“You listened, right?” Kazuma’s voice was steady, but his eyes searched Hisagi’s face carefully.

Hisagi swallowed, fingers twisting nervously. “I-I…?”

Kazuma gave a small nod, understanding his fear. “Okay, I think you listened to the full conversation. I can’t do anything now. And where is Sakura? Why didn’t you go with her and listen beside the wall?”

Hisagi bit his lip, recalling the exchange clearly. “When I said I didn’t want to go, she arrogantly said—”

****

“Okay, I am going. You just listen to boring conversation,” she huffed, flicking her hand dismissively. “Uncle is only tolerating my dad because he’s his friend, and I don’t understand why he didn’t eat just because Uncle died.”

“Hey, do you know the value of one person’s life?” His voice was low but firm. “When someone close to you disappears… then you’ll understand.”

“I know that feeling,” she said sadly, her fingers curling at her sides. “I’m just saying it’s not Dad’s fault. Why does he suffer himself?” She turned away, her voice trailing behind as she walked off.

****

Hisagi’s voice softened, eyes distant. “That happened, Uncle.”

Kazuma frowned, folding his arms. ‘I don’t understand what she’s thinking. Even when I teach her, the way she talks sometimes like she loves her dad, sometimes like she hates him.’

“Uhum…” Kazuma coughed lightly. “Okay, I understand. Well, she’s been like that from the start.”

“Uncle, is it really that you won’t teach Sakura now?” Hisagi called out as Kazuma started turning away, his voice hesitant but filled with hope. “And you said you’d convince the Master… but in the room, you said you lost to him.”

“Who said he won’t come?” Kazuma smirked, glancing back, his tone teasing.

“He’ll come. He just needs some time,” he said, letting the weight roll off his shoulders. “I know him better than you do. Don’t underestimate me, okay?”

Hisagi’s eyes sparkled with curiosity. “Then Master will come with us, right?”

“Probably.”

“You’re just teasing me, right, Uncle? Okay, can you please teach me one ninja art, Uncle? I want to look cool.”

Kazuma’s expression softened as he recalled, [“I want to look cool. When I learn ninja arts, I’ll show my power.”]

“Okay, which art do you want me to teach you?” He asked gently.

“Really? Anything?” Hisagi leaned forward eagerly. “Okay… can you teach me the de-aging art Master used?”

Kazuma’s eyes narrowed. “You punk! I asked out of pity, and you asked for my art? Only a few members can do it, and even fewer can detect it. How dare you… wait, what use is it to you to learn that art?”

Hisagi looked down, scratching his cheek, hesitant.

“Th-that’s the only art I knew, which master used.” He fumbled with his words. “I haven’t seen him use any other art. Just… seen him use kata—oops.”

Kazuma raised a brow. “So you saw him practicing.”

“I know I can’t keep secrets…” Hisagi sighed, then looked up, his voice a bit sad. “Well, I already said it. I saw Master one day and felt a powerful aura coming from him. On that day I decided he was my master.”

He paused, the memory soft in his tone. “I thought, ‘Why is the Master behaving like that in front of his daughter?’ I knew you also knew the Master’s past, Uncle… well, I won’t ask anything about that. You both have your own reasons.”

He hesitated, then asked quietly, “But I’m curious about one thing. Can I ask?”

Kazuma blinked, open-mouthed for a moment, then said calmly, “Hm… you said ‘you won’t ask about the past,’ right? then it’s okay. But promise me one thing: you must not tell this to Sakura, okay?”

“Yeah, I won’t tell Sakura,” Hisagi said quickly, nodding. “What I’m asking is… was that conversation real? Does the Master have the power of a king?”

“Yes,” Kazuma answered quietly, reaching for the water on the table.

“One last question,” Hisagi added, blinking as his innocent eyes widened. “Please answer this... I won’t ask anything else.”

“You’re a persistent punk,” Kazuma muttered, shaking his head. “Why are you so curious about him?” His voice softened into a smile. “He’s just an idiot.”

“Okay, one last question,” he said again, this time with a tired grin, and took a long drink.

“You said he’s powerful,” Hisagi pressed on, “even has the capability of a king.”

“So?” Kazuma replied, still drinking.

“Then at what age did he have that power?” Hisagi leaned in, voice low, curiosity spilling through his eyes.

Suddenly, Kazuma choked, spraying out water with a surprised splutter.

