“Rejected.” [Ryner]

After being surprised from Maya’s request, he bluntly refused her with one word as he kept stitching her shorts.

“I don’t like to take servants, hell I don’t really like to take anyone along with me.” [Ryner]

“Please reconsider. I promise I will do all I can to be of use to you, master.” [Maya]

Although he rejected her, she didn’t give up and was still prostrating before him, speaking in a respectful tone.

“I’m not master, I’m Ryner. And no offense, but I don’t think someone who lost to ten bandits will be able to help me.” [Ryner]

He dragged up what happened and hit where it hurt, trying to drive her away. However, it didn’t seem to have any effect.

“Then, you may use me as fodder to keep the enemies at bay or sacrifice my life to protect your own. I will dedicate all that I am to you.” [Maya]

As long as she could follow him, she didn’t mind what happened to her. Ryner couldn’t understand why someone he just met would want to be his servant that badly.

“I don’t get it. Why go so far for a stranger? I know I helped you out, but your reaction is just weird.” [Ryner]

“There is nothing weird about this. The life you saved is yours to use as you see fit. Also, in my clan, strength is everything. To follow the strong is quite normal for us.” [Maya]

“You should value character a bit, I’m pretty awful. Besides, shouldn’t you go back home instead?” [Ryner]

He stopped his work and looked at the back of her head.

“That is how I ended up like that in the first place. I have no home to return to. As I said, strength is everything and I have none of it. Though my family was patient with me for two decades, I was still weaker than even the young ones. So, I was disowned and left home. If you do not take me in, I will merely wander around until I die.” [Maya]

Maya paused for a second, but still told him about her situation as she didn’t want to lie to him. If he didn’t want to have her after hearing that even her family gave up on her, then it couldn’t be helped.

“Wait, you got disowned because you were too weak? Are you part of a warrior clan?” [Ryner]

“Correct. My clan has produced many strong warriors and yet I am the first one to be defeated by ten mere bandits… and to be disgraced like that.” [Maya]

Her body shuddered from the traumatizing experience as she made a pained expression, but Ryner couldn’t see her face because her forehead was flat against the ground.

“You know, I’m probably going to run into even worst situations. Usually, it’s the type where you’ll definitely die. You’ll regret it if you follow me.” [Ryner]

He started working on her shorts again. The sooner he finished, the sooner he could leave her. But, her next words made him freeze in place.

“No, I am sure that following you is the right thing to do. I believe that meeting you was fate… And it is the best thing to have happened to me, after I was abandoned by my family." [Maya]

Abandoned by my family.

These words resonated with his core as a wave of memories attacked him. He looked at her again, lowered his needle and sighed loudly.

“… I can’t believe I’m doing this, but alright. I’ll take you in for a while.” [Ryner]

Hearing his words, Maya lifted her head with a smile on her face. She knew that the chances were low, so she was overjoyed that he accepted a weakling like her.

“Thank you very-!” [Maya]

“Don’t get me wrong, I don’t want any servants.” [Ryner]

Ryner quickly added with his hand raised, cutting her off. Her smile disappeared as she looked at him with confusion.

“I’m going to train you.” [Ryner]

Now, she was frozen in place, not understanding his words at all.

“If you can’t go back because you’re weak, then I’ll train you to be strong enough to waltz back in and shut them all up. Alright?” [Ryner]

“… I appreciate your thoughts, but I have been training all my life, there is no hope for me.” [Maya]

She sadly looked down, ashamed that she couldn’t answer the expectations of the man she wanted to follow. Since she was a child, she had undergone gruesome training, yet she never improved, nor did her bloodline’s inborn talents ever manifested in her.

“That’s because you’ve never met me your whole life. If you can endure my training, forget ten, you’ll be taking on a thousand bandits with ease.” [Ryner]

His words made her pause for a moment. She slowly looked up again, staring at him with an uneasy expression.

