Alicia’s eyes were sparkling.
If she had a tail, it would have been wagging wildly as she clung to me excitedly.
“They’re simple techniques. Can’t you learn them from the King of Fist?”
“My uncle can’t do that kind of thing!”
No way. Do you expect someone called the King of Fists not to know this?
“Alright, alright. Chatting is nice, but we should let Riina’s parents know she’s awake.”
By defeating the demon Diabolos, the connection between Riina and Deleibano was severed.
Since the demon didn’t summon itself directly and only possessed her, it was easy to deal with.
I wonder if I can get an exemption from my mission just by doing this.
Of course, if they don’t give it to me, I won’t let it go easily.
“The job was cleaner than expected. Your skill in precisely severing the link with the demon is like that of a seasoned priest… Could it be that you’re from the church?”
Not exactly.
I’m friends with someone from the church. I’ve seen Serin do it many times before, and I’ve also helped out next to her, so exorcising the possession was easy for me.
But there’s no need to say all that.
I just shrugged, and the King of Fists didn’t want to pry further as he walked out lightly.
“Mister!! Riina opened her eyes!”
Only Riina, Alicia, and I were left in the room.
Alicia, who was next to the squirming Riina, smiled brightly as Riina started to get up. She’s such a bright kid.
“Alicia…?”
“Riina! It’s me! Are you okay?! Huh?!”
Her brilliant blonde hair was swaying. Her green eyes were full of worry, but they were soon filled with her characteristic liveliness at Riina’s next words.
“Umm… My stomach feels a bit weird…”
It’s better to have an upset stomach than to be possessed by a demon, so let’s just tell her to endure it.
“Really…? Am I really okay…?”
Alicia’s gaze fell on me, and I nodded.
Demonic possession isn’t that common, so would this child get possessed by a demon again?
Of course, just in case, I plan to make preparations before leaving.
“You’re fine!”
“Riina!!”
That’s when it happened.
The door swung open, and Riina’s parents came in.
I could roughly tell how much joy it was for them to have their daughter, who had been possessed by a demon until just before, return to normal.
So I could smile warmly at the three family members hugging each other and crying.
“It’s thanks to mister!”
Alicia, who had come next to me at some point, grabbed my clothes tightly and smiled brightly.
But this isn’t solely my achievement.
“If the King of Fists hadn’t wanted to save that child, I wouldn’t have even known that child was possessed by a demon.”
“But I told uncle?”
“Then you deserve some credit too.”
“Is that so?”
Alicia, who tilted her head cutely as if she knew nothing, smiled brightly again.
It’s a smile that warms the onlooker’s heart, even though it seems to say, “I don’t know anything.”
“We’ve done what we came for, so let’s get going.”
“Let’s do that.”
“No!! How can you leave like this?!”
“Yes! Please stay for at least a few days!!”
Riina’s parents made a scene when we said we would just leave.
No, we can just go.
But what can we do when their tears flow while begging us not to go?
The King of Fists looked at me with a troubled expression, and after thinking for a moment, I nodded.
“Then we’ll stay for a few days and leave.”
“Thank you! Thank you! This honor! We will remember it for generations to come!”
Well, there’s no need to remember it for that long.
It was when I was resting in the room prepared by Riina’s parents.
There was a knocking sound on the door, and it swung open.
“Mister! I’m coming in!”
“You’re already in.”
“Ehehe~ Mister, mister.”
Not caring about my scolding, Alicia approached me with a bright smile and grabbed my clothes tightly. My clothes are going to stretch.
“That thing from before. Can you teach it to me?”
Her gaze was so bright that it was burdensome as it was directed at me.
But her uncle is the King of Fists, so why does she want to learn from me instead of from him?
I glanced out the window. The King of Fists, meditating in the garden, slowly raised his head as if he had noticed my gaze.
“Why are you looking?”
“Alicia is asking me to teach her the Wall Illusion Palm.”
It’s not particularly difficult to teach her.
But I thought there must be a reason why the King of Fists only taught Alicia the Strong Fist and didn’t pass down the Wall Illusion Palm to her.
So I asked, but what do you know? He just nodded indifferently.
“Do as you please.”
“Huh? Is it okay?”
“I was going to teach her soon anyway. It will be a good study for Alicia to feel the difference between the Wall Illusion Palm you interpreted and the one I interpreted.”
That’s certainly true.
Then there’s no reason to decline.
“Okay. I’ll teach you.”
“Wow! Really! Mister is the best! The best!”
Jumping up and down with joy, Alicia ran to me like a puppy and hugged me tightly.