He wiped his mouth, narrowing his eyes at Hisagi. “Hey, what’s the use of knowing that? Are you his lover?” He teased, “Now I doubt your gender. Tell me, I’ll understand. Did you fall for him?”

Hisagi flailed his arms, cheeks puffed with embarrassment. “Stop teasing, Uncle! Just say Master’s age… was he 25? Or 30?”

Kazuma burst into laughter, clapping his hand against his thigh. “Ha ha ha, hey now, are you kidding me? Okay, I’ll tell you seriously. I think around 20.”

Hisagi’s expression turned somber as he thought, ‘My age is also the same as Master’s… but what am I doing? I don’t even know one art. Is there anything I’m perfect at?’

Kazuma glanced at him out of the corner of his eye, his expression softening with concern. ‘Good thing I didn’t tell him he has the capability of an emperor. He might be doomed.’

Hisagi tugged at Kazuma’s sleeve, his voice innocent and pleading. “Uncle…”

A strange emotion flickered in Kazuma’s chest. ‘What is this feeling?!’

“Please answer one last question.” Hisagi clasped his hands together, eyes wide and sincere. “I won’t bother you again, please, please—”

“I’m going. If I tell you again, you’ll ask another. Put aside that face, I can’t handle it. Why are you so obsessed?”

Hisagi took a step forward, voice lower, “This is not about the Master. Please… for my sake.”

Kazuma sighed, his brows knitting slightly as he studied the boy. ‘What happened to him? ‘For my sake?’’

He let out a long sigh. “Okay, this is the last question and one condition. If you ask now, in the future, don’t ask anything. Tell me if you agree or not.”

Hisagi fell silent. ‘If I ask now, I won’t be able to ask in the future… then he won’t tell me anything about Master? But I have to ask this question.’

“O-okay, I agree. My question is how many ninja arts does Sakura know till now?”

‘Did his pride just ask that question? Huhu, if I answer, he’ll follow up with another question.’

“Two.”

“What? You taught her for four years, and she only learned two?”

‘I knew he’d ask.’ “Yeah.”

“Is it that difficult to learn?”

“Hehe, you’ll find out one day. Don’t worry. I’ll let you stay curious for now… here, take this scroll.”

Kazuma casually tossed the scroll. Hisagi barely caught it with both hands.

“What is this scroll? Can I learn it now?”

Kazuma crossed his arms, “No. You’re not ready yet. I’ll explain once we reach the tournament.”

As he stepped out of the house, he turned back and smirked.

“I know you’re going to open that. But really, why are you so desperate to learn ninja arts? Just learning one won’t make you strong.”

Hisagi lowered his head, gripping the scroll tightly. “...Anything starts with one.”

[“Anything starts with one.”]

Kazuma’s smirk softened into a faint smile. “Okay. But that one’s not a combat art. It’s a mind voice exchange art.”

“Huh?”

“When you’re in front of opponents, you can’t speak out loud. This technique lets you talk to your teammates through your mind. But right now, your brain can’t handle it. If you try, you’ll hurt yourself.”

“…Then what’s the difference between now and after reaching the tournament?”

Kazuma looked toward the path ahead, eyes narrowing thoughtfully. “There’s still a long way to the Capital. I’ll tell you everything on the way. But for now, here’s a tip.”

“Tip?”

“I don’t know what kind of future waits for you. But if… if you can convince that idiot to be your master… even if you can’t learn the hard stuff, your effort with the katana shows.”

Hisagi blinked, confused. “huh?”

Kazuma clicked his tongue. “‘huh?’ means what, you idiot? You’re just like him. One moment he acts like a child, next like an old man but always a complete idiot. No brain at all.”

Hisagi muttered with a sheepish grin, “Uncle, if I were clever, why would I be asking you?”

“No manners at all!” Kazuma ruffled Hisagi’s hair aggressively. “What I’m saying is you can learn katana techniques from him. You know? He can slice through the air and open dimensional portals.”

“Dimensions!?”

“Yep. But too bad, he doesn’t take disciples.” Kazuma chuckled, shaking his head. “Anyway, good luck.”

“Why are you cursing me before I even try, Uncle? Is it really that hard? You said Master is coming to the tournament. If he just needs time, then maybe me too—”

Kazuma raised a brow. “Both totally different. But… well, miracles do happen.”

