The Villains I Taught Became Heroes - Chapter 57



56 – A Story Between Us – 4

Her eyes sparkled with excitement.

If she had a tail, it would have been wagging as she eagerly clung to me.

“It’s a simple martial art. You could learn it from the King of Martial Arts, you know?”

“My uncle can’t do stuff like that!”

Isn’t he the King of Martial Arts? Can’t he even use the Wall Return?

“Alright, alright. It’s nice to chat, but we should inform Leina’s parents that she has awakened.”

With the defeat of the Devil, the connection between Leina and Derleibano was severed.

Perhaps because the demon wasn’t summoned directly but merely possessed, things went smoothly.

I wonder if I can just do this and receive an exemption from my tasks.

Of course, if they don’t give it to me, I won’t just sit quietly.

“Your handling of the situation is surprisingly neat. The way you precisely severed the link with the demon was reminiscent of a skilled priest… Are you perhaps from a church?”

—

Not particularly.

Though I am a friend from the church. Having seen a lot of what Serin used to do and having helped beside her, I was able to easily break the possession.

But what need is there to say that much?

I simply shrugged my shoulders, and it seemed that Kwon-wang had no intention of probing further as he stepped lightly outside.

“Uncle!! Leena has opened her eyes!”

Only Leena, Arisha, and I remained in the room.

Arisha, who had been by Leena’s side, beamed as Leena, who had been writhing, began to lift her body. What a bright child she is.

“Ar… isha…?”

“Leena! It’s me! Are you okay?! Huh?!”

Her brilliant blonde hair was swaying. Her green eyes were filled with worry, but soon Leena’s words filled the room with her characteristic liveliness.

“Um… I feel a bit strange, but…”

It’s better to feel a bit queasy than to be possessed by a demon, so I told her to just bear with it.

“They say it’s okay now!”

“Really…? Am I really okay…?”

Arisha’s gaze met mine, and I nodded.

It’s not like demon possession is a common occurrence, so that girl wouldn’t be possessed again.

Of course, I plan to be prepared just in case.

“You’re okay!”

“Leena!!”

It was then.

The door burst open, and Leena’s parents rushed in.

I could roughly understand how immense their joy was to see their daughter, who had just moments ago been possessed by a demon, return to her original self.

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Thus, I could warmly smile at the three family members who were embracing each other and crying.

“Thanks to you, Uncle!”

Arisha, who had come to my side, tugged at the hem of my clothes and smiled brightly.

But this isn’t solely my achievement.

“If Kwon-wang hadn’t sought to save that child, I wouldn’t have even known she was possessed by a demon.”

“I told my uncle about it, though?”

“Then you have a part in this too.”

“Is that so?”

Arisha, tilting her head cutely, smiled again.

It was a smile that seemed to say, “I don’t know anything,” yet warmed the hearts of those who saw it.

“We’ve taken care of everything, so we should be going now.”

“Let’s do that.”

“Why!! How can you just leave like this?!”

“Please! At least stay for a few more days!!”

Leena’s parents were practically in a frenzy at the thought of us just leaving.

Well, we could just go.

But when they were crying and pleading for us not to go, what could we do?

Kwon-wang looked at me, seemingly at a loss, and after a moment of thought, I nodded.

—

“Then I’ll stay for just a few days before I leave.”

“Thank you! Thank you! What an honor! I will remember this for generations to come!”

Well, there’s no need to remember it that much.

It was while I was resting in the room prepared by Leina’s parents.

I heard a knock on the door, and then it swung open.

“Uncle! I’m coming in!”

“You’ve already come in.”

“Hehehe~. Uncle, Uncle.”

Ignoring my teasing, Arisha beamed at me and rushed over, grabbing my clothes tightly. They’re going to stretch out.

“About that thing from earlier. Can you teach me?”

Her sparkling gaze was directed at me, almost overwhelming.

But why is she trying to learn from me instead of her uncle, the King of Rights?

I glanced out the window. The King, who had been meditating in the garden, seemed to notice my gaze and slowly lifted his head.

“What is it?”

“Arisha is asking me to teach her the Wall Return Technique.”

Teaching it isn’t particularly difficult.

But I wondered if there was a reason the King had only taught Arisha the Arang Technique and hadn’t passed on the Wall Return Technique.

So I asked, but to my surprise, he simply nodded indifferently.

“Do as you wish.”

“Uh? Is that okay?”

“I was going to teach it soon anyway. It would be good for Arisha to experience the difference between your interpretation of the Wall Return Technique and mine.”

That’s certainly true.

In that case, I had no reason to decline.

“Alright. I’ll teach you.”

“Wow! Really! Uncle, you’re the best! The best!”