“… Can I really become strong?” [Maya]

She said in a hopeful tone of voice. All her life, she had been deemed a failure and her family had given up on her. But this man, even after hearing her story, still claimed that he could make her much stronger. She thought that maybe she could believe him. She wanted to believe him.

“Trust me, kid. Once I’m done with you, you won’t be lowering your head like that to anyone ever again.” [Ryner]

Ryner was in a dark room with no light. He looked at his hands and saw that they were tiny. He looked down at his body and realized that he was back to being seven years old. Suddenly, a brilliant white light appeared in front of him. It was squared shaped as if someone had opened a door into this dark space and two people were standing in front of it: a man and a woman. He couldn’t see them because of the light, but he instinctively knew who they were. His adoptive parents were waving at him before turning around and leaving, walking towards the light as a door slowly closed, blocking it.

“What a cute little boy.” [???]

Shivers ran down his spine as he heard that man’s voice. He couldn’t move or talk as a hand grabbed his shoulder out of nowhere, violently pulling him backwards.

“Come here little boy, I love you.” [Man]

He landed face down on a bed and tried to get off, but he couldn’t move his body. He was stuck lying down on his stomach with his legs dangling on the side of the bed and could only move his neck to look up. A mirror was in front of him, showing the person behind him.

“You’re a good little boy. You’ve got such soft skin, I love you lots.” [Man]

A fat old man was standing there completely naked, lust in his eyes and a disgusting grin on his face.

“Ehehe! You’re so nice, little boy. I really love you a lot. Love love love love love you lots.” [Man]

He pulled Ryner’s pants down as drool spilled from the corner of his mouth.

“Now relax, ok? I’ll give you lots of love very soon. You’ll love it.” [Man]

He then slowly got on top of him positioning himself near his butt.

“No need to be scared little boy, I will show you true love.” [man]

Ryner woke up while fighting the urge to throw up as light shined through the leaves. After saving Maya two weeks ago, that nightmare often came back to haunt him. He rubbed away the tears that were in his eyes and sat up while stretching his arms. He was sleeping under a tree inside a forest. After he decided to train her, he quickly fixed her clothes while she washed away the blood. He shared with her the preserved food in his pocket dimension which made her question where it came from as well as what it was. Telling her not to mind it, the two ate in silence and turned in for the night. In the morning, he took them off the road and deep into the forest where her training began.

“(Alright, time for breakfast.)” [Ryner]

He got up and started running through the forest, looking for tracks and keeping his senses alert. When he found what he was looking for, he picked up some small rocks and stealthily got behind his target: Maya. Watching from a distance as she kneeled down on one knee and looked for tracks just like him, he threw a rock at her. The projectile quickly approached the back of her head but right before impact, she ducked down. When the rock hit the tree in front of her, it broke right through the trunk, leaving a fist-size hole in it. Ryner threw all four stones at her as she ran at top speed towards him; her sharp eyes were filled with killing intent. She dodged the first three and caught the last one in her hand before throwing it back at him. He quickly got out of the way as it left a hole in a tree as well. However, he didn’t have time to look because Maya was already in front of him. The two of them were trading blows too fast for a normal person’s eyes to follow. Punch, kick, block, parry, dodge, feint, a flurry of attacks was exchanged as shockwaves from their clashes sent leaves flying and their powerful steps caused cracks to appear.

Their fists collided, shaking the air and blowing away the petals of the flowers around them, and they jumped away from each other. Maya landed next to a boulder as tall as her and kicked it towards Ryner like a ball. He punched it to pieces and saw her running right behind it. She charged at him with a punch aimed at his face. He dodged her attack before grabbing her outstretched arm and throwing her over his shoulder, straight at a tree. She tried to land on the trunk, but the force of the throw sent her barreling right through it. At the same time, while the pieces of the boulder fell, Ryner caught them in midair and started throwing them at her. She couldn’t dodge them so she curled up and crossed her arms in front of her. The jagged rocks raced through the air like deadly bullets and hit her head on with a loud noise. However, besides bruises and a few bleeding ones, she didn’t have any serious injury one would expect from getting hit with a projectile that could easily pierced through a tree.