“I’ll do that miracle!” Hisagi declared boldly, then scratched his cheek. “By the way, Uncle, like you some people might fake their age to enter the tournament, right? I mean, someone could be 26 or 27 but still look 25. Is there any way to check real age?”

“There’s no method for that. It’s a matter of trust,” Kazuma said with a shrug. “But usually, those kinds of people don’t even bother coming.”

“Why not?”

“They’re bored of participating. The limit is 25, right? They’ve already completed it multiple times. Some lose interest after winning, others lose confidence after repeated losses. Only a few keep trying. Honestly…”

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck. “I’m kinda bored of it too. Of course they keep changing the format. But this time, I’m going for a fresh start,” he added with a smirk. “Also, for my disciple.”

“But it’s still cheating, right?”

Kazuma’s hand darted out and tugged Hisagi’s ear sharply. “You calling me a cheater!?”

“Ow-ow-ow! No, no uncle, I’m talking about others! I know you and Master will hold back your strength. But the others... they use their full power, right?”

“Nothing we can do. Even the king knows.” Kazuma released his ear and let out a deep breath. “But in the end, people only care about what the winner says. If you want to lead, you have to be strong.”

Hisagi smiled gently. “Okay... thanks for clearing my doubts, Uncle.”

Kazuma ruffled his hair again, then walked off down the path without looking back.

*******

At the same time as Kazuma and Hisagi talked outside, Ren’s mind drifted back to a conversation he once had with his daughter.

She had stood before him, eyes bright with determination. “Dad, I want to go to town and join the academy. I’m 16 now.”

Ren’s voice was calm, almost hesitant as he asked, “What will happen after joining? This place is peaceful, right?”

She crossed her arms, an excited spark in her voice. “What are you talking about, Dad? Of course I’ll get stronger. Just when I went to sell the goods, I got the opportunity to see the ninja arts. I also want friends. There’s only Hisagi in my age group, but he’s stubborn just swinging his katana and doing farming.”

He furrowed his brow slightly, maintaining his calm tone. “What happens if you get stronger? There is no change, right? Why are you so obsessed with learning? What is the use of fighting?”

Her eyes lit up even more, voice rising with passion. “Then I can protect you, Dad, I want to look cool in front of you!”

Ren blinked, astonished by her answer.

She took a step forward, voice cool but firm. “Say anything, Dad, are you going to allow me to go?”

Her tone shifted to cold steel. “But one thing… even if you don’t allow me, I still want to go. I just wanted to share my opinion.”

Ren’s face tightened with anger. “I don’t allow it. There’s no use. This place is peaceful. Has anybody come here your whole life? I’m telling you for your sake. The world is not like you think.”

She rolled her eyes arrogantly, crossing her arms again. “Talk like a 25-year-old guy, Dad, not like an old man. When I went to town, there were so many things I didn’t know. So I want to learn.”

“Good thing the villagers know your age, even if you don’t do anything, they still give you grains. You’re physically 25. Try working, Dad. Everyone else works hard while you just eat for free. Don’t you have any shame?”

His mind flashed, [“Protect our daughter.”]

He answered calmly, voice steady. “I don’t have shame. I’m only sending you because you may feel bored in the village.”

She scoffed, grinning arrogantly. “Haha, Dad, are you joking? What authority do you have to send me? I’m only going because the villagers and Sakuragi Aunty asked me to go, and I also want to go outside. That’s why. Actually, Dad, you never even told me once to go.”

Ren’s eyes glistened. She noticed immediately, voice softening to a sad plea. “Dad, sorry for the harsh words. But I’m your daughter. Try to understand me… from my side and my age. Please, Dad.”

Her tone shifted again, confused and intense. “Why are you crying now?”

He wiped the tears shyly with his own hands, brushing them away as if denying their existence. “I’m not crying. Please think once more.”

Suddenly, the door creaked open.

“Hey, see what I broug—” Kazuma stopped mid-sentence, sensing something was wrong.

‘What happened? Why are they looking at me like that?’

Author Note :

>I use [ “ ” ] to indicate past one-line dialogues.

> As explained in the author’s note of chapter 1, this chapter has been reedited with polished grammar and a light touch of light novel formatting. I will continue to re-editing up to 30 chapters gradually. Sometimes, as I mentioned before, I can only modify a few parts with body language, expressions, or gestures due to platform character limits. Please note that from the next chapter onward, I will no longer mention the re-editing process and will write regular author notes instead.