If I had just left her alone, she would have kissed me all over my face, so I quickly detached her.
“It’s not good to do it in the room, so shall we go to the garden?”
“Yes!!”
Arriving at the garden with the lively puppy-like Alicia, the King of Fists sat cross-legged and watched us.
I don’t know if this is okay.
“The Wall Illusion Palm is basically a technique that can be said to be like water.”
“Yes! Teacher!”
“Huh? No, you don’t have to call me teacher.”
“But you’re teaching me!”
“Do you call your uncle ‘teacher’ when he teaches you?”
“Huh? No. But uncle is uncle, and teacher is teacher.”
The King of Fists is a relative, but I’m a stranger, so is she trying to form this kind of relationship?
I just nodded at Alicia, who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.
I’ll be called teacher later anyway, so let’s think of it as hearing it a little early.
“Where were we? Right. The Wall Illusion Palm is basically a technique that can be said to be like water. Alicia. How does water flow?”
“Umm… well?”
“Hahaha. This kid. Hahaha.”
Rather than flicking Alicia’s forehead for giving an absurd answer, I just patted her.
This kid. Maybe because she is pretty, it feels good to pat her.
“Ehehe~.”
“That’s right. As you said, water flows well. Even if there is an obstacle, as long as it doesn’t completely block the path, water will flow through all the gaps leisurely. The Wall Illusion Palm is the same.”
I got up from my seat and took a stance.
Alicia, who was squatting and watching me, had a light in her eyes.
She must be concentrating, right?
“Water doesn’t easily fight. It just entrusts everything to the flow and flows leisurely.”
The extended hand slowly bends and strikes the void.
At that moment, the fallen leaves scattered around began to move according to the movement of my hand.
Gazing at a leaf that had risen into the sky, I moved my hand again.
“That flow is sometimes a torrent.”
– Swish!!
My hand struck the void, but the leaf gently passed by my hand.
Leading the leaf that playfully roamed the void, I moved my hand again.
“But the basis is just a simple flow.”
– Whoosh…
The wind created by the movement of my hand lifted the leaf into the air again.
I moved my hand again without taking my eyes off the leaf freely swimming in the air.
“That flow is the softest yet the strongest.”
– Crack!
The softly extended hand touched the leaf, and it shattered into powder.
Looking at it, I lowered my hand.
This is the basis of the Wall Illusion Palm. Hiding strength within softness.
I glanced at the King of Fists, and he nodded as if satisfied with my demonstration.
“Wow! Cool! Cool! I want to try it too!”
Alicia, who jumped up from her seat, stood next to me.
Alicia awkwardly took a stance and extended her hand.
“Haha. You need to lower your stance a bit more.”
“Like this?”
“Yeah. From there, extend your hand.”
– Swoosh!!
I could tell she had mastered the Strong Fist, a powerful technique.
Seeing her extended arm and leg filled with strength.
“Ehehe. Isn’t this it?”
It must have been embarrassing for her to do it herself as she laughed bashfully.
Yes. Laugh a lot. They say if you laugh, luck comes to you.
The child laughs a lot and is good at acting cute, but she’s not someone who doesn’t do what she has to do.
During her stay at the mansion, Alicia continued her training, and by the time we were about to leave, she had perfectly mastered the basics of the Wall Illusion Palm.
“The basics are the most important. Make sure to practice every day.”
“Yes! Teacher!”
“And learn the rest from the King of Fists.”
She mastered the basics of the Wall Illusion Palm in just a few days, which shows that she has talent.
So she can learn the rest from the King of Fists.
I looked at the King of Fists, and he gave me a small nod.
“Hmm. But I’m still disappointed. I wanted to learn more from Teacher.”
“It can’t be helped.”
I have to return to the Sage Tower, and Alicia must follow the King of Fists.
“Are you planning to attend the academy when you become an adult?”
“Yes. Uncle said he would send me there.”
“Then let’s meet then.”
“Huh? Teacher. Are you planning to go to the academy?”
“Yeah. By the time you’re an adult and enter the academy, I’ll be there too.”
“Wow!! I’m excited! So does that mean I can learn more from Teacher starting then?”
“Yes. Practice hard until then.”
Alicia, who was jumping around me with sparkling eyes, hugged me tightly.
This kid is usually very affectionate, so this kind of physical contact has been frequent for the past few days. However, she’s doing it even as we leave.
I patted Alicia, who was hugging me tightly and grinning.
Maybe she liked that?
Alicia giggled happily, then whispered softly in my ear.
“We’ll definitely meet again. Teacher.”