Now that I think of it…most of the people she attracts are kids….Hurray for popularity~!

On a slightly off-to-the-side topic, Briar’s relationships are strictly platonic, and I intend to keep them that way….for a long time….if not forever.

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“Hey, who are you?! And why are you being so close with our Nii-san?” Rien asked Helen face to face.

After fidgeting by their Grandpa’s side for a while (Author’s note: make that great great great grandfather. Ohohoho~), they finally followed Briar over to the park, where the addition of Helen had sparked Rien’s insatiable curiosity.

“…Helen.” Helen was taken aback by Rien’s bluntness. “As for this, why… isn’t it natural to be close to your teacher?” She asked in return.

“Briar-nii is your teacher? What does he teach you? Magic? Fighting?” Rien asked, intently curious.

“Neither.” Helen replied. “Briar only taught me the basics of being an adventurer: how to start a fire, and make a camp, how to hunt and scavenge and cook and live outdoors, which plants have healing properties, and which have poison, how to aim with a bow, and how to traverse the wilds almost unseen. All these skills, I learned from Briar.” Helen admitted willingly.

“What? No magic?” Rien asked.

“What? No fighting?” Karu asked at the same time.

“No, I’m learning magic from Teacher.” Helen replied.

“Huh? But you said you didn’t learn any magic from Briar-nii! Isn’t Briar-nii your teacher?” Rien asked again.

“Yes, Briar-nii is my teacher. But my magic teacher is someone else.” Helen explained.

“Ooohh! I get it now!” Rien smiled. “So can you do magic yet?” She asked Helen eagerly.

“Hey, Briar-nii, can you teach me a fighting move?” Karu asked Briar eagerly, remembering the mansion brawl. Briar began to feel a headache coming on. She rubbed her temples as she reflected upon how to answer.

“Hey, kiddo, if you want to learn fighting, you should learn it from me!” Laura said, butting into the conversation. “I’m your Briar-nii’s older sister after all, which makes me your older sister as well through association” Laura was getting a little jealous at having all the attention stolen from her.

“Eeeh? No thanks.” Karu replied bluntly. He didn’t really know Laura, but any older sister that ambushes their younger brother was not really someone he wanted to have for a sister.

“Really? Oh well. That’s too bad. I was only going to teach you all of Briar’s super amazing moves if you would assent.” Laura said sneakily.

“Urk!-That’s not fair!” Karu grumbled.

“Well, suit yourself. I was going to tell you all about the training regimen Briar used to get here. I should know, since we’ve grown up together, after all~” Laura rubbed it in. “Oh well, I’ll just have to wait for someone who wants to learn MORE than you.”

That got Karu. As someone who admired Briar as a fighter, there was no way he could allow anyone else to take the top spot away from him. (AN: Briar’s fan club is growing heeheehee~)

“O-…oni.” He mumbled.

“Hmmm? What was that? O what?” Laura looked at Karu with a cheerfully smiling face, but behind her, the demon king’s miasma seemed to be pouring out. Karu began sweating spontaneously.

“O…nee..san.” He finally finished.

“One more time, I couldn’t hear that~” Laura said, clearly getting carried away.

“All right, that’s enough. If you don’t stop, then I’ll tell him about the results of that promise I made to you that time we were fighting that golem-” Briar began. 'If you don’t stop, you’ll be hearing more than one person calling you ‘Elder sister' again’ was the hidden message behind her words. Laura, quickly deciphering the hidden message, immediately changed her tune.

“Ah, well then…I suppose that’s good enough. Shall I teach you the spinning axle kick? The leaping axle kick? Or maybe even the roundhouse carnival!” Laura quickly got back on track.

Oi oi! You can’t teach him anything like that straight away! It’s too dangerous for a kid his age! Briar silently made signs behind Karu’s head.

“Really, you mean it?” Karu said, his eyes sparkling.

“S-sure! Follow me. As Briar’s older sister, I’ll be sure give you some pointers.” Laura replied, heading to a more open part of the park. “Will I be able to become as good as Briar-ni?” Karu asked Laura on their way there.