Bouncing with joy, Arisha ran over and hugged me tightly like a puppy.

If I left her be, she would probably shower my face with kisses, so I quickly pulled her away.

“It’s not suitable to do this in the room, so shall we go to the garden?”

“Yes!!”

When we arrived in the garden with the lively Arisha, the King was sitting cross-legged, watching us.

I wondered if this was alright.

“The Wall Return Technique can basically be described as a technique that flows like water.”

“Yes! Teacher!”

“Uh? You don’t have to call me teacher.”

“But you’re teaching me!”

“Do you call your uncle teacher when he teaches you?”

“Uh? No. But an uncle is an uncle, and a teacher is a teacher.”

So, even though he’s family, does that mean I’m trying to establish a different kind of relationship?

I nodded at Arisha, who was looking at me with sparkling eyes.

After all, I would be called teacher eventually, so I might as well hear it a bit earlier.

“Where did we leave off? Right. The wall-hwanjang can basically be described as a technique akin to water. Arisha. How does water flow?”

“Um… smoothly?”

“Hahaha. This kid. Hahaha.”

Instead of giving Arisha a playful smack for her offbeat answer, I simply patted her head.

This kid. Maybe it’s because her head is so pretty, but it’s nice to stroke.

“Hehehe~.”

“That’s right. Just as you said, water flows smoothly. No matter what obstacles there are, as long as they don’t completely block the path, it will flow gracefully through every gap. The wall-hwanjang is the same.”

I stood up and took my stance.

The light in Arisha’s eyes, as she squatted and looked at me, sparkled.

She must be concentrating, right?

“Water doesn’t easily quarrel. It simply flows, entrusting everything to the current.”

My outstretched hand slowly curved, slicing through the air.

In that moment, the fallen leaves around us began to stir in response to my hand’s movement.

I focused on a single leaf that had risen into the sky and moved my hand again.

“That flow can sometimes be a torrent.”

– Bang!!

My hand struck the air, but the leaf gracefully evaded my touch.

Leading the leaf as it danced playfully through the air, I moved my hand once more.

“The basics are simply a flow.”

– Whoosh…

The wind created by my moving hand lifted the leaf back into the air.

Without taking my eyes off the leaf gliding freely, I moved my hand again.

“That flow will be soft above all, yet strong above all.”

– Crackle!

The moment my gently extended hand touched the leaf, it shattered into pieces, turning to dust.

As I stared at it, I lowered my hand.

This is the essence of wall-hwanjang: hiding strength within softness.

I glanced at the King of Authority, and he nodded, seemingly satisfied with my demonstration.

“Wow! That’s amazing! I want to try it too!”

Arisha jumped up from her seat and stood beside me.

With a slightly awkward stance, Arisha reached out her hand.

“Haha. You need to lower your stance a bit more.”

“Like this?”

“Yes. From there, reach out your hand.”

– Bang!!

It was clear she had mastered the strong-willed Arang-kwon.

I could see the tension in her outstretched arms and legs.

“Hehehe. Is this not it?”

She looked a bit embarrassed after trying it herself, but her shy smile was cute.

Yes. Keep laughing. They say good fortune comes to those who smile.

—

The child was full of laughter and charm, but she was not one to shirk her duties.

During her stay at the mansion, Arisha continued her training diligently, and by the time she was ready to leave, she had perfectly mastered the basics of the Wall Transformation technique.

“The basics are the most important. Make sure to practice every single day.”

“Okay! Teacher!”

“And for the next part, you will learn from the King of Rights.”

The fact that she grasped the fundamentals of the Wall Transformation technique in just a few days showed her potential.

So, it was fine for her to learn the rest from the King.

I looked at the King, and he nodded slightly with his arms crossed.

“Hmm. Still, it’s a pity. I wanted to learn more from you, Teacher.”

“There’s nothing we can do about it.”

I had to return to the Tower of the Sage, and Arisha had to follow the King.

“Are you planning to go to the Academy when you become an adult?”

“Yes. Uncle said he would send me there.”

“Then we’ll see each other then.”

“Huh? Teacher, are you thinking of going to the Academy too?”

“Yes. By the time you become an adult and enroll in the Academy, I will likely be there as well.”

“Wow!! I’m so excited! So from then on, I can learn even more from you?”

“That’s right. Until then, make sure to train hard.”

With her eyes sparkling, Arisha bounced around me before suddenly pulling me into a tight embrace.

She had always been affectionate, and after a few days of such closeness, it was no surprise she would do this as we parted.

I gently patted Arisha, who was smiling brightly while holding me tightly.

Was that what she wanted?

After a cheerful giggle, Arisha whispered softly in my ear.

“I’ll definitely see you again, Teacher.”