"Argh!" I gasped in agony, collapsing into a kitchen chair. It had been an agonizing hour since my training session with Sylvia, and her warning that it would hurt like hell had been a great understatement. She hadn't held back, exposing me to an intensity that had left my body throbbing and bruised. I had fallen short of mastering mana sense by failing to achieve resonance with the surrounding mana.
"Stop groaning; I didn't even use any strength when hitting you," Sylvia said casually as she handed me a pack of ice.
'Is she fucking serious?'.
I couldn't help but think that she beat me so hard that there are bruises all over my body, even though she claims she didn't even use her strength.
[She isn't lying; she utilized nearby mana to hurl the ball, and that, too, is limited, so it will only cause you bruises and agony; if she had attacked physically, your one or two bones would have been broken by now.]
While I was still doubtful of her words, Edda elaborated, offering me a different perspective on Sylvia's control over Mana and her physical power.
'she still could have held back some'.
But that didn't stop me from complaining about her methods. She had a penchant for applying intense pressure to draw out one's potential.
[You are the one who wanted a milf master over some gentle old man].
I just kept my lips shut, ignoring her insult, while she answered sarcastically.
"Where did you get this ice?" I questioned Sylvia as I placed an ice pack on my aching stomach. I couldn't help but wonder where it came from. During the summer, ice was a valuable item in this world, normally obtained only at the merchant guild, and its storage posed a dilemma. It was the first time I'd seen ice in the inn, and it peaked my interest.
"Blow cold wind into water and you will get ice; easy, right" .
She replied with a smile as she began to set up the kitchen counter for breakfast.
'easy, my ass'.
Despite her casual manner, I grumbled in my head as I heard her comments. I know how difficult it can be to transform a liquid into a solid using magic, and she achieved it using wind magic rather than water magic, which makes it even more impressive.
"Anyway, how did you become so strong? Were you an adventure or something like that?" I asked, despite being aware of her true origins and status. I had to maintain the facade of natural curiosity, as I couldn't afford to arouse any suspicion from her.
"Well, kind of."
She replied vaguely, giving little to no information about her, which is understandable because her position right now is a little special.
"Can I ask why you're running an inn despite being so strong?" I respectfully inquired, repositioning the cold pack on my shoulders.
"What do you think?" .
As she returned my gaze, she offered her own query.
"I don't know, maybe because you like pretending to be a pig to prey on the tiger?"
I paused for a moment before responding in a lighthearted manner.
"...."
"...."
"Pfff..HAHA.
What kind of nonsense is that?"
She laughed heartily, and it was the first time I had seen her laugh. She always grins, striving to be graceful and ladylike, and it feels lovely to watch her laugh.
'Why is she laughing so hard?'
While it was pleasant to hear her laugh, I couldn't help but wonder what made her laugh.
[There isn't a sentence like that in this world.]
Edda replied, dispelling my doubts.
"Hah, well, my father always wanted to own an inn where he could serve and live a happy life with his family, and I'm just fulfilling his last wish." I shifted my focus back on her as Sylvia explained, her tone tinged with nostalgia as she spoke of her father.
"He must have been a good father".
I replied to her, knowing how much her father sacrificed for her, and if what was revealed in the game had happened in this world, he deserved my respect. Not everyone has the guts to do what he did for his daughter's freedom.My shitty father was not at all like hers; he only craved power and authority.
"He was the best father," Sylvia said, her smile tinged with grief and affection. Despite her best efforts to hide her feelings, the sadness was evident.
"Anyway, were you going to take any quests today" .
She inquired, attempting to divert the subject, to which I agreed.
"Yeah, I was going to hunt some bandits today, but it looks like I need to postpone it."
I responded to her while displaying my dominant bruised shoulder.
"Take the day off and make sure you don't meet an untimely end out there," Sylvia advised, retrieving a chopping board from the side as she spoke. I nodded in agreement, grateful for the response and her concern.
"You run the entire inn by yourself. Won't it be better if you had a partner or something?" While Sylvia was slicing veggies, I made an unexpected inquiry. She interrupted her work and turned to face me, apparently interested in my question.
"No, I don't believe I require the assistance of anyone." "Why do you ask?" Her interest peaked as she responded.
"Nothing, just seeing if I had a chance," I joked, garnering a more direct and focused look from her. Her arms crossed beneath her bosom while she evaluated my response, lending an air of intrigue to the situation.
"First, grow up, kid," Sylvia said with a teasing smile, focusing her words on the tenderest area my current age.
I refused to back down and continued, stating, "That didn't answer my question."
"Hmm, I'll consider it if you grow up to be the most handsome man in the world," she said, stepping closer and ruffling my hair in a teasing manner.
"It's a promise, then" .
I stated it again as I straightened my now messed-up hair.
"Yeah, Yeah, it is a promise."
She said this as she returned to the kitchen counter.
[Didn't she fall into the trap?]
Edda's words lingered in my thoughts, and I smiled under my mask.
'She did,' I confirmed her words.