“…Nothing’s impossible.” Laura replied enthusiastically. “With a bit of hard work, we can make you presentable in any bar. Let’s start with the first thing every martial practitioner needs to know: the safety roll…”

Liar. Thera thought with a smile as she turned her attention over to Helen and Rien. Laura could be trusted to instruct Karu, so there was no more need to pay attention to them.

Helen was demonstrating what she was working on by floating a few pebbles above her hands. Hmm? Interesting…Thera used her mana vision to see the light blue mana forming a sort of cloud-like cushion underneath the pebbles. It made Thera think about her previous master’s words about the body and spirit acting in unison.

Shall I try it out? Thera mused. Of course, no one could really help her in this regard. For certain, there were mixed martial practitioners that dabbled in magic, just as there were some magicians that learned a bit of fighting. But what Thera was considering was something different. She wanted to create a fusion between magic and martial arts.

Knowing full well that she would be setting out into uncharted territories, Briar began planning things out in her mind.

In order to complete even one fused technique would take a load of experimentation and failures. She would need to find a place hidden away from professionals’ eyes….or…maybe not. Briar recalled the retired king Arthur Pendrag’s talent with stone. It would be an easy matter for him to carve out a hidden cave somewhere on the side of the mountain.

If any of the retired king’s former subordinates knew what she was planning, they would spit blood. Using a king to create a cave? That was using a bazooka to kill an ant!

But unfortunately, Briar’s influence from her past life didn’t really care about ranks. If you were good at something, then you were the person people would go to in order to get things done. It didn’t matter if you were a king. If a king were to be the best in construction work, it would only be right to entrust the work to him.

Besides, he was retired and bored after sitting underground for years. Unlike many kings, he didn’t put on any airs either, a person that was somewhat easy to get along with (*cough* manipulate*cough*). Moreover, Briar could probably get away with it, too, considering their current friendly situation.

Briar then thought of something. Arthur Pendrag was obviously King Arthur, but who was Madam Rothema?

According to what she had heard, Madam Rothema was somewhat of an old friend, or rather, a fighting companion. There was no way that Marlin wouldn’t write about someone he spent a long time with, right? As far as major women in the story, there were about two that Briar could remember that had magic powers: The Lady of the Lake, and Morgan Le Fay.

While Briar wanted to ask, she didn’t want to step on any landmines. While it would make sense that she was the Lady of the Lake….since Briar had heard of her mischievous pranks on Marlin in the past, it was more likely that she was cast as the ‘evil’ Morgan Le Fay. But, well…it was safer not to ask. Briar nodded as she made her decision.

Helen was rapidly running out of answers to give due to Rien’s constant bombardment of questions. Helen looked over to Briar or help. Briar did so by clapping her hands.

“All right all right, that’s enough. If you really want more answers, then you should go ask Helen’s magic teacher. She would know way more than Helen and I do anyways.”

Rien instantly fell silent. “But…but…but…” Her eyes teared up. “That person is scary!” She wailed as now she began to cry. Briar’s eyebrows went up as she tried to hold back a laugh.

Madam Rothema had been many things, but scary…

On second thought, Rien was spot on. Briar remembered her unfinished homework and sweat began to form. Madam Rothema was usually very forgiving, but when it came to unread books, she had a way of looking at you that made you feel like you were the lowest person ever.

I need to get that finished soon before she brings that topic up…Briar noted, feeling a slight shiver run down her lower back.

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After a while, Old Man Arthur and Madam Rothema decided it was time to return to their respective places for dinner, and so the group of reunited people once again split up.

“Briar-nii, aren’t you coming with us?” Rien asked, noticing Briar wasn’t following them immediately.

Briar smiled, Rien was also quite perceptive. “You go on ahead, Rien. I’ve got something somewhat important to do first.”

“All right, later then, Briar-nii!” Karu waved as he walked beside Old Man Arthur, telling him about what Laura taught him that day. Old Man Arthur was nodding his head every now and then, clearly not paying much attention.

Briar stood still and watched them leave, walking down the cobbled road towards the inn. Then, she exercised her red class agility and vanished from the spot in less than .5 milliseconds.