She landed on the ground on one knee and quickly rushed at him again. They were in a deadlock as they exchanged furious blows before Ryner hit her with a roundhouse kick. She took the attack and caught his leg. With a smirk, she spun around and hit him against a tree. He crashed through it, but didn’t stop as she kept spinning in circles before throwing him away. He destroyed more trees standing in his way before rolling on the ground and getting on his feet. Since the speed was too great, he held onto the earth with one hand to slide to a stop. Even though he was thrown pretty far away, Maya quickly caught up to him and sent a flying knee to his face while he was still crouched low. He jumped over her, flipping in the air to land on his feet and engaged her in combat once more.

Ryner parried her left punch by pushing it on the side with his right hand before grabbing it. Maya responded by trying to knee him in the guts, but he pulled her arm to destabilize her and pushed her knee down before punching her in the stomach. She blocked the blow with her free hand but got pushed back, her feet sliding on the ground until her back hit a tree. Ryner then attacked with a hook but she dodged it and started trading blows with him again while making her way behind him. With his back up against a tree, Ryner couldn’t back away as Maya delivered a sweeping kick at his chest. He ducked down and her leg cut right through the tree like an axe, making it start falling to the side. Although he wanted to attack her, he rolled to the side to dodge her second kick. She kept the momentum from her initial strike and spun around to hit him with a low sweeping kick.

Then, while the tree was falling, she grabbed the trunk, digging her fingers into the bark, and with a powerful shout, she hit him with a downward motion as if trying to squash a bug with a flyswatter. The blow made a large crater in the ground with cracks running around it and a shockwave that uprooted the plants near the center of the strike zone. The earth shook, birds flew away from the large noise and a cloud of dust covered the area. When it cleared away, the tree in her hand was smashed to pieces from the impact and Ryner was standing next to her, looking at the damage that she caused. He then nodded approvingly before patting her shoulder.

“Not bad, not bad at all, Maya. You completed my training” [Ryner]

“Thank you. Even though I thought I had you, you easily dodged it, Ryner.” [Maya]

She first thanked him while bowing, but then started pouting a bit. Her earlier expression was gone and her eyes relaxed.

“What are you mad about? This is way better than when we began. Remember when you couldn’t even take one punch?” [Ryner]

“That was quite scary. All my ribs broke and I coughed up a lot of blood.” [Maya]

Even though she went through such a scary experience, she was happily smiling while reminiscing her training. Every day, Ryner would spar with her, warn her of her mistakes during combat, show her the weak points of a person’s body and teach her how to purify her mana. He also had her hunt and live in the forest alone, prohibiting the use of magic so that she wouldn’t rely on it too much. Their fights would start when one of them found the other, improving her tracking skills and sharpening her senses. Although she would end up gravely injured, Ryner would heal her up in no time using his precious stock of healing potions.

“I never thought that my strengthening magic could reach such a level. Mana purification is incredible. Just where did you learn it, Ryner?” [Maya]

This world didn’t know the technique of mana purification. If someone didn’t have enough mana to fight, then he could refine it to solve that problem. If one needed a liter of mana for a powerful spell, then he would need just a drop of purified mana. As such, Maya, who had a small mana pool, could strengthen her body to kick through a tree with ease.

“From here and there. You can pick up a lot of stuff when you’re travelling. Rather, why are you so good at it? You actually got the hang of it on the second day. I thought you didn’t have any talent.” [Ryner]

Although she was a slow learner when it came to combat, she quickly mastered mana purification.

“I don’t, but I guess I was wrong. I mean…” [Maya]

She looked at her hands and turned her gaze to her teacher, moved to tears.

“I’ve become so strong now… thanks to you.” [Maya]

A lovely smile was on her face as she looked at him with deep respect.

