Help! My Overprotective S-Rank Master Who Loves Me Too Much Won't Let Me Go on Quests! - Chapter 53: The Day I Met Aria-san

Chapter 53: The Day I Met Aria-san

After completing my first quest, I sat facing Aria-san in the room at the S-rank adventurer’s guild dormitory, where we usually spent time together. Today, I was here to hear the two things that Aria-san wanted to tell me.

Aria-san remained silent for a moment, but when her expression hardened with determination, she opened her mouth and began to speak.

“Before I tell you what I want to say, Adin-kun… Do you remember the day you first met me, a year ago?”

“Yes, of course. The day I first met Aria-san was an important one, so I remember it well.”

“…The first time, huh.”

Aria-san murmured meaningfully, and I began to recall the events of that time.

I first met Aria-san a year ago, when I was training so intensely that I almost starved to death…

“Ha…ugh.”

After swinging my sword all day without eating, my stomach was starting to ache. But I had to push through—if I wanted to be an adventurer, I couldn’t give up just because of a little hunger.

I told myself that and kept swinging my sword when suddenly, someone came into the empty space behind the guild, a place where few people passed by.

“Hm? I felt some magic energy… What are you doing here, all alone?”

I turned around at the voice and saw a woman with long white hair and a beautiful face. She looked like a stunning beauty.

“…Eh? Could you be—”

Before she could finish, my hunger overwhelmed me, and I collapsed right there.

“Eh!? Are you okay?!”

She rushed to my side, supporting my back as if to catch me.

What a kind person.

“I’m fine. I just haven’t eaten today while training.”

“That’s not the right way to train! You can’t train like that!”

“Is that so…?”

“Adin-kun, you worry me… From now on, I’ll train you properly, and I’ll make you someone who can fight well!”

“Training… That brings back memories. Are you an adventurer?”

“Yes, I am! An S-rank adventurer, actually!”

“S-rank!?”

S-rank adventurers were the highest-ranked adventurers, the strongest of the strong. It was a place I hoped to reach someday.

“Yes, that’s right! What about you, Adin-kun?”

“I’m planning to become an adventurer when I turn fifteen.”

“Ah, so next year… I’m sure you’ll get strong, Adin-kun.”

“Thank you… By the way, did I ever tell you my name?”

“Eh, huh!? Uh, y-yeah, you did… Maybe you’re just a bit out of it from hunger?”

“Ah, that might be it… Could I ask for your name?”

“—Aria Feruste. I’m seventeen, so I’m three years older than you!”

“Aria-san…”

Because I was so hungry, I couldn’t think straight and couldn’t quite remember, but the name felt important. I wanted to reflect on it, but my hunger was clouding my thoughts. For the time being, I decided to forget the strange feeling and ate with Aria-san.

— That was how I first met Aria-san.

“Adin-kun… Why do you think I made you my disciple?”

“Huh…?”

I was taken aback by Aria-san’s unexpected question. Why did Aria-san choose to make me her disciple…?

“Was it because you felt sorry for me being so hungry…?”

“Well, that’s not the reason.”

“Then… is it because you saw potential in me as an adventurer?”

“That’s part of it. You have the potential to become an S-rank adventurer, but your training methods were all wrong. I wanted to help you with your efforts. But… even if your training methods had been better, I think I would have made you my disciple anyway.”

“Why?”

I asked, but instead of answering directly, Aria-san changed the topic.

“…Adin-kun, do you remember the white-haired girl you told me about?”

I wondered why she was bringing up the white-haired girl now, but I answered her question.

“Yes, I remember her. She was the one who gave me a dream.”

When I said that, Aria-san looked at me with an expression and voice mixed with both determination and anxiety and said:

“—That white-haired girl… was me.”