn’t mean you’ve done anything wrong.”

“You just said I am to blame!”

“A student of mine can do no wrong. I really can’t keep anything from you, can I, Brawler? For now,” she says softly. “My little Conqueror will learn more when the time is right.”

Her nifty evasiveness stirs frustration in me. I demand more, but deep down, I know why she’s holding back. I’m a smart kid. She’s respecting my grandfather’s wishes -- to learn what I need to when I’m ready. Even so, I can’t help but feel fidgety, as if there’s something out of reach, something I’m meant to grasp.

“Sensei, you really don’t know anything after all. That’s why you won’t tell me.”

But if there’s one thing I’m certain of, it’s this: Sensei is strong.

Kokoro Kanazaki commands attention wherever we go, and it’s not just her striking appearance, the kind that makes heat flood chests and has people wondering what direction they were walking, what they were doing, and why it wasn’t approaching her. There’s something about her -- an aura that draws people in, a gratitude to her presence. It’s clear she’s someone extraordinary. If she were to entertain everyone who takes interest in her, there would be no end to our days. So I feel very lucky that she’s taken an interest in me. No, she should feel even luckier that I even bother.

And yet, what fascinates me most isn’t the admiration others have for her. It’s the action.

Watching her in motion -- whether she’s flipping a coin to distract a vendor or stepping between a bickering crowd to restore order -- leaves me in awe. Her strength is more than physical; it’s in her confidence, her certainty, and her absolute appreciation of every moment. As her suitcase swings by her side, I take her other.

With every passing day, my respect for her grows. She exemplifies everything I admire about Conquerors -- the daring, the determination, the power to leave a mark on the world. Watching her, I feel a spark inside me.

I haven’t told her this, but I want to be like her. Maybe not her exactly but… I want to be more than I am now.

Yes. Sensei is strong. This becomes clear to me from her squashing any Beast in our way on our trip back to Rosebell’s Aurous Gate. Monsters more sizable than the one that nearly took my life, blown off like dusting a rug.

Picking my head back up after taking cover in the wooden caravan, I yell out. “You did it Sensei!”

“Oh yeah, I guess I did.”

“Oh yeah, let’s rock! But wouldn’t it be bad if it broke, swinging it like that?” I said, my chin pointed at her suitcase.

“More of a blessing. I’ve been trying to get the contents destroyed but can’t seem to. And since there’s nobody as powerful as I am to hand this suitcase off to, the responsibility of watching over it stays with me. It’s the worst, I tell you. I’d infinitely rather have two Brawlers with me instead.”

“What’s in it?”

“No good.”

“Please? Please tell me what--”

“No good, even with your magic word.” She expresses this no differently from the way she squashes the Beasts. “I’d have to silence you.”

A line runs through my vision, splitting the world in two.

Oh, the darkness of this world… M-Maybe Conquerors are evil!

“In fact, there are many who would kill me on the spot due to this briefcase. No ifs, ands, or buts -- A guarded secret loses all reason to be guarded once it’s revealed. Just remember me as the girl who loves fighting with her briefcase.”

“Girl…”

“Yes, don’t give me a reason to fight, will you? Your grandpa probably didn’t want fouler sides of a Conqueror’s life for you. That’s why he chose Rosebell to hide you away. Gives even more cause to show him, right? How great the great can be.”

For seven days and seven nights, we travelled together.

And before I know it, it’s already time to say goodbye. We had arrived just outside Rosebell’s Auralis Gate. Although we’re turned to each other, neither of us can bring ourselves to say bye just yet. Since she’s my friend, I intend to see her off properly.

“Brawler, I have advice to offer you. Is this acceptable?”

“Ah yes.”

“When you return to Rosebell you mustn’t tell anybody about meeting me.” Her words plunge through my ears and make their way to the bottom of my soul.

“Why?”

“You mustn’t tell anybody about the Deities either. Up until a certain point and time.” She throws up a peace sign. “The first is if Rosebell falls, and the second…”

Sensei takes her words slowly, smiling as if I’m her bestest friend in the world. “Brawler. Living for a dream is so much more fulfilling and worthwhile than living without a dream, I promise. We should all do our most to seize what luck we have so we don’t squander it! As an adventurer, what you seek cannot be obtained without venturing forward. So the second fulfilling condition is much, much more certain given that look on your face -- When you become a Conqueror.”

She fishes through her belongings and uncovers a piece of armor. A side chestplate of silver and emerald.

“I just can’t give you my legendary weapon, can I? That’s what’s in my briefcase. My short sword. There. I gave you my last secret. I have nothing to hide from you. If you had a weapon I believe you’d run into this Labyrinth without thinking. More important is protection! So instead, I have this.”

It feels extremely durable in my hands, yet somehow light, as if mystic materials gathered and hunted from Beasts were painstakingly crafted into the finishing. In my small hands, the size is more of a small shield.

“It won’t fit you for some time, but when it does, I think that’s when you’ll be extra equipped to enter this Labyrinth again. No matter how many monsters you cut down I probably won't get any closer. But when I see you again, I want to see you in one good shape. Will you take it?”

Will I take it? I don’t. I don’t want to take it. It’s the whole reason I ran when if first saw her. “I don’t want it, idiot Sensei.”

The lady who affirmed my existence better than anyone ever had says bye. Tears well up before I know it. It’s her fault for throwing a curveball, this stupid present I have no wish for.

I hug her knees and she lowers herself to embrace me.

Earnest warmth runs down my cheeks. She was my savior, and all I ever did was act cold to her when she tried to get too near. I can’t help it. She’s just so beautiful. So magnificent that standing next to her made me feel like her light would eclipse my own. I was just scared. And so taken in. Like a kid who cries after discovering the feeling of love for the first time. Her warmth, her kindness… I want more time.

So why did I run? Even the reason I ran from her our first day together, she’s so beautiful, so amazing, that I can’t handle it.

She smiles as if knowing and only remembering the warmth.

“I’ll become the strongest. So much that you’ll hear tales of my adventures even if we’re a world apart. Even the Deities will know my name.”

“Wow, you must really love Sensei.”

“I don’t. You’re ugly, do what you want, and don’t care about me! The Nation Elite are right, the Conquerors are bad. And Sensei is the worst, the worst of the bunch.”

“A great boss forgives his subordinate’s first mistake; I’ll just let you have it if you do it again. The type of man I love doesn’t hide his face; he keeps his chin held up and his head forward. Says what he truly means, does what he really means, and does it in the most badass way there is to do it -- with an unburning heart.”

“Sensei… I love you!”

“Hmm. Scary. Conquerors aren’t only known for conquering land. I might have made a monster your Grandpa didn’t want you to become. How troublesome how troublesome. I’m a free roamer. It gets a bit lonely. So Brawler, last thing. Find others who are as nice as you’ve been to me. Keep them close and never let go.”

“Then why do you have to leave? I want you to stay.”

“You sure are my Family. But I have my many reasons. Particularly, that briefcase.”

“I’m not good enough?”

“I never said that. You’re going to grow to be a greater fighter, more magnificent than you already are, I swear by it.”