“Glad to hear it. Then, you can now go back home and beat up anyone you want. Won’t it be a great family reunion?” [Ryner]

She looked down upon hearing his casual words as she smiled sadly.

“… That’s right. It was all for that, huh. I forgot during all our training.” [Maya]

She wasn’t mad at her clan for disowning her. It was something that she expected to happen as the years went by and she never got stronger. Although it was tough and painful, her time with him was the most fun she ever had. He was a weird man who had many secrets, would sometimes make no sense and always had a sleepy expression. She actually did her best to gain power for herself and to stay with him. This way, she wouldn’t drag him down and he would accept her as his servant, but he made it clear during these past two weeks that he didn’t want any. She couldn’t follow him and she didn’t want to go home. Maya was lost.

“Now, make sure you don’t let your skills get rusty. I won’t be sparring with you again after all.” [Ryner]

Ryner said as he started stretching his body. His student looked even more dejected, but he didn’t notice since he wasn’t looking at her.

“So, we probably won’t meet again…” [Maya]

“No, even if we do meet, I’m not fighting you like we did just now. I used up a lot of my power.” [Ryner]

However, his answer made her look up with confusion.

“What do you mean? If you’re running low on mana, then can’t you rest a bit and let it replenish itself?” [Maya]

“No, I won’t go into the details, but my strengthening magic actually has a limit. I’ve been using it during your training. I need to be really careful now.” [Ryner]

Wanting to make her strong, he used his healing potions and life force. Although beating Alice was important, he often moved on his emotions, especially when his memories threatened to drown him.

“Are you saying that, for some reason, you can’t freely use strengthening magic?” [Maya]

“Yeah.” [Ryner]

“So, you won’t be using it anymore?” [Maya]

“No, only in emergencies, like when I’m about to die.” [Ryner]

“Then, the more fights you get into, the worst off you’ll be?” [Maya]

“Technically yes, but trouble really likes me and there’s no avoiding it. Besides, I grew up to be a battle maniac, so it’s not completely bad… Why are you smiling at me like that?” [Ryner]

As she asked her questions, she realized that he actually lost a part of his power to give her hers. Realizing that he may be in more danger because of her caused her chest to ache, but then it hit her.

“In that case, would it not be better for you to travel with someone who could support you in a fight?” [Maya]

She could follow Ryner and repay him by keeping him safe.

“No, I’m fine. I really don’t need servants.” [Ryner]

Unfortunately, Ryner was adamant on refusing her offer.

“… Then, not as a servant, but as a slave.” [Maya]

“… Huh?” [Ryner]

Her murmur surprised him. He looked at her serious expression, her eyes conveying her strong will.

“If you don’t want a servant, then I will be your slave. Please, let me repay you for what you’ve done. I’ve already decided to follow you anywhere. No, I want to follow you anywhere.” [Maya]

Once again, she prostrated before him.

“I don’t care about returning to my clan. I don’t want to go back.” [Maya]

Ryner quietly stared at the back of her head.

“Please… Let me stay with you.” [Maya]

Although he got to know her better, he really didn’t understand her strong devotion. But, considering the situation he’s in and having personally trained her, he decided that instead of being stubborn, having her around will be a lot better for him.

“*Sigh* Alright, Maya, alright. You can come with me.” [Ryner]

“Thank you very much!” [Maya]

She thanked him with her forehead on the ground, a beautiful smile was on her face and her cheeks were red, but he couldn’t see it.

“Then, from now on, you are my master.” [Maya]

“And… I guess… you’re my slave. So follow my orders and don’t go stabbing me in the back, ok? Otherwise, I’m leaving you behind.” [Ryner]

She got back to her feet and answered him in a rather casual tone of voice, but her feelings were conveyed nonetheless.

“But of course, master. Having been forsaken by my clan, I am only Maya, your slave, your shield and your sword.” [Maya]